Spring 2018 Employee Newsletter
A Word from the President
I’ve taken many opportunities this year to spend time with our students doing the activities they love. The more I attend Convocation, sporting events, concerts, and theatre productions — or just take a walk on the new campus lawn — the more I become aware of how unique the atmosphere is at Liberty. We offer students a nurturing, caring environment where they can lay the groundwork for future careers and explore their passions — and, at the same time, experience some of the most exciting moments of their lives.
In January, I attended the grand opening of the new Liberty Natatorium. Members of the women’s swimming & diving team encouraged me to take the plunge off the 10-meter diving platform. It was a fun experience, but I think I enjoyed hearing the cheers and support from our students even more than the jump itself.
Every day, I meet new students who are spurring others to action. One of our monthly Champion Award winners, Anna Nokes, earned the honor because of how she has motivated others to do community service. Our LU Send teams are gearing up for trips over Spring Break, where they will meet the needs of people around the world.
We look forward to inspiring future generations, and I’m proud to introduce the next generation of Falwells. Our first grandchild, Virginia Rose Falwell, was born to Wesley and Laura on Feb. 23 at 1:02 a.m., and Freedom Tower was lit pink to celebrate her birth.
Liberty is a place to become inspired and to inspire others. We hope the stories here will motivate you in your work and remind you that you are part of something unique.
Jerry Falwell
President
Nominate a Champion!
People in the Liberty community live out what it means to be a Champion for Christ daily, and through the We The Champions project, we highlight them. Do you know someone who shows the love of Christ in all they do? Nominate them for a Champion Award! You can submit a champion story at Liberty.edu/Champions. We will be choosing Champion Award winners every month — submit your story today.
Liberty Natatorium and Freedom Tower Celebrate Grand Openings
2018 has been busy for Liberty University, as the campus added two new buildings to its landscape: the Liberty Natatorium and Freedom Tower.
On Friday, Jan. 26, the 75,000-square-foot Liberty Natatorium opened its doors to a lively crowd that witnessed President Jerry Falwell jumping off the facility’s 10-meter diving platform and splashing into the 17-foot-deep diving well below. The natatorium features five diving platforms in total, as well as two springboards, a nine-lane, 50-meter pool, team locker rooms, a 43-by-14-foot videoboard, and 1,400 seats with a total capacity of 2,000. The grand opening was highlighted by the swimming & diving team honoring its senior students before defeating both George Mason and VMI in the facility the next day.
Months of excitement and anticipation led to the grand opening of Freedom Tower on Feb. 5. Under a clear blue sky, President Falwell, along with Dr. Elmer Towns, Dr. Ed Hindson, and Dr. Ron Hawkins, addressed an audience of community leaders, faculty, staff, and students. They spoke of God’s provision throughout Liberty’s history and Freedom Tower’s significance to the school’s future.
At 275 feet tall, Freedom Tower is the tallest building in Lynchburg and the new home of the Rawlings School of Divinity, the largest center for religious studies and ministry training in the country. The building’s 17 stories, including its 3-level base, contain numerous classrooms, offices, a conference room, a homiletics lab, and an interactive classroom. The base of the tower also features the Rawlings Scriptorium, opening in April, which will house a collection of some of the earliest and most rare Bibles and a life-size replica of the Gutenberg Press.
The Liberty Bible Resource Center
Offering a wide range of free resources from Dr. Harold Willmington, the Liberty Bible Resource Center provides you with the tools you need to get the most out of studying Scripture. Dr. Willmington founded the Liberty Home Bible Institute in 1976 (now the Willmington School of the Bible) and has authored over 20 books, in addition to serving as pastor, teacher, and dean. The center offers Willmington’s S.W.O.R.D. project (Scripture Wisdom Organized and Rightly Divided), a comprehensive Bible study program comprised of his personal collection of articles. Visit the Liberty Bible Resource Center online to learn more about Willmington and the S.W.O.R.D. project and to download materials.
Watch William Byron in the NASCAR Cup Series!
After a stellar rookie campaign in 2017 — highlighted by clinching the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and being named the series Rookie of the Year — Liberty University online student William Byron made his debut with Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. Behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Byron aims to continue the success he found in 2017. Click here to see his 2018 schedule!
Pick Up Your Copy of the Spring 2018 Liberty Journal!
The Spring 2018 edition of the Liberty Journal is now available. Get a free copy on campus today or read online at Liberty.edu/Journal. This issue includes features on Freedom Tower, the career of Dr. Kenneth Dormer of the Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the transition to the FBS for Flames Football.
Spring 2018 Construction Update
As part of Liberty’s transition to the FBS level of college football competition, Williams Stadium is undergoing a major upgrade and is expected to be completed by the start of the 2019 season. This expansion will bring seating capacity up to 25,000 and will also include a new scoreboard, more dining options, and road improvements, as well as new bus loading and unloading areas to improve road and foot traffic.
The new 78,000-square-foot, 3-story building for the School of Business is currently under construction. Following Commencement 2017, Elmer Towns Religion Hall was torn down to make room for the school’s future home. The building will feature meeting, conference, and executive boardrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, and a number of innovative spaces — from information technology labs to networking and data centers. The building’s centerpiece will be a simulated stock trading room, visible from behind glass, and will include a real-time ticker, New York Stock Exchange display boards, and computer terminals. The facility is expected to be completed in Spring 2019.
Provost Award for Excellence in Research Mentorship
The Center for Research & Scholarship (CRS) annually presents up to five faculty the Provost Award for Excellence in Research Mentorship. These recognized faculty teach undergraduate residential courses and exemplify a commitment to best practices in teaching and mentoring undergraduate research.
This award process involves a formal peer nomination, dean support, faculty input, and student contribution. Winners are determined by the CRS Selection Committee and will receive $3,000 and recognition at a university event. Click here for more information about the award, including criteria and nomination forms.
Winter Sports Recap
Men’s Basketball
Led by Head Coach Ritchie McKay, the 2017-18 Liberty Flames Men’s Basketball team had a strong season, highlighted by road wins over UNC Asheville, Wake Forest, and Winthrop, as well as an exhibition victory over VCU before the regular season started. Solid play from redshirt senior Ryan Kemrite, redshirt sophomore Scottie James, and sophomore Georgie Pacheo-Ortiz was key to Liberty’s success.
Women’s Basketball
Fueled by strong performances from players like sophomores Keyen Green, Ola Makurat, and Iva Ilic, the Lady Flames opened 2017-18 Big South play with four straight wins over Presbyterian, Charleston Southern, Winthrop, and Gardner-Webb. Under the leadership of Head Coach Carey Green, the Lady Flames went undefeated at home and look to continue this trend at the 2018 Big South Women’s Basketball Championship, hosted in the Vines Center.
Men’s DI Hockey
After an impressive regular season and a deep playoff run in 2016-17, the Flames have their sights set on the Eastern State Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) title in 2017-18. Head Coach Kirk Handy’s team has excelled since transitioning to the ESCHL, finishing this season on a 17-game winning streak before heading to the ESCHL playoffs on Feb. 24 in West Chester, Pa. One of this season’s highlights was a Star Wars-themed home game against Alabama on Feb 9. Donning rebel pilot-inspired jerseys, the Flames defeated the Crimson Tide 7-2.
Spring Sports Update
Baseball
Following a 2017 campaign that was highlighted by a road win over No. 3 North Carolina — the highest-ranked team Liberty has ever beaten — the Flames started the 2018 season with four straight wins at Liberty Baseball Stadium, including three in a row against VCU. Don’t miss any of the action — buy your season or single-game tickets today!
Softball
2017 was a special year for the Lady Flames as they captured the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship on May 24. The Lady Flames defeated Lamar 3-1 at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium after winning five straight elimination games during the championship week. Liberty looks to build on its success in 2018 and will face off against nationally ranked teams, including UCLA, Baylor, and Arizona State.
Men’s Lacrosse
After outscoring opponents 44-24 and winning all five of their matchups in the fall — highlighted by sweeping three opponents at the Fall Tournament on Oct. 14 — the Flames are back and ready to continue their success in Spring 2018. Led by Head Coach Kyle McQuillan, the men’s lacrosse team will open up its home competition against West Virginia on March 3.
Women’s Lacrosse
The 2018 season provides an opportunity for the lacrosse team to test themselves against a challenging schedule as they make a push for another conference championship appearance. After opening the season with a 14-7 win at Mercer in Macon, Ga., the Lady Flames are off to a strong start.
Track & Field
For the second straight season, Liberty swept the men’s and women’s team titles at the 2017 Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships. For the third year in a row, Liberty also captured the men’s and women’s team titles at the 2017 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships, winning by a combined 240 points and taking 16 first-place finishes. Liberty will aim to continue its success in 2018.
Men’s Tennis
Men’s tennis finished the fall slate of its 2017-18 schedule with strong performances from junior Eddie Gutierrez and sophomore Vince Salas, both of whom paced the team in singles victories with 10 apiece. Gutierrez reached two singles finals (Liberty University Invitational, Aztec Fall Invitational), while Salas won eight of his last 10 singles bouts. Sophomore Chase Burton reached the quarterfinals of the singles main draw at the ITA Atlantic Regional, and collectively, Liberty posted an 8-2 record on Day 2 of the regional. The Flames began the 2018 portion of their schedule on Jan. 19 in Blacksburg, Va., facing off against both Virginia Tech and North Carolina A&T.
Women’s Tennis
In Fall 2017, the Lady Flames made program history after juniors Ashley Bongart, Rebekah Anderson, Anna Dollar, and senior Evangeline Crist reached the quarterfinals at the ITA Atlantic Regional at Virginia Tech. It marked the first time in school history that two Liberty women’s tennis doubles duos (Bongart and Anderson; Dollar and Crist) made the quarterfinals in the regional during the same year. The Lady Flames are building on that success in 2018, showing their strength during a four-match winning streak, capped by back-to-back 7-0 wins over Troy and Shaw on Sunday, Feb. 11.
Employees of the Month
Congratulations to our Employees of the Month. You are a tremendous blessing to this university, and we are thankful for you. This recognition is proof that you go above and beyond expectations to consistently produce excellent work with a Christlike attitude and spirit. Thank you for all you do to make Liberty a shining light.
January: Melissa Breaux, Corbin Brown, Barb Chase, Laura Dutkus, Jim Gaston, Jo Ellen Goodale, Crystal Henderson, Todd Hibbard, Tuesday Hunt, Rochelle Jagst, Matthew Morrisey, Vicki Murillo, Ruth Ronk, Brett Sipos, Angela Smith, Mike Strobel, and Will Uminn.
February: Shante Calloway, Maria Cruz, Tess Curtis, Timothy Fowler, Wes Franklin, Dave Freyre, Cailah Garcia Lopez, Jeremy Hatfield, Isaac Hicks, Robert John, Jonathan Kirk, Beth Koss, Nataliya Lowe, Cameron Monari, Dr. Robert Mott, Sara Norman, John Person, Chris Roder, Bill Smith, Bethany Williams, and Chris Williamson.
March: Robyn Bjerre, Sue Chung, Jeannie Crossland, Leah Fariss, Tim Hamlette, Hannah Jones, Ashley Marsh, Betty Miller, Katie Nelson, Frank Palmer, Kara Ranck, Jake Shellenberger, Jessica Stewart, Mathew Swinson, Tyler Tipton, John Walter, and Rachel Welch.
You Stand Out
Senior university leadership has been looking for staff members who exemplify exceptional commitment to Liberty’s customer service standards. Last month, tickets* were handed out as our way of thanking those whose hard work and dedication (often behind the scenes) make a difference.
Congratulations to You Stand Out recipients: Noelia Alvarado, Jonah Aspegren, Owen Baker, Justin Barker, Nick Barker, Dwayne Bateman, George Bieri, Morgan Blackwell, Heather Bradley, Kerry Bridges, Brennan Carlson, Elicia Charlesworth, Jess Clark, Aaron Coffey, Mark Cox, Juanita Cunningham, Vicar Daughtry, Dan Hannah Deaton, Deter, Joey Domingo, Will Faber, Carmelita Foster, Kevin Gould, Jeremy Hatfield, Drew Hester, Tuesday Hunt, Cheryl Job, Jessica Johnson, Tracy Jones, Mary long, Sarah Madsen, Zachary Marlowe, Michael Marrotte, Brian McCandles, Michaelle McCarthy, Betty Miller, Billy Myers, Kim Newton, Marshall Robbins, Joshua Rutledge, Steve Schultz, Brayden Shambley, Scott Spear, Sarah Stearns, Glenn Stepp, Dan Stoicu, Joy Tate, Kaleb VanDePerre, Erin Vinersar, and Megan Wright.
*Remember, these tickets are redeemable for a Barnes & Noble gift card. Be on the lookout — you never know when someone might notice that You Stand Out!