CONWAY, Ark. (October 20, 2014) – Hendrix College will
present Odyssey Medals to four outstanding alumni during the Founders’
Day Convocation on Thursday at 11:10 a.m. in Staples Auditorium on the Hendrix
campus.
Odyssey Medal recipients include:
- Brad Ford ’89 –
Artistic Creativity
- Amanda Moore McBride ’93 – Service to the World
- Elsie McKee ’73 – Research
- F.G. “Buddy” Villines ’69 – Professional and Leadership
Development
Ford, McKee and Villines are the 2014-2015 Odyssey Medal recipients.
McBride, who was awarded the medal in 2013-2014, was unable to attend last
year's ceremony.
ABOUT THE ODYSSEY
MEDAL
Awarded by the Hendrix College Board
of Trustees, the Odyssey Medal is given to Hendrix alumni whose personal and
professional achievements exemplify the values of engaged liberal arts and
sciences education.
Nominations for the 2015 Odyssey Medals
are due Dec. 31, 2014 and may be emailed to president@hendrix.edu.
For more information and a nomination
form, visit www.hendrix.edu/odysseymedal.
ABOUT THE ODYSSEY
MEDALISTS
Brad
Ford ’89, Artistic Creativity
Brad Ford is a high-end
interior designer based in New York City. With a highly edited vision and a
strong hand, Brad has developed a spare, modern aesthetic with a warm soul. Originally
from Russellville, Arkansas, he moved to Manhattan 22 years ago and established
his own firm Brad Ford ID in 1998 with an emphasis on residential spaces. His
interiors showcase signature designs that are understated yet sophisticated,
straightforward, elegant and functional. Balance, light, space and color factor
into all of his designs, creating a timeless effect. Clean lines and simple but
well-crafted furnishings, with an attention to texture and the highest quality
materials are Brad Ford ID essentials. “We create environments that complement
and suit the lifestyle and personality of the client. Whether the room is
formal or casual, traditional or modern, accessibility and comfort are a must.”
Ford holds a degree in interior
design from the Fashion Institute of Technology as well as his degree in business
and economics from Hendrix College. He honed his skills under such leading New
York designers as Thad Hayes and the late Jed Johnson.
Ford has been featured as one of “10 New Designers to
Watch” in both New York Spaces Magazine
and New York Magazine, and was also
named one of America's Top Young Designer's by House Beautiful and Traditional Home.
His work has appeared in a number of shelter magazines and publications across
the country including Hamptons Cottages
& Garden, Elle Décor, Lonny, the New York Times and the Wall
Street Journal. He’s been profiled on 1stdibs.com, the world’s largest
online luxury marketplace and most recently he
was listed as part of the next generation of design in Departures Magazine. The International Furnishings and Design
Association recognized him as one of the Rising Stars of Interior Design and
Charles Cohen along with the Decoration & Design building in New York
awarded him the 2012 Star on the Rise award.
- Ford is a member of the Design Leadership
Network, a membership organization founded to strengthen business practices in
the design industry, and
Amanda Moore McBride ’93, Service to
the World
Amanda Moore McBride, Ph.D.,
associate professor of social work, is an international leader, teacher and scholar
in civic and community engagement. Her work includes building international and
national service initiatives, applying youth service as a component of youth
development, and understanding and communicating the service mission of the
academy.
As director of the Richard A.
Gephardt Institute for Public Service, a position she has held since its 2006
inception, McBride promotes lifelong civic engagement of undergraduate and
graduate students, and engages the university community through a variety of initiatives.
McBride serves as associate dean at
the Brown School, is the research director for the Center for Social
Development, and serves as a faculty fellow for WUSTL’s Institute for School
Partnership. McBride’s research involves the study of higher education’s role
in international service efforts.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in
psychology from Hendrix College in 1993, she worked briefly for the United Way
of Greater St. Louis, then pursued graduate studies at Washington University,
earning master’s and doctoral degrees in 1995 and 2003, respectively. She has
been honored for her teaching and mentoring and recently received an
Outstanding Young Alumna Award from Hendrix College.
Elsie McKee ’73, Research
Elsie Anne McKee is professor of church
history at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J., and an expert in
the history and theology of the Reformation. She also has a strong interest in
cross-cultural issues developed by experience in central Africa. In addition to
her bachelor’s degree from Hendrix, McKee earned a diploma in Theology from the
University of Cambridge in England in 1974 and a Ph.D. from Princeton
Theological Seminary in 1982, graduating summa cum laude. She
has also studied at Columbia University and at the University of Geneva in
Switzerland.
McKee is the author of nine books,
currently at work on her 10th, and editor or
translator of three others. Her focus has been on Calvin’s doctrine of the
church and on the life and impact of 16thcentury reformer
Katharina Schütz Zell. “Research leads to teaching,” she said, “the realm
for inviting others to the game of historical ‘come dig with me; finding out is
such fun.’ The more players the merrier; learning is for sharing.”
She shares what she learns through
research in scholarly articles, presentations and as a guest professor or
lecturer in institutions around the world, including the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Cameroon and Rome.
F.G. “Buddy” Villines ’69, Professional and
Leadership Development
Buddy Villines has served county
judge in Pulaski County, Ark., since 1991, a position he was elected to after
serving six years on the Little Rock Board of Directors, including two years as
Mayor of Little Rock. His public service has been marked by leadership in
issues involving economic growth, education and the environment.
As County Judge, the chief executive
officer of county government, he has overseen the construction of nearly $150
million in projects including the Two Rivers Park Bridge; the Big Dam Bridge,
the world’s longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge specifically designed for that
purpose; and the Junction Bridge, a historic railroad bridges converted for
pedestrian use.
Villines earned degrees from Hendrix
and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. He is a Vietnam
veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star. He has received awards recognizing
his work as a humanitarian, his support of green building techniques, and his
role as an advocate and leader in creating public spaces where people want to
live, work and play. He has served as president of County Executives of
America, the National Association of Regional Councils, and the National
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
ABOUT HENDRIX
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in
engaged liberal arts and sciences education. This year, Hendrix was named the
country’s #1 “Up and Coming” liberal arts college and #8 in the nation for
“Best Undergraduate Teaching” by U.S.
News and World Report. Hendrix is
featured in the 2015 Fiske Guide to Colleges, Forbes
magazine's list of America's Top Colleges, the 2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 Colleges, and the latest
edition of Colleges That Change
Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges.
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For
more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.