Four New Members Elected to Board of Trustees
Donna J. Dean, Ph.D. ’69, of Hedgesville, W.Va.; Charles Crowe ’70, of Johnson City, Tenn.; Megan Torres ’09, of Alexandria, Va.; and Cassie Helen Chambers Armstrong, of Louisville, Ky., were elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees. Each will serve six-year terms.
Dean’s career has included various positions in scientific research and administration. Most recently, she was an executive consultant to the Association for Women in Science in Washington, D.C. She served in various capacities for the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Md., and she also has held laboratory and faculty-based positions as a research chemist for the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes NIH and as a visiting research fellow in the department of biology at Princeton University.
Since 2012, Dean has served as a career consultant for the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., and as an emeritus member of the board of advisors for Tulane University’s School of Science and Engineering. After receiving her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Duke University, she completed post-doctorate studies in cell and molecular biology at Princeton University.
Crowe was the CEO of LeGacy Resource Corporation until it was dissolved in 2015. He previously spent more than 30 years with the U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies (Energy Research and Development Administration and the Atomic Energy Commission), from which he retired as the director of the Procurement and Contracts Division in 2006. Earlier in his career, he worked in the auto industry, higher education and the construction industry.
Crowe earned a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University and an honorary doctorate degree from Berea College. A very active member of his community, Crowe has received many awards and recognitions for community service. He also was twice recognized by Outstanding Young Men of America. As a community leader, Crowe has led and served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations. He currently serves as president of the Men of Tomorrow Foundation, which he co-founded 31 years ago. The Men of Tomorrow Foundation operates a mentoring program focused on the core values of developing a good self-image, providing positive role models, stressing academic achievement, encouraging cultural development and stressing career development. The program provides community youth a jump start to a successful future career.
Torres completed her master’s degree in business administration at the University of Mary Washington while working at National Resource Conservation Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While there, she focused on a variety of projects, including contracting system administration, policy, training/certification management and performing market research for micro purchases. She now works as an auditor with the Army Audit Agency at Ft. Belvoir, Va. Torres will serve as an alumni trustee.
Armstrong grew up in Berea and is a graduate of the Yale School of Public Health, the London School of Economics and Harvard Law School. She is an assistant professor of law at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and a member of the Louisville Metro Council. Armstrong is the daughter of two Berea alums, Orlando Chambers ’86 and Wilma Chambers ’91, a former director of the College’s Child Development Lab.
Her book, “Hill Women,” was published in 2020 and focuses on the role of education in creating transformative change in Appalachia. Previously, Armstrong was a Skadden Fellow at a Kentucky nonprofit, where she formulated and implemented impact litigation strategies. She also spent time working in private practice at Kaplan, Johnson, Abate and Bird.
Hill-Zuganelli Receives Innovation in Teaching Award
Dr. Dee Hill-Zuganelli, assistant professor in the Child and Family Studies department, was among three instructors to receive Cognella Innovation in Teaching Awards for Family Science at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference in November 2021. The award recognizes outstanding family-science instructors who develop and apply innovative teaching practices within their courses.
Dr. Hill-Zuganelli leveraged remote teaching technology and online communication platforms to help students evaluate safety and sense of belonging among LGBTQPIA+ minoritized students. As part of a seminar course called “Sexuality in Everyday Life,” students were challenged with identifying and sharing “safe zones” on campus and shared their evaluations as part of a broad group discussion. With permission, Hill-Zuganelli shared key themes and testimonials from the seminar confidentially with members of the campus LGBTQPIA+ issues task force and prepared a report on the learning activity. The task force is now following this teaching template to host in-person and online student forums on appraising LGBTQPIA+ safety.
Peach Receives Kentucky Librarian Award
Amanda Peach, associate director of library services, received the 2021 Outstanding Academic Librarian Award in September 2021. This award recognizes a full-time employee of an academic library in Kentucky for their impact on their library and the profession; their commitment to library users and to diversity, equity and inclusion; and their strategic thinking and innovation in solving problems and improving library services, collections, and/or spaces.
Berea Student Participates in Global Public Health Exchange Program
Maryam ’24 participated in a U.S.-Iraq Global Public Health Program—COVID-19 virtual exchange program in summer 2021. The opportunity was funded by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and featured 60 students from the U.S. and 60 from Iraq. Maryam was a team captain and led a consultancy project on an Iraq medical organization studying vaccine hesitancy. The goal of the virtual exchange program was for undergraduate and graduate students to work together to develop sustainable solutions to healthcare inequity in both countries, addressing issues that have arisen as a result of COVID-19.
In addition to developing solutions for healthcare inequity, the students shared cultural perspectives, promoting peace and trust, as well as developed 21st-century skills, such as collaboration and critical thinking.
“Our hope is that students gain understanding about how different countries are experiencing the pandemic as well as skills in cultural humility and leadership,” said Nancy Lowestein, program director of Behavior and Health at Boston University.
Berea Student Honored on Ky. Firefighters Memorial
Walter Gay ’65 was one of 14 names added to the Kentucky Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Frankfort, Ky. Gay, a senior political science major from Avon Park, Fla., was killed in 1965 when his rig overturned an embankment. He was honored by Gov. Andy Beshear at the 20th Annual Kentucky Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service in September 2021.
“There are no more essential workers than our first responders, those who run into a burning building, those who get up every morning, put on their uniforms and leave the safety of their homes and families, willing to risk their lives for others,” Gov. Beshear said.
Berea College Listed as Top Kentucky College
Berea College is ranked No. 148—the highest-ranked Kentucky college—in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (THE) 2022 College Rankings. Berea also ranked No. 3 on the publication’s list of “Best Value Colleges” in the nation.
“We are thrilled to be the top-ranking Kentucky college in both The Wall Street Journal/THE overall list and their ‘Best Value Colleges’ list for 2022,” said President Lyle Roelofs. “One of our Great Commitments is to extend educational opportunity to all students—regardless of race or economic resources. Our no-tuition policy allows us to provide a high-quality college education to talented students who would not otherwise be able to afford it. Rankings like these put Berea on the map as students look for an affordable and transformative college experience.”
Berea Named One of the Best 387 Colleges by The Princeton Review
Berea College has again been named one of the nation’s “best institutions for undergraduates to earn their college degree” in The Princeton Review’s book, The Best 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition.”
Only about 14 percent of America’s 2,800 four-year colleges are profiled in the guide book. The Princeton Review includes colleges in the book based on data it collects annually from administrators at hundreds of colleges about their institutions’ academic offerings. The Princeton Review also considers data from surveys of college students who rate and report on various aspects of their campus and community experiences for this project.
Berea College was recognized for appearing in the following lists:
- Best Colleges in the Southeast
- Best Value Colleges
- Best Green Colleges
- Tuition-free Schools
