Department and School Alumni of the Year embody best characteristics of MC Family

Each fall, individual schools and departments at Mississippi College select the most accomplished graduates of their respective programs to be recognized as Alumni of the Year.

These graduates have excelled in a number of professional disciplines, from business, healthcare and the law to academia, ministry, and the arts. They have inspired countless students to follow in their footsteps and one day surpass their many achievements.

They have represented Mississippi College with distinction, personifying the University’s values while serving others and modeling their Christian faith. They embody the best characteristics of the MC Family. These recipients will be recognized as part of the 2025 MC Homecoming festivities on Oct. 24 and 25.

The 2025 School and Departmental Alumni of the Year recipients are:

ART: Sandra Bloodworth ’72

The guiding force behind “New York’s Underground Museum” for more than 30 years, Sandra Bloodworth trekked from her native Charleston, Mississippi, to the heights of the New York art scene. She joined the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Percent for Art program in the late 1980s and, from 1996 until her retirement in 2024, served as director of MTA Art and Design. During her tenure, Bloodworth led the commissioning of more than 400 permanent works by world-renowned artists. In 2024, she received the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal from the Municipal Art Society of New York, the organization’s highest honor.

ART YOUNG ALUMNA: Rebecca Lancaster ‘22

An art educator for 18 years, Rebecca Lancaster has taught students from Pre-K through high school, winning multiple Teacher of the Month, STAR Teacher, and Teacher of the Year awards. She earned her M.Ed. in Art from MC in December 2022, an experience she calls “transformative” for her as an artist, educator, and individual. As an active member of the Mississippi Art Education Association, Lancaster was selected as the Outstanding Elementary Art Educator of the Year in 2013 and the Outstanding Secondary Art Educator of the Year in 2020. During the last five years, she has created more than 400 mixed-media paintings.

BIOLOGY: Dr. James Wesley Quick ’02, ‘07

A dedicated educator and leader with more than 20 years of experience serving Mississippi schools, Dr. James Wesley Quick serves as superintendent of the Lamar County School District. Throughout his career as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, Quick has developed a reputation for building strong relationships, raising academic standards, and championing innovative programs. His leadership has helped schools earn top state accountability ratings and national recognition. A lifelong learner, Quick holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and has been honored with multiple state and national awards for his service in education.

BUSINESS: Jonathan Ishee ‘00

Jonathan Ishee is the founder of Bridge Holdings, a private investment firm he established in 2016. He also co-founded Broad River Retail in 2003 and served as president and CEO for 18 years, leading its growth from a single location in Pineville, North Carolina, to more than $100 million in annual revenue and more than 500 employees. Ishee is deeply engaged in his community, serving as board chair of the First Tee of Greater Charlotte and on the boards of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and the Goodfellows Club. He believes strongly that education and mentorship are keys to creating lasting change.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY: Dr. Chris Smith ‘79

A tenured professor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Chris Smith serves as medical director for Arkansas Medicaid, overseeing healthcare for more than half of Arkansas’ children. He also manages a $3.2 million HRSA-funded pediatric mental health-care access program. Throughout his 40-year professional career, Smith has served in key leadership roles, including as pediatric program director, vice-chair for education, and vice-chair for primary care in the UAMS Department of Pediatrics. He received the 2009 UAMS Chancellor’s Master Teacher Award and 18 Red Sash Awards, given by UAMS medical students to exceptional educators.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY YOUNG ALUMNA: Dr. Angela Sood Joshi ‘06

Dr. Angela Sood Joshi is a board-certified cardiologist with the Wellstar Medical Group in Marietta, Georgia, where she has practiced since 2017. Recognized for her excellence in patient care, she has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in cardiovascular medicine since 2023 and was featured in the Atlantan magazine. In addition to her clinical work, Joshi actively contributes to quality improvement and peer-review initiatives at Wellstar. In July 2025, she was promoted to medical director for quality at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, and in October 2025, was named advanced practice provider physician lead for the Wellstar Center for Cardiovascular Care.

CHRISTIAN STUDIES: Dr. Donald T. Dent ‘78

Dr. Donald Dent studied Greek, experienced a call to missions, and met his wife, Anne Jones, at MC. Together, they served the International Mission Board as missionaries to Asia for 30 years, including time as front-line church planters, field leaders for hundreds of missionaries, and missionary trainers. Dent returned to the U.S. in 2012 to lead the missions program at Golden Gate/Gateway Seminary, where he serves as senior professor of world missions. The author of two books about missions that are widely used by mission teams, Dent retired to Brandon, where he continues to teach and speak about mission challenges today.

COMMUNICATION: Tracey M. Harrison ’91, ’94

Well-known to the Mississippi College campus after serving more than 20 years as MC’s executive communication leader, Tracey Harrison is vice president of communication and brand marketing at Biola University in La Mirada, California. She is the recipient of more than 100 awards for publications and digital media, including top honors from the Orange County Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Baptist Communicators Association, CASE District III and ADDY Awards. Currently directing communications for a $200 million fundraising campaign, the community engagement champion served as past-president of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce and founding board member of Main Street Clinton.

COMMUNICATION YOUNG ALUMNUS: Corey Rholdon ‘19

As a sports anchor and reporter for KKTV News in Colorado Springs, Corey Rholdon covers the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, the Denver Broncos of the NFL, and the athletic teams of the Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado. The New Orleans native’s first professional stop was WHBF in Rock Island, Illinois, where he covered the University of Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference. He later reported on LSU athletics for WBRZ in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rholdon has seen how sports can give people hope and inspiration, and enjoys being both informative and creative in his television work.

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PHYSICS: Dr. Bryce Murray ’15

Dr. Bryce Murray is an artificial intelligence and machine learning practitioner specializing in explainable AI and applied behavioral science. His research and applied work include projects with the USDA, the National Institute of Justice and the U.S. Army and Navy, where he developed human-centered AI approaches that make complex models understandable and trustworthy. After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri, Murray joined a consulting firm, advising organizations on data-science initiatives. He now leads AI and generative-AI adoption at Permanent Equity, helping nontechnical teams across a portfolio of companies translate cutting-edge capabilities into simple, reliable workflows that improve decisions and outcomes.

COUNSELING: Dr. Antwynette B. Shields-Evans ‘15

A licensed professional counselor, entrepreneur and adjunct instructor, Dr. Antwynette Shields-Evans is the owner of Shields of Hope Counseling and Consulting, LLC in Brandon. Her clinical specialty includes supporting healthcare providers who experience chronic burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and the unique challenges that come with serving others. Shields-Evans serves as assistant director of behavioral health services at Mississippi State Hospital and teaches at Jackson State University. An active member of the American Counseling Association, she has received several awards, including the 2025 Jackson Community’s Choice Award for Best Counseling Center and Best Mental Health Provider.

ENGLISH AND PHILOSOPHY: Dr. Christopher Peace ’12

Dr. Christopher Peace is an assistant teaching professor of business communications at Carnegie Mellon University. Before joining CMU, he served as a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Peace’s current practice aims to build on students' rhetorical audience awareness of professional genres, self-branding, spatial rhetorics, and effective writing strategies when communicating to multiple business audiences. His academic research interests include writing with ethnographic methodologies that examine professional and inner-identity formation within African-American esotericism, Hoodoo, and spirit communication. He also serves on the Academics committee for the ZORA! Festival of the Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, Florida.

HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE: Sarah Brazier ‘18

Sarah Brazier has dedicated her career to sharing stories that connect people with the past. She serves as director of visitor experience at the Two Mississippi Museums – the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum – in Jackson. She leads a team that welcomes more than 80,000 visitors each year, oversees initiatives to make the museums more accessible and inclusive, and builds partnerships with schools and communities across the state. Active in the museum field, Brazier has served as vice president of the Metro Jackson Attractions Association and has contributed to the Southeastern Museums Conference Program Committee.

KINESIOLOGY: Joseph Randal Pharr Jr. ’13, ’15

As the current head strength and conditioning coach for Northwest Mississippi Community College, Pharr is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and a registered strength and conditioning coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has trained more than 300 athletes who have signed letters of intent to four-year institutions and has served seven Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference championship clubs and one national championship team. While at MC, Pharr was named to the American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team and the Capital One Academic All-District Team. He was voted to the Mississippi College Football All-Decade team.

LAWYER OF THE YEAR: Patrick S. Wooten ‘94

An accomplished attorney, military veteran and community leader, Patrick Wooten serves as chief executive officer and partner at Schwartz and Associates Injury Lawyer, P.A. With more than 30 years of legal experience, the Mississippi Army National Guard veteran is known for his unwavering commitment to justice, compassionate client service and proven track record in personal injury law. A recipient of several awards, Wooten is a longstanding member of the Mississippi Association for Justice and has served on its Board of Governors. He has also contributed to the ethical standards of legal practice through his work on the Mississippi Bar Association’s Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.

YOUNG LAWYER OF THE YEAR: Samantha “Sammi” Jaquez ‘23

Samantha Jaquez serves as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Judge David Neil McCarty of the Court of Appeals of the State of Mississippi. Licensed to practice law in both Mississippi and Illinois, she maintains her involvement with MC Law by mentoring the next generation of advocates, coaching two of the Moot Court Board’s competition teams, including one on which she previously competed as a student. Last year, students on both teams distinguished themselves by earning championships in their respective competitions. Jaquez also works closely with externs, helping them sharpen their writing skills and enhance their practical application of the law.

MATHEMATICS: J. Kyle Manley ‘04

After obtaining his M.A. in mathematics from the University of Alabama and his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University, Kyle Manley began his career as an educator and National Science Foundation research fellow. Later, he transitioned into financial services, holding leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, Tiedemann Advisors, BNY Mellon, and Tolleson Wealth Management. He currently serves as a partner and client advisor for Brown Advisory in its Dallas, Texas, office. In addition to his professional work, Manley serves as a ruling elder at Park Cities Presbyterian Church and remains active in the Dallas community as vice chair of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association’s Executive Committee.

MUSIC: Danielle Frerer Ratliff ’06

Danielle Frerer Ratliff has built a career devoted to excellence in arts education, student leadership, and community connection. Currently in her 15th year of teaching at Tupelo High School, she serves as director of its Show Choir program and developing a nationally recognized program celebrated for its storytelling, creativity and artistry. Ratliff is also the founder of the King City Classic, Tupelo’s premier show choir competition and a cornerstone event for schools throughout the region. She has taught a wide range of music courses and is a two-time recipient of the Teacher of Distinction award from the Tupelo Public School District.

MUSIC YOUNG ALUMNUS: Cole Smith ’20

Cole Smith began his teaching career in the Clinton Public School District, where he spent five years as an assistant band director. He served as director of percussion for grades 6-12 and also conducted the concert band in 2024. Under his direction, the 2025 Clinton Indoor Percussion Ensemble achieved multiple noteworthy accolades, including the Percussion Scholastic Winter Guard International Jackson Regional champion, the Mississippi Indoor Association champion and the WGI Scholastic A Class champion. While at MC, Smith was an active member of the band program and performed on the marimba in the 2018 Honors Concert.

NURSING: Elizabeth “Tren” Garbo ‘97

Elizabeth “Tren” Garbo is vice president and chief nursing officer at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa, Louisiana. With 28 years of hospital experience, including 17 in leadership, Garbo has been instrumental in achieving numerous honors for Our Lady of the Angels, including Hospital of the Year Nightingale Awards and multiple Nursing Quality and Patient Experience recognitions. Named one of the “Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana,” she is known for her commitment to clinical excellence, patient care, and team member engagement. An active member of the Louisiana State Nurses Association, she serves as director of recognition for the Northshore District Nurses Association.

NURSING YOUNG ALUMNA: Dr. Caley Cobb Stogner ‘19

An assistant professor of nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Nursing, Dr. Caley Stogner is a specialist in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her nursing experience spans neonatal intensive care, pediatric pulmonary and transplant coordination, and her research centers on pediatric health outcomes and palliative care in pancreatic cancer. Stogner has developed mental health programs for students and contributes to statewide initiatives and professional development to advance healthcare in Mississippi. She serves as treasurer on the Executive Board of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation and is a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Jackson Public School Clinics.

PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK: Dr. Andrew K. Magers ‘11

Dr. Andrew Magers is a practicing clinical psychologist who founded the Renewal Health Group in Madison to provide holistic, outpatient mental health care for patients seeking to address their mental health concerns through a multidisciplinary team of professionals. He is the author of “On Grief and Gratitude, or Surprised by Meaning,” a guidebook that leads readers through a practical process of experiencing their difficult emotions in troubling seasons; it offers a particular benefit to Christians by reflecting on how to hold one's hope in the resurrection in tension with present sufferings. Magers previously practiced in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 2016-23.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MHSA PROGRAM: Megan Scruggs Paske ‘09

Megan Paske serves as senior director of client success at Axxess, where she leads a global team that provides frontline support to resolve client needs and strengthen relationships across the Axxess platform. With more than 18 years of experience in the care-at-home industry, Paske has held leadership roles in Dallas, Tampa and Baltimore, consistently driving organizational growth and operational excellence. Recognized as a 2025 Home Health Care News Future Leader, she is widely respected for her ability to lead transformative initiatives that enhance client outcomes and advance innovation in home-based care.

TEACHER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP: Dr. Ivory Gray ’15, ‘23

A dedicated educational leader whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student achievement, Dr. Ivory Gray is in his second year leading Clinton Junior High School, recently recognized as one of the top middle schools in the Jackson metropolitan area. A Millsaps Principals’ Institute graduate, he obtained both his Master of Education and his Doctor of Education in educational leadership from Mississippi College. The 2023-24 Clinton Public Schools Administrator of the Year and 2015 Dr. W.B. “Bert” Thompson Scholarship recipient serves as a facilitator for Mississippi College’s revitalized Principals’ Institute, where he continues to mentor and inspire future school leaders.