James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison Magazine - Summer 2008 - Index

[Life Achievement]
Science
Museum of
Virginia honors
BoV member
By Carly LeDuc (’08)
The science Museum
of Virginia honored
JMU Board of Visitors
member Charles H. Foster
Jr. as the 2008 Virginia Life
achievement in industry
award recipient.
Foster
received the
award at the
museum’s
24th-annual
black-tie
awards dinner
and presenta-
Board of Visitors
member
and awardee
Charles H.
Foster Jr.
tion in april
in Richmond.
The gala
event honors
Virginia’s
outstanding scientists and
industrialists.
Foster became chairman
and Ceo of Landamerica
Financial group inc. in 1998.
since 2005, he has served as
Sixteen graduates
were commissioned
as U.S. Army second
lieutenants during
a ceremony following
commencement.
Col. Christopher M.
Miller (’82), a Meritorious
Service Medal
winner, presented
the commissioning
keynote at the War
Memorial Auditorium
in Memorial Hall.
During a poignant moment in his 2008 commencement speech,
Thomas Dingledine asked graduating seniors, parents, faculty
members, special guests and members of the dais to join hands.
chair emeritus on the company’s
board of directors.
His term on the JMU board
began in 2006. “Charles
Foster is an extremely bright,
informed and generous corporate
leader who recognizes
that service to others is a core
responsibility of citizenship,”
says JMU President Linwood
Rose. “We have benefited
from his advice and guidance,
and the university is clearly a
better institution as a result of
his contributions.”
The science Museum of
Virginia’s awards are pre-
sented to the leaders of Virginia’s
industrial and technological
communities who have
made a distinct contribution
to a business or industry
that advanced development
through the innovative use
of science or technology. The
Lifetime achievement award
is not offered annually, but
at the discretion of the selection
committee. These awards
reinforce the commonwealth’s
commitment to and recognition
of the importance of the
role of science and technology
to improve the world.
foster and graduation photographs by diane elliott (’00); commissioning by angel elza (’10)
[Teaching Tools]
Hitting a high
note for JMU
Vocal library donation adds
to music teaching tools
By Katie Hudson (’10)
MU professors and stu-
Jdents in the music community
were bequeathed
the entire vocal library of the
late genevieve Mcgiffert.
Her husband, Michael, also
donated a cash gift to the
school of Music during a
campus reception on april
17. The extensive collection
of Cds ranging from Mozart
to Farinelli will now have
a home in the JMU music
department. Mcgiffert was
known as one of the most
important voice teachers and
vocal coaches in Virginia.
a few of her many accomplishments
include studying
voice at Juilliard, directing
the Williamsburg Unitarian
Universalist Church Choir
and founding the Colorado
opera Theater.
“This is a great way for our
students to study, and i know
sUMMeR 2008
@ 9