Parents

Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and Elon's Commencement speaker this spring, is serving as the Pentagon's official spokesman for the U.S. military operations in Libya. Gortney held a media briefing on the combat operations on March 19.

Elon University students started a fundraising drive this week to aid victims of the March earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan. The same students are gathering messages of support from the community that will be translated into Japanese and delivered abroad to survivors whose lives have been upended by the natural disasters.

Elon University President Leo M. Lambert is one of five men being honored with a 2011 Father of the Year award by the Greater Greensboro Area Father’s Day Council.

The Office of University Relations has launched a major enhancement of the E-net news and information system, organizing videos produced by offices and individuals across campus into a central viewing system that includes a variety of video categories. All members of the campus community are invited to submit videos to this site and to explore the creative projects produced by others. Access the site with the tab at the top of the E-Net page, or go to: video.elon.edu

David C. Porter of Sudbury, Mass., will be installed as the newest member of the Elon University Board of Trustees at the board's spring meeting, April 15-16. Porter and his wife, Jen, are the parents of Elon senior Tim Porter, and have served on the university's Parents Council and are members of the Founder's Circle of the Elon Society.

Five Elon students from Japan were joined by about 75 fellow students on March 15 in planning the community's response to the earthquake and tsunami in that country. The brainstorming session was held in the Isabella Cannon International Centre, where students came up with many ideas to raise relief funds and send messages of encouragement to those who are suffering in the wake of the disaster.

The Elon campus community is planning efforts to provide support from those suffering the effects of a massive earthquake and tsunami. The efforts were launched at the March 15 College Coffee, where students from Japan spoke about the disaster in their homeland.

An Elon University parent and CEO of a company that provides software solutions for the federal government has a piece of advice for entrepreneurs: when writing a business plan, never forget to show how you’ll execute it to make money for investors. Raj Ananthanpillai offered that wisdom and more on March 14 in the LaRose Digital Theatre as the latest university guest in the C. Ashton Newhall Endowed Lecture Series.

The announcement of two major gifts highlighted a 25th anniversary gala event for Elon University's Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Students, faculty, staff and friends of the school gathered Feb. 5 to kick off a yearlong celebration of the school's founding in 1985. The gala featured the announcements of major gifts by Elon parent and trustee David Porter and the Martha and Spencer Love Foundation.