Mathis authors a twice-weekly opinion column that addresses a range of issues from national politics to racial and gender justice to the “perils and payoffs of parenthood.” She is one of the first black women columnists whose work is syndicated nationwide. The column, distributed by Tribune Media Services, appears in more than 100 U.S. newspapers and periodicals.

She is also a commentator for “America’s Black Forum” in Washington, D.C., and award-winning weekly talk show focusing on issues of importance to African-Americans that airs in 92 U.S. television markets.

Mathis is the author of a book, “Yet A Stranger: Why Black Americans Still Don’t Feel at Home,” scheduled for publication next spring by Warner Books. Another book, “Sole Sisters: The Joys and Pains of Single Black Women,” is scheduled for publication in the summer of 2003.

Mathis was a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2000-01. Her appointment culminated in a research paper on race and media and a Washington conference on the topic at which former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker.

From 1993 to 2000, Mathis was a national correspondent for Gannett News Service. She covered politics, concentrating on the White House, and a gamut of social issues for GNS, which serves 102 Gannett-owned newspapers and 40 client newspapers.

A native of Little Rock, she began her journalism career as a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat. She turned to broadcast journalism when she became a reporter for Little Rock television station, KTHV-TV, in 1973.

She left her home state in 1974 to become anchor-reporter for WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C., but returned in 1976 as assistant news director for KARK-TV in Little Rock. She joined KATV-TV in Little Rock as anchor and special assignments reporter in 1983.

In 1988, she went to work for the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock, becoming the first black and first woman to sit on the editorial board or to write editorials and opinion columns in the history of the venerable Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper. The Gazette folded in 1991 and Mathis joined The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, as a staff columnist prior to moving back to the Washington area to work for Gannett News Service.

Mathis maintains an extensive public speaking schedule, including appearances before education, civil rights, women’s rights, journalism and religious gatherings nationwide.

She has appeared on a host of national news and public affairs programs, including “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Frontline,” “All Things Considered,” “Good Morning, America,” “Rivera Live,” and “Hardball.”

The Hugh B. Patterson, Sr. Lecture Series was established in August 1977 by Hugh Baskin Patterson, Jr., former chairman of The Arkansas Gazette, in memory of his father. Patterson’s gifts for this purpose have become part of the endowment to the college, with earnings designated for helping bring a nationally recognized journalist to the campus each year.

Kimball named interim VP for Enrollment Services

Dr. Charles C. Kimball II has been appointed interim vice president for enrollment services at Lyon College. Kimball has been serving as executive assistant to the president and director of institutional research.

Dr. Walter B. Roettger, president of Lyon, said Kimball “will provide leadership, a background in marketing, and a wealth of institutional perspective to this key role.”

Kimball assumed his new responsibilities on Jan. 1. He succeeds David Wilkey, who left the college in late December to pursue other opportunities.

Two other staff members in the Office of Enrollment Services have been promoted, Dr. Roettger said.

Deborah Sisson has been named director of admissions. She has been serving as director of enrollment services marketing, operations and research.

Amber Schubert has been promoted to director of student financial assistance. She previously was associate director of student financial assistance.

Kimball, a native of Chappaqua, New York, has a B.A. in history from Harvard College. He received a master’s degree and Ph.D. in history from Stanford University.

Before beginning graduate school, he worked in the media department of Ogilvy and Mather Advertising in New York from 1981-1984. He was a teaching assistant in the Cultures, Ideas, and Values program for freshmen at Stanford in 1990-91.

He came to Lyon as a visiting assistant professor of history in 1991. He was named assistant to the president in 1993 and assumed additional responsibilities as director of institutional research in 1999.

Sisson has bachelor’s degrees in business administration from both Lyon College (1986) and the University of Central Arkansas, Conway (1999). She also received her M.B.A. from UCA in 2000.

From 1987 to 1997, Sisson worked for Nabisco Foods Group in Memphis, Tenn., beginning as a sales representative and eventually becoming a retail sales supervisor for the Memphis district. She was also a key accounts manager for Laura’s Lean Beef, a producer of natural, lean beef products, in Memphis.

Schubert received her B.A. in English at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., in May 2000 and then worked as a financial aid officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a year before coming to Lyon. She also worked as an assistant in the Office of Financial Aid and Admissions Office at Westminster.

Schubert was managing editor of the literary magazine and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper at Westminster. She is a member of the Arkansas Association of Student Financial Administrators.

Diversity Week:  communication, exploration and celebration

Lyon celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by honoring him during Diversity Week. Below is the schedule of events.

Friday, Jan. 18

Film: “Faces of the Enemy,” an examination of the “we-they” mentality as fostered in propaganda and the media, will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Morrow Building. Discussion to follow film. Sponsored by Spragins House.

Monday, Jan. 21

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be at 7 p.m. in the Bevens Music Room.

Tuesday, Jan. 22

Convocation: Remembering the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will begin at 11 a.m. in Brown Chapel. Sponsored by BSA and the Diversity Committee.

Film: “Skin Deep,” followed by a discussion panel, will begin at 7 p.m. in Nucor Auditorium.

Wednesday, Jan. 23

Discussion Panel: The American Experience of Diversity which includes panel participants: Dr. Terrell Tebbetts, Dr. Teresa Murphy, Dr. Martha Beck, Dr. Jane Parker (UACCB), and Mr. Ronnie Hampton (Arkansas Eastman) will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Nucor Auditorium.

Thursday, Jan. 24

Class: The African American Experience. Dr. David Stricklin welcomes guest speaker, Ms. Deborah Mathis, at 2:30 p.m. in Lyon 100.

A Reception will provide students, faculty and staff an opportunity to meet informally with Ms. Mathis, at 4 p.m. in Spragins House.

The Patterson Lecture presented by Ms. Deborah Mathis, syndicated columnist, journalist and author of “Yet a Stranger: Why Black Arkansans Still Can’t Feel at Home,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Nucor Auditorium. Sponsored by the Convocations Committee.

Friday, Jan. 25

Film: “Trouble in Mind,” will be shown at 7 p.m. in Nucor Auditorium.

Tuesday, Jan. 29

Film: “Tough Guise,” an examination of gender differences with special focus given to violence as a learned behavior will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in the Morrow Building. Discussion to follow. Sponsored by Spragins House.

Lyon College Campus Calendar

Friday, January 11

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Larry Shaw Racing Seminar             Lyon, Nucor Auditorium

Saturday, January 12

7:30a.m.-5 p.m. PRAXIS Testing             Lyon, 2nd floor

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Larry Shaw Racing Seminar             Lyon, Nucor Auditorium

12 noon Fellowship of Christian Athletes Game Day Rally             Brown Chapel

2 & 4 p.m. Pipers/Scots vs. Trevecca Nazarene University             Becknell Gym

Sunday, January 13

2 p.m. Transfer Student Orientation             Lyon, Room 100

Monday, January 14

12 noon Alpha Chi Meeting             EDH 002

4-8:15 p.m. APPLE             Lyon, Alphin, Union Conf. Rm.

6 p.m. Lyon Ambassadors’ Meeting             Lyon, Nucor Auditorium

Residence Life Staff Meeting             Lyon, Citizens Bank Room

8 p.m. Phi Mu Meeting             Lyon, Nucor Auditorium

Tuesday, January 15

10 a.m. Executive Cabinet Meeting             Lyon, Worthen Bank Room

12 noon Wesley Fellowship             EDH 002

Erosophic Society             EDH 003

2:15 p.m. TeamsElite Implementation Team             Lyon, Citizens Bank Room

5 p.m. SAC Meeting             Union Conference Room

5:30 p.m. Senior Sequence Workshop – Career Development             EDH 002

Wednesday, January 16

12 noon Presbyterian Connection             EDH 002

Tau Kappa Epsilon Meeting             Union Conference Room

Lunch & Investment Video with Susan Rueter             Lyon, Room 100

2 p.m. IA Jenzabar Meeting             Lyon, Seminar West

4 p.m. Promotion and Tenure Committee             Lyon, Worthen Bank Room

4-8:15 p.m. APPLE             Lyon, Alphin, Union Conf. Rm.

9 p.m. BCM Meeting             Morrow Building

Thursday, January 17

9 a.m. Prospect Management Meeting             Lyon, Worthen Bank Room

10 a.m. Student Life Staff Development Committee             Lyon, Seminar East

11 a.m. Chapel Service             Small Chapel

12 noon Campus Ministry Board             EDH 002

Black Students’ Association             EDH 003

4 p.m. Academic Affairs Council             Lyon, Worthen Bank Room

6/8 p.m. Pipers/Scots vs. Martin Methodist University             Pulaski, TN

8 p.m. Starlight Club             Lower Union

Friday, January 18

11:30 a.m. Sigma Tau Delta Meeting             EDH 003

12 noon Catholic Campus Ministry Meeting             EDH 002

Subcommittee of Long Range Planning & Budget             Lyon, Worthen Bank Room

6:30 p.m. Film: Faces of the Enemy, sponsored by Spragins House             Morrow Lounge