Bethanny Sudibyo, assistant teaching professor of Spanish in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, is building a bridge between comprehension and community.

Sudibyo’s community engagement (CE) course, Spanish for Healthcare, lets students learn and use Spanish in a practical setting through a partnership with Open Door Clinic in Burlington, North Carolina.

“It was always one of my goals to have a community engagement component,” said Sudibyo. “I didn’t want students to simply learn in the classroom because I think if we are thinking about language as a way to connect with people and to help the community, we should also put that into practice.”

The purpose of the course is to prepare students to interact with patients who may not be comfortable communicating in English in a healthcare setting. After a few weeks of preparation, students are required to volunteer for two sessions, doing tasks such as shadowing a Spanish translator, translating promotional materials into Spanish and supporting patients who may be more comfortable speaking Spanish while acting as an interpreter between the patient and healthcare professional.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect,” said Hannah Nunez ’28, a public health major, who took Spanish for Healthcare in the fall of 2025. “But I really liked connecting with patients and having one-on-one conversations with them. You could tell that they were very appreciative.
It is very nerve-wracking. But honestly, they don’t care if you mess up.
It’s more so that you’re trying.”

The course was pitched to make language learning a more hands-on skill. �鶹��Ƶ as an institution is passionate about professional experience, especially healthcare-focused programming such as nursing or physician assistant. By combining this with language learning, Sudibyo turns Spanish into a skill that can be utilized directly, strengthening practical skills and community building before students even enter the professional world. And the Open Door Clinic was open to facilitating that learning.

At first, Sudibyo was hesitant to establish a partnership due to possible ethical concerns within the medical field. However, one of her students in the first cohort of the class was a student coordinator for Open Door Clinic and was able to connect Sudibyo with the clinic, which assured her that the clinic itself was a learning space where students could build real-life experience and help patients in any capacity.

“I think the beautiful thing about the clinic is that it’s very community-centered. Everyone is volunteering,” said Sudibyo. “If you’re working in the healthcare professions, you’re serving a community, and you need to know who the community members are.”

Currently, the class is only offered at one intermediate level of Spanish in the fall semesters. In the future, Sudibyo hopes that she can get a second level to keep volunteers connected with the Open Door Clinic during the spring semester, both further building the students’ language skills and growing their connection to �鶹��Ƶ’s surrounding community.

“A university as an institution can sometimes feel very disconnected with the community that it is in,” said Sudibyo. “I think it is important for students to know the stories of the people who are living around campus. It’s an important thing to bridge that gap between higher education and the community.”

For Spanish students interested in connecting their language learning with service in the local Alamance area but may be intimidated by using the language in hands-on situations, this class offers a supportive and connected environment and strongly emphasizes its two meaningful purposes: serving the surrounding community and learning to utilize the Spanish language.

“If you struggle with speaking up and speaking Spanish to other people, it can be difficult, but at the same time, it’s difficult for a reason. Learning a language is always difficult,” said Nunez. “It’s okay to be nervous, but you’re gonna do a lot better than you think. There’s people there supporting you.”

The School of Communications will host its annual �鶹��Ƶ Drone Day on Friday, Oct. 30, bringing together recreational and commercial pilots, industry professionals, educators and students for a day of presentations, demonstrations and networking in Turner Theater and Snow Family Grand Atrium. The free event, organized in partnership with the North Carolina chapter of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (NC AUVSI), is open to the public, but registration is required.

This year’s program will place a particular emphasis on AI, with Sambit Bhattacharya, a professor at Fayetteville State University, delivering the keynote address, “Preflight Checks for Intelligent Machines: What Drones Can Teach Us �鶹��Ƶ Trustworthy AI.”

Bhattacharya’s presentation will explore how the aviation industry’s emphasis on safety, testing and accountability can inform the development of trustworthy AI systems. Drawing on research from , he will examine how autonomous drones make decisions, the challenges of deploying AI in real-world environments, and the importance of ensuring that emerging technologies operate reliably.

Teaching Professor of Visual Communication Randy Piland, who organizes �鶹��Ƶ Drone Day, said the keynote reflects both the growing role of artificial intelligence in drone technology and �鶹��Ƶ’s broader efforts to encourage conversations about AI across academic disciplines.

“It’s been percolating in my mind for several months about how we can tie into �鶹��Ƶ’s effort to broaden the AI arena or broaden the discussion of AI in programs that we have,” Piland said. “So many of the new autonomous drones rely on AI to make it work.”

That interest led Piland to Bhattacharya, whose research at Fayetteville State focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in unmanned aerial systems. Shortly after Bhattacharya accepted the invitation, Piland learned that to expand its work involving AI and unmanned aerial systems.

Beyond the keynote, the program will highlight the expanding applications of drone technology across several industries.

A panel featuring Preston Cave, Matt Solomon and Seth Nagy will examine the use of drones in agriculture, including crop spraying, seeding and multispectral imaging, which helps farmers assess crop conditions and make more informed decisions about their fields.

Other presentations will address low-cost, open-source drone mapping for disaster response, the use of unmanned aircraft to detect and manage invasive plant species in parks, and updates on drone flight planning and management technology.

The day will kick off with a drone soccer demonstration by Asheboro City Schools, as well as a vendor showcase. In the afternoon, attendees will take in flight demonstrations in the parking area behind Schar Center.

Established in 2021, �鶹��Ƶ Drone Day has developed into an annual gathering for individuals interested in the evolving drone industry. The event welcomed a record 185 attendees, vendors and volunteers in 2025.

Piland said that despite the industry’s rapid evolution, the event’s original mission has remained unchanged.

“We want to provide an opportunity for local drone enthusiasts and professionals to come together to exchange knowledge and network, so that they can have an outlet to improve and find solutions to things they’re trying to do,” he said.

2026 �鶹��Ƶ Drone Day Program

8–8:45 AM
Vendor Setup

8:45 – 9:10 AM
Atrium Welcome & Vendor Show
Coffee and pastries (Provided by Blue Ridge Mountain Drone Education, WING & ELON AI)

Asheboro City Schools – Drone Soccer Demo
Wendy Graham (Center, Snow Atrium)

9:20 AM
Welcome by Associate Dean Tony Weaver (Turner Theatre)

9:25 AM
‘Preflight Checks for Intelligent Machines: What Drones Can Teach Us �鶹��Ƶ Trustworthy AI’ – Dr. Sambit Bhattacharya (Turner Theatre)

10:10 AM
Low-Cost, Open-Source Drone Mapping for Disaster Response in Resource-Constrained Settings – Michael Berryann, NCCU (Turner Theatre)

10:40 AM
Drones in Agriculture Panel – Preston Cave, Matt Solomon, Seth Nagy (Turner Theatre)

11:25 AM
Leveraging UAS for Invasive Species Detection and Treatment in Parks – Al Cire, Raptor Drone Services (Turner Theatre)

Noon
ALOFT | Drone Sense | Versaterm Update – Kevin Teen, Allen Yanow (Turner Theatre)

Lunch
Move to Schar Center Rear Parking for Lunch and Demos

Demos
Raven Advisory (Schar Center Parking)
Pac Aerial App (Schar Center Parking)
Wilstair Drone Eng Solutions (Schar Center Parking)

Vendors/Supporters

To find out the location of your polling place on Election Day in Alamance County, simply go to the and confirm your polling place before you leave to vote. Note that the �鶹��Ƶ campus is divided into two precincts, so this is especially important.

Later that evening, the �鶹��Ƶ community is invited to come together and watch Election results come in from across the country during a watch event on the First Floor of the Moseley Center from 8 to 11 p.m.

For additional information about voting and Election Day resources, please visit the �鶹��Ƶ Votes! Website.

“The program’s nice for STEM students who typically have very busy schedules but are looking for ways to volunteer” said Kyle Anderson, associate director of the Kernodle Center for Civic life and supervisor of Imagine Science. “There could be some sense of connection between what those students are doing in the classroom here, or interests they might have, or maybe they really liked science class when they were younger. So it’s a way to apply things they’re interested in and then benefit kids that we work with.”

Imagine Science runs workshops twice a month on Thursdays, with spots for five volunteers, along with the two student coordinators, Julia Polen ’28 and Peyton Kalan ’27. Both coordinators are in STEM majors, Polen being a nursing student and Kalan studying biochemistry on the pre-med track and share a deep passion for watching kids get excited about learning science.

“It all just feels very meaningful. Some volunteer experiences, you don’t really know what the bigger picture is,” said Kalan. “But for Imagine Science, we really try to tell our volunteers why we’re doing this. These kids might not have a lot of experiences like this. Having a science presence is so important not just for �鶹��Ƶ, but for little kids as well, because not a lot of kids who come from lower income families think of science as an option for them.”

Community engagement within Alamance County is an essential part of �鶹��Ƶ Volunteers!, and by working with the students at Red Shield Youth Center, �鶹��Ƶ students are able to see just how great an impact their enthusiasm for STEM can have. As a newer program, Imagine Science has a lot of potential for growth, expanding to more community partners or holding more frequent workshops in the future. Already, however, the impact it has on local K-12 students in the community is great.

“The kids are very passionate,” said Polen. “All of them are really interactive and they’re all really friendly. So I think it’s honestly a really great thing to do. The kids all really enjoy doing these experiments and they enjoy everything �鶹��Ƶ.”

This 150-minute session, titled “Deepening Equitable and Community-Centered Models of Assessment: Practices, Models and Networks,” featured moderated workshopping and extensive discussion related to ethical practices in the assessment of community-engaged learning programs that emphasize the evaluation of outcomes for community partners. Along with Gendle, this session was co-led by:

• Amanda Wittman, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Global and Integrative Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Sarah Stanlick, associate dean of the Global School and Associate Professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Mike Bishop, managing director of the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative

Here we learn, here we grow. 
Every day there’s more to know. 
We are thinkers, we are strong,
And at Roberts we belong.
Dream big, shine bright, as a Phoenix we take flight.
Side by side, here we say, we can learn in our own way. 
This is our school, this is our day.
We are Roberts, hip hip hooray!

Such was the energy and emotion on display at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ, a new elementary school made possible through a transformational gift to the university by a Florida couple that has made the education of children with dyslexia the focus of their philanthropy.

The school was established in 2025 by the generosity of Marjorie and Hal Roberts, who witnessed firsthand the transformative power a multisensory approach to reading education can have for children with dyslexia. Their gift supports both the Roberts Academy and the Roberts Center for Dyslexia and Engaged Learning within �鶹��Ƶ’s Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education.

The Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ is the fourth private school established by the couple, joining , , and in a network of programs committed to the advancement of education for children with dyslexia and related conditions.

The school opened this fall in a temporary location on Trollinger Avenue for third and fourth graders. Plans are unforlding for a new 30,000-square-foot building that will eventually host students in the first through sixth grade. Roberts Academy teachers use the Orton-Gillingham method of instruction, considered one of the most effective approaches to helping students develop strategies for overcoming their reading difficulties.

The ribbon-cutting on Oct. 2, 2026, featured an invocation by the Rev. Kirstin Boswell, �鶹��Ƶ’s chaplain, followed with remarks of reflection and gratitude by:

• �鶹��Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book
• Philanthropist Marjie Roberts
• Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• Alicia Tate, acting director of the Roberts Academy at �鶹��Ƶ
• Tait Arend, senior philanthropic adviser at �鶹��Ƶ

Book recounted for those in attendance how �鶹��Ƶ made a promise to children with dyslexia that a learning difference would not be a limitation – and a promise to parents that they would not be alone in their journey to understand their children’s learning needs. Book then delivered a charge to the students seated before her.

“I want you to know that �鶹��Ƶ is a Hebrew word for ‘oak,’” she said. “What’s unique about oak trees is they grow the best in groves, and their root systems connect, and they become stronger as a team of trees. I charge you, as little Phoenix, to act like a grove of oak trees and to support each other and to help each other be successful as classmates.”

In her own remarks, Marjie Roberts thanked parents for placing their trust in �鶹��Ƶ and the Roberts Academy.

“This academy has the ability to restart the educational experience of young students and make the experience successful and rewarding,” she said. “It will rebuild their self confidence, enrich their minds and be a source of pride. It will change the lives of students by setting them on a trajectory of achievement and success.

“This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.”

This is a celebration of what the academy will mean for the 16 children who are now enrolled, what it will mean for their families, and to the thousands of others who will follow.

– Philanthropist Marjorie Roberts

Tate introduced members of the Roberts Academy faculty and staff and Arend thanked members of the implementation team that worked to launch the academy, with Bullock serving as host and emcee of the afternoon program in the parking lot of Trollinger House.

And then there was the student cheer and the presentation of a personalized gift to the Roberts family: framed artwork featuring paper hearts with the names of each child who is part of the charter class of students.

“To our first families, thank you for believing in our school before the school even existed,” Arend said. “You all believed in us not only before the first stapler was purchased, but before the first staple was purchased. You trusted us with the children you love more than anything. And while there will be many, many children who walk through those doors, there will only ever be one first day, and there will only ever be these first 16 students.”

During early voting, you can register to vote and immediately cast your ballot in the same visit. The South Gym on �鶹��Ƶ’s campus is one of five early voting sites in Alamance County. Visit for specifics on days and times for early voting.

Next Steps to Cast Your Ballot Using your University �������������

1. North Carolina voters must show an acceptable photo ID to vote. You can obtain a special �鶹��Ƶ Phoenix Voter Card, provided at no cost by �鶹��Ƶ, from the Phoenix Card office in Oaks McCoy Commons (Room 201). Once you obtain this card, it will serve as your Phoenix Card and full-time student ID. Obtaining this voter card does not automatically register you to vote .

2. Students who live off-campus may need to provide proof of an Alamance County address – a list of items can be found here.

For more information, visit the �鶹��Ƶ Votes! Website. In addition, you are always welcome to visit the Kernodle Center for Civic Life located in the Moseley Center, Room 232, email elonvols@elon.edu, or call 336-278-7250 for assistance.

Design Forge is �鶹��Ƶ’s annual convening of design thinking educators, practitioners and thought leaders. Each year, Design Forge addresses a topic of interest to higher education, strengthens collaboration in the design thinking community and searches for new opportunities for design thinking to enhance student learning.

With the return of Design Forge in 2027, this year’s theme is centered on the idea of cultivation. Educators and thought leaders within design thinking will connect cultivation to themes on nourishing future generations, cultivating resilient and diverse communities, refining with ourselves and others, and reframing design as a process of cultivation.

In addition to the two-day events during Forge, in-person attendees can choose to attend the additional Forging Fridays Writing Fellowship to receive consultation and support on cultivating success on creating, writing, and publishing their own works.

Design Forge 2027 is taking place after a unique year of organizing virtual Forging Fridays, culminating in the Center jointly hosting the Future of Design in Higher Education convening with Duke University in June 2026. Past Forge themes have explored topics such as designing for well-being, project-based learning and intergenerational communities.

For participants wanting to attend Design Forge in-person, please contact Center for Design Thinking Director Danielle Lake at dlake@elon.edu. Interested attendees outside of �鶹��Ƶ faculty can complete a that is available for those seeking financial support. Design Forge 2027 can also be attended online.

Related Articles

• The Month in Photos: June 2026
• The Month in Photos: July 2026
• The Month in Photos: August 2026

September brought the �鶹��Ƶ community fully into the rhythm of a new academic year, with classrooms bustling, fall traditions returning and opportunities for learning and connection unfolding across campus. From thought-provoking speakers and engaging performances to Phoenix athletics and everyday moments of campus life, the month offered plenty to capture.

Take a look back at some of the memorable moments from September through the lenses of staff in the Office of University Communications.

One and done

�鶹��Ƶ School of Law Dean Zak Kramer challenged the Class of 2025 to achieve an overall first-time bar passage rate of 83%, a mark that would have been the highest in �鶹��Ƶ Law history.

The class’s Student Bar Association president had a counterproposal: What if they reached 85%? Would the dean get a tattoo? Kramer said yes.

The Class of 2025 responded with a 90.9% overall first-time bar passage rate across North Carolina and 11 other states. On Sept. 4, Kramer responded by rolling up his sleeve.

Lab learning

As the fall semester gets fully underway, students are in the classroom learning through hands-on experience.

Feline fun

�鶹��Ƶ Volunteers!, through the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, provides all members of the �鶹��Ƶ campus the opportunity to develop an ethic of service by connecting campus and community through service experiences. In Sepetember, students had some feline fun with animals at Burlington Animal Services.

Hispanic Heritage Month

�鶹��Ƶ kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a kick-off event. The month-long celebration features the theme “Floreciendo Juntos (Blooming Together): Honoring Identity, Culture and Well-being, ” highlighting the diverse backgrounds, unique stories and rich history that shape Hispanic and Latino communities.

Green Tara Sand Mandala

An annual tradition through the Truitt Center for Relgious and Spiritual Life, Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Palden Sangpo constructs a Green Tara sand mandala for healing and peace during a period of three days.

‘Skills of the heart’

New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks spoke to a sold-out crowd in Alumni Gym for Fall Convocation on Sept. 25, part of Family Weekend and the �鶹��Ƶ Speaker Series. He reminded the audience of two important skills needed for success — two skills that have taken him time to learn: how to see people and how to have an impact on the world.

Family fun

�鶹��Ƶ hosted Family Weekend on Sept. 25-27 with a variety of activites, including a football game as the Phoenix took on the University of Maine Bears.

‘There’s Always This Year’

Author Hanif Abdurraqib reflected on mentorship, home and storytelling during his Common Reading lecture on Sept. 29. His book, part poetry, memoir and meditation on history and modern culture, “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” was selected as �鶹��Ƶ’s 2026-27 Common Reading. Incoming first-year students read the book over the summer before exploring it from a variety of perspectives with their First-Year Foundations instructors during their first year at �鶹��Ƶ.

The student coordinators of the program, Nastassia Harrison ’28 and Ella Russo ’28, were excited to get involved.

“Starting something that we then get to build on is really special,” said Russo. “I’m looking forward to seeing how this program flourishes as a whole. Not just my time here, but after my time, and seeing how it will grow or how it will change to adapt however it needs to.”

Before COVID, �鶹��Ƶ Volunteers! had a similar program, but it was dissolved during the pandemic. Andrew Moffa, assistant director of �鶹��Ƶ’s Kernodle Center for Civic Life, decided it was a good time to revisit the program.

“We found that there are students who really enjoy doing that type of work,” said Moffa. “We’ll see how this semester goes. I would love for it to expand to more visits, and also just incorporate more students.”

�鶹��Ƶ Volunteers! has another program working with Twin Lakes called Music for Dementia, facilitating individualized and personal music activities for residents to help to cope with dementia. The close and continuous partnership with Twin Lakes through �鶹��Ƶ Volunteers! emphasizes the value of community bonds and the genuine relationships that come from service towards one’s community.

“The seniors just get so excited to interact with �鶹��Ƶ in any way,” said Moffa about Linking Generations. “A new perspective, the ability to talk to someone who has different life experiences, maybe holds different identities from a different generation. That’s always valuable.”

While Linking Generations is still in its first semester with a limited number of students meeting with their residents monthly, there is hope for the program to expand in future years, strengthening bonds with more student participants and conversations to connect people from all walks of life.

“This program bridges that generational gap, and you can understand each other, which I think we need more of in the world,” Harrison said.