Elaine Toth Hinsdale

This is a big issue of Brightening the Lights of Madison. I want to personally congratulate our 2006 JMU Alumni Association award winners, Matt Miller ('98) and Carole Baldwin ('81). Read more about these world changers below. To those of you involved in the James Madison University community, I encourage you to support JMU's Madison Century Campaign and enable the alumni association to "be the change" and increase our level of alumni giving. Our alumni association is young, energetic, full of purple passion, full of world changers like our two award winners—and—capable of giving. But the sad news is that 90 percent of our alumni do not give back to JMU. The alumni giving rate at JMU is a paltry 10 percent, compared to the University of Virginia's 27 percent, North Carolina State's 32 percent and the University of Pennsylvania's 40 percent. Private universities fare much better with Duke, Yale and Harvard all in the mid-40 percent rate of alumni giving. What can we do to encourage the other 90 percent of our alumni association to be the change? We've begun to look at that, and I have formed a strategic planning team of alumni to work with the association's board of directors on this issue. We're looking at which programs and initiatives are working well and what we need to change to better support the needs of our alumni in JMU's next 100 years. I hope that 10 years from now, the Insider's Guide to Colleges will still say, "James Madison University provides a terrific liberal arts education and continues its history of producing successful alumni." Get involved in the life of James Madison University and support the Madison Century Campaign. Learn how here: http://www.jmu.edu/development/index.shtml.

Thank you,

Elaine Toth Hinsdale ('85), president
JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors

Click on photo for larger image Matt Miller ('98) and Carole C. Baldwin ('81), the 2006 JMU Alumni Association award winners, celebrate at the Homecoming Gala in October.

The JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors honored two alumni with the distinguished alumni achievement and service awards at the 2006 Homecoming Gala Oct. 20.

Matthew Miller ('98) received the Inez Graybeal Roop Distinguished Alumni Service Award. A marketing major, actor and triathlete, Miller is founder of the C Different Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works with visually impaired athletes. Miller developed a feature-length documentary, Victory Over Darkness, which chronicles the extraordinary lives of four blind triathletes. The Roop award recognizes a JMU graduate for dedication and volunteer commitment that significantly enhanced the goals and mission of JMU and/or for giving of themselves for the enrichment of others and the betterment of their communities.

Carole C. Baldwin ('81) received the Ronald E. Carrier Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. The biology graduate is a marine scientist with the Smithsonian Institution. A systematic ichthyologist, Baldwin was the lead scientist on the Smithsonian's IMAX film, Galapagos. She has published several dozen scientific articles and discovered new species of fishes around the world. Baldwin, who annually leads tours of the Galapagos to advance marine science, is working on a permanent ocean exhibit for the Smithsonian. The Carrier award recognizes a JMU graduate who has excelled in his or her profession and has attained recognition from peers and other professionals.

During the opening faculty meeting in August, the alumni association honored Rustin P. Greene, media arts and design professor and director of JMU's Semester in London program, with the JMU Distinguished Faculty Award. The association members also honored Hillary Wing-Richards, associate director for the JMU Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Women's Resource Center, with the Distinguished Service Award. Greene joined the faculty in 1996 after more than 15 years in television production, and teaches media writing and production, scriptwriting, video producing and directing, and digital media management. Wing-Richards was recognized for her passionate dedication to ending violence against women and for educating on responsible alcohol use through campus workshops, seminars and speeches and service on campus and community committees on alcohol/drug abuse and crime.

Black Alumni Chapter
The Black Alumni Chapter sponsored a tailgate during October's Homecoming Weekend: "Lights, Camera, JMU!" Alumni enjoyed a tailgate feast and partied down before helping cheer on the Dukes to a 31-17 Homecoming blowout over William and Mary. The win was JMU's fifth straight and brought the Dukes overall record to 6-1 (now 7-1). BAC members also sponsored a Friday night social at the Courtyard Marriot in Harrisonburg the night before the big game. Learn more about the Black Alumni Chapter events at the chapter Web site.

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Black Alumni Chapter members celebrate at a tailgate before the Homecoming game Oct. 21.

Tidewater Chapter
Sixteen Tidewater Dukes traveled from eastern Virginia back to the 'Burg to cheer on the Dukes at Homecoming. Buddy Gadams ('93) organized the bus trip from Tidewater, and Alumni Association board member Kelly Stefanko ('94) and Alison Cooper ('93) will share this unique Homecoming experience in the spring 2007 issue of Madison magazine. Stay tuned!

Click on photo to enlarge.

Tidewater Dukes "Road Trip'ers" include: Becki Shuford Simpson ('93), Clark Simpson ('95), Chris Jones ('93), Suzanne Wilson Jones, ('93), Beth Roller Williams ('92), Ron Williams, John Lynch ('91), Liz King Lynch ('91), Frank "Buddy" Gadams ('93), Jenny Kelsey Gadams ('92), Alison Cooper ('93), Kelly Stefanko ('94), Gary Bartwell ('86), Shannon Bartwell, Michael Siewers ('93) and Beth Siewers.

JMU alumni are invited to attend the seventh annual Alumni Job Fair on Jan. 5, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tysons Corner Marriott, 8028 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. Attendance is free and open to the public. Alumni, current students, soon-to-be-graduates and friends: e-mail us your resume for the employer's resume CD-ROM. Resumes must be submitted electronically via e-mail as a Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or Adobe Acrobat attached file. Please save the file as: LastNameFirstName.[extension] (example: JonesJane.doc, ArringtonLavar.pdf). Then, e-mail your resume to jmumetrodukes@yahoo.com by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. You may also register as an employer or recruiter. Register at http://www.jmu.edu/alumni/jobfair. Benefits include: booth space, event Web site link, resume CD-ROM (300-400 resumes), breakfast, lunch and prominent event advertising mentions. Average attendance has been more than 400 JMU students, alumni and friends of the university. Money raised through employer registration fees benefits the Metro Dukes Chapter Scholarship Fund. Special thanks go to the Job Fair's gold ad sponsor Spherion Professional Services. For more information, contact Carolyn Adler at CarolynAdler@spherion.com, call the JMU Office of Alumni Relations at (888) JMU-ALUM, or visit http://www.jmu.edu/alumni/jobfair.

The JMU Office of the President announces the second annual Diversity Enhancement Awards Program. These awards recognize individuals or JMU academic and staff units that have demonstrated a significant commitment to enhance diversity at JMU. Nominees must be a part of the Madison community—alumni, students, academic or staff units, campus organizations, professors or staff members who have implemented policies, procedures and/or programs to enhance diversity at JMU. One of the most important aspects of a Diversity Enhancement Award nominee is that enhancing diversity is not his or her primary job function. Diversity embraces people from every economic status, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran or military service status, or social background. Criteria that will be used to select award recipients include: accomplishments, leadership and service in support of diversity enhancement, and achievement in recruiting and/or retaining diverse groups of students, faculty or staff. Nomination packets must include:

1. A DEAP Nomination Form, found here http://www.jmu.edu/diversity/
2. One letter of nomination
3. Two or more letters of support.

Visit the Diversity Enhancement Awards Program Web site at http://www.jmu.edu/diversity/ for complete nomination requirements.

The nomination deadline is 5 p.m., Nov. 20, 2006. Awardees will be notified by Dec. 11. Submit nomination materials to: DEAP Selection Committee, Office of Equal Opportunity, MSC 5802, JMAC2, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.

It's time to Put Up Your Dukes for Duke Dog. As part of JMU's yearlong Centennial Celebration in 2007-08, uniquely painted and decorated versions of the Duke Dog statue will be on display throughout the JMU campus and Harrisonburg. The Duke Dog project is similar to those that have taken place recently in a number of cities. The city of Norfolk, for example, featured mermaid statues in its displays. Richmond and Baltimore displayed statues of fish; Chicago, cows; and San Antonio, steers. The JMU statues will be smaller versions of the large Duke Dog statue that sits in the front of the university's Plecker Athletic Performance Center. The project statues will be made by Lee Leuning, the South Dakota sculptor who created the Duke Dog statue as well as the James Madison statue near the Quad. The Put Up Your Dukes statues will be two feet long and 22 inches high. They will be made of a lightweight resin and are suitable for display inside a store or building. Businesses, clubs and individuals are being sought to sponsor statues to locate in Harrisonburg and at JMU. A number of talented artists from Harrisonburg, Staunton and JMU have agreed to take part in the project and paint the statues in unique patterns. Designs on the dogs can be chosen by the sponsor in conjunction with the artist. The subject matter on the statues is open although all designs are subject to regulations set by JMU. A special JMU committee must approve all designs. Sponsorship for a statue is $1,500, which includes the cost of the statue as well as all taxes and the artist's fee. Sponsors may select an artist from the pool of volunteers or choose their own artist. The statues can be displayed by the sponsor, beginning with the centennial kickoff in spring 2007. Sponsors can continue to display the statues as long as they like. All the statues will be displayed at the New Century Banquet in March 2008. For more information or for a sponsorship application, contact Centennial Director Fred Hilton at (540) 568-3474, hiltonfd@jmu.edu, or Dr. Kathryn Monger, director of the Madison Art Collection at (540) 568-6934, or mongerke@jmu.edu.

If you were putting together a list of Madison's "100 Best," who would you include? The list of 100 will include those who have meant the most to JMU during its first century. You'll get a chance to express your opinion on those who make the list, which is being developed as part of JMU's Centennial Celebration. Selections on the list are expected to include current and former JMU professors, administrators, staff members, alumni, students and friends. The list will be open to groups like the Marching Royal Dukes, the Stratford Players or a championship team. Those who are practically people, like Duke Dog, are also eligible. Nominations for the list will be accepted from throughout the JMU family. Suggestions should be sent to: jmu100best@jmu.edu. Nominations will be reviewed by a special committee composed of professors, staff members, alumni, students and local leaders. The final selection of the "100 Best" will be announced throughout the 2007-08 academic year as the centennial is observed. A few names will be announced each week. The final list will be announced on the 100th anniversary of JMU's founding (the Centennial Convocation on March 14, 2008) and at the New Century Banquet the following evening.

The Atlanta Chapter will host a bowling social Nov. 4 at 300 Atlanta, 2175 Savoy Drive, Atlanta. The price is $14 per person, which includes two games of bowling and the shoe rental. Bring your best game, and we'll provide some light munches. Here is your chance to win some JMU gear. Register at the JMU Online Community.

The chapter's Holiday Party is Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. at Jocks and Jills in Brookhaven. Learn more about Atlanta Chapter events or sign up for the chapter's e-mail updates at http://www.jmuatlanta.com/. If you have an idea for a chapter event, contact Atlanta Chapter President Melissa Palladino Roberts ('98) at Melissa.Roberts@turner.com.

Metro Dukes donated their time and muscle to the Habitat for Humanity Restore on Oct. 7. Alumni performed a variety of tasks such as organizing merchandise, pricing donations and loading purchases into vehicles. All store items are donated by contractors, suppliers or the general public and are sold at 50 to 90 percent below retail. Proceeds benefit local Habitat for Humanity projects.

Metro Dukes load up a purchase at the Habitat for Humanity Restore.

Join fellow Metro Dukes as they mix and mingle with the University of Richmond, University of Virginia and College of William & Mary's alumni chapters at the first All-Virginia Happy Hour at McFadden's on Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. Help the Metro Dukes win bragging rights by contributing the most items to Our Daily Bread. Donation of one item will get you a wristband good for McFadden's Famous $10 open bar from 6 to 8 p.m. and more drink specials from 8 to 9 p.m. Our Daily Bread is a volunteer organization focused on easing the plight of low income residents in Fairfax County. Accepted donations include: Toiletry items of shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, hand sanitizers; school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, note cards, tissues and glue-sticks (new and unopened items only). Cash donations for the purchase of grocery gift cards will be accepted.

The lure of a potential job and professional networking was a big draw as more than 30 Tidewater alumni turned out on a Tuesday night in October for the Tidewater Chapter's annual career focused mixer. Kelly Woodruff ('94) organized the event, where alumni were greeted by potential employers and goody bags courtesy of Spherion Corp. Many self-employed alums promoted their services and offered advice to budding entrepreneurs. Held in the sophisticated lounge of a trendy restaurant, the event was particularly helpful to the Tidewater Alumni Chapter in engaging recent graduates. The crowd of 20- and 30-somethings apparently found lots to talk about as they mixed and mingled for nearly two hours. "I really think it was a great success and I was pleased that the event caught the attention of so many recent grads," says Woodruff.

Tidewater Dukes host a monthly networking opportunity for JMU alumni via the third Thursday happy hour. The chapter has several more great perennial events upcoming, including a holiday dinner, an educational wine tasting with JMU's Brett Horton, and the fourth annual alumni Beach Party (June 9). To get in touch with the Tidewater Chapter, visit the chapter Web site.

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Young alumni network at the Tidewater Chapter's annual career mixer.

Event organizer Kelly Woodruff ('94) checks last-minute details for the Tidewater Chapter's 2006 career mixer.

Elizabeth Puritz

Without a doubt Homecoming 2006 could have been a box office hit. I felt like I was living in a movie throughout Homecoming Weekend. The fun started in true fashion with a "purple carpet" event. JMU's star-studded alumni were treated to a Hollywood-style Gala, loaded with paparazzi, spotlights and award speeches. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to attend this event and be a part of this incredible evening. The night was full of energy, and the Festival Ballroom was full of people who are "being the change" for JMU and the world. Hearing about all the alumni and JMU chapter accomplishments from around the country was an inspirational reminder of how important it is for me to be an active alumna once I leave this glorious campus in May. Seeing the moving videos about the award winners — which captured the lives of two world changers — challenged me to take everything this university has given me and run with it as far as I possibly can. I know I was not the only person in that room who was inspired by the people sitting around them. I'm thankful that they were able to be a part of this institution and help it grow to new places in its journey as one of the greatest liberal arts universities in the country. I never imagined that my last homecoming as a student would leave me with such a lasting impression of my university and the journey that lies ahead of me. I am forever thankful.

The James Madison University Centennial Web site contains approximately 50 stories about the rich and fascinating history of Madison. We'd like for there to be more stories. If there's a particular topic you would like to see addressed on the Centennial Web pages, contact the JMU Centennial Office: Centennial Director Fred Hilton, hiltonfd@jmu.edu or Assistant Centennial Director Debra Long, long2da@jmu.edu. Many of the articles will also appear in the upcoming book to be published on JMU's first 100 years. The book will be available in the fall of 2007.

Nov. 11 — JMU@Villanova, 1 p.m. kickoff; 11 a.m. tailgate
Tailgate located in East Main Lot, north of the stadium

Nov. 18 — JMU@Towson, 1 p.m. kickoff; 11 a.m. tailgate
Special Tailgate Price for Kids!
Kids 5 and under FREE; $10 for kids ages 6-12.

For updated information, visit http://www.jmusports.com/dukeclub or call the JMU Athletics Ticket Office at 540-568-DUKE.

For more detailed information on any of the above listed events, please call the JMU Office of Alumni Relations, toll free 1-888-JMU-ALUM, or visit the online calendar.

Akeem Jordan

The JMU football team (7-1, 5-0) will take a six-game winning streak and national ranking of fourth into its final regular-season home date Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. in a regionally televised game (CN8, CW29) against the University of Delaware Blue Hens (4-4, 2-3). With three regular-season games to play, the Dukes are closing in on the Atlantic 10 title and a berth into the Division I-AA playoffs. The NCAA will announce the 16-team playoff field on Sunday, Nov. 19, and if all goes well, the Dukes hope to be playing at home on Nov. 25.

Football-related events:

* Chili-Cookoff: Fans arriving on campus for the JMU-Delaware football game Saturday, Nov. 4, will have the chance to taste a bit of Texas as the first annual Duke Club Chili Cookoff invades Godwin Field. Hosted by the Central Virginia (Staunton) Chapter of the Duke Club, the Chili Cookoff is open to all fans and will be located under a giant tent in front of Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The concept is simple: anybody is invited to enter a chili recipe, provided the cook agrees to prepare at least 100 (1 oz.) servings. All condiments, fixings, paperware and utensils will be provided by the Duke Club. Fans dropping by the Chili Cookoff can pay $5 to judge five recipes and $10 to judge unlimited recipes. Nearly 25 contestants are expected for this inaugural event. The first-, second- and third-place entries will receive trophies and prizes. Honorary judges, including JMU President Dr. Linwood Rose, will be on hand to taste all entrants' fares. "This is a drop-in event designed to gather folks and build excitement for the night game at Bridgeforth Stadium," said Scott Koskoski, director of the Duke Club. "We hope fans and tailgaters will make the Chili Cookoff part of their pre-game activity while supporting the Duke Club in the process." For more information on entering a chili recipe or the event, contact J Locklier at (540) 568-6082 or locklijc@jmu.edu.

* Away Tailgates: The JMU Duke Club will be hosting tailgates prior to the Dukes' road games at Villanova (Nov. 11) and Towson (Nov. 18). Both tailgates will begin at 11 a.m. with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. Reservations for the Villanova tailgate are due by Friday, Nov. 3, and reservations for the Towson tailgate are due by Friday, Nov. 10. For addition information, visit the JMU Duke Club Web site or call the JMU Athletics Ticket Office between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 540-568-DUKE!

Annie Lowry

The James Madison women's soccer and the field hockey teams will be playing in their respective Colonial Athletic Association Championship tournaments at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Va., Nov. 2-5. JMU (13-7, 6-2) finished second in the CAA field hockey standings and earned a quarterfinal bye. The Dukes will play Hofstra/Delaware Nov. 4 at 2:30 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. The sixth-seeded Dukes (10-8-2) advanced to the Nov. 2 women's soccer semifinals against second-seeded UNC Wilmington after beating third-seeded Virginia Commonwealth 5-0 Oct. 30 in Richmond. The championship game is Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. The volleyball Dukes (17-7, 11-4) are in second place in the CAA standings with three matches, all at home, remaining. The top six teams will advance to the Nov. 17-19 championship tournament, to be hosted by the highest seed. The Dukes recently won eight straight matches and 13 of 15 to match their best victory total of the past three seasons.

The college basketball season for the James Madison men's team begins Nov. 11 at Wake Forest University, while the women's team tips its season Nov. 12 at home against East Carolina University. The JMU/nTelos Sports Network will cover the Commonwealth and Washington, D.C., with coverage of the men's season. WSVA 550 AM in Harrisonburg has been the longtime flagship and will be the originating station once again for basketball. The network has expanded this season to include WMET 1160 AM in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding metropolitan area; 3WR 910 AM in Roanoke; and WNRV 990 AM in the New River Valley. The 2006-07 season is the eighth in which WGH 1310 AM, an ESPN affiliate, carries the Dukes' games into Hampton Roads. In Roanoke, JMU fans can also listen to WTOY 1480 AM, which is in its second season as an affiliate. Broadcasts begin 30 minutes prior to tipoff. The broadcasts are also available, live and archived, around the globe on the Internet at www.JMUSports.com.

JMU's women's game will be aired in the Shenandoah Valley on WHBG 1360 AM in Harrisonburg, an ESPN affiliate. The games can also be heard live or archived on www.JMUSports.com. Most of the network affiliates, including www.JMUSports.com, also carry the Dukes Huddle with Dean Keener, a call-in show that airs every Monday, 7:10-8 p.m., and originates from the Harrisonburg Chili's. The basketball version of the Dukes Huddle will begin after the football season. Speaking of Sports with Kenny Brooks will air on Monday nights during the season from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on WSVA and on www.JMUSports.com.

Meredith Alexis

With the return of all five starters, including three All-Conference performers, the James Madison 2006-07 women's basketball team has been picked to finish second to Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Association. The poll was conducted among the league's 12 head coaches, the media and sports information directors, and released Oct. 25 at the CAA's annual preseason media day, this year held at the ESPN Zone in Washington, D.C. The Dukes went 24-7 and earned a Women's National Invitation Tournament berth a year ago. Senior center Meredith Alexis and junior swing player Tamara Young were named first-team All-CAA and senior guard Lesley Dickinson was named to the third team. Alexis, Dickinson and Young are All-CAA preseason picks heading into the new year. JMU's other returning starters are senior Andrea Benvenuto, who returns at point guard after leading the conference with 5.7 assists per game, and senior forward Shirley McCall, who chipped in 12.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. The men's team, with a sophomore-dominated roster, was tabbed to finish 10th as the CAA also conducted a men's preseason survey. Juwann James, last season's CAA rookie of the year, was named to the preseason All-CAA second team, the only non-senior or junior among the 11 players recognized. He is coming off a season during which he led JMU and all CAA freshmen in scoring and rebounding with averages of 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds.

C.W. Moran Dena Spickard

For the first time in the 23 years that the Colonial Athletic Association has conducted both men's and women's cross-country championships, the James Madison Dukes swept the individual titles. Senior C.W. Moran set a course record to win the men's race, while senior Dena Spickard captured the women's crown. Moran, who finished second in the 2005 race, covered this year's 8,000-meter terrain at the White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Del., in 24 minutes and 33.4 seconds. The nearest competitor was 25 seconds off the pace. Moran is the first JMU runner to win the men's race since Mike Fox in 2000. Spickard won the women's 6,000-meter race in 21 minutes and 33 seconds, marking the fifth time in the past six CAA championships that a JMU harrier won the race. Spickard was nearly 10 seconds ahead of the remaining field of 94 runners. She joins Shannon Saunders (2004 and 2005) and Mollie DeFrancesco (2001 and 2002) as JMU runners who have won the event. William and Mary swept the team titles. The JMU men placed second and the JMU women finished third.

Several JMU athletes earned special recognition for their outstanding performances in competition during the fall sports seasons. Below is a list of those honored:

Megan Bain

Field Hockey: Freshman Meghan Bain captured five awards in October. Bain was named CAA Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against Drexel and leading the Dukes to victory over Delaware with two goals and an assist for the week ending Oct. 22. Bain was named national Co-Rookie of the Week by womensfieldhockey.com as well as CAA Player and Rookie of the Week for the week ending Oct. 8 after she combined for five goals against William & Mary and Towson.

Football: The defensive awards came weekly to JMU football squad members in October: Senior defensive tackle Chuck Suppon started the parade when he was named the Sports Network's national defensive player of the week for his play in the Dukes' 43-23 win at then-top-ranked New Hampshire Oct. 14. He tied his career high with six tackles and was involved in three sacks and one other stop for loss. He was also honored that week by the Atlantic 10 Football Conference.

Senior linebacker Akeem Jordan had 18 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks, in the Dukes' 31-17 win against William and Mary Oct. 21. He was honored as the Division I-AA defensive co-player of the week by I-AA.org and Football Gazette after his second straight 18-tackle outing. He was also honored by the Atlantic 10, and he leads the league with 96 tackles. Senior defensive end Kevin Winston was selected as the A-10's defensive player of the week after returning a fumble 38 yards for a touchdown, blocking a punt that led to a field goal and registering 2.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, all in the Dukes' 27-10 win at Richmond Oct. 28.

Sophomore Jason Pritchard was named the A-10's special teams player of the week for his role in the Dukes' win against William and Mary. Pritchard, whose brother Blair kicks for W&M, averaged 46.2 yards on four punts and dropped two inside the 20-yard line. He followed that with another outstanding performance in helping the Dukes in the battle of field position at Richmond.

Men's Cross Country: Senior C.W. Moran was named the Colonial Athletic Association Runner of the Week after his performance at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival. Moran ran the 10,000-meter race in 29:27.5 to finish 18th overall out of 289 runners, and 15th out of 257 collegiate runners.

Women's Cross Country: Senior Dena Spickard has been honored as the CAA women's cross country Runner of the Week for the week ending in Oct. 1. Spickard finished 10th individually and helped lead the Dukes to a tie for 11th place in the team standings at the Paul Short Run, hosted by Lehigh on Sept. 29. She completed the 6,000-meter race in 21 minutes, 8 seconds.

Jena Pierson

Women's Soccer: Missy Reimert was selected as the Brine Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week for the week ending Oct. 22. The redshirt freshman goalkeeper posted her first two collegiate shutouts. She made eight saves in JMU's 1-0 Oct. 20 victory at Towson. Reimert then stopped four shots, including three in overtime; in the Dukes' scoreless overtime tie at home against George Mason Oct. 22. Annie Lowry was selected the Brine Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 29. The junior forward scored three goals on just four shots in the Dukes' 3-1 home win over Virginia Commonwealth Oct. 27. The victory earned JMU a berth in the six-team CAA Tournament. It was the first JMU hat trick (three goals) since the 2000 season.

Volleyball: Junior libero Jena Pierson and freshman outside hitter Kaitlin McFaddin earned Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards, respectively, after the Dukes put together a 3-0 week at home, for the week ending Oct. 15.

A $250,000 gift to expand a journalism scholarship at JMU was announced Oct. 20 at JMU's Homecoming Gala. Harry F. Byrd Jr., the former U.S. senator and Virginia newspaperman, and his family donated to the scholarship through the Rockingham Publishing Co., which publishes Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record. The Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr. / D. Lathan Mims Scholarship for Journalism Students, when fully funded in four to five years, will offer four annual scholarships of $2,500 each to two juniors and two seniors in JMU's School of Media Arts and Design. Scholarship recipients must be committed to a career in print journalism and have achieved a grade-point average of at least 2.75 out of 4.0; financial need may also be considered. "This gift demonstrates Sen. Byrd's continued faith in and affection for this university," said JMU President Linwood H. Rose. "It is a wonderful way to further honor the contribution of Lathan Mims to our community and to the profession of journalism." Byrd served 18 years each in the Virginia Senate and the U.S. Senate, and was editor and publisher of the Winchester Evening Star and publisher of the Daily News-Record. Mims was the DN-R editor and general manager from 1954 to 1980; the Virginia Press Association annually presents an award for editorial leadership in the community in Mims' name. Fifteen years ago, the now-retired Byrd donated funds for the Harry F. Byrd Jr. Endowed Chair in Political Science at JMU. In total, Byrd and his companies have donated about $250,000 through various gifts to JMU, with a total of $120,000 awarded previously for the Byrd-Mims Scholarship. The Rockingham Publishing Co. established the journalism scholarship in 1985, and renewed gifts in 1990 and 1995. The scholarship was permanently endowed in 1999 with a gift of $30,000, which has funded two annual scholarships.

Madison Transfer, a resource center for potential and current transfer students to JMU and a "home" where students can meet with others who share the transfer experience, opened its door at Room 208, Wilson Hall, with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 27. It also sports a new Web site for students. Tisha McCoy, assistant director for Orientation and Transfer Experience, said the center will welcome suggestions about services and programs to offer transfer students. "We want that feedback," said McCoy. JMU's program for transfers — which already has ANTS; that is, Assisting New Transfer Students — will staff the new center with MTAs, or Madison Transfer Assistants, students who themselves transferred to JMU. Transfer students can find resource materials, including college catalogs, and a computer to do research online. McCoy received a $10,000 Innovation Grant from Student Affairs Vice President Mark Warner to provide for two transfer-student workers, publications and Web site development, a brown-bag lecture series and conference travel. The focus on transfers plays into a national trend of more college-age students starting out at community colleges due to crowding in four-year colleges, a trend expected to continue through 2012. For fall 2006, new transfer students at JMU number more than 700. Sixty percent of transfers come to JMU from two-year institutions; 40 percent transfer from four-year institutions.

Tisha McCoy (left) works with transfer student Katelyn Foltz in Madison Transfer.

The first of a proposed network of solar-powered towers bearing instruments to gauge air quality and other meteorological factors began operating Oct. 23 at the Blandy Experimental Farm, a 700-acre research facility in the northern Shenandoah Valley. Data from the first SHENAIR tower will be used in research and forecasting models for air quality in the Shenandoah Valley region. The Shenandoah Valley Air Quality Initiative, with headquarters at James Madison, is a government/university/business alliance aimed at addressing air-quality issues in the Valley. The grassroots organization's goal is to understand the effect of air quality on the health and economy of the Valley and to recommend science-based strategies for improving air quality. The Blandy tower — solar-powered to minimize its environmental "footprint" — measures air temperature and moisture, wind direction and speed, precipitation and air pressure; other sensors will measure such variables as particulate matter and ozone. The SHENAIR institute at JMU manages the program that includes work at JMU, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia's 10th District, who was instrumental in securing funds for SHENAIR from the National Weather Service, was on hand for the kickoff of tower operations.

James Madison accounting majors who took the national Certified Public Accountant examination and passed the tough test the first time out have been successful enough to rank JMU at No. 25 in the nation for candidates without advanced degrees who pass the CPA exam on the first try. The University of Michigan ranked at No. 1 with a 87 percent pass rate among 46 candidates; other colleges ranked in the top 25 included North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Wisconsin-Madison, Texas A&M, Texas-Austin, Brigham Young, Notre Dame, Auburn, Tennessee, Indiana and UCLA. The University of Virginia, the only other Virginia college in the top 25, tied Kentucky at No. 22. JMU's 41 candidates had a passing rate of 46.3 percent. The rankings appear in the 2006 edition of Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination.

James Madison senior Rahni "Nikki" Jenkins won three titles in tae kwan do Oct. 15 at the 24th annual Battle of Baltimore-Martial Arts World Championships. "It is still special, especially this one because it's my first championship as an adult," said Jenkins, a geology major at JMU whose parents run a karate school in Warrenton. An Olympic hopeful who has been practicing the martial arts since age two, Jenkins won championship belts in the forms competition and points sparring. Then she took the grand championship — and the ornate black onyx ring that goes with it — in points sparring. She competed for her father's team, but she also competes on the U.S. National Team. She feels her chances are good of making the Olympic team for 2008. "I think as long as I continue training and continue putting all the hard effort that I have been putting into it," she said, "I think there's a good possibility."

Nikki Jenkins with one of her championship belts from Baltimore.