Working @Elon

During the Ever Elon Campaign, faculty and staff members have taken advantage of planned giving to make a powerful difference in the lives of students while providing for themselves and their loved ones.

For Leigh-Anne Royster, coordinator for personal health programs and community well-being at Elon, there are no typical days at the office.

A record 56 percent of Elon faculty and staff have participated in the 2010-2011 Faculty/Staff Campaign, making more than $270,000 in gifts and pledges to the university. As of March 22, 663 employees had made a gift this year to support students, faculty and facilities. In addition, for the second consecutive year, 100 percent of faculty and staff at Elon Law have made a gift to the university this year.

Rick Earl knows how to build a working microphone using just plastic cups and a little bit of wire. So when Earl, technical director for cultural and special programs, couldn’t find an affordable classic directional microphone, he decided to take matters into his own hands and build his own model.

For Michelle Ferrier, food represents a part of life that everyone not only takes part in, but is continuously affected by on many levels. So when she had the opportunity to develop a website around a local topic, the associate professor of communications chose local food, or eating geographically, as the focus of Locally Grown News, a website she launched last year.

They say love can happen when you least expect it. That was certainly the case for these faculty and staff who found love while working at Elon.