A current and a retired Catawba College employee have been honored with new scholarships established in their honor. Joanna Jasper, Catawba's chief information officer, and David E. Setzer, who retired in 1997 as special assistant to the president after 36 years of service, were honored with the scholarships created by gifts from an anonymous donor.
Preference for the Joanna Jasper Endowed Scholarship will be given to deserving female students interested in a Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) or teaching career. Preference for the David E. Setzer Endowed Scholarship will be given to students majoring in English with a writing concentration.
Catawba Senior Vice President Tom Childress lauded the anonymous donor for recognizing the many contributions that Setzer and Jasper have made to the institution. "These two individuals represent the type of employee who helps make Catawba even stronger because of their fine work and many contributions. We are proud that the way in which they are recognized will also be of benefit to future generations of our students."
Joanna Jasper
A native of Albany, New York, Jasper graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., with a bachelor's degree in management and industrial engineering. She worked at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., as a technical information analyst and an HP Systems manager, as a senior software engineer at Software Research Northwest, Inc., in Vashon, Wash., and as assistant director of business computing at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. She joined the staff at Catawba College in 2003 as director of computer services.
At Catawba, Jasper has led the institution's recent, multi-year efforts to convert its disparate campus systems to the Ellucian Banner enterprise system. She is known for providing leadership and vision in regards to technology projects on campus and helps to foster a collegial work environment.
This spring, thanks to Jasper's submission of two award applications – one concerning online class registration and the other concerning an online work-study tracking system, Catawba was recognized by "University Business" magazine. The magazine gave the college two of its Models of Efficiency Awards for implementing processes that provide better student service and streamline business operations.
She makes her home in Mocksville with husband Kevin, daughter Grace and granddaughter Lillian. She is a member of Smith Grove United Methodist church.
David E. Setzer
A native of New London, Setzer graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in radio and television. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1957-61. He joined Catawba in 1961, working in the offices of
admissions and alumni relations and later served as director of
public relations, acting director of development, supervisor of buildings and
grounds and housekeeping, executive assistant to the president and vice president for communications.
At Catawba, Setzer received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for service to Catawba and the community, the Trustee Award for outstanding contribution to the college and the Fisher Service Award. Active in the community, he has served the United Way, Heart Fund, Salisbury-Rowan Chamber of Commerce, National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association, Historic Salisbury Foundation and Waterworks Visual Arts Center. He has also served in leadership positions at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, as senior warden of the vestry, Every-Member Canvass chairman, lay reader and chalice bearer.
Although he retired from Catawba, Setzer has worked since 1997 as the executive director of The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation. Endowed by Julian Robertson, Jr., the foundation has played a dominant role in Salisbury-Rowan's philanthropic environment in recent years. Since the foundation was chartered in the fall of 1997, it has made grant awards of over $27 million to dozens of local agencies and organizations.
Setzer is married to the former Barbara Grimmie, a Catawba alumna from the class of 1962. The couple has two grown children, Dana Curry of Salisbury and Mark Setzer of Senatobia, Miss.
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