The HEED Award is a prestigious honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging and community-building across all levels of campus life.

Elon will be featured, along with 60 other recipients, in the October 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine. This latest honor recognizes the work Elon as an institution, and its students do to make a more inclusive community.

“What continues to distinguish Elon is that inclusive excellence is central to how we define educational excellence. We put people, relationships, and human differences at the heart of learning and at the foundation of a meaningful personal, professional, and civic life,” said Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence. “Across the university, we share responsibility for creating an environment where people are seen, valued, and affirmed in their identities and can experience a genuine sense of belonging.”

The magazine uses a detailed scoring process, a holistic approach and a team of experienced higher education professionals to review each application.

“Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,��� said Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of Insight into Academia magazine.

Over the past several years, Elon has expanded its SMART mentor program (which connects first-year students with upperclass students) to support and mentor more students. The university has also expanded use of Living Learning Communities, including the new Mi Casa community. International student support efforts have also increased with the addition of a new staff member in that office to better support students with visas at Elon.

In the summer of 2026, Elon will also begin the Elon Launch program, a 6-credit, 3-week residential transition program to give incoming students an intentional start on college life. Elon Launch is intentionally designed to meet the needs of neurodiverse students, including those with ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, anxiety or executive functioning challenges.

The university’s fly-in program, ElonYOU, is specifically designed to open access for students who would otherwise not be able to visit campus. The program fully funds travel and an overnight stay at Elon. Additionally, the program offers up to $250 in travel support for parents/guardians/supporters.

Williams acknowledged the following 消消犯 faculty and staff who contributed information and suggestions for the award application:

• Naeemah Clark, Associate Provost for Academic Inclusive Excellence
• Mike Haskins, Vice President for Marketing and Communications
• Monica Isbell, Director of Academic Accommodations and Accessibility
• Kimberly Romero, Assistant Dean of Admissions for Inclusive Excellence
• Rob Springer, Senior Advisor for Institutional Effectiveness
• Paul Tongsri, Assistant Dean for Student Success and Retention

For more information about the 2026 HEED Award, visit .

About Insight Into Academia

Insight Into Academia magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in higher education excellence. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance initiatives at their institutions. Current, archived, and digital issues of Insight Into Academia magazine are available online at insightintoacademia.com.

New members were selected based on their academic standing, quality of legal writing, and strong performances in the school���s oral advocacy competition and auditions.

Moot Court Board

Thirty-eight members of the Class of 2027 have been named to the Moot Court Board:

• Brianna Arnovits L���27
• Aislynn Bell L���27
• Gabrielle Brown L���27
• Vivian Camplin L���27
• Megan Chen L���27
• Will Courts L���27
• Kali Crooks L���27
• Madison Curtis L���27
• Samantha Davis L���27
• Frank Deronja L���27
• Aarya Deshmukh L���27
• Madison Emsermann L���27
• Paulina Escobar L���27
• Skylar Flechsig L���27
• Kayleigh Foster L���27
• Jacqueline Gardner L���27
• Abigail Halloway L���27
• Zaria Hanchell L���27
• Kyla King L���27
• Arden Latham L���27
• Anthony Logrono L���27
• Nicole Malagon L���27
• Michael Maroney L���27
• Kassidy Neuner L���27
• Addison Noe L���27
• Grant Paramore L���27
• Carson Patterson L���27
• Bryanna Rediger L���27
• Clare Rudolph L���27
• Queen Salaam L���27
• Alex Sarmiento L���27
• Lily Selznick L���27
• McKenzie Swedin L���27
• Baron Turner L���27
• Avery Vidt L���27
• Rachel Wilson L���27
• Adelaide Zahren L���27
• Libby Zapor L���27

Board members were selected based on a combination of their performance in the spring 2026 Intramural Moot Court Competition, their appellate brief writing in Legal Method and Communication, and their overall academic record.

Members of the Moot Court Board represent Elon Law in external appellate advocacy competitions and help organize the law school���s internal and national moot court competitions.

���These new board members have demonstrated that they can analyze difficult legal questions, craft persuasive arguments and advocate effectively before a panel of judges,��� said Vice Dean and Professor of Law Alan Woodlief, director of Elon Law���s Moot Court Program. ���We look forward to seeing them represent Elon Law in competitions across the country and work alongside our Class of 2026 board members to host this fall���s 17th Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition.���

The new members will also help organize Elon Law���s spring 2027 Intramural Moot Court Competition and the fall 2027 Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition.

Mock Trial Team

Following auditions last spring, eight members of the Class of 2027 were also selected for Elon Law���s 2026���2027 Mock Trial Team:

• Aislynn Bell L���27
• Gabrielle Brown L���27
• Sam Grant L���27
• Kyla King L���27
• Arden Latham L���27
• Grant Paramore L���27
• Avery Vidt L���27
• Rachel Wilson L���27

The Mock Trial Team gives students opportunities to develop courtroom advocacy skills and represent Elon Law in trial competitions.

���These students put in the work and brought their A-game to earn their places on the team,��� said Adjunct Professor of Law Bob Minarcin, who coordinates Elon Law���s Mock Trial program. ���Here’s to a fantastic season and an even better team.���

Kranec, an applied mathematics and biomedical engineering major, whose research focuses on using a mathematical model to better understand how the immune system responds during COVID-19 and how that response may contribute to heart damage. She developed a system of differential equations that describes the interactions between the virus, immune cells and cytokines in the heart. Kranec has conducted this research with Associate Professor of Mathematics Hwayeon Ryu.

Their goal is to better understand how immune dysregulation can lead to cardiac complications during infection.

���As an applied mathematics and biomedical engineering student, I���ve always been drawn to how mathematics can be applied in real-world health problems,��� Kranec said. ���COVID-19 really highlighted how complex the interactions between the immune system and an infection are, and I was super interested in how mathematical modeling could help to answer biological questions that might be different to experimentally study.���

This research project allows Kranec to combine her interests in mathematics, biology and medicine.

���Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful to me,��� Kranec said. ���It is a privilege to have my presentation recognized by other researchers and educators in the mathematical community. This award reflects not only the research itself, but the mentorship we received and the collaborative effort that went into this project. Being award this prize has given me more confidence in pursuing interdisciplinary research in the future.���

Her research poster was submitted as part of the MAA MathFest presentation session for 消消犯 students. Kranec recalled being surprised and honored to receive the award at MathFest.

���I had seen many other impressive projects being presented at the conference, so I was grateful that the judges held my work in the same high esteem,��� Kranec said. ���It was a very rewarding and exciting moment.���

At the MAA MathFest conference, Kranec enjoyed the opportunity to explain her research on how mathematical models can be used to provide insights into complex biological systems and hearing questions and new perspectives from others.

Keopagnapech Ngoun ���26, James Felder ���27, and Andrew Pipeling ���29 also contributed to this project.

���Receiving this award was an honor, and although my research group members were not able to attend the conference, I am grateful to have represented our team���s research at the conference,��� Kranec said.

Kranec attended the conference with Ryu through support from a National Science Foundation grant to fund Ryu’s research on COVID-19.

���As a mentor, there is nothing more rewarding than watching a student grow in confidence and begin to see herself as a researcher,��� Ryu said. ���Lisa has worked hard on her project, so seeing her research recognized at a national conference was a very proud moment for me. This award is a wonderful recognition of her curiosity, persistence and growth, but it also shows what 消消犯s can accomplish when they are given meaningful opportunities to engage with research. This is just the beginning for Lisa, over the next two years, she will continue her interdisciplinary research through her Lumen project, Mathematical modeling of excessive collagen production in cardiac fibrosis, under the joint mentorship of Efrain Rivera-Serrano and I. I���m excited to see how she continues to grow as an interdisciplinary researcher.���

Ayesh Awad ���24 received this award at the 2024 MathFest conference.

Established in 2007, the Janet L. Andersen Award for Undergraduate Research in Mathematical or Computational Biology honors Janet Andersen, professor of mathematics, at Hope College.

The transformative program is designed to support scholars at multiple points in their 消消犯 years and early career. Renewable for up to two years, the UGSP provides:

• $20,000 per academic year to support 消消犯 education expenses
• A 10-week full-time summer internship at the NIH immediately following the year of scholarship support
• One year of full-time employment with the NIH post-graduation

Because Barnes and Sterling have won the award as juniors, they are eligible to receive up to $40,000 in scholarship support, two paid summer internships (one between their junior and senior years, and another following graduation) and two years of employment upon graduation.

Approximately 15 scholars are selected each year from a nationwide pool of hundreds of applicants, and Elon students have been remarkably successful in this competition in recent years. The federally-funded program was on pause last year, but Samantha Hinton ���25 was selected in 2024, and three seniors���Genesis Tolbert ���24, Christopher D���Inzeo ���24 and Samuel Ramirez ���24���were selected in 2023. The addition of Barnes and Sterling to the list means that Elon has been represented in the three most recent cohorts of this highly selective program.

The next application cycle for the NIH UGSP will open in Spring 2027. Interested students should contact the National and International Fellowships Office to learn more.

Sofia Barnes ’28

Sofia Barnes is a chemistry and psychology double major from Port Washington, New York. At Elon, Barnes has worked under the mentorship of Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry, on an analysis of toxic metal concentration in medicinal herbs and spices in the United States. The research aims to fill the knowledge gap around potential contamination of medicinal herbs and spices by creating a nationwide catalog outlining the metal accumulation in numerous medical herbs and spices. This experience helped foster Barnes��� love of research and pushed her to seek out external opportunities like the NIH UGSP.

Thanks to the robust structure of the award, Barnes will be freer to deepen her research impact at Elon and the NIH.

���This award will not only give me the opportunity to further my career as a researcher and give me the chance to connect with mentors and peers to help push and encourage me,��� she explained. ���It has also provided me with the support to be able to lessen the monetary stress that comes with my 消消犯 degree, which allows me to focus more on making the most out of my time in undergrad. It allows me to expand my reach with my post-grad options and where I may go after Elon which before felt more limited.���

In addition to her research, Barnes is active across campus. She is a service ambassador in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, a member of Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority Incorporated, a chemistry tutor, and has previously served as a SMART mentor and Peer Educator. Her constellation of Elon mentors includes Andrew Moffa, assistant Director for the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Justin Clar, associate professor of chemistry and director of Elon���s Undergraduate Research Program, and Dr. Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry.

Parker Sterling ’28

Parker Sterling is a double major in biology and history with minors in chemistry, neuroscience, and peace & conflict studies from Randleman, North Carolina. As an Elon College Fellow, Sterling is working under the mentorship of Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, to test the feasibility of a dual-drug intravaginal ring for menstrual pain. She���s supplemented her ECF research experience by assisting with data collection and processing in the Elon Physical Therapy Department���s Glen Raven Biomechanics Lab.

The NIH UGSP will be a critical step in Sterling���s development as a research scientist. While she remains committed to STEM research on her journey towards medical school, Sterling is equally committed to earning her master���s in history while working at the NIH. She seeks to understand not only the science, but also the historical and social contexts that have shaped scientific inquiry and advancement.

Sterling is highly engaged on campus outside of her research and academics. She is the Business Lead (and former President) for the Phoenix Racing Team, a physics TA, a senior resident assistant in the Global Neighborhood and a Leadership Ambassador with the Center for Leadership. As a reflection of her wide breadth of involvement, Sterling���s Elon mentors span disciplines and departments; the list includes Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, Andresa Bresler Bezerra, assistant 消消犯 professor of chemistry, Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology, Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, and Matthew Banks, engineering lab manager and advisor for the Phoenix Racing Team.

Together with AJ Smith ’29 and Sam McCusker Alvarez ’26, the team launched a uniquely creative approach to combining fun engagement with memorable safety info and prizes. The sponsoring staff member for Elon’s first time participating was the new Environmental Health and Safety Specialist for Academic Affairs, Melinda Box, who contributed funding and coordination.

The sponsoring association, CSHEMA, supports this nationwide event in February of each year by providing the theme, resources and professional community support. Participants include students and lab safety professionals on campuses of all sizes across the nation. Participants submit summaries of what they rolled out and are judged based on clarity, originality, creativity, quality, messaging, marketing, branding and impact. Elon competed against five other entrants in the small institution category and won first prize. Winners were announced on July 19 at the award ceremony that was part of the annual CSHEMA conference.

To win, the team of students at Elon went above and beyond the resources CSHEMA provided in their event organization. They put together a film festival, website, bingo night, tabling event with hands-on activities, scavenger hunt, and a lab mystery game night. They also created collectable prizes including hazard symbol dice, buttons, plaques, and parody-labeled Flubber. In addition, they contributed to International Coffee with safety-themed cookies and film festival discussion. For this major undertaking, they were also awarded a Residential 消消犯 Advisory Committee Living & Learning Grant and received funding from Elon’s Belk Library.

“I’m so proud of all the phenomenally creative ideas this team generated and made happen,” said Box. “They poured their hearts and souls into something they value greatly, generating and sustaining a culture of safety in their community.”

The Princeton Review has again featured 消消犯 in a popular college guide that annually recognizes excellence in dozens of categories, with the university placing among the top 25 schools in 15 categories and in the top 10 of eight categories, including #1 Best College Theater.

Elon���s profile in ��������includes more than a dozen recognitions:

• #1 Best College Theater
• #4 Best Classroom Experience
• #6 Best Student Support and Counseling Services
• #6 Best College Dorms
• #8 Happiest 消消犯
• #9 Most Beautiful 消消犯
• #9 Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
• #10 Their 消消犯 Love These Colleges
• #11 Best 消消犯 Food
• #12 Best Career Services
• #12 Best-Run Colleges
• #18 Most Active Student Government
• #23 Professors Get High Marks
• #24 Best Quality of Life
• #25 Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation

The Princeton Review chose the 392 colleges for the book based on its surveys in 2025-26 of 2,000 college administrators about their school’s academic offerings. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges in the book who rated their schools on dozens of topics and reported on their campus experiences at them. Only about 14% of America���s nearly 2,800 four-year colleges are in the book.

“We are delighted to name Elon one of our Best Colleges for 2027, and we recommend it to students searching for their ���best-fit��� college,��� said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and lead author of The Best 392 Colleges.�� “Elon has outstanding academic programs; we also took into account the candid feedback we received about it from its very own customers���its enrolled students.”

The rankings are entirely based on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools in the book who reported on their campus experiences at their schools. Surveys of 172,000 students (about 439 per school on average) were tallied for the rankings in The Best 392 Colleges.

Information on the for the rankings and the student is published in the book and on .

Select Responses Cited in ���The Best 391 Colleges���

• Elon provides “meaningful access to professors, research opportunities, internships, and leadership roles early���which allows (students) to explore their interests in practical, hands-on ways.���
• ���Everyone from the most esteemed professors to our incredible dining hall workers, to the student life staff, to our groundskeepers�����is described as ���the most incredible support system.���
• Faculty are “highly experienced and enthusiastic” who do “constant check-ups and meetings with you. They want to make sure that you���re not only succeeding in their class, but also having an amazing, enriching time in college.���
• 消消犯 praised the small class sizes, which allow for bonding�����with both my professors and my peers, and it gives me more opportunities for success.���
• Elon’s experiential learning model provides an opportunity “where students can use both classroom learning and real-world experience to understand the information being taught.���
• 消消犯 highlighted the university’s “strong culture of involvement” where “students are constantly balancing academics with leadership roles, service organizations, research, athletics, and creative projects, and that energy creates an environment where it feels normal to want to do big things.���

About the Princeton Review

The Princeton Review (), founded in 1981, is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University, and it is not a magazine.

The Best 392 Colleges is the 35th annual edition of The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide which debuted in 1992. It is one of more than 150 Princeton Review books in a published by Penguin Random House. The book and its annual student-survey-based college rankings have been featured on NBC TODAY more than two dozen times over the years and referenced by media from NPR to The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Recipients of the annual awards are nominated by their colleagues and selected by the College���s dean and associate deans.

���Each of these award recipients demonstrate dedication to their students and colleagues,��� said Hilton Kelly, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. ���I am so pleased to recognize each of these faculty and staff members for all of their work and contributions to supporting the mission of the College.���

The 2026 College Excellence Award recipients:

Excellence in Teaching Award

Kristen Mazur

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Associate Professor Kristen Mazur builds her classrooms around the idea that students learn best when they are encouraged to take intellectual risks, embrace productive struggles and grow through challenges. She was the leader in the development of Elon���s Precalculus program and co-creator of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Assistant Program, helping strengthen pathways into science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. She received the Trevor Evans Award, established by the Mathematical Association of America, for scholarship of an exceptional mathematics article that is accessible to 消消犯s which was published in ���Math Horizons.��� Mazur also has multiple publications with 消消犯 co-authors.

Excellence in Scholarship

Yanica Faustin

Assistant Professor of Public Health

Assistant Professor Yanica Faustin���s work focuses on health equity and understanding and dismantling the systemic and structural barriers that shape health and well-being for marginalized communities. Faustin was Elon���s first recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Scholars for Action award, a national grant supporting groundbreaking scholarship that advances health equity. This award helped position Elon on a national stage in public health research. In addition to peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations and public scholarship, she has built a research program committed to developing future scholars. Faustin has also advanced national conversations around maternal and reproductive health, racial inequities in birth outcomes, severe maternal morbidity and the health experiences of Black communities across the diaspora.

Excellence in Service-Leadership Award

Corey Roberts

Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies

Assistant Professor Corey Roberts’ service has been defined by a commitment to collaboration and community engagement. Through leadership of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) Heritage Language and Learning Working Group, Roberts helped secure multiple grants, develop educational initiatives, organize conferences and workshops and deepens the partnership between 消消犯 and the OBSN. These efforts brought together students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members in meaningful and lasting ways. He helped to lead the creation and installation of a historic marker at The Oaks that includes Yesa:sah鱈 language and a land acknowledgment, along with coordinating signage on OBSN tribal grounds. The dedication brought more than 120 members of the Elon and tribal communities together. Roberts also helped organize the Undergraduate Conference on Languages and Cultures, coordinated Polyglot Lunches, co-advises the Native American Student Association and delivered guest lectures that embody language, culture, community and belonging.

Excellence in Mentoring Award

Lauren Guilmette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Associate Professor Lauren Guilmette has created numerous opportunities for students to connect their academic work with the wider world. From mentoring independent research projects, Honors students, Summer Undergraduate Research Experience scholars and graduate school applicants, to creating programs that connect students with faculty mentors, community partners and scholars across the country, Guilmette bands the horizons of what mentoring can be. As an advisor to the Gender & Sexuality Living Learning Community, Guilmette has cultivated spaces where students find community, leadership opportunities and a sense of belonging. Through partnerships with local organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community leaders, students have been encouraged to see themselves not simply as learners, but as engaged citizens capable of making a difference in the world. She also has a gift for connecting people, students with mentors, students with communities, students with one another and students with a deeper sense of purpose.

Staff Excellence Award

Beth DeFord

Program Assistant for Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health

Program Assistant Beth DeFord has spent more than two decades tracking down the right answer, identifying a potential problem before it arises, navigating a complicated process, helping a colleague meet a deadline and working behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly. Known for approaching tasks with professionalism, precision, kindness and a desire to help others succeed, faculty trust her expertise, students benefit from her support and colleagues rely on her wisdom and institutional knowledge. DeFord supports three academic departments, Psychology, Human Service Studies and Public Health, to provide assistance to faculty, supervise student employees, support hundreds of students and manages a building. One nominator described DeFord as a superhero who manages an enormous workload, yet somehow makes it all look effortless.

While relatively new to Elon, Moses-Brownson has been deeply engaged with NAAHP for many years. Moses-Brownson co-chairs the NAAHP Committee on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, sits on the Regional Board of Directors for SAAHP (the Southeastern Association for Advisors in the Health Professions), is part of the instructional team for the NAAHP Leads: Regional and National Leadership track professional development program, and serves as a liaison between NAAHP and the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) LASOR (Learner Access, Student Opportunities, & Retention) working group.

Since joining 消消犯 in 2024, Moses���Brownson has helped transform Health Professions Advising through new courses, expanded programming and strategic partnerships that support students and alumni pursuing careers in healthcare. Central to this impact has been a new suite of courses co���developed with Yuko Miyamoto, director of health professions advising and associate professor of biology, and Collier Lumpkin, associate director of career advising for pre-graduate school. Together, Moses���Brownson and Miyamoto created an application preparation course focused on helping students understand timelines, requirements and competencies for health professions programs.

Moses-Brownson and Lumpkin developed a standardized test preparation course designed to support students preparing for exams such as the MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, and LSAT, which focuses on the non-content aspects of test preparation while providing deeply discounted access to high-quality test prep resources. These courses give students structured guidance, peer support and staff expertise as they move from exploring professional careers to actively applying.

Moses���Brownson has also prioritized outreach to prospective students and the broader community, reflecting Elon���s commitment to access and engagement. In 2026, Health Professions Advising and the Student Professional Development Center co-hosted Health Professions Exploration Day, welcoming local high school students and Union County Schools to campus to learn about a wide range of healthcare careers and see how Elon can help them prepare for those futures. The event connected visitors with faculty, advisors, and current students, highlighting both the breadth of health professions and the many academic and co���curricular paths available at Elon.

To deepen connections between Elon students and health professions programs, Moses���Brownson and the SPDC brought a health professions expo to campus, inviting schools and programs to meet directly with students. The expo gave students the chance to ask questions, compare programs, and build relationships with admissions representatives, all while receiving advising support on how to present their experiences and plan next steps. This kind of face���to���face engagement helps students see the full landscape of opportunities, from medicine and dentistry to physician assistant programs, nursing, genetic counseling, nutrition/dietetics, pharmacy and other fields.

Another key initiative has been a partnership with Alamance Community College to offer an EMT course hosted primarily on Elon���s campus. By making this training more accessible, Health Professions Advising has opened additional pathways for students to gain hands���on clinical experience and patient contact hours, which are critical components of competitive applications to many health professions programs. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to preparing students not only academically, but also through meaningful, real���world exposure to healthcare settings.

On campus, Moses-Brownson has worked to develop new opportunities for students to engage in the transformative experiences that prepare students for the competitive application processes in the health professions. A partnership with Belk Library, specifically with Engineering & Physical Science Librarian and Assistant Librarian Ellen Cline, and Coordinator of Research and Publishing and Associate Librarian Jesse Akman, has provided a pathway for underclassmen who cannot access traditional research opportunities to pursue evidence synthesis research opportunities with mentorship and support from library staff.

Alongside these programs, Moses���Brownson has worked to deepen individualized advising and application support for both current students and alumni. Health Professions Advising offers one���on���one appointments, workshops, and resources to help students design an academic plan, understand professional competencies, and prepare strong, reflective applications. 消消犯 can meet with Moses���Brownson through the Elon Job Network using the ���Pre���Health Advising��� appointment types and can connect with Miyamoto by emailing ymiyamoto@elon.edu to schedule advising focused on academic planning and application processes.

Together, Moses���Brownson and Miyamoto lead a Health Professions Advising program that supports hundreds of students and alumni as they explore, prepare for, and pursue a wide range of health careers. The NAAHP Outreach/Engagement Award underscores how intentional advising, new courses, campus���community partnerships, and accessible programming can shape students��� pathways to becoming healthcare professionals, both at Elon and beyond.

University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Rev. Kirstin Boswell opened the event with the invocation, followed by the tradition of the bell ringing by Student Government Association President��Michael Swartz ���27. The bell arrived in North Carolina in 1854 on one of the first North Carolina railroad trains. It was later used at Graham College, a predecessor institution to Elon College.

During the event, three individuals with strong ties to the university were awarded the Elon Medallion, the university’s most prestigious service honor: Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts.

Katy Rouse, professor of economics in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, was named the Trustee Chair for Excellence.��For seventeen years, Rouse has taught Elon’s Principles of Economics and Intermediate Microeconomics courses, along with a capstone she built herself on educational disparities in the United States, earning student evaluations among the highest in her department for more than a decade.

She has personally mentored more than 30 senior and honors theses, co-authored research with 消消犯s, chaired the Love School’s curriculum committee and published her 消消犯 scholarship in the Journal of Economic Education.

“I truly believe that being a teacher scholar mentor at Elon is one of the best careers I’m going to have,” Rouse said. “Every day we come to work, we have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students during one of the most pivotal points in their lives.”

Mapping the course

During her annual Opening Day address, Book reflected on Elon���s progress while looking toward a year that will include the launch of new academic initiatives, continued work surrounding artificial intelligence, the opening of the Roberts Academy and the planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte.

Book centered her remarks around the idea of a map ��� the markers that show where Elon has been and the guideposts that will help the university navigate what comes next. The theme was inspired by a visit this summer to Elon students participating in the Summer Opera Workshop at the Accademia Europea di Firenze. The students came together for a historic production of ���The Light in the Piazza��� in Florence, Italy, where the musical is set.

As part of their work, students were also tasked with creating a map of the city, something that inspired Book.

���There is something powerful in this mapmaking assignment, and it left me wondering about our collective 消消犯 map,��� Book said. ���How would we each draw it?���

At the center of that map, Book said, is Elon���s mission. She highlighted several markers of progress during the past year, including the Odyssey Program surpassing 300 scholarships, record participation in 消消犯 research, strong Fulbright success and new academic programs, including cybersecurity, Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Charlotte PA program. She also celebrated the upcoming launch of the School of Engineering and Computing under inaugural Dean John Walz and the growth of the university���s nursing program.

Mapping new territory (together)

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the first students of the��Roberts Academy at 消消犯��will arrive at the school’s temporary home in Trollinger House. The school will be the��state’s only university-based private school for children with dyslexia. Book described the academy and the Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning as an opportunity that ���will change lives from day one.���

Among the most significant new territory is Elon���s planned merger with Queens University of Charlotte. Book noted that the institutions received accreditation approval this summer to proceed with their merger, with a single Board of Trustees now overseeing both universities. Sixteen administrative units are also becoming shared teams supporting the two campuses, while a federal review of the merger is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

Megan Isaac, professor of English, and Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs Jim Piatt gave brief updates on the merger as part of the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee.

���Our two institutions will be stronger together, will better serve students together, and will have a brighter future together,��� Book said. ���And now, we are working to build that vision together, to grow opportunity to advance learning ��� together.���

Mapping a new look

Athletics Director Jennifer Strawley was also invited to the stage to announce a for the university���s athletics program, which had what Book called a ���formidable year,��� with seven Elon teams, the most in the university���s history, winning conference titles. A new physical mascot will be unveiled at the first College Coffee of the academic year on Aug. 25.

“The new Phoenix wears a gold sweater with a monogram ‘E,’ paying tribute to our first mascot, the Fighting Christian,” Strawley said. “The focused expression conveys the determination, confidence and purpose that defines our university community. The Phoenix continues to be fueled by the flames, symbolizing our rebuild from the ashes, and capturing the spirit and resilience of the Elon community.”

Book acknowledged that the changing higher education landscape brings challenges, from enrollment pressures and federal regulations to declining public confidence. But she reminded faculty and staff that adapting to change has long been part of Elon���s history.

���I understand change can be daunting. Shifting national headwinds are challenging higher education,��� Book said. ���Fortunately for us, Elon has never succeeded by standing still. We���ve joined together, developed new strategies and guided by our mission ��� built the number one institution for engaged learning and student success.���

She closed by returning to the journey ahead, and the role faculty and staff play in shaping the lives of Elon students.

���It is not simply education; it is a journey of human transformation,��� Book said. ���Thank you for the everyday commitment, kindness and integrity that are our enduring guideposts.���

Jim Donathan, longtime associate director of academic advising and academic support; Mary Thornton, founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group; and Don Grady, associate professor emeritus of cinema and television arts, heard from former mentors, friends and colleagues before being bestowed the honor by Elon President Connie Ledoux Book.

Jim Donathan

Jim Donathan arrived to Elon in 1994 as associate director of academic advising and director of academic support, drawn specifically to work with mentor Lela Faye Rich. He carried the largest advising load in his department, taught Elon 101 (now Elon 1010), and was known for his sustained support of students on academic probation and for mentoring students well beyond the classroom.

Rich, who served Elon for 29 years and received the Elon Medallion in 2008, read Donathan���s citation for the award.

���Jim Donathan is the only one on this stage that has two medallions. I just happen to be wearing one of them,��� Rich said. ���In the advising center, I was the loudmouth. I was a loud-mouthed advocate for students. Jim was the listener. The heart, the soul of academic advising. Without his total commitment to students’ success, to our academic advising staff, to mastering all those intricacies of creating an online degree audit. I would never have received this medallion.���

Donathan advised Elon’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Order for 25 years and received the university’s Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award in 2012. His mentorship of one Elon family led to the establishment of the��Donathan-McAllister Endowed Scholarship in his honor. He retired in 2020, having shaped the academic support and mentoring experience for generations of Elon students.

���I recently came across this quote from one of my favorite novelists, Pat Conroy: ���I had read like a man on fire my whole life, because the genius of English teachers touched me with the dazzling beauty of language,’��� said Donathan when accepting the honor. ���Elon does that for students. It touches them with the dazzling beauty of language. That might be the language of literature or biology, or political science, or art history, or so many other disciplines. 消消犯 can carry that language into their lives and into their future.���

Mary Thornton

Mary Thornton is the founder and president of Harvest Table Culinary Group, the dining partner that has served 消消犯 since the company’s founding. She spent years in leadership roles at Aramark, including vice president of compliance beginning in 2007, before proposing in 2016 the creation of a culinary group built around healthy, sustainable food and transparency about where food comes from.

Harvest Table launched in 2018 as an independent division of Aramark, with Elon among its earliest partner institutions alongside Wake Forest and the University of Rochester. Under her leadership, Harvest Table has emphasized locally sourced ingredients, chef-driven menus tailored to each campus, and deeper engagement with student communities.

���Highly respected for her work ethic, expertise, relentless commitment to excellence, Mary has demonstrated a deep understanding of Elon’s mission and the critical role dining plays in building community and contributing to a welcoming campus environment,��� said Janet Williams, vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer.

Most recently, Harvest Table Culinary Group made a gift supporting Elon’s Slattery Center, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to student health and wellness. Her partnership has helped shape the dining experience for generations of Elon students.

���I accept this medallion with humility and deep appreciation and as a reminder to continue serving others, leading with purpose and striving to make a positive difference,��� said Thornton, upon accepting the award. ���Thank you very much for this incredible honor. It means more to me than words can express.���

Don Grady

Don��Grady��served Elon for 35 years. He arrived in 1985, before Elon had a formal communications department, and taught broadcast courses and senior capstone classes throughout his career. He chaired the communications department from 1987���1993 and again from 2004���2009, became associate dean in 2010, and helped guide creation of the nation’s first 消消犯 major in media analytics. He was twice elected to the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and received the Broadcast Education Association’s Distinguished Education Service Award in 2022.

Gerald Gibson, the university���s first full-time communications professor and Grady���s 消消犯 roommate at NC State University, read Grady���s citation.

���Dr. Grady distinguished himself as an outstanding teacher, mentor, and advisor, by 消消犯 broadcasting, senior research capstone, … and study abroad courses, supervising as many as 50 internships a year,��� said Gibson. ���Mentoring students through research, internships, and professional employment, leading study abroad programs in Great Britain and Europe, and becoming much loved by students who sought him out for guidance, encouragement, and wise counsel, even long after graduation.”

Grady���s administrative leadership and personal investment in students and faculty helped build Elon’s School of Communications into a nationally recognized program. He retired in 2020, leaving a legacy colleagues describe as foundational to the school’s success.

���So many of our graduates (are) doing great work in media markets all over the country. ���They���re the reason we do this work,��� Grady said. ���Toward the end of my time, it was my privilege to regularly teach the senior theory and research capstone course that gave students the opportunity to dig into why communication professionals do what they do, and how what they do ripples through the lives of individuals and society.”