SALISBURY — Two recent graduates of Catawba College, Austin Snide, ’21 and Arilyn Lynch, ’22, attended the 100th Anniversary National Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society Convention in Oklahoma City,  June 1-4.

Carmony Hartwig, Catawba College Associate Professor of Biology, Tau Eta new chapter co-advisor, and new Southeast District I Director of the society, accompanied Lynch and Snide to the conference, the first time the college has attended the event in more than a decade.

Both Snide and Lynch were recognized at prior meetings of the Association of Southeastern Biologists Conferences with first place honors in the section.

At the Spring 2021 conference, Snide earned first place honors in the SE D1 Johnson C. Johnson Award for excellence in poster presentation for his research titled “Eggshell Organizing Factor 1 Protein in Psorophora ferox Mosquitoes.”

This past spring, Lynch earned first place honors in the SE D1 Frank G. Brooks Award for Excellence in Paper Presentation, for her research titled “The Harder they Fall: Measuring the Decline of a Green Ash Swamp Forest due to Emerald Ash Borer Damage in North Carolina” at the ASB conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

With these first-place honors at the regional ASB meetings, both students were invited to attend and present their research at the National Conference in Oklahoma City, fully funded by the society.

Lynch, a biology and environment and sustainability graduate, presented the research she conducted with professors Jay Bolin and Andrew Jacobson on the decline of the Ash tree stands in the Catawba College Fred Stanback Jr. Ecological Preserve due to the invasive emerald ash borer.

Her talk at the national convention was incredibly well-received by attendees that represented chapters from all over the United States, from California to Puerto Rico. Her presentation earned her another first place Frank G. Brooks Award for Excellence in Student Research, this time at the national level.

Catawba celebrates MBA grads

SALISBURY — Catawba College’s Ralph W. Ketner School of Business celebrated its most recent Ketner MBA graduates with a recognition ceremony on July 27, acknowledging their accomplishments.

“These seven Ketner MBA graduates represent the very best of Catawba College as they embody the leadership and ideals of Ralph W. Ketner,” said Jeremiah Nelson, Assistant Professor of Management and Ketner MBA Program Director. “Each of them completed the MBA in one year while balancing numerous professional, family, and other life commitments. That kind of work ethic and determination is uniquely Catawba, and it will serve them well as they continue to advance in their professional careers.”

Catawba’s seven summer Ketner MBA graduates are: Caroline Alexander, Zachary Alford, Alexander Elliott, Michael Hueitt, Carlos Lara, Henderson Lentz, and Mackenzie Reid.

“Becoming a part of the Catawba College community through the Ketner MBA program has allowed me to build upon my undergraduate studies while also fast tracking me for growth in my career,” shared graduate Callie Alexander. “As an employee of the Salisbury based grocery chain giant, Ahold Delhaize USA, I have seen the impact Catawba’s Ketner MBA has made through connections of my day to day work in the largest supply chain network on the East Coast.”

The Ralph W. Ketner School of Business at Catawba College launched its masters in business administration program with a specialization in general management in the fall of 2020. The 36-credit hour online program will begin offering a concentration in health care administration in fall 2023. Full-time students are able to begin in the summer or fall terms and earn their MBA in one year. Students may also choose to pursue their graduate degrees on a part-time basis, begin any semester, and graduate in less than two years.