CORNERSTONE MESSAGE FROM DEAN ALLISON S. DANELL

Greetings, alumni and friends! I am delighted to bring you another issue of Cornerstone, and I am excited to send this newsletter to even more people as our network grows. Did you know that at Spring 2023 commencement, more than 1,000 people joined the long list of ECU graduates who studied in Harriot College? In fact, we are already working hard to recruit the next generation of graduates, as you can see on page 3 of this newsletter! Are you looking to help spread the good word about how #HarriotCollegeWorks? Follow us on LinkedIn and share our posts and your experiences! Not only will that positively influence recruitment of students, but of employees as well. We are welcoming dozens of new employees each year across the spectrum of the many job functions needed to keep our college competitive and innovative.

Of course, our students are at the forefront, like Elizabeth LaFave, winner of the 2023 Pirate™ Entrepreneurship Challenge for Invenire, an app that will bring collections from museums in our region straight to your phone. Elizabeth, a doctoral student conducting bioanalytical chemistry research, has always maintained quite a multidisciplinary portfolio of studies and activities – from complementing her science majors with one in history to an internship in ECU’s Office of Licensing and Commercialization. We feature another student I had the pleasure of teaching on page 4, as well, which brings me great joy and pride! So much additional good news is coming soon, too, like our 2023-2024 Voyages of Discovery slate and the inaugural winner of the Harriot College Military and Veterans Scholarship, thanks to supporters on our Advancement Council and readers like you!

Javier Limon Political Science major

“One of the major reasons I chose ECU was because of its commitment to service; it’s not just students serving their community but ECU serving its students. Harriot College, the Department of Political Science, and the Honors College have played a crucial role in my personal growth.”

Elected student body President for ECU’s Student Government Association and student Vice President for the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Earned a prestigious Honors College Brinkley-Lane Scholars award, formerly known as EC Scholars, and is a recipient of the Senator John P. East Scholarship in the political science department

Studied abroad in Italy comparing their educational policy choices to those of the U.S. and where we can improve

Plans to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree to work on Capitol Hill and serve the public by focusing on health or education policy and government relations

Ms. Jennifer Sisk

Senior Teaching Instructor, Department of English ECU Mentoring and Inclusion Faculty Fellow (2022-2024)

“I appreciate the leadership at Harriot College and the ways they have encouraged and supported my work connecting students with community-engaged learning, and the opportunities I’ve had to serve faculty across campus.”

Incorporates multicultural texts into freshman composition course materials and shares research on Native American and African-American literature, Women’s literature and ethnic literature

Strengthens community and engages faculty by creating an inclusive culture of mentoring and support for all faculty

Works with the Office for Faculty Excellence to present faculty mentoring workshops, including professional development

Supports and advocates for students by helping them navigate the challenges of higher education and find leadership opportunities on and off campus