Lowell Vann, a treasure of the Samford faculty, received the Buchanan Award a few weeks ago during our opening convocation.  One of his colleagues, Robin Snyder, managed to snare this message that Dr. Vann received from one of his former students and pass it along to me: 

  

"I think often of the summer you taught me pottery and so kindly gave me the run of the ceramics studio.  Not only did you teach me so much about art, you taught me about myself.  I was in the middle of probably the hardest time in my life and something about centering clay helped me center myself again.  I don't think I ever made a pot that was gallery worthy, but the process of wedging and centering was the best thing that could have happened to me that summer.  You teach a wonderful craft with such joy and enthusiasm." 

  

The world is better because of Lowell Vann. 

 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.