James “JP” Pennix ’88 was recently honored with the Whitney M. Young Award from the Boy Scouts of America Blue Ridge Mountain Council. The Young award is named for an educator and civil rights leader who worked to end employment discrimination as executive director of the National Urban League. In selecting Pennix, the Blue Ridge Mountain Council recognized his long career as an educator, administrator and consultant.
Pennix has had a long, successful career in higher education enrollment, most recently at Roanoke College. Before joining Roanoke as VP of enrollment management, he was senior associate director for recruitment at Virginia Tech. He has also worked in admissions at Elizabeth City State University and Ferrum College, and he served as a regional director for the National Research Center for College and University Admissions.
He holds a degree in mathematics from Roanoke College and a Master of Social Work from Radford University. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in education at Walden University. Between his time at Roanoke and graduate school at Radford, Pennix served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for several years. He was honored with the National Defense Service Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon for exemplary performance in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
At Roanoke, Pennix was a celebrated member of the men’s basketball team. This April, he was inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He also served as assistant varsity men’s basketball coach at Roanoke from 1998-2001 and from 2020-23.
Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James P. Buriak ’12 was memorialized this month when a bridge over the Roanoke River in his hometown of Salem was named in his honor.
A special ceremony was held July 8 at the bridge, which is near Green Hill Park, to recognize the life, service and ultimate sacrifice of Buriak, who died in 2021 in a crash of an MH-60S U.S. Navy helicopter embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. His father, retired Professor and Athletic Trainer Jim Buriak, said the park was one their family visited often when his son was a child. Jim Buriak helped to unveil the bridge sign, along with his wife Carol, Jimmy Buriak’s wife, Megan, and their young son, Caulder.
The Rev. Paul Henrickson, retired dean of the chapel at Roanoke College, spoke at the ceremony, along with one of Buriak’s friends. Both gave examples of Buriak living his life to serve others, to serve our country and be the best person for his family. Roanoke College joins Roanoke County, the City of Salem and Virginia Department of Transportation in honoring Buriak.
Christine (Bealer) Land ’13 has been elevated to counsel in corporate development at Fox Rothschild, a Philadelphia-based law firm with locations around the U.S.
Land, who is based in the firm’s Exton, Pennsylvania, office, advises clients on a variety of finance, regulatory and transactional issues. She holds a degree in political science and international relations from Roanoke and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Nathan “Nate” Stewart ’03 has been appointed vice president for Advancement at Roanoke College. Stewart, who was selected after a national search, currently serves as associate vice president and chief operating officer for Development and Alumni Engagement at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
Stewart earned his Bachelor of Science in health and human performance from Roanoke College, where he was a standout on the men’s basketball team. He earned a Master of Science degree in health and physical education from Marshall University while starting his athletics career as a graduate assistant for men’s basketball.
After graduate school, Stewart continued coaching, serving alongside legendary Maroon Frankie Allen ’71 as an assistant coach at Radford University, and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Stewart developed significant fundraising experience in subsequent administrative roles as assistant athletic director for advancement and director of athletics and athletic development at Eastern University and director of athletics at Carthage College. At Centre College, Stewart’s acumen for advancement, strategic planning and relationship building helped the college secure contributions for the largest capital project in Centre’s history and make significant gains in overall fundraising.
Do you know an alum we should include in our next news roundup? Email us at rcmagazine@roanoke.edu.