JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 15, 2008 — 51社区 celebrated God鈥檚 blessings and the beginning of a 鈥渘ew day鈥� at the annual fall convocation service Sept. 12.
In an abbreviated convocation address, 51社区 President David S. Dockery recapped for students the events following the Feb. 5 tornado that heavily damaged the Union campus.
鈥淕od鈥檚 mercy has sustained us for seven months and seven days,鈥� Dockery said. 鈥淲e came together and we prayed. We trusted the Lord to help us. It would not have been possible for us to move forward apart from God鈥檚 grace, his enablement and his amazing providence to us.鈥�
Dockery expressed gratitude to the thousands of people who stepped up to help Union in its time of need 鈥� local volunteers, community and business leaders, Baptist friends in the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, other colleges and universities, and donors from all over the country.
Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, greeted the Union community via video at the opening of the service.
鈥淯nion is one of the few institutions in this country that is really teaching the full orbit of biblical understanding of all of life -- the biblical worldview,鈥� Colson said.
As part of the convocation, Union designated seven men 鈥� all contractors who played a key role in Union鈥檚 rebuilding effort -- as honorary alumni: Frank Wagster, James E. Campbell III, Charles Michael Gardner, Montie Forrest Matlock, Robert H. Worsham, Kenneth D. Brasfield and William D. Dement.
The university officially installed four faculty members in new positions of leadership: Roland Porter as director of the Center for Racial Reconciliation, Mark Kossick as senior fellow in the School of Nursing, Richard Wells as dean of the chapel and David Kuhl as Baptist Memorial Health Care Chair of Pharmacy.
Union also recognized the following new faculty members:
- George DeMaagd, professor of pharmacy and associate dean of academic administration
- Webster Drake, associate professor of communication arts and director of debate
- Ildefonso Guilaran, assistant professor of physics
- Kim Madewell Jones, assistant professor of pharmacy and director of student and professional relations
- David Kuhl, professor of pharmacy and chairman of pharmacy practice
- Emily Lean, instructor of business
- Kimberly Lindsey, assistant professor of pharmacy
- Allysha Martin, visiting instructor of language
- Andrew Martin, assistant professor of pharmacy
- Chris Mathews, associate professor of music and chairman of the music department
- John Netland, professor of English and chairman of the English department
- Shawn Okpebholo, assistant professor of music
- Joel Owen, associate professor of pharmacy
- Tamara Popplewell, instructor of biology
- Cynthia Powers, assistant professor of nursing
- Sue-Kyung Sohn, visiting professor of nursing
- Mark Stephens, associate professor of pharmacy and director of experiential education
- Denise Thornton, assistant professor of nursing
- Lauren Tucker, assistant professor of pharmacy
- Blake Watkins, assistant professor of pharmacy and chairman of pharmaceutical sciences
- Kevin Westbrook, associate professor of business
- David Wing, visiting professor of chemistry
- Taylor Worley, instructor of Christian studies
- Mike Primeaux, assistant professor of nursing (part-time)