“The Vow from Hiroshima,” a 2019 documentary that tells the story of Setsuko Nakamura Thurlow ’55 and her lifelong effort to abolish nuclear weapons, will be screened online at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8. The online event is the Canadian premiere of the film.
alumni accomplishments
Music alum singing in Endstation Theatre talent show finals July 31 at Lynchburg
Not long before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christopher Badgett ’13 and his mother had planned to see “The Color Purple” together. The popular musical, based on a novel by Alice Walker and a 1985 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, is one of Badgett’s favorites. So is one of its musical numbers, “I’m Here.”
Lynchburg MEd grad one of area’s ‘Top Teachers’
Tim Wilhelm ’18 MEd was named one of the Lynchburg area’s “Top Teachers” by Lynchburg Living magazine.
Lynchburg MEd grad is area ‘Reading Teacher of the Year’
Caitlin Pugh ’07, ’19 MEd, a reading specialist at Robert S. Payne Elementary School in Lynchburg, has been named “Reading Teacher of the Year” by the Piedmont Area Chapter of the Virginia State Literacy Association.
Lynchburg arts grad, Food Network champion returns to TV
University of Lynchburg graduate Tarsha Joyner ’13 and her downtown bakery, Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats, will again be featured on national television — this time in Canada.
Helen Mundy Witt ’67 remembered for perseverance, love of education
Helen Mundy Witt ’67, who died on Jan. 8 at the age of 88, was more than the first Black graduate of what was then Lynchburg College. She was also an educator, civil rights advocate, wife, mother, friend, author, and an accomplished tennis player.
DMSc grad advocates for homeless women vets through ‘Ms. Veteran America’
Liza Gainey ’20 DMSc was inspired to start volunteering in her community during her coursework for the Doctor of Medical Science at the University of Lynchburg. In particular, she credits her classes in global health and disaster medicine with providing that spark.
Lynchburg DMSc grad, veteran making her mark in Army Medical Department
Since earning her Doctor of Medical Science degree from the University of Lynchburg in September, Lt. Col. Sharon Denson ’20 DMSc has continued to garner accolades as a U.S. Army medical professional.
Westover alum’s first book tells story of ‘Black Freedom in the Age of Slavery’
John Garrison Marks ’10 first started thinking about what life was like for free Black people during the slavery era in a history class at the University of Lynchburg.
Health promotion graduate a ‘Rising Star of Safety’
Richard Szymczyk ’11, who has a bachelor’s degree in health promotion from the University of Lynchburg, recently received the Rising Stars of Safety Award, presented by the National Safety Council.
