Natalie Bahri Fortson ’97 of Birmingham was accepted into the NurseTRUST Emerging Leaders Program, a prestigious leadership fellowship designed for nurses who are new in leadership roles. Her work in the program will include a project on the recruitment and retention of student nurses. With several years of nursing experience under her belt, Fortson now serves as the Nurse Manager for UAB Medicine. She has also worked as a music teacher at St. Barnabas Elementary School and Miss Kelley’s School of Dance – both in the Birmingham area. At BSC, Fortson majored in music.

Rev. Dr. Mary Henley ’97 of Helena was named District Superintendent of the North Alabama Conference UMC’s South Central District. Ordained in 2005, she’s served churches in North Alabama since 2000 – including stops at Lester Memorial UMC and Tuscaloosa First UMC as Associate Pastor, and Helena UMC as Senior Pastor. Henley holds a Master of Divinity from Emory University and a doctorate in strengths-based congregational leadership from Bethel University. At BSC, she majored in psychology.

Barry Austin ’88 of Birmingham on April 3. At BSC, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and graduated with a degree in musical theatre. He went on to earn a master's in directing from the University of Alabama. Austin was a popular and prolific actor, with stage credits around the country, including Birmingham, and productions such as The Producers, Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, and Sweeney Todd. He also excelled in directing, with credits around Alabama for productions of Love for Love, Equus, Closer Than Ever, The Mystery of Love and Sex, Glengarry Glen Ross, and I Am My Own Wife. Austin was an organizer of One Voice Birmingham, an online choir that entertained and comforted many during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Gerald Godfrey ’54 of Birmingham on March 10. A graduate of Minor High School, he earned an M.A. and Ed.D. from the University of Alabama. Godfrey served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 before returning to his high school alma mater as the choral director. In 1961, he became a staff member of the Jefferson County Board of Education. He retired in 1990 as Division Superintendent for Personnel.

Efstratios Korakas ’67 of Stroudsburg, Pa. on March 16. Born in Greece, he came to the United States aboard the SS Queen Frederica in 1963. With the help of family friends, he came to Alabama and graduated from BSC with a chemistry degree, and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation, he moved to New York where he attended medical school at SUNY Downstate. Specializing in pediatrics, Korakas practiced medicine for nearly 50 years in New York, New Jersey, and his native nation of Greece.

Dr. Douglas Lamppin ’59 of Cypress, Texas, on February 20. A member of Theta Chi, he attended the Tulane University School of Medicine after graduation. Lamppin then enlisted in the U.S. Army, completing his internship and flight surgeon training in San Antonio, Tex. Stationed in Germany from 1965-1968, he was the only flight surgeon in his regiment. After receiving an honorable discharge and Air Medal for his service, Lamppin completed his residency in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, earning board certification in 1974. He spent most of his career practicing medicine in Pascagoula, Miss. before stints in Tennessee and Kentucky. Following his retirement in 2003, Lamppin moved to Houston, where he taught medical classes at Lone Star College for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Roye E. Wates ’54 of Boston, Mass., on March 10. Majoring in English at BSC, she went on to earn a PhD from Yale. Wates began teaching at Boston University in 1962, serving in a variety of roles – general education teacher, university professor, and CAS professor of music – until her retirement in 2015. A Mozart specialist and founding member of the Mozart Society of America, she was honored with the Boston University Teacher/Scholar of the Year Award in 1999.

Dr. Bobby Whetstone ’55 of Hoover on March 25. Born in Alexander City, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout at a young age. After earning a music degree from BSC, he became the first band director at L. Frazier Banks High School. After four years in that role, Whetstone left to earn a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Alabama. He went on to a forty-year career in higher education at BSC, where he served as professor of education, chair of the education department, and associate dean. Whetstone also worked as a consultant with many public school districts in Alabama and was eventually appointed to chair the state’s Education Study Commission. Retiring in 2001, he went on to serve two terms as chair of the Alabama Humanities Foundation and as chair of the Shelby County Arts Council. He left a tremendous legacy everywhere he went, especially on the Hilltop. The Bob Whetstone Faculty Award is awarded annually to an outstanding member of the BSC faculty. Whetstone is survived by his wife, Janelle Henley Whetstone ’74, and his children, LuAnn Hodges ’82, Mari Newton ’89, and Rob Whetstone ’91.