Technician
march
2
2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Students select ‘distinguished’ professors Three N.C. State professors were given the chance to give distictive lectures. Justin Rose
Student stabbed near Dan Allen Police are investigating the stabbing of an N.C. State student.
Staff Writer
Students had the opportunity to choose three N.C. State professors to present a “distinguished” lecture. And the votes are out. Student Government sponsored the first annual Distinguished Professor Award Lecture Series in Stewart Theater Tuesday where the three chosen professors spoke about their personal experiences. The following professors were nominated: David Washington, a teaching associate professor in the department of management, innovation and entrepreneurship; Philip Dail, the director of advising and admission in the College of Textiles; and Rupert Nacoste, professor of psychology. Taylor Hiott, chair of the Academics Commission and sophomore in economics and entrepreneurship, was the principal organizer. Hiott said the motivation behind the event was to spotlight these educators in a different kind of light. “The goal was to create an event where professors could be recognized in a different kind of way, outside of their professional experience,” Hiott said. “In reality, what students think about them is what matters the most.” Students voted in an online forum during the first two weeks of January for their favorite professor. The forum consisted of 12 questions, and student government received over 230 responses about approximately 70 different professors. A committee narrowed the selection down to the top three based on the nominations, according to Hiott. “They’re here because of what they embody,” Hiott said. “They’re here because of their impact on students’ lives.”
wednesday
Lana Layton Staff Writer
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Professor Rupert Nacoste interacts with Christie Jones, junior, Brittany Hall, junior, Natalia Ospina, sophomore, and Melody Futrell, senior, all students in psychology, prior to the first annual Distinguished Professor Lecture Series at Stewart Theatre, Tuesday. “I’m glad I attended because I enjoyed the other lectures as well.” Jones said. Jones, Hall, Ospina, and Futrell are a part of the “Wake Up! It’s Serious” campaign for change supported by Nacoste.
Dail said he and the other professors were surprised to be chosen for the award. “We each received an email one day from Student Government saying ‘Congratulations,’ and I had no idea what to expect,” said Dail. “All three of us were scratching our heads, trying to figure out what we had done to be congratulated for.” Each professor spoke about life lessons and their experiences though their lectures concerned a variety of topics. Dail, who is recovering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, focused on lessons in credibility, compassion, relationships and humility.
Washington spoke about growing up in poverty and the importance of displaying a positive attitude, effort and courage in achieving success. “Take charge and be passionate. That’s how you win,” Washington said. “Keep moving forward. Courage is very important.” Nacoste also spoke about modest upbringing in the Louisiana bayou and his later experiences with race riots in the U.S. Navy during the 1970’s. He said this is what sparked his interest in social psychology and led to a study of ‘neo-diversity.’ Towards the end of his lecture, Nacoste also said he wanted to emphasize the importance of speaking for one’s
self. “It bothers me to be at a university where students walk around with opinions based on nothing,” Nacoste said. “If you’re going to have an opinion, you need to do some research.” Washington, Nacoste and Dail said they were very grateful and appreciated the distinction. “Students are the important people in our professional life and also in our personal life. I know I can speak for all three of us when I say that we are very honored,” said Dail. “Students speak volumes when we take the time to listen.”
Phillip dail, college of textiles director of advising and admissions: “I grew up on a farm and worked there until I moved to Wake County in 1981 even while attending college and teaching in Edgecombe and Nash Counties. I was very involved in 4-H and Future Farmers of America from the third grade through my first year in college. In 1996, I designed the advising program for the College of Textiles and became the first director of Advising and Admissions. In April 2002, I developed Guillain-Barre and was totally paralyzed within 12 hours of its onset. I continued to be paralyzed totally for three months. The first day of this ordeal, my family was told I would not likely live through the night. Later I was told to definitely not expect to stand upright again and certainly never walk. I am fortunate because 80 percent of the individuals die who have the variant of Guillain-Barre I had. I have almost totally recovered and frequently am involved in encouraging people who are experiencing this condition.“
“Humility is more than an action, it’s a mindset.”
Source: Student government tyler thompson/Technician
Rupert Nacoste, professor of psychology: “After serving in the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Navy, I obtained my B.A. degree form the University of Florida (1978). From there I went on to obtain my Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1982). In 1988 I joined the faculty here at North Carolina state University. From September, 2000 through August 2002, I served as North Carolina State University’s first Vice Provost for Diversity and African American Affairs. For my work in the classroom I have been named to the NCSU’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers (1994), and in 1999 I was named Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor of Psychology. In 2006, 2007 and 2009 I was nominated by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for the UNC systems Board of Governor’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Following on the interest in (and work on) race-relations that I developed and did in the U.S. Navy, my scholarly research has focused on various aspects of interpersonal
What started as a simple walk home last night turned into a nightmare for one unfortunate N.C. State student. Robbed of his belongings and stabbed in the hand, the student, whose name has been omitted due to safety concerns, said he considers himself lucky despite his situation. “I was walking back from the fraternity house and I was on the phone with my girlfriend,” the student said. “When I was walking up the sidewalk next to Handy Hugo’s on the side of Dan Allen I remember seeing an SUV that was coming down the wrong side of the road [towards] me, and I remember telling my girlfriend I just thought it was a drunk driver. [But] then the SUV came up on the curve.” The student said two men then commenced to jump out of the vehicle and demand his belongings. “Two guys got out, one wearing a blue shirt and the other wearing a white shirt with some sort of graphics on it. The guy in the blue shirt kept telling me he wanted my wallet, he wanted everything I had,” the student said. “I told him I didn’t have my wallet with me, so then he kept asking for my book bag … I didn’t really have anything in my book bag but I kept telling him ‘No.’” At first, the student said he could not tell one of the men was armed because the area was dark and he could not see them well. However, once the weapon was pulled out, he said he tried to avoid being hurt. “I used my right hand to try to block it … instead of that ... one of the other guys hit me in the face and I got knocked out. I think at that point I was stabbed in the hand and all I remember after that was waking up and freaking out,” the student said. After this traumatic experience, the student said he was unable to use his phone and had a hard time understanding what happened. “I tried to turn my phone on and it wasn’t working. I had no idea what to do … there was blood all over my shirt,” the student said. “I just remember thinking, ‘there’s no way this just happened.’” After he became reoriented with his surroundings, the victimized student said he made his way back to the residence hall and called two friends for help. “[I] met them behind Carmichael Gym to get picked up. Then we called the [campus] police, met them in Lee Lot and EMS took me to Rex Hospital,” the student said. While hospitalized for the night,
and intergroup tensions. From that work I have been called on a number of groups and organizations to
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speak and consult on issues related to the management of diversity.”
“Opinions are like...elbows - everybody’s got two of them.” Source: Student government
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David Washington, teaching associate professor, department of management, innovation and entrepreneurship: “Prior to my current position, I served as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs. I’ve been teaching business at the college level for the past nine years. I was also president of Washington Enterprise, a human resource management consulting firm based in Garner, N.C. I’ve held several leadership positions while in the
Wolfpack rallies to home victory over Davidson
U.S. Army. I completed my Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis at N.C. State, and has a Master of Science Administration in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. “
See page 8.
“Just like pressure can crack pipes, pressure can make diamonds.” Source: student government
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