The past several years at Flagler have seen major changes to how students learn … and think

College plans restoration of the Hotel Ponce de Leon’s solarium

Flagler Associate Professor of Sociology Casey Welch talks about working at a fast food chain to research corporate control and ‘cheerful robots’

Don’t dally in the bathroom. That’s part of what Casey Welch, an associate professor of sociology at Flagler, learned a few years back when he went to work at a national fast food chain. He won’t name the burger-flipping joint where he took a minimum-wage job to study how chains exert total control over workers. Even bathroom breaks are timed!

Flagler professor focuses on the psychology of eating and better understanding the issues leading to America’s obesity problems

Students thrive on service learning trip to the jungles of Ecuador

Ten Flagler students spent part of April pushed from their comfort zones when they hopped on a plane to Quito, Ecuador. They lived without clocks, quenched their thirst with licorice-flavored water, slept with monstrous insects and ate yucca for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Flagler coaches John Lynch and Taylor Mott have achieved big success since making the jump to the NCAA and Peach Belt Conference

Two Flagler alumni in Golf Magazine’s ’40 under 40′

There they were, some of the biggest names in the world of golf: Tiger Woods. Michelle Wie. Donald Trump’s son, Donnie, and even pop star (and golf aficionado) Justin Timberlake.

They were all part of Golf Magazine’s “40 Under 40” list, which was billed as a collection of “the most influential people in golf under 40-years-old.”

But if you looked past the celebrities and sport stars, you may have noticed two more recognizable names on the list: Flagler alumni Laura Hill and Guy Garbarino, both 1998 sport management grads.

Senior Jillian McClure’s love of civil rights history leads to activist Andrew Young’s visit to Flagler

Sometimes roadblocks turn out to be open doors.

That’s what happened to history major Jillian McClure when she wanted to register for a religion class her sophomore year. When that class was full, she picked “Civil Rights Movement” with Dr. Michael Butler, and the rest, as they say, is history.

English adjunct instructor Marisella Veiga’s writing explores living with two cultures

It was a photo in The Washington Post that caught Marisella Veiga’s attention. The Japanese were growing watermelons in square containers to make it easier to ship them. They were square watermelons.

“I thought that was a great metaphor for someone living with the bicultural experience,” said the adjunct English instructor and Cuban-American author who has focused most of her writing on her own experiences living with two cultures.

“Square Watermelons: Ten Essays on Living with Two Cultures” is a collection of spoken-word essays that was born out of her syndicated columns for Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C.

More recently, she had a short story, “Fresh Fruit,” selected for publication in the anthology, “Short-Short Stories from the United States and Latin America.” She has been awarded the Special Mention in Fiction for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Small Presses, for a story called, “Arroz Con Pollo,” and has published features, commentary and poetry.

Flagler’s beloved benefactor leaves a rich legacy of friendship and philanthropy

Longtime friend and benefactor of Flagler College, Mary Lily Flagler Lewis Wiley, affectionately known as “Molly,” passed away peacefully at her home in Richmond, Va., this past May. She was 90.

Wiley, a philanthropist related to oil titan and railroad magnate, Henry Flagler, grew up in St. Augustine at Kirkside, the mansion built by Henry Flagler next to Memorial Presbyterian Church.