Curriculum

• Presented by Dick Whitehead and Dr. Woody Greenberg ‘06 HAA

As we mark the 55th anniversary of Hurricane Camille making landfall in the U.S., Dr. Woody Greenberg, Dick Whitehead, and Bar Delk will give a comprehensive look at the storm’s devastation and lasting impact on Nelson County, Va., through stories, photos, and videos.

• Presented by Rev. Roger Dowdy ‘70

Roger’s LIFE@Lynchburg presentation will focus on “Peacebuilding Intersections” Through The Arts, Artists, and Spirituality and will incorporate the three tenants of the LIFE@Lynchburg purpose statement:

• Encountering the “arts” and “artists” of Peacebuilding
• Digging deeper to explore the richness and often ‘dis-arming’ nature of engaging
  the arts as ‘instruments of peace’
• And learning varied approaches to becoming a Peace-Builder through the arts…There is always something new to learn and explore….every day, every ‘season’ of life, from being a student nurtured in the liberal arts to serving as a ‘seasoned’ alumni and/or a supportive member of one’s community.

Roger Dowdy was born and raised in Lynchburg, living only a few steps from the University campus; and as a youth at Euclid Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he was frequently on this campus. Roger is a Lynchburg alumnus, Class of 1970, with a BA degree in Music (Voice and Organ). He currently serves on the University’s QEP Task Group (the Quality Enhancement Plan focusing, for the coming 4+ years, on Critical Thinking). Roger is also a member of the President’s Advisory Council.

• Presented by Jay Brooks

Old City Cemetery Museums and Arboretum Executive Director Jay Brooks will give a presentation on the history of the Old City Cemetery, its current programming, and what the future holds for this Lynchburg landmark.

Jerry “Jay” Brooks is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Old City Cemetery Museums and Arboretum. Born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, Jay has deep roots in the community where he resides with his wife and three children.

Jay’s professional journey includes service in the United States Air Force and a career at Old Dominion Job Corps.

In 2023, Jay transitioned to his current role where he brings his passion for community service and historical preservation to the forefront. Under his leadership, the organization has continued to thrive as a cultural and educational hub in Lynchburg, preserving the rich history of the area and promoting environmental stewardship through its arboretum.

• Presented by Ted Delaney, Carolyn Eubank ‘67, and Heidi Koring ‘09 HAA

This presentation will focus on the members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) who settled in this area in large numbers in the mid-eighteenth century. The town of Lynchburg was founded by John Lynch, himself a Quaker. Speakers will cover the Quakers’ restored Meeting House; their distinctive customs, beliefs, and practices; and their radical views on slavery and racial justice.

Ted Delaney is the director of the Lynchburg Museum System and chief public history officer for the City of Lynchburg and the former executive director of the city’s Old City Cemetery Museums and Arboretum. Ted has written, lectured, and consulted about local history and genealogy for over 20 years. He currently serves on the boards of Historic Sandusky, Lynch’s Ferry Magazine, and Opera on the James.

Heidi Koring earned her undergraduate degree at Bennington College and her master’s at Fitchburg State University. In her 35 years at the University of Lynchburg, she served as Director of Academic Advising, training faculty advisors and advising students directly. She taught English (as a second language))and German language and literature. Heidi has been an active Quaker for sixty years. In addition to serving in positions at the regional level, she also taught at a residential Quaker school in Virginia and has given presentations about such topics as Women in Quakerism and Quakers in Literature.

Carolyn Eubank is a graduate of the University of Lynchburg. After teaching English in area public schools for several years, she entered the field of higher education fundraising, first at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and then at UofL where she served as Director of Development before becoming Assistant Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing. Growing up in Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church, on whose property the Quakers’ 18th-century Meeting House is located, Carolyn became fascinated with the church’s Quaker heritage and chaired the committee that completed the Meeting House restoration in 1990.

• Presented by Marjette Upshur

How to sell a City” from a homegrown Economic Development & Tourism Director: This session will provide an overview of the strategy and tools used to market and promote the City, attract and retain businesses and visitors, and engage existing and new residents, thereby boosting the local economy and enhancing the City’s overall appeal.

Marjette Upshur is the Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Lynchburg, a role she has held since 2007. A native of Lynchburg, she collaborates with new and existing businesses to drive economic growth and resilience, bridging the private sector and local government.

She has championed several public/private initiatives aimed at transforming traditional economic development into citizen-focused economic empowerment, including launching the city’s CO.STARTERS entrepreneurial program, collaborating with state officials to create an arts and culture district in downtown Lynchburg, and partnering with the White House National Economic Council to secure Lynchburg’s designation as a nationally recognized TechHire Community and securing over $1.2 million of federal funds which were invested in assessment, cleanup and redevelopment planning of private and publicly owned brownfields properties in the City.

Marjette is an alumna of Mary Baldwin College and a graduate of the NYU Creative Cities certification program. She is also active on numerous boards in the area.

• Presented by Dr. David Richards

The 2024 election cycle has had a lot of drama already at the national and local level, including a bruising primary season and court cases that ended up with guilty verdicts.

What will all of this mean for the November elections? Will some issues will drive people to the polls or will dissatisfaction with the choices keep them away? Join Assistant Professor of Political Science David Richards as he unpacks the 2024 election season.

Dr. David Richards is Chair of the Political Science Program at the University of Lynchburg. The program houses the Political Science, International Relations and Security Studies, and Intelligence Studies majors and minors.

Dr. Richards is a graduate of Kenyon College (BA in Political Science), and American University (Masters in American Government, PhD in Comparative Politics). He regularly contributes commentary to Fox News, The Washington Post, US News and World Report, and other media outlets. He is regularly featured for political expertise on WSET 13 in Lynchburg.

He grew up on the Sweet Briar College campus and attended Virginia Episcopal School. He lives in Amherst with his wife and two sons. This fall marks his 18th year at the University of Lynchburg.

• Presented by Peter Leonard

Opera on the James (OOTJ) presents a program of selections from its fall residency of Tyler Young Artists (YAPS), and a preview of its upcoming production of Puccini’s masterpiece, “La Boheme,” November 8th and 10th at Lynchburg’s HIstoric Academy Theatre.

The OPERA AMERICA Level Four Professional Company in downtown Lynchburg kicks off its 20th Anniversary season in October 2024. The company produces fully-staged opera events with a full orchestra each season, as well as smaller operas, concerts, cabarets, lectures, and talkbacks. The company offers a community outreach program of performances and lectures in schools, community venues, and in its studios at 701 Main Street.

A quartet of singers chosen twice each year through national auditions, YAPS performs the bulk of our community programs in elementary schools, community centers, public libraries, and historic landmarks throughout the region. In OOTJ’s 19th season, the YAPS reached more than 6,000 central Virginians.

Peter Leonard became OOTJ’s General Director in October 2020. Since 2015, he has led numerous OOTJ productions as the Company’s Principal Conductor. (La Traviata, Carmen, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Falstaff, Le nozze di Figaro, I barbiere di Siviglia and Rigoletto).

Mr. Leonard has lived and worked extensively in Germany, as well as other European locations. He has guest-conducted orchestras throughout North America, including the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of Alabama, Dayton, Edmonton, Florida, Jackson, Nashville, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Spokane, Tucson, West Virginia, and Winnipeg.

A gifted speaker, Peter also offers insights on business and life issues, viewed through the lens of fine art. As Music Director of The International Forum, a prestigious business consulting firm, he has presented courses in “Leadership Through Music,” a hands-on experience focused on the relevance of great music to everyday life.

• Presented by Dr. Ed Polloway ‘00 HAA, ‘18 DEd

A comprehensive look at the history of the infamous Lynchburg Training School, including the working papers of Dr. Dave Smith and case studies and histories provided by residents of the Training Center.

Edward A. Polloway served as the Rosel H. Schewel Chair of Education at the University of Lynchburg, where he taught for over 40 years. He also was the VP for Community Advancement, Dean of Graduate Studies, and Dean of the School of Education. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia and his baccalaureate degree from Dickinson College. He served twice as president of the Division on Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children and served on the board of directors of the Council for Learning Disabilities. He is a fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Polloway is the co-author of 32 books and over 100 journal articles in the field of special education and disability studies.

• Presented by April Cheek-Messier

On Sunday, 25 June 1944, Ivylyn Schenk wrote from her home in the rural community of Bedford, Virginia to her husband who was serving with the 29th Infantry Division and stationed in Europe. She wrote him faithfully each day and, on this particular date, was excited to acknowledge their anniversary.

John, my darling.

Well, it has been twenty-two months since we were married. It has seemed very long, and yet, unbelievably short – the only constant thing about it is that I continue to love and appreciate you more and more each day… How it thrills me to realize that soon you’ll be coming back home and we will be together for the rest of our lives…

Ivylyn had no idea as she lovingly composed this letter, that her husband John lay buried on the beaches of Normandy, killed 19 days earlier on D-Day, 6 June 1944. She would continue writing him for over a month. When discovered the news of his death, she would never be the same. And so it would be for families throughout the United States: sweethearts, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and family members who would cheer the news of a successful invasion and grieve at the loss.

Through period photos and individual stories of service and sacrifice, participants will discover more about the training and preparation for D-Day, how it changed the world and our region, and its continued impact today. The session will conclude with how a group of WWII veterans themselves spearheaded the making of a monument to preserve the history they helped make.

April Cheek-Messier is a native of Bedford, Virginia, and has been with the National D-Day Memorial Foundation since January 2001. She served as the Director of Education from 2001 to 2010 before becoming Vice President of Education. In 2013, she was named President and CEO of the Foundation. She has served on several boards including Chair of the Virginia World War II Heritage Alliance and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Virginia War Memorial Board of Directors in Richmond. From 2009 to 2015 she contributed her time to the Virginia Association of Museums as a member of the board of directors.

Cheek-Messier also lectures on the history of WWII and has written for several publications. She has taught several college-level history courses. In 2019, John Long and April Cheek-Messier published, We Will Remember Them: An Accounting of the D-Day Fallen, the most authoritative list of Allied fatalities ever compiled which embodied more than twenty years of research. The result of this work is the only name-by-name listing of D-Day fatalities in the world. Cheek-Messier received her BA degree in English and History from Hollins University. She acquired two master’s degrees, one in History from Virginia Tech and another in Education from Hollins University. She resides in Bedford, Virginia with her husband John and they have five children.  

• Presented by Dr. Steve Smith ‘88, ‘93 MEd

The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) began in the 1950s, but the deep learning revolution only started in 2012, and the rise of models like ChatGPT-4 is less than 18 months old. To understand the exponential growth in the size and capability of these powerful tools, we need to compare and contrast them with their precursors and differentiate between classic AI, machine learning, and our modern Generative Pre-trained Transformers. The field of AI holds tremendous promise, with advancements in machine vision and natural language processing allowing for almost limitless medical, scientific, and consumer applications. However, it’s equally important to consider the risks posed by AI development, from misuse by malicious actors to unintended consequences.

Stephen C Smith is a career educator with over 30 years of experience in Lynchburg’s public schools. He has served as a middle school and high school teacher, an elementary principal, a supervisor of math, science, and gifted education, and an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. For the past 14 years, he has been the director and one of the seven faculty members at the Central Virginia Governor’s School for Science and Technology. His undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry and his master’s in curriculum and instruction come from the University of Lynchburg (formerly Lynchburg College), and his doctorate in Education and superintendent’s license were earned at the University of Virginia.