Winter 2023-24
CORNERSTONE MESSAGE FROM DEAN ALLISON S. DANELL Warm greetings from Harriot College! It has already been a busy academic year for us, with so many opportunities to celebrate the wealth of knowledge and discovery that one can enjoy in the arts and sciences! From our star-studded Voyages of Discovery season to our annual scholarship luncheon, I have relished all the memories we are making together. Please accept my sincere thanks for the support of readers like you, our friends and alumni!
In addition to the many special events that dot my calendar, it is important to remember just how much critical work is going on every day in Harriot College. Our departments are leading the way in launching innovative new projects and championing the arts and sciences across the university community and beyond. A college of our size, scope, and standing is not just multidisciplinary by nature – we are interdisciplinary by design. The creativity and problem-solving that arise from interdisciplinary learning and Dean Danell takes a moment to pose with two exceptional scholarship recipients at the 2023 scholarship luncheon, Katelynn Teli (left) and collaboration ensures #HarriotCollegeWorks! I am proud of just how many Saba Khanmohammadi (right). Katelynn is studying neuroscience and examples of such interdisciplinary thinking and achievement you will read psychology, and Saba is pursuing a mathematics degree. about in this newsletter. You will read more about how students leverage their learning both inside and outside the classroom, sharing the lessons they have learned with their peers and partnering with others to tackle tough research questions. They build on these experiences to go on to be changemakers in North Carolina and beyond. My colleagues highlighted in this issue are wonderful examples of the many reasons our students have these opportunities to explore and grow – our dedicated faculty! Visit https://give.ecu.edu and donate in honor of a treasured faculty member on March 20 in celebration of Pirate Nation Gives, ECU’s annual day of giving!
Dhanushi Dedakia Physics major, Biology minor
“I love ECU, and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, because it has an abundance of opportunities for academic and personal growth. The Department of Physics stood out to me for its exceptional support and rigorous coursework, which I find highly engaging.” Earned multiple scholarships to assist with her academic journey, including the ECU Alumni Association Scholarship, Glaxo Women in Science Scholarship, Honors College Centennial Fellowship, and the Vonta Leach/Ledonia Wright Scholarship Shares her knowledge as a tutor for the Department of Physics at the Pirate Academic Success Center and as a Learning Assistant in Japanese classes in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures Provides leadership as treasurer for the Indian Student Organization and serves others as a member of the Society of Physics Students and Kaiwa Club Aspires to a career in aerospace medicine with plans to attend ECU’s Brody School of Medicine
Dr. Hanna Samir Kassab
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science “I appreciate my colleagues in political science. They are supportive and encouraging through all my successes and disappointments. Such people are hard to find these days, and that makes me cherish ECU even more.”
Teaching and research specialties in global politics range from war and terrorism to organized crime Recently secured a Department of Defense grant through the Minerva Research Initiative to support his research studying certain socio-economic drivers influencing conflict between nations Led students on a donor-supported study abroad trip last summer to France and Germany, providing knowledge about the European Union and future conflict resolutions Further engages students beyond the classroom by providing planning leadership and service as an advisor for the Security Studies Club
RESEARCHING ‘GREEN’ INFRASTRUCTURE
ECU doctoral student, faculty member are studying the effectiveness of a system designed to reduce water runoff contaminants by Lacey L. Gray, MA
Stormwater management is a critical part of any city’s infrastructure. Greenville, being true to its name, has taken a “green” approach in this area. In 2020, in addition to pipes and culverts, ECU’s Dr. Mike O’Driscoll — professor in the Integrated Coastal Programs’ Department of Coastal Studies — and the City of Greenville, worked together to install an infrastructure system known as regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC). The RSC in downtown Greenville, near Town Creek, appears to be a simple waterway filled with rocks and stones and peppered with plant material, but in actuality is a high-tech approach to control stormwater.
Peralta said that with expanding urban areas in the United States and changes in precipitation patterns, stormwater management is of increasing importance in protecting our aquatic ecosystem. “Innovative green stormwater infrastructure has the potential to mitigate nutrient issues, handle large precipitation Finlay replaces damaged water sensors at Town Creek to events and reduce ensure proper water quality and quantity monitoring at nuisance flooding, the Tar-Pamlico River Basin. support biodiversity, and enhance our cities by reducing urban heat islands and increasing green space,” she said. “However, it is important to test green infrastructure’s performance and use the results to make improvements. It is critical to study the role that microorganisms living in the sediments and waters of the RSC play in removing or worsening downstream nutrient issues.” Finlay aims to determine the amount of nitrogen Greenville’s RSCs can process in a year and evaluate how changing precipitation patterns affect the device’s ability to filter the pollutants. His research activities include monthly maintenance and downloading of the water sensor data, seasonal sediment sampling and laboratory testing of nitrogen, water sampling during storms, algal bloom monitoring and data analysis.
Colin Finlay is studying the effectiveness of green infrastructure. (Contributed photos)
Not only is stormwater safely and appropriately diverted, RSCs are designed to treat the runoff to ensure sediment and pollutants, like excess nitrogen, are filtered or captured. How well do they work? With $12,000 in funding provided by ECU’s Water Resources Center and the North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute, an in-depth assessment of an RSC’s performance and effectiveness in Greenville is being examined by Colin Finlay, a student in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine and Chemistry, and Dr. Ariane Peralta, associate professor of biology. “There is a lot of energy surrounding the topic of stormwater infrastructure and many in the state are invested in this issue,” Finlay said. “There is also a lot of optimism that we can use green stormwater infrastructure to mitigate multiple issues at the same time: reduce flooding, improve water quality, support biodiversity and beautify urban spaces.”
“Stormwater infrastructure can reduce flooding, improve water quality, support biodiversity and beautify urban spaces.” – Colin Finlay
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“The stormwater infrastructure in Town Creek does a good job of treating nitrogen when water slowly filters through the system,” he said. “During storm flow, water rushes through the system without time for nutrient treatment. While the nutrient treatment performance may decrease during storms, this infrastructure reduces flood risk by giving that water space to flow.” Finlay will share his findings with Sound Rivers and the City of Greenville to ensure findings are distributed to the local community and stormwater professionals across the state. He hopes the results of the research will inform the state’s decisionmaking around stormwater management. “I really enjoy when people tell me the research is valuable, and they’re optimistic that green infrastructure will be improved and deployed more broadly in the region,” Finlay said. After completing his doctorate, Finlay wants to continue carrying out important research, and he hopes to establish a career centered around the science of climate, ecosystems and microbes, and the transformation of the science into broader impacts, policies and education.
Consider supporting Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences by making a donation online at ec
SERVING THE PUBLIC
Dr. Charles Ewen Named 2023 Harriot College Distinguished Professor Dr. Charles Ewen, professor of anthropology, has a long-standing and respected repertoire of service to ECU and surrounding communities, one of the reasons he was named Harriot College’s newest distinguished professor. “I am truly humbled and privileged to join the ranks of distinguished professors,” Ewen said. “It is hard to render me speechless, but Dean Danell did so when she gave me the news.” The appointment is the highest honor within the college and is conferred upon a professor whose career exemplifies a commitment to and a love for knowledge and academic life as demonstrated by outstanding teaching and advising, research and creative productivity, and professional service.
Dr. Charles Ewen
“The committee was inspired and impressed by the many facets of Dr. Ewen’s long and storied career,” said Dr. Allison S. Danell, dean of Harriot College. “The creativity of his courses in the classroom and in the field certainly ensure all students gain knowledge, confidence and insight into the complex and exciting world of anthropology.” During the past nearly three decades, Ewen has led 20 summer archaeology field schools and regularly incorporates real-world projects into his upper-level courses, which students and the community respond to enthusiastically. “Not only do these projects engage the students, but they are a great form of public outreach,” said Dr. Randy Daniel, professor of anthropology. Ewen’s research interests include historical archaeology associated with state historic sites, including Bath, Fort Macon, Somerset Place, Tryon Palace and more recently, Brunswick Town on the Cape Fear River.
Dr. Charles Ewen works with students Mackenzie Mulkey and Regina Wheeler to locate and document gravesites at an abandoned cemetery in Ayden. (Photo by Rhett Butler)
“Many of the archaeological projects I undertake benefit a community (reclaiming cemeteries), an historic site (interpreting their holdings to the public), or even individuals wondering about an artifact they found,” said Ewen. “I enjoy the public engagement aspects of my research.”
A LEGACY IN NAME AND EXAMPLE
Planning Lab to be Named in Honor of Historic Gift by Walter Fields
In March 2022, Walter Fields ’71 pledged $250,000 to support the Community and Regional Planning program housed within Harriot College’s Department of Geography, Planning and Environment. This generous gift marks the largest single pledge to the program in its nearly 50-year history. As one of the community and regional planning program’s distinguished and loyal graduates, Fields credits the program for providing him with a road to a successful career as a city planner for a notable 25 years of service, and subsequently, 25 years managing his own private planning firm. His passion for the program inspired his gift, which will support undergraduate community and regional planning students while they complete internships.
“Walter’s gift will reduce financial barriers for students to participate in career-building internships, which empower students to build professional networks, enhance and develop marketable skills and strengthen their resume,” said Ashley Harzog, Harriot College’s director of alumni relations and outreach. Michelle Nance, a planner-in-residence with ECU’s Community and Regional Planning program, poses with Walter Fields at the program’s 2023 annual spring banquet. (Contributed photo)
To recognize this historic gift, Harriot College and University Advancement secured Board of Trustees’ approval to name the Community and Regional Planning Lab, the central classroom where students in the program gather to take many of their core courses, in honor of Fields.
Planning students say ‘thank you’ to donors who help support their program of study. (Contributed photo)
“His investment in our program impact generations of students, and the communities they will build and serve. We look forward to honoring Walters’ legacy with a formal naming ceremony soon,” Harzog said. Are you interested in empowering Harriot College students to pursue their career goals beyond the classroom with experiences that include internships, field experiences or study abroad? Contact Harzog at clelanda18@ecu.edu or call 252-737-1753.
u.edu/give. Stay in touch with Harriot College by phone at 252-328-6249 or email at thcas@ecu.edu.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Victoria Hardy McGowen, BS Biology, BA Economics, ’14; MS Biology, ’16; Doctor of Dental Medicine, ’22 Three-time alumna, a new member of Harriot College’s Advancement Council and an associate dentist at Sound Dental in Morehead City, N.C., Victoria Hardy McGowen is dedicating her time and energy to serving others. “I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a dentist,” McGowen said. “The best part about my job is how much fun we have at our office. Most people don’t like coming to the dentist, so we try to keep energy levels up and attitudes positive.” During her academic career, McGowen held several leadership and service roles, making a major difference at ECU and in the community. She was a member of the ECU Swim Club, overseeing finances, transportation and lodging for
swim meets, and through ECU’s Predental Honor Society, she volunteered at Missions of Mercy clinics, providing free dental care across the state.
variety of mentors, peers and programs,” she said. “My time at ECU not only expanded my educational view but my personal view, which has helped me to empathize with and relate to a wide range McGowen relied heavily on student loans, of patients.” jobs, and teaching and research assistant positions to fund her education. In addition to practicing dentistry, McGowen is completing a fellowship in “Sadly, I was unaware of a lot of the forensic odontology, which will allow her scholarships that exist for Harriot College to expand her skills and assist local law students and that is something that I want enforcement on a variety of cases. In the to help improve with my position on the future, she also hopes to open a dental advancement council,” she said. “Being practice of her own. able to help raise funds for students like me who have had to miss out on opportunities due to work or financial constraints is an amazing opportunity.” ECU exposed McGowen to an array of situations and people that are contributing to her successful career, and she wants current Harriot College majors to see the benefits of collaborating with others to expand their research, knowledge and perspectives. “ECU has such a diverse population that I was able to gain knowledge from a
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