Former �þ��� trustee Anne Ellington Powell of Burlington, N.C., died June 27 at her home after a long and difficult illness.

Powell was elected to Elon’s Board of Trustees in 2008 and was a highly involved supporter and longtime friend of the university. She was the wife of Elon life trustee and former chair of the Board Dr. James B. Powell and the daughter of the late Dr. Robert E. (Bob) Ellington and his wife, Helen Ellington, who served many years as distinguished Elon staff members.

“We are deeply saddened by Anne’s passing,” said Elon President Connie Ledoux Book. “For decades, she was among Elon’s most loyal advocates, serving on boards and committees, hosting university events in her home and telling the story of our university wherever she went. She and her family have generously contributed to every dimension of Elon’s growth, supporting scholarships, academic programs, and facilities – always focused on the student experience and excellence. We will always be grateful for her positive spirit and steadfast support.”

In 1986, the Anne Ellington Powell Master Artist Series was established by a gift by the Powells, bringing internationally renowned performers to Elon for nearly 20 years. In 1988 the Powells dedicated Elon’s Jimmy Powell Tennis Center to the memory of their first son, who died in early childhood.

Anne Ellington Powell joined Elon’s Board of Visitors in 2000. She served on the campaign leadership committee for the Ever Elon Campaign and was on the executive committee of the Elon Society. The Koury Business Center, which opened in 2006, includes the James B. and Anne Ellington Powell Lobby in recognition of the couple’s leadership support for the building’s construction.

The Powells have contributed to the R.N. Ellington Health Center, the “It Takes a Village” Project, several scholarship funds and Elon Athletics. The Powells also provided key funding for the Caroline E. Powell Building, the Maude Sharpe Powell Professorship and the T.E. Powell Endowed Professorship. They are members of two Elon giving societies, the Order of the Oak and the 1889 Society.

Anne Powell was also active in many Alamance County boards and organizations and supported efforts to increase support for K-12 education.

At the center of Anne’s life was her loving family, including her husband, Jim; their three children John Banks Powell, Ross Powell, M.D., and Helen Powell Bode, M.D.; her mother Helen Ellington; and many other loving relatives. She was a devoted friend to hundreds of people who cherished her.

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Anne was preceded in death by her beloved son, James “Jimmy” Bobbitt Powell Jr.; her father, Dr. Robert “Bubba” Norwood Ellington; and her sister-in-law, Alison Westmoreland Ellington.

She is survived by her devoted husband of more than 41 years, Dr. James Bobbitt Powell; her mother, Helen Arendell Ellington; her brothers, Robert Norwood Ellington Jr. and Dr. Kenneth Scott Ellington (Linda); her sister, Ruth Helen Ellington; her son, John Banks Powell (Samantha) and their daughters, Maeve Eileen and Clara Banks; her son, Dr. James Rosser Powell; her daughter, Dr. Helen Powell Bode (Paul) and their children, Anne Arendell, John Bridges, and Mary Ellington; her stepdaughter, Daphne Powell Markcrow (Craig) and their children, Anna and Henry; along with countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and treasured friends.

A Celebration of her life will be held at Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 12 p.m. A private family burial will precede the service, and the family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Duke’s Tisch Brain Tumor Center (Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 3624, Durham, NC 27710), �þ��� Tennis Program (CB #2615, Elon, NC 27244), or the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (269 Hanover Street, Building #3 Hanover, MA 02339).

Alongside this infographic, these stories highlight some of the positive impact across campus through community partnerships during the past academic year:

• Elon receives Carnegie classification for community engagement
• Elon recognized for advancing nonpartisan student civic engagement
• Elon creates community through Special Olympics and Elon Athletics partnership
• Turning service into impact: How an Elon alumna is bringing Alamance County together
• Literary Journalism class engages Town of Elon mayor in civic dialogue
• Writing for Impact students secure funding for local nonprofit
• Showing up, growing together: Inside KING/PINK Academy’s power of mentorship
• �þ��� reflect on service, community and connection during Fall Break
• New HealthEU course encourages students to go ‘beyond the Elon bubble’
• Elon empowers staff to make an impact in the community through paid volunteer leave

The “Elon Dance Team Send-Off” video, directed and edited by Peter Sillitto ’26 and produced in collaboration with the Elon Dance Team, received a Sports Video Group (SVG) College Sports Media Award for Outstanding In-Venue Video – Collegiate Student Championship. The award was presented May 27 in Atlanta during the 18th annual SVG College Sports Media Awards ceremony.

The honor came just weeks after the Elon Dance Team captured two national titles at the 2026 National Dance Association College National Championships, winning the Division I pom and Division I hip hop competitions. The back-to-back victories marked a historic achievement for the program, including Elon’s first national championship in the pom category.

Produced for the team’s trip to nationals, the video took a more narrative approach than previous send-off productions.

“Producing a send-off video is something we do every year, with the final piece being shown in the Schar Center and shared across social media,” said Sillitto, a cinema and television arts major. “This year, we wanted to take a more story-driven approach by focusing on the team’s journey to nationals. Our goal was to showcase not only their performances, but also the hard work, dedication and experiences that led them there.”

In addition to Sillitto, the student production team included Kristen Pearson ’27 and Meghan McGarrigle ’28 as producers; and Zack Golub ’26 and Colin Dorroh ’27 as creative producers and camera operators.

across multiple locations, capturing both cinematic visuals and authentic moments from practices, workouts and team activities.

“One of the biggest challenges was making sure we told the team’s real story, which meant being present and ready to film during genuine moments,” Sillitto said. “Capturing those authentic interactions and experiences was an important part of the creative process and helped make the final video feel more personal and meaningful.”

For Sillitto, the award reflects months of collaboration and effort from both the dancers and the production crew.

“I’m proud of the project because every year our goal is to create the best video possible, and we have a lot of creative freedom to experiment with new ideas and push ourselves creatively,” he said. “The final video represents months of hard work from both the dance team and the production crew, so we’re excited and grateful that the project has been recognized.”

Sillitto graduated from Elon in May and recently accepted a position with Booz Allen Hamilton as a videographer and social media content creator.

Sillitto and Dorroh attended the 2026 SVG College Summit in Atlanta alongside Anthony Bamford ’25, coordinating producer for Elon Sports Vision; Patrick Cunningham, director of live broadcast production for Elon Athletics; and students/recent graduates Philip Doherty ’26, Anthony Eppolito ’27 and Joey Marinello ’28.

This year marked another strong showing for Elon at the national competition – the university won its first-ever award in 2025. In addition to the winning Elon Dance Team send-off video, four other Elon productions were recognized as finalists in the Collegiate Student Championship division: “Football: Elon vs. North Carolina A&T,” “Strength Beyond the Game – Brodie Carroll,” “Win The Moment – Asher Cunningham” and “What It Takes – Elon Men’s Basketball Halftime Hype.”

The Chandlers remain impressed by Elon’s commitment to sound strategic planning and doing what’s best for students. It’s what inspired the couple’s gift to Slattery Center, the university’s new hub for health and wellness that will integrate academics, wellness, campus recreation and fitness programs to ensure students gain the skills they need to succeed on campus and throughout their lives.

Scheduled to open later this year, Slattery Center is located within Elon’s Innovation Quad, home to the university’s engineering and other STEM programs. The center is part of the university’s broader HealthEU initiative to serve students, faculty and staff.

“It adds value and is beneficial when you can provide a place where students can go to be in community, exercise, receive counseling and focus on their well-being,” said Bob Chandler, former executive vice president of Chandler Concrete Co. “This facility shows that the university is aware of the challenges students face and how to help them in all aspects of their health.”

The HealthEU initiative focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story Slattery Center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.

Through coursework, as well as workshops and training programs focused on health and wellness, Slattery Center will impact all students as they progress through their education and learn essential skills and practices related to wellness and well-being. The center is a key priority of the Boldly Elon strategic plan that will guide the university to 2030.

The couple’s gift will also endow the Chandler Family Global Experience Fund, strengthening Elon’s commitment to provide each of the university’s 17 varsity teams with a global experience every four years.

“Global experiences are a cornerstone of an Elon education, and thanks to Bob and Amy Chandler, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world while sharing their sport across cultures,” said Jennifer Strawley, director of athletics. “Bob and Amy are truly special people who value the holistic development of our student-athletes and their generosity will be felt for generations. I am deeply grateful for their many years of dedication to this university and for the profound difference they make in the lives of our student-athletes.”

“Our family has been sports fans for as long as I can remember. We love the energy and excitement athletics brings to campus and the opportunities it provides to students,” Bob Chandler said.

“Elon is a national leader in global study, and we are thrilled to help provide this experience for student-athletes,” he added. “It’s essential that students have the opportunity to witness other cultures and encounter the differences and similarities of the people there. It provides tremendous growth for a person and a deeper understanding of the world.”

The Chandler family is among Elon’s most generous and devoted donors, helping to shape one of the finest learning environments in the nation through their gifts to Belk Library, Rhodes Stadium, Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, Gerald L. Francis Center, Alumni Field House, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Schar Center, The Inn at Elon and Innovation Quad.

Bob Chandler’s parents, Tom and Lynn Chandler, also endowed the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Tom Chandler was the chairman and former CEO of Chandler Concrete, which he founded in 1973, and he served on Elon’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades before being elected Life Trustee in 2021. In 2023, Tom Chandler received the Elon Medallion, the university’s highest honor.

“Elon’s trajectory shows remarkable advancement,” Bob Chandler said. “Elon has a vision of what’s to come and how to keep the university moving forward. It is a vibrant and thriving university that is gratifying for the students, faculty and community.”

The university’s influence extends far beyond the campus.

“The impact that Elon has on Alamance County and the region is significant, and we feel it’s important for our family to support the university,” Bob said. “It’s a community that we are proud to be part of.”

She will also tell you Edison, New Jersey, her hometown, has a tower honoring Thomas Edison. She has visited once.

“It was electric,” Carlsen joked.

That quick humor is part of what makes Carlsen easy to talk to. But underneath the wit is a student-athlete with a clear sense of purpose, a sharp analytical mind and a deep interest in work that keeps people at the center.

Carlsen came to �þ��� with one season of volleyball eligibility, a public health background and a question she was still working through: What comes next?

The answer, as it turned out, involved a familiar coach, a new team and a graduate program that helped her see how data could support the kind of mission-driven work she had always cared about.

Carlsen, a Master of Science in Business Analytics student, earned �þ��� degrees in public health and environmental science from Johns Hopkins University. She had spent much of her academic and professional experience drawn to work with a clear purpose, especially in public health and environmental science.

“What stayed consistent for me was wanting to do work that felt mission-driven,” Carlsen said. “I wanted to be part of work that had a clear purpose and could make a meaningful difference for people.”

After completing her �þ��� degree, Carlsen was considering her next step when she reconnected with Matt Troy, who had coached her at Johns Hopkins and was named Elon’s head volleyball coach in December 2024.

Carlsen still had one year of athletic eligibility remaining after an injury earlier in her college career, and Troy saw an opportunity for her to help shape a new chapter for Elon volleyball.

For Carlsen, the possibility of coming to Elon was about more than playing one more season.

“I knew I wanted to continue my education eventually, but I wanted it to feel purposeful,” Carlsen said. “The MSBA program felt like something I could fully invest in.”

Carlsen said the one-year structure, technical focus and support for students from different academic backgrounds made the program feel like the right fit. She saw it as a way to build the skills she wanted while staying connected to work that keeps people at the center.

“Hopkins gave me a strong foundation,” Carlsen said. “At Elon, I saw an opportunity to build on that with technical skills that would help me become a stronger employee and decision-maker.”

Carlsen found that Elon’s MSBA curriculum paired technical skills with practical application. In one trimester, she studied Python and Tableau in Assistant Professor Long Xia’s data visualization course while also taking “Business for the Greater Good” with Associate Professor Elena Kennedy.

For Carlsen, the pairing helped her understand analytics as more than numbers or software. It was also about how information is shared, understood and used.

“You’re getting the technical foundations,” Carlsen said, “but also learning how to translate those findings in a way that is ethical and makes sense to other stakeholders.”

That connection became clearer through her internship with Cone Health, where she worked on patient experience projects. The role helped her see how health care organizations can use data to identify gaps in care, understand patient experiences and make more informed decisions.

“I got to work on a whole bunch of different projects and figure out how every part of health care touches patient experience,” Carlsen said.

The experience helped confirm the direction she hopes to pursue after graduation.

“Ideally, it would be a role that is people-centric, but also uses analytics to make decisions and hopefully make their lives better,” Carlsen said.

Carlsen’s Elon experience also helped her understand leadership in a new way.

In a course taught by Brittany Mercado, associate professor of management and chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Carlsen examined her own leadership style, practiced negotiation and worked through real-world scenarios involving conflict, influence and decision-making.

The timing was meaningful. She was coming off her final collegiate volleyball season and beginning to think about how the leadership skills she had built as an athlete could translate into professional settings.

“It was a class based on identifying your own leadership strategies and the way that you lead,” Carlsen said. “It was very tangible.”

Carlsen said Mercado brought leadership concepts to life by creating a discussion-based environment where students could connect course material to their own experiences.

“You can lecture all day long about leadership,” Carlsen said. “But what made the class meaningful was the way she shared real examples and encouraged us to think about how leadership shows up in our own lives.”

Carlsen had spent more than a decade learning those lessons on the volleyball court.

She began playing around age 11 after watching her older sister play. She was drawn to the communication, shared responsibility and constant movement of the sport.

“There are six of you on the court. Everyone is touching the ball at some point,” Carlsen said. “Everything is a team effort.”

At Johns Hopkins, Carlsen competed on a successful Division III team that regularly reached the NCAA tournament, including a Final Four appearance during her senior season. At Elon, she stepped into something different: a new team, a new coaching staff

For Carlsen, coming to Elon was never about stepping into an established program. It was about being invited into one.

“Coach Troy gave me an opportunity I will always be grateful for,” Carlsen said. “I got to come here, work alongside an incredible group of players and help build something we could all be proud of. And I got to do it while getting an education that genuinely changed how I think. I couldn’t have asked for more than that.”

One of Carlsen’s favorite Elon volleyball memories came at Towson, the CAA leader that entered the weekend on an 18-match winning streak.

After dropping the opening match of the weekend, the Elon team came back the next day with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“When you’re building something new, there’s a freedom to it. Every match is a chance to show people, and yourself, what you’re capable of,” she said.

The Phoenix pushed Towson to five sets and won the final set 17-15, snapping the Tigers’ winning streak and giving Elon its first win over Towson since 2022.

“It felt really good to beat someone that hadn’t been beaten in a long time,” Carlsen said.

That same mix of grit, humor and initiative carried through her graduate year. Carlsen moved to Elon knowing Coach Troy and almost no one else. The cohort structure of the MSBA program helped change that. �þ��� took classes together, worked through the same challenges and built friendships through the intensity of a one-year graduate program.

A January study abroad experience in Madrid and Milan became a turning point for the cohort. The group visited companies, learned about international business practices and spent enough time together outside the classroom to become more than classmates.

“You’re going out to dinner, you’re exploring a city, you’re in it together,” Carlsen said. “That was the point where we were all like, ‘Why not be friends?’”

The trip also gave Carlsen a broader view of how culture shapes business. In Spain, the group met with a U.S. commercial diplomat who discussed adapting to a more relationship-driven business culture. In Italy, students learned about the significance of “Made in Italy” goods and the role of craftsmanship, pace and cultural identity in business.

For a student interested in how decisions are made, the experience reinforced that analytics does not exist in a vacuum. Data helps people make choices, but those choices are always shaped by context.

Carlsen also found support through the Porter Family Professional Development Center, especially from Amanda Traugutt, senior associate director of career services – Love School of Business.

Carlsen reached out shortly after moving to Elon, bringing what she described as “a ton of really big ideas” about life after graduation. Traugutt helped her narrow them down, polish application materials and think more intentionally about possible career paths.

“She will walk with you where you are, but a few steps ahead to help lead you in the right direction,” Carlsen said. “She’s your biggest cheerleader.”

As graduation approaches, Carlsen is looking forward to sharing the moment with the people who understand what the year required. The MSBA program is fast, intense and, for Carlsen, layered with practices, lifts, games, travel, classes and an internship.

Her advice to future students is simple: take initiative.

“The best things that have come up for me have been direct products or byproducts of taking initiative,” Carlsen said.

That includes building relationships with professors, using career resources, connecting with classmates, and paying attention to the opportunities that appear along the way.

“I didn’t come in with a business background,” Carlsen said. “But I am leaving more confident in my ability to hold my ground in conversations about business and analytics.”

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As the spring semester at �þ��� draws to a close, the campus remained vibrant and full of energy throughout April. The 2025–26 Elon Speaker Series wrapped up with a visit from bestselling author Frank Bruni, while nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. Progress also continued on the new Roberts Academy, and Elon hosted its largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum.

Take a look back at April through the lens of the University Communications team.

A new life for Holland House

University leaders and student-athletes celebrated a new era for Elon’s Holland House on South �þ��� with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that debuted a preeminent home for the Phoenix men’s and women’s golf programs. Before the latest renovation, the building was home to two Elon presidents and administrative offices — and even moved across campus.

The Montagues in McCrary

�þ��� Performing Arts brought history’s most famous love story to McCrary Theatre with “Romeo and Juliet.” The Shakespearean tragedy tells the tale of Romeo, from the House of Montague, and Juliet, from the House of Capulet, who secretly fall in love and get married, despite their families disapproval.

Stargazing for mental health

�þ��� were encouraged to engage with nature in support of their mental wellness through the Star Gazing for Mental Health event at Lake Verona. The Astronomy Club, Counseling Services, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and the Office of Sustainability sponsored the event.

Trollinger’s new look

Renovations have started on Trollinger House, which was once a small residence hall but will soon serve as the temporary location for Roberts Academy at �þ���, an all-day private school for children with dyslexia that opens in August.

Established in 2025 through a gift from philanthropists Hal and Marjorie Roberts of Lakeland, Florida, the Roberts Academy at �þ��� will be the fourth in a series of successful university-based private elementary schools the couple also supported at Vanderbilt University, Mercer University and Florida Southern College.

A Holi Celebration

On April 10, a warm and sunny spring afternoon, nearly 200 students, faculty, and staff gathered on the lawn of the Lambert Academic Village to celebrate Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors. This year marked the 14th anniversary of Holi at Elon, a tradition led by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.

Escaping the ‘age of grievance’

Journalist and bestselling author Frank Bruni delivered a sold-out Frank P. Elder Lecture in Whitley Auditorium on April 9. He explored how Americans are living in what he calls an “age of grievance,” a time where more people believe they are losing because someone else is winning. The Elder Lecture marks the final event of the 2025-26 �þ��� Speaker Series.

A record-breaking SURF

�þ��� held its largest-ever Spring Undergraduate Research Forum on April 28, featuring 384 presentations, including 229 poster presentations, 155 oral presentations, and performances.

SURF Day is an annual event at the university, during which other campus activities are suspended to celebrate the academically centered creative endeavors and research efforts of Elon students.

Double CAA Champs

Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams took home CAA titles in April. The conference title was the , when the Phoenix also took down UNCW. This was Elon’s fifth straight CAA championship match, all of which were against the Seahawks. With the victory, Elon secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship.

The women have , with both championship match victories coming against William & Mary. With the win, Elon secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship.

Go baby go!

For the first time, Elon students brought the Go Baby Go initiative to campus, adapting ride-on toy cars for children with mobility challenges.

The collaborative effort between the Elon Engineering Club, Phoenix Racing and the Department of Physical Therapy brought the Go Baby Go Initiative to Elon’s campus for the first time. Founded in 2012 at the University of Delaware, Go Baby Go is a national initiative that modifies ride-on toy cars to meet the individual physical needs of young children who experience mobility challenges.