Dr. Thomas Varicalli sits down with historian Dr. Wilford McClay—author of Land of Hope and professor at Hillsdale College for a wide-ranging Constitution Day conversation. They explore why America remains worth celebrating, how its founding ideals took root in a real people and place, and what citizens must know to sustain ordered liberty. Dr. McClay also shares insights from writing Land of Hope and offers essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the American story.
Alumni News
Belmont Abbey College Expands Full Tuition Scholarship Statewide
Belmont Abbey College Expands Full Tuition Scholarship Statewide
Belmont, N.C. (December 10, 2025) – Belmont Abbey College announces the expansion of its Abbey Advantage Scholarship Program to include all North Carolina students, effective for the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative aims to make higher education more accessible by covering the full cost of tuition for eligible students statewide.
Initially launched in late 2024, the Abbey Advantage program was limited to eligible students residing in specific counties. The program’s expansion reflects Belmont Abbey College’s commitment to providing affordable education to a broader demographic within North Carolina.
Leveraging the students’ state and federal grants first, the college will award an institutional merit award to cover the student’s remaining tuition costs for the 2026-2027 academic year. This approach ensures that eligible students can attend Belmont Abbey College without the burden of tuition expenses.
“By making this scholarship available statewide, we’re extending our commitment to provide even more talented students access to high-quality education by alleviating cost concerns,” said Jesse Dorman, Vice Provost of Enrollment. “Belmont Abbey College seeks to form graduates grounded in virtue and prepared to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Expanding this program allows us to break down financial barriers and welcome students from across the state who share those aspirations.”
The Abbey Advantage Scholarship is available to first-time, full-time non-athletes pursuing a traditional major of study. Students must have completed the FAFSA and the NC Residency Determination Form for the NC Need-Based Grant. Students must be receiving the full Pell Grant and NC Need-Based Aid amounts. Eligible candidates must have earned at least a 2.8 high school GPA and have lived in North Carolina for more than a year.
The Abbey Advantage Scholarship Program is designed to alleviate financial barriers that often deter students from pursuing private education. “These students enrich our community, and we are honored to help shape their journey,” shared Dr. Joseph Wysocki, Interim President and Provost of Belmont Abbey College. “With programs like the Abbey Advantage, the leadership of our distinguished faculty, and the encouragement of our Abbey family, we’re dedicated to ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive–academically, professionally, and spiritually.” For more information on the Abbey Advantage program at Belmont Abbey College, visit our website at https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/financial-aid/abbey-advantage-scholarship/.
Students who are eligible for the Abbey Advantage Scholarship Program will be notified after completion of the FAFSA. The deadline to apply for the Fall 2026 semester is July 1, 2026.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
Conversatio: Women’s Hidden Convictions, and the Courage to Speak
Attorney and author Kimberly Begg, president of the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women and author of Unbreakable: Saints Who Inspired Saints to Moral Courage, joins our host, a Belmont Abbey College criminal justice professor and attorney, to talk about forming courageous young women in a hostile culture. They discuss why so many college women hide their convictions, how mentorship and authentic Catholic womanhood can counter that pressure, and how the stories of the saints can shape families, imaginations, and moral courage. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or young woman yourself, this conversation offers practical hope and a higher vision of what it means to be a woman today.
Belmont Abbey College Names Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley as President
Belmont Abbey College Names Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley, an Accomplished Scholar, Business Executive, and Retired Three-Star General, as Its Twenty-First President
Belmont, N.C. (November 18, 2025) – The Board of Trustees of Belmont Abbey College has appointed Dr. Jeffrey W. Talley, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired), as the 21st president of the college. He will assume office on January 2, 2026.
Dr. Jeff Talley is a leader who combines extensive and profound experience in both the academic and business worlds with a decorated 34-year active and reserve military career, culminating in his appointment as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve & Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. He has received three Bronze Stars, two Army Distinguished Medals, and the Gold de Fleury Medal, which is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ highest individual honor. He is an exceptional scholar, researcher, teacher, entrepreneur, and executive who now joins Belmont Abbey College as its 21st President.
After the announcement of Dr. Bill Thierfelder’s retirement following 20 years as president, the college established a 12-member Presidential Search Committee to ensure representation from faculty, staff, students, the Board of Trustees, and the monastic community. This appointment concludes a thorough and comprehensive seven-month search process conducted in partnership with Russell Reynolds Associates to guide the committee’s work.
Charles Cornelio, who serves as Chair of the Belmont Abbey College Board of Trustees, expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment: “Through the diligent work of the search committee, I am thrilled to announce Gen. Talley as the next president of Belmont Abbey College. We entered this search from a position of strength and optimism, seeking a leader who would not only preserve the College’s Catholic, Benedictine mission but also inspire innovation and growth that will sustain Belmont Abbey for generations to come. Jeff brings a vision and commitment that align deeply with the values and spirit of the Abbey. I am confident that under his leadership, Belmont Abbey will continue to flourish — academically, spiritually, and as a community devoted to forming students in mind, body, and soul. This is an exciting new chapter for the college as we look ahead to the next 150 years and beyond.”
Committed to higher education as a means of focused and intentional service, Dr. Talley earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford, and holds a number of other graduate degrees in liberal arts, religious studies, and applied sciences. In 2025, he was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree (honoris causa) from Assumption University. He has taught, conducted research, and offered academic leadership at elite private universities across the country. He has held appointments at the University of Notre Dame, Southern Methodist University, The Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and the University of Southern California. He also maintained professional certifications as a Professional Engineer (P.E.), Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and Board-Certified Water Resources Engineer (BC.WRE).
Since he retired from the military in 2016, Dr. Talley served as a Vice President and Global Fellow at IBM. He then founded his own advisory firm focused on Public Private Partnerships (P3s), called The P3i Group, where he served most recently as Managing Partner and Chairman.
Looking ahead, Dr. Talley shares his vision for Belmont Abbey College: “We have a unique opportunity to help young men and women get a rigorous academic experience in a faith-filled environment that’s strong in its Catholic identity, so they can go forth in a world that’s become so challenging, so complex, so difficult. Leaders who are balanced both morally and professionally are in greater need than ever before. For this purpose, Belmont Abbey College exists. I thank God for the opportunity to become part of the Belmont Abbey College family, where together, we can bear the light of Christ in the world today.”
Abbot Placid, O.S.B., Chancellor of Belmont Abbey College, shared: “The selection of Jeff as our next president affirms the College’s enduring commitment to its Benedictine mission—to educate students in the fullness of truth and to foster a community rooted in faith and learning. Jeff’s dedication to the Catholic intellectual tradition, academic excellence, and the formation of the whole person will ensure that Belmont Abbey remains a place where faith and scholarship thrive together. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to build upon the strong foundation that has long guided the Abbey and the College.”
In addition to extensive research, patents, publications, speaking engagements, and Congressional testimonies, Dr. Talley has been an active and integral member of numerous advisory boards, councils, panels, and other committees throughout his civilian careers. His direct and responsive vision combines a concentrated focus on essential, strategic priorities with a recognition of the value of collaboration and the necessity of clear and open communication. Accountability, compassion, and a faithful dedication to excellence have enabled him to empower others and pursue solutions that seek the good, even from positions of authority over hundreds of thousands of people and billions of dollars in corporate and military resources.
A Benedictine oblate of nearly 40 years, Dr. Talley was born in St. Louis, MO. He and his wife, Linda, have recently relocated from Scottsdale, AZ, to the Charlotte area. They have 4 children and 10 grandchildren.
Dr. Talley will assume the presidency on January 2, 2026, and will be formally inaugurated on January 14. Following his inauguration, he will embark on a statewide and national tour to connect with alumni, donors, and community partners.
To learn more about Belmont Abbey’s new president, Dr. Talley, please visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/president.
About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students. For more information, visit belmontabbeycollege.edu.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Sarah Bolton
P: 704-461-7016 E: sarahbolton@bac.edu
Conversatio: Cardinal Müller on Truth, Culture, and the Church
Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, reflects on his vocation, his friendship with Pope Benedict XVI, and the challenges facing the Church today—from artificial intelligence to cultural confusion. Speaking with Abbot Placid Solari, the Cardinal offers a profound vision of faith and reason in harmony, the dignity of the human person, and the universal mission of the Church in the modern world.
