Belief in Randolph's future prompts Allison Gulick Muller '71 to accept nomination to Board of Trustees

Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a series of articles on the five new members of Randolph College's Board of Trustees.

During her first-year at R-MWC, Allison Gulick Muller ’71 took an art history course at the urging of a friend. That class helped Muller rediscover a love of art that ended up shaping her college career. “It set me on a path to the total joy and passion of learning,” she said. “I continue to be energized by my field of study. I find that all of the things I enjoyed academically in college are things that have stood me in good stead as an adult learner.”

Muller, who is originally from Manhasset, New York, but now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, is one of five new members of Randolph College’s Board of Trustees. After graduating from R-MWC with a major in art history and a minor in studio art, Muller worked with the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., before serving as assistant registrar for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

While working in Boston, she met her husband, Carl, who was in business and law school at Harvard University. Muller went on to serve as assistant curator for the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, South Carolina. Later, she made the decision to stay home with her three children. She has been an active volunteer, both with Randolph and with her community. She has focused much of her time with advocacy in public education. She served as a chapter president, a class agent, and most recently as a class secretary for the College’s Alumnae and Alumni Association.

Muller is also a legacy. Her sister, Priscilla Gulick Tomlinson ’63, her late mother, Katherine Schaefer Gulick ’32, and an aunt, Elizabeth Schaefer Branch ’30, all share her connection with the College.

Muller is excited about the opportunity to join the Board during such an important time in Randolph’s history. “We are in such a good place after the stewardship of John Klein,” she said. “We are at a place where we can really thrive.”

Randolph, she said, still maintains the qualities she loved when she was a student at R-MWC. “There is an intensity to the educational experience, an intensity to the relationships you develop, and an understanding that a liberal arts education is about educating people to be lifelong learners and good citizens. That is taken seriously here, and it is an important way to look at your education.”

She has also enjoyed the students during her visits to campus. “The energy of the place is very positive and vibrant, and the students understand the value of the faculty we have here and of the experience they are receiving. They understand how much there is to offer, and it is almost like a palette they can choose from.”

Between the Student Center renovation, the variety of courses, and the expanded athletic offerings, Muller has been impressed with what Randolph offers its students. “There is more available than when I was at the College,” she said. “It makes me wish I could be a student again.”

Karen Patterson '73 brings a variety of experiences and a deep love of the College to Randolph's Board of Trustees

Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of stories featuring the five new members of Randolph College's Board of Trustees.

One of Karen Patterson’s ’73 favorite things about her alma mater is the instant affinity she feels when she meets anyone associated with the College, including random alumnae and alumni she meets at airports.

But after a recent meeting of the Randolph College Board of Trustees, she learned she has a new favorite part of the school. “Right now, I am most enamored with the panoramic view of the Peaks of Otter from the back of the new Student Center,” she said.

As president of the R-MWC Alumnae and Randolph College Alumni Association, Patterson also serves on the Randolph College Board of Trustees. She is one of five new members named to the Board this year.

“The College is in much better shape, by every measure, than it was even before the transition to coeducation, but the economy is not,” she said. “I am totally committed to ensuring the College thrives in a difficult environment.”

A long-time volunteer for the College, Patterson has also served as a chapter officer, alumnae admissions representative, and a career network member, among other roles.

A biology major at R-MWC, Patterson went on to earn her M.A. in biology from Wake Forest University and a Master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina. She now lives in Aiken, South Carolina, where she works as the environmental sciences group manager and a project manager at the environmental consulting and engineering firm, Tetra Tech. She chairs the South Carolina Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council, and is on the executive boards of Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness (a non-profit dedicated to educating the public about the safety and value of nuclear energy), and the SRS Heritage Foundation.

She is excited about her new role on the Board of Trustees for Randolph. “The past members of the Board of Trustees, President Klein and other College leaders, faculty, and staff have built a strong foundation,” she said. “The current trustees, and particularly the College’s leadership, including faculty and students, are enthusiastic and energized and understand what we have to do to continue the momentum. I can actually feel the difference when I am on campus.”

Giving back to her alma mater is important to Patterson. “This is where I learned to love challenges,” she said. “That learning is life-long.”

She believes the skills she developed at R-MWC will serve her well in her new role. “I thrive on challenges and hope I can contribute to strengthening Randolph’s future.”