Year in Review

JANUARY

JAN 2021

President Tony Allen served as chief executive officer of the four-member Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) that organized the activities surrounding the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremonies in Washington, D.C. He was also named to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Economic and Community Advisory Council. DSU announced a partnership with the Propel Center, a new global campus headquartered in Atlanta that will support leadership and career-development programming for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide. The project is part of Apple’s $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

COVID-19 Testing Lab

The University launched the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at our Kirkwood Highway location in Wilmington in partnership with New Castle County, enabling us to save time and money by eliminating having to send our COVID-19 test samples to an analysis facility in California. “We work every day to increase COVID-19 testing capacity, to process tests more efficiently, to get a better deal for

When I hear a company say that they can’t find Black talent, that just lets me know they haven’t looked hard enough. And that’s part of the reason why Black men and women make up less than 5% of science occupations. We’re changing that here at the MDL. This is what Black scientists and scientists of color look like. I’m proud to say that all of our COVID-19 technicians are former students of mine and DSU alumni.”

— Dr. Derrick Scott Executive Director, Diagnostic Laboratory

taxpayers, and to enhance the capabilities of local universities,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “We formed this partnership to address all four of those goals. This will be an important lab for public health and scientific innovation for both residents of the county and the DSU family.” Dr. Derrick Scott, associate professor of Biological Sciences and executive director of the Diagnostic Laboratory, said the University is using a simpler testing protocol (from the nasal swab test to an equally accurate saliva test) that cuts down on costs. “This partnership truly represents a win/win for the county and DSU while bringing much-needed jobs to the region.” Since the February launch, the Diagnostic Laboratory has expanded its processing of samples to the entire population of students and faculty and to New Castle County residents. Besides the savings, the Diagnostic Laboratory provides results within 24 hours, which speeds up the identification of individuals who test positive and more immediate contact tracing, said Dr. Michelle Fisher, associate vice president of Campus Health Services.

The funding for the Diagnostic Laboratory came from $5.5 million invested by New Castle County from the federal CARES Act it received.

MacKenzie Scott gift spurs more donor support

A $20 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in 2020 was leveraged by the University into an additional $80 million in partnerships and appropriations during 2021. We made three major strategic investments using Ms. Scott’s gift: (1) a $12 million addition to the endowment ($7.5 million) and strategic initiatives reserve ($5 million); (2) $5 million to support the acquisition of Wesley College, an allocation that helped us secure an additional $1 million from the Longwood Foundation and led to the addition of 500 new students, 50 acres of land, 21 buildings, and 14 academic programs valued at $32 million; and (3) $3 million to support the Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion and Civil Rights. University fundraisers say that the Scott gift has raised the visibility of the University and increased confidence in our future, leading to more donations that are outlined elsewhere in this report.

Chloe F. Humphrey, a junior music major and University Concert Choir member, sang the National Anthem at then-President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 19 Delaware Farewell Event. The Delaware Art Educators Association (DAEA) named alumnus Milton Downing, MA ’11, as its 2021 Delaware Art Educator of the Year. DAEA previously honored Downing in 2011 as the Elementary Art Educator of the Year. He is an art teacher at A.G. Waters Middle School in Middletown, Del., an adjunct professor of art at Lincoln University, and a curator at the Christiana Cultural Arts Center.

FEBRUARY

NSF Grants

Since 2011, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the University 49 research grants totaling more than $26 million, not counting the $400,000 to $600,000 per year we receive as sub-awards from NSF grants made to other organizations. “The National Science Foundation has as part of its mission broadening participation in research to populations that have historically been left out,” said Dr. Melissa Harrington, associate vice president of research and director of the Delaware Institute for Science and Technology. “NSF has grant programs targeted at strengthening research at HBCUs and institutions that have a history of involving undergraduate students in research.” In 2021 alone, we received five grants totaling nearly $3.5 million. Some are outlined in more detail elsewhere in this report (e.g., a $1 million grant in May to bring together researchers and Ph.D. students from the University’s Neuroscience and Optics programs and a $672,000 HBCU Excellence in Research grant in June that is supporting the research of Dr. Gabriel Gwanmesia ’85.

FEB 2021

(L-R) Drs. Murali Temburni, Gabriel Gwanmesia, and Hacene Boukari

Diageo North America donated $250,000 to create a permanent endowment fund and provide financial aid grants to students across different disciplines and majors as part of its commitment to support 25 HBCUs. A global leader in beverage manufacturing and distribution, Diageo North America has also committed to taking a step to build a pipeline of talented leaders through an internship platform that will include DSU over the coming years. Maya Bythwood, a freshman Criminal Justice major, won the local Miss Dover title and competed in the Miss Delaware contest in June. She is a member of NOBLE (the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), the Speech and Debate Team, and performs with the University’s Jazz and Concert Band.

There is virtually no research done at DSU that does not involve undergraduate students, so our faculty are well set up to compete for funding from NSF.”

— Dr. Melissa Harrington Associate Vice President for Research

Other large 2021 NSF grants included an $800,000 grant to CAST Dean Dr. Cherese Winstead to build an infrastructure (facilities and personnel) at HBCUs to solve “grand challenges” related to design of advanced materials in the areas of soft matter such as such as biofluids, polymers, oils, paints and coatings, and quantum nanostructures which have applications in electronics; a $622,524 grant to Dr. Raymond Tutu of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice to study the effects of collective action on health literacy; and a $400,000 grant to Dr. Murali Temburni to implement an undergraduate neuroscience education program to engage diverse students in STEM and prepare them for graduate school and STEM careers.

Dr. Cherese Winstead

H1B Workforce Grant

The University announced a partnership in January with the Delaware Department of Labor and nonprofit Tech Impact to expand workforce opportunities in the Information Technology (IT) sector. DSU received $2 million of a $9.2 million federal H1B Workforce Grant that will ultimately enable 700 Delawareans who are unemployed, underemployed, disabled, veterans (including veterans transitioning out of the U.S. Armed forces) and their spouses to obtain a skill or earn credentials to prepare them to enter mid- to high-level occupations in the IT field. “This opportunity aligns with the priorities of our School of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies as a part of a constantly expanding catalog of more than 75 professional certification, badging, and workforce development courses and programs offered both at our Kirkwood Highway and Dover campuses,” said Dean

Patrice Gilliam-Johnson.

The Center of Excellence in Advanced Quantum Sensing, funded by $7.5 million from the Department of Defense, continues to advance in coordination with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, thanks to the leadership of Professor of Physics and Engineering Dr. Gour S. Pati, principal investigator, and fellow researchers Dr. Renu Tripathi, Dr. Deborah Santamore, Dr. Jun Ren, and Dr. Matthew

Bobrowski.

Dr. Yinghong Cheng of the Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy received a fellowship from the National Humanities Center that will enable him to finish a book project on African American soldiers who worked on the Burma Road.

MARCH

Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion and Civil Rights

The Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion and Civil Rights was established in August 2020 as a platform that allows us to establish a more prominent voice in the issues of the day and have an impact on transforming communities of color and closing the gap to an inclusive economy. The Institute serves many roles including garnering resources, developing partnerships, engaging in research, and stimulating activism. Leaders from across the University came together to guide the formation of the Global Institute.

The Institute received $3 million from the 2020 MacKenzie Scott donation to support its programs, and the year was capped in November by a $1 million donation from Barclays US Consumer Bank. We anticipate naming an executive director for the Institute in early 2022. “The Global Institute provides the mechanism for the University to have a positive impact in those economic, social, and political realms that are the foundation of the HBCU mission,” said College of Business Dean

Michael Casson.

Whether it involves getting testing and traumainformed health care into our communities of color or performing mineral resource surveys in Africa, this is how we put our values to work.”

— Dr. Michael Casson Dean, College of Business

To address global challenges and share proven pathways to transform communities, the Institute established:

X The Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research to bridge the research-practice gap in community and neighborhood revitalization by serving as a research partner with communities, nonprofit and social service providers, and government agencies.

X The Center for Health Disparities to focus on solution-based research for understanding the disparate impact of disease and infection on communities of color.

X The Academy of Healing Trauma Institute to support professionals to skillfully address adverse childhood experiences, race-based trauma, community violence, and organizational trauma.

X The Center for Global Africa to connect and advance the mutual capacity of Africa, the Diaspora, and

HBCUs to devise institutional collaborations under the aegis of the African Union to foster joint 21stcentury progress.

MAR 2021

Graduate students Lindsey Hyppolite and Joshua Patterson and Freshman Nia Allen raised awareness concerning Sickle Cell Disease through the Hope for Sickle Cell Disease Challenge, conducted by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The trio created a mobile app that helps people learn whether they have the Sickle Cell trait. With the acquisition of Wesley College on the horizon, the Board of Trustees approved the adoption of Wesley academic programs into the University curriculum. These included master’s degrees in Teaching, Justice Studies, and Occupational Therapy; bachelor’s degrees in International Studies, Law Studies, and Music Therapy; associates’ degrees in Psychology, Biology, and Liberal Studies; an Informatics Certificate; and a post-master’s certificate in Adult Gerontology.

Jordan Saez ’18 writes English-Spanish book

Jordan Saez, a 2018 Elementary Education graduate and current student in the Teaching English as a Second Language Master’s Degree Program, has authored and independently published an English-Spanish children’s book entitled The Last Day of School?, which she is using in her classes as a kindergarten Spanish immersion teacher in the Cape Henlopen School District in Sussex County, Delaware. The plot of The Last Day of School? was not inspired by what happens at the end of an academic year, but rather by the last day of classes just before the pandemic closed the schools. Her involvement with Hispanic students in her English class led her to write the book in English and Spanish. “I wanted to record myself reading a story out loud so the children could go online and hear it once they got home,” Ms. Saez said. “But then I was told that I couldn’t record a story, because that would be an infringement of copyright. So I said that I’ll write my own book.”

Dr. Richard A. Barczewski was granted Professor Emeritus status. Dr. Barczewski retired in 2019 after nearly 25 years as chair of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. During his tenure, Dr. Barczewski secured $2 million in external funding, published 200+ research papers and articles, and served on 62 academic and professional committees. The Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a new doctoral program—a Ph.D. program in Integrative Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. A multidisciplinary team of faculty in various departments of the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST) will provide mentorship and training to the Ph.D. candidates.

APRIL

Dr. Y. Hwan Kim received a three-year, $438,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate new therapies for Parkinson’s Disease.

APR 2021 Research Teams Climbing a High Mountain

Delaware State University is working toward formal recognition as a doctoral-granting research institution that holds the so-called Carnegie Classification R2 (High Research) status. The change reflects an even greater focus on our doctoral programs (including the PhDs in neuroscience and optics, the only such programs offered at an HBCU) and the success of our faculty in securing grant funding for their research in the biomedical, agricultural science and optical science areas.

The five STEM doctoral programs that the University now has were developed by faculty, largely as grassroots initiatives to expand research activities by

The Delaware Pathways 2 Apprenticeship (P2A) is using a classroom on campus to provide training that prepares Kent County participants—largely from low-income communities—to enter construction union apprenticeship programs, providing a pathway to middle class careers. The University launched a partnership with United Airlines that will give Aviation graduates a direct path to becoming a pilot with a major airline. The launch was attended by nine alumni who are now pilots with United Airlines, which has committed to train 5,000 new pilots by 2030 through its Aviate Academy, with half of them women or people of color.

involving doctoral-level trainees, whose funding comes almost entirely from faculty research grants. “The goal is to build the University’s capacity from what is now a $27 million research portfolio to $35 million and continue to put us in the upper echelons of HBCUs providing substantive scholarships and research in this area and other areas,” said Provost Dr. Saundra DeLauder.

The next step requires large, intentional, and strategic investments by the University. We have been taking a hard look at what we would need to do to achieve these goals. One of those tasks will include developing new doctoral degree programs as well as enrolling and graduating significantly more students from the six doctoral programs that we currently have and hiring more faculty to mentor these students.

“We are accomplishing our goals of preparing students to be successful in college and making it possible for them to leave after graduation with little to no debt.”

Dr. Evelyn Edney of ECHS selected as Delaware Principal of the Year

The National Association of Secondary School Principals named Dr. Evelyn Edney, director of the University’s Early College High School, as its Delaware Principal of the Year. Since assuming her post in 2015, Dr. Edney has overseen the graduation of 201 students from the first three graduating ECHS classes. More than half of them stayed in the First State to enroll at Delaware State University. ECHS students also take college courses and earn the credits for them before they receive their high school diploma. Under Dr. Edney’s leadership, the ECHS boasts a high-school graduation rate of 90% over the past three years. The State Board of Education has approved plans to expand and move ECHS to the DSU Downtown campus, where it will add 150 to 200 students in grades seven and eight during 2022.

— Dr. Evelyn Edney Principal, Early College High School

Genome analysis has become the latest frontier of research exploration with the opening of the University’s DNA Core Center. Led by Director Dr. Jung-lim Lee, the Center has been funded through a series of grants totaling $1.6 million awarded to the University over the past eight years. Two grants totaling just over $1.1 million came from the USDA (2013 and 2018) and an additional grant of $518,881 came from the U.S. Department of Defense (2019). DSU’s Education Department received a $75,000 grant from the Delaware Department of Education to implement a yearlong residency program that deepens the clinical experience during the senior year. That residency normally lasts one semester. The paid internship also provides students guaranteed employment following the completion of the residency.

MAY

Graduation and 130th Anniversary

Alumni and friends returned to campus in May for six inperson graduation ceremonies and the 130th Anniversary Celebration, which was a day of gratitude for what the University has done for thousands of students and how it has survived the pandemic. This year’s Commencement was marked by the recognition of Celine Coverdale as the 25,000th student to earn his or her diploma. Board of Trustees Chairperson Dr. Devona Williams said, “I just say praise God. Thank God that we are here, we have made it by His mercy through the last year. It has been a phenomenal year.” University President Tony Allen asked the 130th Anniversary gathering to be mindful of three numbers— 3, 3, and 7. “What began with three buildings, three instructors and seven students is now a $140 million organization, with a $28

MAY 2021

The University finalized an agreement with the Delaware Department of Education and school districts to allow high school students in grades 10-12 to enroll in dual credit/dual enrollment courses in Chinese and Spanish upon successful completion of program entrance requirements. Successful completion of these courses will enable students to receive credits that will count toward a minor. The first course offerings will be during the Fall 2022 semester. University officials told students during a virtual event that it wanted all students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated by the Fall 2021 semester. While it wasn’t mandating students get the COVID-19 shot, only those who were vaccinated by the fall were able to return for in-person learning. Others were allowed to continue with hybrid learning where available.

million research portfolio, a $40 million endowment, and more than 25,000 alumni.”

Semaj Hazzard, a senior from Philadelphia and the president of the 2021-2022 Student Government Association, expressed the pride that students felt in seeing Commencement return to campus. “Not only did we do the impossible in 1891, we are doing the impossible in the present, the past and the future,” Hazzard said. “And like today, we will continue doing the impossible, because that’s what makes Delaware State University stand out among the other colleges and universities.”

Reducing student debt for recent graduates

The University is cancelling up to $730,655 in student debt for 223 recently graduated students who faced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Antonio Boyle estimated that the average eligible student qualified for about $3,276 in debt relief. “Too many graduates across the country will leave their schools burdened by debt, making it difficult for them to rent an apartment, cover moving costs, or otherwise prepare for their new careers or graduate school. While we know our efforts won’t help with all of their obligations, we all felt it was essential to do our part,” he said.

Boyle said 87% of Delaware State University graduates are either entering their career of choice or graduate school within six months of Commencement—a figure that’s well above the national average. The funds necessary to cancel these students’ debt became available through the federal government’s American Rescue Plan for COVID-19 relief. Then in August, the University announced a second round of funds available for debt relief for more than 1,100 qualified students “with exceptional financial need.” The availability of $2.9 million was made possible by the CARES Act and could be used for a range of hardships caused by COVID-19, including tuition and housing expenses since the pandemic began in Spring 2020. Pell Grant-eligible students received $2,500, and students who were not Pell eligible received $1,000. Nearly half of Delaware State University students meet Pell Grant eligibility criteria. The announcements were not one-time events. At the beginning of the pandemic, the University raised more than $1.6 MM in private funding for its Student Emergency Relief Fund that provided instant support for students faced with an unanticipated move off campus. The University distributed more than $200,000 worth of laptops, tablets, and portable Wi-Fi devices to students with device and connectivity needs while working from home during the same period.

The National Science Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to increase DSU’s interdisciplinary research activity by bringing together researchers and Ph.D. students from the University’s Neuroscience and Optics programs. Professors Dr. Harbinder Singh Dhillon and Dr. Hacene Boukari are the co-principal investigators. Completion of the research projects and the course will enable the University to be among the first i to offer a Graduate Certificate in Bio-Imaging and Bio-Photonics. The Delaware Clinical and Translational Research Center (ACCEL) within the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences is in the fourth year of a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. One of the projects focuses on health disparities, specifically whether Black and Hispanic Americans are showing earlier symptoms of dementia that may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease than their white counterparts.

JUNE

JUNE 2021

Verizon awarded the University’s eSports Tech Center and Computer Science Program $100,000 to support its efforts and added another $100,000 toward scholarships to five female students as part of the company’s effort to increase female representation in the gaming industry as well as bolster their opportunities and presence in STEM careers. The University recently became affiliated with the northeast hub of Innovation Corps (I-Corps). Funded by the National Science Foundation, the mission of I-Corps is to accelerate the economic impact of federally funded research—delivering benefits in health care, energy and the environment, computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced materials while building skills and opportunities among researchers from all backgrounds.

Taking a Bite Out of Tech Inequity

The University was named an Apple Distinguished School, the first HBCU to be so honored. We were invited by Apple to apply and submitted a detailed summary of how learning in the digital age here is driven by three major imperatives: X Access to cutting-edge technology should not be dependent on what students’ families can afford.

X We prepare students to enter careers upon graduation that may not even exist when they are freshmen.

X 21st Century pedagogy requires shifting our paradigm from “how we teach” to “how students learn.”

Apple says that “Apple Distinguished Schools are

HRSA grant to support Sussex County

centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology — and we believe they are some of the most innovative schools in the world.”

“Digital skills, adaptability to changing technology, and a lifelong love of learning are today’s indispensable tools for success,” said Curtis Winslow, manager of digital learning initiatives.

“To change life trajectories—especially for students from low-resource families—their digital equipment must not be limited by what the family can afford. Our collaboration with Apple has balanced that equation.”

The University was awarded a four-year, $1.9 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) to provide much-needed behavioral health training and benefits to Sussex County.

The grant enables the University’s Department of Social Work to establish a Delaware Integrated Behavioral Health Workforce Training Program (DIBH) that will train students in the Master of Social Work Program for work in high-demand areas with high-need populations. The funding will provide stipends for 116 MSW students enrolled in the DIBH Training Program who are completing field education placements at partner agencies in Sussex County over the next four years.

“The behavioral health workforce throughout the United States, and in Delaware, is in need of an increased number of diverse graduates trained in rural integrated care practice,” said Dr. Amy Habeger, associate professor of Social Work and principal investigator of the grant. “Sussex County has been designated by HRSA as a health-professional shortage area for medical and behavioral health providers, and the DIBH Training Program participants will increase the number of trained behavioral health professionals committed to rural practice.”

— Curtis Winslow, Manager of Digital Learning Initiatives

Created in 2014, the University’s “Pride 2020” Strategic Plan set a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of 80% Freshman retention, which would far exceed other HBCUs and represent a nearly 13 percentage point increase from when the plan launched. In Fall 2020, we achieved this goal with a six-percentage-point leap during the pandemic. The reason? Campus-wide digital instruction has finally come into its own. Our digital initiative began by providing free Apple devices to faculty and incoming Freshmen, with a four-year plan to reach all undergraduates by 2022. We achieved this goal a year early and expanded to include students from our graduate programs, new acquisition Wesley College, and Early College High School.

Dr. Melissa Harrington, (pictured at right with Dr. Aristides Marcano) in her capacity as director of the Delaware Institute for Science and Technology, published a paper in the Journal for Neuroscience Research showing that while the number of graduates from neuroscience undergraduate and graduate degree programs had grown dramatically, only a small percentage of those graduates are Black. She also presented data on the University’s neuroscience Ph.D. program, the only one in that discipline at an HBCU.

JULY

Wesley Acquisition

The University made history as the first HBCU to acquire another university, finalizing the acquisition of private institution Wesley College and adding 14 academic programs. The acquisition enabled us to increase the size of our footprint, build on our key academic programs, grow our research base, and enhance our economic impact on the State of Delaware.

The 50-acre campus in Dover, which includes 21 buildings, is now known as DSU Downtown. Following the acquisition, the University moved most of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences to the DSU Downtown campus. Renamed the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences—as a way of preserving some of the history of the former school— the move included all the academic departments of the college, except for the Department of Nursing, which remains in the Price Building on the main Del State campus. The University used $5 million from the MacKenzie Scott donation in late 2020 to support the acquisition of Wesley

JULY 2021

College of Health & Behavioral Sciences (CHBS) leadership: (l-r) Dean Dr. Gwen Scott-Jones, Associate Dean Dr. Eleanor Kiesel, Trina Walker and Cookie Shockley. The CHBS is based at DSU Downtown (with the exception of the Dept. of Nursing).

Harvard Business Publishing Education featured College of Business Dean Dr. Michael Casson in an article entitled “What Career-Focused Curriculum Looks Like.” In the article’s section on “Bringing Career Service into the 21st Century,” Dr. Casson shared some of the initiatives taking place within the College of Business to propel its student forward, focusing on The Garage, a place of innovation and problem solving established on the mezzanine of the Bank of America Building. The University is partnering with Bank of America and the RADical Hope Foundation to offer a first-of-its-kind four-week student wellness program to help them through guided experiences on staying well, staying resilient, empowering themselves, connecting with others, and engaging with their world.

College, leveraging that gift to receive an additional $1 million from the Longwood Foundation. Two-thirds of all Wesley students chose to attend DSU, and the University offered positions to 60 percent of Wesley College faculty and staff. The College taught more than 70 classes from the DSU Downtown campus during the Fall semester. Nearly three-quarters of Wesley’s students (440 of them) chose to matriculate for the Fall 2021 semester.

The acquisition and subsequent activities will more than fill the $65 million void of economic activity that would have been lost in Downtown Dover.

Philanthropy Symposium growing into national leader for promoting HBCU sustainability

The University hosted its 11th annual HBCU Philanthropy Symposium in late July. More than 300 participants representing 60 institutions, including 50 HBCUs, attended the virtual event. The theme, Maximizing Philanthropy in the Moment, guided discussion on how HBCUs could maintain the philanthropic momentum seen in the aftermath of the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor murders. The HBCU Philanthropy Symposium is a signature event that has established DSU’s brand as a significant convener of HBCUs and HBCU partner organizations, including The Kresge Foundation, Strada Education Network, Complete College America, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and United Negro College Fund. Bank of America was the Premier Sponsor and keynote. In addition to the record attendance, this year’s Philanthropy Symposium attracted more than $130,000 in sponsorships from a record number of sponsors. The University sees the symposium as evolving into a thought-leadership platform that will enable University administrators, faculty, and students to speak out on important topics and contribute to media coverage of breaking events and long-term trends.

The University brought students from both schools together as part of the transition.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Dr. Gabriel Gwanmesia ’85 a three-year, $672,000 HBCU Excellence in Research grant in support of mantle mineral research. Dr. Gwanmesia, a professor of Physics and Engineering, will use the grant to support his current research project, entitled “Effect of Hydration on the Thermo-elastic Properties of Mantle Minerals and the Geophysical Implications.” The University is partnering with the University of California Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory on an eight-week neuroscience research program in Summer 2022 at UC Irvine. The program will fund 30 undergraduate HBCU students interested in neuroscience with research training and professional development.

AUGUST

Capital One Donates Waterfront Building to DSU

Capital One’s historic donation to the University of its $4.7 million facility at the Wilmington Riverfront will be paired with significant enhancements to its recruiting partnership with the school to create more opportunities for Delaware State students to pursue careers in fields including business analysis, tech and product development. It will also mark the University’s return to the City of Wilmington after nearly a decade operating in northern Delaware solely through a satellite site on Kirkwood Highway. “This dramatically expanded footprint inside Wilmington and Capital One’s commitment to longterm engagement with the area’s young people is exactly what the University needs to bring our particular strengths to bear on the issues facing the city,” said President Tony Allen. “Together we will be able to reach the city’s youth more directly to create an innovative pipeline to college and career; offer both graduate courses and workforce development training in an accessible location; and better support our Center for Neighborhood Revitalization and Research in addressing the structural and economic challenges facing Wilmington.” “At Capital One, we know that HBCUs are engines of economic mobility,” said Delaware Market President Joe Westcott. “We’re proud to be investing in Delaware State University’s proven ability to champion educational equity, academic excellence, and the creation of innovative career pathways for its students.” The anchor for the new partnership is the bank’s donation of its One South Orange building, which contains 35,000 square feet with six floors, an open floor plan, and custom meeting space. The new space will initially headquarter the University’s School of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies; house a new partnership with the Teen Warehouse and its workforce development center; and offer an incubation hub for micro and small businesses with a particular focus on minority and women-owned companies.

AUG 2021

Physics Professor Dr. Aristides Marcano was awarded a $394,607 Department of Defense research grant that will support the establishment of a state-of-the-art Photochemical and Photophysics Laboratory. The lab’s primary purpose is to conduct research and train new generations of scientists in the detection and generation of singlet oxygen—an electronically excited level of the molecule of oxygen. Physics and Engineering Professor Dr. Renu Tripathi was named the inaugural recipient of the IBMSPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award in Quantum Optics and Photonics. The $100,000 annual award supports and promotes research and education in quantum optics and photonics within the 23 IBMHBCU Quantum Center member institutions. Dr Tripathi is developing quantum science education curricula and teaching practices and summer research programs and workshops.

FRESH Transformation Initiatives

Plans are moving ahead on:

X A Customer Service Center of Excellence that will create a cross-University team dedicated to addressing customer service queries from the DSU community and work to embed a culture of customer service excellence for all University faculty, staff, and administration.

X An expanded DSU Online program with new master’s degree offerings, new enrollment in existing programs, and investment in structural capabilities to enable DSU Online to serve 1,200+ students by FY 2026. This expansion will allow the University to provide more innovative learning opportunities to students, educate more students from diverse backgrounds, and tap into the growing trend of online-only programs within higher education.

These initiatives (and others) are part of the University’s Fresh Transformation, which focuses on identifying and implementing growth opportunities across 10 strategic areas. The planning phase of the effort began in July 2021 where more than 200 faculty, staff and administrators brainstormed ideas to deliver on the Transformation aspirations. These members of the University Community identified 136 initiatives and built business cases to support them. 79 of those initiatives were approved for implementation beginning in 2022. We project these initiatives to dramatically improve DSU student outcomes, enhance student experiences, and drive economic sustainability for the University in coming years.

Charles Schwab Foundation supports launch of Financial Literacy Institute

The University will launch a new Financial Literacy Institute with support from Schwab Advisor Services in partnership with the Charles Schwab Foundation. The company has pledged a four-year grant to facilitate the creation of the new program, as well as the expansion of the Financial Planning curriculum and the renovation of the Financial Network Trading Room operated by the University’s College of Business. “This partnership is exciting because the need to improve the financial planning and wealth management skills of our students is essential to our core mission of changing their life trajectories,” said University President Tony Allen.

A partnership of this significance wouldn’t be possible without strong faculty leaders like Finance Professor Dr. Nandita Das.”

— Michael Casson Dean, College of Business

The University joined a consortium with two other HBCUs in a research enterprise supported by a three-year, $2.47 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The Consortium for Laser-based Analysis of Nuclear and Environmental Materials brings together researchers and students from DSU, Alabama State University, Florida A&M University, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., and the Y-12 National Security Complex. The University partnered with Investor Cash Management to offer a new cash management account for students, faculty, staff, and alumni that combines the convenience of a bank account with the investment returns of a brokerage account. Registration is available at https://investorcashmanagement.com/desu

SEPTEMBER

(L-R) Inaaya A. Coleman and Juliana Paul

SEP 2021

The University signed an agreement with the Minority Engineering Regional Incentive Training (MERIT) organization that will likely result in higher enrollment of students from Sussex County into our STEM disciplines. Under the agreement, the University will provide MERIT students with information about STEM areas of study, pre-enrollment counseling, financial aid and admissions services, as well as mentors utilizing the University faculty, staff and students. Morris James LLP donated $10,000 to underwrite Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) fees and prep course tuition, as well as provide opportunities for mentoring and internships for Law Studies students. Law Studies Director Kimeu Boynton of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice said, “This is huge for our students. Fees and prep courses can easily cost them as much as $500. Knowing those fees will be paid for them provides a critical breathing space that can be devoted to study.”

White House Scholars

Inaaya A. Coleman, a sophomore Mathematics Education major, and Juliana Paul, a junior Information Technology major, are among 86 undergraduate, graduate and professional students selected as HBCU Scholars by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“Growing up in one of America’s poorest cities, I have faced many challenges within my life; however, I refuse to let them define me as a person,” said Coleman, a Camden, N.J., native who carries a 4.0 GPA and serves on the Student Government Association. “At most, these adversities are small road bumps on the journey to my goals.” Paul, a 3.5 GPA student from Philadelphia, is the vice president of the Computer Science Club and an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the organization Blacks in Cyber. Off-campus, she is involved in organizations such as Code Differently.

US News Ranking

US News & World Report announced that the University has risen to #10 nationally among all other Historically Black Colleges and Universities while retaining its ranking as the #3 public HBCU in America. The University returned to the Top Ten for the first time since 2014, achieving its most significant gains in social mobility, a relatively new metric that evaluates a university’s ability to support and graduate students from low-resourced communities at the same or better rate than their general student population. Rising from last year’s 59th to 30th this year, the University continues to sit in the top 1% of all institutions on this increasingly important measure. The University was also recognized for leading the HBCU community in its percentage of international students.

HBCU Week in Wilmington

At the HBCU Week Foundation Inc. college fair in Wilmington, 374 students received on-site admission to the University. Nearly three-quarters of them received a scholarship. That’s $6.8 million, the lion’s share of which is the four-year, fulltuition INSPIRE Scholarship.

Like the shirt says, “DSU is DOPE” — Diverse, Optimal, Prolific and Excellent!!!

DuPont donated 50 high-end MacBooks to graduate students in STEM programs to commemorate HBCU Week and highlight the University’s digital learning initiative and the long-standing collaboration the University and DuPont have in preparing students for research careers at the company. The DuPont-donated devices went to all graduate students in the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, with another 90 going to graduate students in the new Master of Occupational Therapy program. The College of Business’ Global Entrepreneurship Education Initiative has launched a new initiative to train entrepreneurs in the Central African country of Uganda. Supported by a $44,308 grant from the U.S. State Department, the initiative is a part of the mission of the Global Entrepreneurship Education Initiative to provide entrepreneurship education in emerging and developing countries, to contribute to the emergence of local entrepreneurs.

OCTOBER

USAID Support

Students and researchers will help countries struggling with food insecurity through a new agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The agreement with DSU will support USAID’s “Feed the Future“ program, an effort to combat global hunger by assisting farmers in a dozen countries, including seven African nations, Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Honduras. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a first for the agency with an HBCU and will “advance agriculture-led economic growth, resilience, nutrition, and water security, sanitation, and hygiene” in conjunction with the USAID “Feed the Future” Research Initiative.

The MOU details a broad scope for collaboration over the next four years that is aimed at “enabling disadvantaged communities and individuals to share in a future of economic prosperity based on sustainable practices and the benefits of environmental and natural resource security.” “This historic partnership grows from our shared

OCT 2021

Photo by Theodora Kachingwe, Feed the Future Malawi Ag-Diversification Activity

The Coach Foundation—which supports global philanthropic initiatives that are community focused—donated about 1,000 pieces of business-ready attire to the University. The Foundation has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and other organizations to launch “The Coach Closet,” a source of professional attire to help students in their career journey. Diplomats from four European countries (Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, and the Netherlands) offered their perspectives on the politics and challenges of the world as part of a panel discussion entitled “America, Europe and a Changing World” moderated by Delaware U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. In addition to talking about the priorities of their individual countries, each one of the ambassadors gave their perspectives on maintaining democratic governance.

commitment to having a global impact on food security, water security, development, and human rights,” said President Tony Allen, adding that the University “understands how to meld cutting-edge research with our expertise at working efficiently with diverse, low-resource communities.”

DSU is expected to collaborate with other HBCUs on special projects related to the USAID effort including workshops, conferences, and other community outreach initiatives.

“These are critical collaborations,” said Dr. Michael Casson, dean of the College of Business and interim director of the Global Institute for Equity, Inclusion and Civil Rights, which will be coordinating most activities from the University side.

We know that both food and water insecurities around the world are spiking upward again, and that here in America we are not immune to the challenges impacting Africa, Asia, and Latin America.”

— Dr. Marikis “Nick” Alvarez Associate Dean, CAST

Legislature expands Inspire Scholarship program

Delaware Governor John Carney signed Senate Bill 95, which nearly doubled the size of the average full-tuition Inspire Scholarship award available to Delaware high school seniors that gives them a path to earning a debt-free degree at the University. Since it was created in 2010, the Inspire Scholarship has helped more than 2,500 students attend Del State, with more than 60% of those scholarships going to Black students and 65% going to women. Nearly half have been awarded to graduates of Kent County high schools, the state’s smallest county and the county with the state’s lowest bachelor’s degree attainment rate. “The expansion of the Inspire Scholarship is enabling me to stay at DSU and let me focus on my classes without the anxiety of worrying about how I’m going to pay for school or how much debt I’m going to incur,” said Ardavia Lee, a junior majoring in Political Science.

Under the original program, Inspire Scholarships were capped at an amount equal to a SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree) scholarship available to Delaware students pursuing an associate degree at the University of Delaware or Delaware Technical Community College. But because Inspire is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning state funding is only available to fill the gaps between federal aid and the full cost of tuition, some students facing financial hardship sometimes couldn’t complete their four-year degree.

The state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) awarded three Delaware State University sociology professors a nearly $250,000 grant to conduct research into traditionally underrepresented communities that will help the agency improve its public engagement effectiveness. Dr. Raymond Tutu, chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, is the principal investigator. Gov. John Carney signed into law House Bill 123, which supports students in foster care as they work toward a higher education degree. The University will waive all tuition and fees, including room and board, for any youth who has aged out or spent at least one year in foster care as a teenager. Under this legislation, eligible students must apply for financial aid before being granted the tuition waiver for any leftover tuition and fees.

NOVEMBER

Dr. Shelley Rouser ’93 with Gov. John Carney

NOV 2021

The Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy received a $235,000 contract from Delaware’s Department of Education to work on a project to help facilitate a more culturally inclusive history curriculum for Grade 8 this year and Grade 11 next academic year under the provisions of H.B. 198. The largest grant in department history, the project team is led by Dr. Donna Patterson, Jason Bourke, and Nik Robinson. The University’s Aviation Program hosted the first-ever HBCU Aviation Directors’ Summit. The two-day summit brought together directors from aviation programs and representatives of the airlines and military to discuss their challenges and share ideas for their flight training and aviation management programs, said University Program Director Lt. Col. Michael Hales, “The purpose was to share best practices in the military and different airlines that are interested in doing business with HBCUs that have aviation programs.”

Early Childhood Innovation Center

The University will receive $30.6 million over the next five years to establish an Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIE) as part of Gov. John Carney’s initiative to use $120 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support Delaware’s childcare industry and childcare professionals. The grant is the largest ever received by the University, eclipsing last year’s $20 MM gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

In partnership with the state Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the University will use the grant money from ARPA and other state funds to support the construction and launch of the Early Childhood Innovation Center, invest in Delaware’s childcare workforce, and expand access to affordable childcare

for Delaware families in need.

The University will develop statewide infrastructure for a unique pathway for Delawareans seeking careers in the childcare industry. The funding will also expand scholarship opportunities to support working professionals who are seeking additional education. “Although progress has been made over the past decade, we know that about a third of Delaware’s children are not kindergarten ready due to a number of factors including child poverty, food and housing insecurities, domestic violence and other trauma, and lack of access to quality health care,” said Education Department Chairperson Dr. Shelley Rouser ’93. The ECIE will provide additional professional credentials and career advancement opportunities for those employed in the caring for and education of prekindergarten children. The University will serve as the hub for this initiative and will develop the scholarship program to provide financial support to those striving to advance as early childhood education providers. Provost Dr. Saundra DeLauder said, “This opportunity for Delaware’s children derives entirely from the collaborative work between Dr. Shelley Rouser, her team, and their colleagues at DOE and DHSS. Her vision is expansive, but firmly grounded in the expertise necessary to make the Innovation Center a reality.”

Jahsha Tabron ’00 selected Delaware Teacher of the Year

Jahsha (Downer) Tabron ’00 became the second University graduate in the last 10 years to be selected as the Delaware Teacher of the Year. She was recognized for her ability to reach and effectively teach challenged high school students who other educators may have given up on. Tabron, who will be pursuing her doctoral degree at DSU, is a reading and English teacher at Brandywine High School in Wilmington. She has been with the high school for 22 years, demonstrating her patience and tenacity in reaching and teaching struggling students and students with learning disabilities. Said Tabron, “The goal of special education is to reduce services and provide support so that students don’t have to be removed from a regular classroom. I look at special education as a unique need that a student may have… my role is to assess what that special need is, and what is needed to ensure that the student is getting and able to convey the information that is being taught.”

The University has reactivated the Community Center at Capitol Park in Dover as the Biomedical Behavioral Health Center. Said Dr. Gwen Scott-Jones ’97, dean of the Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, “I want to service the community. I want the community to be able to come in here and hold its meetings. I want to eradicate violence. I want the center to make a difference in the community and in the State of Delaware.” Dr. Cynthia Newton will head the Center. The University launched a series of community-outreach events in Downtown Dover, with the first two “Meet & Greets” aimed at religious leaders and members of the business community. DSU leaders are updating the groups on University activities and the economic impact that is expected to come from our new DSU Downtown presence.

DECEMBER

Scholarship Ball raises $600K

The 11th annual Scholarship Ball raised more than $600,000 for student scholarships. More than 900 attended the event that was held for the first time in Wilmington at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.

The $600,000 was raised with the help of a record number of attendees and corporate sponsors, including Barclays, Corteva Agriscience, Delmarva Power, JPMorgan Chase, SodexoMagic, The Propel Center, Bank of America, Sallie Mae, Bloom Energy, Christiana Care, Discover, FMC, Highmark, Incyte, M&T, and Thrivent.

The University honored some key partners from 2021, including Bank of America, accepted by Delaware Market President Chip Rossi; Ashley Christopher for her work with HBCU Week; and Nicole Dye Anderson ’03 and Duane Dey ’87 for their ongoing service and commitment to the university. President Tony Allen also announced the creation of the Franklin Marshall Scholarship for Character, Courage and Consequence. Marshall, a 1965 graduate, recently lost his house and most of his possessions in a fire. Junior accounting major Tysun Hicks was announced as the first winner of the scholarship. “I can only aspire to live up to Mr. Marshall’s example,” Hicks said.

DEC 2021

The College of Business (COB) launched its “March to 1K” campaign, with a goal of engaging 1,000 COB alumni and friends in meaningful ways. This campaign focuses on fueling academic excellence across all programs through capital raised for scholarships, signature programs, and initiatives that are unique to the mission and strategic priorities of the College of Business. The University announced it would require a COVID-19 vaccine booster to enroll in the spring semester. We also delayed our return to in-person instruction two weeks for safety during the Omicron surge. To return to campus, all students, faculty, and staff were required to get a booster shot unless they had university-approved religious or medical exceptions.

University hits multiple enrollment records for Fall 2021 semester

The University is bucking some major national trends in enrollment, seeing growth where higher education numbers across the country are decreasing. The University, which experienced 40% enrollment growth between 2009 and 2019, established multiple records during the Fall 2021 semester, welcoming its largest student body ever (5,649), up from its previous record of 5,054 in 2019. President Dr. Tony Allen emphasized that realizing such increases across the board during a global pandemic has required thoughtful planning, administrative flexibility, Board support, and careful marketing of the University’s value proposition. The University achieved records in undergraduate students, graduate students, new Freshmen, international students, and online enrollment. The 9.7% rise in undergraduate enrollment was a major factor in reaching the record total enrollment figure, according to Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Antonio Boyle. The new Freshman class totals 1,023 students, including 445 in-state students, 298 of whom received the statefunded Inspire Scholarship. This represents a 67% increase in Inspire Scholars, primarily driven by the expansion of the scholarship to cover full tuition for all four years of attendance. In addition, our Freshman retention rate has stayed above 70% for the past seven years, with the latest figure being a record-breaking 75.1%. Our graduate and online numbers also demonstrate records. The 801 graduate students reflect a 32% increase, while the 317 DSU@Online students represent a nearly 38% increase over Fall 2020 and include 261 graduate students and 56 undergraduates.

Our Master of Social Work and Master of Occupational Therapy programs (which came from Wesley College) are unique in the state and have become major attractors for students interested in starting new careers with strong growth potential.”

— Dr. Patrice Gilliam-Johnson Dean, School of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies

DSU Board Chair Dr. Devona Williams published an op-ed in the Delaware Business Times highlighting the reality that a growing number of talented and highly qualified women in boardrooms and C-suites are opening new opportunities and providing role models for younger women. The University received another $22.4 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), included in the American Rescue Plan enacted by Congress and President Biden in March 2021. We have allocated $7 million for the Molecular Diagnostic Testing Lab at the Kirkwood facility (see the story from January); $8 million for HVAC upgrades; and $7.4 million for technology upgrades.