Elon Alumni

Elon will begin upgrades to the Walter C. Latham Park baseball facility following the 2010 baseball season. The improvements are made possible by a group of generous donors led by trustee Dr. Bryan Latham and his wife, Janet, of Miami, who made a $250,000 commitment to fund the work.

Conventional wisdom has it that a professional baseball player reaches his peak batting performance at age 27. Research by two Elon University alumni, whose work in a general studies seminar last spring led to a presentation for the Society for American Baseball Research, shows otherwise, with what they hope is potential for changing the way Major League Baseball teams structure future contracts.

Louis Rittberger '06 has spent the better part of his life watching his mother, Betsy Bloch, courageously battle multiple sclerosis. On Saturday, Sept. 11, he'll take a step he hopes will help her and the millions of people suffering wth MS worldwide when he hosts the first Imagine! benefit in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Elon University President Leo M. Lambert opened the annual planning week by focusing on the goals of The Elon Commitment strategic plan. "At the dawn of a new decade and this new strategic plan, I ask you to continue to give serious thought to how your program, department, or division and each of you personally will take ownership of the idea of leading Elon to national prominence," Lambert said in addressing faculty and staff who were assembled in McCrary Theatre.

For freshmen, moving to campus on Friday will bring with it opportunities, close friendships and, yes, even a touch of anxiety. Read tips on making a smooth transition to college life from alumni who this week offered advice for new students on the university's Facebook fan page, and experience move-in days of years past in a photo gallery put together by the Office of University Relations and by Elon's Archives & Special Collections.

Nathan Guerette '10, beginning his first year in the master's program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, was profiled in an Aug. 26 article that appeared on the school's website. Guerette spoke about how his study abroad experience as an Elon undergraduate inspired him to pursue a degree in nursing.

Elon University faculty and academic programs earned numerous top national honors in the 2011 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings released Aug. 17 by US News & World Report. In the magazine's "Focused on Their Undergrads" ranking, Elon is named the #1 Southern University and among the top 86 colleges and universities in the nation "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching," as measured in a survey of college presidents, provosts and admissions deans.