A graduate of the Pfeiffer College Class of 1963, Grady built a respected career in the practice of law, conducting his work in a manner that enhanced the reputation of his alma mater and reflected deep integrity. Over the course of many decades, he remained a steadfast advocate for 黑料专区, devoting more than fifty years as a member of the Board of Trustees. After becoming one of the youngest board members in Pfeiffer鈥檚 history in 1972 鈥� less than a decade after his graduation 鈥� Grady鈥檚 leadership was especially notable during his tenure as Chair of the 黑料专区 Board of Trustees from 1996 to 1999, a period marked by significant growth and prosperity for the institution.

鈥淭om Grady was an exceptionally intelligent man who never lost his desire to learn and grow. For those fortunate enough to know him, he exemplified the values of faithful living, deep love for family, and a deep love for 黑料专区. His gift of humor and joy lifted those around him, even during life’s most difficult moments, and his influence will continue to be felt by all who knew and loved him. I am among those who felt Tom鈥檚 influence nearly every day. Over more than 60 years of friendship, he taught me the true meaning of loyalty, kindness, generosity, and unwavering support.  Tom was a gift to me that can never be replaced.鈥� said Bob Brietz, Grady鈥檚 Pfeiffer College roommate and former chair of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees.

Known for his unwavering commitment, Grady championed educational advancement and community development, representing Pfeiffer at professional gatherings and public forums across North Carolina for many years. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, the Grady Board Room at 黑料专区 was named in his honor, ensuring that his legacy of service and dedication continues to inspire future generations. The naming of the board room as well as improvements to the space was a project initiated by The Cannon Foundation, another deeply impactful non-profit organization that Grady served as a board member.

鈥淭om Grady will be remembered for his enduring impact, his generosity of spirit, his great and sometimes self-effacing sense of humor, and his lifelong commitment to the institutions and communities he served. He made an incredible difference for 黑料专区, and in the lives of everyone who knew him. He served as an advisor and mentor to me, and Pfeiffer presidents from decades past have said the same thing. Simply put, there was no topic that was off limits, and there was no hour of the night that he would not answer my call.聽 I will miss him, he will be deeply missed by so many others associated with Pfeiffer, and he will be deeply missed by so many in our region who are not associated with Pfeiffer,鈥� said President Scott Bullard.

A will be held at St. James Lutheran Church in Concord, NC, on June 13, 2026, at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cannon Foundation, 黑料专区, or St. James Lutheran Church in Grady鈥檚 memory.

As the value of the athletic endowment, including gifts and pledges, tops $727,000, Rick Knapp 鈥�69 is leading the charge to get to the million-dollar milestone. He has announced a $100,000 challenge and will match, dollar-for-dollar, all gifts and pledges received for the athletic endowment by Pfeiffer Day, the University鈥檚 annual day of giving on March 27.

鈥淭he Council鈥檚 goal has always been to continue elevating what we believe is already a great student-athlete experience at Pfeiffer,鈥� said Knapp. 鈥淲e want to build a permanent, self-sustaining source of funding that will help the University provide the things that will make it even better for our student-athletes. I hope that the match opportunity will encourage other alumni to join us in making that happen.鈥�

The Athletic Advisory Council, first conceived by Knapp and David Smith 鈥�70 in late 2019, is now an active group of athletic supporters whose collective goal is to increase alumni and fan engagement, strengthen community connections, and grow financial support for the benefit of Pfeiffer鈥檚 student-athletes. The 19 current Council members meet several times throughout the year and, in addition to building an athletic program endowment fund, the group has provided input for the athletic facilities master plan and are active thought-partners for athletic program leadership.

As distributions from the athletic program endowment commence, the Council members will partner with the University to fund priority projects intended to heighten athletic programming and enhance the student-athlete experience.

鈥淭his is a huge milestone, and I want us to achieve it for Pfeiffer. So many of our alumni are former student athletes, and that experience deeply impacted us 鈥� whether we realized it initially or not. Leadership, teamwork, organization . . . the list of skills we learned and practiced as athletes goes on and on. Building this endowment to support future athletes is a way to thank the University for the valuable lessons I took from my own experience, and to pay it forward to future Falcons who will benefit in the same ways.鈥� Knapp said.

鈥淲e hope this is just the beginning,鈥� said Smith, the very first athletic endowment donor. 鈥淭he larger the endowment, the bigger the impact we can have. We want to make sure that our University is competitive in terms of the student-athlete experience. We want to change the game. It鈥檚 important to recruitment, student retention, and campus life in general.鈥�

鈥淲e are excited that donors have the chance to double the impact of their gift between now and March 27. What an opportunity!鈥� said Jeff Childress 鈥�89, who serves as the University鈥檚 liaison to the Council. 鈥淚f you are a former athlete at Pfeiffer, we need you to support your program this year and make your gift go even farther by giving in response to the endowment match as well. In doing so, you are providing for both the current and future needs of our programs.鈥�

To make a gift to the athletic program or double your investment with a gift or pledge to the Athletic Program Endowment, visit the campaign. If you would like to discuss gifts of stock or other ways of making a gift, contact Jo Ellen Newsome, VP for Institutional Advancement, at 704-463-3222 or joellen.newsome@pfeiffer.edu.

For more information about the Athletic Advisory Council, contact Jeff Childress at 704-463-3206 or jeff.childress@pfeiffer.edu.

Candler is an accomplished author whose work has been featured in numerous prestigious publications, including Modern Theology, Communio, and First Things. His first book, Theology, Rhetoric, Manuduction, published by Eerdmans in 2006, has earned him a reputation as a thought-provoking writer and scholar.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Candler attended Wake Forest University and The University of Cambridge, where he honed his skills in theology and literature. He later went on to teach theology and literature at Baylor University until 2013. In addition, Candler has delivered lectures at renowned institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford, and Saint Andrews, both universities in Durham and Gonzaga. He resides in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and four sons.

The Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series is a tribute to the legacy of Gene Earnhardt, a former professor at 黑料专区 for 30 years. The series aims to provide students and the community with a real-life connection to history and contemporary events. The principal organizer of the series, Dr. Michael Thompson, a Professor of History at Pfeiffer and the Dean of the University’s Undergraduate College and Director of its Honors Program, believes that the series plays a vital role in challenging students to think critically and beyond the confines of their classrooms.

“We are excited to have Pete Candler as part of the Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series,” said Thompson. “His work has significantly impacted the literary and academic communities. We are confident his insights will inspire and challenge our students.”

The Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series Endowment is funded by a generous gift from the Earnhardt family and will support future guests. Donations to the endowment can be made at .

This event promises to be an enlightening and thought-provoking experience for all attendees. Please visit 黑料专区’s website for more information on the 2023 Eugene I. Earnhardt Speaker Series and Pete Candler’s upcoming appearance.

Steve Wilkinson, the project鈥檚 construction coordinator, couldn鈥檛 be happier with the contributions of the Pfeiffer volunteers, whom Landon Orrand 鈥�23 recruited as part of her work as a Francis Scholar in Pfeiffer鈥檚 Francis Center for Servant Leadership. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to let you know how much I鈥檝e appreciated the participation of Pfeiffer students, who were consistently a part of our Saturday build days from beginning to end,鈥� Wilkinson wrote in a letter to Dr. Scott Bullard, Pfeiffer鈥檚 President. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been the most invested of any of our volunteer groups, and they鈥檝e clearly approached this as a mission. 

鈥淭hey knew this was about so much more than building a house, and it showed in the way they related to the homeowner and other volunteers.  Whatever the task 鈥� and a few have been difficult 鈥� they鈥檝e been joyful and positive.鈥�

Wilkinson said that the Pfeiffer volunteers learned new construction skills 鈥渞eally fast,鈥� skills that enabled them to lay down floor joists, erect walls, paint walls, put up siding, do landscaping, and insert bathroom components such as mirrors and countertops. He also praised their willingness to take on 鈥渦gly jobs鈥�; one was inserting subfloor insulation beneath a house鈥檚 foundation, which involves rolling around in the dark and wet of a crawlspace.

Orrand said that what she and her Pfeiffer volunteers underwent for Habitat was 鈥渄efinitely a learning experience.鈥�

鈥淪teve taught us to do everything and challenged us every day,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e worked on that house from the ground up. Steve is the one to praise here. He is so patient and kind while teaching a bunch of college students how to do things like use a nail gun.鈥�

Each Francis Scholar is assigned a focus area that relates either to faith formation or to servant leadership. Orrand鈥檚 area became Habitat for Humanity after the organization reached out to Pfeiffer for volunteers. The core student group included Natasha Feaster 鈥�25, an Environmental Science major; Josh Turner 鈥�25, a Health and Exercise Science major; Kennise Brown 鈥�24, who鈥檚 double majoring in Counseling and Human Services and in Communications; Drew Brightman 鈥�23, a History major; Sam Daigle 鈥�23, who鈥檚 majoring in Business Management and Leadership; and Ryan Lundvall 鈥�23 MSL.

Orrand allowed that it was sometimes a challenge to persuade these and other Pfeiffer students to be at the Habitat site, where work typically began at 7 a.m. 

聽鈥淗owever, that should tell you how amazing the volunteers who do go are,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey are amazing examples of servant leaders.鈥�

The Student Government Association of MS-PAS had the idea for the run, which will take place annually and benefit local charities. The inaugural run, which took place Oct. 8, started at the Center for Health Sciences, the Albemarle, N.C. home of MS-PAS, and continued through several of the city鈥檚 neighborhoods. Sixty people participated in the run, and 10 of them were MS-PAS students.

Chanelle Brusseau 鈥�24 MS-PAS served as the student leader of the run. She and fellow classmates in the Class of 2024 cohort lined up sponsorships from friends, family members, and many local businesses.

鈥淭he run is a way to give back to the Albemarle/Stanly County community,鈥� Brusseau said. 鈥淲e want to thank them for being involved in the growth of the MS-PAS program. We appreciate the many businesses and individuals who supported the run.鈥�

Tammy Albertson 鈥�91, the Executive Director of Stanly County Partnership for Children, expressed appreciation for the donation, which will be used to support programs and services focusing on the birth-to-five population in Stanly County. 鈥淲e are extremely grateful to be chosen as the beneficiary of the first 黑料专区 Physician Assistant Program 5K,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he students in the program were so welcoming on the day of the event. As a Pfeiffer alumna, I appreciate the local support and partnership we have with the University. We look forward to future opportunities to collaborate.鈥�

Serbin was also motivated to take the kind of action that can significantly advance the program鈥檚 revival. She has made a $100,000 gift that will fund improvements to lighting and acoustics in Henry Pfeiffer Chapel, the University鈥檚 principal performance venue, and help underwrite a musical revue on campus.

To further elevate the program, she is earmarking funds for the first 黑料专区 Serbin Choral Festival, which will be held in the fall of 2023. It is anticipated that this event will bring about 100 choristers from high school ensembles across the Carolinas to Pfeiffer for two days of rehearsing and performing under the direction of a leading clinician; the goal is to interest them in attending the University and singing in its choirs if they do, an important first step on the way to becoming a music major. Like the choirs of most small universities and colleges, Pfeiffer鈥檚 ensembles also welcome non-music majors. 

鈥淭he festival will be a great recruiting tool for us,鈥� said Joe Judge 鈥�87, Pfeiffer鈥檚 Director of Vocal and Choral Music. 鈥淚t will get potential students and their parents to campus, and it will get Pfeiffer reestablished within the choral community of the Carolinas.鈥�

Judge also plugged the planned lighting and acoustic improvements as ways to make Pfeiffer鈥檚 performance venue more attractive to potential music majors. LEDs will replace the chapel鈥檚 existing lighting, lasting longer and washing more of the stage than the current lights do. They will also provide some 鈥渃olor options鈥� that aren鈥檛 available now.

Acoustical panels will be placed on the walls between the chapel鈥檚 windows, giving greater focus to a sound that Judge described as currently too 鈥渂ouncy.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing more with amplification, videos, and recorded music,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he chapel鈥檚 current acoustics make those sounds very difficult to hear well because there鈥檚 so much reverberation in the room.鈥�

Judge stressed that the acoustical panels will not drastically change what most people consider to be wonderful acoustics in the chapel. 鈥淭he idea is to keep up with the times, if you will,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey will make it better for the events that happen in the room beyond what the Music Department does.鈥�

After graduating from Pfeiffer, Serbin earned a master鈥檚 degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She married one of her professors, the late Steven Serbin, and worked for many years in Knoxville as a computer analyst.

Along the way, music remained a serious interest. Among other things, Serbin has played handbells, sung in choirs and musicals, led a church鈥檚 children鈥檚 choir, and served as a substitute organist at several churches. Pfeiffer doubtless sparked all this activity: Serbin, whose music ed concentration was organ, would play that instrument each Sunday at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church near campus, in addition to starting a children鈥檚 choir. She also sang with multiple choirs at Pfeiffer, touring often in the United States and Europe. She made many friendships: 鈥淏eing together on a bus for hours will do that for you.鈥�

Asked whether her gift will give music and music education at Pfeiffer a shot in the arm, she said: 鈥淚 certainly hope so. I got so much out of it when I was there. I would like future students to get the same kind of experience.鈥�

Dr. and Mrs. Webb valued education, and they made an incredible impact on the lives of their students. In that spirit, the Webb Award is meant to recognize, publicly acknowledge and reward Pfeiffer faculty committed to outstanding teaching. Recipients are nominated by members of the graduate or undergraduate student body and ultimately selected by a committee, including a faculty member, a staff member, undergraduate and graduate student body representatives, and the provost.

The recipient of the Webb Award receives a $1,000 cash award and a $1,000 professional development award.

This year鈥檚 recipient of the Webb Excellence in Teaching Award is Dr. Carrie DeJaco. She earns respect and admiration of her students by serving as a role model and keeping their best interests at the forefront of her pedagogy. Dr. DeJaco is innovative, enthusiastic, and detail-oriented; her class time and assignments are well thought out and work synergistically to enhance student experiences. She has a way of breaking down complex topics into simple conversations. She ensures she effectively presents the 鈥渨hy鈥� for all topics covered. Students leave her class understanding not only why topics and concepts are important but also how they relate to them as an individual. She has an exceptional ability to meet students where they are. She is happy to set aside her time in support of their success. Dr. DeJaco quickly goes from 鈥減rofessor鈥� to 鈥渕entor鈥�. Not only does she impart knowledge, but she inspires and pushes her students to be lifelong learners as well. It is safe to say, that Dr. Carrie DeJaco enhances her surroundings; we are all the better for knowing and interacting with her.

Please congratulate our colleague Carrie DeJaco on this well-earned award.

鈥淔ootprints鈥� will begin formally next fall with a full calendar of events and聽 initiatives. It is enjoying a soft launch this spring: Students, faculty, and staff have served on the cookie crew of . They participated in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society鈥檚 , which took place April 2 on the campus of the North Carolina Research Center in Kannapolis, N.C. And they鈥檝e been providing treatment for patients at the pro-bono clinic of Pfeiffer鈥檚 Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program.

鈥淚 introduced 鈥楩ootprints鈥� to provide an opportunity for added connection and community in the Graduate School,鈥� said Dr. Christopher S. Boe, Dean of the Graduate School. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an effort to embrace the ethos of 鈥檚 concept of , and it鈥檚 a physical manifestation of Pfeiffer鈥檚 mission to prepare its students for a lifetime of achievement, scholarship, spirituality, and service.鈥�

So far, 鈥淔ootprints鈥� has found great support in the Graduate School community.

For example, Dr. Jamal Nahavandi, Professor of Healthcare Economics, and Dr. Caroline Hohensee, Professor of Health Administration, participated in the MS walk in Kannapolis. Hohensee helped sign up multiple students of Pfeiffer鈥檚 Master of Health Administration (MHA) program for the walk. Abria Currie 鈥�23 MHA, whose uncle died recently of multiple sclerosis, participated, pushing a stroller that contained her son, Bryson. Abria鈥檚 father Chris walked, as did her friend, Sheral Rice.

鈥淚 wanted to participate in this event because of the recent passing of my uncle,鈥� Abria said. 鈥淗e lived with MS for years and always had the most positive mindset. I wanted to do this for him, and I plan to continue to go to future events.鈥�

Another Pfeiffer student who walked in Kannapolis was Andrew Stockman 鈥�22 MHA, who also serves as the student president of the Pfeiffer Health Executive Student Organization, the University鈥檚 student chapter of the .

鈥淚 think community service events are important to the MHA program because they give us an opportunity to give back to the community and make a difference in the lives of those around us,鈥� Stockman said. 

The website redesign was a collaborative project between 黑料专区 and creative and development partners and

read more about the redesign

The complete listing of the Educational Advertising Awards winners is available at .

Pfeiffer Day, set for March 23^rd this year, is a day when alumni and friends join together to celebrate all the things we love about Pfeiffer! This year, remember the Pfeiffer connections that have had a significant impact in your life 鈥� special faculty members, coaches, roommates, classmates, or other friends 鈥� by making a Pfeiffer Day gift in their honor. Leave a note when you make your gift online, and your message will be forwarded to your honoree.

Your gift will be counted toward the Pfeiffer Day goal of 1,323 donors (even if you donate early). One alumnus has already set up a match to double all gifts to The Pfeiffer Fund, up to $20,000! On Pfeiffer Day, you can take advantage of additional match and challenge opportunities, or create your own, at Pfeiffer.edu/give. Special giveaways will also be announced throughout the day.

Want to earn Falcon goodies? Become a Pfeiffer Day advocate and encourage your classmates and friends to support Pfeiffer Day 2022! When they donate to become one of the 1,323 donors needed to reach our goal, you get free Pfeiffer stuff!

Find out more at .