Centre College

Jordan Gay always envisioned himself kicking a ball for a long time. It's just that it was a soccer ball, not a football, that the Danville native liked to kick around until then Danville High School football coach Sam Harp helped persuade him to also try football. His senior year he put about two-thirds of his kickoffs into the end zone and averaged 33 yards per punt despite using a rugby-style kick that Harp wanted him to do to help with punt coverage. With an assist from then Centre College assistant coach Tom Brown, Gay got a chance to join Murray State's football team as a preferred walk-on kicker.

Officer injured on foot pursuit A Danville police officer was injured Monday afternoon after an attempted arrest turned into a foot pursuit. At 3:40 p.m., officer Pat McQueen investigating a report of an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle at 1020 E. Main St. Apt. 1.  McQueen identified the suspect as Misty Dawn Belcher, 34, of Danville, according to a press release. Belcher is the daughter of Callie Hundley who made the report.  When McQueen began conducting a records check of Belcher, she fled on foot and exited the apartment through the front door, according to the release.

John E. Cuny, who has served as vice president for finance and treasurer at Centre College since 2000, recently announced his plans for retirement, the college said in a press release. Cuny will continue to work at the college in a full-time role until June 30, 2012. To assure a smooth transition, he will remain in a half-time capacity for an additional year, through June 2013. A national search for Cuny’s successor will be launched this fall, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2012.

After a nationwide search, Robert L. “Bob” Keasler Jr. has been named vice president for finance and treasurer at Centre College.  A veteran financial officer, Keasler has a wealth of experience in both the private and public sectors, most recently at Wofford College, where he served as chief financial officer and treasurer before being promoted to senior vice president for operations and finance. He will begin his duties  July 1, Centre said in a press release Thursday. “We were fortunate to attract an impressive group of candidates for this important opportunity,” said Centre President John A. Roush, “and I am grateful that Bob was among them.

Centre College is partnering with Connected Nation and 10/20 Digital to launch a partnership that will explore novel and practical ways to use technology in the liberal arts college setting.  Called the Global Center for Connected Campuses, or GC3 for short, the collaboration will foster Centre's endeavor to become a key player on the national stage using leading practices in regard to technology assimilation for effective teaching and learning....

LOUISVILLE - Centre College named its 2012 Centre College Associate and Young Associate of the year at the Centre Associates Dinner Jan. 27 at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville. The James Graham Brown Foundation was named Centre's Associate of the Year and Austin Thompson Anderton of Louisville was named Centre's Young Associate of the Year. “The James Graham Brown Foundation's imprint on Centre is indelible, touching every aspect of the college, from students to faculty to the buildings in which we work and educate the students,” Vice President for College Relations Richard Trollinger said.

Centre College administration should receive every consideration in discussions over its Fifth Street renovation proposal. When questions are answered and any issues resolved, approval should be granted.  Centre's leadership and responsible history affirm its record for performance in our community's interests. Further, it is the college's intent to enhance an area recognized to be in need of environmental and public safety changes. While it is fully appropriate that the Architectural Review Board delve into all community proposals, The Advocate-Messenger coverage - including artists' renderings - suggest this project will have an immediate positive impact.

The old beech tree at Centre College was known to all. It is estimated it had grown outside the college's Young Hall for somewhere between 140 to 200 years.  Young Hall received a facelift two years ago and, sadly, the tree died as a result of the construction activities around it. Centre biology professor Anne Lubbers requested a six-foot-tall section of the trunk be set aside. She formed a committee to find a sculptor to create a work of art to commemorate the well-loved landmark.

Centre College has received a major gift commitment from the A. Eugene Brockman Charitable Trust that will bring a new type of residence facility to campus. The project, which has an estimated cost of $15 million, will enable Centre to remain highly residential as it continues to grow gradually over the next several years. The college announced the project Wednesday in a press release. The residential village will provide transitional housing for upperclass students, the overwhelming majority of whom will have lived and studied abroad and who are preparing for independent living.

The Centre College Board of Trustees met on campus recently for its annual spring meeting, during which promotions and tenure were announced. The following faculty members were awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor: Dr. Genny Ballard, assistant professor of Spanish; Dr. Melissa Burns-Cusato, assistant professor of psychology; and Dr. Amos Tubb, assistant professor of history and Dr. Brian Cusato, associate professor of psychology....

Centre College faculty and staff were honored Tuesday at the annual faculty and staff appreciation dinner and awards ceremony. Aljo Karapandzic and James Stringfield, both from Facilities Management, received the Horky Service Award, given to facilities workers for outstanding achievements. Lorette and John Horky, class of 1932, gave a bequest to create the award, which has been given annually since 1990.  Karapandzic, who primarily has worked as a painter for the college since 2002, is noted among his peers for being an enjoyable and loyal co-worker, one who is committed to his role.  Stringfield, a paint supervisor and a member of Centre's facilities management staff since 2008, is known for his willingness to assist others in whatever capacity is needed, often going above and beyond the call of duty.

The Centre College women's golf team tied for ninth place Friday in the NCAA Division III championships at Destin, Fla. The Colonels, who were ranked ninth entering the 72-hole tournament at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, shot 325 in the final round to finish at 1,296. Freshman Kathleen Kennedy was the team's low scorer. She shot a second straight 80 in the final round to finish at 319, leaving her in a tie for 22nd place. Alyssa Brown and Allison Hancock each shot 78 in the final round.

Martha Raddatz told one on herself Sunday during her commencement address to Centre College's Class of 2013. The highly decorated and respected ABC foreign correspondent who has reported from war zones around the world, the White House and the Pentagon, the woman who held Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan in check during their feisty debate at Centre last fall, never made it through college. Raddatz told the crowd at Newlin Hall that she had given a commencement speech at a small college a few years back and one of the newly-minted graduates asked her how she could follow in Raddatz's footsteps.

When Ibby Jadoon receives his diploma today, Centre College will be saying goodbye to one of its best and brightest. Jadoon is a bonafide Big Man on Campus (Academic Division), having earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship and being chosen by his fellow seniors to deliver the Honors Convocation address.  He's also president of Centre's Muslim Student Association, which has all of four members. “That was a tough election,” he joked. Jadoon's presence has been felt beyond Centre in the four years he's been in Danville, and that's not counting his study-abroad trips to South Africa, Ecuador and Turkey.

The Centre College women's golf team was in eighth place entering the final round of the NCAA Division III championships at Destin, Fla. The Colonels shot 324 in Thursday's third round at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. They were in a group of six teams in sixth through 11th places separated by only 11 shots as the final round of the 72-hole tournament began today. Freshman Kathleen Kennedy led the Colonels for the second straight day, shooting 80 for a 54-hole total of 239 that left her tied for 21st place.

Officer injured on foot pursuit A Danville police officer was injured Monday afternoon after an attempted arrest turned into a foot pursuit. At 3:40 p.m., officer Pat McQueen investigating a report of an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle at 1020 E. Main St. Apt. 1.  McQueen identified the suspect as Misty Dawn Belcher, 34, of Danville, according to a press release. Belcher is the daughter of Callie Hundley who made the report.  When McQueen began conducting a records check of Belcher, she fled on foot and exited the apartment through the front door, according to the release.

Centre College's 189th commencement will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday in Newlin Hall of the Norton Center for the Arts. The 2013 graduation exercises will begin with the baccalaureate ceremony, which also will take place in Newlin Hall at 11 a.m. Sunday. The commencement ceremony will see 296 graduates cross the stage - Centre's largest graduating class ever. The group includes the first graduating class of Brown Fellows at Centre. For the third consecutive year, the commencement ceremony will be streamed live on the Centre College website, thanks to the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Jordan Gay always envisioned himself kicking a ball for a long time. It's just that it was a soccer ball, not a football, that the Danville native liked to kick around until then Danville High School football coach Sam Harp helped persuade him to also try football. His senior year he put about two-thirds of his kickoffs into the end zone and averaged 33 yards per punt despite using a rugby-style kick that Harp wanted him to do to help with punt coverage. With an assist from then Centre College assistant coach Tom Brown, Gay got a chance to join Murray State's football team as a preferred walk-on kicker.

Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown got to make his second appearance at the Kentucky Footbal Coaches Association Clinic Saturday at Centre College. The first time he came he was offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and was back in Boyle County on vacation to visit family and friends. Now he's at UK and that has made life happier for his family. “My girls are great. Probably better for grandparents than anything. It has been a positive experience coming to Kentucky,” said Brown, a former three-sport standout at Boyle County High School.