Dr. Tom Johnston & Dr. Vijay Antharam

Methodist University announces the presenters of the 22nd annual B.F. Stone Endowed Lyceum, Dr. George Hendricks, Dr. Vijay Antharam, Tom Johnston, and Dr. Joel Sattgast.

Methodist University announces the presenters of the 22nd annual B.F. Stone Endowed Lyceum, Dr. George Hendricks, Dr. Vijay Antharam, Tom Johnston, and Dr. Joel Sattgast. Every year, a scholarly project from Methodist University faculty is chosen to be presented at the Lyceum, a special lecture event. This year’s presentation brings together several path-breaking presentations under the umbrella concept of “In Defense of the University.”

The B.F. Stone Endowed Lyceum was created to foster scholarly interaction among faculty, students, and the larger community. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 15, 2018, in the Medical Lecture Hall in the Physician Assistant complex.

The presentation will showcase some of the roles the university and its graduates can play in a changing economy and society, as the economy shifts away from traditional forms of work. The presenters will offer visions of how higher education can offer Americans, and the world, more engaged citizenship, a more equitable society, and healthier and happier bodies and minds.

This year’s event is organized by Dr. Carl Dyke, Dr. Peter Murray, and Dr. Patrick O’Neil, professors of history and recipients of last year’s Lyceum honor. As is tradition, the previous year’s recipients organize the next event and introduce the speakers.

As universities face increasing political pressure, this year’s Lyceum offers a chance to reorient our ideas about education in America.

“One of the things a university education can be good for is getting a job,” said Dyke. “Learning more about our intestinal biome, thinking about pain as a diverse and consequential experience, and understanding the dynamics of school segregation don’t lead directly to jobs, yet through these and so many other pursuits, universities contribute to lives of meaning, purpose, and citizenship.”

All the recipients of this year’s annual B.F. Stone Lyceum honor are members of the Methodist University faculty and all demonstrate how the university can remain vital in the modern world.

About the Presenters

Hendricks received a Bachelor of Science and Master Social Work from East Carolina University and a doctorate from Walden University. His primary research interest deals with the educational achievement of homeless children. He is an active member of St. Andrews United Methodist Church and has previously served on numerous boards, including the local Department of Social Services. He is married to Kelly Hendricks, a registered nurse at the Cumberland County Health Department. George and Kelly have two children, Trevor and Tanner. His favorite quote is by Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Antharam received his Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Florida. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Florida College of Medicine in biochemistry and molecular biology. In 2015, he joined the faculty at Methodist University. His research interests include the microbiome, metabolomics and structural biology. Vijay Antharam got married in 2015 to Madhuri Antharam and they have a 6-month-old son, Hansin.

Jarold “Tom” Johnston received his bachelor’s degree in nursing at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee and his master’s in nurse midwifery at the University of Rhode Island. Johnston is currently a doctoral student at the Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing in Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, and plans to graduate in 2019. He is married to Elizabeth Johnston and they have eight children. He came to MU in 2015 to teach nursing after 27 years in the U.S. Army. His research and publications interests are birth and breastfeeding, fatherhood, and the microbiome. If he had any spare time, he would play the bagpipes for fun.

Joel Sattgast received a Bachelor of Science degree from Concordia University, Nebraska, in cellular and molecular biology and chemistry. He then received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Creighton University. He is a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and has advanced training in orthopedics, sports and performance, and pain management. In addition to maintaining clinical practice, his primary research interests relate to running performance, pain neuroscience, and the biopsychosocial interactions between patients and their health care providers. He is married to Laura Sattgast, and they have two daughters, Grace and Anna.

About the Lyceum

The Lyceum was first held in 1997, and the event became known as the B.F. Stone Endowed Lyceum in 1998 with a generous gift from the estate of Mr. B.F. “Doc” Stone, a pharmacist from Elizabethtown, N.C. Stone was a respected and active member of the Methodist Church and a longtime supporter of the University.

After the responses, there will be a time for questions from the audience. Light refreshments will be served.