Faculty/Staff Accomplishments & News Briefs 9/17/25

In this issue, we celebrate the accomplishments of faculty and staff in accounting, art, music, and theatre. We also share news about the 2025 Study Abroad Fair and the Meredith Autism Program’s 11th annual gala fundraiser.

Adjunct Professor of Art Julie Cardillo won Best in Show in the Schwa Show, a juried exhibition held at Emerge Gallery in Greenville, N.C. The gallery is home of the Pitt County Arts Council. A review of the show published in The Greenville Daily Reflector includes information about Cardillo’s art and her teaching background. 

Assistant Professor of Art Holly Fischer has a sculpture featured in the 2025 North Carolina Artists Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM). The exhibition runs from September 28 – November 16, with an opening reception from 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28 and a closing reception on Friday, Nov. 7 from 6-9 p.m. The gallery is located at 409 West Martin Street in downtown Raleigh.

Assistant Professor of Marketing Courtney J. Hixon-Robinson has been elected to serve as the community outreach chair for the Black Student Union of Meredith College.

Dr. Nancy Johnson, Certified Financial Education Instructor and Assistant Professor, School of Business, led a financial literacy workshop for the September Women in Leadership event at UCB in Morrisville. UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company with a strong dedication to developing women in the workplace.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Lormarev Jones shares that the Theatre Program has been awarded a Kurt Weill Foundation College/University Grant to produce Lady in the Dark. The $14,000 grant will support Meredith’s production, which will include a 20-piece orchestra led by Julie Florin, with both music students and community musicians. The show will run February 25 through March 1, 2026, in Jones Auditorium.

Dr. Kent Lyman, professor of music, recently participated in the famous Alcatraz Open Swim, on August 31, 2025.  Sometimes known as the Escape from Alcatraz, swimmers are carried by ferry to a spot 500 feet off the shore of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, where they jump into the chilly waters and swim 1.4 miles back to the mainland, ending at the South End Rowing Club in Aquatic Cove.  Over 700 people participated in the event, and Lyman was cheered on by 20 members of his family, comprised of all his kids, sons-in-law, and grandkids. The swim was followed by a tour of Alcatraz prison. Lyman reports that it was “kind of strange to escape from the Island, then go back and get inside one of the jail cells.”

News Briefs

Study Abroad Fair Planned for September 23
The Office of International Programs (OIP) will host the Study Abroad Fair on Tuesday, September 23, from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. in the BDH Courtyard. 

Attendees can speak with Meredith study abroad alumnae and learn about programs led by Meredith faculty, in addition to Meredith Affiliate programs offered through our partner organizations. 

The fair serves as the official launch of spring break, summer, and fall 2026 study abroad programs. The OIP will be offering 13 faculty-led programs this year in a variety of disciplines, including options in Italy, Costa Rica, London, and a domestic opportunity in New Mexico. Please help us spread the word and encourage your students to attend! – Submitted by OIP

Tickets On Sale Now for MAP Gala Event
The Meredith Autism Program (MAP) is celebrating 30 years of service to the community at their 11th annual gala. The fundraising event will be held on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Raleigh Marriott.

The gala event raises  funds for

• scholarships for enrolled families
• continuting education and staff development for clinical staff
• our program’s greatest and most urgent needs

Tickets are on sale now for anyone interested: https://event.gives/map25

–Submitted by MAP