Campbell’s Top Stories
2023 Edition
Join us in looking back at some of the biggest stories and events that shaped Campbell’s 136th year as an institution of higher education.
Campbell goes Coastal
“Campbell’s athletic teams have demonstrated that we can compete with some of the best teams in the country. This move to the CAA aligns extremely well for Campbell in terms of the profile of sports and athletics, as well as the academic reputation of these highly regarded colleges and universities.”
— Campbell President J. Bradley Creed
July 1 was a big day for Campbell University Athletics. In addition to the new camel and the new look, the program officially joined the Coastal Athletic Association at midnight that day.
The growing conference encompasses many of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas with a geographic footprint that stretches from Boston to Charleston. The CAA has produced 18 national team champions in five different sports and 33 individual national champions.
Campbell left the Big South Conference as its top program over the last six years, winning five Big South Conference men’s all sports trophies and the Sasser Cup twice as the overall Big South all sports champion. In that same span, Campbell won 49 league regular season and tournament titles in the Big South, and Fighting Camel teams claimed nine conference regular season and tournament titles in its final year.
Campbell’s soccer and football programs finished their first season in the CAA in the fall, and volleyball came away with the most success in its first season, going 13-5 against CAA opponents and finishing third overall.
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A new Camel for a new Era
“As we enter into a new conference we wanted a championship brand to carry us into this next era of Campbell Athletics. This new look is bold, it’s authentic, it’s strong and fierce. It makes a statement about who we are, simplifies and aligns our identity across the department and will increase the impact of the Campbell Athletics brand.”— Hannah Bazemore, director of athletics
Campbell University Athletics unveiled new branding on July 1, with refreshed and updated visual identity assets as the Fighting Camels embarked on a new era in program history.
The new visual identity included new logos and wordmarks, a simplified color palette and official typography fonts. The change marked an evolution of Campbell University Athletics, reflecting the strength and resiliency of the Fighting Camel, while honoring both the past and present.
Specifically, the new visual identity is as distinctive and unique as the Fighting Camel moniker, communicating a sense of strength and bold simplicity, designed to function across all licensing, linear and digital applications.
A decade of medicine, 1,000 doctors
A total of 1,050 doctors of osteopathic medicine have now received their education from Campbell University
“Everybody I have spoken with who came out of this institution were nothing but complimentary of the education they received here. It’s very heartwarming to see our graduates go on to represent this institution and do it with pride, commitment and, really, the common core values of this institution. And as a dean, that always puts a smile on your face.”
— Dr. Brian Kessler, dean of the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine
Nearly eight years after it became the first new medical school in North Carolina in over 35 years, the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine hooded its 1,000th doctor on May 11. At the milestone commencement, the school turned to its first-ever accepted student — Dr. Melissa Stout Davis — to deliver the commencement address.
A total of 1,050 doctors of osteopathic medicine have now received their education from Campbell University — many have gone on to practice in rural and underserved parts of North Carolina, the Southeast and the United States, addressing a serious physician shortage across the country.
On July 24, faculty and staff of the school commemorated the 10th anniversary of the school’s opening with a Hawaiian-themed breakfast and program with a speech from the school’s founder, Dr. Jerry M. Wallace. At the even, Wallace shared the story of the school’s birth.
“There was this thought, at first, that there was no way in the world a school like that could do this,” Wallace recalled. “But I was amazed at what I saw when I got there, and I thought, ‘My goodness, they can do this.’ Then I thought, ‘We can do this.’ I couldn’t wait to get back home and start the process, because I believed from the depth of my heart that there was a need for a school like this [in rural North Carolina].”
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A Legend Calls it a Career
“Wanda Watkins is not only one of the most important figures in Campbell Athletics, but also one of the most important individuals in our university’s history. Her athletics and academic excellence brought her to Campbell nearly 50 years ago, and she has stayed ever since.” — Hannah Bazemore, director of Athletics
Campbell University honored legendary former head coach Wanda Watkins as part of the first Wanda Watkins Day on Nov. 18 after she announced her retirement from Campbell Athletics effective at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. In recognition of nearly a half century of service, Campbell University dedicated the playing surface at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center/Gilbert Craig Gore Arena in her honor.
Watkins became the Fighting Camels’ first female scholarship athlete when she enrolled at Campbell College in the fall of 1975 and played both basketball and softball. Over the last 48-plus years, she has witnessed the growth of the institution to university status, the athletic program’s move from the NAIA to the NCAA Division I level and the emergence of women’s athletics on the national and world stage.
Watkins retired in 2016 as the 29th-winningest head coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball at 549-443 and was one of 14 active coaches in Division I to serve 30-plus years at the same institution. She finished her 35-year tenure with 10 Division I conference championship game appearances (six in the Big South and four in the ASUN) and won two tournament titles. Her 2000 squad clinched the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth after winning the ASUN championship and advanced to play at Duke in March Madness.
She served as senior associate AD and senior woman administrator since September 2016, while also taking on interim athletics director responsibilities from January through June of 2019. In addition, she has been a regular color analyst on Campbell women’s basketball broadcasts on ESPN+ and FloHoops.
Generation AI
“I think we, as an institution, need to prepare our students for that world that they’re going to be living in. I think we have a great opportunity to do that. It’s an exciting time to be working in higher education.”
— Sherri Yerk-Zwickl, vice president for information technology and chief information officer
It was a breakout year for artificial intelligence as the world saw explosive growth in generative AI tools. The spring edition of Campbell Magazine took a deep look at the trending technology and, more specifically, the impact it’s already had on higher education.
A group of Campbell professors began meeting in the spring on that impact, focusing at first on programs like ChatGPT and the ability it afforded students to find easier ways to “cheat” on assignments by having AI write for them. But the meetings opened the professors’ eyes to more than the downside — they found themselves discussing ways to add AI learning to their curriculums.
“When I first started hearing about it, the first thing I thought was, ‘My gosh, they can use this to cheat.’ But as I continue to learn more, I wonder how I can partner with the students to better utilize this,” said communication studies professor Brian Bowman. “As professors, we have to understand that our students are going to be using this anyway. So my goal for them is to be able to understand this technology and know how it works. Not necessarily the coding part, but really, how can they use it wisely? What can this lead to? What effect will all of this have on our society?”
The Lundy-Fetterman School of Business has leaned into AI, hiring its first “AI executive in residence” and theming its leadership summit on the subject. Business professor Dr. Michael Rodriguez presented his research on AI in sales at the Atlantic Marketing Association conference this year.
AI will only get better and smarter, and its impact on Campbell and higher education as a whole will continue to grow.
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Campbell Names a New Provost
“I’ve watched my kids come through this school and grow and flourish, because of their Campbell education. The thing I feel the void in is teaching and that direct student interaction. To see that light bulb come on in a student — that’s always been my motivating force. I can’t wait to get back to that.”
— Dr. Mark Hammond, former provost, vice president for academic affairs
The year began with a change in leadership at one of Campbell University’s most important positions — provost and vice president of academic affairs.
On Jan. 19, Dr. Michael Adams assumed the roles after serving nearly eight years as dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. He succeeded Dr. Mark Hammond, who announced he will be joining the faculty of the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicin in 2024. Hammond served as provost for the last 10 years, and, before that, 12 years as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
“I look forward to working with the esteemed faculty and staff colleagues at Campbell University as well as the Deans’ Council and the cabinet to continue the pursuit of our mission of preparing graduates for purposeful lives and meaningful service,” Adams said in January. “I greatly appreciate Dr. Hammond’s leadership and counsel during my tenure as dean, as he provided a broad perspective of the multifaceted academic operations of the University.”
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Pro Humps
It was a big year for professional athletes who once donned a Campbell University uniform in 2023
“I prioritize earning your position at work. It’s really about Julian’s ability to really come from a small school and develop each and every day to the point that we thought that he earned the trust of his teammates and the coaches of how he competed and how he fit within the team. You can go one or two ways when you’re making those types of decision,s and we are steadfast on allowing the players, while they’re here, to make those decisions for us.”
— Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel on his decision to add Julian Hill to the team’s Week 1 roster
It was a big year for professional athletes who once donned a Campbell University uniform. The biggest news from 2023 was Campbell having not one but two former Camels make the final rosters for their respective NFL teams.
Julian Hill, an All Big South tight end during his time at Campbell, signed with the Miami Dolphins as a rookie free agent over the summer and was a surprise to many when he made the Dolphins’ 53-man roster in August. Hill has served as a special teams specialist and blocking tight end for the playoff-bound Dolphins, and he’s also caught four passes as a rookie.
Brevin Allen also surprised many as a rookie free agent who made the Week 1 roster for the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen played the first two games at linebacker and has since remained on the Chargers’ practice squad this season.
Hill and Allen became the first two Camels to play in an NFL game, a milestone for the program since football returned to the school in 2008.
Campbell has had no shortage of athletes play Major League Baseball, but 2023 was still a special year. Zach Neto, the Camels’ highest-ever draft pick in 2022, was the first player from that draft to make his Major League roster. Neto hit .233 with 9 home runs and 32 RBI and played exceptional defense for the Los Angeles Angels this season and is projected to be the Angels’ long-term shortstop going forward.
Ryan Thompson found a new home with the Arizona Diamondbacks and pitched in his second World Series this season (his first was with Tampa Bay). Thompson threw a shutout inning against the Rangers in this year’s Fall Classic and pitched in 31 games total in 2023.
Former Camel Allan Winans also made his Major League debut in 2023, and Orioles All Star centerfielder Cedric Mullins enjoyed another strong season with 15 home runs and 74 RBI in leading Baltimore to its first playoff appearance since 2016.
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The Cape Crusader
“It’s a wonderful teaching space. I’m a huge proponent of learning by experience, and for much of what I teach in the classroom, you have to get out here to see it to really understand what you’re learning. I’ve had students from larger cities who’ve never seen areas like this — they’d never stepped off an asphalt path before and were terrified of being out in nature. But after a few weeks, they own the space. They fall in love with it.” — Dr. John Bartlett
For over a century, the Cape Fear has been a friend to Campbell University. It provided — long before there even was a school — the first wave of Scottish immigrants who colonized Harnett County in 1739 (families with familiar names like Buie and Campbell). Those families, in their quest to escape English rule in their home country, followed their trek across the Atlantic by sailing another 200 miles north along the river before finding their new, unchartered home.
Then 160 years later — when a fire destroyed a young Buies Creek Academy (the precursor to Campbell University) in 1901 — the river delivered (quite miraculously after a brutal weekend storm) a lost floating sawmill that would be used to build the now iconic Kivett Hall, Campbell’s oldest building.
The Campbell-Cape Fear connection remains strong today. For Dr. John Bartlett, associate professor of biology, the river and the nature that surrounds it are an enormous outdoor laboratory for him and his students. And over the past decade-plus, they have become more than teachers and learners; they’ve become caretakers of this lab made up of meadows, forest and winding trails.
Bartlett’s pride and joy is the Campbell Pollinator Trail, which occupies roughly 370 acres of land between U.S. 421 and the Cape Fear River, barely a mile from the Buies Creek campus.
The Fall 2023 edition of Campbell Magazine highlighted Bartlett’s work and the rich history between Campbell and the river
