President's Bison Beat August 2014

BISON BEAT

A Monthly N e ws l e tte r f r o m the O f f i c e o f the P res i d en t AUGUST 2014

INSIDE

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BY THE NUMBERS

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AROUND CAMPUS

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APPOINTMENTS EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 8

Dear Howard University Community: Welcome back to campus! To our new students, faculty and staff, welcome to the Capstone. I hope everyone had a restful and rewarding summer. Throughout the break, my team and I were hard at work enhancing the campus and making upgrades to classrooms as well as living and learning spaces.

On August 14, the first group of students moved into the new living and learning communities along Fourth Street, College Halls North and South.The Interdisciplinary Research Building on Georgia Avenue, a cornerstone of our plan to expand research, is on track and slated for completion later this fall. Campus enhancements also include technology and furniture improvements to several classrooms.

Among our new initiatives to advance academic excellence is the Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUS), which will provide direct university-wide retention and student success programs.The centers housed within OUS are the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), the Offices of Student Success & Transition and Honors & Scholar Development.We also remain sensitive to the economic impact associated with the cost of higher education on our students and their families.The average institutional aid award has increased by 10%.

Additionally, we continue our efforts to support students with the highest demonstrated financial need.The University launched the Graduation and Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE) Grant this fall.This grant provides the remainder of tuition and mandatory fee costs for continuing students who are on-track for on-time graduation and who meet certain other criteria.This fund supplements the existing Howard University Need-Based Grant program, which provides a 100% match to those receiving the maximum Federal Pell Grant.

During the past few weeks, I have met with representative groups, including the Howard University Student Association, the Faculty Senate and the Howard University Staff Organization. Soon I will kick off a series of community conversations with various stakeholder groups so that we can envision the future together. I will also continue engagement with alumni around the country to gain insights to support and strengthen our strategic framework.

This is an exciting time at Howard University. I am truly humbled and honored to serve as Howard University’s 17th President and solicit your help and collaboration in fostering a spirit of common purpose as we advance the Capstone.

Throughout the academic year, I will regularly communicate with the Howard community to address ongoing developments and progress toward our goals of academic excellence and comprehensive research.

Best wishes for a successful year!

In Truth and Service,

Wayne A.I. Frederick President

BY THE NUMBERS

CLASS OF 2018

1500+ INCOMING CLASS

867

FRESHMAN SCHOLARS

1108 AVERAGE SAT SCORE

TOP 10 MAJORS

NATIONS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS REPRESENTED

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BIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY POLITICAL SCIENCE MEDIA/JOURNALISM & FILM COMMUNICATIONS

HOWARD FRESHMEN COME FROM 44 STATES AND US TERRITORIES AND 17 COUNTRIES

6. MARKETING 7. CHEMISTRY 8. MANAGEMENT 9. COMPUTER ENGINEERING 10. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

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NEPAL JAMAICA NIGERIA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ANTIGUA & BARBUDA BARBADOS

AROUND CAMPUS HOWARD LAUNCHES OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES Each year, Howard welcomes some of the highest achieving students in the nation and world. The new Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUS) is committed to ensuring that all Howard University undergraduates have a comprehensive academic experience with curricular offerings that exceed their expectations and expand their professional possibilities. The mission of OUS is to institutionalize academic policies, administrative procedures and academic support programs that result in improved student retention and graduation rates. OUS will sponsor and direct university-wide retention programs in collaboration with individual schools and colleges. The major OUS programs and initiatives are:

CENTER FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE (CAE) The center provides specialized retention counseling and academic support services to promote undergraduate academic excellence. Services include retention counseling, virtual and face-to-face courses, workshops and programs that support student success.

THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SUCCESS & TRANSITION This office helps students become engaged members of the

Howard academic community – from prospective applicants to alumni. Programs include New Student Orientation, First Year Experience and Bison Pride 101.

THE OFFICE OF HONORS & SCHOLAR DEVELOPMENT This office coordinates and supports college and disciplinebased honors programs, serves as a clearinghouse for fellowship and scholarship opportunities and identifies prestigious scholarship and award opportunities for undergraduate students.

NEW SMART CLASSROOMS AND FACILITIES UPGRADES Over the summer, Howard University staff was hard at work coordinating and supporting upgrades across campus, particularly those related to information technology and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems.

Nearly 50 classrooms have also received upgrades. Not only have they been outfitted with Epson smart projectors, but also revitalized with fresh coats of paint and new flooring, ceilings and furniture.

Numerous HVAC improvements were completed including the installation of a permanent chilling tower at Founders Library to add full air conditioning capacity and a 270-ton chiller in Drew Hall to

deliver permanent air conditioning. Two 20-ton temporary chillers were also acquired to cool common areas and the lobby at Drew Hall until the permanent chiller is in place. The School of Business and the Law School’s Notre Dame Hall will also receive new chillers.

HVAC improvements slated for next summer include, Baldwin and Wheatley Halls.

Additionally, extensive renovations to computer labs in the residence halls are underway, which include new equipment and infrastructure as well as technology upgrades to boost Wi-Fi connectivity.

APPOINTMENTS Director of Presidential Transition and Senior Advisor to the President Gracia Hillman is the Director of Presidential Transition and Senior Advisor to the 17th President of Howard University.

Hillman served as Chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission; President and CEO of WorldSpace Foundation; Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State; and Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of the U.S., Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and National Coalition on Black Voter Participation. She served as an official representative of the United States government at conferences and meetings convened by the United Nations (UN), Organization of American States (OAS) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Hillman has also provided leadership as an officer and director of numerous nonprofit boards of directors and government commissions.

EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD STUDENT RESEARCH LAUNCHED ON ROCKET AT NASA FACILITY

A team of Howard University students made history when their in-flight research project was launched into space on June 26 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The project collected atmospheric samples near the highest point of the flight to test for the presence of microorganisms. Data from the samples will be used to develop a bio-signature that can help look for life on Earth-like, extra-solar planets. The Howard University students involved were: Ajamu Abdullah, Daril Brown, Josh Brown, Olivia Dickens, Phathom Donald, Hilton Hosannah, Shii-Anna Mudie, Jade Noel Parker, and Aara’LYarber. Marcus Alfred, associate professor of physics and astronomy, directed the project along with Vernon Morris, professor of chemistry and atmospheric sciences, and Broderick Eribo, an associate professor of biology.

Deputy Title IX Coordinator Candi N. Smiley, Esq., has been named Deputy Title IX Coordinator, effective August 18, 2014. She will serve as the primary Title IX investigator for complaints alleging sexual assault, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination on behalf of the students of Howard University. She will also help coordinate the University’s response, prevention, and education initiatives pursuant to Title IX and related statutes and regulations. Ms. Smiley previously served as a corporate attorney working on various matters involving federal agencies, private corporations and non-profit organizations. Ms. Smiley has also worked with organizations committed to assisting and providing services to individuals suffering with drug addiction, alcohol abuse and domestic violence. She received her Juris Doctorate from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law.

NIH AWARDS $11 MILLION IN GRANTS TO CENTER FOR SICKLE CELL DISEASE

The Center for Sickle Cell Disease, a division of Howard University Hospital, has garnered nearly $11 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to study HIV resistance in people with sickle cell disease and to support the development of the new Center for Hemoglobin Research in Minorities, known as CHaRM. NIH awarded Howard about $7 million to develop CHaRM. It is being planned as a center of excellence for the study of hemoglobinopathies, iron metabolism and oxygen sensing. CHaRM will be dedicated to educating and training minority students and fellows by providing research laboratory experience.

CHaRM will also work in collaboration with the HBCU Research Scientist Program at the Center for Sickle Cell Disease. The Center for Sickle Cell Disease received close to $2 million to continue research that indicated that people with sickle cell disease may have certain resistance against the HIV virus. The Center also received nearly $2 million to develop new therapeutics to address the Ebola virus infection that will target the virus’ VP30 protein.