nheadlines
Souter students, employees, donors,
and community members gathered
in February to dedicate land for a new
building to house the School of Business.
The group formed a large circle around
the future facility’s location and prayed
together over the land.
“We're very grateful that many have
stepped up with their donations, time,
and energies to make this project
possible,” said Franklin Farrow, ‘93,
chairman of the fundraising campaign
for the School of Business. “Southern
is in the business of changing and
equipping hearts, and as we take on this
challenge of creating a new building,
let's remember that it's more than bricks
and mortar. It is a place that will shape
characters for generations to come.”
The School of Business is the second-
largest academic area on the university's
campus, with a 10% increase in its
enrollment over the last five years. At
the new School of Business building.
approximately 42,000 square feet,
the new building will house a large,
multipurpose auditorium, and its
investment lab will include 12 Bloomberg
Terminals—computer software systems
on which students can analyze real-time
financial market data.
Thanks to alumni, donors, and other
friends of the university, more than
$16 million of the $20 million campaign,
which also includes an endowment,
has been raised through donations and
Southern students, employees, donors, and community members gathered to dedicate land for
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commitments. Groundbreaking for the
new facility is planned for early Fall 2023.
“God has anointed our students to be
kingdom builders in the marketplace,”
said Stephanie Sheehan, PhD, dean of
the School of Business. “He has called
and will continue to call many students
here, and we are thankful they will soon
have a new facility to call home.”
For more information, visit
southern.edu/gobusiness.
- by Amanda Blake
Professor Calls for Help Spotting Invasive Spider in Southeast
he proliferate Jord spider, an East
Asian species that is currently
spreading rapidly in Southeast regions of
the United States, is the elusive subject
of a research team that includes David
Nelsen, PhD, Southern biology professor.
These researchers are appealing to
communities in Tennessee, Georgia, and
South Carolina to be on the lookout and
report any sightings.
“More eyes in the field will contribute
immensely to our research efforts and
results,” Nelsen said. “Anybody can be a
scientist in this case, and photographs
can give us strong data for tracking and
measuring this ongoing invasion.”
In 2021, four sightings of the yellow,
red, and silver-blue arachnid—harmless
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to humans —were reportedin the
Chattanooga area, including one on
Southern’'s campus. Last year, sightings
increased to approximately 20, along
with the presence of males, which
suggests a stable breeding population.
Nelsen has involved Southern’s ecology
students in the research by incorporating
the project into labs and educational
outreach. For example, students taught
several young outdoor adventure groups
about spiders, including the Jord spider.
“Research brings what the students are
studying to life,” Nelsen said. “This work
helps them answer the questions: ‘How
do | take what I'm doing as a biologist
and give back to the community? How do
| get people excited about the wonders of
God's creation?”
The project will continue for several
more years in order to determine
whether or not the arachnid newcomer
is harming native species. If you spot
what appears to be a Jord spider, email
dnelsen@southern.edu and include a
photo of the findings.
- by Amanda Blake
Symphony
Orchestra Hailed
for Performance at
National Conference
Southern Symphony Orchestra
received emphatic applause from
a crowd of talented musicians and
professional conductors during the
National Conference of the College
Orchestra Directors Association in
Jacksonville, Florida, this spring.
“When you get an instantaneous
standing ovation from a room full of
conductors from across the country, you
know you've made a good impression,”
said Laurie Redmer Cadwallader, director
of the 75-member troupe. “People
approached over the next couple of days
to say how great our orchestra was.”
Cadwallader applied for the event in
Spring 2022, unsure of what to expect,
as the ensemble had never attended a
national conference before.
“I knew the competition would be
fierce, so | was thrilled to learn we had
been chosen,” she said. “It was an honor
to showcase our students in such a
public way.”
The students were elated, especially
at the opportunity to give an hour-long
performance in an actual concert hall.
Cadwallader described the orchestra's
superb performance as a manifestation
of their pursuit of excellence.
“It is rare for a school our size to have
the opportunity to attend and perform at
a national-level conference. The students
recognized this honor and rose to the
occasion,” she said. “When you challenge
yourself to strive for something new, it
makes you better. The students sound
different now, more confident. | am very
proud of each member.”
— by Amanda Blake
»headlines
Exhibition Featuring Student Work Opens
in Southern's Archaeology Museum
Aen new exhibition, titled “Peace
and War: The Assyrian Conquest
of Lachish,” is now open in Southern’s
Lynn H. Wood Archaeology Museum.
Members of Southern’'s campus
excavated a number of the artifacts
from Lachish, the most important city in
ancient Israel after Jerusalem.
Visitors can view significant seal
impressions from King Hezekiah, the
prophet Isaiah, and biblical nobles;
stroll by a replica of a house overlooking
Lachish; and study an artistic display
commissioned by the Assyrian king
Sennacherib celebrating his victory over
the royal city. The diverse collection will
immerse guests in the Assyrian conquest
and miraculous deliverance of Judah, a
story of hope that is vividly described in
the Bible.
Almost all of the objects on display
were uncovered during the Fourth
Expedition to Lachish, a multi-disciplinary
field project that occurred from 2013 to
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2017 and was sponsored by Southern’s
Institute of Archaeology and The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. More than 200
Southern students and employees helped
excavate the city and investigate its Iron
Age history.
“This exhibit is the culmination of a
decade of excavation and analysis,”
said Michael G. Hasel, PhD, director of
Southern’s Institute of Archaeology. “I am
so pleased for the diligent work of my
students and other staff to be recognized
and seen in public for the first time.”
The museum, located in Hackman Hall,
is free and open to the public during the
school year, allowing visitors to explore
one of the most important periods in
Near East history. The exhibition, in
cooperation with the Israel Antiquities
Authority, will remain at the museum until
May 31, 2025. For more information,
visit southern.edu/archaeology or
call 423.236.2030.
- by Amanda Blake
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The new exhibit in the Lynn H. Wood Archaeology Museum features numerous objects
uncovered in Israel by Southern students and employees.
Spring 2023 : 9