From important initiatives to big wins and announcements, the stories that made 2024 at Campbell University.
As we enter the 138th year of Campbell University’s history, let’s look back at the important moments in what will be remembered as an important 2024 in Buies Creek. The following is our rundown of the Top 12 (because 10 wasn’t enough) stories from the past year. Keep up with all Campbell University news year-round on our Facebook page or our news site and through our award-winning Campbell Magazine.
12. TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM TACKLES RETENTION ISSUES IN STATE’S RURAL DISTRICTS
A study in 2024 led by professors from Campbell University’s School of Education & Human Sciences sought to learn more about teachers in rural North Carolina school districts who are fleeing those districts (and the profession as a whole) in record numbers since the COVID pandemic.
Led by Dr. Laura Lunsford, the former assistant dean of psychology and social work and current adjunct professor of psychology (who just joined the National Science Foundation as an evaluator), “Leading Workforce Effectiveness: Teacher Retention Study” looks at the many factors leading to higher-than-normal teacher attrition during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural school districts in North Carolina.
Campbell University was one of two independent schools to receive a grant from the North Carolina Collaboratory as part of the N.C. Recovery Research Network. The organization joined the N.C. Department of Instruction to award $6.73 million to 20 academic research teams to understand the effectiveness of existing state and local programs supported through federal emergency relief legislation.
Lunsford and her colleagues Dr. Kathleen Castillo-Clark, Dr. Terrie Hampton-Jones and Dr. Justin Nelson worked with undergraduate research students to interview teachers, focus groups, school leaders and principals from rural public schools to learn more about the factors that influence a teacher’s decision to leave (or stay) and the challenges.
What the team found early in their research is that the pandemic had a profound impact on the teaching profession, exacerbating existing issues regarding staffing shortages, lack of support and mental stresses while exposing deficiencies in available technology that allow teachers to do their jobs effectively.
“Simply put, we’re looking at the supporting and inhibiting factors — beyond just salary — for teacher retention,” Lunsford says. “What is it that makes teachers want to stay, and what are the barriers or factors that make them want to leave? Which of these factors can be influenced by school leaders? We’re looking at how districts handled a crisis like the pandemic and the lessons we can learn to help our rural school districts be more resilient in the future.
“And it’s hard to learn any of this without going to the districts and talking to the teachers themselves.”
11. INITIATIVE CHALLENGES FACULTY, STAFF TO ‘BUCK THE STATUS QUO’
To start the 2023-2024 academic year, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. John Roberson offered a new challenge for Campbell faculty and staff.
Roberson invited all faculty and staff to consider taking part in the “Overcoming the Status Quo” awards — monetary prizes for those who “intend to challenge, tackle and overcome the status quo.” The monetary awards were made possible by an anonymous benefactor who committed $50,000 recently for the idea.
“Across the higher education landscape, many institutions are desperately clinging to their status quo, providing yesterday’s answers to today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities,” Roberson said. “Institutions holding to an antiquated status quo are on a path to non-relevance at best and self-destruction at worst. Campbell University can no longer accept — and certainly not embrace — its version of status quo.”
Several ideas were chosen for awards in 2024. Among them, English professors Dr. Eric Dunnum and Dr. Sherry Truffin received funding for an idea to make their English 101 courses distinctive from other schools and more relevant to today’s students. Their idea: have students write about emotions and mental well-being (with a focus on happiness and sadness) and incorporate a variety of disciplinary perspectives (psychology, biochemistry, religion and theology, to name a few) into that writing.
Staff in Wiggins Memorial Library, led by Jennifer Seagraves, instructional pedagogy and curriculum materials librarian, submitted a winning idea to encourage faculty and staff (and students) to use Campbell’s vast digital archive system more regularly. The library hosted an archives bootcamp in December for faculty to learn more about the collection and explore new teaching strategies to leverage materials to build more critical thinking among their students.
10. CAMPBELL FORMS MORE PARTNERSHIPS WITH AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
University officials held signing ceremonies with four North Carolina community colleges in 2024, adding to the list of two-year schools that now have agreements with Campbell to provide “a seamless transfer process” for students who wish to continue their education and earn a bachelor’s degree.
In 2024, Campbell signed agreements with Central Carolina Community College in February, Wake Tech Community College in May, Wayne Community College in August and Johnston Community College in October as part of the Campbell Assured Program, which guarantees admission to students from these colleges who meet specified academic criteria.
Other schools in the program include Brunswick Community College and Catawba Community College.
“I’m a firm believer in the work of community colleges,” Campbell President J. Bradley Creed said at the Wayne CC ceremony in August, adding that community colleges “make life better for so many people.”
“We’re going to work hard to make these partnerships even better and make a difference in the lives of our students.”
9. SOFTBALL WINS CAMPBELL’S FIRST COASTAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TITLE’
It was Campbell Softball’s fourth consecutive conference championship, but this one was a little more special.
The Camels topped off a 37-21-1 season with a regular season Coastal Athletic Association title in May. They became Campbell’s first program to win a conference title since Campbell’s move to the CAA was made official in 2023.
With the winning season came a lot of accolades. Lindsay Lumsden was named CAA’s Rookie of the Year, Alyssa Henault was named Player of the Year, Isabella Smith was named Pitcher of the Year and now former coach Trena Prater was named Coach of the Year. Seven total players received all-conference honors.
Five players, including Lumsden, Henault and Smith, earned all-conference first team honors, and three players, including Lumsden, were named to the all-conference rookie team.
After Prater’s departure as coach, Emily Carosone — a former Olympian and three-time All-American as a player at Auburn University — was named head coach for the 2025 season.
8. NEW DEANS DROP ‘INTERIM’ LABEL; DIVINITY ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGE
Campbell University celebrated the promotion of two interim deans to full leadership roles in 2024 and announced the retirement of another longtime dean.
In January, Dr. Jeff Mercer was named dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, becoming just the third dean of the school since its founding in 1985. Mercer succeeded Dr. Michael Adams, who was named provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2023.
Mercer served as the interim dean for six months before the announcement. He joined Campbell in 2022 as the associate dean of administration after serving as an associate dean and dean of the College of Pharmacy at Harding University.
In March, Nicole Winget was named dean of Campbell University Adult & Online Education. She had served as interim dean — succeeding Dr. Beth Rubin — since August 2023.
A graduate of Ohio Northern University College of Law in 2009, Winget started her career as an attorney while also teaching at Ohio Northern, Ohio State University and Rhodes State College. She has been a member of the U.S. Navy for 20-plus years, starting as an enlisted information technology specialist and completing tours in Kuwait and Afghanistan.
In November, Divinity School Dean Dr. Andy Wakefield announced his retirement, effective next summer. When his retirement is official, Wakefield will have served in the role for 14-plus years.
Dr. Barry Jones will succeed Wakefield on June 1.
Jones joined Campbell University’s faculty in 2000 after earning his undergraduate degree from Campbell and graduate degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Duke University, where he earned his Ph.D. He previously taught at Mars Hill University and was pastor of ParkView Baptist Church in Durham.
7. WRESTLER BECOMES JUST SECOND NCAA ALL-AMERICAN IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Campbell heavyweight Taye Ghadiali became just the second Campbell wrestler to make the podium at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City, as he finished in eighth at this year’s finale held at the T-Mobile Center.
Ghadiali joins Nathan Kraisser (2017) as the only two wrestlers from Campbell to finish in the top eight at nationals. Kraisser also finished in eighth at 125 pounds, but Ghadiali is the first non-transfer to make the stand representing Campbell.
Ghadiali becomes the second Campbell wrestler to be named NCAA All-American, joining Kraisser. Five others received NWCA All-America honors in the 2020 season that was cut short before the NCAA Championships.
In the All-American bout against Lehigh’s Nathan Taylor, Ghadiali was trailing 4-2 late in the third period. He scored a takedown with just five seconds left, and Taylor scored the riding time point to make it 5-5 going into overtime. Ghadiali dove at Taylor’s leg and latched on 15 seconds into the overtime period to get both men on the mat. Ghadiali was then able to circle around and find himself on top for the winning takedown at the 30-second mark.
Ghadiali finished the 2023-24 season with a 35-5 record. The 35 wins is the fifth-highest mark in Campbell wrestling history. He also finished the year with 12 pins, tied for second-most in program history.
The win was even more special considering Ghadiali’s struggles leading up to his big moment. His story was chronicled in a recent edition of Campbell Magazine.
6. MEDICAL SCHOOL RANKS 2ND IN NATION IN SERVING UNDERSERVED AREAS
Sticking true to its mission to serve the underserved in North Carolina, the Southeast and the world, the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University was ranked second in the nation “Medical Schools With the Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas,” according to U.S. News & World Report rankings of top medical schools released in.
U.S. News reported 46.8 percent of Campbell graduates are practicing in medically underserved areas, the only N.C. medical ranking in the top 10 in this category. Further, and also significantly, Campbell’s med school ranks 11th in “Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care,” with 41.1 percent of graduates practicing in primary care.
Schools were assessed on their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Serving rural communities in North Carolina with the goal of keeping physicians in those communities is a primary goal of Campbell, which boasts the only osteopathic medical school in North Carolina.
5. ENROLLMENT INCREASE ENTERS SECOND YEAR AS CAMPBELL REBOUNDS FROM PANDEMIC
THE COVID pandemic led to significant enrollment drops at colleges and universities throughout the country in 2021 and 2022. Campbell University was no different.
But Campbell’s rebound continued in the fall of 2024 when the University saw a rise in new freshman and transfer students for the second year in a row, according to the Office of Admissions. The numbers bucked the trend of declining enrollment brought on not only by the pandemic, but also dwindling student populations nationally and several other factors affecting.
Campbell reported 592 first year/freshman students for the fall 2024 semester, a 6 percent increase over the previous year and a nearly 20 percent increase from 2022 (495 students). The number of transfer students increased by 32 percent in the past year (128 to 169).
Dr. David Mee, vice president for enrollment management, attributed the positive gains to a number of factors, from increased focus and resources on marketing and communications to Campbell University joining Common App to streamline the application process for students. He also credited his staff and their presence on high school campuses across the state — something that was put on hold during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
4. LARGE GRANT SUPPORTS CHARACTER EDUCATION, HALLMARKS INITIATIVE AT CAMPBELL
Campbell University became one of 29 colleges and universities to receive an Institutional Impact Grant from Wake Forest University’s Educating Character Initiative in an effort to enable institutional leaders, faculty and staff to “infuse character in undergraduate curricula and programming in ways that align with mission, context and culture.”
Campbell received $431,000 from the overall $15.6 million grant — funded through the support of Lilly Endowment Inc. and Wake Forest — to create “a distinct undergraduate learning experience at Campbell that integrates the hallmarks of character, initiative and calling.”
Goals of the project in 2024 and heading into 2025 include embedding those hallmarks into curriculum, providing professional learning opportunities and resources on character education to faculty and staff, establishing an office that supports work associated with the hallmarks annd properly communicating this initiative to the University faculty and staff.
The project at Campbell is led by Rev. Faithe Beam, vice president for student life and Christian mission, and Borree Kwok, associate provost for administration and academic success.
“Those hallmarks of character, initiative and calling are what distinguishes the educational experience for students at Campbell University,” said Beam. “These three hallmarks came out of conversations across our campus community over the course of the last 18 months. This is how our faculty, staff and students have described their experience at Campbell, and we needed to use a shared language when we discuss those experiences.”
3. CAMPBELL’S FIRST BLACK STUDENT RETURNS AS HALL OF FAMER 57 YEARS LATER
Cordell Wise didn’t see his decision to attend Campbell College in 1967 as anything “monumental” or important at the time. A star basketball player at his high school in New Jersey and rising star at Temple, Wise’s journey was one of necessity. A self-described “academic failure” up north, Wise saw the south as a second chance to play the sport he loved and — he readily admits — his ticket out of a military draft that would have all but guaranteed him an even longer trip east to a war in Vietnam.
He didn’t come here to be a trailblazer, he says. It wasn’t his goal to be Campbell’s first Black student that year. He just came to play basketball.
Wise would go on to become a two-time NAIA All-American in his three years playing basketball at Campbell, and he led the Camels to the NAIA national tournament in his senior year. That part of his Buies Creek experience certainly had its highs — he was the catalyst behind an unprecedented run at the NAIA national title, which had the school on the edge of euphoria for his three-year run.
As expected, however, there were struggles. Stories of segregated restaurants and movie theaters exist, though they’re more comfortably shared by the white teammates who stood by his side than the man himself.
And as uneventful as Wise’s arrival in Buies Creek felt — to him — at the time, his exit from the school after earning his degree in 1970 was equally quiet. A falling out with a coach over a chance at pro ball planted a seed of distrust and disdain in Wise toward Campbell that only grew over the decades that followed.
In January, the University offered a long overdue olive branch when it inducted Cordell Wise into its 2024 Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame class, recognizing his significant impact on the school both on and off the court. In returning to Buies Creek for the first time in ages — first during a Homecoming reunion in the fall and finally for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony — Wise was giving a second chance to an institution that gave him a second chance 57 years earlier.
Wise’s story was featured in the Fall 2024 edition of Campbell Magazine.
2. AFTER NEARLY 50 YEARS, WANDA WATKINS RETIRES FROM CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY
A Big South and Campbell University Hall of Fame coach and administrator, Watkins spent 37 years coaching at Campbell, including 35 seasons as women’s basketball head coach before retiring after the 2015-16 season, winning 549 games before serving in athletics administration for the last eight years.
In 2023, Campbell dedicated the playing surface at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center / Gilbert Craig Gore Arena in honor of Watkins. Wanda Watkins Court at Gore Arena was unveiled during pregame festivities on Wanda Watkins Day in Buies Creek. Hundreds of Watkins’ former teammates, players, coaches, staff members, family and friends were in attendance to honor the Campbell icon.
She retired from coaching as the 29th-winningest head coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball at 549-443, one of 14 active coaches in Division I to serve 30-plus years at the same institution, all while graduating more than 95 percent of her student-athletes along the way.
Watkins also finished her coaching career with 10 conference championship game appearances (six – Big South, four – ASUN) and won two crowns, as her 2000 squad clinched the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
She began her coaching career as the women’s basketball team’s graduate assistant coach in 1979, was hired as the school’s first full-time assistant coach in 1980 and was promoted to head coach in 1981.
In 2019, Watkins was named as one of 14 trailblazing women who shaped Campbell University in Campbell Magazine, and in 2022, the Big South Conference announced that its annual female athlete of the year award would be named in Watkins’ honor.
Watch video1. PRESIDENT J. BRADLEY CREED ANNOUNCES 2025 RETIREMENT; SEARCH FOR NEXT PRESIDENT BEGINS
It’s an event that has only happened five times in Campbell University’s 138-year history.
President Dr. J. Bradley Creed announced in 2024 that will retire next summer at the end of his 10-year tenure.
During his decade at Campbell’s helm, Creed played an instrumental role in the private university’s growth as an institution. He successfully navigated the disruptions of COVID-19, guiding the university through the challenges of remote learning and the transition back to on-campus instruction. Dr. Creed oversaw the most successful capital campaign in Campbell’s history, raising $105 million. That fundraising supported the development of the Oscar N. Harris Student Union, now recognized as the heart of student life at Campbell.
Under Creed’s leadership, the university experienced a rise in undergraduate admissions in the wake of the national trend of a pandemic-induced decline. While Creed enhanced Campbell’s undergraduate experience, he also nurtured the success of the university’s graduate and professional programs.
“Serving as Campbell’s president has been an honor and the capstone of my career in higher education,” Creed said. “I am thankful for the many wonderful people who assisted and supported me, and especially for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students. After more than 30 years of leadership in higher education, I’m eager to take on other projects and to spend more time with my loving wife, children, and grandchildren.”
Gene Lewis, chair of the Campbell University board of trustees, announced in July the formation of a 12-person presidential search committee and selection of a search firm to identify and recommend candidates to succeed Creed as the institution’s next president. The committee includes representatives from Campbell’s faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and students.
Lewis said he is confident in the committee’s ability to undertake this task.
“This diverse search committee represents the solidity of our university and its unique strengths,” said Lewis, who will also serve as chair of the presidential search committee. “This team will identify a visionary leader who will help ensure Campbell University is poised for continued success while maintaining the values that have cemented this institution as a leader in North Carolina’s higher education ecosystem.”
Campbell University expects to name its sixth president in 2025.