March 2, 2001
Lyon announces new science and math facility
The Lawrence H. and Marilyn Church Derby Center for Science and Mathematics
Lyon College will break ground April 26 on a new $11.8 million math and science center, Lyon President Walter B. Roettger announced Tuesday.
The facility will be called the Lawrence H. and Marilyn Church Derby Center for Science and Mathematics. The collegiate Georgian structure will house the biology, chemistry, environmental studies, mathematics, computer science, physics and psychology programs.
The 55,000-square-foot building will be built in two phases with construction of the first phase scheduled to begin in June. It is expected to be available for occupancy by the start of classes in August 2002. The first phase will house the central laboratory area and will be built on what is now the parking area behind the current Smith Science Center.
Construction of the second phase will begin in September 2002 and is
scheduled for occupancy in August 2003. This phase will include two office and
classroom wings on the east and west sides of the Phase I building. The Smith
building will be razed to make way for the Phase II wings. During the Phase II
construction, the faculty will use the research labs as offices. Instruction
will continue without
interruption.
The new building is named in honor of Lawrence H. “Larry” Derby Jr. and
his wife, Marilyn, of Warren in recognition of their leadership gift to the college. Derby is a member of the Lyon College
Board of Trustees. He previously served on the board from 1976-1998 and rejoined
the board last year.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferd M. Bellingrath Jr. of Pine Bluff also have made a generous
gift to the center and one wing of the building will bear the Bellingrath name.
Mr. Bellingrath is also a former Lyon trustee.
President Roettger (from left) acknowledges former Lyon
trustee Ferd Bellingrath Jr., trustee Lawrence Derby and his wife, Marilyn, for
their generous contributions to the science center. Their gifts, along with many
others from individuals, foundations, and corporations, have made the Derby
Center possible.
A new science center is the college’s highest building priority. The
programs housed in the science building are among the most popular at the
college. For instance, 35 percent of the 2000 graduating class majored in the
programs housed in the science center. And, 43.5 percent of the declared majors
in the fall of 2000 were in those same program areas.
“The new building will dramatically increase the support for instruction
and for undergraduate and faculty research,” Dr. Roettger said. “It will
also provide faculty and support office space and student meeting areas of the
quality expected at Lyon.”
The 55,000 square feet of space in the new building is almost twice the size
of the current facility, which is about 28,000 square feet in size. The new
building is expected to provide space for anticipated program and enrollment
growth for about two decades. All offices and laboratories will be wired for
computer use.
“The Derby Center will be a signature facility and will provide an
exceptionally attractive frame for Couch Garden,” Dr. Roettger said.
“Many individuals, foundations and corporations have provided support for
this project that is so vital to the future of Lyon and we are so very grateful
to all of them,” said Tracy H. Branson, vice president for institutional
advancement at Lyon.
Theatre students return from Kennedy Center competitions
with grand results
The Lyon College Theatre Department returned from the Kennedy Center American
College Theatre Festival Region VI with the following results. Kalina Bakalova
won Honorable Mention for her scene design for “The Rivals;” Warren
McCullough was first alternate for the semi-final round of the Irene Ryan acting
scholarship competition (there were 163 students auditioning and he placed
33rd).
James Wilson and Harley Ward were cast, from 91 people auditioning, in the
ten-minute play presentation and Alexis Smith was selected as a stage manager;
and James Wilson was recognized for his ten- minute play, “Imaginary Boxes,”
which was presented at festival.
Lyon board nominates Dr. Elizabeth Jacoway for trusteeship The board approved Dr. Jacoway’s nomination Feb. 21 at its regular winter
meeting in Little Rock.
Dr. Jacoway, a writer and historian, received her bachelor of arts degree
from the University of Arkansas and her master’s and Ph.D from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also attended Randolph-Macon Women’s
College in Lynchburg, Va.
She is a former visiting associate professor at Lyon and has held positions
at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, including coordinator of the Oral
History Program. She was symposium originator and chair of “Remembrance and
Reconcil-iation: Understanding the Little Rock School Crisis of 1957” in
September 1997.
Her published works include numerous contributions to historical publications
and books as both a writer and editor.
She was editor, along with C. Fred Williams, of “Understanding the Little
Rock Crisis: An exercise in Remembrance and Reconcil-iation,” published in
1999 by University of Arkansas Press. She was also editor, along with Dan T.
Carter, Lester C. Lamon and Robert McMath, of “The Adaptable South: Essays in
Honor of George Brown Tindall,” published by LSU Press in 1991.
She contributed entries on “Little Rock,” “Orval Faubus” and “Civil
Rights and Business” in the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, published in
1989 by University of North Carolina Press.
She has written an article, “Jim Johnson of Arkansas: Segregationist
Prototype,” in Ted Ownby’s forthcoming untitled collection of the 1999
Porter Fortune Lectures at the University of Mississippi. She also has authored
an entry on Daisy Bates for “Notable American Women: A Biographical
Dictionary, Vol.5, 1976-2000,” which is scheduled for publication by Harvard
University Press.
BSA Banquet State Representative Steve Jones delivers an
inspirational speech to banquet attendees Feb. 24. Jones, who hails from
District 95 in West Memphis, stressed living up to dreams in the face of
adversity.
Sports
Basketball
The Pipers won their first-round game of the conference tournament Tuesday
night, defeating Lee University 87-65.
That’s the good news. The not-so-good news is that their next opponent is
the regular-season champions, the Union University Bulldongs. They’ll take
Union on Friday night in Jackson, Tenn. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
In the regular season finale on Saturday, the Pipers fell to the Union
University Lady Bulldogs 77-64. The Pipers ended the season at 9-5 in the
conference and 14-16 overall.
The Scots defeated Union University 65-63 Saturday in the season finale at
Becknell Gym. The win put the Scots at 6-6 in the TranSouth Conference and 10-17
overall. Thomas Rost led the Scots with 15 points, and made a critical steal
with 66 seconds left in the game and the Scots leading by four points. His free
throws sealed the game for Lyon.
The Scots were to play Martin Methodist in Pulaski, Tenn., on Thursday in the
first round of the conference tournament.
Baseball
The baseball Scots improved their season record to 11-4 when they defeated
the University of Mary in a Lyon Classic doubleheader Monday.
They won 5-1 and 5-2 behind solid pitching performances by Louis Raptopoulos
(3-0) and Clete Putnam (2-0). Adam Westmoreland hit two home runs for the Scots.
In other Lyon Classic action, the Scots defeated Blackburn 7-1 and 5-3 on
Friday, but lost to the University of Mary 4-1 on Sunday. Saturday’s games
were postponed because of inclement weather. Phillip May was the winning pitcher
in the first game, and is now 4-0 for the season. Trevor Lay (2-2) got the win
in the second game. In the third game, the Scots lost despite a stellar pitching
effort by Adam Davis, who struck out the first eight hitters and finished with
11 strikeouts. The Scots only run was a solo homer by John Harvey.
The Scots open conference play at home Friday with a doubleheader against
Birmingham Southern, starting at noon.
Tennis
The Pipers tennis team is 2-2 for the season after falling to the
University of Central Arkansas 6-3 Monday at Conway. The Pipers next match will
be against Lee University in Jackson, Tenn., on March 10.
Coach Be Pham said the Pipers played well against UCA, a good Division II
school. The Pipers won three of six singles matches. Paulette Pearson won her
third singles match (vs. one loss) of the year. Nicolette Preiser picked up
another singles victory and Laura Higginbottom remains undefeated in singles
play (3-0). The Pipers lost all three doubles matches but played very close, the
coach said.
The Pipers defeated Lambuth University 7-2 Feb. 24 at home. The Pipers won
four of six singles matches and swept all three doubles matches to clinch the
team victory.
The Scots lost to Lambuth 6-3 on Feb. 24. The men’s team is 0-3 for the
season. They will also take on Lee University on March 10.
Lyon College Campus Calendar 9 a.m. Student Life Staff Development
Committee
Lyon, Seminar West 12 noon Catholic Campus
Ministry
EDH 002
Baseball: Scots vs. Birmingham
Southern
Lyon College Baseball Field
2 p.m. Lecture by Computer Science
Candidate
SCI 02
3 p.m. Campus Life Self-Study
Committee
Lyon, Citizens Bank Room
Reception for Computer Science
Candidate
Alphin, Kresge Art Gallery
Saturday, March 3 12 noon Baseball: Scots vs. Birmingham
Southern
Lyon College Baseball Field Sunday, March 4 2 p.m. Baseball: Scots J.V. vs. Pensacola Jr.
College
Pensacola, FL Spring Break!! Tuesday, March 6 3:30 p.m. Management
Assembly
Lyon, Nucor Auditorium Wednesday, March 7 1:30 p.m. Student Life Staff
Meeting
Union Conference Room Friday, March 9 2 p.m. Baseball: Scots vs. Lipscomb
University
Lyon College Baseball Field
