EC Alumni :: Spring 2014

SPRING 2014

FUN ON THE JOB Bobby Rippy ’75, ’96 is the owner of Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park

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FEATURES

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14 early bird gets the worm After graduating early from ECU, Becky Taylor ’76, ’80 is successfully impacting education

16 fun on the job Bobby Rippy ’75, ’96 is the “King of Fun” at Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park

20 security measures Muir Analytics founder and CEO Jeff Moore ’92, ’95 helps clients analyze risks and threats

22 the right call

Darrell Harrison’74,’79 made the right

decision to attend ECU, where he started his journey to ACC official

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER Bobby Rippy ’75, ’96 at Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington, NC.

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dear pirate nation pirate connections photo gallery legislative matters advancement update career corner around campus a look back

EC Alumni, the magazine of the East Carolina Alumni Association, takes a closer look at the accomplishments of our alumni, bringing you engaging feature articles highlighting their success. EC Alumni also features news from around campus, updates from University Advancement, career advice, how alumni and friends can support ECU’s legislative initiatives, and a look back at the University’s treasured history.

DEAR PIRATE NATION One of the things I love most about East Carolina University is that we know who we are and what’s important. While other schools tout their US News and World Report rankings and other superficial measures, East Carolina focuses on our mission and the impact the University has on the region, state, and world. Not only do we focus on impact, but we have developed an interactive dashboard that tells the stories of the difference that Pirates make throughout the Pirate Nation. I invite you to visit the Univeristy’s new Measures of Success page at www.ecu.edu/news/measuresofsuccess2014.cfm.

There you can learn more about our achievements in: Scholarship • ECU nurses work in ninety-eight of North Carolina’s one hundred counties and in every state in the nation. Our students’ recent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination was 96 percent for 252 nursing graduates.

• U.S. News and World Report ranked the College of Business online master of business administration (MBA) 58th out of 171 graduate business programs nationwide.

• The School of Dental Medicine was named an Apple Distinguished Program for 2012–2013 for innovation, leadership and educational excellence in its use of technology to train students.

Leadership • A $2.28 million gift from the State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation funds scholarships for ECU’s Partnership East program helping to educate aspiring teachers in rural areas. More than 75 percent of Partnership East graduates teach in North Carolina and 94 percent of those are in eastern North Carolina.

The mission of the East Carolina Alumni Association is to inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University.

Paul J. Clifford PRESIDENT AND CEO

Christy Angle ’95 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Monique Best ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN

Jackie Drake ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS

Candi High ’97 ACCOUNTANT

Michael S. Kowalczyk ’09, ’10 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Shawn Moore ’91, ’98 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Doug Smith ’00, ’07 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING

Chelsea Ward ’13 ALUMNI CENTER COORDINATOR

Chris Williams ’01 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP

Service • East Carolina is one of only two universities in the United States to be awarded the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which recognized ECU’s efforts to provide support for faculty, staff, and students enlisted in the Armed Forces Reserves.

Discovery • ECU faculty members received $35.8 million in external support for research, service, and instruction in fiscal year 2012–2013. Since 2010, ECU has received more than $125 million in external grants.

We have Pirate Pride deep inside and on this dashboard we let that pride shine for the rest of the world to see. I hope a visit to this site make you proud of YOUR East Carolina University.

GO PIRATES!

ALUMNI

VOL. 7, NO. 2

EC Alumni (ISSN: 2152-3886) is published quarterly by the East Carolina Alumni Association. The Alumni Association is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that operates interdependently with East Carolina University. The views expressed in EC Alumni magazine do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Alumni Association or the University. Reproduction of EC Alumni in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. ©2014 East Carolina Alumni Association Read EC Alumni online at: PirateAlumni.com/ECAlumni ISSN: 2152-5668

Paul J. Clifford President and CEO

To contact us or comment on this magazine: 252-328-4723 | 800-ECU-GRAD alumni@PirateAlumni.com Send change of address to: East Carolina Alumni Association Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Mail Stop 305 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353 EC Alumni is paid for with non-state funds.

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PIRATE ALUMNI 5K ROAD RACE AND ONE-MILE FUN RUN

2014 Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run: “Paint It Purple” Edition!

Race to Raise Money for Scholarships!

The East Carolina Alumni Association is proud to present the seventh annual Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run “Paint It Purple!” edition on Saturday, April 12. Join fellow alumni and friends as we race to raise funds for the Alumni Scholarship APR program for ECU undergraduates. This year, our road race goes PURPLE and GOLD! We’re bringing a whole new meaning to wearing your school colors. Runners will be dusted with purple and gold powder along the 5K race and one-mile fun run. By the end of the race, your official white T-Shirt will become a work of art and a sign of Pirate pride! The road race begins at 9:00 a.m. with the fun run immediately following. Both courses begin at U.B.E. in uptown Greenville and follow Fifth Street next to campus. Registration for either event is $15 in advance and $20 the day of the race. Register by March 31 to guarantee a T-Shirt. For more information or to register, call 800-ECU-GRAD or visit PirateAlumni.com/2014RoadRace.

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Class of 1964 Golden Alumni Reunion Celebrate Fifty Years of Pirate Pride!

Members of the class of 1964 are invited to come home to East Carolina on May 8-9, 2014 to reunite with fellow Pirates for a special Golden Alumni Reunion over commencement weekend.

Plan to arrive Thursday afternoon in time for campus tours, followed by the Senior Celebration Dinner with the class of 2014 to honor the MAY accomplishments of East Carolina graduates past and present. The evening will end with the Candlelight Ceremony where the 1964 graduates will pass the torch of Pirate pride to the University’s newest alumni, the class of 2014.

On Friday morning, the class of 1964 will wear golden robes to lead the graduating class into Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for commencement, followed by a reunion luncheon. Participants will receive a Golden Alumni medallion and memory book.

For more information, contact Assistant Director for Alumni Programs Christy Angle ’95 at 252-328-1958 or Christy.Angle@PirateAlumni.com or visit PirateAlumni.com/1964Reunion.

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Class of 1964

PIRATE CONNECTIONS

7th Annual

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PIRATE CONNECTIONS Magnolia Belles Spring Concert

use some help from volunteers, get involved with Service Month!

Contact Director of Alumni Programs Shawn Moore ‘91, ‘98 at Take note! The Magnolia Belles Spring Concert will be Sunday, at 252-328-5775 or Shawn.Moore@PirateAlumni.com, or visit April 27 at 1:00 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. The Alumni PirateAlumni.com/ServiceMonth.

Association’s all-female a cappella group will delight APR the audience with their rendition of many of today’s ECU Night at the Washington Wizards popular favorites as well as traditional tunes such as ECU’s alma mater and fight song. This annual free ECU alumni in the Washington, DC area concert is open to the public. The Belles perform are invited to the Washington Wizards throughout the year for alumni, campus, and community events vs. Pacers game on Friday, March 28 for in addition to their annual spring concert. For more information, a special gathering hosted by MAR the Washington, DC chapter visit PirateAlumni.com/MagnoliaBelles.

Can’t make it to the concert? The of the East Carolina Alumni Magnolia Belles recently released their Association.

Alumni are first CD with the following songs: eligible for a special ticket ECU Alma Mater, Keep Your Head Up, I price of $36.00, which includes a seat Love It, Lightweight, Waiting on the World in the upper level center / end zone and to Change/I Love College, We Are Young, early entry to watch pre-game warmAmazing Grace, Starships/California Girls/ ups. For tickets, contact Dennis Fryer at Beauty and a Beat, Everybody Talks, Survivor, dfryer@monumentalsports.com or 202and E.C. Victory. Purchase yours for $12 each 292-1907. by visiting PirateAlumni.com/BellesCDs or calling the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD. We Need Volunteers!

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The University’s motto Servire, meaning “to serve,” encourages students, staff, and alumni to give back to their communities.

Pirates are encouraged to volunteer at their favorite non-profit or charity or wherever help is needed across the Pirate Nation throughout the month of April. Service unites Pirates no matter where they are! If you are an alumnus looking for a way to volunteer, or if you are a community organization that could

New Home?

Quickly update your ECU record online PirateAlumni.com/UpdateInfo 4 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

The Alumni Association is currently updating and revitalizing our volunteer program. Formerly known as Pirate Contacts, volunteers will now be known as Privateers! Privateers are volunteers who serve as initial points of contact for alumni in their region, helping to keep alumni connected and informed. We need Privateers across the Pirate Nation! Privateers can plan events, lead chapters, or just help spread the word. Your level of involvement is up to you. Training is provided through an orientation session and staff assistance is always available. If you would like to get more

BY THE #s

April is Service Month

152,353 Total Alumni 1,799 Life Members 6,001 Annual Members 1,797 Student Members 7,162 ‘Like’ us

Facebook.com/ECAAFanPage 18,958 Event Photos

Flickr.com/photos/PirateAlumni 9,493 Connections

PirateAlumni.com/Linkedin 4,686 Followers

Twitter.com/PirateAlumni

PIRATE CONNECTIONS information or to become a Privateer for your area, or volunteer in any other capacities, please contact Director of Alumni Programs Shawn Moore ’91, ’98 at 252-328-5775 or e-mail her at Shawn.Moore@PirateAlumni.com.

2014-2015 Scholarship Recipients

of

BOARD DIRECTORS

The Alumni Association is proud to announce its 2014-2015 Alumni Scholarship recipients. More than 194 applications were submitted for twenty-three scholarships: eleven $2,500 scholarships and twelve $1,000 scholarships. This year’s recipients are: East Carolina Alumni Association Scholarships ($2,500) Elizabeth Brooks Barrett of Raleigh, NC Blaire McKenzie Conner of Greenville, NC Erika Michelle Dietrick of Greenville, NC Courtney Adams Dupree of Raleigh, NC Kaitlyn Haven Dutton of Greenville, NC Madison Kay Keesling of Cary, NC Sara Marie Kurtz of State College, PA Ashleigh Elizabeth Levine of Wake Forest, NC Axita Chetan Patel of Greenville, NC

Angela Moss ’97, ’98, Chair Raleigh, NC Neal Crawford ’85, Vice Chair

Norfolk, VA

Glenda Palmer-Moultrie ’79, Secretary

Alumni Association Scholarship in memory of Yvonne Pearce ’82 ($2,500) Lucas Thade Hopkins of Greenville, NC

Derwood, MD

East Carolina Teachers College (ECTC) Scholarships ($1,000) Alex Cain Bryan of Greenville, NC Sidney Michelle Chadwick of Beaufort, NC Kayla Renee Hollingsworth of Randleman, NC Andrea Michelle Justice of Greenville, NC Paul David McGuire of New Bern, NC Catherine Taylor Wooten of Raleigh, NC

Jim Newman Jr. ’68, ’74, Past Chair

Mary Jo Outland Baugh ’55 Alumni Scholarship ($2,500) Aenia Saad Amin of Greensboro, NC Megan Grace Lavinder Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) Brice O’Neil Everett of Greensboro, NC New York Metro Alumni Chapter Scholarship ($1,000) Maxwell Alec Braunstein of Massapequa, NY Pitt County Chapter Scholarship ($1,000) Jaclyn Nicole Parker of Winterville, NC Tidewater Virginia Alumni Chapter Scholarship ($1,000) Lauren Nicole Arrington of Carrsville, VA Wake County Chapter Scholarship ($1,000) Darcy Harrington-Brown Dupree of Raleigh, NC Washington/Metro Alumni Scholarship ($1,000) Keira Rachelle Harris of Bowie, MD

Dean Browder ’77, Treasurer

Winston-Salem, NC Raleigh, NC

Paul J. Clifford, President and CEO

Greenville, NC William Burnette ’96 Virginia Beach, VA Adrian Cullin ’04 Charlotte, NC Jim Dill ’79 Richmond, VA Neil Dorsey ’65, ’66 Winterville, NC Ralph Finch ’67 Midlothian, VA Jeff Foster ’83 Winterville, NC Keith Frazier ’94 Raleigh, NC Dave Fussell Jr. ’90 Rose Hill, NC Mark Garner ’77 Greenville, NC Robin Good ’80 Katy, TX Duane Grooms ’80, ’82 Columbia, SC James Hammond ’66 Poughkeepsie, NY Melanie Holden ’79 Raleigh, NC John Israel ’82 Norfolk, VA Wesley Johnson ’85 Powder Springs, GA Charlie Martin Jr. ’68 Greenville, NC Marian McLawhorn ’67, ’88, ’97 Grifton, NC Michael McShane ’66 Alexandria, VA Dan Spuller ’06, ’07 Raleigh, NC Ainee Lynnette Taylor ’97 Winterville, NC Allen Thomas ’92 Winterville, NC Jason Tomasula ’00, ’03, ’10 Charlotte, NC

EMERITUS MEMBERS: Sabrina Bengel New Bern, NC Virgil Clark ’50 Deceased Carl Davis ’73 Raleigh, NC Dave Englert ’75 Norfolk, VA Ernest Logemann ’68 Winston-Salem, NC Brenda Myrick ’92 Greenville, NC PIRATEALUMNI.COM 5

PHOTO GALLERY

In partnership with the office of Undergraduate Admissions, the Alumni Association hosts ECU TODAY events in Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh, Virginia Beach, and Wilmington to introduce potential students to East Carolina University and bring them face-to-face with orientation and admissions staff. Alumni are invited to participate by being available to answer questions about their East Carolina experience and help recruit new ECU students in their area. In 2013, 227 of the 261 potential students who attended ECU Today enrolled for the fall semester.

Alumni continue to give of their time in ECU classrooms! Neil ’65, ’66 and Donna ’67 Dorsey are American Red Cross volunteers and volunteered in Jaya Rose’s interior design class to judge her student’s final projects: designing shelters to be used in natural disasters.

Prior to fall commencement, Tiffany Vockerodt ’13 was the winner of a new tradition at ECU sponsored

by Forever Pirates: the GRAD CAP DECORATING CONTEST. Her entry featured a paper maché sociology textbook, a globe made from plastic foam and a pirate ship made out of toothpicks. Vockerodt received a diploma frame for designing the winning cap.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM/PHOTOGALLERY 6 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

Where Pirate Memories Continue...

“Life at Cypress Glen has enabled me to widen my social circle and give myself to the needs of others.”

As a student at ECTC in the late ’30s, Charity Holland recalls her job at the campus soda shop as being a wonderful opportunity to meet new people. After graduating with a degree in education, Charity began a long and satisfying career working with children and adults in eastern North Carolina public schools and the Caswell Center. Charity also devoted herself to volunteerism with many organizations including United Methodist Women, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House. She was presented the National Individual Volunteer of the Year by United Methodist Association, as well as North Carolina’s prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine for her extraordinary service record.

Charity has continued generously giving her time, talent, and treasures as an active Cypress Glen resident.

“I have few possessions and I am not rich, but I have no needs.

My life has been endowed by the relationships I have made with people.”

Charity Holland ’39, ’63 Cypress Glen Resident since 1988

Official Partner

www.cypressglen.org

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LEGISLATIVE MATTERS 8 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

ECU Preparing for Upcoming Session of NC General Assembly At the state level, the Republicanled General Assembly often saw discord between the two chambers as well as conflict with the executive branch. During the recent long session, Governor McCrory vetoed two bills (drug testing for welfare recipients and background checks for farmworkers) that the General Assembly quickly reversed.

Although the Republican policy agenda for tax reform, election reform, changes to education and the privatization of the Department of Commerce was successfully implemented, many key items remain for the upcoming short session, which begins on May 14. These include Medicaid reform, teacher/state employee salaries, and regulatory issues, among others.

During the interim, the University of North Carolina and its constituent universities are monitoring the progress of Legislative Study Commissions and Oversight Committees that address issues of interest to our campuses. ECU faculty were invited to participate in the discussions as experts on specific topics.

ECU Provost Dr. Marilyn Sheerer, along with Dr. Lisa Chapman of Central Carolina Community College, presented to the Joint Legislation Education Oversight Committee. They shared the collaborative work of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement Committee which resulted in the standardization of certain class credit transfers from NC community colleges to UNC campuses, thereby supporting transfer students and easing their transition.

Dr. Elizabeth Baxley and Dr. Jim Peden of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine

prepared and delivered a presentation to the Study Committee on Health Care Provider Practice Sustainability and Training/ Additional Transparency in Health Care about Brody’s model for recruiting, educating and retaining physicians to practice in rural areas of the state. Dr. Paul Bolin, chairman of the department of internal medicine, spoke to the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force about the impact of hypertension in North Carolina.

We continue to partner with UNC system officials to advocate for changes in legislation passed in the long session that is detrimental to the future of the Brody School of Medicine. A key part of this advocacy includes education regarding our mission, our model, and our success in meeting the legislative goals that our medical school was developed to achieve. The ECU Board of Trustees, ECU Board of Visitors and many alumni have actively engaged in these educational and advocacy efforts.

Preparation for what promises to be a very brief short session are underway.

Please ask your legislators for their support of East Carolina University and the Brody School of Medicine and remind them of the important role that the University plays in securing the future of eastern North Carolina and the entire state. For specifics on ECU’s excellence and evidence of our positive impact on the region and state, see our Measures of Success infographic on ECU’s website at www.ecu.edu/news/ measuresofsuccess2014.cfm.

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ADVANCEMENT UPDATE 10 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

Dyba named Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Christopher Dyba joined East Carolina University as the new vice chancellor for university advancement in March 2014.

Dyba returns to North Carolina and is very excited to join the Pirate Nation.

“The chance to return to North Carolina and reestablish connections with friends and colleagues to advance the mission of East Carolina is exciting,” Dyba says. “ECU has an excellent reputation in areas of teaching, research, health care, and more. It is a stock on the rise, so to speak.

Now is the time to invest.”

Dyba was born in Italy, since his father worked for the US Army and his family lived there. They also lived in Germany for a number of years. Eventually making it to Louisiana, Dyba graduated from Louisiana State University (LSU) and then completed his master’s degree at Duke University.

Upon completion of graduate school, he joined the development office at Duke and worked for eight years as both an annual fund reunion giving officer and a major gift officer. After Duke, he worked for more than six years at Auburn University as the director of advancement for the College of Business. At Auburn, he managed the advancement team and was instrumental in seeing the campaign through to its successful completion.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and caused extensive damage.

As a result, Tulane University closed its doors from August 2005 to January 2006. The years that followed were spent repairing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of physical damage, reestablishing an academically strong student body, reopening a world-class medical school and health system, maintaining the university’s AAU status, and tackling many other monumental challenges. During this time, the development office was dramatically cut, and for those remaining officers, the message was simple and singular: support

the rebuilding effort. Four years later, after the university was saved and in better shape than ever, Dyba returned to Louisiana to help Tulane rebuild the Development Office. In his four years at Tulane, he hired or repositioned staff to build a team of more than fifty development officers and professionals as well as reestablished many policies and procedures to aid in preparing the university for a campaign.

Dyba is married to Eva Marie Haydel Dyba. They met at LSU and have been married for twenty-one years. They have a son, Jack, who is twelve years old as well as an aging black lab mix. Now that they are settling in Greenville, another family pet is in the works. “My family made me promise that we would get another big dog now that we will no longer live in the big city. A large yard is definitely on the move-in checklist,” Dyba says.

When asked about hobbies, Dyba commented that family and work consume his life. “I throw myself fully in. I’m a loving husband and father and will always be there for my family, but I will always be there for ECU too. I love my work; I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He does, however, enjoy getting away. He looks forward to quick trips to the coast and an occasional fishing trip. “When I was at Duke, friends I met from the Pacific Northwest taught me the joys of fly fishing and Lake Michie, north of Durham, became a wonderful distraction. I look forward to renewing my North Carolina fishing license!” When a little more time is available mid-summer, the Dyba family enjoys traveling and seeing new cities and places.

But for now, Dyba is focused on ECU. “I couldn’t be more excited to join the team!” he says. “I really feel that ECU is poised to advance tremendously in the coming years. A couple of years ago, ECU completed the Second Century Campaign raising $220,000,000. This is an incredible

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE accomplishment and kudos to the many, many generous alumni, parents, corporations, foundations, staff members, volunteers, and friends of the university for providing their support. Success breeds success and it became obvious to me the first time I stepped foot on campus that the Pirate nation is loyal. In the coming years, ECU will continue to articulate its vision for higher education, health care, research, athletics, and community outreach, and we will need to set appropriate financial goals to meet the challenge to make this vision possible.”

“Some people wonder how I can spend my entire career asking for money.

I don’t view it that way. My job is about relationships. Relationships with me, for sure, I have met many wonderful, fascinating people over the years. But more importantly, it’s about relationships with the institution. Few things are nobler than giving of one’s time and money to advance the University mission. We all have the privilege and opportunity to work together to support our students in so many ways.

We can provide them with scholarships

and research opportunities, advancement in medical and health care practices, new buildings and classroom space, and cutting edge technology. We also get to support our student athletes and disseminate knowledge to the next generation. Think about it; I have a wonderful job!”

Dyba emphasizes that it takes the entire community to advance the institution. “I encourage all alumni to be a part of the life of the University. Join the Alumni Association and take part in viewing parties or be a part of the Pirate Alumni Admissions Connection in your local community. Those who live close enough to campus or near an away game should come out and cheer on the Pirates. Others can mentor students or young alumni regarding career choices, and others are in a position to hire a graduate. Sure, I hope all alumni will support the University financially as they can, but we can all give of our time and influence as well.”

Dr. Glen Gilbert has been serving as the interim vice chancellor since January 2013 as well as dean of the College of Health

Dyba’s son Jack with the family’s black lab.

& Human Performance. “It has been extremely challenging serving in two full time positions for the past fourteen months, and I thank everyone who helped me, but I know it was best for the future of ECU to insure we had the right person for the job. Chris Dyba brings the experience and passion we need to advance the university in fund raising. I am extremely pleased he will be joining our team.”

ESTABL ISH YOU R L E G ACY: S UPPO RT EAST C ARO LI N A A gift from your retirement plan (IRA, 401(k), and other qualified retirement plans) can enable you to leave a perpetual legacy at ECU while capturing multiple tax benefits.

When you gift a percentage or specific dollar total from your retirement plan to East Carolina University through the East Carolina University Foundation Inc., East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc., or the East Carolina University Educational Foundation Inc. (Pirate Club), you can help future students

while gaining a tax advantage. By utilizing this specific asset, where often the greatest amount of your wealth resides, you can avoid/ reduce income and estate taxation. This asset is among the most difficult to pass to heirs/ beneficiaries because it is a deferred tax asset. For these reasons, gifting this asset versus others with less tax burden allows you to take better care of your heirs while leaving a perpetual legacy at ECU. This easy process can be done through one simple piece of paperwork (Beneficiary Designation Form) provided by your plan provider. For

more information about this planned gift or joining the Leo W. Jenkins Society, please call 252-328-9573 or e-mail abeyounisg@ecu.edu.

You may also find more information online at www.ecu.edu/devt.

Greg Abeyounis, CFRE Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Office of University Development 2200 S. Charles Boulevard Mail Stop 301 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 11

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Donor Spotlight: Tom and Karen Bartik Both Tom and Karen Bartik were born and raised in New Jersey, but life and love carried them in different directions. But eventually they found each other and East Carolina University.

Karen attended Douglass College, part of Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ, and graduated in 1972 with a double major in English education and in history education. Tom attended Newark State College (now Kean University) in Union, NJ, where he graduated in 1969 with a bachelor of arts in science education and in 1971 with a master’s in school administration and supervision. While still in New Jersey, Tom and Karen taught in the same school system for twelve years. They always enjoyed each other’s company as good friends and colleagues, but that was the extent of their relationship because Tom was married at that time.

In 1982, Tom and his family moved from New Jersey to Greenville and took over the family home. They lived just across from ECU’s campus. Tom’s son Scott attended classes at ECU before deciding on another career choice. Scott now resides in Goldsboro with his wife Rebecca and daughter Destiney. Tom also continued his education by taking classes toward a second masters at ECU. Tom and his family enjoyed life in eastern North Carolina.

They saw his siblings and his mother move here over the years. He continued as a teacher and athletic trainer, but in 2006 his wife unexpectedly died.

In 1984, Karen left the system where she and Tom taught. She married and moved from New Jersey to New York. As things happen in life, her marriage was not successful and she moved back to New Jersey. Not long after that her former husband died. She returned to teaching in a different district and taught English for an additional nineteen years. Karen enjoyed life traveling and spending time with her friends and family. Then a little note arrived that changed her life.

After being widowed a few years, Tom decided he needed to rejoin the world. He started with a simple internet search for his long lost friend, Karen. “I sat down one night and did an Internet search for her using the address of her parents, hoping that maybe they were still there and that if 12 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

I sent a letter to her she might respond. I found that Karen was now living there by herself. I sat down and wrote a brief note to her explaining what had happened in my life and asked if she would like to open a line of communication. Scared, I sent if off. To my surprise and joy she wrote back.”

From that time on, they talked on the phone almost nightly for hours on end and finally agreed to meet in person. “In June of 2008 we met in Williamsburg for a weekend…it was as if time had stood still for us,” Tom recalls.

In July of 2008, Tom proposed to Karen. “Karen came to North Carolina to meet my family and for a week of touring the coast. There, after a performance of the Lost Colony, I proposed to Karen on the beach. The next year was hectic. Karen sold her home in NJ and moved here. I retired in June of 2009, and we got married in Williamsburg about two weeks later.”

Tom and Karen say they have been fortunate to have resources that they hope will never have to be used, and their desire was to use some of those resources to honor the memory of their parents Frank and Grace Bartik, and Harry and Ida Bailin as well as Karen’s sister, Madelyn Dee Bailin. “Education is the key to success.

We are both strong believers in the public school system. We know firsthand what the challenges are of working in a classroom and how imperative it is to be prepared.

Today’s educators, and those who are yet to come, are facing challenges that are unbelievably difficult.”

The Bartiks first thought they would contribute to their alma maters, but decided that ECU is where their lives are and where their hearts are. “As we began to combine our two homes into one and organize our affairs, we decided that as part of our wills we would include the school we have adopted as our own. So we included ECU in our estate planning and have willed four colleges within the University scholarships to remember our parents and Karen’s sister.”

Those include: the College of Human Ecology for their mothers, the College of Business for their fathers, and the College of Education for Karen’s sister. They also plan to establish a scholarship to the School of Theater and Dance in their name as well. “Our goal is to help keep ECU a viable, relevant and academically challenging institution in Greenville as it prepares students to take on their future roles in society.”

Tom and Karen say they have been surprised by the generosity and gratefulness that has been shown to them for their gift to ECU. “ECU has embraced us. We attended the scholarship award program for the College of Education, and were surprised by being recognized for a future gift. We were also deeply appreciative of the commitment to excellence in academics we have seen.”

The Bartiks say it makes them feel good knowing that some of their resources will someday benefit students from their gift.

They have had the opportunity to meet several faculty members and administrators from the various areas they have named in their wills.

Tom and Karen are now enjoying every minute of retirement.

They love taking long walks through the campus with their Dalmatian, Cooper. But if you don’t see them there, they are either traveling or cruising. They are about to embark on their eleventh cruise. They have traveled extensively through the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and Alaska and, most recently, to the Hawaiian Islands. They’ve done some land tours through the northwest USA, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia and they go to the beach as often as they can.

When they aren’t traveling, they like to spend time in ECU’s Lifelong Learners Program. A relatively new program in its third year, Lifelong Learners is for adults over the age of fifty that provides the chance to go to classes and learn new information.

The program offers technology classes, music classes, lectures, self-improvement classes, study groups, and day trips. All of the classes are offered at minimal cost, and members are encouraged to teach classes as well. Tom and Karen say it’s a great way to meet and interact with people and to immerse themselves in learning without the burden of actually pursuing a degree.

Tom and Karen say they couldn’t be happier with the decision they made to contribute to East Carolina University. “It is gratifying and rewarding to know that, years from now, students will be less stressed knowing that scholarship money will be available to them.

It’s also comforting to know the memories of our parents and Karen’s sister will live on even after we’re gone. We are looking forward to our continued association with ECU.”

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After graduating early from ECU, Becky Taylor ’76, ’80 is successfully impacting education

M

any people take their time deciding what college they want to attend and what career they want to pursue, but Becky Taylor ’76, ’80 always knew that she would go to East Carolina University to become a teacher.

Taylor applied to ECU under early admission, finished in three years, and left her final summer semester a few days early to begin her first teaching job.

From her first classroom in Edgecombe County to her current position as a Sylvan franchise owner and a member of the State Board of Education, Taylor has more than thirty-five years of experience in education.

“I knew that I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was in first or second grade,” said Taylor, who grew up in Jacksonville. “Coming from a family of educators, I knew I would be an educator without a doubt.”

As a child, Taylor practiced being a teacher. Coming from a family of five girls and one boy, Taylor spent a lot of time “playing school” and trying to get her silings to complete their “assignments.”

As the second oldest, she enjoyed playing the role of teacher and still values that role today.

Choosing to attend ECU was just as natural for Taylor.

“I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go to ECU,” she said. “My aunt and grandma both graduated from

14 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

ECU. It was very easy for me to make that decision. I wanted to major in special education, and I knew ECU had a really good special education department. Being a special education teacher is the most rewarding position a teacher can have.”

Taylor’s favorite professor was Betty Levy, who showed Taylor how to set up a structured but warm and caring teaching environment.

Taylor has many great memories of her time at ECU. “There were so many exciting firsts, like my first football game and my first class as a student teacher.”

While she enjoyed her time on campus, “I was ready to work. I couldn’t wait to be a teacher!” she commented.

“ECU prepared me for my career in a lot of different ways,” Taylor said. “But the field experience truly prepared me for the classroom.”

Her first job was teaching exceptional students age eight to sixteen in Edgecombe County, where she spent four years.

She started the first learning disabilities resource classroom in Edgecombe County Public Schools. She also served as the Special Olympics coordinator for the school system.

She then taught for six years at Greenville Middle School (now J.H. Rose High School). During that time, she was selected to pilot an innovative hands-on science curriculum for ECU.

After leaving the public schools, she served as the first educational vocational director at the Boys Club of Pitt County.

Then she accepted a position with ECU as a project director writing grants and working with at-risk students, including adolescent mothers and their children.

She taught in the Department of Special Education at East Carolina where she also supervised student teachers during their clinical placement in the schools.

“It was wonderful to come back and work at ECU,” she commented. “I was in the same office with some of my professors!”

After hearing about the opportunity from a colleague, Taylor bought her first Sylvan franchise in 1988. She now owns and operates six locations across eastern North Carolina. With more than 1,000 locations across the country, Sylvan is the nation’s leading provider of supplemental education. Sylvan does not take the place of the student’s school, Taylor says, but rather works side by side with it to increase the student’s experiences of success.

“We support the public schools,” she said. “We have a great relationship with them. We provide very personalized individual instruction that teachers don’t always have time to give. We help students catch up, keep up, or stay ahead.

We communicate and share ideas with teachers. We even donate supplies.”

Taylor has been serving on the State Board of Education since April 2013.

“I love it! It’s a lot of work, but it’s very exciting,” she says. “It requires a lot of communication with teachers and parents.

I get to visit so many different schools and districts, which is so fun. It keeps me on the cutting edge.”

As a board member, Taylor’s goal is to have a positive impact on education in North Carolina. “Students are our future leaders,” she says. “Times have changed, and we must be innovative. We need to prepare students for college or a career; they must be productive citizens.”

Taylor’s experience in the K-12 classroom, at the university level, and in the private sector give her a unique perspective on education.

“It gives me the opportunity to look at the whole system objectively,” she said.

“I’m not looking at it just as a teacher or administrator or business owner. I can put myself in the shoes of all stakeholders and try to see each point of view.”

The biggest challenge is increasing teacher compensation and respect, Taylor says. “Teachers have so much passion; they knew, as I did, exactly what they wanted to be.

It’s a shame when people say, ‘don’t go into teaching because you can’t make a living.’

Compensation has got to get better. Teachers really want to be respected.”

Taylor knows firsthand the impact that quality teachers can have.

“ECU is known across the state for its strong education program,” Taylor says.

“That is one of our best assets. To me, ECU is number one in the state for preparing education professionals.”

Thanks to her East Carolina education, Taylor has helped improve the lives of thousands of children in North Carolina.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 15

16 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

FUN ON THE JOB Bobby Rippy ’75, ’96 is the owner of Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 17

W

hen you’re the owner of an amusement park, your job is to have fun! But being successful in the amusement industry still takes lots of hard work and a good education.

Bobby Rippy ’75 ’96 works hard to make sure everyone has fun at his establishment, Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington.

“That’s the best part of my job,” Rippy says. “I consider myself the king of fun.”

Fun is the goal of the 400,000 guests who visit the sixteen-acre park each year.

With a water park, go-kart track, laser tag, rock wall, miniature golf course, indoor playground and arcade, the park draws people from all over the east coast throughout the year.

While summer is obviously the peak season, the park stays busy in the cooler months with corporate retreats, birthday parties, and local school and church events.

This less intense season also allows for training and maintenance in preparation for a very busy summer. “It also affords us the ability to retain our very best employees year round,” Rippy adds.

All of Jungle Rapids’ guests get a little dose of Pirate pride while visiting the park.

“Throughout, you see a sometimes subtle, sometimes overt purple and gold theme.

I proudly fly a Pirate flag at my business,” Rippy says. He also prefers to hire ECU and UNC-Wilmington students to help part-time at the park. Wilmington has a thriving Pirate community with over 3,000 ECU alumni in New Hanover County.

“ECU did a great job preparing me for my career,” Rippy says. “I was a biology major, but what you learn from the sciences can be applied everywhere, like time management, discipline, and making decisions based on facts.”

Rippy earned his bachelor of science in biology and master of education in science

education. He still maintains contact with some of the professors who taught him in the 1970s and happily counts many friends who are ECU alumni.

After teaching science at A.G. Cox Middle School in 1977-78, he founded Car Wash Enterprises, an eastern North Carolina car wash chain, with his ECU classmate, Owen Norvell. From there, he moved to Wall Street. He worked as the vice president of EF Hutton and Co., and of Robinson Humphrey and Co. He then served as the executive vice president of The Equity Group from 1990 to 1994.

“This was an exciting and interesting time in the world of finance,” Rippy said. “I always remembered the scientific standards of honest examination in decision making that I learned at ECU.” Eventually, he realized he still had the urge to be an entrepreneur. He made a break from the fast-paced Wall Street lifestyle, and settled down with his new bride in

“I consider myself the king of fun.”

18 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

Wilmington in 1987. In 1997, he became president of Wrightsville Farms Management Group, which runs Jungle Rapids.

Rippy has been an active supporter of ECU throughout his career in the financial and entertainment industries.

He has remained very involved with the University, serving as a member of the ECU Board of Visitors, the ECU Foundation Board of Directors, and the East Carolina Alumni Association Board of Directors. He has also shared his financial expertise with the Pirate Club Investment Advisory Committee. He was a member of ECU’s Health and Human Performance Advancement Council and former member of the College of Education Advancement Council.

Rippy earned an Outstanding Alumni Award from the East Carolina Alumni Association in 2012 and an Outstanding Alumni Award from the ECU College of Education in 2007.

Rippy is currently serving on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. “It’s a challenge but it’s a lot of fun,” he says. “I’m very proud to represent ECU and serve the university system.”

Rippy is also very involved in the Wilmington community. He has been a member of the Cape Fear Community College Foundation and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. He also has been a member of the UNC-Wilmington School of Business Advisory Board and the UNCW Entrepreneurial Advisory Board. He recently was honored to write the forward of a new book about entrepreneurs by Dr. Stephen Harper, a business professor at UNC-Wilmington.

He has been a chair of many organizational boards including the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees, Cape Fear Visitors Bureau, the Wilmington International Airport Authority, and the Friends of Airlie Gardens. Rippy is currently the President of the Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Giving back is very important to Rippy. He likes to allow local children’s organizations to have free days at the park, and he has also provided free days for Marines returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. “We are truly a community-oriented business,” Rippy says.

Rippy’s proudest accomplishment is serving as chairman of the board for the

“I have the same passion for east carolina as any pirate. it was a great school when i was there and it still is. i’m really proud of how ecu is preparing young adults for the real world.”

International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, an industry organization that consists of 4,100 members in 143 countries. Rippy was the first representative of a local park to head the association. He was also the first chairman to visit the organization’s Asian offices.

He is proud of his many family members who graduated from ECU. His brothers, David and Bill, and his wife, Jennifer, are all ECU alumni. Rippy’s brother-in-law and three sisters-in-law also graduated from ECU. Additionally, he has two nephews, Lee and Sam, who are ECU graduates and one niece, Joy, who is currently enrolled in the honors program at East Carolina. Game day is often family day.

“I have the same passion for East Carolina as any Pirate,” Rippy said. “It

was a great school when I was there and it still is. I’m really proud of how ECU is preparing young adults for the real world. ECU has made a real difference in eastern North Carolina by providing local access to a quality education. ECU takes great students and molds them to become extraordinary citizens. It is vitally important for every graduate to do their fair share around the state and country.”

For students considering a job or career in the amusement park industry, Rippy says it’s not all a Disney fairytale.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of hard work. Nobody cares how wonderful Jungle Rapids was yesterday. They want everything great today, while they are here.

It’s not easy to accomplish, but worth the effort.”

Ribbon cutting with International Association of Amusements Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) officers at EAS 2011 in London.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 19

SECURITY Jeff Moore ’92, ’95 has lived and worked around the world, but East Carolina will always be home.

Moore is the founder and CEO of Muir Analytics, a threat intelligence firm that helps corporations reduce their risks while operating in unstable or hostile areas – Nigeria or Yemen, for example. He has more than eighteen years of experience in international affairs and has worked in, lived in, or traveled to more than ten countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, and the UK. In addition, Moore is a prolific author with a second book out this year as well as more than forty articles and briefings to his name. He currently works in the Washington, DC area.

“I always liked ECU,” says Moore, who is originally from Greenville. “It’s still home. You realize how unique and wonderful a place it is, especially if you travel to some of the world’s less developed regions.”

After completing high school at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, Moore came to ECU where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis on international affairs, followed by his master’s degree in history with an emphasis on military history.

He went on to earn his doctorate in counterinsurgency from the University of Exeter in England, graduating in 2011.

“My favorite thing about ECU was how uplifting the place was,” he recalled.

“There was always something going on.

The 1990s were an exciting time to be a student there.”

20 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

Moore has always been interested in history. He particularly enjoyed his classes about the history of Southeast Asia and military history. His favorite class was an elective about the history of the Vietnam War on film where students compared film narratives to actual war history. His professors, Dr. Robert Gowen in particular, taught him to think on an international scale and use history to analyze current events.

“I had a wonderful collegiate experience,” he says. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

From East Carolina, the world was open to Moore.

“ECU prepared me very well for my career, especially the master’s program,” Moore said. “The coursework was very relevant to what was going on in the world.

Dr. Michael Palmer made sure of that.

And outside my thesis, I probably wrote close to two hundred pages; it was very intense.”

From 1996 to 1997, Moore moved to Vietnam on a one-way ticket to experience Southeast Asia first hand. He traveled extensively and learned volumes about Vietnamese culture.

From 1998 to 2007, he worked for various international security companies, starting with SAIC, a defense contracting firm that provides analyses for the Department of Defense. In December of 2000, he was sent to the Pentagon.

Moore has seen the effects of terrorism firsthand, as he was working on the third floor of the Pentagon’s D-ring during the attacks on September 11, 2001.

After Flight 77 hit the building, the

MEASURES fire triggered a second explosion of an underground fuel tank. Moore survived two explosions that day.

“The second explosion sent shockwaves through the building,” Moore said. “I shouldn’t be alive.” While Moore could have lost his life, he only suffered a minor concussion. Amid the chaos, Moore joined in to try and help rescue people in the E-ring. “Everyone was ordered out, but some people were running into the damaged areas. It was amazing to see the response, the army leadership, and the courage,” he said. “It changed my life.” The U.S. Army awarded Moore the Distinguished Civilian Service for Bravery medal for his actions that day.

In 2003, he worked briefly as an intelligence analyst for International SOS in Singapore, and by 2005 he was back in Washington DC as a senior defense analyst for The Analysis Group. He began his doctorate in 2007 and taught counterterrorism at National Defense University in 2010.

During this time, Moore also trained in executive protection. He guarded several clients for short stints, including Angelina Jolie and the Reza Shah Palhavi family.

Moore also ran a security detail at the London 2012 Olympics, and he provided protective intelligence for senior members of the Thai and Somali governments, plus Mikhail Gorbachev and Rudy Giuliani.

In 2012, Moore founded Muir Analytics after seeing a lack of international threat expertise available for corporations.

“Because of dramatically increased global terrorist and insurgent attacks,

companies were losing staff and assets,” Moore said. “And they still are. We can help them reduce exposure to losses while they continue their business.”

Muir’s intelligence describes the exact type of violence and hostile ideology occurring in a high-risk area. His company can furthermore describe where a conflict has been, where it is now, and where it might be going.

Starting his own business was a big step for Moore.

“It’s intimidating to be operating without a net, but it’s exciting because something is always happening,” he commented.

Moore faces many challenges in his field. Because his company provides a specialized niche service, he has to find the right corporate leaders to pitch to, which is not easy. Another challenge is convincing them of the risk and necessary protective measures. “A lot of companies just buy insurance and then pay marginal attention to the threats. But in today’s world, that’s increasingly a bad option.”

Moore’s first book, Spies for Nimitz, was about military intelligence in the Pacific theatre of World War II, published

by The US Naval Institute Press in 2004.

His second book, The Thai Way of Counterinsurgency, will be out in March this year.

In addition, Moore has published in venues like Small Wars Journal, Naval History, Jane’s, and Mass Transit. He is a columnist for World Oil magazine and an international security contributor to United Press International.

Moore says his greatest

Moore’s book “Spies for Nimitz”

accomplishments are completing his doctorate and publishing his books.

“I love to travel and see all the exotic locales, and I love living overseas,” he says.

“But East Carolina is never far from my thoughts. It’s home. And I’ll aim to come back, one day.”

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 21

THE RIGHT CALL Darrell Harrison ’74, ’79 has made a lot of good calls in his life, starting with the decision to attend East Carolina University, which led him to find both a career and a hobby that he loves.

In his twenty-seven years as a college football official, Harrison has seen many celebrated campuses across America, but ECU people still stand among the best.

“I really appreciate the uniqueness of ECU; it’s our energy and passion,” Harrison says. “We have this can-do attitude. It’s very special.”

Harrison also made a good call when he found a job he loves. When he’s not officiating, Harrison is the President and Owner of Document Solutions East, an Authorized Xerox Sales Agency based in Greenville.

While in school, Harrison worked several jobs to help his parents pay for his education, including working as a coach and referee for the Greenville Recreation and Parks Department.

“That got me into officiating,” he said. “It was a blast. I loved the fun of competing. It was so rewarding to help the kids organize a team and then see them

22 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

develop over time.”

His first job refereeing was a recreational flag football game, but before long he was officiating junior high school football games, then junior varsity and varsity high school games, then college scrimmages, and finally full college games.

He started in 1986 with the Southern Independent College Officials Association and spent six years there. In 1992, he began officiating for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

He has officiated nineteen postseason games including the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl (three times), the Army-Navy Game, two ACC Championship Games, and the 2009 National Championship Game between Florida and Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl.

In big games, there can be almost as much pressure on officials as on the players. “You deal with the pressure through preparation,” Harrison says.

“There’s some pressure of course, but there’s also a lot of excitement. It’s a great privilege to be a small part of the awesome environment of college football. You want

to perform and execute your duties as an official to the level the game, the players, coaches, the ACC and the fans expect and deserve.”

Last year, the ACC Football Officials Association honored Harrison with the Joe Long Award, one of the organization’s most prestigious awards. Named in honor of a respected official who died young, the Joe Long Award recognizes those who exhibit his dedication, leadership, and character. Harrison knew he was nominated, but did not know he had won until the association’s banquet in May 2013.

“It was quite an honor,” Harrison said.

“I was humbled and quite flattered. It gave me a great sense of pride to know that our guys thought I was doing things the right way—in the tradition of such a great person as Joe Long. I was so grateful to be considered. Receiving the award was just fantastic.”

Harrison’s love and respect for the game began early as a kid and continued at East Carolina. Originally from Wake Forest, Harrison was drawn to ECU’s football program.

“Football was my initial interest in coming to ECU,” he said. “Not many folks from my area were attending ECU at the time, but I wanted to get out on my own.” Harrison was the first person in his family to go to college.

Harrison spent two years on the football team. He says he really didn’t play much at all, but still enjoyed being part of the team.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “I made friends that I still have to this day. It was a great experience.”

Those Pirates went on to win two Southern Conference Championships after he stopped playing, “so it all worked out for the good,” he said.

Harrison completed his bachelor’s degree in sociology, but eventually he realized that business and marketing were his calling. Right after graduating, Harrison set to work on his master’s degree in business administration, which he completed at night while working for a company that sold dictation equipment.

He says his favorite memory of his time on campus is the people. “The people of East Carolina to me are just so special,” he said. “The staff and administrators had a real supportive attitude; they were willing to work with you to help ensure your success. The business faculty had this great camaraderie and dedication to keeping us on track, especially knowing many of us were working fulltime jobs. They had an intense focus to helping all students complete the MBA program.”

Shortly after getting his master’s, Harrison got a job in Greenville as a

local sales representative with Xerox. He worked his way up to account executive and was on track to manage a larger part of the company’s sales force with a chance to move out of Greenville. But at that point, Xerox had started its local agency program, so Harrison decided to get off the management track and stay in the town he and his wife had come to love.

He opened Document Solutions East and became the Xerox Sales Agent owner for Greenville in 1995. He now serves ten counties with five employees and partners with a large team from Xerox for service and other specialist support.

“I’m very blessed to have been somewhat successful marketing a top notch product, and partnering with such a great company like Xerox,” he said. “It’s certainly been a win/win relationship and also allows me the flexibility all small business owners need to respond in today’s marketplace.”

He has spent thirty-three years total with Xerox, fifteen as a direct employee and eighteen as an agent owner. His business has reached Platinum level, the highest level under Xerox for sales and customer satisfaction.

“My favorite part of the job is representing a first class company with a quality product that enables clients to help find real solutions to their needs,” he commented. “One day I’ll be involved with a small business owner with two employees, and the next day I’m meeting with a big corporation. There is never a dull moment. Xerox has evolved so much

with our business offerings these days; it’s not just photocopies anymore.”

Harrison loves working in Greenville, where he has seen a lot of growth.

“The evolution of Greenville and ECU naturally has been good for business.

There is good competition, but we’ve certainly benefitted from the growth of Greenville and eastern North Carolina.

We’ve been very fortunate to win lots of sales awards over the years, which I attribute to our staff, our product offerings and our great customers. The people of eastern North Carolina are wonderful; it’s a privilege to live and work here.”

Harrison also met his wife Sandra “Sandy” Fisher Harrison ’74 while at ECU. They recently celebrated their thirtieth wedding anniversary. His son Lucas followed in his parent’s footsteps and is studying business at ECU. When asked what he considers his greatest accomplishment, Harrison said, “I have been so blessed, but I hope that is yet to come. I’m so proud of my family, and I’ve had some great recognition with Xerox and terrific opportunities in ACC officiating over the years, but I think a lot is yet to be done. I hope to always strive to meet the high standards taught in the Bible of being a good husband, father, business owner and official. If I have made some good calls in life, it’s a credit to the Lord and all the great people who have helped me along the way.”

Harrison’s focus on the future might be his best call yet!

Left: Harrison (far right) was the side judge for the 2013 Shamrock Series game between Notre Dame and Arizona State at Cowboys Stadium.

Right: Harrison receives the ACC Football Officials Association Joe Long Award.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 23

@ FROM:

PEEDEE@ALUMNI.ECU.EDU

FREE ALUMNI EMAIL ACCOUNTS East Carolina graduates can create a lifetime @alumni.ecu.edu email address that shows your affinity to your alma mater. These accounts are serviced by Microsoft and feature: 25GB of email storage 7GB of SkyDrive Pro file storage access to the Office Suite of Web Apps Create your today at PirateAlumni.com/Email

24 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

Networking Events

Pirate Career Casts

We believe in the power of the Pirate Alumni Network!

Connect with other East Carolina alumni at one of our many upcoming networking events across the Pirate Nation.

Advance your career and meet fellow Pirates in your area, including featured alumni who are leaders in their industries and communities. Networking events will be held at the following locations and dates:

Pirate Career Casts are monthly interactive webcasts that allow East Carolina alumni to develop their professional skills by accessing presentations from nationally recognized experts. Top consultants, CEOs, authors, and speakers will provide ways to get ahead in today's competitive workplace.

Held the first Wednesday of every month at 8:00 p.m., Pirate Career Casts are free for Alumni Association members and $10 for non-members. Participants can log in from any computer with an internet connection with the URL and password provided upon registration.

For more information, contact Assistant Director for Alumni Programs Christy Angle ’95 at 252-328-1958 or Christy.Angle@PirateAlumni.com, or visit PirateAlumni.com/PirateCareerCasts.

Leadership

Charlotte, NC April 8, 2014 Atlanta, GA April 9, 2014 Raleigh, NC April 16, 2014 Fayetteville, NC April 23, 2014 Washington, NC May 13, 2014 Greensboro, NC May 14, 2014 Nags Head, NC May 15, 2014

April 2 at 8:00 p.m.

Presented by Al Duncan, motivational speaker and youth advocate

Twitter

May 7 at 8:00 p.m.

Presented by Susan Whitcomb, founder of Career Coach Academy and Job Search Academy

CAREER CORNER

Utilize Alumni Association Career Resources

Job Search

June 4 at 8:00 p.m.

Presented by John Boyd, author of The Illustrated Guide to Selling You

Greenville, NC June 11, 2014 Get details on these events by visiting PirateAlumni.com/NetworkingEvents.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 25

AROUND CAMPUS 26 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2014

ALLIED HEALTH Donor Reception and Building Dedication

The College of Allied Health Sciences celebrated its loyal patrons with a reception and building dedication held Friday, November 8, 2013. During the event, two scholarship checks were presented to Dean Stephen Thomas which included $2,000 to the Beth Lambeth Scholarship in addiction and rehabilitation studies and $1,600 to the Freedom Scholarship in occupational therapy. Following the presentations, friends and patrons of endowed funds of more than $25,000 viewed the rooms dedicated in their honor or in memory of their family member or friend.

Making a Recovery

East Carolina University and Vidant Medical Center have teamed up to help pregnant women and new mothers with a history of substance abuse across eastern North Carolina.

The Pregnancy and Recovery Clinic is an arm of ECU’s Navigate clinic, operated by the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies in the College of Allied Health Sciences. Services are open to any woman with a history of substance abuse, not just firsttime mothers - and are provided on a sliding fee scale. Participants must be pregnant or up to one year postpartum.

Navy Veteran Pat Frede Returns from Deployment

Pat Frede, director of development for the College of Allied Health Sciences, returned this fall from a fourth deployment with the US Navy. From Tanzania to Kenya, Frede’s unit worked to establish and enhance relations between military forces, governmental and non-governmental organizations and civilians. She also took a companion from her 2009 deployment, an ECU Skully flag, which flew over Africa on an HC-130P Combat King airdrop mission by the US Air Force 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron.

Pat Frede

ARTS & SCIENCES War on the Web: ECU History Professor Talks Civil War Topics in Weekly Podcast

For nearly ten years, Dr. Gerald J. Prokopowicz, professor and chair of the Department of History at ECU, has been engaging a worldwide audience through a weekly podcast about topics pertaining to the Civil War. Produced by Internet radio station Voice America, Civil War Talk Radio airs live everyWednesday at 7:00 p.m. EST on www.voiceamerica.com/show/2205/civil-war-talk-radio. Each episode is recorded directly from Prokopowicz’s office on the third floor of the Brewster building in Greenville.

“Initially the idea was that Internet radio would be the next big thing, and they wanted content for their shows. So someone at the station came up with the idea about a show on the Civil War,” said Prokopowicz.

Each week, Prokopowicz and a guest discuss various aspects of Civil War history. He says the show forces him to keep current on recent publications about the Civil War. He reads nearly one book a week, or approximately forty books a year, with short breaks during the summer.

AROUND CAMPUS “One of the strengths of the show is that it’s aimed at a knowledgeable audience,” said Prokopowicz. “If we do a show on the Battle of Gettysburg, I feel free asking the guest, ‘What is your position on the controversy of General Sickles and the Third Corps on July 2?’ without telling the audience what that controversy was. I think that is the appeal, that it assumes the listener is well informed, or can become well informed by reading up on the topic.”

Prokopowicz gives the audience a chance to hear from expert authors, musicians, artists, preservationists and other people in fields connected to the Civil War. Past guests have included well-known historians James McPherson, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Gary Gallagher, as well as artist Don Troiani and filmmaker Ken Burns.

“The show is generally interesting to me because every week I learn something,” said Prokopowicz. “There’s no shortage of people with interesting stories.”

Prokopowicz received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He practiced law in Chicago for several years before returning to academia and completing a PhD from Harvard University.

BUSINESS

GetEducated.com, a consumer group that rates online colleges in the US for cost, quality, and credibility, ranks ECU as the #3 most affordable online AACSB-accredited business program in its latest national survey, released in January 2014.

According to GetEducated.com, earning an undergraduate business degree online at ECU costs approximately $18,327 for an in-state student ‒ compared to the average cost of more than $47,000. The most expensive distance learning business degree costs $137,160 (Drexel University).

ECU’s online MBA continues to rank third, too, as the best affordable accredited online MBA program.

DENTAL MEDICINE Dental Learning Center in Robeson County

Robeson County in south central North Carolina will become home to the seventh ECU School of Dental Medicine Community Service Learning Center (CSLC) to be built in a rural and/or underserved area of the state.

Wells Awarded Distinguished Professorship in Insurance

The College of Business honored associate professor Brenda Wells with the Robert F. Bird Distinguished Professorship in Insurance on November 7, thanks to a generous endowment from the Independent Agents of North Carolina. It is the third professorship awarded in the College of Business.

The professorship will be a key component of the undergraduate business concentration in risk management and insurance offered by the Department of Finance.

Wells currently serves as director of ECU’s risk management and insurance program. She holds a PhD in risk management and insurance from the University of Georgia, and she helped establish the College of Business’ program in Fall 2010. In addition, she is the faculty advisor to the Beta Theta Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, the national risk management and insurance fraternity for college students. Prior to East Carolina, she taught insurance and risk management for seventeen years.

The ECU Community Service Learning Center-Robeson County will be a mirror image of CSLCs in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, and Lillington, which are already delivering dental care to underserved North Carolinians.

ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard and School of Dental Medicine Dean Greg Chadwick announced plans for a new center before a crowd of local, county, and state officials in Lumberton this fall.

“More than fifty counties out of the state’s one hundred counties have fewer dentists than federal standards,” said Chancellor Ballard.

“The Robeson County center addresses needs that have not been met.”

“We’re honored that East Carolina University decided to put the program here,” said Noah Woods, chairman of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners. “We’re glad to have this fine institution with a record of service as our partner.”

CSLCs in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, and Lillington are already delivering care to patients. Centers in Sylva, Spruce Pine, and Davidson County are in varying stages of construction and are scheduled to open in 2014.

(L-R): Prof. Kurt Fickling, Rod Evans, Dr. Brenda Wells, Jeff Gibson, Dr. As with all of the CSLCs, the CSLC-Robeson County will Stan Eakins, Dr. Scott Below, Bruce Mallette, Linda Willey, Jeff Mozingo, provide fourth-year dental students and post-doctoral residents and Dal Snipes. with further hands-on clinical experience while delivering oral health care to North Carolinians in need. The center is expected to begin accepting patients in late 2014. Students will begin rotations Undergraduate Online Program Ranked in Value at CSLCs across the state in 2014.

The new 7,700 square foot center will be built in Lumberton, The College of Business has again earned national recognition for and will have sixteen dental chairs and employ several staff its online business program, this time at the undergraduate level.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 27

AROUND CAMPUS members, including one-and-a-half full-time dental faculty positions, a business manager, dental assistants, dental hygienists, and residents.

“Our community service learning centers are not only providing much needed oral health care, but they are essential for educating students in areas similar to where we hope they will practice,” said Chadwick. “We’re very pleased that our faculty, staff, and students will now get to know and serve the people of Robeson and surrounding counties.”

EDUCATION Online Programs Recognized

The College of Education has been recognized as a top college for teacher education by the Online College Database’s new ranking, “Top Colleges in North Carolina Shaping the Next Generation.” The organization honors the post-secondary institutions in the state that graduated the most education and teaching professionals in 2012. To view the results, please visit OnlineCollegesDatabase.org.

Two programs in the College of Education were rated as “best buys” in a report released by GetEducated.com that has ranked online colleges and universities with affordable online degree programs. The master of arts in education degree (MAEd) is ranked #2 and the master of library science (MLS) is ranked #1 in a list of online master degree programs. Please visit GetEducated. com to view the full report.

Administrator Joins National Briefing

ECU’s College of Education was the only institute of higher education represented at the American Association of College Teacher Education press briefing that marked the national launch of teacher performance assessment, referred to as edTPA, after two years of field testing.

Designed to set a national standard of assessing the capabilities of aspiring teachers, edTPA is similar to the bar exam for law students. Students seeking their initial teaching license submit an edTPA portfolio of materials and a video of them at work in the classroom during their teaching internship that are evaluated by trained education professionals.

Dr. Diana Lys, director of assessment and accreditation for the College of Education, was invited to speak at the National Press Club about ECU’s extensive experience with edTPA that is now

Diana Lys, pictured second from right, representing ECU at a press briefing for the American Association of College Teacher Education at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

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ready for all teacher preparation institutes across the country to implement.

At the briefing, Lys said that edTPA allows individuals across disciplines to speak a common language, to share innovative practices, and was a “lever for change” at ECU that has helped build a bridge to practice between the University and partner schools.

ECU has been engaged in edTPA since the nationwide pilot began three years ago and is currently the only university in the state to have all education programs on campus participating. ECU’s level of engagement is noteworthy as edTPA is not mandated by the state.

FINE ARTS &

COMMUNICATION Alumnus Nominated for Grammy Music Educator Award

Steve Vutsinas ’89 was nominated as one of 30,000 candidates for a Grammy Music Educator Award.

Last fall, he was named one of twenty-five semifinalists representing Steve Vutsinas ’89 fifteen states. In December, the Grammy Foundation called to announce him as one of ten finalists.

While he didn’t get to walk the red carpet with Grammywinners Daft Punk and Macklemore, he was recognized nationally for his contribution to his students.

“My head spins,” Vutsinas told Virginia’s WVEC. “I’m just a regular old guy that loves teaching.” This “regular old guy” connects solidly with his students, who erupted into cheers as he took the call from the Grammy Foundation. With enthusiasm and creativity, he programs traditional orchestral repertoire alongside popular works by groups including the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to engage his students. Since 2007, he’s rehearsed an electric violin/ rock and roll ensemble, “Fiddle Fire,” that allows string students a shot at the same kinds of musical glory reserved for marching bands and show choirs.

Vutsinas is passionate about his profession. With twentyfour years of experience in the classroom, he currently teaches at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, VA. He serves more than 200 students in orchestra, chamber ensembles, and in “Fiddle Fire.”

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.

AROUND CAMPUS

HEALTH &

HUMAN PERFORMANCE

HONORS COLLEGE Advancement Council Leads Fundraising Efforts

Heart Screenings Help Save Officers’ Lives

Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House has been a believer in ECU’s Cardiovascular Health Assessment Program for years. The police officers at his last two posts went through screenings Police Chief Hassan Aden and Jessica in the Human Greenville Van Meter, an instructor in the ECU Department Performance of Kinesiology.

Laboratory, located within the Department of Kinesiology. When House accepted the job in Wrightsville Beach in 2011, he made sure his officers participated in the program.

But never was House more sold on the value of ECU’s personal heart health evaluation program than when two different officers he served alongside at the NC State University Police Department received information in the lab that saved their lives. In both cases, an irregular result from an EKG sent the officers straight to a hospital, where surgical intervention prevented a heart attack.

All new hires in Wrightsville Beach are required to go through the lab’s regimen, and veteran officers are re-assessed at least every three years – more often if they exhibit certain risk factors. Wrightsville Beach isn’t the only police force utilizing the service; the police and fire squads from Greenville, the police departments at NC State and ECU all pay regular visits to the Human Performance Lab. Hassan Aden, who took over as chief of the Greenville Police Department in 2012, was gratified to learn that his officers were the beneficiaries of the Cardiovascular Health Assessment Program.

The regular screenings give him peace of mind, especially because policing is a profession that often lends itself to unhealthy habits.

The program started in 1983 and has expanded its scope over three decades while retaining its chief purpose – detecting early signs of heart disease and mitigating cardiovascular risk through a personalized wellness follow-up plan.

Two Professors Honored for Contributions

Michele Wallen Jamie Williams

and

ECU professors Michele Wallen and Jamie Williams, of the Department of Health Education and Promotion, were honored at the sixty-fifth annual North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education Recreation and Dance Convention in Raleigh, November 21-23, 2013. Wallen received the NCAAHPERD Honor Award. Williams was named the College/University Health Educator of the Year.

A major factor in the success of the Honors College is its Advancement Council led by Kay Chalk ’76, and Vice-Chair Bill Langley ’72. The Council has led key fundraising efforts for the college since its founding in 2011. The Polaris Society Wall located in the Mamie Jenkins Building, which recognizes donors who have contributed $10,000 or more to the college or EC Scholars Program, was entirely funded by the council.

Last year, the council established the Richard R. and Jo Ann Eakin Dean’s Priority Fund, raising over $114,000 to date, to honor the former chancellor Richard Eakin, center, talks with supporters and interim dean. Dr. at a Homecoming 2013 event for the Honors The fund will College at the Mamie Jenkins Building. provide monies for living-learning experiences, student research opportunities, and leadership development programs. In addition, the Honors College Dean’s Suite has been named the Richard R. Eakin Dean’s Suite. The second wave of this campaign kicked off in February.

Several council members fund EC Scholars awards, the most prestigious scholarship offered at ECU. The council has also established a committee to study sources of funding for the awards and is helping to identify prospective donors.

Guidance counselor events and living-learning experiences have been hosted by individual members in their respective communities and additional hosts have been recruited by the council.

In addition to Chalk and Langley, current council members include: Nicole Bland ’98, Robert Brinkley ’78, Laura Brinn ’99, Everette “Buddy” Daniel ’71, Dustin Field ’94, Alvin Hutzler ’65, Max Ray Joyner, Sr. ’55, Lynn Lane, Jesse Peel, Ann Schwarzmann ’57, ’58, Mary Ruth Sikes ’00, ’01, Vincent Smith ’84, and Betty Speir ’63.

Chancellor Ballard has stated that ECU is well on the way to establishing one of the premier honors programs in the country.

The Honors College Advancement Council is a major force in helping the college to reach that goal.

HUMAN ECOLOGY Nutrition Professors Co-Author Cookbook

A pair of ECU professors have published a cookbook with recipes that aim to curb inflammation and its related health complications.

Dr. Kimberly Myers, a registered dietitian nutritionist and associate professor of nutrition science, and Dr. William Meggs, a physician, toxicologist and professor of emergency medicine, are authors of The Inflammation Cure Cookbook.

In the new book, Myers and Meggs present recipes designed to promote health and reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases related to inflammation.

“It’s really a wellness cookbook, which distinguishes it from PIRATEALUMNI.COM 29

AROUND CAMPUS common cookbooks,” Myers said. ”This cookbook provides healthy lifestyle suggestions that are easy to follow.”

By adding key foods to the daily diet, such as salmon and other fatty fish, nuts, green tea, and olive and canola oils, people can counteract the negative effects of the Western diet, according to the authors.

The Inflammation Cure Cookbook is available in stores and online now.

Senator and Supreme Court Judge Visit Class

NC Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley and NC Senator Don Davis shared their views on the state’s family law with students in a class titled Public Policy and Legal Issues Affecting Families.

The pair shared their personal stories, what it is like being a NC Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley political figure, and how the decisions they make impact the citizens of this state.

“I have to take into account how the citizens in my district feel on an issue, but also how my vote will impact the nine million citizens of North Carolina,” Davis said.

Justice Beasley encouraged the students to continue their education even if they were not exactly sure where they wanted to go in life. “I knew that if I continued to educate myself that my career path would figure itself out,” Beasley said.

Instructor and Washington County Commissioner Cole Phelps urged his students not only to learn from the two guests but also to use them as a resource when seeking their required internships.

“Take advantage of any opportunity life puts in front of you,” Phelps said.

MEDICINE Faculty to Participate in New Academy

A group of ECU faculty members will spend the next twelve months exploring ways to educate students about patient safety, quality improvement, and team-based care along with new ways of teaching that engage students more actively in their own education.

The thirty-eight participants in the Teachers of Quality Academy will undergo advanced training and develop projects to apply these skills across the health sciences division and train students and other caregivers in these concepts.

The TQA is part of the American Medical Association’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education Initiative. The Brody School of Medicine is one of eleven medical schools nationwide that received grants through the program to change the way medical education is taught. ECU calls its program Redesigning Education to Accelerate Change in Healthcare, or REACH. “The first component is training the teachers who are going to be developing this new curriculum,” said Dr. Elizabeth Baxley, senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Brody School of Medicine. “More and more in medical education and higher education, it’s not about lecture-based education, it’s how do you design a more meaningful learning experience.”

The group comprises faculty members from the Brody School of Medicine, College of Nursing, and the College of Allied Health Sciences, plus medical residents. Faculty members from the School of Dental Medicine are likely to participate in future years, Baxley said.

Instructors include Brody faculty members and professors from ECU’s main campus, such as College of Engineering and College of Education faculty members, as well as experts from Vidant Health and invited national level speakers.

JOYNER LIBRARY New Gallery Reception on March 20

Joyner Library will celebrate the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery ribbon cutting and dedication on March 11. This brand new state of the art gallery and student study space is located on the second floor of the library. An open house and art reception is scheduled for March 20 at 5:00 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Eastern North Carolina: Past and Present will serve as the inaugural art exhibit in the Janice Faulkner Gallery. The exhibit will include works from Joyner Library’s Digital Collection, showing historical images of Greenville and the surrounding area, alongside current art about the area from students and faculty in the School of Art and Design. The exhibit may be viewed during library hours through April 30 and will be followed by the annual School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition that will be on display through the end of August.

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From left to right, Dr. Toni Johnson of the Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Raj Nekkanti of the Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Michael Kennedy of the College of Allied Health Sciences and Dr. Gail Allen of the Brody School of Medicine are among the thirty-eight participants in the inaugural class of the Teachers of Quality Academy.

NURSING Online Graduate Program Ranked by U.S. News & World Report

ECU’s online graduate nursing program ranks among the nation’s best in online education according to a listing released in January by U.S. News & World Report. The ECU College of Nursing ranked fifth out of ninety-six masters of nursing programs in the country.

AROUND CAMPUS ECU’s College of Nursing has been consistently named by U.S. News as one of the largest distance education programs in the country since 2004. The current rankings assess quality categories over size.

“Our programs offer today’s working nurse the ability to pursue advanced education while remaining in the much-needed workforce,” said Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of the ECU College of Nursing. “Our administrators, faculty and staff are committed to preparing nursing professionals who are making a positive impact on the health care of individuals in our region and around the world.”

Nursing offers seven online options in the master’s of science nursing program: adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, family nurse practitioner, neonatal nurse practitioner, nursing education, nursing leadership and nurse midwifery.

This is the second year that U.S. News has compiled numeric rankings on the overall quality of distance education programs.

The complete listing can be viewed at www.usnews.com online.

STUDENT LIFE Students’ Treasure Chest Helps Those in Need

Many ECU students face financial hardships that impact their personal lives, but can also detour their academic pursuits. The ECU Foundation and the Division of Student Affairs created the Students’ Treasure Chest (STC) to provide outreach and assistance to students and help them stay in school and matriculate through to graduation.

The STC , which has been conceptually in the making for the last two years, officially rolled out in fall 2013 with a student-run board that reviews applications of students in need of assistance. Four financial awards, ranging from $150-$950, were given to students during the fall semester.

The Students’ Treasure Chest is financially funded from a $10,000 start-up award from the ECU Foundation but also accepts donations from ECU students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

It’s not the amount of the giving that matters, rather STC is about promoting the spirit of giving and philanthropy because every Pirate counts. This will influence the commitment and practice of giving back as alumni.

“I think there is a sense of joy and fulfillment for us in knowing that when we’re able to help someone, a weight has been lifted off of their shoulders and they can carry on with their education,” said Louis Cameron, president of the STC and president of the ECU Student Foundation. “I believe the best moments are when we find out later on that a student performed excellently during the semester and received stellar grades.”

The student success stories are already meeting those intended outcomes. One student, who spent most of the fall semester living in the Greenville Community Shelter with her mother, used the STC assistance to pay an outstanding bill that could have cancelled her class schedule. She paid the bill, stayed in school, and made the honor roll for the fall semester. Now this student, who will graduate in December 2014 with a degree in family community services, has found a part-time job with Campus Living and is working on securing a residence for her and her mother.

To learn more about STC or to donate online visit www.ecu.edu/cs-studentaffairs/dos/stc-home.cfm.

TECHNOLOGY

& COMPUTER SCIENCE Scott Cooper: Giving Back in Tangible Ways

When Scott Cooper ’90 first visited ECU from Greensboro, he thought the campus had a “family feel” and agreed it was the “right place” for him. Cooper earned his degree in the industrial technology program concentrating in technical sales and service.

Cooper enjoyed his time at ECU and made lifelong friends throughout his time here; from the dorm as a freshman, through his time as a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and of course attending football games, which he still does today with his family.

He began his career at Caterpillar in 1997 in Clayton. Cooper is now responsible for the success of the entire Building Construction Products Division machine sales within Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Cooper has led Caterpillar’s partnership with ECU in giving over $1.2 million in equipment and funds to the College of Technology and Computer Science and the Construction Management Department.

Cooper also gives tremendously of his own time, serving as the President of Construction Management‘s Executive and Advisory Boards, as well as sitting on the Dean’s Advancement Council for the college. He mentors current construction management students during internships at Caterpillar each year. He also is a lead person on the steering committee for the Construction Research and Field Teaching (CRAFT) Lab, a newly planned facility which will provide more hands-on learning opportunities for students in the construction management program, as well as a state-of-the-art faculty development and training lab.

Dean Dr. David White adds, “Scott Cooper is one of our most engaged and dedicated alumni. He has given back in so many ways and continues to be very involved in spite of his busy career. Scott’s dedication and enthusiasm for this university, the college, and the department of Construction Management has made, and will continue to make, a huge positive impact.”

Cooper’s wife, Beth Cooper ’93, teaches elementary school near Sanford, where the couple resides with their teenage daughter, Hope.

Cooper calls his daughter a “future Honors College Pirate” and has high hopes that she will carry on the family tradition of being a Pirate.

Scott Cooper with his wife Beth and daughter Hope outside of the Science and Technology Building.

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A LOOK BACK

The George Washington Tree On February 22, 1932 much of the student body, faculty, and staff of East Carolina Teachers College gathered near the Old Austin building (now the site of the Jenkins Fine Arts Center) to commemorate the bicentennial of the birth of our nation’s first president, George Washington. The student body was still overwhelmingly female, as the first significant numbers of male students would not enroll until the fall of 1932. Just to the right of the tree are Robert H. Wright and Leon Meadows, the first two chief executives of East Carolina. They are joined by other honored members of the original faculty including Sallie Joyner Davis, Mamie E. Jenkins, and Maria D. Graham.

If one looks carefully just across Fifth Street in this photo stands the Haywood Dail home. Dail was a noted brick merchant and many of the buildings on campus were constructed using bricks purchased at a cost of $81,529 by his Building and Lumber Company. In 1949, the school purchased the Dail home for $30,000 and quickly established it as the new home for the school’s president. The original president’s home still serves East Carolina as the Career Services Building. Today, East Carolina chancellors still call the Dail House home.

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