Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and News Briefs 9/8/21

In this issue, we celebrate accomplishments of faculty and staff in career planning, economics, English, and technology services. We also share news from the Meredith Fund about their new staff member and from the Marketing Department about an opportunity for employees to have headshots taken.

Economics Instructor Lyliana Gayoso de Ervin has co-authored the research article “The Effects of Management Practices on Effective Tax Rates: Evidence from Ecuador” in the IDB Working Paper Series with the Inter-American Development Bank.

Assistant Professor of English Jayme Ringleb recently signed a book deal with Tin House Books for So Tall It Ends in Heaven. This debut collection of poems is forthcoming in fall 2022.

Senior Programmer/Analyst Gus Vandermeeren was honored at the North Carolina General Assembly on August 4, 2021, for his roadside clean-up efforts. Vandermeeren was invited to the floor of the N.C. General Assembly by his representative, James Roberson, who presented him with a letter of commendation and a framed certificate of appreciation for the 2,700 bags of roadside trash that Vandermeeren has personally filled and taken to the landfill since January 2020. Speaker of the House Tim Moore read a summary to the full assembly, after which Vandermeeren received a standing ovation. Vandermeeren is shown second from left in the photo above.

The Office of Career Planning received a $1,500 gift from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation in August. Enterprise Holdings has been a key employer partner for Meredith College, consistently attending our career fairs, assisting with mock interviews and resume reviews, and presenting a LinkedIn workshop for our student athletes during the fall 2020 semester. Their gift will continue to support employer relations and recruiting initiatives for the Office of Career Planning.

News Briefs

New Staff Member Joins The Meredith Fund Team
The Meredith Fund welcomes Ashanti Smith as the new leadership annual giving officer for annual giving. Smith has worked with numerous college and university annual giving programs throughout the US for eight years. Before joining Meredith, she worked with Ruffalo Noel Levitz as the Engagement Center Manager at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Winston Salem State University. In addition to leadership annual giving, Smith will direct student callers in the Phonathon and oversee the Senior Class Gift program. We are excited to have her on the Meredith Fund team. — Submitted by Director of the Meredith Fund Erin Cleghorn.

Professional Headshots Opportunity for Faculty/Staff
Faculty and staff are invited to register to have professional headshots taken by the Department of Marketing for usage on meredith.edu. 

All headshot sessions will be conducted behind Johnson Hall in the Courtyard in front of Brewer Hall.  Headshot sessions will take place Monday, September 13 from 10-11 a.m.  You may come by anytime during the hour session.

Your headshot will be automatically added to your profile on the Meredith College Website. By request, Marketing can send you a high-resolution copy for your personal use. The Marketing Department holds headshot sessions at the beginning of each semester. The September 13 session is an additional opportunity for those who couldn’t make it to the sessions held during Faculty/Staff Planning Week.

To help with scheduling, please register online so we know to expect you. Walk-ins will also be welcome! If you have any questions please contact Charlotte McKinney at cmckinney@meredith.edu.