Eric Townsend

Three staff members were honored May 27, 2011, in McCrary Theatre during Elon's annual Staff Appreciation Day. Bob Willis was named Physical Plant Staff Member of the Year, Kay Riddle was named Office Staff Member of the Year and Sandra Fields was named Administrative Staff Member of the Year.

Lyle Anibal lost count of how many couches, coffee tables and televisions he collected this month from Elon University seniors emptying their off-campus apartments as they prepared to graduate. The Elon Police Department lieutenant, however, is quick to note that town officers responded in May to fewer citizen complaints of “Dumpster diving” than in previous years – and that business is up for a local nonprofit shop where the sale of donated furniture funds housing for those in need.

Elon University professors, students and alumni continue to make news this spring through their research and campus activities. Notable in April and May was regional media coverage Elon University's 121st Commencement exercises, faculty expertise related to the death of Osama bin Laden, and mention of the Elon University Poll in the Los Angeles Times and the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer.

When his hope of working for the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles wasn’t an option, even after an internship there that saw Harrison Seeler assist with the logistics of a pop superstar’s memorial service, the Elon University alum heeded advice from the Office of Career Services – “be patient” – and he today works for one of the largest entertainment venues in the nation.

Courtney Graham and Alex Moss graduated from Elon University this month having made a lasting contribution to their community while studying at Elon University. The duo are the first two alumni of Elon’s Civic Engagement Scholar program, which was designed for students looking to make a positive change by partnering with local organizations in need of assistance.

The School of Education offers its congratulations to seven teacher education secondary majors who recently received honors, awards and recognition from the College of Arts and Sciences.

An intern with Elon University’s Belk Library worked this semester in coordination with the N.C. Digital Heritage Center to digitize and publish online scrapbooks created by eight of Elon’s earliest students.

Elon University’s Belk Library will be participating with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources on a grant project to help create an open source software tool that will allow institutions to collect and preserve digital content.

Honglin Xiao, an associate professor of geography, has coauthored a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Policy.

Gary Palin, executive director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and senior lecturer of entrepreneurship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, presented at a March 24 panel discussion in the 2011 MIT Global Startup Workshop in Seoul, South Korea.