Pfeiffer University News

Pfeiffer names Michael C. Miller, JD its ninth president

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Published on Thursday, November 11, 2010 ( 12:27 pm )

Veteran banker, attorney, Asheboro resident will become university’s next leader

Pfeiffer University names veteran banker and North Carolina native Michael C. Miller its next president. Miller, 59, will officially begin his new role as the university’s ninth leader on Dec. 1. 

Pfeiffer University Board of Trustees Chairman Greg Hunter officially announced Miller’s appointment. He also thanked the presidential search committee for their service during the four-month selection process. Miller’s appointment was approved by the university’s trustees on Nov. 10 during a special board session.

"Mike's experience as a business leader, attorney, entrepreneur and community advocate has led organizations to success and will expose Pfeiffer to a unique set of leadership skills," Hunter said. "His ties to the region and the state make him uniquely qualified. He possesses the qualities, vision and expertise to lead this institution, and we are excited about Pfeiffer University's future with Mike at the helm."

Miller brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience. The attorney, who was former president and CEO of CommunityONE Bank based in Asheboro, led its growth from a single county bank to an organization with more than $2 Billion in assets with 45 offices in 18 North Carolina counties.

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Pfeiffer biologist Dr. Luke Dollar featured in National Geographic Science

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Published on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 ( 12:00 am )

Dr. Luke Dollar, assistant professor of biology at Pfeiffer University and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, is featured on the cover and throughout the fourth-grade level of National Geographic Science, a new series recently published by National Geographic School Publishing. The elementary program was designed to motivate young learners to explore and understand core science concepts.  The series is standards based and research based and covers content in life, earth, and physical science.

Dollar’s research is on the fossa (pronounced FOO-suh), a distant relative to the mongoose that is found only in the jungles of Madagascar. This research began more than 15 years ago on the African island while Dollar was a Duke University undergraduate research assistant studying lemurs. His curiosity with the fossa began when a lemur he was researching disappeared. Its radio collar and bits of fur were all that were found. A Malagasy guide put Dollar on the trail of the fossa, which feeds on lemurs. Through subsequent extensive investigations, dozens of treks to Africa, and willingness to share his ever-growing knowledge on the subject, Dollar has generated national and international interest in an animal that very few even knew existed.
 
“Being a professor at Pfeiffer and an explorer for National Geographic, I’m particularly sensitive to the need to bridge what is too often a divide between classroom learning and engaged captivation in academic subject matter,” Dollar said. “Through my own research and experiences, which also often include Pfeiffer undergraduates, National Geographic School Publishing has brought a compelling story to elementary school science students, helping them identify potential role models beyond those presented in the mainstream media.  Movie stars and pop singers are great, but there’s no reason we can’t also present scientists, explorers, teachers, and professors as potential ‘rock stars’ for kids to emulate, too.”

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Pfeiffer University supports Operation Christmas Child

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Published on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 ( 12:00 am )

Pfeiffer University is supporting Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan's Purse initiative, by hosting a packing party and placing donation boxes around its campuses.

Samaritan's Purse is a non-denominational evangelical Christian humanitarian organization that works worldwide to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people suffering from war, poverty, disaster, disease, famine, and persecution. Operation Christmas Child is a 'global Christmas gift exchange' project operated by Samaritan's Purse. Each November it opens thousands of locations, typically at churches or schools, to collect shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other gifts. These are then distributed as Christmas gifts to millions of children each year. Gift boxes are collected in North America, Europe, and Australia. From 1993 through 2008, some 69 million gift boxes have been handed out in more than 130 countries.

A packing party will be held on the Misenheimer campus at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Sponsored by Sorina Riddle, coordinator of developmental education at Pfeiffer, and the Francis Center of Servant Leadership, the event will be held in the Blue Room of the Stokes Student Center. 

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Former Pfeiffer music professor returns to perform "Preludes for Piano" Nov. 18

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Published on Monday, November 08, 2010 ( 12:00 am )

Composer, pianist and storyteller Dr. David Ott, a former professor of music at Pfeiffer University, will return to campus to perform his own collection of “Preludes for Piano” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18 in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on the Misenheimer campus.

A performance expected “to touch the imagination,” the concert is open to the public and free of charge. Ott has composed a number of works that have been performed and recorded by some of the most notable orchestras in both the United States and Europe. An award-winning composer, he has been noted as one of the most prominent composers of the post-World War II era.

Known as one of America’s esteemed composers, the Michigan native began playing piano at 6 years-old. Later, he began playing clarinet and trombone. As a young pianist, he accompanied his school choir and played for church activities. It was at this time he decided to become a music educator.

As the first person in his family to attend college, Ott enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. He continued his education at Indiana University, where he received his Masters in Music in Piano Performance. He earned a doctoral degree from the University of Kentucky, where he studied theory and composition.

From there, Ott accepted a teaching position at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., from 1977-1978, where he taught piano, theory, and jazz-related studies. He received his doctoral degree in musical arts in 1982, at the end of his final year of teaching at Pfeiffer College. While at Pfeiffer from 1978-1982, Ott taught composition courses to music students. It was at this time he heard his original works being performed, including his first commissions “Welcome, All Wonders” and “Genesis II.”

For additional information on Dr. Ott’s visit or his recital, contact Dr. David Palmer, chair of the Department of Music at Pfeiffer, at (704) 463-3142 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. A comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, Pfeiffer is committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. Visit Pfeiffer on www.facebook.com/pfeifferuniversity.

 

Pfeiffer students to present workshops during N.C. Campus Compact Conference

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Published on Wednesday, November 03, 2010 ( 10:40 am )

Six Pfeiffer students were chosen to present workshops at the 2010 North Carolina Campus Compact Conference to be held on Saturday, Nov. 6 in Charlotte. This year, Pfeiffer was selected to present more conference workshops than any other college or university in North Carolina.

Students William Wright, Jenny Hicks, Emily Couch, Caitie Smith, Steven Jordan, and Beth Kauffman submitted three proposals that were selected from a pool of submissions from 45 other institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

William Wright and Jenny Hicks will present, “Expand Your Horizons: Integrating Experiential Leadership Development Into Service Projects and Reflections.” Emily Couch and Caitie Smith will showcase, “Helping Children in Poverty: The Pfeiffer University Angel Tree Celebration.” Steven Jordan and Beth Kauffman will present on the topic, “Say Cheese! Click, Click: Using Photography and Social Media To Market and Promote Your Service Experience.

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Pfeiffer names nursing and business leaders to new nursing advisory board

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Published on Tuesday, November 02, 2010 ( 12:48 pm )

Pfeiffer University recently named several area medical professionals and business leaders to its newly established Nursing Advisory Board. The group is comprised of community leaders who hold prominent positions on hospital staffs, at academic institutions, and in community health service and public and private sectors.

The nine-member board, which gathered for an inaugural meeting recently, serves in a consultative capacity to the Department of Nursing at Pfeiffer. The group provides an avenue for the exchange of ideas and perspectives in nursing education between business and professional leaders, alumni, and nursing faculty. Board members work with Pfeiffer’s nursing faculty to ensure the nursing curricula remain practical, relevant, and innovative. Additionally, the board advises the university on clinical practice changes, standards and topics related to health care delivery within the region.

Members of the Pfeiffer University Nursing Advisory Board are: Dr. Wanda Stutts, chair of the Department of Nursing at Appalachian State University; Dr. Maureen Fogle, Pfeiffer alumna and director of professional practice at Carolinas Medical Center (CMC)-Mercy; Marilyn Smith, nurse practitioner and educator; Jan McNeely, coordinator of student programs at Rowan Regional Medical Center; Ron Witkowski, clinical supervisor and nurse educator at CMC-Union, Shirley LeHue, director of regulatory compliance at Stanly Regional Medical Center, and Don Walser, Pfeiffer alumnus and retired Certified Public Accountant. Pfeiffer faculty board representatives are Dr. Mark McCallum, dean of the School of Natural and Health Sciences, and Dr. Dianne Daniels, chair of the Department of Nursing.

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Pfeiffer celebrates new RTP address with open house

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Published on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 ( 4:19 pm )

Pfeiffer now has a new address within the Research Triangle Park. On Oct. 25, current and prospective Pfeiffer students, alumni, staff, faculty and the community celebrated the university’s new location at 2880 Slater Rd. in Morrisville with an open house and information session. Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcomb also attended the celebration.

The new location in Morrisville, a town of 15,000 residents located in the northeast central region, is twice the size of the former campus in Durham. The brand new facility contains larger, smart classrooms, a video conferencing center, more office spaces, a new student lounge, new furnishings and several other amenities.

Pfeiffer officials believe the nearly 8,000-square-feet location is an attraction and could appeal to prospective students from the more than 1.5 million residents who live within a half-hour’s drive of Durham, Raleigh and Cary. The more-enhanced facility will also help the university to serve its 300+ students in the Triangle – and to meet the increasing demand for Pfeiffer’s programs offered in that region.

Establishedin 1885, Pfeiffer University is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. A comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, Pfeiffer is committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. For more news and updates, visit: www.facebook.com/pfeifferuniversity.

 

Media contact: Natasha A. Suber, (704) 463-3040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Pfeiffer presents workshop by members of the N.C. Potters Guild Nov. 5

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Published on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 ( 10:01 am )

Participants get hands-on demonstration, opportunity to create pottery for worthy cause

Members of the North Carolina Professional Potters Guild will present a pottery demonstration, exhibition and sale on Friday, Nov. 5 at the Cameron and Grace West Gallery at Pfeiffer University.

The potters will offer continuous demonstrations in turning and tile making from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Well-known local potter, Bobbie Listerman, will open the event with a discussion about the craft followed by a unique, hands-on service project. Under the guidance of potter Millie Campbell, participants will have the opportunity to craft bowls that will be donated to Stanly Community Christian Ministry, Inc. in support of the Empty Bowls project, a grassroots effort to raise money and awareness to end hunger and food insecurity.

A number of local potters who are members of the guild and will participate in the event at Pfeiffer are:

Bobbie Listerman (pictured right) was working in pottery for Melvin Owens in Seagrove when her knowledge of heat chemistry helped her to get a job at Alcoa Badin Works. After leaving Alcoa in 1994, she went back to potting full time in her shop in Seagrove and her home in Richfield. She makes functional pottery as well as clay and glass jewelry. Listerman earned an associate’s degree in pottery at Montgomery Community College.
 

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Pfeiffer students help clean-up Stanly County during N.C. Big Sweep

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Published on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 ( 9:20 am )

Pfeiffer University students picked up trash and debris around local lake accesses on Saturday, Oct. 23 as part of the 2010 North Carolina Big Sweep in Stanly County.

The group cleaned up 20 bags of trash – that’s 300 lbs. – at two Badin Lake boat access areas and completed 45 combined hours of service. Students included Ruth Dimmett, Kaleigh Featherstone, Brett Glenn, Lindsay Megill, Justin Snyder, Nicole MacKay, Dawn Watkins, trip leader Caitie Smith, and advisor Jonathan Rowe, director of Francis Center Service Scholar Programs.

The North Carolina Big Sweep is just one component of the International Coastal Cleanup, an event that allows volunteers from all 100 counties in the state and approximately 90 countries worldwide to join in the clean-up of our land and waterways.

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Pfeiffer University announces three finalists for presidency post

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Published on Friday, October 22, 2010 ( 4:54 pm )

Pfeiffer officials announced the names of three finalists who are vying for the university’s top position. Since July, members of the presidential search committee have worked to identify Pfeiffer’s next president. The candidates were selected from an original pool of more than 100 applicants.

Each finalist will spend two days on the university’s campuses meeting with students, faculty, staff, trustees, and members of the community during interviews and forums. Those visits will begin on Monday, Oct. 25. The three candidates, in order of their visits, are:

Dr. Harold G. Jeffcoat served 10 years as the president of Texas Wesleyan University until this summer when he retired and joined the faculty there. Prior to the top position at Texas Wesleyan, Jeffcoat served as vice chancellor at the University of Missouri; assistant vice president at Purdue; director of development at Western Kentucky University and the University of South Florida; and director of corporate and foundation relations at The Florida State University Foundation, Inc. Early in his career, Jeffcoat was a professional baseball player with the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. A native of Nashville, Tenn., who was raised in Tampa, Fla., Jeffcoat and his wife, Marie, will visit campus Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 25-26.

Mr. Michael C. Miller, a native North Carolinian and veteran banker, has served in many executive roles at CommunityONE Bank, based in Asheboro. During his 25-year tenure at the bank, he was vice president, executive vice president, chairman, CEO and then president. A graduate of the Wake Forest School of Law, Miller is an attorney who has practiced in both the private and corporate sectors. He and his wife, Donna, will visit Pfeiffer on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 27-28.

Dr. Dan Hollingsworth is currently the executive vice president, chief financial officer and the Ted Russell Distinguished Chair for Business at Carson-Newman College. Prior to his current appointment in January 2008, he served as dean of the School of Business and Economics at Carson-Newman. A Certified Public Accountant with 15 years of experience in accounting, business and industry, Hollingsworth served as a member of the business faculty at Baylor University, where he was promoted from assistant accounting professor to the Arthur Andersen professor and chair of the school’s Accounting and Business Law Department. After 13 years at Baylor, he went to Mississippi State University where he directed the School of Accountancy, leading it through a reaccreditation process in 2002.  Hollingsworth earned his Doctor of Business Administration from Memphis State University, an MBA and bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mississippi State University, and received a certificate from the Institute of Educational Management from the Harvard School of Education. Hollingsworth will visit campus on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 2-3.

Pfeiffer Board of Trustees Chairman Greg Hunter said he is excited about the candidates and credits the swift search process to a conscientious presidential search committee.

“We are very proud and excited about the candidates who have been identified through this very thorough vetting process. We are very fortunate to have so many exceptional candidates express interest in our presidential search process.” said Hunter, who also serves as chair of the search committee. ”I want to thank the presidential search committee members for their impressive work. As a result of their dedication, we have three candidates who possess the skills, experience and commitment to serve our university. This is a very exciting time and we look forward to identifying Pfeiffer University’s ninth president.”

The person chosen as Pfeiffer’s next president will succeed Dr. Chuck Ambrose, who left the university in June after 12 years, to become president of the University of Central Missouri. David J. McIlquham, former Sealy, Inc. CEO, has served as the university’s interim president since July 1.

For more candidate information and presidential search updates, visit: www.pfeiffer.edu/presidentialsearch.

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. A comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, Pfeiffer is committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. For news and updates, join the university’s Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/pfeifferuniversity.

Media contact: Natasha A. Suber, (704) 463-3040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Pfeiffer University will “Rejoice!” with two special anniversary concerts

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Published on Thursday, October 14, 2010 ( 11:41 am )

Debut of a new composition to celebrate the university’s 125th birthday will be performed

As Pfeiffer University continues its 125th anniversary celebration, the Pfeiffer Concert Choir and Wind Ensembles will present two important public performances. A special commissioned piece will be featured to commemorate the university’s historic milestone.

The first performance will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, in the Henry Pfeiffer Chapel on the Misenheimer campus. The event is free and open to the public. The second concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4 at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir, N.C. Held in Caldwell County, this concert will not only celebrate the university’s milestone anniversary, but also the centennial of the institution’s move from Caldwell County to its current location in Misenheimer.

The concert choir, directed by Joseph Judge, director of choral activities at Pfeiffer, and the wind ensemble will be joined by Pfeiffer alumni to present a concert of inspirational music and readings. Musical selections will include Martin Shaw’s “With a Voice of Singing,” Gilbert Martin’s “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and Mack Wilberg’s “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”
The Pfeiffer University Wind Ensemble, directed by David Kirby, director of instrumental music at Pfeiffer, will premiere an exciting new work titled “Rejoice!,” based on the John Wesley hymn “Rejoice the Lord is King,” composed for the occasion by Ed Kiefer, former director of instrumental music at Pfeiffer.

About Pfeiffer
Before what is now known as Pfeiffer University moved to its current location in Stanly County, the school’s home was in Caldwell County, where it was one of at least 15 schools founded by Emily C. Prudden between c. 1885 and 1909. Pfeiffer developed from the Oberlin Home and School, which began at Lick Mountain near Hudson, N.C. in Caldwell County. In 1903, the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church agreed to assume responsibility for the property. Following the transfer of 37 acres and two buildings on June 8, 1903, the Oberlin school was renamed the Ebenezer Mitchell Home and School.

A fire on Jan. 14, 1908 led to the relocation of the Mitchell Home and School. The structure housing faculty and students was destroyed and the school moved to temporary quarters in nearby Lenoir. These quarters soon proved inadequate. The school then moved to Misenheimer in February 1910 with the acquisition of the present property, where a new and spacious building was constructed.

In 1935, the school became known as Pfeiffer Junior College and, during the 1954-55 academic year, the institution began offering a four-year curriculum. In 1996, university status was granted and the college became Pfeiffer University. The Charlotte campus opened in 1977 and the university established a campus in the Research Triangle Park in 2004. Pfeiffer also offers dozens of programs at locations across the state and online. 
For more information about this concert or other upcoming performances, contact Dr. David Kirby at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (704) 463-3182. For information and tickets for the concert in Lenoir, please visit www.broyhillcenter.com.

Established in 1885, Pfeiffer University is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. A comprehensive United Methodist-related university, with multiple campuses, including Misenheimer, Charlotte and the Triangle, Pfeiffer is committed to educational excellence, service and scholarship. For more news and updates, visit Pfeiffer on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pfeifferuniversity.


Natasha A. Suber, (704) 463-3040 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Pfeiffer hosts open house to celebrate relocation within the Triangle Oct. 25

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Published on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 ( 10:29 am )

New campus doubles the space of current facility, allows continued expansion and growth

Pfeiffer University will soon have a new address within the Research Triangle Park. The university is moving from its current location in the Central Park West Building on Miami Boulevard in Durham, to a new more-enhanced facility to serve its 300+ students in the Triangle – and to meet the university’s increasing demand.

An open house and information session will begin at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25 on the new campus, located at 2880 Slater Rd., Ste. 100, in Morrisville, less than seven miles from the university’s current location. Prospective students and the community are asked to attend the celebratory event. Light refreshments will be served. Morrisville town officials, including Mayor Jackie Holcombe, and the Chief of Police, Ira Jones, a 2005 Pfeiffer MBA graduate, will also attend the event alongside current Pfeiffer students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators.

The university will officially move into the new space on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and classes will officially begin on the new campus on Oct. 25. The new location in Morrisville, a town of 15,000 residents located in the northeast central region, is twice the size of the current space the university occupies in the RTP. The building contains larger, smart classrooms, a video conferencing center, more office spaces, a new student lounge, new furnishings and several other additions. Pfeiffer officials believe the nearly 8,000-square-feet location is an attraction and could appeal to prospective students from the more than 1.5 million residents who live within a half-hour’s drive of Durham, Raleigh and Cary.

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