The WCU Alumni Association hosts events on campus, in local communities across the
state, and online. We invite you to join us for upcoming events, explore our recorded
events, and to contact us if you are interested in hosting an event in your area.
Upcoming Events
Shades of Green Walt Disney Resort Tour
Date: Thursday, May 6th from 6:00 PM-7:00 pm
The Office of Alumni Engagement, in partnership with The Walt Disney Company, is excited
to offer an exclusive look into The Shades of Green Resort for our Military and Veteran
Alumni Society. The Shades of Green Resort is an Armed Forces Recreation Center Resort
located right on Walt Disney World property near Orlando, Florida. You will learn
about Armed Forces Recreation Center Resorts across the world and have the chance
to participate in a Q & A at the end event.
The Military and Veteran Alumni Society is open to members of the armed and uniformed
services. There is no financial commitment to become a member of the society, and
all military and veteran alumni are welcome to join!
Join us on May 6th from 6:00 PM-7:00 PM to learn more about The Shades of Green Resort
and to participate in a Q & A with resort staff.
Details and registration coming soon.
Western Wednesday: Live with Buddy Jewell
Date: May 5, from 6:00 - 7:00 pm EST.
Join us for a special Western Wednesday performance from Nashville Star's season one
winner and certified gold country artist, Buddy Jewell! Buddy Jewell is an award-winning
country singer/songwriter with a storied career in the music industry. In this special
live concert, get to know Buddy Jewell and the meaning behind his music.
The Office of Alumni Engagement is pleased to present this event with Clifton Lambeth
'82 MBA '84, a member of the College of Business Board of Advisors and former Alumni
Board of Directors member, and the WCU Middle Tennessee Alumni Club. Western Wednesday
is a monthly virtual event series featuring special members of the WCU community.
Western Wednesday: Prospects for COVID-19 Economic Recovery in North Carolina
Date: April 28, from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm EST.
Join us for Western Wednesday on April 28 at 6 pm for a presentation about the impact
of COVID-19 on North Carolina's economy and its projected road to recovery.
Special guests include Dr. AJ Grube, newly appointed dean of the College of Business,
and Dr. Edward Lopez, professor and director for the Center for the Study of Free
Enterprise. Dr. Grube has served as a faculty member at WCU for more than 20 years
and has held numerous leadership positions in the College of Business and throughout
the University. Dr. Lopez has been a faculty member at WCU for nearly a decade and
has served in leadership in both the College of Business and the Center for the Study
of Free Enterprise. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end
of program.
The Office of Alumni Engagement is pleased to present this event as part of our Western
Wednesday series, a monthly virtual event featuring special members of the WCU community.
March’s Western Wednesday highlights the 1996 Catamount men’s basketball team to reminisce
about that magical Southern Conference Championship season and punching their ticket
to the 1996 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Former longtime WCU Sports Information Director
and Catamount Historian, Steve White '67, moderates the reminiscing session and offers
Catamount alumni and fans the opportunity to ask questions at the end of program.
The Office of Alumni Engagement, in partnership with the Division of Athletics, is
pleased to present this special event as part of our Western Wednesday series, a monthly
virtual event featuring special members of the WCU community. VIEW THE RECORDING
Revisit this special panel edition of Western Wednesday! Western Carolina University
leadership and key faculty discuss WCU's new COVID-19 vaccine clinic and its plans
to serve the Western North Carolina region. Guests in attendance had the opportunity
to ask questions to the panel, followed by closing remarks from Chancellor Kelli R.
Brown. VIEW THE RECORDING
Campus Leadership Panelists
WCU Chancellor Kelli Brown
Cortnee Lingerfelt, Director of WCU Regional COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
Mike Byers, WCU Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance
Melissa Wargo, WCU Chief of Staff
Kellie Monteith, WCU Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs – Health and Wellness
Lori Anderson, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences
Sam Miller, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs
Moderator:
Brian Mullen, WCU Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Faculty Contributers
Austin Mandeville, MHS, NRP, EMC Distance/Online Program Coordinator
Tamera Pearson, PhD, FNP, Family Nurse Practitioner Program Professor
Lydia Elliott, DNP, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner Program Director/Assistant Professor
Maria D. Gainey, PhD, Chemistry and Physics Assistant Professor
Host:
Marty Ramsey '85, Director of Alumni Engagement
Western Wednesday is a monthly virtual event hosted by the WCU Office of Alumni Engagement featuring
special members of the WCU community. February's Western Wednesday features Danita Johnson, who recently joined Major League Soccer club, D.C. United,
as President of Business Operations. Johnson is the first Black president of a Major
League Soccer club, and is one of the highest-ranking female executives in the sports
industry. She was previously the president of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and its
chief operating officer. Johnson is a 2005 graduate of the WCU Sports Management program,
the 2019 recipient of the WCU Alumni Professional Achievement award, and a native
of Fayetteville, N.C. VIEW THE RECORDING
Western Wednesday is a monthly virtual event hosted by the WCU Office of Alumni Engagement featuring
special members of the WCU community. December's Western Wednesday highlights the 1983 Catamount football team who will reminisce about that magical
season and their run to the ‘83 NCAA National Championship game. Former longtime WCU
Sports Information Director and Catamount Historian Steve White '67, moderates the
reminiscing session and allows Catamount alumni and fans the opportunity to ask questions
at the end of program. View the recording
The Office of Alumni Engagement is pleased to present this special event as part of
our Western Wednesday series, a monthly virtual event featuring members of the WCU community. Learn more
about the four WCU Alumni Association Award recipients below and watch the recorded
ceremony.
Western Wednesday is a monthly event featuring a WCU faculty or staff member who will speak about their
area of expertise. October's Western Wednesday features Dr. Chris Cooper, Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and Department
Head of Political Science and Public Affairs at WCU. Dr. Cooper is a recipient of
WCU's highest awards for research and teaching, the University Scholar and Board of
Governors Teaching Award, respectively. He was also named the 2013 North Carolina
Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
His areas of scholarship include elections as well as the politics of North Carolina
and the South overall. He publishes widely on these areas and has been quoted in a
variety of media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, and National
Public Radio.
Topic: The Trials and Tribulations of Simulation in Health Professions Education
Dr. Anderson is the Dean and Professor of the College of Health and Human Sciences
at Western Carolina University. She has over thirty years of acute and critical care
nursing experience in various roles ranging from staff to administration and academia.
Dr. Anderson has utilized simulation since 2000 and has led various initiatives to
establish and expand simulation in health professions education. Her research interests
include investigating the utilization of simulation in academia and in the healthcare
setting, critical thinking and clinical decision-making and learning outcomes. Dr.
Anderson has published in the area of clinical simulation and serves as a simulation
consultant and as an associate editor and members of the editorial board for the multidisciplinary
journal Simulation in Healthcare. With her national reputation and connections in
simulation, she has been a member of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) study section for Healthcare Safety and Quality Improvement Research and a
current grant reviewer for the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and
Material Command, and Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. VIEW THE RECORDING
Western Wednesday is a monthly event featuring a WCU faculty or staff member who will speak about their
area of expertise. August's Western Wednesday featured Ron Rash, an accomplished author and English professor at WCU. He will be
discussing his newest book titled "In the Valley," a collection of stories that feature
the return of characters that made his book "Serena" popular. VIEW THE RECORDING
Topic: Fall 2020 Campus Health Western Wednesday is a monthly event featuring a WCU faculty or staff member who will speak about their
area of expertise. July's Western Wednesday is with Pamela ("Pam") Buchanan, WCU Director of Health Services. View the Recording
