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On April 12, the ӣ������ Alumni Association hosted its annual awards ceremony, honoring five alumni for exceptional contributions to their communities, services to the university and personal achievements.

Opal L. Moretz Service to the Alumni Association: John Love ’81, MBA

A proud native of Charlotte, North Carolina, John Love ’81 has built a distinguished career in the restaurant industry, co-owning and operating Red Rocks Café since its founding in 1992. His passion for business and service began at ӣ������, where he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity and served as the school photographer. He graduated in 1981 with a degree in business before earning his MBA from UNC-Charlotte in 1983.

With a career spanning more than three decades, John has owned and operated numerous food service establishments in Charlotte and the surrounding areas since 1987. His expertise in the industry was further recognized when he earned his Food Management Professional (FMP) certification from the National Restaurant Association in 1994.

Beyond his professional success, John has been deeply committed to community service, serving on the boards of several organizations, including The Emergency Teen Shelter, Inc. (Providence Home), Youth Commission International, and Central Piedmont Community College's Culinary Advisory Board. He is also a member of the ӣ������ Board of Visitors and has been actively involved with numerous charitable organizations, including the YMCA, Open Eyes Ministry, Missionary Athletes International, Samaritan’s Feet, and Blessed Assurance Adult Day Care.

John credits his education at Lenoir-Rhyne with providing him the essential skills in accounting, statistics, planning, and marketing that have guided his professional journey. He fondly recalls his time in economics and religion classes and cherishes the lifelong friendships he formed through his fraternity.

John and his wife, Karyn, have one daughter, Roxie, who is currently a junior at Lenoir-Rhyne, continuing the family’s strong connection to the university. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, golfing, and cheering for Bears football, Braves baseball, and the Carolina Panthers. His life is centered in faith, and he attributes all of his success to Christ.

Clarence L. Pugh Distinguished Alumna: Martha Mitchell Funnell ’71

A nationally and internationally recognized leader in diabetes education, Martha Mitchell Funnell ’71, M.S., has dedicated her career to advancing patient education and improving health outcomes. She is a Research Scientist Emerita in the Department of Learning Health Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School, where she has played a pivotal role in developing evidence-based standards for diabetes care.

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from ӣ������ in 1971, Martha continued her education at the University of Michigan, where she received her Master of Science in Nursing in 1975. She began her career as a staff nurse and research project director at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Ann Arbor before joining the University of Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center in 1983. Over the years, she held multiple leadership roles, including clinical nurse specialist, principal investigator, and director for administration. In 2006, she joined the medical school faculty as a Research Scientist and later served as Director for Administration of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for the Study of Complications in Diabetes from 2000 to 2010.

Martha’s research has focused on behavioral and educational interventions, particularly in African American churches and underserved communities. She has served as a principal or co-investigator on 14 funded research projects and has shared her expertise in over 280 invited presentations across the United States and in 33 other countries. Her contributions to the field include more than 165 peer-reviewed publications, 36 book chapters, and seven books.

A leader in national and international diabetes organizations, Martha served as President of Health Care and Education for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and made history as the first nurse and non-physician to chair the National Diabetes Education Program, a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her outstanding contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Service Award (1998) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2016) from the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the ADA’s Outstanding Educator Award (1999), and Distinguished Service recognition from the Foundation of European Nurses (2021). She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of Sigma Theta Tau.

Through her lifelong dedication to education, research, and patient advocacy, Martha Mitchell Funnell has made a profound impact on the field of diabetes care and continues to inspire future generations of healthcare professionals.

Rising Star Young Alumnus: Thinh Truong ’17, M.S.

Thinh Truong ’17, M.S., is a nuclear engineer, entrepreneur, and Fulbright Scholar whose career spans advanced reactor design, research, and business management. As a Plant Integration Systems Engineer at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, he plays a key role in the development of the BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor (SMR), collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to bring next-generation nuclear energy solutions to reality.

A native of Vietnam, Truong earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics and mathematics from ӣ������ before pursuing a Master of Science in energy technology – nuclear engineering at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in Finland. His academic journey was distinguished by a Fulbright Scholarship – the first ever awarded to a Lenoir-Rhyne student – which provided him with international research opportunities in reactor core design and nuclear energy policy. His work has contributed to Finland’s efforts in sustainable nuclear energy and district heating applications.

Prior to joining GE Hitachi, Truong worked as a Junior Researcher at LUT, where he played a key role in reactor performance evaluation and compliance with nuclear safety regulations. His research, presented at international nuclear conferences, has advanced the field of SMRs and their potential applications in clean energy production.

Beyond his contributions to nuclear engineering, Truong has demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit. Alongside his wife, Amy, he co-founded Tea 'n' Roll, a café in Finland that quickly became a thriving family business. Their shared vision and teamwork turned the café into a well-loved establishment, showcasing their ability to blend innovation with business acumen.

Truong remains actively engaged in professional and community organizations. He is a member of the Hickory Kiwanis Club and serves as an LR Career Connector, mentoring students as they navigate their professional paths. His dedication to service and lifelong learning reflects the values instilled in him during his time at LR.

Reflecting on his LR experience, Truong credits hands-on research opportunities, campus involvement, and volunteer work for shaping his leadership skills and adaptability. His time at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory provided invaluable real-world exposure to reactor physics, while his participation in organizations such as SGA, Circle K, and Lineberger Fellows helped him develop teamwork and communication skills essential to his career and business ventures.

He advises current students to, “Stay curious, take risks, and trust that the experiences you gain today will shape the opportunities of tomorrow.”

Truong and his wife, Amy, reside in North Carolina with their four pets from Finland. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering, outdoor activities, and cheering on the Bears.

Opal L. Moretz Service to the University: Charles Cooke ’59, Ph.D.

After Charles Cooke ’59, Ph.D., finished his undergraduate degree in physics at ӣ������, he left his alma mater just long enough to earn his doctorate at the University of North Carolina. Then he returned to become one of the longest-serving faculty members in Lenoir-Rhyne history. Although his sister, Mary Lou Cook Hall ’43, often shares the story of her brother’s first teaching experience at LR during his first year as a student, covering instruction for a French class while several professors were out with the flu. 

In his 60 years of service – from 1964 to his retirement in 2024 -- Cooke has left an indelible mark on LR, influencing countless students as well as institutional policy. In addition to building the foundation of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics as we know it today by shaping curriculum and departmental requirements over the years, Cooke encouraged early adoption of computer technology on campus. For example, in 1990 he overcame skepticism that the internet was fad or toy to convince administrators to bring internet access to campus, making LR one of the first institutions in North Carolina to do so. His work to make introduction to computer skills a core requirement for students also led to the formation of the Faculty Constitution and Faculty Assembly.

The diversity and success of LR’s athletic programs also trace to Cooke’s encouragement in the late 1990s. He believed expanding competitive teams beyond the core seasonal sports of football, basketball and baseball would build long-term opportunities to recruit students from around the United States and internationally for athletes seeking a chance to pursue a top-tier education while playing the sport they loved. Beyond stabilizing enrollment numbers, almost 30 years later, this strategy resulted in national championships for LR’s lacrosse and triathlon teams.

A native of Hildebran, North Carolina – a small town west of Hickory in Burke County – Cooke has taken an active role in community service. He held a seat on the Burke County School Board for many years where he helped guide local education with the same vision, enthusiasm and humility he brought to LR.

“I never wanted people to think I was working for my own glory,” he said. “I just wanted to make LR and Burke County a better place.”

Opal L. Moretz Service to the Community: Barbara Klein ’81, M.A. ’88

Barbara Klein ’81, M.A. ’88, originally planned to major in chemistry and become a pharmacist, but after a low grade in a chemistry course in her second year, she talked with her advisor and felt she was being led in a different direction. She changed her major to English with a theatre minor, though she had little interest in writing or performing.

Instead she found inspiration in her own background. She had come to Lenoir-Rhyne in 1977 from the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton, North Carolina, and she felt called to become a teacher, specializing in working with Deaf and hard of hearing students because, she said, “I knew what they had been through.” She returned to the School for the Deaf as part of her student teaching internship and graduated with her B.A. in deaf education in 1981.

During her time as an undergraduate, she immersed herself in campus life, performing with the Sign Troop – sharing songs and presentations in American Sign Language for the campus and surrounding community. She joined the drama fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, and worked in the costume shop for the Playmakers. She also worked in Rudisill Library and played bass drum in the marching band.

Her commitment to community has continued as a resident of Albemarle, North Carolina where – in addition to volunteering in the school system – she has been active in the Women’s Missionary Union and the Women’s Club of Albemarle. In addition, she served as president for the Albemarle District Kitchen for the local food bank, and 34 years teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Spent the first 7 years of her career in Denmark, South Carolina then moved to Stanly County in North Carolina where she retired from teaching full time but has continued to volunteer as a tutor for Deaf and hard of hearing students for the last three years.

Over the years, she has found her work challenging, but she also derives great joy from it. She earned a master’s degree in Deaf education from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1988 and considered pursuing a Ph.D., but loved teaching too much to leave her students behind. She derives great pride from her students’ accomplishments, large and small.

“Being Deaf is not a block to success,” she said. “I teach my students never to give up on their dreams. There’s a world out there you can fit into, a world that is big enough for everyone.”