Dan Anderson

Live webcasts of Internet Governance Forum panel appearances by Elon University students Kirsten Bennett, Sam Baranowski and Drew Smith, and by Glenn Scott, associate professor of communications, are being streamed online by the United Nations Sept. 16 and 17.

A documentary journalism team from Elon’s Imagining the Internet Center will be filing reports from the UN-facilitated Global Internet Governance Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania, during the week of Sept. 13-17. IGF annually draws nearly 2,000 participants from government, business, academia, the technology sector and civil society who gather to discuss the issues tied to the new knowledge society being established as the Internet evolves and expands.

Elon will begin upgrades to the Walter C. Latham Park baseball facility following the 2010 baseball season. The improvements are made possible by a group of generous donors led by trustee Dr. Bryan Latham and his wife, Janet, of Miami, who made a $250,000 commitment to fund the work.

John G. Sullivan, Powell Professor of Philosophy Emeritus will offer a workshop Coming to God through Stories at Healing Ground Retreat Center, Summerfield, NC 27358 on Friday, September 24, 2010 -- 10 am - 4 pm.

While Hurricane Earl will not impact the Elon campus or central North Carolina, the storm does serve as a good reminder about Elon's emergency and severe weather resources. Read this note for details.

Elon trustee Jeanne Robertson, a nationally renowned speaker with a reputation for her family-friendly and engaging humor, has signed an agreement with Comedy String Entertainment and Outback Concerts in Nashville for a 20-city tour in 2011. While the veteran speaker has a long history of success in speaking to groups and organizations, this will be her first solo comedy tour, as she performs in theaters across the country.

Elon University President Leo M. Lambert opened the annual planning week by focusing on the goals of The Elon Commitment strategic plan. "At the dawn of a new decade and this new strategic plan, I ask you to continue to give serious thought to how your program, department, or division and each of you personally will take ownership of the idea of leading Elon to national prominence," Lambert said in addressing faculty and staff who were assembled in McCrary Theatre.

EdTech, a magazine focused on technology applications in education, features Elon University in its September/October edition. The article, titled "Building the Smarter Classroom," says that Elon is "taking instructional technology to the next level," with "pioneering collaborative classrooms and teaching students real-world skills."

Elon University faculty and academic programs earned numerous top national honors in the 2011 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings released Aug. 17 by US News & World Report. In the magazine's "Focused on Their Undergrads" ranking, Elon is named the #1 Southern University and among the top 86 colleges and universities in the nation "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching," as measured in a survey of college presidents, provosts and admissions deans.

Bobby Morris, automotive maintenance assistant at Elon more than eight years, died Aug. 23. For the past three years, he had been handling automotive duties along with driving Elon shuttle buses for special events and field trips. Visitation for family and friends will be Friday, Aug. 27 from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. at McClure Funeral Home, 1030 South Main Street, Graham, N.C. The funeral service will be held at McClure Funeral Home at 7 p.m. following visitation hours.