With winter almost upon us, the Western Carolinian wanted to refresh readers on the university's policy on cancelling classes due to weather, what is done behind the scenes to keep campus safe during winter months and provide a few tips on how to be prepared when winter weather strikes.
Fred Hinson, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, will retire from Western Carolina University on Jan. 1 after more than 45 years of service. In 1966, Hinson joined the WCU faculty and spent nearly 30 years teaching various courses, including microbiology, human anatomy, physiology, freshman biology, botany, zoology, microbial ecology and parasitology.
Chad Miller, the women's soccer coach at Western Carolina University, has always had a passion for sports. "Sports have been my passion my whole life. I have always been interested in sports since I can remember," Miller said. "I drove my parents crazy always wanting to watch them on TV every minute or beg to stay outside to play something with a ball. Soccer has always been my number one love, but I also played football, beach volleyball, water skiing, basketball, baseball and loved to fish."
Many people in the U.S. know Rachel Reilly from her time on two seasons of the hit television reality show "Big Brother", but locally she is still a Catamount. Reilly, who won the $500,000 grand prize at the end of the 13th season of "Big Brother", returned to Cullowhee over Homecoming Weekend and tailgated dressed in purple and gold, just as she did when she attend Western Carolina University from 2002 to 2006.
Since graduating from Western Carolina University in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, Lynda Sossamon has become a business owner and has won two local political positions. In the past, Sossamon worked for WCU for 11 years in the Computer Center as an Operations Manager and a Programmer/Analyst.
Lawyers. We call them for their legal expertise and their concise speaking ability; we call them when we are in need of advice. Would you call a lawyer about your next term paper? If so, you are probably a student of Dr. Todd Collins, an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University.
Paul Turner, a UNC Asheville graduate who got his start at Western Carolina University, now thrives as a television broadcaster in Philadelphia, Pa. Before transferring to UNC Asheville, Turner attended WCU from 1986 to 1988 and majored in Radio Television.
There are many talented composers and conductors. However, it takes great talent and patience to teach those skills to students. One of those people possessed with talent for teaching and the skill required to do so is Dr. Bruce Frazier, Professor in the School of Music, who joined the Western Carolina University faculty in 1998.
It didn't take long for Joe Mullins, a 2008 Western Carolina University graduate, to apply what he learned in Cullowhee to a job in the "real world". Mullins graduated from WCU in May of 2008 with a B.S. degree in Broadcast Communications and a minor in Broadcast Sales. In June 2008, he was hired as a Multi-Platform Distribution Specialist at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta, Ga. – a job he still holds today.
The Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, the World Series. What do all of these have in common? They're all events that Assistant Professor of Broadcasting Gabe Nucci has contributed to and thrived in. Born in snowy Rochester, N.Y., Nucci spent most of his childhood in sunny Miami, Fla.
September is "National Preparedness Month", and in honor of the recent trembles felt from the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Virginia and the East Coast, The Western Carolinian thought it wise to delve into the world of emergency preparedness on the Western Carolina University campus.
Not many people can say that they have worked on a feature film, even less people can say they have worked on numerous cinematic pieces of high caliber. Among that select few is Arledge Armenaki, associate professor of cinematography at Western Carolina University.
At an age when many young people are preparing to go to college, 18-year-old Brittany Amber Nicole Burke has graduated from Western Carolina University with a bachelor's degree. The daughter of Tim and Wendy Burke of Forest City completed her academic requirements last spring semester to earn her degree in criminal justice.
Have you ever been hustling to class when you look up, only to make eye contact with that person you have never seen before in your life? Awkward. Within seconds, they look away, but something catches your eye. A pig. You're hooked. What does his shirt say? You can't help but chuckle, "Canadian bacon: Just ham having an identity crisis.
During his undergraduate studies, Western Carolina University alumni Andrew Dodson prepared himself to move halfway across the world to put his education to the test. Dodson graduated from WCU in December 2009 and was accepted to go to China in May of 2010 to teach Communicative and Business English classes to thirty to eighty undergraduates at Changchun University of Technology in China.
(Editor's Note: The following is the tenth part of a series of articles looking at the lives of WCU faculty and staff before they were educators.) Before settling in North Carolina and becoming a professor at Western Carolina University, Dr. Michael Caudill's education and passion for intercultural communication allowed him to travel to 46 countries and live abroad for seven years.
(Editor's Note: The following is the second of a series of articles where Western Carolinian writers profile the lives and careers of coaches before they arrived at WCU.) Dennis Wagner is entering his fourth season at the helm of the Catamount Football program.
Jacoby Mitchell can say he is the only student athlete at WCU to play two sports, football and baseball, but it's not all fun and games. Currently in the middle of his baseball season and the start of football spring training, Mitchell is forced to split time between baseball and football season.
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