University of Lynchburg students and faculty are always achieving great things in academics, service and athletics. Here’s what they’ve done lately.
Jena Gatses ’15 DPT helps keep the Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR drivers and pit crew teams fit and healthy, despite the hazards of working in the fast lane. She’s one of few women practicing physical therapy in NASCAR.
Hallie Sayre ’17 won the top award for original research writing in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association student writing contest in 2017. Her research explored concussions in women’s soccer and lacrosse.
The Ethics Bowl team regularly defeats opponents from much larger universities in ethics tournaments, and has won a spot in the national tournament in 2016 and 2017. The team took first place in the 2016 regional tournament, besting schools like UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Florida.
Chad Hobson ’17 garnered international attention for his sports physics research. He’s one of many students who partner with professors to get real-world experience with research and problem solving.
The University of Lynchburg Model United Nations team consistently wins awards in its annual conference. In 2017, the team won a Distinguished Delegation award, and Outstanding Position Paper award, and a Peer Award honoring collaborative leadership and diplomacy.
Rob Kaiser ’13 was named the 2016 Teacher of the Year for Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Physics professor Eric Goff is known internationally for his expertise in sports physics. You might read his name in the Washington Post, see him interviewed on the Smithsonian Channel, or hear him in a sports science podcast.
Criminology professor Kimberly McCabe gets her name in print often as she writes about complex issues related to crime and punishment. In 2016, she and fellow criminology professor Dan Murphy — a former police officer — published a book about modern child abuse issues.
Nursing professor Stephanie Ferguson served on a committee that helped recommend global public health strategies for the United States.
Siobhan Byrns, an art professor and an expert in historic photography techniques, has won acclaim for her cyanotype series “What the Water Took From Us,” inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis.
President Kenneth Garren received the Roanoke College Medal for outstanding contributions to the college and professional accomplishments. He also received one of Lynchburg’s Mayor’s Awards of Excellence.
A book by Laura Marello, professor of English, was shortlisted for the 2016 Saroyan International Prize for Writing.
Track and field athletes flourish under the leadership of coach Jim Sprecher. Evan Truman ’17 is one of the top long jump athletes in the nation, and Natalie Deacon ’17 became a national frontrunner in two track events in her first season on the team.
The women’s soccer team won the national championship in 2014, but the team looks far beyond points scored and championships won. Under the leadership of coach Todd Olsen, the student-athletes are improving lives for women in Lynchburg and across the world.
Lynchburg won both the men’s and women’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference basketball championships in 2016, and both teams advanced into the NCAA tournament. The following year, the women had another record-breaking season on the court and earned an at-large bid to the national tournament.
In 2015, the men’s lacrosse team fought its way to the national championship game. Under the leadership of one of the best coaches in Division III lacrosse, the Hornets continue to dominate in the ODAC and earned a spot in the 2016 NCAA tournament.
Longtime field hockey coach Enza Steele led her team to win the conference championship nearly 20 years in a row.
The Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network not only shines a light on excellent student-athletes, but it gives aspiring broadcasters experience in a professional production environment.
