The evening will include three poets that will read from and discuss their works. They are Cathy Smith Bowers, 2010 Poet Laureate of North Carolina; Joan McBreen of Sligo, Ireland; and Rhett Iseman Trull, the LRU Visiting Poet-in-Residence in the spring of 2011.

Cathy Smith Bowers was selected as the Poet Laureate of North Carolina in 2010. She is a native of South Carolina and a winner of the 1990 General Electric Award for Younger Writers and a South Carolina Poetry Fellowship. Her poems have appeared widely in publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Georgia Review, Poetry, Shenandoah, The Southern Poetry Review, The Southern Review, Kenyon Review, and many others. Bowers’ first book, The Love That Ended Yesterday in Texas, was published in 1992 as the first winner of the Texas Tech University Press First-book Competition in their Poetry Award Series. Bowers teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte.

Joan McBreen is from Sligo, Ireland. Her poetry collections include: The Wind Beyond the Wall (Story Line Press, 1990), and Heather Island (Salmon Poetry, 2009). Her anthology The White Page/An Bhileog Bhán: Twentieth-Century Irish Women Poets was published by Salmon in 1999 and is in its third reprint. Her CD, The Long Light on the Land: Selected Poems read to a background of traditional Irish airs and classical music, was produced by Ernest Lyons Productions, Castlebar, County Mayo in 2004. Joan McBreen’s 2009 publications include her fourth poetry collection, Heather Island and this anthology. Together with her ongoing involvement with Irish literary festivals such as the Yeats Summer School, Clifden Arts Week, Listowel Writers’ Week, and The Cúirt International Festival of Literature, since 2007 she has been Literary Advisor and coordinator of the Oliver St. John Gogarty Literary Festival at Renvyle House Hotel, Connemara, Co. Galway.

Rhett Iseman Trull is the Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Poet-in-Residence in the spring of 2011. Her first book of poetry, The Real Warnings (Anhinga Press, 2009), received the 2008 Anhinga Prize for Poetry. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The American Poetry Review, Best New Poets 2008, Prairie Schooner, The Southern Review, and other publications. Her awards include prizes from the Academy of American Poets and the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Foundation. She received her B.A. from Duke University and her M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she was a Randall Jarrell Fellow. She and her husband publish the poetry journal Cave Wall in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Other upcoming programs in the Visiting Writer Series are: Sept. 30, An Evening with A.J. Jacobs; Oct. 7, An Evening with Luis Alberto Urrea; and Oct. 28, An Evening with John Granger as part of the LRU Harry Potterfest (Oct. 25-30).

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series is free to the public thanks to the support of sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Our State, Catawba Valley Community Foundation, Hickory Public Library, United Arts Council of Catawba County, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Crowne Plaza hotel of Hickory, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home, and WFAE 90.7 FM, Your NPR News Source.

For more information about the Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University, go to http://visitingwriters.lr.edu or call 828-328-7077.

This program will help our community to understand the importance of creativity in our economics, to see ways to build on local assets in place to foster creativity and to provide clear steps to further enhance and harness creativity for economic development.

“Creative Communities that Work: Transforming Local and Regional Economies,” will feature Robert Bush, Senior Vice President of Cultural and Community Investment, Arts and Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Margaret Collins, Director of Creative Enterprises and the Arts, Piedmont Triad Partnership.

With almost 30 years of experience in local arts management, Robert Bush is a nationally known consultant in the areas of fundraising, arts education, grant making, organizational development and strategic planning for arts organizations.

Margaret Collins works with the creative industry sector throughout a 12 county region to develop the creative economy and workforce. Specific initiatives include the Triad Design Consortium with programs in Architecture, Interactive Design/Serious Games, Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship for Creatives.

Other hosts of the event include the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University and the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

Housed at NC State University, the IEI is a public policy, think-and-do tank that convenes leaders from business, non-profit organizations, government and higher education to tackle some of the biggest issues facing North Carolina’s future growth and prosperity. Through research, ideas, debate and action, leaders are prepared to address North Carolina’s future challenges and opportunities.

IEI maintains that a community’s economic development success will be determined by the ability to create new products, re-imagine old ideas, see unlikely connections and develop novel solutions to complex problems.

This event will showcase Lenoir-Rhyne arts, expertise and athletics. All events except for the football game and food items are free of charge. The event will kick off with a visit by this year’s first author in the Visiting Writer Series, John Feinstein, a best-selling sportswriter whose latest book is “Moment of Glory: The Year Underdogs Ruled Golf.” Feinstein will speak at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 in the P.E. Monroe Auditorium.

Friday evening a dessert social and bingo will be held in the Cromer Center beginning at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 11, the day will kick off with a parent’s session at 1:30 p.m. in Belk Centrum covering programs at LRU and how students can get involved. From 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. an Information Fair will be held in the Cromer Center lobby. University departments such as counseling, financial aid, campus ministry, health services and international programming will be available for all attendees to learn more about services on campus.

From 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. a multi-unit Science Show will be conducted in the Minges Science Building, room 222. Budding scientists will first have the opportunity to use the university’s state of the art microscopes to view biological molecules and organisms. Next, the group will experience the Van de Graaf generator and experience the power of static electricity at its fullest. The final unit of the Science Show will be a hot pepper diversity display and taste test. Bold participants will sample various peppers and determine how hot is too hot!

Also from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., there will be several short performances by the L-R theatre group. Staged readings will be held in the Belk Centrum from Ed Graczyk’s children’s tale Livin’ de Life!, William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and the Pulitzer Prize winning drama Proof by David Auburn.

The second set of concurrent sessions will begin at 3:30 p.m. and participants can choose to attend a discussion on the “Freshman 15” and what the long-term effects of obesity are on your health in the McCrorie Center in the Solmaz Institute. Or families can attend a piano concert with L-R music faculty, Dr. John Cheek. Dr. Cheek will play a program of solo piano music by composers Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms.

At 4:30 p.m. a carnival will be held at Stasavich Place. Food will be available for purchase from Aramark. The carnival will include face painting, robotics, inflatables, lacrosse lessons, recycled fashions, emergency vehicles and multicultural foods.

Many of the L-R Bears athletic teams will be competing at home throughout the day: 2 p.m., women’s soccer and volleyball; 4 p.m. men’s soccer; and 7 p.m. football.

The Charles M. Snipes School of Business at Lenoir-Rhyne University will present “Aspects of Leadership,” a series of talks by three accomplished leaders in different fields.

The series is sponsored by Alex Lee Inc. and will be moderated by Michael K. Dugan, Alex Lee Professor of Business at LRU and former CEO of Henredon Furniture. All of the seminars will take place at 7-8 p.m. in the Belk Centrum at LRU. There will be no admission charge, but seating is limited. For reservations contact Leeanne Kale at 828-328-7321.

The first session, sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, will be Sept. 14 and will feature Mark Vitner of Wells Fargo as the keynote speaker. Panelists will include George Ackerman, Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams, Tom Minami, also with Wells Fargo Bank and Dennis Hurst.

This session will address issues facing the American economy today and what we might expect in the future. “It is our hope that this session will raise citizens awareness of economic issues,” said Dugan. “Also, to increase the understanding of the challenges we face.” An audience question and answer session will follow.

Session two will be held on Oct. 12, and discussion will revolve around “Healthcare Challenges.” This session is sponsored by Frye Regional Medical Center.

The final session, “Globalization Challenges,” will be on Nov. 16 and is sponsored by Corning Cable Systems.

Over 300 new members of the Lenoir-Rhyne University community recently descended on areas throughout Catawba County as they participated in community service projects.

As part of the freshman orientation program, titled “The Rising”, the LRU class of 2014 will have opportunities to give back to the community that will be their home for at least the next four years.

The community service component of freshman orientation, “Hands on Hickory, “ will have students helping at places such as Hickory Soup Kitchen, Exodus Homes, Children’s Advocacy Center of Catawba County, local elementary schools and Rising Hope Farms just to name a few.

“We are excited to welcome this new class to L-R,” said Dr. Katie Fisher, Dean of Students. “Freshman orientation gives these students an opportunity to rise to a challenge and learn to think broadly, critically and creatively.”

Students attending Lenoir-Rhyne are challenged to “rise up” and make a difference – in their vocations, community and in service to the world beyond. The Rising orientation program is their first step in this journey.

LRU will set an enrollment record for the second year in a row with over 1,850 students; a nearly 175-student increase from last academic year. LRU welcomes a freshman class of 430 with students coming from 28 states and 6 countries. One hundred-fifty transfer students will now call LRU home compared to 107 last year. Lenoir-Rhyne also saw a 15% increase in applications submitted. The growth in student numbers is across the board, occurring both in traditional undergraduate programs and in graduate offerings.

“The continued growth of our enrollment is a testament to our mission to be a premier educational institution in the South,” said University President Wayne Powell. “Even in this challenging economic environment, we worked diligently with prospective students and parents to pair our resources with their needs.”

Rachel Nichols, vice president of enrollment management, says that the record enrollment can be attributed to several factors – increased recruiting efforts for both undergraduate and graduate students, enhanced programs on campus to increase student retention as well as a strong transfer student initiative.

Lenoir-Rhyne continues to expand and invest in academics, facilities, athletics and programming. In the past year alone, LRU has established the Solmaz Institute for Obesity, formed three new athletic teams (men and womens lacrosse and mens swimming), added both Master’s of Public Health and Master’s of Liberal Studies programs and introduced a new core curriculum that will challenge students to think creatively and guide them as they seek to understand the basic components of our culture.

U.S. News and World Report recently named Lenoir-Rhyne as one of the top 15 regional colleges in the south.

At Lenoir-Rhyne University every student is encouraged to rise up and make a difference in their vocations, in their community and in service to the world beyond. The university offers 57 undergraduate majors and 7 graduate degree programs.

John Feinstein, one of the nation’s most successful and prolific sports writers, will be the first author in this year’s Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writer Series.

Feinstein will speak at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10 in L-R’s P.E. Monroe Auditorium, located at 775 Sixth St. SE, Hickory. The event is free and tickets are not required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Feinstein has written twenty-four books to date. His most recent work, Are You Kidding Me?, written with Rocco Mediate, was released on May 18, 2009. In addition, he is an award-winning columnist and regular contributor in both radio and television.

His works include the two top best-selling non-fiction sports books in history. In 1995, he published the all-time best seller A Good Walk Spoiled, a year inside life on the PGA Tour as told through seventeen players on the PGA Tour. Just behind that in sales is A Season on the Brink, which chronicled a year in the life of the Indiana basketball team and its enigmatic coach, Bob Knight. The book’s chart-topping success was also adapted to film with an ESPN production of a made-for TV movie of the same title.

Feinstein’s books take his readers into places they would not normally be allowed to go. A Season on the Brink looked into the Indiana locker room, team practice sessions, Knight’s office, on the team bus and airplanes as Feinstein traveled with the team. In intricate detail, Feinstein vividly depicted life inside a championship college basketball team, a style which has become a trademark for nearly all of his books.

Perhaps one of his most poignant books, Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story was released in 2004. In that book Feinstein writes about the life and final days of Tom Watson’s caddy, Bruce Edwards, who had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as the deadly Lou Gehrig’s disease. Early on, the book was identified as a great candidate to be adapted to film, and Feinstein’s long-time friend Terry Hanson led that effort on John’s behalf. They engaged the prestigious William Morris Agency and commissioned a screenplay in conjunction with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production company, Live Planet. The script was optioned by Disney, who considered either ABC or ESPN for air and the body of work presently is still in development.

John Feinstein is a 1977 graduate of Duke University and spent eleven years as a sports and political reporter with the Washington Post. He has also contributed to Sports Illustrated, the National Sports Daily, ESPN, CBS Sports, and Golf Digest. Presently he appears regularly on-air at the Golf Channel and National Public radio and writes for the Washington Post, Golf Digest, and the Sporting News. He resides in Potomac, MD, and Shelter Island, NY.

Other authors in September include: An Evening of Poetry and Irish Music, Sept. 16 and An Evening with A.J. Jacobs, Sept. 30. The series continues through April 2011.

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series is free to the public thanks to the support of sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Our State, Catawba Valley Community Foundation, Hickory Public Library, United Arts Council of Catawba County, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Crowne Plaza hotel of Hickory, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home, and WFAE 90.7 FM, Your NPR News Source.

For more information about the Visiting Writers Series at Lenoir-Rhyne University, go to http://visitingwriters.lr.edu or call 828-328-7077.

Preliminary discussions recently began when it became clear that the two institutions had similar goals. The possible partnership would allow each school to capitalize on its unique strengths to provide the best theological education in the South. For example, LRU offers numerous professional programs and several master’s degree programs. LTSS offers theological studies and a variety of contextual learning experiences.  By bringing these skills together students would have many more opportunities for advanced study.  “We are fortunate that both of these institutions are excelling in their respective areas,” stated Wayne Powell, LRU president. “And because of this we are excited about exploring cooperative agreements to provide the best theological education in the south.”

Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary is located in Columbia, South Carolina. LTSS was established in 1830 with the intention of training ministers and imparting Christian education for Lutheran Churches in the South. The seminary is situated on a 17-acre campus. Sacred theology, religion, divinity and ministry are some of the areas of study offered at the seminary. LTSS also offers programs on military chaplaincy, Baptist studies and Methodist studies. LTSS has approximately 155 students with almost half that number over the age of 40.

Lenoir-Rhyne University enrolls over 1850 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.  Every student is encouraged to rise up and make a difference in their vocations, in their community and in service to the world beyond. The university offers 57 undergraduate majors and 7 graduate degree programs.

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Equestrian Team completed its first year of competition in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association this spring. During the National Championships for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association, the Lenoir-Rhyne club team was a co-recipient of the IDA National Sportsmanship Award. From left to right are Dr. Katherine Pasour, L-R club team advisor; Alisse Waters; Carrie Mahoney; Sarah Brown, 2009-10 president; Kassie Endicott, 2010-2011 president; Leah Sigmon, president-elect; and Dana Dewey, L-R team coach.

The actuarial science occupation pays high salaries and has a virtually zero unemployment rate, but few people are familiar with it. It has been consistently ranked as one of the top three professions over the last 20 years. Actuaries are professionals who use statistics to manage risk.

David Walker, director of strategic program development at Lenoir-Rhyne, is a former actuary and retired owner of a consulting firm. He is leading the feasibility study for adding an Applied Actuarial Science Program at the university. The study will review local needs for the program with regard to its potential impact on economic development.

If LRU determines that the region is in need of this kind of advanced degree program, then a curriculum will be sent to the faculty for review with the possibility that it could begin as early as the fall of 2011. This program would most likely be a post-graduate certificate that would articulate with the existing MBA program. According to the Web site www.beanactuary.org, actuaries can help evaluate the likelihood of future events, design creative ways to reduce the likelihood of undesirable events, and decrease the impact of undesirable events.

According to the site: “The impact of undesirable events can be both emotional and financial. Reducing the likelihood of these events helps relieve emotional pain. But some events, such as death, cannot be totally avoided. So, reducing their financial impact is very important. Actuaries are the leading professionals in finding ways to manage risk. It takes a combination of strong analytical skills, business knowledge and understanding of human behavior to design and manage programs that control risk.”

Actuaries are experts in probabilities and statistics. They are most commonly employed by insurance companies to calculate insurance rates and life expectancies. To practice as an actuary, they must pass five exams. To become fully certified as an actuary, students must pass a series of 10 exams.

The financial rewards can be great. The beginning actuary can expect to earn a starting salary of $60,000 a year, Walker said. The median salary for an actuary is $129,000 a year, according to payscale.com, which ranks the occupation among its Ten Best Jobs in America.

Actuaries must have strong mathematical abilities, Walker explained. Lenoir-Rhyne University already offers an actuarial track in the Schort School of Mathematics and Computer Science. However, Walker believes there may be a need to expand the university’s offerings.

Walker envisions this additional education as a way to prepare students to take all 10 of the actuarial exams. In addition, it would include courses in communications, an important part of any business leader’s skills.

Lenoir-Rhyne is also working with Walker on its agenda to provide more opportunities for people of color. Walker has previously worked with Howard University and with businesses interested in a more diverse workforce. He believes that this program has the potential to serve a diverse population.

Established in 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne University is a private, coeducational university located in Hickory, N.C. It is affiliated with the N.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is open to students from all religious backgrounds. Undergraduate degrees include bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and bachelor of music education in more than 60 majors and concentrations. Graduate degrees are offered in business administration, counseling, occupational therapy, athletic training, public health, language development and liberal studies. The Web site is www.lr.edu.