Dan Anderson

Elon philosophy faculty members held a raucous debate called “Philosophical Survivor” as part of the Celebration of Faculty Scholarship sessions on April 28. Eight professors took on the roles of some of history’s greatest philosophers, answering fundamental questions in seven rounds of questioning. Students in the audience voted in each round to eliminate professors, similar to the format of the TV reality show, “Survivor.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health organizations have issued advisories and emergency notifications regarding confirmed and suspected cases of the swine flu. Students, faculty and staff should read this note for steps Elon is taking as part of its flu pandemic preparedness plan.

Thirteen rising juniors at Elon have been named recipients of the 2009 Lumen Prize, the university’s premier award that comes with a $15,000 scholarship to support and celebrate their academic achievements and research proposals.

The Elon University Board of Trustees inducted new member C. Ashton Newhall at its spring meeting, which was held April 17-18 on campus. Newhall is a 1998 Elon alumnus and co-founder of Montagu Newhall Associates, a venture capital firm headquartered in Owings Mills, Md.

Trustee Jay Hendrickson ’71 and his wife, Amy ’69, of Raleigh, N.C., are among the 12 recipients of the 2009 Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award. The SoCon award recognizes individuals from its member institutions who have contributed to all aspects of the university.

Bestselling author and philosopher Thomas Moore urged the Elon community to educate for the soul in an April 23 lecture. Moore spoke at Elon at the invitation of Chaplain Richard McBride, who is retiring this spring after 25 years of service.

Elon's men's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, softball and volleyball teams are among the top teams in the nation in the 2009 NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, which were announced April 22. The Elon teams rank in the top 10 percent of NCAA Division I teams in the nation in their sports.

Elon physics professor Pranab Das oversees more than $6 million of grant funds supporting scholarship around the world. As the leader of three major initiatives funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Das is probing the limits of human understanding on questions that have existed for millennia.

Elon Chaplain Richard McBride, who is retiring this spring after 25 years of service, was honored at a special Service of Celebration on April 19. At the service, President Leo M. Lambert conferred the title of Chaplain Emeritus on McBride, thanking him for his legacy of spiritual leadership.

"The Future of Things," an online magazine focusing on science, technology and medicine from around the world, has named Elon's Imagining the Internet Web site its "Site of the Week."