2020 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
“ The chance to return to where it all started presented an opportunity beyond my wildest professional dreams: to pay it forward and provide the same support, care and superior instruction I experienced as a student at DSU.”
Shelley Rouser ’93, Ph.D. Chair of the Education Department Returned to the University in 2018 after more than two decades in public education administration
CONTENTS 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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STUDENTS: A Life-Changing Education
10 ACADEMICS: What We Teach Must Reflect Who We Are 16 RESEARCH: Investing in Research 22 PHILANTHROPY: An Incredible Year of Support 28 UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP
WELCOME FOR 130 YEARS, Delaware State University has been a gateway for students
who want to change the life trajectories for themselves, their families and their communities. Through history’s great triumphs and enormous challenges, the University has been a beacon of light, defying contrived limitations of resources, time or talent. We know only possibilities of greatness regardless of where you come from, what you look like or who you love.
Ours is the task of rigorous preparation for students to take on the task of honorable achievement in every field of human endeavor. In science, in the arts, in business, in technology, in public service, we expect our graduates to find a place of usefulness and honor in the world. All are driven by a shared idea of building a meaningful life, giving back to society and fighting for “a more perfect union.” There are numbers that detail our commitment to excellence: Delaware State University is ranked as the nation’s #3 public HBCU by US News & World Report and in the top 1% of its Social Mobility Index for all colleges and universities in the United States. We are the nation’s #1 provider of professional pilots of color and Delaware’s #1 provider of teachers, nurses, social workers and accountants of color. And more Dreamers (DACA students brought to America at a very young age) choose us than any other university in America. We’re a historic 1890 land grant institution, operate two farms, own a fleet of aircraft and independently run a high school that is a direct feeder to the University for aspiring first-generation college students. And soon, we will add a historic private college that will house our world-class College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, focused on the next generation of health professionals. But all of that is not who we are. It is the people of Delaware State University who are our story. In this report, you will encounter the students, professors, academic leaders, alumni and other partners who have created and sustained one of the nation’s most consequential universities. We invite you to invest a few minutes in these pages to get to know our community, values and accomplishments. We hope that it moves you to join us today! It all matters,
Tony Allen, Ph.D. President
STUDENTS
A LIFE-CHANGING EDUCATION D
elaware State University is developing the next generation of professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs and nonprofit
leaders whose diversity strengthens an expanding economy in an increasingly smaller, more interconnected world. We do that by providing a low-cost, high-quality education for students whose only resource is often a burning desire to change their life trajectories. “Our students come to us with raw talent and determination, but having often been locked out, or poorly served by, public education,” says Provost Saundra DeLauder. “Our mission is to provide a great education, mentoring and wraparound services that give them an unrelenting belief that they can be successful in any chosen field of endeavor.” As you’ll see, that attitude extends to every College and academic department in the University.
STUDENTS Contributions totaled more than $1.5 million to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Relief Fund, established to support students navigating the pandemic while continuing to pursue their degrees. Highlights from this initiative include: y y y y y
1,349 donors 80+ donors of $1,000 or more 78% of the individual donors were alumni 2,077 students supported 96 graduating seniors’ balances cleared
NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC D
espite the COVID-19 pandemic, Delaware State University students stayed on the path to success in 2020 due to a total community effort.
The University’s ongoing commitment to digital learning through a partnership with Apple resulted in 1,447 traditional courses transitioning to digital platforms in just five days. Simultaneously we pivoted to online advisement while providing a haven for 200+ students who had no safe home to which they could return. The University then raised $1.6 million in Student Emergency Relief to assist students who had to leave campus in meeting the challenges of food, housing and tech insecurities, with 70% of the individual donations coming from a dedicated alumni population. Perhaps more important, we continued to provide a foundation of financial stability, especially for those who come from low-resource families. Thanks to the ongoing state-funded Inspire Scholarship, the majority of our in-state students were able to focus on academics, networking and giving back thousands of hours of community service. More than half of the graduates of the University’s innovative Early College High School joined us as full-time students, having earned an average of 48 college credits tuition-free, thus saving their families an average of $47,000 in college costs. During the summer, University leaders grappled with the next critical question: Could students return to campus safely? In partnership with the nonprofit Testing for America, Delaware State University
“ I caught COVID-19 at my off-campus job. I had no place to go where I wouldn’t put someone else at risk. The University allowed me to remain quarantined in the Village and made sure I had enough food delivered to me throughout.”
Anthony McIver ’20 graduated on time in May
Report of the President
developed a reopening plan that relied on biweekly testing, social distancing, contact tracing and hybrid courses. “Everyone was worried when the semester started,” says junior Political Science major Emily Campanelli. “We didn’t know what to expect, or even how long we’d be allowed to stay at school. So many other universities were just shutting down.” But as continuous testing reassured everyone that the campus was safe, “our professors just kept pushing us forward. They kept telling us we couldn’t let anything—including COVID-19—stop us.” The students listened. Juniors and seniors doubled down for a strong finish. Emblematic were four DSU students who won prestigious NASA scholarships, including Senior Corban Weatherspoon, who would also be named a 2020 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar by the White House HBCU Initiative. “I have used what I learned to establish the Faithful Black Men Association,” Weatherspoon says, “which involves men of all organizations on campus and promotes a greater sense of leadership and manhood at Delaware State University.” An activist Student Government Association made staying safe while conquering coursework a priority, but also organized events to keep students connected, such as completing the Black Lives Matter Boulevard project. “Sometimes I wanted to give up,” admits junior Education major Semaj Hazzard. “But when I was the most tired, I would remind myself that this is my dream. Everybody in my family sacrificed for me to be here. This is the road to the rest of my life.” Innovative learning opportunities abounded despite COVID-19. Our Delaware Executive Exchange Program (DEEP) Day experience, which affords students the chance to interact with, and learn from, corporate leaders across the region, went virtual this year. And all of our academic departments looked for opportunities to work with partners interested in recruiting, mentoring and graduating young people of color into a range of careers. Freshman retention held firm, which is the critical indicator of long-term success. Provost Saundra DeLauder emphasized communicating a firm belief in success: “We set a strong expectation that students would return to campus and that they would succeed when they did.” Graduate enrollment soared by 30% during Fall 2020 because students knew they would be kept on track. Doctoral candidates concluded their research because enhanced safety protocols kept University laboratories open when 95% of America’s other research universities closed. Throughout September and October, news stories proliferated about major institutions across America that had to close down and send students home due to major COVID-19 outbreaks. Not at Delaware State University, says Tony Allen: “Our students proved better able to adapt to changing circumstances than their peers at mainstream institutions. These young people remained laser-focused on their goals, despite all distractions and hardships.”
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STUDENTS “ Today’s Delaware State University still cherishes the original culture of family, success and excellence from the 1960s and before. You can experience the spirit of family on campus anywhere you find an encouraging teacher who makes extra time for students old and new, or classmates who have become best friends for life.”
Louise Maull ’68
“ For me and my family, that culture is present every time my grandmother, my mom, my aunt and I get together and share classroom stories around our dining room table, since all of us are teachers—from Delaware State University.”
Jordan Saez ’18 granddaughter of Louise Maull ’68
“ My husband and I now entrust DSU with one of our most prized possessions—our daughter. She is my legacy, and we know her education and overall well-being could not be in better hands, and we look forward to seeing the leader she becomes under the direction of DSU’s outstanding faculty and administration.”
Nicole Dye-Anderson ’03 Barclays Head of Partnership Media Relations
Report of the President
Real Life Experience Rewarded Mukti Rana, Ph.D. Professor, Physics and Engineering Over the past four years, Delaware State University’s Center for Research and Education in Optical Science and Applications (CREOSA) has helped to graduate four PhDs, 10 master’s degree students with their research focused on optics and 33 undergraduates in various science majors. Some of those students left school with experience developed from working with Physics and Engineering Professor Dr. Mukti Rana, whose optics research for the U.S. Department of Defense has been awarded three patents in the past three years. Each of those awards has been shared with a student researcher. Laraine Mbabit graduated in May 2020 with her B.S. in Engineering Physics and a resume entry that she contributed to a July 2020 patent for the discovery of a new alloy. Andrew Voshell of Felton, DE, was co-principal developer of a microbolometer—one of the main parts of a night-vision camera—that received a patent in 2019. Voshell, who graduated in 2017 with his M.S. in Optical Engineering, found the experience “exciting. It’s definitely more intense than writing research papers, but it feels really rewarding. I don’t know many other universities, or professors, who would have given me the chance to do something like this.” Rana, who has been at Delaware State University since 2006, argues that funded research and student involvement must go hand in hand. “It is the best part of our culture,” he says. “We are a teaching University that has evolved into a research institution, that is also an Historically Black University. It is our obligation to remain true to all of these imperatives.”
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ACADEMICS
WHAT WE TEACH MUST REFLECT WHO WE ARE U
pon becoming President, Tony Allen outlined his vision for Delaware State University, writing in part, “There are certain
values and requirements engraved on the soul of the institution we aspire to be.” After the killings of Breonna Taylor in March and George Floyd in May, Allen strengthened this emphasis on social justice, announcing the Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, saying, “It’s time we make the issue of systemic racism and what it has wrought a priority in everything we do—in teaching, intellectual discourse, research, on the field of play, in or outside of the classroom and for the communities we serve.” The faculty picked up the gauntlet with enthusiasm. Assistant Dean and Psychology Chair Dr. Gwendolyn Scott-Jones says, “People of color can’t succeed with only what they read in textbooks. We have to prepare them to succeed in careers and a society that still hasn’t lived up to America’s ideals for everyone.”
ACADEMICS 2020 has seen unprecedented growth at Delaware State University demonstrated by increased rankings: y y y
y
y
#3 Public HBCU #11 Overall HBCU #1 destination for Dreamers in the nation 87% of graduates get jobs in career field within 90 days of graduation #1 provider of pilots of color
FOCUSED ON STUDENT SUCCESS D
elaware State University continues to empower bright, motivated young men and women who hail from low-resource families and may have been underserved by the education system. We welcome
these young people on one of the most beautiful campuses in America; expose them to a highly qualified, diverse faculty; and surround them with powerful co-curricular activities and wraparound support services. As the nation faced the COVID-19 pandemic, and it became necessary in March to send 90% of our students home, we successfully transitioned 1,447 courses to digital platforms in just five days thanks, in part, to an ongoing partnership with Apple. Our academic leadership and faculty improvised and then institutionalized a virtual support system for professors and students that promoted real-time interactivity and problem-solving. That seamless migration enabled students to continue to pursue their goals safely and with the support they need to thrive. As a result, we graduated the largest class in University history in May, conferring 700 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in an historical virtual commencement that included our first graduating class of Dreamers. The event featured kudos, advice and encouragement from a number of prominent
Report of the President
public figures, including then-Presidential candidate Joe Biden, the
our rapidly expanding Aviation program is America’s leading provider
entire Delaware Congressional delegation, artists Erykah Badu, Billy
of professional pilots of color.
Porter, Vanessa Williams, Bebe Winans and more. Meanwhile, the University hosted Delaware’s first-ever public During the summer, thanks to a grant from the Howard Hughes
forums on racial issues in law enforcement, developed innovative
Medical Institute, our faculty spent three months redesigning the
career mentoring programs for students of color and expanded
entire University curriculum for hybrid delivery and the infusion of
undergraduate opportunities in research. These virtual forums reflect
a greater social consciousness.
our commitment to the soul of this University, an institution whose history includes faculty who were Freedom Riders and students who
Despite COVID-19, our academic indicators have remained strong.
staged sit-ins at local restaurants to protest Jim Crow.
Freshmen retention rose to 80% (sixth straight year at or above 71%). Graduate and online enrollment spiked by 30%. Our faculty used
Indeed, Dr. Mable Morrison, our senior faculty member with 58 years
virtual platforms to move ahead with the University’s reaccreditation
of service to the University, mentions the occupation of the city of
by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Wilmington and the University’s Dover campus following Dr. Martin
Simultaneously, they began tackling the task of integrating the
Luther King’s assassination when she says, “If equipping our students
academic programs at Wesley College when the University announced
to not only understand but engage in the amelioration of racism
that institution’s acquisition, to be complete in mid-2021.
isn’t a part of the core reason for our existence, then we should close our doors.”
The acquisition of Wesley College will add the resources of one of the State’s best nursing programs and a nationally accredited
“The President didn’t give us a choice,” says Dr. Donna Patterson, Chair
Master of Occupational Therapy, building on the fact that the
of the Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy. “He told
University graduates more teachers, nurses, social workers and
us that the faculty of a world-class HBCU has to keep moving forward,
accountants of color in Delaware than anyone else. Additionally,
just like our ancestors did, no matter what stood in our way. So we did.”
Entering the fall semester, University leaders partnered with Testing for America to develop a COVID-19 response plan. As a result, 1,575 students were able to return to campus in August, and—after 35,000+ COVID-19 tests were delivered between August and December with a positivity rate of only 0.4%—continue their education.
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ACADEMICS
“ Delaware State University—including administrators, professors and staff—provided me with continuous positive support that enabled me to grow into a man with the tools I needed to lead and succeed. Each of us should make a personal commitment to donate to the University and support future generations of students.”
Steven Ewing ’83 CEO, Wade Ford 2017 Commencement Speaker, Member of the Foundation Board of Directors
“ DSU has given me so many opportunities that will last a lifetime. The faculty and my peers are always pushing me to be better, and they create an environment that results in repeated success.”
Emily Campanelli Junior Political Science Major
Report of the President
Seizing an Opportunity Antonetta M. Savoury ’21 Senior, Textiles and Apparel Studies major Antonetta M. Savoury, a senior Textiles and Apparel Studies major, used the opportunity created by the pandemic to start her own Internet-based Antonetta Marie Luxury Street Wear business, fueled by a class she took at the University. Savoury was taking a Quantitative Merchandising Inventory Analysis course and decided to develop her own fashion clothing and accessories lines. Savoury, who will graduate this May with a minor in Marketing, has partnered with Printful, a company that takes her fashion design template and produces the product for shipment. She took a Merchandising Assortment Planning and Buying course this past fall, creating brochures, refrigerator magnets, newspaper advertisements and social media ads to promote her business. “She is laser-focused on her purpose, and a great example of the value of productive interaction between a student and a teacher,” said Dr. Damayanthie Eluwawalage, Assistant Professor of Textiles and Apparel Studies. “As a teacher, my primary objective is to navigate and motivate my students to achieve their life missions. Success stories like Antonetta are the ultimate reward.”
Ashlee M. Davis ’21 Senior, Mass Communications major Ashlee Davis, Miss Delaware State University 2020-21, saw a void in students’ ability to connect directly with alumni. Davis spearheaded an initiative to create a forum bringing students and alumni together. “Part of my platform when I ran for Miss DSU was to allow students to have professional development opportunities. This platform would give students career opportunities as well as a chance to connect to alumni in their career fields,” said Davis. Davis collaborated with the New Jersey alumni chapter and the Office of Alumni Relations to launch DSU Connect in fall 2020. DSU Connect is an online platform that promotes alumni and student networking, mentorship, professional development and career opportunities. The DSU Connect platform provides opportunities for alumni to give back their time and talent to students while facilitating stronger strategic alliances among the University community.
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RESEARCH
INVESTING IN RESEARCH D
elaware State University is on a path to be recognized nationally as a top research institution. Already one of
only eight HBCUs among the nation’s 266 Carnegie-designated “research universities,” our pandemic response has reinforced our reputation nationally as an up-and-coming player in this arena. We are establishing the necessary research infrastructure to move toward becoming the first-ever HBCU to achieve R1 status and are developing the ability to help faculty not just secure funding for their research, but also to patent their work. And the University’s decision to initiate stronger safety protocols to protect researchers paid off. Without a single COVID-19 positive in its laboratories, Delaware State University landed a record $27 million in new awards during 2020.
RESEARCH As you read this, our annual funded research portfolio stands at $27 million, sixth among all HBCUs and in the top third of all 900 institutions nationwide conducting funded research. Currently, the top five grants received by the University include: y
y
y
y
y
$10.9 million for the Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research (Phase II) from the National Institutes of Health in 2017; $10.5 million for the Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research (Phase I) from the National Institutes of Health in 2012; $7.5 million for the Center for Excellence in Advanced Quantum Sensing from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2020; $5.8 million for NASA-MIRO Optics for Space Technology and Applied Research from NASA in 2015; and $5 million for the Center for Research and Education in Optical Science and Applications (CREOSA Phase II) from the National Science Foundation in 2012.
NEW RESEARCH GRANTS BUILD MOMENTUM P
rior to 2003, Delaware State University had never received a research grant in excess of $1 million. That year we landed $4 million from the Department of Defense and
$2.5 million from the National Institutes of Health, and it was off to the races. After 2003, “the University began making investments in infrastructure and recruiting the world-class scientists needed to go after multimillion-dollar grants,” recalls Dr. Dyremple Marsh, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST). “Before that, it was only driven by the interests of individual professors, and funding agencies knew we lacked the facilities to do major research.” “We offer unprecedented research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, not just in our own laboratories, but in cooperative ventures with our research partners, which puts us in a great position to attract top students of color to the University,” says Dr. Venugopal Kalavacharla, Associate Dean for Research. “We have to have that impact on our students as well as our communities.”
“ While the COVID-19 pandemic has indeed been tragic, it has provided many opportunities for experiential learning and research. The Kinesiology degree program within the Department of Public & Allied Health Sciences has taken advantage of this and is currently investigating the effects of COVID-19 on the muscle function and sports performance of DSU’s collegiate athletes.”
R. Christopher Mason, Ph.D. Department Chair & Associate Professor Public & Allied Health Sciences
Report of the President
“People ask, ‘How do you build a research program from scratch?’”
Tony Allen insists that projects have real-world impact on challenges
says Dr. Melissa Harrington, Associate Vice President for Research
facing Delaware and the nation. That’s why:
and the primary investigator for the CIBRE grants. “It has more to do with people than it does with lab equipment.” Harrington emphasizes recruiting talented, young faculty and providing the support to get their research agenda going. “They get the chance to become star players much earlier in their careers.”
y D r. Dorothy Dillard, Director of the Center for Neighborhood
Revitalization Research, landed a $1.15 million NIH grant to study COVID-19 disparities in rural populations; y N SF is funding Dr. Vincent Fondong, Professor of Biological
Sciences, to study parasites attacking critical food crops in The University is also expanding the number of faculty applying for grants. “We’ve abandoned the old paradigm that limits research to the ‘hard’ sciences or agriculture,” observed Provost Saundra DeLauder, herself a research chemist. “We involve psychologists, sociologists, nurses, teacher educators and the humanities through our Grants and Gifts Council. It makes a huge difference.” DeLauder notes that within a full-time faculty of 225 professors, 120 are actively pursuing grants. That 53% participation rate exceeds the national average of about 42%, and many of those faculty members are turning to students to help with the research and gain valuable experience. “This is how we do things,” says Dr. Marwan Rasamny, Chair of the Division of Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. “When students walk onto campus as freshmen, we get them involved in substantive research. It makes a dramatic difference in retention and graduate school acceptance, particularly for students of color.”
developing nations; and y D rs. Gour Pati and Renu Tripathi received a $7.5 million grant
from the U.S. Department of Defense to establish a Quantum Sensing Center, representing the third largest research grant in University history. While proud of the progress we’ve made, Tony Allen has challenged our faculty to increase annual research funding to $35 million by 2025, saying the acquisition of Wesley College in 2021 “will provide a huge boost to our infrastructure and that’s part of what’s been holding us back.” But he also notes that a 40% expansion of the portfolio is integrally tied “not just to our historic mission, but how we see and conduct ourselves as a research institution. We have some distance to go, but the journey has begun.”
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RESEARCH
“ Nothing stops our research. When the pandemic hit, we were among 5% of research universities that did not close down operations. We chose instead to initiate stronger safety protocols to protect our researchers.”
Melissa Harrington, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Research
Report of the President
Academic Power Couple Drs. Derrick and LaTia Scott Department of Biological Sciences True academic power couples are rare, but Delaware State University has one in Biological Sciences Professors LaTia and Derrick Scott. Their field is bioinformatics, a subdiscipline of biology and computer science concerned with the acquisition, storage, analysis and dissemination of biological data, most often DNA and amino acid sequences. Together the Scotts have made DSU a major player in the field, as a look at their research awards for just 2020 reveal. They received a $750,000 grant in March from the Delaware-based National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), “to prepare the next generation of diverse and knowledgeable biopharmaceutical workers through curriculum as well as hands-on resources,” Derrick says. It’s a team effort, as LaTia explains. “We were invited to a NIIMBL conference in 2019 and pitched the idea there. Merck was interested.” Six months later, a $1.3 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health funded the establishment of a Bioinformatics and Chemistry summer program that will provide a foundational experience for 64 middle school students each year. The Scotts weren’t through quite yet, as New Castle County awarded DSU a $5 million grant in November 2020 to establish the State’s first lab capable of processing COVID-19 tests while doing research on Human Genomic illnesses. All of these projects involve student researchers, and the students have provided high marks for both on evaluation forms. “People of color are vastly underrepresented in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields and that number decreases even more when you look at the percentages in the bioinformatics area. We’re determined to change that,” Derrick says.
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PHILANTHROPY
AN INCREDIBLE YEAR OF SUPPORT Y
ou contributed $40 million in a single year! It would be tempting to attribute 2020’s outpouring of financial support
primarily to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the largest one-time gift we have ever received, but it represented far more than that. Even without MacKenzie Scott’s $20 million gift, contributions quadrupled as the University transitioned from simply asking donors to support student and program needs to communicating the more sophisticated narrative about our unique value proposition. And people listened. We closed the year with $40 million raised, with seven donors entrusting Delaware State University with gifts and awards between $1 million and $5 million. More alumni contributed to their alma mater than ever before, accounting for 70% of the individual gifts to our successful COVID-19 Student Emergency Relief Fund.
PHILANTHROPY 5,694 individuals contributed more than $8 million, including a record 15% of our alumni giving back to their University. Major gifts arrived from a who’s who of corporate and foundation donors, including (in alphabetical order): Ascendium y Bank of America y Barclays Bank y Cerner Information Technology y Corteva Agriscience y Delmarva Power/Exelon y Executive Leadership Council y FMC Corporation y JPMorgan Chase y Laffey-McHugh Foundation y Links of Wilmington y Longwood Foundation y M&T Bank y New Castle County (Delaware) y Strada Education Network y Testing for America y Thurgood Marshall College Fund y TikTok y Vanguard y Verizon Foundation y WSFS …and many more y
A COMPELLING NARRATIVE D
elaware State University has a compelling story to tell, but to convert that narrative into record giving requires that potential donors be exposed to that narrative. We increased our media
exposure through national media channels resulting in increased traffic to our website. Our intentional efforts continue to provide national awareness about Delaware State University. “I used to start off talking about the University as Delaware’s ‘best-kept secret,’” says Trustee and Presidential Transition Team Co-Chair Bernadette Dorsey Whatley. “I can’t do that anymore because wherever I go it seems like most people have already heard of us.” The narrative framework has been elegantly simple: Despite COVID-19, Delaware State University continues to move relentlessly toward the goal of providing life-changing education to students who have the capacity to change the world—and we invited everyone to participate with us on their journey. In March we shared our transition to online education, and in May our innovative virtual commencement reached 500,000. The University announced in July that it would become the first HBCU in history to acquire a college, and our intention to return to residential operations. We took America along with us as we did so more successfully than most universities in the country.
“ Despite the obstacles that we have faced over the past year, our alumni showed their love for our beloved University—from their involvement on the President’s Transition Team, planning for this year’s 130th Anniversary of DSU and participating in the DSU-Connect mentoring program to the record year of alumni giving—they demonstrated the power of engagement.”
Clifton Burrell ’87 President, Delaware State University Alumni Association (DSUAA)
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Delaware State University repeatedly earned the national spotlight: The Today Show, Good Morning America, ABC’s Nightline, CNN News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes and many others covered our successes. In October, Diverse Issues In Higher Education placed us front and center by highlighting the University’s safety-centric approach. Meanwhile our Institutional Advancement team, academic deans and volunteers constantly reached out to potential donors and partners to convert this media success to investment in our future, transitioning our appeal from helping students in need to becoming a partner in long-term success. For Bank of America Delaware Market President Chip Rossi, his bank’s longstanding partnership with DSU—including a $1 million contribution for a career initiative for Black and underserved students—“builds on our efforts to advance economic mobility through a focus on education and workforce development.” Rossi added that the gift supports both the work that the University is doing and Bank of America’s commitment “to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity in Delaware, helping a diverse group of young adults gain skills and experience that will put them on a path to success.” Explaining her $20 million gift in December, MacKenzie Scott “took a data-driven approach to identifying organizations with strong leadership teams and results.” Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dr. Devona Williams focused on the emotional impact rather than the metrics, saying, “This has been a year for truly transformational gifts that will provide the resources to enable our fine University to continue to grow, flourish and meet its very important mission of providing the highest quality education to the most diverse student body in the nation who will become our future leaders. We are both honored and humbled to receive them.” Tony Allen categorized this record outpouring of support as “a clear commitment to a more equitable and just society—one that wholly recognizes that in our country’s history we have sometimes stumbled but focused nonetheless on the American tradition of cooperative uplift. These gifts are a force multiplier for one of the nation’s most important institutions and the great many students we have propelled forward to change the world.” The University aspires to maintain giving in the $18 million to $20 million annual range over the next few years, before moving higher, and we don’t believe that’s a stretch goal. The compelling narrative we’re articulating about our community’s shared commitment to become the nation’s most diverse, contemporary HBCU has generated unprecedented alumni, corporate and foundation enthusiasm.
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PHILANTHROPY
“ For us, the right partners are those with great vision, a shared commitment to access and excellence, and a desire to create more opportunities for their clients and customers. Delaware State University has proven to be a noteworthy institution in all three areas. And we are proud to be standing with them.”
Tom Horne President, JPMorgan Chase Delaware Market
THANK YOU IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN THE SMILE
when students learn that a new scholarship makes it possible to get to graduation, or watched a confident young woman or man walk into an interview or internship because they know they’ve been prepared for anything, then you know why it’s the memories of people—not the campaigns themselves—that stay with us. We are focused on building the future for one of America’s premier HBCUs. We spend days talking about Delaware State University with families, community partners, corporate executives, alumni and others who will join us on our journey.
Board of Trustee Bernadette Dorsey Whatley opened her heart, adding $5,000 to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Relief Fund. Her Delaware Market President Tom Horne led the efforts for JPMorgan Chase’s $1 million grant to the University in support of expanding technology in education. The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., led by the Delaware State University Chapter, set the bar with a $50,000 donation for undergraduate scholarships.
We hope you see the opportunities to be part of changing lives, supporting cutting-edge research and lending your voice to our social justice outreach initiatives.
If you’ve read to this point, you probably know why. Our biggest challenge was to compress many of this great institution’s unique, life-changing qualities into a handful of pages. If we’ve been successful, we hope you’ll think about becoming part of our story.
We would love to explore how you can become part of our community. You can make a gift any time online at desu.edu/givenow. You can also contact us by email at dsufoundation@desu.edu or by phone at 302-857-6055 to learn about opportunities to help our students make their marks on the world.
State Representative Paul Baumbach and his wife Pam did just that in 2020 when they invested $20,000 as seed money to endow scholarships in George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s names. We’re now looking for additional gifts to increase the number of students that these scholarships (and others) will support.
With Deep Gratitude,
As he has before, Robert Vanderhost (’72) stepped up to contribute the first $1,300 themed donation toward our 130th Anniversary Celebration in May 2021. He isn’t alone—alumni giving has risen 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 78% of the individual contributions to the Student Emergency Relief Fund came from their ranks.
Vita Pickrum, Ed.D. ’16 Vice President, University Advancement President, Delaware State University Foundation
UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP Board of Trustees
Administrative Council
Devona Williams, Ph.D., Chair Mr. John Ridgeway ’75, Vice Chair Mr. John J. Allen Jr., Vice Chair The Honorable Michael N. Castle The Honorable Norman D. Griffiths, Esq. Debbie Harrington, Ed.D. Ms. Lois M. Hobbs The Honorable Jack Markell Wilma Mishoe, Ed.D. Ms. Esthelda Parker Selby ’69 The Honorable Harold Stafford Mrs. Jocelyn Stewart Mr. Leroy A. Tice, Esq. ’02 Mrs. Margie Lopez Waite ’90 Mrs. Bernadette Dorsey Whatley
Tony Allen, Ph.D., President
EX-OFFICIO The Honorable John Carney, Governor, State of Delaware Tony Allen, Ph.D. TRUSTEE EMERITI A. Richard Barros, Esq. Claibourne D. Smith, Ph.D.
Mr. Antonio Boyle, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Irene Chapman-Hawkins ’14, Ed.D. ’19, Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Cleon Cauley Sr., Esq., Chief Operating Officer Saundra F. DeLauder Ph.D., Provost for Academic Affairs Stacy Downing, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs D. Scott Gines, Ed.D., Director of Athletics Mrs. Jackie Griffith, Special Assistant to the President, Director of Government and Community Relations Mr. Darrell McMillon, Chief Information Officer Mrs. LaKresha Moultrie, Esq., General Counsel/Risk Management Officer Vita Pickrum, Ed.D. ’16, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, President, Delaware State University Foundation Mrs. Tamara Stoner, University Secretary Mr. Herman Wood, ’73, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management, Planning and Construction
President’s Transition Team Members Vita Pickrum, Ed.D. ’16, Chair Mrs. Bernadette Dorsey Whatley, Co-Chair Mr. Cliff Burrell ’87 Michael Casson, Ph.D. Ms. Ashlee Davis ’21 Michele Fisher, D.B.A. Mr. Dennis Hawkins Irene Hawkins ’14, Ed.D. ’19 Patrice Gilliam Johnson, Ph.D. Chris Mason, Ph.D. Dawn Mosley, Ed.D. ’20 Ms. Vanessa Nesbitt Steve Newton, Ph.D. Mr. Kevin Noriega ’11 Mr. LaShawne Pryor Mrs. Henrietta Savage Mr. Reggie Speight ’92 The Honorable Harold Stafford Ms. Pia Stokes Mr. Usman Tijani ’20
Delaware State University Foundation Leadership Devona Williams, Ph.D., Chair Tony Allen, Ph.D., Ex-Officio EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Enid Wallace Simms, D.Hon. ’74, Vice Chair Vita Pickrum, Ed.D. ’16, President Mr. Vincent Rojas, Secretary/Treasurer Mrs. Henrietta Savage, Controller DIRECTORS Mrs. Nicole Dye Anderson ’03 Mr. Cerron Cade ’07, MPA ’18 Captain William “CJ” Charlton ’95 Mr. Steve Ewing ’83 Mr. Daryl Graham Mrs. Peg Casullo Hertrich Mr. Joe Purzycki Mr. Chip Rossi Kathleen Shelton, Ph.D. ADVISORY COMMITTEE Mr. Joel Coppadge ’81 Mr. Donald Graham The Honorable Margaret Rose Henry Mr. Ty Jones Mr. Roger Kirtley Mr. Ulysses Washington Ms. Leah Williams ’15, MBA ’16
“ We’ve worked very hard to build a strong leadership team and are laser focused on a shared strategic vision and our commitment to student success. These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our administration, faculty and students.”
Devona Williams, Ph.D. Chair, University Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Directors
1200 N. DuPont Highway Dover, DE 19901
Delaware State University is the most substantively diverse, contemporary and unapologetic HBCU in the country.