In his roles as professor of English and director of the Honors program, Dr. Garry Walton teaches "Shakespeare and friends" and works with Honors students and faculty as an adviser, administrator, recruiter and promoter of the Honors program. He also organizes weekend trips, cultural outings and courses for Honors students.

Walton, who will enter his 20th year at Meredith this fall, most enjoys "the personal relations with the students, faculty and staff." This summer, he worked on a research project with senior English major Lori Anderson. Walton and Anderson examined film versions of Shakespeare plays in hopes of creating "a resource for teachers and students that will help them best take advantage of this wealth of resources—explaining some of the strengths and weaknesses of each film, what can be learned from each, what to be wary of."

Life Before Meredith: "I was working in academic administration at the University of Virginia while finishing my dissertation. I wanted a place where I could teach as well as do administration and where we could be close to family (still living in Virginia). The inimitable Dr. Norma Rose was retiring, and Meredith's English department was looking for a Shakespearean, meaning I would have a chance to watch a master teacher at work before having to take over those classes. Betty Webb, department head in English at the time, and Dean Allen Burris convinced us that this would be a good place to teach and live and raise a family—and they were right."


Favorite Thing About Meredith: : "I think the treasure of a small college is the close community that can flourish at a place like this. I thrive on the visits from present and former students; I delight in the drop-in conversations and surprise e-mails; I look forward to the student-faculty volleyball games and weekend Honors trips and all the other ways we build and maintain close relationships with each other."

After Work: : "When I have time, I like to make music—playing guitar or singing—at church or at home with my family. Of course I like to read, to watch movies, and to attend any Shakespeare performance anywhere, anytime. I enjoy traveling to historic places. Sometimes I find time for hiking and biking."

Last Vacation:"[My wife] and I spent 10 days in Beijing with Jonathan (Walton’s college-aged son who studied there for a year). That was vacation for us but hard work for him, since he had to serve as tour guide and translator for us non-stop . . . the trip was great, educational, fun and useful and world-expanding."

Personal Favorites:
Book: "For me, picking a favorite book is like choosing one of my students as a favorite. I like lots and lots of them, for different reasons—each one brings special traits that I particularly value at different times."

Favorite TV Shows: The West Wing and Whose Line is it Anyway?

Favorite Sport: volleyball

Send suggestions for an upcoming Faculty/ Staff Profile to Nutshell editor Kristi Eaves-McLennan at eavesk@meredith.edu.

Q: What is the full name of the department/ program?
A: Office of the First Year Experience

Q: How many people work in the department/ program?
A: Chrissie Bumgardner and Carolyn Koning, Co-Directors for First Year Experience-Suzanne Slawinski, Office Manager

Q: What do you want others to know about the purpose of your department/ program?
A: Committed to the holistic development of the student, the Office of the First Year Experience is designed to help first-year students make a successful transition from high school to college. We provide counseling, advising, programming, leadership development and mentoring opportunities for traditional-aged freshmen. While our focus is primarily traditional-aged freshmen, our programs include many other groups on campus. Some examples include: orientation, which uses the resources of almost everyone on campus; First Year Experience courses, which are taught by faculty, staff and upperclass students; and Student Advisers, who are upperclass students trained to help freshmen transition smoothly. We also invite all members of the community to read and participate in activities related to the Summer Reading Program and select alumnae to work with first-year students through the Freshmentoring program.

Q: If you were at a dinner party, how would you describe your department/ program’s responsibilities?
A: The FYE staff works to help freshmen have a successful first year in a variety of ways: academically, socially, spiritually and physically. Through our programs, we try to help students become more in tune with who they are and confident in their new environment so that they can, in turn, begin to plan successful lives for themselves.

Q: How has the department/ program changed in the last few years?
A: The FYE program is still relatively new, so it has changed a great deal over the past seven years. When it began, orientation and student advising (which have both changed a great deal) were the only programs coordinated through FYE. When the office opened in 1994, the First Year Experience course program and DISCOVERY were the first new initiatives implemented. Gradually, we’ve added Freshmen Frolic, Freshmen Fire and Water Dinner, Freshmentoring, and the Freshmen Leadership Retreat, and the latest additions have been the Summer Reading Program and Supplemental Instruction.

Q: Any recent news or accomplishments that the faculty/ staff should know?
A: The orientation theme this year was "Elements of Excellence," corresponding with the "Human Face of Science" theme that the College has chosen for the year's convocations.

We will also have a whole week of activities devoted to the program this year, September 16-20.

We have 20 sections of the FYE course open in the fall.

Send suggestions for an upcoming Departmental Spotlight to Nutshell editor Kristi Eaves-McLennan at eavesk@meredith.edu.

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