Nccu Now Fall/Winter 2017

A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, FRIENDS, FACULTY AND STAFF OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

FALL/WINTER 2017

BADGE OF HONOR

GRADUATES OF NCCU’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM STAND TALL IN THE WORLD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

PASSION WITH A PURPOSE

WHAT’S HOT IN DURHAM

COLLEGE TOWN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS IN STYLE, CREATIVITY AND TASTE

EAGLE PRIDE IS ALIVE AND WELL FOR THESE 5 FEMALE PHILANTHROPISTS

DELIVERING ON THE

EAGLE PROMISE

CHANCELLOR’S EAGLE PROMISE STRETCHES FROM CAMPUS TO COMMUNITY – AND BEYOND

SEE I N SI D E:

DIGITAL EXTRAS

contents

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features 22

DELIVERING ON THE EAGLE PROMISE

12th Chancellor Johnson Akinleye stakes out an ambitious six-point plan.

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HEART BEHIND THE BADGE

Criminal justice majors follow their dreams to play important roles in law enforcement.

departments O N T H E C O V E R 12th Chancellor Johnson O.

A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, FRIENDS, FACULTY AND STAFF OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

FALL/WINTER 2017

BADGE OF HONOR

GRADUATES OF NCCU’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM STAND TALL IN THE WORLD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

PASSION WITH A PURPOSE

EAGLE PRIDE IS ALIVE AND WELL FOR THESE 5 FEMALE PHILANTHROPISTS

WHAT’S HOT IN DURHAM

COLLEGE TOWN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS IN STYLE, CREATIVITY AND TASTE

Akinleye is considered a “no-nonsense” educator and an assertive advocate for NCCU within the state’s higher education system. Photo by Chioke Brown

DELIVERING ON THE

EAGLE PROMISE

CHANCELLOR’S EAGLE PROMISE STRETCHES FROM CAMPUS TO COMMUNITY – AND BEYOND

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INNOVATION NATION Young entrepreneurs with School of Business ties are steering the future.

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CATCH THE SPIRIT OF COLLEGE TOWN

Whether in town for the weekend or Durham is ‘home,’ put these 10 things on your to-do list.

Check Out the Homecoming Recap

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Letter From the Chancellor Milestones Campus News Discoveries Homecoming 2017 Recap Class Notes Sports Archives

à For the latest NCCU NEWS and updates, visit www.nccu.edu or click to follow us on: FAL L 2017 NCCU NOW

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C H A N C ELL O R Greetings Alumni and Friends:

First, thank you for the tremendously warm and spirited welcome that my family and I have received since June 26, 2017, when I was named by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and President Margaret Spellings as the 12th Chancellor of this distinguished institution— North Carolina Central University. I remain humbled and grateful for being granted the opportunity to lead and serve “Dear Ol” NCC, following the legacy of our founder, Dr. James E. Shepard. At this academic year’s University Conference for faculty and staff, I discussed The Eagle Promise, a new platform of six strategic priorities the university is working to achieve over the next 12 months. I invite you to read more details about this initiative on page 26.

This issue of NCCU Now is especially exciting for me and our NCCU community.

Our 2016-2017 ended with the university achieving several new milestones and celebrating new successes. We began the 2017-2018 year with several record-setting achievements for the institution. In August, we welcomed 1,780 new first-time freshmen and transfer students as our newest Eagles. This healthy and academically gifted class of 2021, combined with our new transfer Eagles, is the largest group of new students we have welcomed in one semester the university’s history. In September’s 2018 rankings of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) listing from U.S. News & World Report, NCCU was ranked fourth among the nation’s public HBCUs and second-highest among those in North Carolina. The annual rankings gave high marks to NCCU for its freshman-to-sophomore retention rate, class sizes and strength of full-time faculty, among other factors.

Additionally, this year’s Ultimate Homecoming Experience saw alumni contribution soar with over $2.4 million raised during the festivities, including a $1 million gift from NCCU Board of Trustees Chairman George R. Hamilton and his wife, Jill Hamilton. Read more about Mrs. Hamilton and other women who have invested greatly in NCCU through their gifts in the story “Female Donors Channel Passion for Good Cause” on page 48.

Lastly, our academic enterprise continues to produce graduates who lead and excel in numerous professions. Of note is our Department of Criminal Justice in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Our graduates are serving in homeland security, emergency management, corrections and corporate security positions, just to name a few.

The story “The Heart Behind the Badge,” beginning on page 28, will provide you with a snapshot of our Eagles in law enforcement.

On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of North Carolina Central University, I would like to wish you and your families a joyous holiday season. Thank you for all you do for NCCU! In Truth and Service,

Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye Chancellor

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nccu board of trustees: chair George R. Hamilton vice chair John Barbee secretary Oita C. Coleman

members:

Allyson Siegel John A. Herrera Isaiah Tidwell Kevin M. Holloway Kenneth R. Tindall Michael Hopkins Michael P. Johnson James Walker John T. McCubbins Karyn S. Wilkerson

administration: chancellor

Johnson O. Akinleye interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs

Carlton E. Wilson

vice chancellor of institutional advancement

Harriet Frink Davis chief of staff

Jimmy T. Tate

vice chancellor of finance and administration

Benjamin Durant

interim vice chancellor of student affairs

Gary Brown

contributors: editors: Ayana

D. Hernandez, Renee Elder

design and layout:

Pandora Frazier, Bryan Huffman photography:

Chioke Brown, Ivan Watkins, Vernon Samuel, KeShawn Ennis, Rashid Abdus-Salaam writers:

Kia C. Bell Renee Elder Ayana D. Hernandez Samantha Hargrove Carmelo R. Montalvo Corey Savage Kendra Sharp Quiana Shepard Abigale Sherrod Kyle Serba NCCU NOW magazine is published by North Carolina Central University Office of Communications and Marketing, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707.

Phone: 919-530-6295 / E-mail: universityrelations@nccu.edu Please send address corrections to Advancement Services, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707.

At a cost of $1.75 each, 8,000 copies of this public document were printed for a total of $13,920 in Fall 2017 and distributed to NCCU supporters and donors.

NCCU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of NCCU. Copyright 2017, North Carolina Central University

entertained an enthusiastic, sold out crowd at the Sheraton Imperial Ballroom during Homecoming 2018. The former Motown singer charmed the audience with a litany of her hits, such as “Neither One of Us” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

VIDEO

the

HOMECOMING EXPERIENCE

See page 36 to find out more about NCCU's Ultimate Homecoming.

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THE HIGHS OF SUCCESS ARE MEASURED BY HOW YOU HANDLE THE LOWS OF FAILURE.” _____ J OA N H IG G E N B O T HA M (pic ture d top r ig ht)

First Biosciences Doctorates Awarded at the129th Commencement THREE DEDICATED STUDENTS earned accolades during North Carolina Central

University’s Graduate and Professional Commencement May 12 , as they were awarded the university’s first Ph.D. degrees in more than 50 years.

Elena Arthur, Rasheena Edmondson and Helen Oladapo each graduated with a doctorate in Integrated Biosciences, a program that first began accepting students in 2012. A total of 490 students were awarded graduate or professional diplomas during NCCU’s 129th commencement.

Arthur’s graduate studies focused on alternative treatments for diabetes, while Edmondson and Oladapo both conducted cancer research. The doctoral program is geared toward the investigation of conditions that disproportionately affect people of color.

Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye praised the newly minted doctors for displaying “strength, tenacity and Eagle Excellence” in their educational careers.

Also awarded were master’s degrees in Arts, Music, Science, Public Administration, Social Work, Business

Administration, Arts in Teaching, School Administration, Information Science, Library Science and the Juris Doctor. N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, an NCCU alumnus, delivered the address to graduates.

On May 13, 725 undergraduate diplomas were handed out during a ceremony in O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. It was one of the largest graduating classes in the university’s history.

During the undergraduate event, Akinleye recognized the accomplishments of William McIntosh, a 12-year veteran police officer who participated in NCCU’s Distance Education program with Wake Technical Community College while working fulltime to earn his degree.

“William’s journey shows that the race is not given to the swift, but to those who endure to the end,” Akinleye said.

VIDEO

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GALLERY

v Opera singer and alumna Hilda Harris received a Doctorate of Humane Letters for her trailblazing role as a vocal performer.

Joan Higginbotham, a retired astronaut and former member of the NCCU Board of Trustees, spoke to the undergraduate classes, urging them to “have a career plan, but don’t be afraid to alter that plan if the right opportunities come along.”

“The highs of success are measured by how you handle the lows of failure,” Higgenbotham said.

Also during the ceremony, University of North Carolina Board of Governors member Joe Knott presented NCCU Associate Professor Charmaine McKissick-Melton with the board’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

McKissick-Melton is an associate professor in the Department of Mass Communication.

Opera singer and alumna Hilda Harris was given a Doctorate of Humane Letters for her trailblazing role as an African-American opera singer who performed major roles in productions in New York and around the world. She was known for performing parts written for male voices, known as trouser roles.

“When I was studying here (at NCCU) it never occurred to me I could be the first woman of color to perform trouser roles at the Metropolitan Opera,” she said. 

THE HONORABLE MIKE MORGAN

VIDEO

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MILESTONES

albert n. whiting T H E 1 0 0 T H B I R T H D AY O F F O R M E R C H A N C E L L O R

BY KENDRA SHARP

Since being chartered as the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua in 1910, North Carolina Central University has been led by a succession of 12 outstanding presidents and chancellors.

Among the most accomplished was the university’s fourth leader, Dr. Albert N. Whiting, who served as president and then chancellor from 1966 to 1983.

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Whiting oversaw many changes during his time as head of the university, including its merger with the University of North Carolina higher education system and a campus building boom. Whiting also was the first to establish an endowment for the university, engaging support from area business leaders such as Burlington Industries executive Robert B. Lincks (below).

NCCU also added its first School of Business under his leaderHANCELLOR WHITING recently celebrated his ship and underwent a construction boom, adding the L.T. Walker 100th birthday at his home with friends and memPhysical Education and Recreation Complex, Eagleson Hall, A.E. bers of his family, including a slightly older cousin, Student Union and others. aged 103. The group spent the day at Monmouth Whiting is credited with creating the university’s first endowRace Track, a spot Whiting calls his all-time favorite place to visit. ment and was recognized for his strong support for the NCCU Reflecting on his 17-year tenure, the former chancellor recalls a Alumni Association. He was instrumental in the establishment period filled with changes, including the adoption of a new name, of the North Carolina Central University Foundation, as well. In North Carolina Central University, and the university’s incorpora1989, three years after his retirement, tion into the state’s UNC system of the Albert N. Whiting Criminal Justice higher education.

Building on campus was dedicated in It was a time when many historically black colleges and universities “After the ending of school segregation his honor. in 1954, some of our students decided Whiting was born in New Jersey and (HBCU’s) were undergoing tranto attend majority [white] institutions. attended Amherst College as an undersitions, with integration of public That’s why we implemented our graduate. He earned a master’s degree schools siphoning off some of the trafrom Fisk University before receiving his ditional HBCU student base. Through evening programs, so that we could Ph.D. in sociology and social psychology integration, Whiting said he hoped reach more students and keep our from American University in 1952. He to offset these losses and accrue inenrollment up to par.“ ______ taught at Fisk University, Morris Brown creased financial support for NCCU. College and Bennett College, and was “There was a shift from HBCUs DR . AL BE RT N. W H I T I NG serving as dean of the faculty at Morgan to PWIs (predominately white inState University when the NCCU Board stitutions) with students of color,” of Trustees appointed him in 1966 to Whiting said. “After the ending of serve as the fourth chancellor. school segregation in 1954, some According to Sarah Bell Lucas, Whitof our students decided to attend ing’s friend and former staff member, majority [white] institutions. That’s the former chancellor was considered a why we implemented our evestrict boss who made 8 a.m. spot checks ning programs, so that we could to ensure that faculty and staff were in reach more students and keep our their places on time, yet was respected enrollment up to par.” as an intelligent and fair administrator.

That strategy worked, and NCIt’s with fond admiration that the Eagle community reflects on CU’s student population rose from 3,000 to 5,000 during the Whithis legacy today. He encouraged all his colleagues to “fight the good ing era. fight” and not back down from adversity, Lucas added.  FAL L 2017 NCCU NOW

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FULL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TOP FRESHMEN IN FALL 2018, NCCU WILL WELCOME ITS FIRST CHEATHAM-WHITE SCHOLARS following approval by the N.C. General Assembly of the new Cheatham-White merit Scholarship program. Up to 20 full-ride scholarships will be awarded to freshmen and will cover tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, and other supplies and expenses for top-performing students for four years.

The university will pay half of the cost, which is estimated at $75,000 per award.

“The Cheatham-White Scholarship program is a wise investment in the future of our state,” said Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye. “Not only will it reward the very top-tier of students each academic year, but also allow our campus to become increasingly visible and competitive for high-achieving students from across the country, raising our university’s profile overall.”

To be considered for the scholarship, students must have a weighted high-school grade point average of at least 4.0, along with an SAT score of 1280 or higher or an ACT score of 28 or higher. High schools will nominate students for consideration.

Up to 20 FULL-RIDE SCHOLARSHIPS will be awarded to freshmen and will cover tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, and other supplies and expenses for topperforming students for four years. Visit nccu.edu for more info.

PROFESSOR HIGHLIGHTS MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH ON MOTORCYCLE RIDE VIDEO

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v Dean LeMaruis Dejarmon (center) talks with law students Arnold Locklear ’73, Horace Locklear, Ertle Chavis ’73 and Henry Oxendine ’73. (Circa early 1970s)

NCCU SCHOOL OF LAW STANDS OUT ust two years shy of its 80th birthday, the NCCU School of Law continues to graduate practice-ready lawyers who use their talents and education in service to their communities.

The School of Law stands out, especially when it comes to classroom instruction, clinical programs and support for students, according to a new survey by SE Education Group that placed NCCU at No. 16 out of 50 law schools included.

“The School of Law’s commitment to innovation and to the provision of a cutting-edge program of study for our

students is paramount,” Law School Dean Phyliss Craig-Taylor said. “We continue to honor our mission, while fostering academic achievement in a rigorous yet nurturing environment.”

Examples of the school’s success came at the 119th annual meeting of the North Carolina Bar Association in June 2017, where alumna Ana Sofia Nuñez was given

Associate Professor ROBERT HORNE took to the highway in July, traveling 10,000 miles on his motorcycle spreading mental health awareness.

Horne, who teaches in the counselor education program, was part of a GoFundMe campaign. The trip took Horne from North Carolina to Maine, and then across the country to the California coast. His “Four Corners” ride wound up in Key West, Fla.

Ana Sofia Nunez was recognized for her work on immigration cases.

the Citizen Lawyer Award in recognition of her commitment to community service.

Nuñez, who works as an estate attorney at Fay & Grafton in Raleigh, is on the N.C. Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. She served as co-chair of the Advisory Council’s Adelante! Program that provides minority and first-generation law students with critical advice about managing debt, networking and maximizing internship experiences.

Nuñez is also an immigration law advocate, volunteering her time with the CARA Pro Bono Project in Dilley, Texas, where she provides legal representation to women and children detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Also recognized by the N.C. Bar was Professor Irving L. Joyner, who received the Local Legends of Color Award. Joyner has authored three editions of Criminal Procedure in North Carolina and is also known for an extensive record of pro bono work. Joyner served as vice chair of the 1989 Wilmington Race Riot Commission, which issued its report in 2006.

In 2014, he was named an NAACP Humanitarian of the year for defending protesters at the N.C. Legislature. Joyner joined the faculty of the School of Law in 1982 after earning his juris doctor degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

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Students Travel Afar for Experience-based Learning agles traveled far and wide this past year to gain valuable experience and skills through internships, fellowships and other experiential-learning opportunities.

Two dozen NCCU students spent their 2017 spring break in California volunteering with the nonprofit organization, Grid Alternative. The team was led by Chris McGinn, assistant professor of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences, as they installed solar energy panels on homes in the San Pasqual Indian reservation.

The project provided a cost-saving service to residents, as well as gave the students experience within solar power equipment and installation.

Among those participating were seniors Katherine Gates, Malik Clark and Danyel Smith, and freshmen Jordan Ridley and Tatyana McAllister-Sanders.

“It was a lot of work,” said Gates. “We had to be up at 7 a.m. and out the door by 8 a.m.”

The week wasn’t without its fun, however. “On Thursday, we got to go to the beach at Oceanside and watch the sunset,” she added.

Other Eagle adventurers include 2017-18 Student Government Association President Michael Hopkins, who spent his summer at Harvard University conducting research with Michael Crickmore, Ph.D., a renowned researcher in the Harvard University’s neuroscience program.

Seniors Lauren Mills and Terri King enhanced their skills as interns at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Mills, a - investigated DNA samples to identify human skin biology major, microbes, while King, a communication major, tried her hand on

publicity campaigns involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Mass communication major Anthony Rodgers interned with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he drafted internal communications and explored the nation’s capital.

Business administration major Zakiya Smith traveled to London as part of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship at the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Smith will continue her adventures with the fellowship by traveling in 2018 to Paris, Wales and Ireland.

Music major Cordara Harper sharpened his teaching skills during the Conn-Selmer Institute for current and future music educators at Bethel College in Indiana. The experience, he says, “opened my horizons to new ideas, and added so much value to my life and musicianship.”

Junior David Anthony, a business administration major, traveled to India on the Critical Language Scholarship for Urdu language studies, and Nikaira Willis, a sophomore, visited China after winning the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship for the Emerging Leaders: US-China Study Abroad Delegation.

Senior Angeliz Rivera-Concepcion participated in the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Scholars Connect Program, where the nation’s top toxicologists provided hands-on training in scientific methodology and laboratory procedures. Rivera-Concepcion said the week was tough, but he felt prepared by his NCCU education.

“It is astonishing to see what you learned in class come alive during your internship,” he said.

Business administration major Zakiya Smith (pictured) traveled to London and will continue her adventures with the fellowship by traveling in 2018 to Paris, Wales and Ireland.

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DOCUMENTING THE LIFE OF CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

White Rock Baptist Church has been a pillar in the Durham community for more than 150 years.

A congregation that grew out of a prayer meeting at the home of Margaret Faucette, a widowed mother of 10, is today a modern, globally active congregation known for its outreach and mission efforts, as well as its spirit-filled Sunday worship services.

In honor of the church’s 150th anniversary, Department of Mass Communications students Daniel Hargrove and Autavius Smith took on the challenge of producing a documentary to showcase the church’s rich history.

“We wanted to document the influence the church has had on Durham and North Carolina in general,” said Smith, a rising junior from Charlotte.

Working with Bruce dePyssler, an associate professor of mass communication, the students researched the church’s history and conducted interviews of current members and leaders.

In the film, titled “Nothing But Love in God's Waters,” viewers learn that the congregation’s first home was built in 1877 as an elegant Gothic Revival edifice

in Durham’s Hayti neighborhood. Sunday services at the original location, 602 Fayetteville St., drew churchgoing social activists, business leaders, professors, athletes, students, politicians and people from every walk of life.

From 1901 to 1911, the Rev. Augustus Shepard served as pastor at White Rock – less than a mile up Fayetteville Street from where his son, Dr. James E. Shepard, was establishing the educational institution that would one day become NCCU. Durham’s first African-American Boy Scout troop was organized at White Rock Baptist Church, and it was the site of various social programs through the years, including the area’s first nursery school for black children.

The documentary includes many congregational memories, including recollections of a visit by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke before a full sanctuary on Feb. 16, 1960. In that speech, King addressed area college students who were becoming involved in nonviolent sit-ins to protest segregation. For the first time, he urged African-Americans to commit nonviolent civil disobedience.

“Let us not fear going to jail,” King said.

“If the officials threaten to arrest us for standing up for our rights, we must answer by saying that we are willing and prepared to fill up the jails of the South.”

A few years later, the state of North Carolina built Highway 147 through downtown Durham, displacing the original church building along with many other homes and businesses in the Hayti community. Not to be deterred, the White Rock congregation relocated about two miles away, at 3400 Fayetteville St., where it continues to thrive.

r From 1901 to 1911, the Rev. Augustus Shepard (pictured above) served as pastor at White Rock (pictured above left) – less than a mile from Fayetteville Street from where his son, Dr. James E. Shepard, was establishing the educational institution that would one day become NCCU.

VIDEO

v Special events in the life of White Rock Baptist Church were captured by documentarians from NCCU.

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APPOINTMENTS

Jimmy T. Tate, Ed.D.

Chief of Staff

Jimmy T. Tate, Ed.D., was appointed chief of staff in August 2017 by Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye.

Tate has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, most recently as president of Roanoke-Chowan Community College (R-CCC) in Ahoskie, N.C. During his one-year tenure as the college’s leader, R-CCC experienced 35 percent enrollment growth as well as forged stronger relationships with many community, businesses, industries and other educational institutions.

He served as vice president for College Advancement and Strategic Initiatives at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville., N.C., during the 2015-2016 academic year. While there, he directed the college’s foundation and

Michelle Mayo, Ph.D.

Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Undergraduate Research

Michelle Mayo, Ph.D., was named associate provost for Academic Programs and Undergraduate Research in June 2017.

Most recently, she served as associate provost for Academic Affairs and as the dean of Graduate and Professional Studies at Harris-Stowe State University.

At NCCU, Mayo leads current and emerging programs and initiatives in undergraduate education and research, as well as provides overall supervision and coordination for curriculum, instruction, academic program assessment and management of all academic-degree programs.

Mayo’s track record includes successfully leading four university accreditation procedures at Harris-Stowe.

Five New Members Join Board of Trustees H E B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) welcomed five new and three reappointed members in 2017.

Appointed by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors were John Alexander Herrera, Kevin M. Holloway and Isaiah Tidwell.

Herrera, a native of Costa Rica, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and a master’s from North Carolina State University. He is the senior vice president for Latino/ Hispanic Affairs at Self-Help Credit Union.

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launched its first capital campaign, raising nearly $3 million for scholarships and endowments.

Previously, he was employed by the Academic Affairs Division at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Tate grew up in Pender County and served as a representative on the Pender County Commission from 2008 until 2015.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership and Management and completed additional training with the North Carolina School of Government at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She also oversaw campus-wide technology and classroom renovations, assisted in expansion of degree and certification programs and worked to broaden research opportunities, internships and academic collaborations in the areas of engineering, occupational therapy and pharmacy.

Mayo holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in education from Truman State University. She earned a doctorate in educational policy and leadership studies from Indiana University Bloomington. Mayo also is a graduate of the Millennium Leadership Initiative.

Holloway is a 1975 business administration and finance graduate of NCCU, and founded Holloway Executive Consulting in 2014. Holloway is a member of the NCCU Athletic Hall of Fame as a major contributor and has served on the Board of Visitors for the NCCU School of Business. w NCCU Board of Trustees members, are (left to right, back row) Kenneth R. Tindall, Michael Johnson, Isaiah Tidwell, John Herrera, Kevin Holloway, James S. Walker, John T. McCubbins and (left to right, front row) Karyn Wilkerson, Chancellor Johnson Akinleye, Oita Coleman, Allyson Seigel, Chairman George Hamilton, student member Michael Hopkins, and John Barbee.

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STAFF PROFILE

Director of Library Services

THEODOSIA SHIELDS

BY ABI G A I L SH E RRO D , ’ 1 8 I

As director of Library Services at NCCU for the

past 10 years, Theodosia Shields has seen a lot of changes, including recent renovations that replaced some book stacks with stylish spaces for collaborative learning and convenient internet access.

While Shields is responsible for managing and supervising all of the services and programs for James E. Shepard Memorial Library, she says her favorite part of the job is interacting with students on campus.

“It means a lot to me to know that I take part in helping students get the resources they need to be successful,” Shields explains. “So, whenever I see

them on campus, I ask them whether they use the library, how they use the resources in the library, and whether they know that they can access the library’s resources online. These resources can’t be helpful if students don’t know they exist.”

After obtaining a Master of Library Science degree in 1978 from Atlanta University, now known as Clark Atlanta

University, she continued her education by earning a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1991.

Shields said she became interested in books and libraries while growing up in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Her favorite children’s book was “Babar The Elephant,” which Shields also read to her daughter so they could both enjoy it.

She also recalls spending many afternoons in her own school library, where she was inspired by the work of the librarian.

“I thought she was the smartest person because she knew all of the answers and was always eager to help,” Shields said.

Shields credits her co-workers at Shepard Library for maintaining its high standards year after year.

“It’s a team effort,” she said.

Tidwell, a 1967 Eagle graduate, worked at Wachovia Bank for 35 years and was executive vice president and director of wealth management for Georgia before retiring in 2005.

James S. Walker is a 1988 graduate of the NCCU School of Law. He is currently self-employed as a mediator and serves as a member of the N.C. Turnpike Authority Board.

Sitting board members reappointed for additional four-year terms are Trustees Allyson Siegel, Kenneth R. Tindall and Karyn Wilkerson.

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PREPARING STUDENTS, BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS: NEW BLUEPRINT FOR CAREER SERVICES BY SAMANTHA HARGROVE

ODAY’S WORKPLACE is calling for a new kind of employee.

A recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that companies are on the hunt for candidates who can go beyond the basics and embrace a work environment that thrives on innovation and teamwork.

“Our job is no longer just about getting students employed; Career Services has to create an agile professional who is fully prepared for the changing workplace,” said Catrina DosReis, director of Career Services and Outreach at North Carolina Central University.

DosReis has spent 12 years in the career services profession, the past five of them at NCCU. She and her staff prepare students for the workforce, while always looking for new ways to engage employers.

Top in-demand competencies identified in the NACE survey

of 600 employers nationwide included excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; the ability to troubleshoot and solve problems as they arise; and effective collaboration skills. Other desired attributes include effective use of technology, leadership skills that allow others to coalesce around objectives, and the ability to work in a diverse setting.

All this is in addition to proficiency in their particular field, DosReis added.

The university’s most popular majors for 2016-17 were business management, criminal justice, family and consumer sciences, psychology and biology. In 2016, more than 800 NCCU students gained hands-on experience in their chosen fields through internship positions at Cisco Systems, Duke University Health System, the Durham Police Department, and several others.

The median starting salary for NCCU graduates in 2016

was $37,000 – higher than the country’s overall median pay rate of $28,851, according to statistics recorded by the Office of Career Services and Outreach.

Those numbers are expected to become even stronger with the addition of Handshake, a new customizable software that helps students network with some 200,000 companies, expanding the traditional career search exponentially.

“We are excited about introducing this software to

“CAREER SERVICES HAS TO CREATE AN AGILE PROFESSIONAL WHO IS FULLY PREPARED FOR THE CHANGING WORKPLACE.” — Catrina DosReis (pictured, center)

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NCCU students,” Dos Reis said.

“We had to find the best ways to engage our young people.

This product is for the anytime, anywhere students. We can’t rely solely on workshops and bulletin boards anymore. Students are up at midnight searching for jobs, so we had to become more accessible and address their needs.”

The office has also increased its visibility on social media and found different ways of engaging students in career planning. In addition to longstanding events such as career fairs and the annual Professional Development Network Conference, students have access to new programs, including the Hire Me Summit!, Resume Makeover, Career Minute Clinic, and more.

In the Career Services office, students may meet with professional counselors or with Career Eagle Officers – peers who are trained to help them navigate the online system. With a café and computer lab on site, the office welcomes students to drop in and take advantage of its free

resources, like the new Career Expresslane, a program created to answer basic career questions and help keep students on track.

Gary L. Brown, interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said he is excited about the changes.

“Revamping our approach helps us focus in on really engaging with students, alumni and employers and helps our students become more prepared to compete in a fast-paced, global marketplace,” Brown said.

The office now has an agreement with the U.S. Peace Corps that provides an international education certificate to NCCU students and will partner with the Office of International Affairs and Community Service and Engagement to create a curriculum focused on global learning.

DosReis said other priorities include building a dynamic employerrelations program.

“We are in an ideal location to network with a wide variety of employers,” she said.

Employers, alumni or others interested in partnering with Career Services are invited to contact the office at (919) 530-6337 or email DosReis at cdosreis@nccu.edu.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT www.nccu.edu/careerservices.

Ambitious Eagles Fly Off to Pre-Medical School Program

Efforts by Boston University School of Medicine to support minority students pursuing medical science degrees are paying off for several students at NCCU. Karol Serafin-Molina and Jyla Hicks, who became part of Boston University’s Early Medical School Selection Program in summer 2015, continued with the program by spending their senior year studying in Boston prior to graduating with undergraduate biology degrees from NCCU in May 2017.

Both returned to Boston in the fall to begin graduate studies.

Serafin-Molina is entering medical school, while Hicks has been accepted to the master’s program in biosciences.

“Spending my senior year in Boston was challenging but also gave me a useful picture of what life after NCCU would be like; it definitely made me feel more prepared,” said SerafinMolina, a Durham native who attended high school at Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College on the NCCU campus.

The early-selection program not only gives minority students a chance to spend a year in Boston, it helps prepare them for the rigors of medical school with special summer programs, said Kaye Thompson-Rogers, Ph.D., director of Health Careers Center and the NC-Heath Careers Access Program at NCCU. Students also take a test-preparation course in advance of the medical school entrance exam, which is the final hurdle before being accepted into the medical program.

“The classes definitely helped develop my critical-thinking skills, and so I was comfortable while taking the test,” Serafin-Molina said.

Now that she is been accepted into medical school, she will have to begin narrowing down her interests

Hicks and Sarifin-Molina worked together in the NCCU laboratory their senior year.

into a medical specialty. Specialties she is currently considering include obstetrics and gynecology, as well as dermatology, pulmonology and family medicine.

Not only is Serafin-Molina embarking on medical school, she is planning a wedding with her fiancé Maquis Covington, another Early College graduate who will be joining her in Boston.

Also in the program is Jarret Bumidang, who is spending the academic year in Boston and will graduate from NCCU in May 2018.

Junior Janeen Reynolds, recently admitted to the program, will spend summer 2018 taking classes in Boston before spending her senior year there and graduating from NCCU in May 2019. 

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Discoveries

Geography Plays a Role in Human Health

‘‘

“For more than half of us, our primary grocery source is a consequence of geography, and that can make the difference between a healthy salad with leafy greens or a head of iceberg lettuce.

—Professor Timothy Mulrooney

Food insecurity is a growing problem, especially in sparsely populated rural areas where nutritious food choices may be miles away.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has commissioned researchers in NCCU’s Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences to help them get a better understanding of how areas known as “food deserts” can impact the diets and, ultimately, the health of local residents. To do this, NCCU researchers are analyzing geographic information from 11 counties in rural Eastern North Carolina to see how, where and what food is available in each area.

“We were able to define a new metric to measure food availability by examining the travel time to a healthy food source,” said Professor Timothy Mulrooney who, along with NCCU Professor Chris McGinn, is involved in the three-year study to map rural food options.

A portion of their findings were published recently in Southeastern Geography, a University of North Carolina Press publication.

“We also found that over-inundation of unhealthy food sources close to you means you are more apt to make unhealthy food choices,” Mulrooney said.

In fact, approximately 52 percent of people regularly

RICHARD MADUMERE

shop for groceries at the store or market nearest their home or work.

“For more than half of us, our primary grocery source is a consequence of geography, and that can make the difference between a healthy salad with leafy greens or a head of iceberg lettuce,” Mulrooney added.

The researchers are also are taking note of regions described “food swamps,” which have an abundance of less-healthy foods, such as items stocked by convenience stores and fast-food outlets.

Richard Madumere, a graduate student researcher, presented the team’s research at the Southeastern Division of American Association of Geographers conference and the National Society of Black Engineers conference in Charlotte, where he won Best Technical Presentation.

He said the work involves analyzing specific zip codes for healthy food availability, access to the available food, a decision to purchase and eat the food, and the regularity or stability of the food source.

The study started in March 2016 and may help identify places where a farmer’s market or specialty food truck might be successful in bringing healthy foods to rural areas.

(Pictured left) Information gathered about community food sources is digitized and used to evaluate availability of healthy foods or the overabundance of less healthy foods.

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Morning Rush-Hour May be Harmful to Your Health A recent study at NCCU found high pollution levels at various times all around campus, especially during morning rush hour.

As part of a project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. John Bang and more than a dozen student researchers tested the air at designated spots on campus at NCCU over a three-year period.

They found instances of ultrafine particles and ozone contamination in the air. While automobile exhaust turned out to be a major culprit, many other factors were instrumental in determining where and when pollution levels were most harmful to people with asthma and other breathing problems. These factors included air temperature, degree of sunshine, wind speed and direction, and humidity, as well as other human activity.

The $850,000 study was coordinated by the Health Effects Institute of Boston, an independent research agency, and ran simultaneously with a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to examine air pollution levels along Interstate 40 near RaleighDurham International Airport. North Carolina State University researchers also assisted in analyzing the data, said Bang, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences.

The NCCU study was the first to closely examine the impact of air pollution in a minority community with the goal of predicting similar conditions in other neighborhoods. The researchers specifically zeroed in on ultrafine particles that are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. When inhaled, these invisible particles cause lung irritation and other health problems for humans, especially those who have an existing respiratory illness.

The highest levels of ultrafine particles measured by the team occurred during morning rush-hour, a time of day when the air tends to be stagnant. Locations surrounded by tall buildings also tended to have a greater level of pollution than those surrounded by vegetation and other open spaces.

“We found the highest levels during winter morning rush hours and lower levels during the afternoons, both summer and winter,� Bang said.

Previous studies have shown that living close to a busy roadway is a predictor of health problems like asthma and pre-term birth. Bang believes that data from the NCCU study could help city planners determine where homes and offices should be built, bus stops located, and traffic intersections placed to reduce the impact of air pollution on health.

âž”

The NCCU STUDY was the first to closely examine the impact of air pollution in a minority community with the goal of predicting similar conditions in other neighborhoods. The researchers specifically zeroed in on ultrafine particles that are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. When inhaled, these invisible particles cause lung irritation and other health problems for humans, especially those who have an existing respiratory illness.

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Discoveries

Seeking a Faster Response to Food-Borne Illness

These women are suffering and it would be nice to know there is a noninvasive way of dealing with their issues while preserving their ability to become pregnant.”

—Darlene Taylor, Ph.D.

Anyone who’s eaten food tainted by bacteria or a virus won’t soon forget the symptoms: severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea.

These and other food-borne pathogens sicken 50 million people each year, sending over 100,000 people to hospitals and causing 3,000 deaths in the United States alone. The condition is even worse in less modernized countries where food handling practices may not be as safe. According to Liju Yang, a researcher at NCCU’s Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), quickly tracing the origin of a foodborne disease outbreak is crucial to halting its spread. But detection has typically been slow and tedious work due to the microscopic size of the pathogens and potentially low numbers in any given food sample.

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allowing Yang to develop a faster and more accurate means of testing food samples to identify and stop foodborne disease outbreaks using nanotechnology.

Using tiny tubes made from carbon atoms, developed by Clemson University researcher Ya-Ping Sun, Yang says she is able to soak up concentrated amounts of such cells as e-coli and salmonella. The tubes attract and isolate the cells, which are 20 to 40 times smaller than anything visible to the human eye.

The cells are also filtered, producing a clean, concentrated batch for improving detection, while also saving time and money compared to current methods.

The results so far are quite promising, and a research paper about their work has been published in RCA Advances, a scientific journal of chemical sciences research.

PROCEDURE FOR TREATING UTERINE FIBROIDS GETS PATENT

A new method for treating uterine fibroids developed by NCCU Professor Darlene Taylor and other researchers was recently awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent Office.

The innovative procedure has the potential to be less intrusive than surgery and involves injecting a solution of an anti-fibroitic drug and a polymer product directly inside the tumor.

The polymer encases the drug instantaneously as it warms to body temperature, then slowly dissolves over time to release the drug inside the tumor.

If further research and testing go as expected, the procedure could be done in a doctor’s office instead of a hospital, where most uterine fibroid treatments take place today.

Nearly half of all women – and up to 80 percent of African-American women – will be diagnosed with uterine fibroids, which are tumors composed mainly of collagen. Although benign, fibroids cause a host of symptoms, from excessive bleeding and pain to pregnancy complications or infertility. Most women develop fibroids between the ages of 20 to 40. Hysterectomy has been the standard treatment, but that comes at a high cost for women who someday might wish to become pregnant.

“These women are suffering and it would be nice to know there is a noninvasive way of dealing with their issues while preserving their ability to become pregnant,” Taylor said. As the procedure enters phases two and three of clinical trials, Taylor and her fellow researchers at Duke University and BioSpecifics Technologies are optimistic that women with fibroids will soon have a better choice.

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Grants Awarded

HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER ESTABLISHED The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded $1.2 million to NCCU for establishment of the Homeland Security Center in Research, Education and Sensor Technology.

The center will focus on developing sensors programmed to detect biochemical materials, in- The grant cluding chemical warfare agents. calls for the

“The vision of this proposal is development to establish NCCU as a premier inof detection stitution in DHS detector science with the accompanying infrastruc- mechanisms ture and human capital necessary that can for such a transformation,” accordeventually be ing to the program description.

Work will be conducted by deployed in lead principal investigator Bra- devices for nislav Vlahovic, Ph.D., director practical use. of the Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) at NCCU, along with physics and mathematics professors Alade Tokuta, Ph.D., Biswadev Roy, Ph.D., and Marvin Wu, Ph.D.; chemistry Professor Fei Yan, Ph.D.; and Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences Chair Gordana Vlahovic, Ph.D. The research is expected to enhance the advancement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education on campus, potentially widening the pipeline of underrepresented minorities in those fields.

The grant calls for the development of detection mechanisms that can eventually be deployed in devices for practical use. It is expected that some of the students who participate in the research will choose to continue their education with doctoral programs in STEM fields. The grant will be distributed over four years and include support for the participation of six graduate and four undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Health Disparities Research Gets a Boost with $16.3 Million NIH Grant

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded $16.3 million to NCCU to investigate health conditions that disproportionately affect African-Americans and other minorities.

Led by Deepak Kumar, Ph.D., director of the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (JRC-BBRI) and principal investigator for the grant, researchers will examine the roles that biology, nutrition and stress play in diseases affecting disease development and progression.

NCCU is one of seven minority-serving institutions that received an award through the NIMHD disparities initiative.

The research funding is the most money NCCU has received through a non-Title III grant and the largest grant received by a single principal investigator on the campus.

In addition to cutting-edge research, the center will also promote a collaborative environment conducive to career enhancement for postdoctoral trainees and NCCU faculty at all levels. The new research focus also is expected to create a stronger infrastructure at NCCU for conducting health disparities research and help foster the next generation of minority biomedical researchers.

Kumar, who was named as director of the JRC-BBRI in 2016, called winning and carrying out the grant “a team effort.”

“We are grateful to NIH/NIMHD for providing NCCU with this unprecedented opportunity to further enhance biomedical research by developing infrastructure, preparing the next generation of minority researchers and bringing faculty together in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research projects to advance our mission of addressing health disparities,” Kumar said.

Collaborators will include labs and community-based organizations throughout the Research Triangle and North Carolina. Five colleges and schools on NCCU’s campus will be involved in various components of the project. 

(Pictured above) Researchers from BBRI and several other campus departments will collaborate on research with funding from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

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Delivering on the

EAGLE PROMISE Johnson O. Akinleye Sets Out Ambitious Goals as 12th Chancellor

BY AYANA D. HER N AN DEZ

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“Dr. Akinleye is a no-nonsense leader and a strategic thinker.

He has a vision for NCCU.” _______ MARGARET SPELLINGS University of North Carolina President

Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., stepped into the role of the 12th chancellor of North Carolina Central University after having amassed a wide portfolio of experience in higher education for more than 31 years, including numerous positions at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Serving for 10 months as acting and, then, interim chancellor, Akinleye dedicated himself to carrying out his responsibilities involving students, faculty, staff and alumni with the utmost pride and commitment. While holding the interim title, he went to work quickly to establish a new community college partnership, strengthen relationships with City of Durham to enhance security and safety measures in and around the campus, and to introduce a robust, new online education portal called NCCU Online.

And he was just getting started as the university’s chief executive.

Following the untimely passing of the 11th Chancellor, Dr. Debra Saunders-White, in November 2016, a chancellor’s Search Committee was formed to identify the institution’s next leader. Key stakeholders – including University of North Carolina President Margaret Spellings, Search Committee members, Board of Trustees members, students, faculty, staff, alumni and

(Pictured above left) Students celebrated the naming of Akinleye as NCCU’s 12th chancellor with special events around the campus. (Pictured above right) UNC System President Margaret Spellings congratulates Akinleye following his unanimous election by the UNC Board of Governors.

VIDEO

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community members – identified major qualifications as unquestioned integrity, an individual who understood how to balance the institution’s history with the need for progress, and a leader who recognized the importance of inclusive leadership, shared governance, transparency and a collaborative style.

The announcement of Akinleye as NCCU’s 12th chancellor on June 26, 2017, was met with enthusiasm, optimism and excitement all around.

“Dr. Akinleye is a no-nonsense leader and a strategic thinker. He has a vision for NCCU,” said President Spellings, upon his election by the UNC Board of Governors. “His distinguished career includes extensive experience in senior administrative leadership roles at public, Akinleye intends to build on the traditions set in motion by NCCU’s “visionary private and church-affiliated institutions. He pioneer of greatness,” Dr. James E. Shepard, as well as other great presidents and sees building a relationship with the campus chancellors who have nurtured and built NCCU into the outstanding academy that and community leaders as a priority and he unit is in 2017. derstands the need to maximize the full value of “Today, NCCU is a pre-eminent institution with a stellar reputation for excellence being in the Research Triangle.” as the nation’s first publicly-supported liberal arts college for African-Americans and a Others, including George R. Hamilton, legacy as the nation’s second law degree-granting HBCU,” Akinleye said. “Since 1910, chairman of the NCCU Board of Trustees this university has maintained a strong tradition of producing scholars, change agents, and a 1977 graduate of NCCU, praised innovators and leaders, while simultaneously addressing the needs of underserved Akinleye’s strong portfolio and knowledge of students. This rich legacy began with the university’s founding for African-American the institution. students, a group largely disenfranchised from higher education, and it has followed “Dr. Akinleye has a keen understanding of us as we’ve moved forward in meeting the educational needs of students from a the landscape of higher education in North variety of backgrounds and cultures.”

Carolina and nationally,” Hamilton said.

He is clear in articulating his vision for leading NCCU forward: “I will continue to “Having served as both provost and interim uphold this legacy and serve with integrity as a champion of excellence in all aspects chancellor at NCCU, Dr. Akinleye has dem-

Honoring the Legacy While Shaping the Future

onstrated the skills and competencies necessary to ensure the institution’s future success. He knows our strengths and growth potential.”

Ashanti Modlin, Miss North Carolina Central University 2017-2018, also concurred with the appointment: “Dr. Akinleye is the epitome of a leader. He makes building relationships with students, faculty and alumni a priority.

He is kind-hearted, yet you know when he means business.”

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of NCCU’s operations and practices.”

Students celebrated the naming of Akinleye as NCCU’s 12th chancellor with special events around the campus.

—Chancellor Johnson

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THE CHARGE:

TAKING FLIGHT WITH THE “THE EAGLE PROMISE” ON AUGUST 8, 2017, at the institution’s annual University Conference that opens the academic year for faculty and staff, Akinleye unveiled and presented the university with its new charge, “The Eagle Promise.”

“The platform features six strategic priorities that nurture students to become strong alumni who transform the world,” he said. “It also represents the major priorities that are currently underway at the university that we will expand and track over the next 12 months.”

Akinleye explained that “The Eagle Promise” rests on FOUR KEYSTONE ITEMS that we will deliver to NCCU students:

The Eagle Promise Strategic Priority One Improve NCCU’s brand and reputation to embrace student success and offer multiple access points for students seeking higher education.

Strategic Priority Two Expand NCCU’s portfolio of academic offerings to maximize enrollment growth and recruitment and build capacity for increased sponsored research.

Strategic Priority Three Expand partnerships with higher education institutions, community colleges, K-12, private industry and nonprofits in Research Triangle to recruit, support and employ students.

Strategic Priority Four

1 2 3

MARKET READY Students will develop the skills that will strengthen their

Facilitate the formation of a public private partnership to discuss and develop innovative strategies for creating economic development opportunities and revitalization of communities adjacent to NCCU.

candidacy for the job market and graduate and professional school.

Strategic Priority Five

TIME TO DEGREE COMPLETION Students will obtain a degree within

Reinforce and invest in improved security measures to enhance campus safety and well-being.

four years as long as they follow the suggested pathway.

BECOME SOCIALLY AND GLOBALLY ENGAGED Students will have a chance to interact locally, nationally and internationally based through experiences on and off campus

4

PROVEN LEADERSHIP Students will develop and enhance their leadership abilities through co-curricular, community service and classroom opportunities.

Strategic Priority Six Improve business systems operations and build new infrastructure to better accommodate the NCCU community as it grows and thrives.

Akinleye recalled a quote from Dr. Shepard, taken from Volume 2 of the 1911 Campus Bulletin: “The

main objective of this school is to impart to each student such education as shall give him on leaving it, an intelligent knowledge of the principles of his craft, a general acquaintance with the commercial requirements of the trade, and such skill in practice as may assist him on leaving school to at once earn his living.”  26

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Snapshot

A OF DR. JOHNSON O. AKINLEYE EDUCATION: £ B.A. IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS (mass communications) and minor in English £ M.S. IN MEDIA TECHNOLOGY

OTHER POST-DOCTORAL leadership training from the Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASCU) £ PH.D. IN HUMAN COMMUNICATIONS STUDIES with an emphasis on organizational development

£ HARVARD UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION £ RUST COLLEGE

HIGHER EDUCATION ROLE BEFORE SERVING AT NCCU: FAMILY:

£

ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR for External Programs at University of North Carolina Wilmington

WIFE:

JUANITA AKINLEYE

clinical coordinator/nurse consultant for the Healthy Environments Action Team with the Community and Clinical Connections for Prevention and Health Branch, North Carolina Division of Public Health.

HOBBIES:

DANCING

CHILDREN:

NIKKI & PETER HOME COUNTRY: NIGERIA

Cooking

Listening to Jazz and International Music Hiking

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CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS FIND INSPIRATION IN HELPING OTHERS

Kevin Vincent’s academic strengths and his athletic performance on the Eagle men’s track team drew notice from several potential employers as he was getting ready to graduate in 2016.

The job he ultimately decided to take, with the Raleigh Police Department, is a strategically positioned stepping stone that will help him realize a long-held dream.

BY RENEE “I’ve always wanted to be a detective,” added Vincent, a criminal justice major. “This was the path I needed to take to get there.”

Seven of the 102 criminal justice majors who graduated with Vincent’s class were recruited by Raleigh Police. So far, five have completed their Raleigh Police Department Academy coursework and are undergoing their field training requirements to become fulltime officers with the force.

NCCU’s Department of Criminal Justice is one of the top schools targeted by police departments from New York to California for recruiting efforts.

“NCCU’s program has been successful at producing high-level applicants, year after year,” said Raleigh Sgt. E.M. Garcia, who oversees recruitment for the Raleigh Police Department.

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“Their graduates are prepared academically, have note-taking and study skills, and understand the physical fitness requirements.”

In a typical hiring cycle, Raleigh Police will have 250 applications, with only about 50 recruits accepted into the police academy.

At NCCU, the Department of Criminal Justice is one of the most popular on campus, with about 650 students enrolled for the 2017ELDER 18 school year, said Robert A. Brown, Ph.D., chair of the Criminal Justice Department.

“Our criminal justice students want to be part of the change they believe should be happening in American law enforcement,” Brown said. “And they know that to do it most effectively, they need to work from inside.”

By junior year, students choose from among four concentrations: law enforcement, corrections, homeland security or juvenile justice.

“They also are required to have an internship, which gives them an in-depth look at the practitioner side of things,” Brown said.

The school has produced more wardens currently serving with the Federal Bureau of Prisons than any other higher education institution in the United States.

NCCU’S DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ONE OF THE TOP SCHOOLS TARGETED BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS FROM NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA FOR RECRUITING EFFORTS.

r Zachary Weinheimer, Phillip Mitchell, Briana Powell, Kevin Vincent and Clevonne Davis– all 2016 graduates of NCCU’s Department of Criminal Justice – are now working for the Raleigh Police Department. v Morrisville Police Chief Patrice Andrews oversees a municipal department with 39 sworn officers.

Police Chief Patrice Andrews

Students who study criminal justice are expected to maintain high standards, both in their class work and their personal lives. Even common infractions such as vehicular incidents, disturbing the peace, or possession of paraphernalia can ruin hiring chances with top employers.

“The integrity of an individual character is one of the soft skills that we attempt to mold into our students so that they develop an understanding of what they need to do to be successful,” said Tameka Vaught, assistant professor in the department.

Brown said the department cultivates the expectation that NCCU Criminal Justice majors will be leaders in the field.

“We teach our students to focus on becoming part of the solution,” he added.

A potential road bump for some students is physical conditioning. Just as aspiring law enforcement officers must pass written examinations to qualify, they also must demonstrate strength and agility through a series of tests.

To address that, Vaught worked with the Department of Physical Education at NCCU to develop an advanced physical-conditioning course now offered each spring. It is geared toward law enforcement students but is also open to others who are seeking an intense physical challenge.

Police trainees who were college athletes typically have an edge in the strength and conditioning department, Garcia noted. NCCU graduates Clevone Davis and P.T. Mitchell benefitted from their time as members of the Eagles’ football team, and Vincent from his days as a track athlete.

Physical size, however, is not something that worries Brianna Powell, one of two female NCCU graduates recruited by Raleigh PD. Powell said there are ways to make up for having a “small stature,” including, for example, speaking up confidently with a strong voice to gain command of situations. Also, she also knows she has a solid team to rely on.

“I learned quite a lot right off the bat when I started in the academy,” Powell said. “The first thing they teach you is teamwork, because you can’t do alone.”

Powell passed her firearms course with flying colors, even though it was her first time handling a gun. “The trainers at the academy are the best; they did a good job helping me get through the course.” she said.

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Following graduation from the Raleigh academy in October 2016, Powell and her 70-plus classmates each were paired with an experienced patrol officer.

“When I work with someone, they watch me to see how I do things and give me feedback,” Powell said.

So far, Vincent said his training career is going well. His favorite part of the unpredictable nature of the work.

“You start each day never knowing what might happen – it could start out slow, then things might get exciting when you get into a foot chase with a suspect,” he added.

Law enforcement has maintained its appeal through the years for Morrisville Police Chief Patrice Andrews, who began working with Durham Police in the 1990. An NCCU graduate, Andrews is one of four female African-American police chiefs working in North Carolina, including Gina V. Hawkins, chief of police for the Fayetteville, N.C., department who also attended NCCU. A graduate of NCCU’s Criminal Justice Program, Andrews said that despite some resistance to women in uniform at the outset of her career, she found opportunities to advance.

Today, she heads a city police force with 39 sworn officers, nine of whom are female and 11 who are African-Americans.

She said the profession has changed significantly since her rookie days, when women on the force had to put up with some hazing from male counterparts who accused them of not being tough enough. Today, she said, there is more emphasis on “emotional intelligence” and less on having that tough “warrior” attitude.

“If you are not capable of being empathetic, if you don’t have a guardian spirit, you don’t have a place in our organizations,” she said. “You have to be able to see yourself in someone else and realize that what differs the most are the choices you have made in life.”

Not that law enforcement doesn’t still require hard-nosed investigations and criminal arrests, but it’s important for police officers to engage citizens as individual humans, as well.

“It’s the job of every person who wears the badge and gun to be a real-life recruiter and educate people on the positive aspects of law enforcement, because they far outweigh the negatives.”

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Chair Robert A. Brown

Ass. Professor Tameka Vaught

v Associate Professor Tameka Vaught, left, teaches the basics of law enforcement to students in the Criminal Justice Program.

“OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS WANT TO BE PART OF THE CHANGE THEY BELIEVE SHOULD BE HAPPENING IN AMERICAN LAW ENFORCEMENT.” — Robert A. Brown, Ph.D. Chair of the Criminal Justice Department New recruits undergo seven months of academy training, becoming well versed in how to carry out a search-and-seizure operation, how to negotiate during a hostage crisis, proper steps for interviewing suspects in the field, rules for conducting a traffic stop, and more.

“Traffic stops are very important because you are engaging in an unknown situation – especially at night,” said Powell.

Assigned now to alternating day and night shifts in Raleigh’s Northwest Police District, Powell, too, said she feels gratified by her decision to study criminal justice.

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, since I started watching Law & Order as a kid,” Powell says. “In law enforcement, you need to be passionate about what you are doing in order go out there every day. My passion is helping other people and the community.”

While some criminal justice students take only a class or two as they explore potential careers in law enforcement, the court system, juvenile services and other fields, most successful students, like Powell, have a particular passion for the work, Vaught says.

Sophomore Jacorui Bellamy, from Statesville, N.C., said he became inspired to study

criminal justice after working as a volunteer in a teen court program in his hometown.

“I saw how jail diversion could give young people a second chance if they do their work-service hours and not get into trouble anymore. It made an impression on me,” Bellamy explained.

The Department of Criminal Justice operates two major institutes, the Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development and the Juvenile Justice Institute, where students can get specialized training.

In her Introduction to Criminal Justice Course, Vaught teaches about procedures and theories of criminality but also makes sure her students know how to handle themselves in conversation or even a potential confrontation with an officer.

Her criminal justice students are expected to develop empathy for the men and women behind the badge.

“Be nice, be courteous and do what the officer asks you to do; if not, the situation is likely to escalate,” she told students attending her class in September. “Police officers are here to protect and serve; some of you will likely be doing the same thing one day, so you need to understand those dynamics.”

Senior Torri Pratt has spent the past several months interning with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

“I’m really interested in crime scene investigation,” said Pratt, who has a biology minor. She said she has been to several crime scenes as a SBI intern, as well as engaged in other aspects of the job, such as working with prosecutors in the Durham District Attorney’s office. She knows she has a lot to learn but is encouraged by the experience so far and is considering applying for a job with the SBI after graduation.

Other options for student internships include police and sheriff’s departments, the

state Division of Corrections, the Federal Emergency Management Authority, Durham County Youth Home and campus police departments such as NCCU’s.

Fayetteville State Police Chief Renarde D. Earle graduated from NCCU in 1993 and has had a varied career so far. First, he went to work for the Winston-Salem Police Department and then spent time as a private investigator for insurance companies. Earle went back into policing for the City of Wake Forest for a while before accepting a job at Forsythe Technical College, where he worked for 14 years. For Earle, working in a campus police department is a good fit.

“In municipal policing, you are working with a broader range of people, while on college

campuses you know you are going to be dealing mostly with individuals between the ages of 18 and 22 or so,” said Earle.

“As a municipal officer you make more arrests. On campuses, you have more options because of university procedures that allow flexibility in how particular case might be addressed.”

Earle said his NCCU training still influences his career, especially when it comes time to writing his daily reports. “Law enforcement requires you to be a good communicator, and I learned that at NCCU,” Earle said.

Vincent also appreciates the writing classes he took at NCCU. “One important skill I took out

of my college experience was the ability to write papers,” he said. “As an officer, we write at least one report each day that’s at least a page-and-a-half long. It’s a narrative, where you produce a time line from the moment you step in the car until you got out, explaining everything that’s happened step by step.”

For criminal justice major Clevone Davis, report-writing pales in comparison to the thrill of active police work.

A 2016 NCCU graduate who went into the Raleigh Police Academy alongside Vincent and Powell, Davis he was about to to return to his hometown of Miami when started talking with Garcia at a Criminal Justice Departmentsponsored career fair.

“He told me I should apply in Raleigh, so I did,” said Davis, who is now in the field training portion of his assignment.

What inspired Davis to enter the criminal justice field?

“Growing up in Miami, every elementary school had a school resource officer and the police sponsored kickball and football tournaments every year,” he recalled. “Only the good students could be on those teams, so that was a strong incentive.”

Davis’s long-term goal is to work with high school or middle school students as a campus resource officer or in a similar capacity.

“I already feel like I’m a mentor when I talk with college or high school students,” he said. “I try to share my knowledge and help out wherever I can.” 

rBrianna Powell checks in with headquarters following a daytime patrol stint in northwest Raleigh. w Torri Pratt, a senior, studies biology as well as criminal justice with the goal of becoming a forensic investigator.

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INNOVATION

NATION YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS BRING VITALITY BACK INTO THE ECONOMY

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“Two of the greatest assets I’ve received from NCCU are the alumni network and professors who are intentional about supporting students.”

BY KIA C. BELL

F

or anyone considering entrepreneurship, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has a wealth of programs and initiatives to assist students, alumni and even community members in bringing their ideas to the global marketplace.

Entrepreneurs are increasingly driving economic activity across the country, and Durham is a great place to make it happen ranked as America’s sixth-best large city in which to start a business by personal finance website WalletHub. The U.S. economy saw entrepreneurial businesses grow by 15 percent between 2014 and 2016, according to the Kauffman Foundation. And Millennials, defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1997, are considered the most entrepreneurial generation yet. Research firm Millennial Branding reports that 72 percent of high school students and 64 percent of college undergraduates dream of one day starting their own business.

Tarryn Henry, a 2015 School of Business graduate, is among those who have been eyeing the world of entrepreneurship since she was small. Henry credits an NCCU professor’s support outside the classroom with opening the door to her initial success as an entrepreneur.

“During my undergraduate career, I spent a lot of time at NCCU’s Entrepreneur Lab at American Underground,” Henry said, referring to the co-working space and business incubator in downtown Durham. “Being at American Underground and working with entrepreneurs in the community has led to many business-consulting opportunities.”

—Tarryn Henry

Henry’s business, Terryn Henry Enterprises (T.H.E.) Concierge Co., is a consulting firm that assists organizations with diversity and inclusion.

“Two of the greatest assets I’ve received from NCCU are the alumni network and professors who are intentional about supporting students,” Henry said.

She said her father, a businessman with a generous spirit, was her role model.

“His business was never just about making money,” she said. “For him, there was always a greater purpose. I want to have that same impact on my family and my community. Staying in business helps me accomplish that goal.”

For post-Millennials, also known as Generation Z, NCCU’s Summer Youth Business and Entrepreneurship Academy has FAL L 2017 NCCU NOW

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proven to be great place to exercise some entrepreneurial muscles.

The Business and Entrepreneurship Academy was created in 2012 and has been supported by a $350,000 grant to the School of Business from the Executive Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit founded by current and former AfricanAmerican board directors and business leaders at Fortune 500 companies. The foundation’s Community Impact Initiative was designed to enhance entrepreneurial education and develop the next generation of entrepreneurs, business leaders and scholars.

The two-week business and entrepreneurship immersion gives 40 high-achieving high school sophomores and juniors from across the country a chance to strengthen their executive business knowledge and skills. This summer marks the sixth consecutive year that the School of Business has hosted the camp.

Hands on learning, in-depth workshops and lectures related to financial management, human resources, marketing and management are part of the experience for students, who also brainstorm entrepreneurial ideas and take an out of town trip.

Each year the academy concludes with a live case-study competition based on student-proposed business solutions. Participants are asked to develop a strategic approach to solving a challenge facing local small businesses.

Since its establishment, the program has developed the entrepreneurship and global leadership talents of some 200 high school students.

University students attending NCCU’s School of Business also gain the advantage of specialized course offerings and experiential learning, including a business entrepreneurship concentration offered through both the undergraduate and Master of Business Administration programs. The concentration trains stu-

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dents in key practices of innovation- and technology-based entrepreneurship, as well as provides analytic skills that can be applied at various levels of business and industry. Graduates have the tools they need to successfully start and develop their own companies or to become valued employees at other enterprises.

In addition to the course offerings, special initiatives and programs such as the School of Business Lecture Series featuring leading business professionals and entrepreneurs have enhanced student interest in entrepreneurship across campus.

NCCU junior Tyler Walker established the Student Entrepreneur Association during his first year at NCCU in 2016.

The organization helps students ignite their entrepreneurial instincts and access entrepreneurial resources, network with community business leaders and share ideas.

The association’s programs such as the Student Entrepreneur Fair have proved to enhance student interest in entrepreneurial activity on campus.

“I founded the Student Entrepreneur Association because I believed there was a need for students to learn financial literacy and to guide students in the right direction for entrepreneurial success,” said Walker.

The organization also strives to guarantee that students who join the club would be in good financial standing by the time they graduate from college, he added.

Walker is currently working on a new initiative, Education to Occupation Pipeline, to engage youth with community organizations, businesses and higher education institutions to develop more economic opportunities that provide a living wage.

NCCU’S SMALL BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at NCCU is another resource not only for students but also for community members who are interested in growing and developing their business.

The SBTDC, a business advisory service of the University of North Carolina System, has 16 regional offices across North Carolina, each supported by a local state university and staffed by specially trained professionals with prior business ownership or executive experience.

In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the SBTDC enhances North Carolina’s economic development infrastructure by assisting small business owners and business-minded students with a wide range of oneon-one business counseling services. Some areas of expertise include: operational problem solving, personnel administration, marketing and sales, merchandising, finance, accounting and business strategy development, among others.

Students also have the opportunity to work directly with an SBTDC client company in a paid summer internship program assisting local small- or mediumsized business in Durham, Orange, Lee, Alamance or Chatham counties. As

experiential learning, the internship prepares students to embark on their own ventures or pursue career opportunities.

NCCU’s Small Business and Technology Development Center is housed at American Underground, the co-working office space that helps startup businesses perform their day-to-day operations, while creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurs.

School of Business alumnus Whitney Rich, owner of Success Realty, said he has benefited tremendously from the SBTDC’s services. Rich credits the input of La-Tasha Best-Gaddy, SBTDC program specialist, for much of his success.

“Ms. Best-Gaddy is a great asset for small businesses,” Rich said. “She knows what resources to offer to drive business and also provides valuable tools for success.”

Rich began his real estate career selling homes, leading to establishment of his own business with a partner. Rich also plans to add private development to his business portfolio.

Shakira Coats, a senior business administration major, said she also has gained an advantage by volunteering working with STDC’s clients. Coats applied her knowledge of social media for business marketing throughout the summer as an intern with Success Realty.

“I was able to assist the company identify social media trends and implement successful social media campaigns,” said Coats.

“My internship helped me expand my network and gain more knowledge of how to successfully operate not only a real estate firm but also a business.”

A recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report stated that 27 million working-age Americans have started their own businesses. Increased diversity is also a key factor in the growth, with 40 percent of entrepreneurs identifying as African-American.

Alumna Sabrina Seymore is among these budding entrepreneurs — she wears two hats, as an entrepreneur and a magazine publisher. Since 2011, she’s owned and operated Sabrina Seymore Events (SSE), full-service event and wedding planning, design and day of coordination company based in Durham. In 2017, she also launched The Prevailing Women magazine, a publication that promotes the professional and personal achievements of women.

Seymore’s entrepreneurial spirit has been marked by many highs, including planning events around the world for celebrities, non-profit organizations and corporations. She oversees all aspects of events, such as group gatherings and weddings.

“NCCU has played an intricate part in my success; the NCCU family has been my main support and referral source.”

—Sabrina Seymore

Seymore says the ability to connect with people on national and global platforms have benefited her business the most. In three years, SSE more than quadrupled the number of clients served, significantly increasing that number each year.

SSE has also expanded its international presence with weddings and events coordination, not only in the United States but also in Jamaica and Greece.

“The opportunities are great to be an entrepreneur, but you must have spirit, passion and love what you’re doing,” said Seymore. “I’m in a very happy to be able to do what I love and also travel the world to do it.”

In addition to beginning her busy season as an event planner, she is currently planning the next issue of her magazine.

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VIDEO

FOUNDER'S DAY SPEAKER ISAIAH TIDWELL

the

VIDEO

HOMECOMING 2017 The newest members of the Society of Golden Eagles, the Class of 1967, were installed during Founder’s Day Convocation on Friday, Oct. 27. That night, a sold-out crowd at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel enjoyed the soul-filled performances of Gladys Knight and Marcus Anderson.

GLADYS KNIGHT

NCCU ALUMNI CLASS GIVING

▼ CLASS GIFT

Society of Golden Eagles 1944-1966

$

473,428

1967

$

247,351

1972

$

81,142

1977

$ 1,100,938

1982

$

53,664

1987

$

37,887

1992

$

18,565

1997

$

38,655

2002

$

6,609

2007

$

9,071

2012

$

5,322

TOTAL

36

▼

CLASS YEAR

$2,072,632

NCCU NOW FALL 2017

SILVER CLASS OF 1992

DAVID BAILEY

VIDEO DOUG E. FRESH

GOLDEN EAGLES CLASS OF 1967

VIDEO

GALLERY

VIDEO

the

HOMECOMING LE'ANDRIA JOHNSON

2017 VIDEO

Students celebrated Homecoming 2018 with lots of activity, enjoying a gospel concert, street festival, hip-hop concert, step show and more. On Thursday, the new Mr. and Miss NCCU were named. Seniors Nicholas Hedgpeth and Ashanti Modlin made their first public appearance as royalty in Saturday’s Homecoming Parade. Then it was time for tailgaiting and cheering the Eagles on to victory over Delaware State University.

VIDEO

FRED HAMMOND

GALLERY

VIDEO

GALLERY

BOOSIE

VIDEO

VIDEO

VIDEO

Homecoming photographers: Chioke Brown, Ivan Watkins, Vernon Samuel, KeShawn Ennis and Rashid Abdus-Salaam

10 DURHAM HOT SPOTS NOT TO BE MISSED / B Y Q U I A N A SH E PA R D In the City of Durham, signs of a downtown renaissance are everywhere. From dozens of new lively nightlife options to a plethora of award-winning performing arts and culinary experiences, Durham’s reputation as one of the best places to work, live and play in the United States is well deserved.

So, gather a few friends, or family, and check out our top-10 selection – many of which have an NCCU connection. Get out and enjoy the town!

1

NGOZI DESIGN COLLECTIVE 321 West Main St.

LIBERATION THREADS 405-A E Chapel Hill St.

Your outfit will stand out from the crowd when you shop original pieces created by local, national and international designers and artists at Ngozi Design Collective. Not only does the boutique showcase one-of-a-kind trends in clothing and jewelry, but also offers an exciting collection of fine art, sculpture, photography, music and more. www.

ngozijewelry.com

Visit Liberation Threads for eco-friendly, fashion that won’t break the bank. Featured collections include works by local makers and designers, contemporary American lines and a several moderateto-better, design-driven fair-trade labels.

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UNSCRIPTED DURHAM HOTEL 202 N. Corcoran St.

Remember the old Jack Tar Motor Lodge from the 1960s? A remodeled version was reopened in July 2017 as a sleek, modern hotel, and it’s the perfect spot for pre-gaming with friends. Durham’s flyest crowd gathers here regularly for signature cocktails and weekly events, including nighttime swims, movie nights and patio parties.

www.unscriptedhotels.com

21C DURHAM HOTEL MUSEUM

111 North Corcoran St.

Since 2015, 21c Durham has engaged the community not only with its fashionable guest rooms but also its gallery walls lined with contemporary art. Occupying the former Hill Building, visitors can experience the culture of Durham through the museum’s latest rotating exhibits and creative programming, thought-provoking works at the Counting House restaurant bar and lounge, and site-specific installations. Galleries are open daily and free to the public. Guided tours are offered Wednesdays and Fridays a 5 p.m.

www.21cmuseumhotels.com/ durham/

BAR VIRGILE

105 S. Mangum St. There’s no better way to kick off a special evening than a stop at this award-winning restaurant and bar.

Bar Virgile’s experts craft classic cocktails and tasty small bites and serve them up in a cosmopolitan atmosphere in the heart of downtown.

Recommendations, you ask? Try the mascarpone grits and mushrooms and the Perry Mason cocktail.

www.barvirgile.com

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COCOA CINNAMON 420 Geer St.

Will you be looking for a pick-me-up? If so, head to Coca Cinnamon to sample their rotating menu of expresso, hand-poured coffees and teas served in an artful envir-onment with colorful tile floors. Try the popular Dr. Durham latte, a frothy microfoam laced with homemade vanilla and topped with maca root powder, ginger root powder and black lava salt. As a patron, you will also be boosting Cocoa Cinnamon’s efforts to support home-grown vendors and enhance life in Durham for all. www.cocoacinnamon.com

GEER STREET GARDEN / 644 Foster St. Known as one the most eclectic and trendy spots for flavorful, down-home food and drinks, Geer Street Garden occupies the former Fletcher's Gulf Station. It is a perfect place to meet friends for a quick lunch and a brew or drop by to satisfy your late-night cravings. Dine inside or soak up some sun (or stars) on the large outdoor patio. Try the crowd favorite – a local, pasture-raised burger – and take your pick from their wide selection of draft and bottle beers, house cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.

www.geerstreetgarden.com

NZINGHA BREAKFAST CAFE

826 Fayetteville St. Ste. 110

Owned by Zuri ReynoldsHester, a 2013 graduate of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism, this delectable brunch spot provides a variety of pancakes, southern breakfast items and burgers with a sophisticated flavor profile.

With its fresh signature items such as shrimp-and-grits and French toast, as well as exceptional Eagle service, you’ll want to put Nzingha’s on your list .

www.nzingasbreakfastcafe.com

DURHAM HOTEL 315 E. Chapel Hill St.

THE PARLOUR

Located in the heart of downtown Durham, this swanky boutique hotel offers the best panoramic view of the city. Perfect for large or small gatherings, its rooftop provides the most beautiful backdrop for group photos as well as a curated menu of handcrafted cocktails and small bites. www.thedurham.com/ 

117 Market St. Prepare your taste buds for the most delicious handmade ice cream in Durham. The Parlour provides a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings, along with floats, milkshakes, sundaes, pastries, and specialty coffee and tea drinks. From their coveted salted butter-caramel to vegan raspberry-brownie flavored ice cream, there is plenty to satisfy your palette at the Parlour.

www. theparlour.co

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classnotes

promotions

I

appointments

I

announcements

ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY

2007

David Bailey Saves Lives as Capitol Police Officer, Campus Blood Donor Alumnus DAVID BAILEY made national headlines when, during the course of his job as a member of the U.S. Capitol Police Force, he rushed in to defend members of a Congressional baseball team being fired on during a practice in Alexandria, Va. Bailey was assigned to the security detail of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana on June 14, 2017, when the lone gunman began firing onto the field.

Although Scalise and three others were wounded, only the assailant died in the incident.

“Scalise's security detail and the Capitol Hill police immediately returned fire,” Texas Rep. Joe Barton told the Associated Press shortly after the attack. “The security detail saved a lot of lives because they attacked the shooter.”

Bailey, a 2007 graduate of NCCU, was a well-known student whose campus activities included assisting with Red Cross Blood drives with his brothers in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. The campus held a blood drive to honor Bailey last July in recognition of his dedication to the university motto, “Truth and Service.”

“He demonstrated those traits both as an undergraduate student and, now, as an Eagle alumnus,” said Lois Pettiford, assistant in the Department of Public Health Education, which sponsors the blood drive.

DAVID BAILEY

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__ ’71 ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY launched a weekly live one-hour talk show on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM channel Radio Andy. __ ’77 DENNIS W. ELLIS was honored by the Durham Chapter of the NCCU Alumni Association as the Alumnus of the Year at the 2017 NCCU National Alumni Association’s Awards Program on July 15, 2017. __ ’78 DEBORAH ALLY was appointed as a member of the statewide United Way of North Carolina Board of Directors. Ally also serves as president of the United Way of Gaston County. __ ’85, ’90 WENDELL TABB, drama teacher at Hillside High School, was recognized for Excellence in Theatre Education by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University. __ ’89 CHARLES ASUBONTEN was appointed as CFO of the California Public Employees Retirement System.

“The security detail saved a lot of lives because they attacked the shooter.”

— TEXAS REP. JOE BARTON

DEBORAH ALLY

__ ’93 RENARDE D. EARLE was named Fayetteville State University’s chief of police. __ ’93 ALEX MENDALOFF was awarded the U.S. Department of the Army, Legion of Merit and the North Carolina Distinguished Service Medal. __ ’94 VALERIE JORDAN was recently appointed as a member of the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. Jordan also serves on the North Carolina Department of Transportation Board, which oversees the North Carolina Highway Trust Fund for road construction projects.

MONIQUE PERRY

EDMUND LEWIS JR.

__ ’94, ‘97 STANLEY J. ELLIOTT, PH.D., was appointed president of Roanoke-Chowan Community College. __ ’97, ’06 WENDY HAZELTON was sworn in in January 2017 as the first African-American District Court judge in Pitt County, N.C. __ ’00 RAVILA GUPTA was named president and CEO of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. __ ’00 MONIQUE PERRY received the 2017 South Carolina Technical Education Association A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year Award for devising new ways to meet the

TRESSIE McMILLAN COTTOM

needs of the South Carolina Technical College System. __ ’03 TRESSIE McMILLAN COTTOM has authored “Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy.”

Cottom, an assistant professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, recently appeared on The Daily Show to discuss her new book. __ ’08 LARRY BROWN JR. was appointed as an Alamance County District Court judge. __ ’08 LEVY BROWN has been named vice president of student services for Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson, N.C.

1995 ANTHONY L. JENKINS, PH.D., began his tenure as president of West Virgina State Univresity, on July 1, 2016.

Before joining WVSU, Jenkins served as senior associate vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Services at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the nation’s second-largest university.

Jenkins’ higher education experience also includes serving as vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and also served in the United States Army as an Air Defense Artillery Specialist.

Jenkins has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/sociology from Fayetteville State University, a master’s degree in criminology from North Carolina Central University and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech University.

JENKINS NAMED PRESIDENT OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

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class notes promotions

__ ’08 EDMUND LEWIS JR. has been named coordinator of Durham County’s My Brother’s Keeper program. __ ‘08 SABRINA SEYMORE of Fayetteville, N.C., launched a new digital and print publication, The Prevailing Woman, to promote the professional and personal achievements of women. __ ’11 MERCEDES PINCKNEY has been appointed as South Carolina State University’s chief legal officer. __ ’12, ’15 CLIFTON MORGAN III, a U.S. Navy JAG Corps attorney, was featured in an HBCU Digest article about his undergraduate and law school educational experiences at North Carolina Central University.

I

appointments

I

announcements

EAGLE GRADUATE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PHARMACY GROUP

Alumnus DARRYL LEWIS was elected as the national president of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association at its annual meeting in Las Vegas in June 2017.

Lewis, who joined the association while attending NCCU, received his bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences in 2015 and is now in his third year of graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is working toward a doctorate in pharmacy.

“Thanks to NCCU, I was definitely well prepared to go to pharmacy school,” he said. “BRITE has close connections with pharmaceutical industry, so it creates graduates who are career- or graduate-school ready.”

Lewis said he learned about the Student National Pharmaceutical Association while participating in an undergraduate fellowship at The Ohio University. He spent the past year as president-elect of the group, whose goals include increasing diversity in pharmacy related professions.

Lewis is native of Rocky Mount, N.C., and the son of Sharon Lewis, a professional nurse. He said he came to NCCU as a psychology major but was advised to consider a career in the hard sciences.

“Once I made a decision to switch majors, I went directly to the pharmaceutical sciences program at BRITE,” he said. “There are many opportunities in the pharmaceutical field. It’s booming. One day, I hope to own my own pharmacy.”

NCCU Justices Honored The HON. MICHAEL RIVERS MORGAN, current justice, and the HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD, former justice, of the North Carolina Supreme Court were honored as African-American Justices of the Supreme Court of North Carolina on Aug. 31, 2017 at the North Carolina Supreme Court Building, Raleigh, N.C.

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Alumna Honors the Past byPreserving 110-year-old Schoolhouse he Historic Salisbury Foundation recently presented a preservation award to Mary Neely Grissom and the Historic Neely School Foundation for rescuing and bringing back to life of the Neely School in China Grove, N.C.

The project was spearheaded by Grissom, ’61, whose grandfather, Julius Erastus Neely, constructed the one-room school house by hand in 1908.

He used timber from his own property, after having it cut and finished at a local lumberyard. The school even had a small bell tower that signaled the beginning and end of classes.

Grissom explained that Neely and his wife, Katie McKenzie Neely, were children of slaves. Since their parents were not allowed to read and write, the couple was determined to make sure black children in their community, known as Neelytown, could receive a decent education.

The school offered classes for children in grades one through seven, with about five children per class. The room was heated by a pot-bellied stove, and most students walked home each day for lunch.

Grissom has also collaborated with author Emily Brewer, of Legacy Storybooks, on a children’s book about the experience titled, “The Little School in the Woods.” The school was included on Salisbury’s October tour of historic buildings.

Grissom can now rest assured that her grandfather’s legacy lives on, not only in the rural community of China Grove, but also through his descendants, many of whom, like Grissom, became educators themselves. v Mary Neely Grissom collaborated with author Emily Brewer on a children's book about her father's schoolhouse titled The Little School in the Woods.

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classnotes continued

memoriam

__

NCCU Graduate Named Durham’s Teacher of the Year KIRTINA JONES, a second-grade teacher at R.N. Harris Integrated Arts and Core Knowledge Magnet School, was named Teacher of the Year for Durham County Schools.

As a 13-year veteran of the classroom, Jones says it is important to show students that they are cared for. “Ms. Jones has created a learning environment where children are not afraid to take risks and where they are eager to learn every day,” wrote R.N. Harris Principal Carolyn Pugh. Jones received both her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in educational technology from NCCU. __

Alumnus Smith Given Lifetime Award Richard DeWitt Smith, ’81, was chosen to receive the NCCU Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017. U.S. Congressman G.K. Butterfield announced the award on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14, saying Smith “gives of his time, talent, and resources to help students from across the country to succeed in obtaining a quality education from historically black colleges and universities.”

Butterfield added that Smith and his wife, Jacelyn, met while both were students at NCCU. __

University Archivist Publishes Treasure-Trove of NCCU History NCCU archivist and alumnus Andrè Vann has gathered dozens of images to tell the history of Durham in his new book, “Images of America: African Americans of Durham County.”

Issued in July 2017 by Arcadia Publishing, the 128-page paperback documents the important role of African-Americans from the 1880s on in Durham, once known as the Capital of the Black Bourgeoisie.

Primarily a pictorial history, the 215 well-chosen, black-and white images showcase the influence and ingenuity of prominent residents as well as ordinary citizens living in neighborhoods such as Hayti, Pearsontown, Hickstown, Crest Street, East End and Walltown.

A third-generation graduate of NCCU, Vann served as assistant dean of students before being named as head of the university’s archives in 2007. His deep background in local history helps bring the past to life by showcasing the amazing array of business leaders, doctors, ministers, educators and innovators whose hearts and minds have helped to make Durham the diverse, creative community it is today.

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Professor Vernon Clark Leaves 50-year Legacy VERNON CLARK, PH.D., a retired professor in the Department of Biology, passed away on Aug. 3, 2017, in Raleigh, N.C. A 1951 graduate of Shaw University, Clark earned his master’s degree in biology at NCCU in 1958 and his Ph.D. in cell physiology and biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968. He taught for nearly half a century in NCCU’s Department of Biology, where he was known as an engaging but tough teacher with an outstanding memory, often lecturing without referring to notes.

Clark also served as an adjunct professor at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University and became the first African-American to direct North Carolina’s Governor’s School, the prestigious summer program for gifted and talented high school seniors.

In 2007, Clark was honored with establishment of an endowed scholarship in his name by James E. Graham, M.D., a former NCCU biology student who became a gynecologist, oncologist and associate professor at Michigan State University.

The $200,000 endowment was created by Graham and his wife, Sadie D. Graham, M.P.H., to assist minority undergraduates enrolled in NCCU’s allied health programs. A bronze bust of Clark also was commissioned and is displayed in Mary M. Townes Science Complex, where the biology wing was named in his honor.

Goodbye to ‘Soul-Jazz’ Legend and Alumnus Grady Tate GRADY TATE, a Grammy-nominated musician and 1959 graduate of NCCU, died Oct. 8, 2017, at his home in New York City from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, his family said. Tate was born in Durham in 1932.

LISTEN

SEN. RALPH A. HUNT SR.

__ ’53 DORIS RICHARDSON EDWARDS, B.S.C., of Upper Marlboro, Md., Oct. 1, 2016 __ ’64 SEN. RALPH A. HUNT SR., M.A., Durham, N.C., May 16, 2017

As a talented but self-taught drummer, friends remember him playing regularly in local bands by his early teens. Tate spent four years in the Army before enrolling at NCCU, where he studied theater arts and English.

He taught school in Washington briefly after college, playing in jazz clubs at night.

Tate moved to New York in the early 1960s and studied acting while performing music

on the side. His rhythmic and vocal skills became a major influence in the emerging souljazz genre, according to music historians. He recorded his first vocal album, “Windmills of My Mind,” in 1968.

An extremely versatile musician, Tate played in bands led by Quincy Jones and other leading musicians and accompanied singers from Aretha Franklin to Paul Simon. He also appeared

__ ’65 ETHERINE P. BUTLER, Shalotte, N.C., Sept. 22, 2017 __ ’50 JOSEPH EDWARD CAMPBELL, B.S., Durham, N.C., May 17, 2017 __ ’53 PAULINE HARRIS WOODS, Durham, N.C., June 10, 2017 __ ’56 ELEANOR HARRIS BROWN, M.A., Raleigh, N.C., Aug. 21, 2017 __ ’56 HERMON W. THOMBS, B.S., Fredricksburg, Va., July 2, 2017 __ ’63 RICHARD HICKS, B.S., Durham, N.C., May 28, 2017 __ ’67 STUART BROOME, Clinton, Md., Sept. 13, 2017

__ ’68 VERNON NIXON, B.S., Capitol Heights, Md., May 5, 2017 __ ’69 CHRISTYAL BROWN, Durham, N.C., July 18, 2017 __ ’71 MARGIE MURRAYTHOMPSON, B.A., Newark, N.J., May 26, 2017 __ ’74 STERLING C. GATLING, B.S., Midland, Mich., July 23, 2017 __ ’81 STANLEY KING, Rocky Mount, N.C., June 5, 2017 __ ’81, ’93 DELOISE W. HICKS, Durham, N.C., Sept. 15, 2017 __ ’00 AEEDAH JAMEELAH HAMIDULLAH, B.S., Durham, N.C., July 17, 2017

on dozens of studio recordings at CTI and other studios.

Tate was a featured performer in the Tonight Show band with Doc Severinsen for six years, and appeared in several Schoolhouse Rock short films in the 1970s, including “I Got Six” and “Naughty Number Nine.”

Tate taught singing and drums at Howard University from 1989 to 2009.

His final album, “From the Heart,” was recorded at New York’s Blue Note jazz club and released in 2012.

NCCU NOTABLES __

DORIS DAYE SMITH, former

nurse in the Student Health Center for 30 years, of Durham, February 28, 2017 __ WILLIAM MICHAEL LOGAN, construction engineer for Facilities Management Department since 1994, of Durham, May 7, 2017 __ MATTIE J. WATSON, former housekeeping assistant in the A.E. Student Union for 18 years, of Durham, May 11, 2017 __ AMAL ABU-SHAKRA, PH.D, former chair of the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, native of Lebanon, September 2017. 

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DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

FEMALE DONORS CHANNEL PASSION FOR

GOOD CAUSE

BY RENEE ELDER

For the majority of female donors, an act of philanthropy isn’t just about opening their pocketbooks. According to several studies, women express a personal passion for the causes they support – often tying financial gifts to hands-on involvement.

These sentiments accurately reflect the approach of five NCCU supporters in the spotlight this season: EAGLE DONOR JILL HAMILTON; ALUMNA BARBARA REDMON, PH.D., ’88; ALUMNA BETTY HOLLOWAY, ’70; DOUBLE EAGLE LAURETTA HOLLOWAY, ’71 AND ’73; AND TWO-TERM BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEMBER ALLYSON SIEGEL. Jill Hamilton calls herself an “implanted Eagle.” Even though she didn’t attend NCCU, she has walked the sloping hills many times alongside her husband, George, a 1977 NCCU graduate and chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the couple’s son, Cory, who graduated in 2012 as a business major.

“So, I am on campus a lot,” she said. “I attend most of the football games and other events. I know it’s important for young people to see George, the chancellor and other leaders on campus. Plus, it’s always a good time.”

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JILL HAMILTON

An accomplished vocalist who tours nationally on her own and as a member of the band New Birth, Hamilton grew up near Detroit and attended Wayne State University. She met her husband while leading a church choir in Romulus, Mich., where he was then working.

The couple raised two children before Hamilton launched her career as a vocal artist. They now divide their time between homes in Michigan, Black Mountain, N.C., and Florida.

In 2007, the Hamiltons announced a $1 million planned gift to the university to form the George R. Hamilton Endowment Fund in support of the NCCU School of Business and the Department of Athletics.

In 2017, Jill Hamilton also announced a separate $1 million gift to the NCCU School of Business, which will soon have a new building under construction.

“My husband and son are both graduates of the School of Business,” she said.

“Living vicariously through their stories, I understand that it is important to give back to help NCCU continue to provide the Eagle experience to new students.”

BARBARA REDMON

Barbara Redmon, Ph.D., is hard at work on her pet project: raising funds for the endowment created by her 1988 graduating class. Redmon, a member of the Metro D.C. alumni chapter, believes scholarships are among the most effective ways to make a difference in the lives of students.

“I attended NCCU on academic and athletic scholarships, and it was a good feeling not having to worry so much about finances,” said Redmon, a mathematics major. “By giving back, I’m helping to ensure that future generations can afford the same amazing higher education experience that I had.”

Redmon excelled academically as a Chancellor’s Scholar, presided over the Math and Computer Science Club, played on the women’s basketball team and completed a student internship at IBM. “NCCU definitely set the foundation for my post-graduate work and professional career,” she said.

Other memories from her college years include the making of many longlasting friendships.

“My college roommate is still my best friend,” she said. “We coordinated our

BETTY HOLLOWAY

30th class reunion, along with other lifelong friends. And we also got together to start the Class of 1988 Endowment Fund.”

Betty Holloway, Class of ’70, also feels passionate about her alma mater, serving as New Jersey alumni chapter president.

As a student, she wrote for the Campus Echo and "had a poem or two published in the Ex Umbra literary magazine,” Holloway said.

Rigorous academic coursework as a business administration major was combined with a faculty and staff who encouraged her to achieve success in the world, she recalls. She even remembers the exact words of Lindsey A. Merritt, then director of the Student Placement Office, urging her to “graduate with a degree in one hand and a job contract in another.”

Holloway spent one summer as an intern at the New York Times, then graduated, just as Merritt instructed, with a job offer in hand from Cummins Diesel (now Cummins Engines) in Columbus, Ind. Eventually, Holloway began teaching business courses at the high school and college level.

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“What I get in return is worth way more than the dollars,” she said. “I’m in it for the long haul.” _______ A L LYS O N S I E G E L NCCU Board of Trustee Member ALLYSON SIEGEL

Today, she assists members of her community by volunteering to teach selfsufficiency skills. And she has made a commitment to provide a major finanical gift to NCCU through her estate.

NCCU Trustee Allyson Siegel is president of Tru-Pack Moving Systems, the country's largest privately-held household transportation company. She has many philanthropic interests, as evidenced by a recent stint volunteering in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.

A native of Rutherfordton, N.C., Siegel graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later earned a master’s degree in counseling from UNCCharlotte. Now she is working on her Ph.D. in counseling at Harvard University with a focus on trauma’s impact on the brain. She also assists underserved clients by offering low- or no-cost services through her counseling practice.

Siegel first became aware of NCCU when a friend, Board of Trustee member John Barbee Jr., asked for her help in hauling football equipment to away-games.

After fitting out a 28-foot truck with Eagle custom graphics shortly after the

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university transitioned to Division I, Siegel was impressed with how much the eye-catching vehicle seemed to buoy the team’s spirit and has supplied a truck and driver for every away game since. She also has donated workout equipment to the Athletics Department and helped to establish the John Andrew Barbee Sr. Endowed Scholarship.

“I see my major responsibility on the board to raise funds for the school, provide financial support and advocate for the students and university – all of which are not difficult based on my passion and love for NCCU’s students and administration.”

Siegel said she often feels that giving to such a worthy cause is a reward in itself.

“What I get in return is worth way more than the dollars,” she said. “I’m in it for the long haul.”

Lauretta Holloway has Eagle ties through three generations. She, her husband, brothers, daughters and son-in-law all attended NCCU. Even her mother-in-law, now 93, attended NCCU and recalls conversations with founder Dr. James E. Shepard on campus.

LAURETTA HOLLOWAY

Growing up in Hamlet, N.C., Holloway followed in the footsteps of her two brothers to enroll at NCCU. She met her husband, Kevin, the first week of freshman year. They dated for five years before marrying in June 1976, as she was finishing up her graduate degree in speech and hearing.

Moving up from teacher to student support specialist, to elementary assistant principal and then middle school principal, Holloway never lost her love for teaching. While working as an administrator, she often taught college-level educational method courses on the side.

Throughout her career, faculty at NCCU have been her role models.

“My NCCU professors were ultimate professionals who spoke, dressed and carried themselves as ladies and gentleman,” she added.

Holloway established the Lauretta Holloway Teacher Assistance Fund and the Lauretta H. Holloway Endowed Scholarship, both of which support future educators.

GEOGRAPHY WAS A PASSION FOR PROFRESSOR THEODORE R. SPEIGNER

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP HONORS REVERED PROFESSOR

BY COREY SAVAGE

cholar, father-figure, visionary, man of distinction and revered geographer were among the phrases used to describe Theodore R. Speigner, Ph.D., a former professor and founder of NCCU’s Department of Geography.

The occasion was a celebration of Speigner on April 20, 2017, at Mary Townes Science Complex attended by faculty, staff, students and alumni. Speigner died in 1982 at age 74, yet his legacy continues, according to all those who gathered to remember him.

Speigner began his career on the sloping hills and verdant green in the fall of 1947 as a faculty member in the history department. It would be 13 years later, in the fall of 1960, that he would establish the Department of Geography after earning his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Michigan.

Speigner led the geography department from 1960 until 1975, and became known for his ability to recruit students into the department and for his teaching style that promoted student engagement and free exchange of ideas.

Albert Barnett, Ph.D., a 1969 geography graduate who would go on to serve as a professor and, later, department chair, praised his former instructor for his warmth and congeniality.

“His invitation for you to contribute to the class was frequently prefaced by, ‘Come on in the house,’” Barnett said, explaining that the statement contained more meaning than might be obvious. The true intent, Barnett explained, was for students to flourish in his classroom through the sharing and transfer of knowledge.

During Speigner’s tenure in the department, he inspired dozens of students to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees.

Before arriving at NCCU, Speigner attended high school in Alabama at the State Teacher’s College in Montgomery where he performed at the top of his class. In 1926, he entered Wilberforce University in Ohio, later transferring to Talladega College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history.

In 1933, Spiegner received a Master’ss of Arts degree from the State University of Iowa, now The University of Iowa. He then studied education at the University of Toronto Canada and vocational guidance at Harvard University.

Speigner’s legacy continues to impact many faculty and alumni of the department, including Wendell Davis ’84.

During the spring celebration, Davis announced the establishment of the Theodore R. Speigner Endowed Scholarship to provide support for undergraduate and gradu-

“It was not by chance that during his tenure at NCCU we were FIRST IN THE NATION for the number of African-American geography graduates who later received the Ph.D. in geography. I think he would be proud of how ‘his department’ is doing now.” — CHAIR GORDANA VLAHOVIC, PH.D. FAL L 2017 NCCU NOW

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At left, former Geography Department Chair Albert Barnett, Ph.D., spoke of his admiration for Professor Speigner. Below, Interim Provost Carlton Wilson welcomed guests to the

Dr. Speigner invested in so many students and influenced so many of our careers and educational pursuits. It’s important for us to honor his legacy by supporting the department and scholarship. It is my hope that other alumni from the Speigner era will support the endowment and help us raise $500,000.”

— WENDELL DAVIS ’84

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celebration at Mary Townes Science Complex.

ate students in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Sciences (EEGS), as the former Geography Department is now known.

Davis, who serves as county manager, encouraged other alumni with a strong connection to Speigner and the department to support the initiative and issued a personal challenge to all the graduates mentored and influenced by Speigner to contribute to their alma mater in honor of the beloved professor.

“Dr. Speigner invested in so many students and influenced so many of our careers and educational pursuits,” Davis said. “It’s important for us to honor his legacy by supporting the department and scholarship. It is my hope that other alumni from the Speigner era will support the endowment and help us raise $500,000.”

Associate Professor and EEGS Department Chair Gordana Vlahovic, Ph.D., said she was impressed by the outpouring of support for the former chair.

“Before the event, I admired the intellectual legacy of Dr. Speigner as one of the most important African-American geographers of his generation and as founder of the Department of Geography at North Carolina Central University,” Vlahovic said.

“But only after the event, after meeting so many of his former students and hearing what a prominent role he had in their lives and in their careers, could I truly grasp the greatness of what he had accomplished.

“It was not by chance that during his tenure at NCCU we were first in the nation for the number of African-American geography graduates who later received the Ph.D. in geography. I think he would be proud of how ‘his department’ is doing now.”

The department recently was designated by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Science. The Environmental Health program also was awarded accreditation from the National Environmental Health Accreditation Council this past summer. wFor more information on how to The mission of the modern desupport the Theodore R. Speigner partment is “to promote intelEndowed Scholarship or the lectual, professional and personal Department of EEGS, contact Corey J. excellence through the highest quality Savage, director of development in instruction, research, and service in NCCU College of Arts and Sciences at the environmental, earth and geocorey.savage@nccu.edu or 919-530-7097. spatial sciences.” That mission links directly to the teachings and leadership of Speigner, Vlahovic said. 

INVESTING IN AN EAGLE

BIG

PAYS DIVIDENDS

I’ve been fortunate since leaving the verdant green in 2013. I’ve moved into different roles and that allowed me to grow in many ways. In all of these experiences, I have benefitted from the skills, values and lessons I learned while at NCCU.

BY CARM E L O R. M O N TA LV O ’ 1 3

Currently, I oversee day-to-day operations for Forest Devices Inc., a medical-device company startup company I co-founded. I also coach collegiate football at Carnegie Mellon University. In my life, there is never a dull moment.

While attending NCCU, I became a multitasking expert, capable of juggling academics, student government responsibilities, and my personal life. I became keenly aware of the power of prioritization and how aligning my skills could get my goals accomplished. NCCU provided me with ample leadership opportunities, particularly through my work as student body vice president.

From etiquette dinners to networking sessions and campus events, I had a chance to hone many of the skills I still use today. My student government post helped me develop the ability to converse meaningfully with stakeholders at all levels. Perhaps the most important skill I learned from NCCU was how to network effectively, and it has been vitally important in my career.

While working as a teacher for my first two years out of college, I survived by meeting and learning from experienced teachers how to create and deliver content using the best pedagogical practices.

I would never have had the opportunity to coach at Carnegie Mellon University if it

were not for careful networking and leaning on my mentors to provide recommendations on my behalf.

Most recently, as a part of Forest Devices, I traveled to Houston to participate in the 2017 RICE Business Plan Competition, the world richest collegiate business-pitch competition. Through our skills in networking, our team was able to get expert feedback on our pitch, business plan and our fundraising approach. After incorporating this feedback and meeting with entrepreneurs and investors who had participated in the event before, we were able to win the competition, earning over $700,000 in investments and a feature spotlight in Forbes Magazine.

Yet, none of my success as a student at NCCU and in my career since that time would have been possible if not for dedicated alumni who give back to their alma mater. As a Centennial Scholar, Chancellor Scholar and Honors Program student, my education was made possible in large part by alumni contributions. Now more than ever, it is important that we support the institutions that have invested so much in our own development.

I believe my story can serve as an example of how NCCU is a transformative learning experience for many students.

Because of NCCU — and its alumni donors — I’m able to soar.

CARMELO R. MONTALVO

graduated in May 2013 from NCCU with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine. He then taught and coached football at the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability in Durham for two academic years as part of the Teach for America program. After returning to graduate school in 2015, Montalvo earned a master’s in health care policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University, where this fall he is entering his third season as defensive line coach. Montalvo and his wife, Melissa, live in Greenfield, Pa., with their daughter, Kadyn.

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D IVISION I

I MEAC

sports sports

NCCU ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME ADDS 8 TO ROSTER

B Y K Y LE S E R B A

Seven outstanding NCCU athletes and the photographer who captured the Eagles in action for more than half a century were inducted into the Alex M. Rivera Jr. NCCU Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 14.

The elite performers recently honored by

the Hall of Fame were volleyball MVP Rena Armwood; softball/basketball standout Cheryl Bogues Munn; All-CIAA football player Anthony Cooley; NFL pick William Frizzell; leading women’s basketball scorer Cassie King; track-and-field champion Hakeem Mohammed; and volleyball record-holder Davita Watson Morant.

ROBERT LAWSON University photographer Robert Lawson ’62, captured images of sporting events and other noteworthy occasions on campus from 1962 until his retirement in 2013.

Lawson, who died in 2014, was a protégé of Rivera, the famed photojournalist who served as NCCU’s first public relations director and for whom the Hall of Fame is named. Lawson succeeded Rivera as full-time campus photographer in 1992.

RENA ARMWOOD Armwood, who played volleyball for the Eagles from 1996 to 1999 and softball during the 1998-99 and 200506 seasons, was a pivotal member of four conference championship teams. Armwood was named most valuable player in 1999’s CIAA Volleyball Tournament.

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CHERYL BOGUES MUNN Munn played softball and basketball from 1989 to 1993 and holds the NCAA Division II record for the number of bases stolen in a single softball season. She also holds the NCCU basketball record for the number of steals in a single game.

ANTHONY COOLEY Cooley stood out as a member of the Eagles’ football team from 1988 to 1991 and was named as an All-CIAA First Team honoree three times. He is one of only two receivers in school history to log 1,000 yards in a season.

WILLIAM FRIZZELL Frizzell played defensive back for the Eagles from 1980 to 1983, during which time he earned First-Team All-CIAA defensive honors and made 10 interceptions. Drafted by the NFL in 1984, Frizzell played professional ball for 10 seasons, including stints with the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

CASSIE KING King made her mark playing hoops for NCCU from 2003 to 2007, becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCCU women’s basketball history and earning the title of most valuable player during the 2007 CIAA Tournament.

HAKEEM MOHAMMAD Mohammed was a star on the Eagles’ track-and-field team from 2003 to 2007. A seven-time NCAA Division II All-American, he also captured the 2007 national championship in the 400-meter dash.

D AV I TA W AT S O N M O R A N T Morant broke several records as a member of the NCCU volleyball team from 1996 to 1999, including career kills, blocks and service aces. She was the 1998 CIAA Volleyball Player of the Year.

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NCCU VOLLEYBALL ATHLETE RUNS THE BASES IN BOSTON VOLLEYBALL STUDENT-ATHLETE KIERRA SHIPMAN, a junior recreational management major, spent her summer as a Fan and Youth Development intern for the Boston Red Sox. The internship involved tracking Red Sox fan data and working with the street team and as mascot for events.

“The sports marketing classes that I’ve taken at NCCU helped prepare me for my internship,” Shipman said. “I had prior knowledge of business marketing, which gave me an advantage.”

In addition, Shipman had the opportunity to present on the best marketing practices she observed during her internship to Red Sox marketing leaders.

“It’s very humbling to have the opportunity to work for such a prestigious sports company such as the Boston Red Sox. I know this experience will not only prepare me for my next step as a studentathlete, but also in life,” she added.

In 2016, the student athlete was named to the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball AllAcademic team in recognition of her high academic achievement. During her first year at NCCU, Shipman

was honored with the MEAC Rookie of the Week award.

“Kierra is great student both in and outside of the classroom, she takes a constructive approach to learning,” said Anthony F. Patterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Physical Education and Recreation.

An Atlanta native, Shipman plans to earn a master’s degree in sports administration and work as an athletic director for a Division I school or as a marketing officer for a professional sports team.

“Kierra’s success in the classroom can be attributed to being a student-athlete. She is methodical and persistent when learning new material and also communicates well, which impacts her performance in the classroom,” Patterson added. 

SPORTS IN BRIEF  Former North Carolina Central University baseball catcher CONRAD KOVALCIK (Detroit, Mich.) has signed a professional contract to play for the Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers and third baseman ELLINGTON HOPKINS (Lansing, N.Y.) has signed a professional contract to play for the Alpine Cowboys.

Conrad Kovalcik

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Ellington Hopkins

➔ “ K I E R R A’ S S U C C E S S IN THE CLASSROOM CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE. SHE IS METHODICAL AND PERSISTENT WHEN LEARNING NEW MATERIAL AND ALSO COMMUNICATES WELL, WHICH IMPACTS HER PERFORMANCE IN THE CLASSROOM.”

 NCCU junior GABRIEL CUCALON advanced to the third round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Carolina Regional (Oct. 13-17 in Cary, N.C.) for a second straight year, highlighted by a straight set win (6-4, 6-1) over the event’s 10th-seeded player from Duke University. The Guayaquil, Ecuador, native achieved his big second-round victory over Duke junior Ryan Dickerson, who posted a 15-4 record in dual matches for the Blue Devils last season.

Gabriel Cucalon

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FROM THE NCCU

CIRCA 1969

W H I T I N G C E L E B R AT E S 1 0 0 T H B I R T H DAY Dr. Albert N. Whiting presents an honorary doctorate to Congresswoman Shirley Anita Chisholm of New York in 1969, one year after Chisolm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Dr. Whiting presided as NCCU’s chancellor for 16 years. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2017.

P h ot o c ou r t e s y of t h e Nor t h C aro l i n a C e nt r a l Un i ve r s it y D i g it a l C o l l e c t i on

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d i v i si on of i n s t i t u t i on a l a d va n c e m en t

EAGLE.

YEAR.

The Eagle Promise Begins With You. We must invest in our students so that they may soar to greater heights in academics, leadership and service. Show your commitment and give generously today. Your philanthropic support provides proof of the passion and love that alumni, friends and partners hold for our University.

Make a donation today by visiting

www.everyeagleeveryyear.org or contact the Annual Giving Office at 919-530-7404.

North Carolina Central University 1801 Fayetteville Street Durham, NC 27707

www.nccu.edu

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