EC Alumni - Fall 2014

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FEATURES

12 homecoming 2014

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Land of the Free, Home of the

Pirates!

16 alumni award recipients Read about the 2014 recipients of the Distinguished Service, Honorary Alumni, and Outstanding Alumni Awards.

20 forever pirates take new york

Student members of the alumni association traveled to network with alumni in New York City.

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER Michael Aho ’02 (center) with the eight Forever Pirates who went to New York City in front of the United Nations Visitors Centre in New York City.

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dear pirate nation pirate connections 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 Fall is an exciting time at East Carolina. The East Carolina Alumni Association is proud to welcome alumni back to campus for ECU Homecoming 2014. In addition to reunions, parade watching breakfast, and alumni tailgate, don’t forget to join us at the alumni association’s signature event as we recognize eight honorees at the Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Friday, October 3.

The Alumni Awards program is vital to our goal of advancing the university. By honoring the service and achievements of our alumni and supporters, we show the value of an East Carolina education and increase esteem for our university. This in turn draws ever more qualified students and faculty to our doors, ensuring ECU’s progress.

Even as we honor the 2014 Alumni Award recipients, it is already time to begin thinking about the selection of recipients for the 2015 Alumni Awards, including the Virgil Clark ’50 Distinguished Service Awards, Outstanding Alumni Awards, and Honorary Alumni Awards.

There are more than 155,000 East Carolina alumni living around the world.

Countless of these alumni are taking what they learned from East Carolina and using that knowledge to improve their communities, contribute to their professions, and give back to their alma mater. But we can only give awards to those who are nominated!

Anyone can nominate an East Carolina alumnus or supporter for an award.

Nominations consist of a one-page nomination form and a letter recommending the nominee for the award. While a surprise nomination is possible, we encourage nominators to work directly with their nominees to make sure all information is complete and accurate.

It is important that a wide variety of East Carolina alumni and supporters are nominated. We need nominations well in advance to allow the awards committee time to thoroughly review all nominations and select the recipients. Every nomination is considered as long as it is complete with all required documents.

You can find out more about the different awards and the nomination process at PirateAlumni.com/AwardsProcess. The success of this program depends on the nominations we receive.

Nominations for the 2015 Alumni Awards are due November 1, 2014. If you know of an alumnus or supporter of East Carolina who should be recognized, I encourage you to nominate them for an Alumni Award.

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.

Richard R. Eakin INTERIM ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ALUMNI RELATIONS

Christy Angle ’95 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Monique Best ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN

Jackie Drake ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS

Candi High ’97 ACCOUNTANT

Shawn Moore ’91, ’98 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI PROGRAMS

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

Chelsea Ward ’13 ALUMNI CENTER COORDINATOR

ALUMNI

Richard R. Eakin Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations

Let’s Be Social!

VOL. 7, NO. 4

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

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Facebook.com/ECAAFanPage

To contact us or comment on this magazine: 252-328-4723 | 800-ECU-GRAD alumni@PirateAlumni.com

TM

Twitter.com/PirateAlumni Use the hashtag #piratealumni

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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.

Welcome back to East Carolina! Find everything you need to know about Homecoming 2014 at ECU on pages 12 through 15.

Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner Every year, the East Carolina Alumni Association honors the achievements and service of East Carolina alumni with our Alumni Awards. The 2014 recipients will be honored at the Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner on Friday, October 3. This is the alumni association's signature event. Everyone is welcome to help celebrate the contributions of East Carolina alumni to the university, the workplace, and the community. Tickets are $50 for alumni association members and $60 for nonmembers. For more information, contact Director of Alumni Programs Shawn Moore '91, '98 at 252-328-5775 or e-mail her at mooresh@ecu.edu.

Virgil Clark '50 Distinguished Service Award Angela Allen '81 Carl W. Davis Jr. '73

for the university. The alumni association accepts award nominations year-round.

Nominations for the 2015 Alumni Awards are due November 1, 2014. The success of this program and the caliber of our award winners hinges on the letters and nominations that alumni like you send recommending fellow Pirates for our awards. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/AwardsProcess.

ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic Golf Tournament

Tee up for Alumni Scholarships! The ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic golf tournament, presented by Hilton Greenville, will be held Friday, September Outstanding Alumni Award 19 at Ironwood Golf and County Club.

William Clark '66, '68 This four-person super ball tournament Lt. Gen. William "Mark" Faulkner '82 offers two flight times (9:00 a.m. and 2:00 Van Isley '85 p.m.), breakfast and lunch for players, Maria "Terry" Shank '77 and an evening reception after a day on the links. Proceeds benefit the Alumni Learn more about these recipients on Scholarship program. For more information pages 16-19. or to register by September 12, visit PirateAlumni.com/Golf.

Honorary Alumni Award Jackson Allison Robert H. Wright

2015 Award Nominations Due November 1

PRESENTED BY

PIRATE CONNECTIONS

Homecoming 2014

The Alumni Awards program is part of the alumni association’s mission to advance the reputation of East Carolina University.

By promoting the accomplishments of our graduates, we increase the value of every East Carolina degree and raise acclaim PIRATEALUMNI.COM 3

PIRATE CONNECTIONS Buccaneer Buffet Alumni Tailgate is now Buccaneer Buffet! The East Carolina Alumni Association's tailgate has a new name, but still offers the same family-friendly fun with fellow Pirates before each home football game.

Enjoy a

variety of food from local restaurants, beverages, live music and entertainment, door prizes, and more, including visits from the ECU

Cheerleaders! As always, our tailgates are open to any friends and fans of East Carolina.

Buccaneer Buffet will now begin at a new time of three hours prior to kick-off for each home game at the ECU Soccer Stadium.

Tickets are $11 for alumni association members and $28 for non-members.

Children under 12 are free. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some tailgates do sell out quickly, so plan to register well in advance. Tickets are only sold at the door if spaces are available.

Many thanks to our Buccaneer Buffet series sponsors: Aramark, ASAP Party & Tent Rentals, Coca-Cola, Dowdy Student Stores, Liberty Mutual, RA Jeffreys, and WITN. 9/20/14 vs. UNC Chapel Hill: Abrams, Sweet Traditions by LeAne 10/04/14 vs. SMU: Aramark, Heavenly Sweet Bakery 10/23/14 vs. Connecticut: Peasant's Pub, Mama's Sweet Baby Cakes 11/22/14 vs. Tulane: Aramark, The Cake Girlz 12/04/14 vs. UCF: Aramark, GK Cafe and Catering

Away Game Tailgate

11/01/14 @ Temple: Visit PirateAlumni.com/2014Temple for details. *Away game tailgates are contingent upon adequate registration numbers. Events that do not meet minimum registration numbers will be canceled.

Pirate Career Casts Pirate Career Casts return in October!

Pirate Career Casts are interactive webcasts facilitated by experts in a variety of fields and industries. We’ve partnered with Talent Marks to present nationallyrecognized experts with the latest advice for today’s competitive market to help alumni advance their careers. Held the first Wednesday of each month at 8:00 p.m., Pirate Career Casts are free for members and $10 for non-members.

For more information or to register, visit PirateAlumni.com/PirateCareerCasts or PirateAlumni.com/UpcomingEvents.

P ir at E P Ur P l E G lazE d trEasUrE

East Carolina UnivErsity is proud to offer special edition “Pirate Purple Glazed” work by acclaimed potter and

$250 donation

distinguished alumnus Ben

$500 donation

Owen, III. Each piece is marked on its base with the ECU Pirate and signed by the artist.

Proceeds support the School of Art and Design.

For more information please contact: Mary JanE GaddIs gaddism@ecu.edu 252/328-1268

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5 inch Melon Pod 6 inch Dogwood vase $700 donation

6 inch Dogwood Vase and the 5 inch Melon Pod or the 9 inch Dogwood Vase $1,000 donation

All three pieces Shown above, left to right:

9 inch dogwood Vase, 5 inch Melon Pod, and 6 inch dogwood Vase.

PIRATE CONNECTIONS October 1

March 4

“How to Find Your Next Job in One Day” “Stuff Your Resume with Keywords to Facilitated by Rick Gillis Highlight Your Experience” Facilitated by Jay Block November 5

of

BOARD DIRECTORS

“Let LinkedIn Market Your Skills and April 1 Expertise” “Use Your Strengths to Create a Rewarding Facilitated by Viveka von Rosen and Satisfying Career” Facilitated by Tom Rath December 3

“Master the Art Interviewing” Facilitated by John Kador

and

Science

of

January 7

“Grab Your Keys and Drive Your Career” Facilitated by Los Ellis February 4

“Proven Strategies to Build a Network that Works for You” Facilitated by Mike Fishbein

May 6

“Five Steps to Build a Powerful and Profitable Network” Facilitated by Beth Bridges June 3

“What You Don’t Know or Say in an Interview Will Hold You Back” Facilitated by Carole Martin

Dean Browder ’77, Treasurer John Israel ’82, Secretary Norfolk, VA Angela Moss ’97, ’98, Past Chair Raleigh, NC Richard R. Eakin, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations

Greenville, NC

Can't make it back to Greenville for a game? Cheer on the Pirates with fellow ECU alumni at a viewing party in your area! Viewing Parties are a great way to meet more Pirate fans and show your love of East Carolina wherever you are. Viewing parties will be held for selected games in the following cities.

All Other States Arlington, VA Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Dallas, TX Dewey Beach, DE Franklin, TN

Derwood, MD

Winston-Salem, NC

VIEWING PARTIES North Carolina Cary Charlotte Greenville Kitty Hawk Nags Head Raleigh Wake Forest Winston-Salem

Neal Crawford ’85, Chair Norfolk, VA Glenda Palmer-Moultrie ’79, Secretary

Jacksonville, FL Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Rehoboth Beach, DE Richmond, VA Virginia Beach, VA

Not all games will be televised in all cities. To see games dates and venues for these cities, visit PirateAlumni.com/ViewingParties. Viewing parties are hosted by volunteers with support of alumni association staff.

Networking Events Make plans to connect with other East Carolina graduates at one of our upcoming networking events in Charlotte; Greensboro; Greenville; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh; and Washington, DC. Event details can be found at PirateAlumni.com/NetworkingEvents.

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 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 Wesley Johnson ’85 Powder Springs, GA Charlie Martin Jr. ’68 Greenville, NC Michael McShane ’66 Alexandria, VA Joy Ruhmann ’81 Raleigh, NC Tyna Sloate ’90 New York, NY Dan Spuller ’06, ’07 Raleigh, NC Harry Stubbs ’74, ’77 Greenville, NC Ainee Lynnette Taylor ’97 Winterville, NC Allen Thomas ’92 Winterville, NC Jason Tomasula ’00, ’03, ’10 Greenville, NC Oliver “Tim” Willis ’12 Durham, NC

EMERITUS MEMBERS: Sabrina Bengel New Bern, NC Carl Davis ’73 Raleigh, NC Dave Englert ’75 Norfolk, VA Ernest Logemann ’68 Winston-Salem, NC Brenda Myrick ’92 Greenville, NC

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 5

LEGISLATIVE MATTERS 6 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

ECU Officials Analyzing State Budget Impact After Summer Session What was predicted to be a very quick short session for legislators this summer proved to be quite the opposite. Budget negotiations and debate over coal ash cleanup and Medicaid reform ran into the first week of August, with only the budget bill making it to the governor’s desk. Lawmakers have, however, agreed to convene on November 17 to consider Medicaid reform. As of mid-August, various tax issues keep the chambers from passing an adjournment resolution.

Although wide differences in budget provisions between the Senate and House budgets existed, a conference report was ultimately negotiated and adopted by both chambers. Governor Pat McCrory signed the $21.1 billion budget on August 7.

The University of North Carolina system budget included a $2.4 million management flexibility reduction in addition to the $7.8 million cut included in last year’s budget.

University officials were relatively pleased with this level of cut as reductions up to nearly $20 million were at one time being considered.

In addition to reductions, budget provisions directed that existing budgeted funds be used for specific projects such as the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis and the Greensboro Union Square publicprivate partnership project. Flexibility was given to the board of governors to reallocate up to $15 million of funds supporting various centers and institutes to distinguished professorships and strategic directions initiatives. There was a $3 million appropriation for “game-changing” research at university campuses. At the time of this writing, budget impact to East Carolina University is being carefully analyzed.

Employees subject to the State Human Resources Act (SHRA) will receive raises

of $1,000. Across-the-board raises for university employees exempt from the State Human Resources Act (EHRA) were not funded. This cohort includes faculty and non-faculty leadership staff. The board of governors was however, given the flexibility to utilize $5 million allocated for salary adjustments for these employees to improve employee retention.

East Carolina had major wins this session in the policy arena. Although not fully reversed, the authority to collect debt through the Set Off Debt Collection Act (SODCA) was partially reinstated to the Brody School of Medicine. In addition, the program to access federal Medicaid funds known as the physician Upper Payment Limit program (UPL) was greatly improved. Had these policy decisions not been addressed this session, revenue loss to Brody would have, over time, increased to over $20 million per year. This was an unsustainable proposition. We are grateful to our Pitt County delegation for their support on these issues. Specific thanks goes to Representative Brian Brown and Senator Louis Pate for successfully guiding this language through their prospective chambers.

In addition to positive budget outcomes for Brody, ECU joined UNC-Charlotte and other campuses to successfully advocate for the annual infrastructure bill which allows UNC campuses to pursue funding for nonappropriated capital projects. Representative Bill Brawley from Charlotte and Representative Brian Brown from Greenville took the lead on this bill.

ECU received approval for the construction of new student centers on the main and health sciences campus. Construction on the $156 million project is planned to begin in 2015.

Where Pirate Memories Continue...

“Cypress Glen is an amazing place where, like at ECU, we are cherished for our contributions and we, in turn, cherish our fellow residents for their friendship and gifts. It is the sense of community, respect and appreciation that makes Cypress Glen the perfect retirement place that it is.”

Deedee (Mary) Glascoff graduated from the nursing program at the University of Massachusetts in 1970 and immediately joined the Army Nurse Corps where she served on active duty and in the Mississippi National Guard for 12 years, leaving as a major after twice being awarded the Governor’s Accommodation Medal. She earned her master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and her doctorate in public health studies and eventually moved to Greenville in 1984.

Dr. Glascoff taught in the community health education program in the College of Health and Human Performance and was twice elected vice-chair of the ECU faculty. Along the way she was recipient of the ECU Woman of Distinction Award, was named one of ECU’s 99 leaders in honor of the University’s 99th anniversary and her ECU/Tillery Project was a recipient of the Nation’s Point of Light Award. Her proudest accomplishment is her two wonderful children.

Deedee Glascoff Cypress Glen Resident since 2014

Official Partner

www.cypressglen.org

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 7

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way Maureen O’Neill Hooker Creates Scholarship for Children of Organ Donors Where there is a will, there is a way.

Despite major setbacks that have come her way, Maureen Hooker has been able to find the grace and perseverance to continue to move forward.

When chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2001 left her with heart damage, Maureen’s future seemed uncertain. As her heart failure worsened, she surveyed a bucket list full of unfinished goals. One of the items on her list was to finish her degree.

With the determination to live as though anything was possible, Maureen graduated from George Mason University in 2006 as one of the oldest in her class.

She even took a summer abroad to study at Cambridge. Two years later, Maureen went on to receive a master’s degree in creative writing from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, as well as an exit degree equalling a Ph.D. in the same subject.

When end-stage cardiomyopathy left no other option, she was referred to the Heart Failure Clinic at Washington Hospital Center, in Washington, DC and added to the UNOS transplant list.

On September 3, 2011, Maureen received the miracle of a new heart at

James and Maureen Hooker

8 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

the Washington Hospital Center. She says there are no words to describe the gratitude she has felt every day since receiving the gift of life; it is a privilege to wake up, to breathe deeply, to think, to move, to see, to learn, and to love.

A year later, following the protocol for anonymous communication, Maureen sent her first letter to the donor’s family.

Overjoyed to receive a response from the donor’s mother, Maureen learned that the heart beating inside of her had belonged to a young, single mother. She found herself thinking often of the young woman’s child and the children of organ donors everywhere.

“Many young children will not only miss the presence of their parent, but might also miss some of the advantages that parents provide when they have time and opportunity,” Maureen says. With that in mind, Maureen and her husband wanted to create a scholarship for children of organ donors in honor of the donor of her new heart, Shelly Whitman of Kenly.

The Hookers’ ties to East Carolina University began back in 1991 when their youngest daughter, Jennifer, came

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE and her husband happily made Greenville their new home town.

With just one phone call to ECU’s gift and estate planning officer, Maureen and her husband were assured that their dream of setting up a scholarship could come true.

Now, the Shelly From Top L-R: Son-in-law Robert Wolbert, grandson Ryan James Whitman Organ Wolbert, daughter Tamara Hooker Wolbert. Bottom L-R: Grandson Donor Endowed Drew R. Wolbert, Maureen Hooker, husband James Stewart Hooker.

Scholarship for the child of an to Greenville for her undergraduate organ donor is the most important item studies. Although they lived in Fairfax, on Maureen’s bucket list. She hopes to VA, Maureen and her family attended raise awareness for organ donation, while ECU football games and parents’ events also encouraging others to contribute while their daughter was a student. In towards the scholarship. Shelly’s mother, addition, their oldest daughter married Jo Whitman, has been involved from the a North Carolinian who received his beginning. Her help and encouragement master’s from ECU and lives here with has been a huge blessing for Maureen. their grandchildren. A year ago Maureen

Maureen Hooker’s organ donor Shelly Whitman

The first Shelly Whitman Organ Donor Scholarship will be awarded in September of 2015.

Maureen has just received her first rejection letter for a Heart Transplant Handbook and Memoir that she has written for heart patients who are considering transplant. She is revising and improving the book in hopes of getting it published so that proceeds of its sale can increase the scholarship endowment.

Alternative Investments:

Compare Charitable Gift Annuities to low yielding CD’s (Certificate of Deposits)

Charitable Gift Annuity benefits:

Single Life

• Substantially guaranteed higher payout rates

age

payout rate

• Substantial income-tax deductions

55 60 65 70 75 80 90+

4.0% 4.4% 4.7% 5.1% 5.8% 6.8% 9.0%

• Partial tax free income for the remainder of up to two lives • The ability to use the residuum of your gift to fund a meaningful project with any of the three ECU Foundations (East Carolina University Foundation, Inc., East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation, Inc., or the East Carolina University Educational Foundation, Inc. [Pirate Club]) • Membership in the Leo W. Jenkins Society

If you would like more information regarding charitable gift annuities or any other type of planned gift (bequest provisions, IRA or other qualified retirement plan designations, trusts, real estate contributions or gifts of life insurance), please contact Greg Abeyounis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement at 252-328-9573 or e-mail at abeyounisg@ecu.edu.

For examples and greater information on all planned giving mechanisms visit our website at:

www.ecu.edu/plannedgiving

Two Lives age

payout rate

55/55 60/60 65/65 70/70 75/75 80/80 90/90

3.5% 3.9% 4.2% 4.6% 5.0% 5.7% 8.2% C.S. 15-605

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 9

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

A Father’s Legacy

The Sandy and George Reel Endowed Fund Supports Laupus Library

By Sandy Reel

Our journey to Laupus Library began in 2010 shortly before my dad, Bernard Sandick, died. It was his profound wish that my husband George and I include in our estate plan one of the two universities where he received his degrees. He received his master’s degree in psychology from East Carolina University, and was working towards his doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of South Carolina before his illness from Alzheimer’s prevented him from completion.

I grew up in Greenville and East Carolina College as I knew it then had always been a part of my family’s life. So my decision was easy. I just didn’t know the “how” and the “where” to keep the promise that I had made to my dad.

As a young boy growing up in Chicago during the depression, most of my dad’s free time was spent in the public library.

He would tell me that the library saved him from the streets and propelled him to graduate from two universities and into the field of economics and psychology.

Thus began a life-long love of reading and discovery for him. Later, he would tell the story of taking me with him to the library 10 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

in my stroller when I was 10 months old, often checking out as many as 10 books at one time.

It wasn’t until I accidently ran into a Kiwanian friend, Dr. Dorothy Spencer, then director of Laupus Library, that I realized Laupus was a serious consideration for keeping my promise.

After our thoughtful discussion with Mr. Greg Abeyonuis, assistant vice chancellor for development, we contacted our attorney and drew up our estate plans. The final signing took place at Laupus Library, where we toured this gem of a library with Dr. Richard Eakin, associate vice chancellor and Laupus Health Sciences Library director (interim), and Mr. Dwain Teague, director of major gifts, at East Carolina University.

Nestled in the heart of the medical community of the university, is this powerhouse of digital technology. I thought of the students that entered these doors and the impact that these future heath professionals would make in the medical field. I also realized that Laupus must be ready to meet the needs of these students! One thing became critically

apparent: Laupus would need financial support, not only from the university level, but also from the private funding sector.

Two things my father made me promise him. Number one, he wanted a Jewish funeral. Number two, because I had no children of my own, he requested that a portion of his estate be shared in such a way that many children could benefit.

He often stated, “Education is the key to everything. It allows you to dream to be what you want to be.”

As I left Laupus the day of the final signing, I thought about the connection of the young boy in Chicago, sitting in a quiet nook in a library, and the final signing at Laupus Library. My husband and I kept our promise to my dad, and in doing so, we honored his memory. I am very happy that the library that was so important at the outset of his life will now be perpetuated in his memory, for all the young adults and professionals who enter through those doors.

The Sandy and George Reel Endowed Fund is earmarked primarily for collections and materials in the Health Sciences field.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 11

Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner

Presented by Duplin Winery and Hilton Greenville Friday, October 3 at 6:00 p.m., Greenville Convention Center $50 for alumni association members, $60 for non-members Join us as we present the 2014 Outstanding Alumni, Honorary Alumni, and Virgil Clark ’50 Distinguished Service Awards at the East Carolina Alumni Association’s signature event. Register online at PirateAlumni.com/Register or call the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD. Nominations for the 2015 Alumni Awards are due Nov. 1.

Homecoming Breakfast

Saturday, October 4 at 9:00 a.m., Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Come out for a complimentary breakfast sponsored by Aramark and a chance to visit with fellow alumni. Stay for a front-row seat on the Alumni Center lawn to watch the Homecoming Parade!

12 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

Homecoming Parade

Saturday, October 4 at 10:00 a.m., Fifth Street Join us at the Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center to watch the Homecoming Parade sail by with the theme “Land of the Free, Home of the Pirates!” Watch the ECU Marching Pirates and local high school bands along with student organization floats, ECU Cheerleaders, and PeeDee the Pirate. Members of the Homecoming Court and Alumni Award recipients will wave to the crowd as they navigate down Fifth Street right in front of the Alumni Center.

Buccaneer Buffet

Saturday, October 4, three hours before kick-off ECU Soccer Stadium $11 for alumni association members $28 for non-members Free for children 12 and under Alumni Tailgate is now Buccaneer Buffet!

Gather with fellow fans for a buffet meal catered by Aramark and dessert by Heavenly Sweet Bakery. Also enjoy beverages, live music and entertainment, door prizes, and more!

As always, Buccaneer Buffet is open to any friends and fans of East Carolina. Register online at PirateAlumni.com/Register or call the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD.

College, School, and Department Events Alpha Omicron Pi Alumnae Social

College of Education Breakfast on the Porch

College of Human Ecology Pre-Parade Breakfast

Oct. 3, time TBD, location TBD Homecoming Brunch and house tours Oct. 4, time TBD, at AOII house Tailgate Oct. 4, time TBD, at AOII house Check “Alpha Omicron Pi, East Carolina University” on Facebook for updates.

Contact: aoiizpalumnaerelations@gmail.com

Oct 4, 9 a.m., Speight Building Free, RSVP by Oct. 1 Contact: Stephanie Bunn at bunns@ecu.edu

Oct. 4, 9 a.m., Rivers Building Free, no RSVP required Contact: Cherie Reich at 252-328-6903 or reichc@ecu.edu

College of Engineering and Technology Alumni Breakfast

Department of Chemistry Homecoming Celebration

Black Alumni Chapter & Ledonia Wright Cultural Center Student Networking Brunch

Oct. 4, 9-10:30 a.m., Mendenhall Student Center room 244 Cost: $5 for alumni, free for students Contact: East Carolina Alumni Association at 800-ECU-GRAD Brody School of Medicine BSOM Alumni Society Reunion

For alumni from the classes of 1974, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009 Oct. 3: Lunch and tour, followed by cocktail hour featuring alumni awards, and dinner Oct 4: breakfast, followed by tailgate Contact: 252-744-2238 or bsomalumni@ecu.edu Campus Living Welcome Home Celebration

Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Sweethearts in Todd Dining Hall Free for previous Campus Living staff, student employees, resident advisors, and RHA members, RSVP by Sept. 15 Contact: Mike Rager at ragerm@ecu.edu College of Allied Health Sciences Homecoming Celebration

Oct. 3, 6-9 p.m., Health Sciences Building lobby Free, RSVP by Sept. 15 Contact: Pat Frede at 252-744-3523 or fredep@ecu.edu

Oct. 4, 8:45-10 a.m., Science and Technology Building atrium Free, no RSVP required Contact: Scott Snead at 252-328-9580 or Bonnie Eshelman at 252-328-9604 College of Fine Arts and Communication School of Music Homecoming Reception

Oct. 3, 5 p.m., A.J. Fletcher Music Center room B105 Free, open to all School of Music alumni and faculty School of Music Alumni Reunion Recital

Oct. 3, 7 p.m., A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall Free, all alumni are invited to perform Breakfast on the Terrace and Parade Watching

Oct. 3, 5 p.m., Science and Technology Building Free, RSVP by Sept. 19 Contact: chemgrad@ecu.edu Department of Criminal Justice Alumni Tailgate

Oct. 4, 12 p.m., Pirate Club parking area Free, no RSVP required Contact: Debbie Domer at domerd@ecu.edu or 252-328-4192 Department of Physics Alumni Luncheon

Oct. 4, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Howell Science Complex C207 Free to physics alumni and families, RSVP

by Oct. 2 Contact: Brenda Doss at dossb@ecu.edu Department of Psychology Parade Watching Breakfast

Oct. 4, 9 a.m., Jenkins Fine Arts Center Free, open to all alumni of the Schools of Art and Design, Communication, Music, and Theatre and Dance

Oct. 4, 9 a.m., tent next to Whichard Building Free, RSVP by Oct. 1 Contact: Arianna Williams at 252-3286800 or williamsa@ecu.edu

School of Music and Marching Pirates Alumni Picnic

Honors College Alumni Society Reception

Oct. 4, three hours prior to kick-off, A.J. Fletcher Music Center side parking lot $10 per person, open to all alumni of the School of Music and Marching Pirates, current and retired faculty and staff, and guests. Afterwards, plan to “walk the hill” to the game with the Marching Pirates!

For all events, contact: Mary Jane Gaddis at 252-328-1268 or gaddism@ecu.edu

Oct. 3, 6-8 p.m., Mellow Mushroom, 2020 Charles Blvd., Greenville, NC Refreshments provided, cash bar available, RSVP by Sept. 17 Contact: Kevin Baxter, baxterk@ecu.edu or 252-328-6373 Open House

Oct. 4, 9-10 a.m., Mamie Jenkins Building Free, refreshment provided, RSVP by Sept. 17 Contact: Kevin Baxter, baxterk@ecu.edu or 252-328-6373

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 13

Reunions Black Alumni Reunion The Black Alumni Chapter of the East Carolina Alumni Association presents the Black Alumni Reunion during Homecoming 2014. The BAC is composed of alumni and friends who serve as advocates and are interested in building on the mission of the university and alumni association. In addition to a reunion every year, the BAC enhances access to and attainment of education for African-American students through raising funds for scholarships and providing networking opportunities with alumni. Register by September 30. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/2014BAR. Reunion Activities: • Inaugural BAC Golf Outing • NPHC Step Show • Friday Night Mixer at Wasabi 88 • Networking Brunch with Students • Homecoming Parade • BAC Business Meeting • SMU vs. ECU Homecoming Game • Grand Finale Party at City Hotel and Bistro • Ecumenical Service at Ledonia Wright Cultural Center • Sunday Brunch at Winslow’s Tavern For more information on reunion events, contact Assistant Director for Alumni Programs Christy Angle ‘95 at 252-328-1958 or anglec@ecu.edu.

Collegians Reunion “The Best Band in Tarheel Land” will come together for its annual homecoming reunion. Register by September 25. For more information or to register, visit PirateAlumni.com/2014CollegiansReunion.

Reunion Activities: • 19th Annual Blow/Am Golf Tournament • Band Rehearsals • School of Music Alumni Reunion Reception • School of Music Alumni Reunion Recital • Wives’ Breakfast • Barbecue Lunch on Saturday at the home of Ralph ‘58 and Sharon ‘92 Shumaker • SMU vs. ECU Homecoming Game • Dance and Dessert featuring The Collegians

ECTC/ECC Reunion Reconnect with former classmates of East Carolina Teachers College and East Carolina College for a very special weekend.

Register by October 1. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/2014ECTCECC. Reunion Activities: • Welcome Social • Bus Tour of Campus • Alumni Awards Ceremony and Dinner • Homecoming Breakfast and Parade • Buccaneer Buffet • SMU vs. ECU Homecoming Game • Homecoming Dance and Dessert featuring The Collegians

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Marching Pirates Reunion Drum roll, please! Past members of the Marching Pirates are invited to join current marching band members in the stands and on the field for a homecoming reunion. Register by Wednesday, October 1. For more information or to register, visit PirateAlumni.com/2014MarchingPirateReunion.

Reunion Activities: • Band Open Rehearsal • Marching Pirates Alumni Social • Alumni Band Rehearsal • Marching Band Rehearsal • March to Stadium • Pregame Performance • SMU vs. ECU Homecoming Game • Halftime Performance • Post Game Gathering at The Varsity Club

Other Activities Dowdy Student Stores

Back to Campus Open House Sale & Festivities October 2-4 Our Wright Building store will be open extended hours so you can get decked out in the latest Pirate gear! Shop our full lineup of clothing and gifts at sale prices. If it’s not on sale already, show your class ring for a discount of 1% off for every year since you graduated, up to 30% for those celebrating 30 years or more (on regular-priced in-store merchandise). Plus, enter our drawing for a chance to win a Pirate tailgate party tent (no purchase necessary, one entry per person per day). Best yet, shopping at Dowdy means you’re supporting scholarships! Find out more at www.studentstores.ecu.edu or on Facebook at “ECU Dowdy Student Stores.”

Campus Recreation and Wellness Rec Center Invites Alumni for a Workout!

Get a great workout for free during Homecoming weekend. Just say you are an ECU alumnus when you stop by the customer service desk and you and a guest will be admitted for free.

Alumni may bring an additional two guests for $5 each. For more information contact Dena Olo at olod@ecu.edu or 252-3286387.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 15

Virgil Clark ’50

Distinguished Service Award Recipients Angela Allen ’81 is an anchor of the northern Virginia region of the Pirate Nation. She is a staunch advocate for ECU, regularly hosting and attending university events and engaging alumni in her area. She also returns to Greenville often and is very active on campus.

She is a member of the Board of Visitors and has served on the board of directors for the Women’s Roundtable and the ECU Foundation. She is a charter member of the College of Engineering and Technology Advancement Council and a member of the Department of Computer Science Advisory Council. She is a member of ECU’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Through the Women’s Roundtable, Angela helped to establish and grow an Access Scholarship in memory of Kathy Taft. She also gives annually to the Department of Computer Science and to a scholarship within the College of Engineering and Technology.

Originally from rural eastern North Carolina, Angela understands the value of a quality education. ECU afforded Angela several opportunities for which she is grateful, like an internship at the Department of the Navy in Washington, DC, where she first learned about computer programming. She works hard so that other students can have similar opportunities.

Angela earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science at ECU and received her master’s degree from the Harvard Business School. She has worked for IBM for 30 years, and in 2011 was promoted to vice president of IBM’s global sales technical enablement organization, based in Washington, DC. She is a leader and teacher who designs solution methods and training programs that teach IBM’s technical sellers to identify and solve customers’ IT problems.

She is a five-time winner of IBM’s Global Circle Award, an annual award of achievement, and in 2000 she was a member of a team that received the annual IBM’s Chairman’s Team award. She started the University Delivery Services program where IBM partners with universities to hire students to work part-time on various projects until they graduate.

Angela and her husband Steve reside in Vienna, VA. Carl W. Davis Jr. ’73 is a respected leader who has worked in many leadership positions to advance the university and strengthen alumni support for East Carolina.

Carl spent the past year as the immediate past chair of the East Carolina Alumni Association after two years as chair. He also previously served as vice chair and treasurer.

He created the financial strategies committee to better facilitate the investment of the alumni association’s endowments.

As a member of the ECU Board of Visitors, Carl has served as vice chair and chair, and currently serves as chair emeritus. He created both the engagement and fundraising committees. He was an integral part of the dental school and heart center campaigns.

After earning his degree in sociology, Carl went on to gain more than 40 years of experience in TV and radio broadcasting and sales. He is the eastern region sales manager for Electronics Research, Inc., where he works with radio customers to find solutions for antenna, transmission line, and tower needs. Previously, he served as the assistant general manager of UNC-TV from 1998 to 2012.

Carl is a founding member of CommCrew, which supports the School of Communication. He also served on the investment committee for the ECU Foundation.

He is very active in the Pirate Club, having served on the travel committee and magazine committee. He also served two years on the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame Committee. His support of ECU athletics is not limited to committees. He has attended 200 of 201 ECU football games both home and away since 1997, traveling more than 140,000 miles to cheer on the Pirates.

Carl and his wife Martha reside in Raleigh.

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Honorary Alumni Award Recipients Dr. E. Jackson Allison Jr. is a major contributor to medicine at East Carolina. He became the founding chair and first medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine in 1980. He has more than 35 years of experience teaching and administering emergency medicine in academic and clinical settings.

Jack earned a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1966, and from there also earned a master’s in public health in 1971 and a medical doctorate in 1975. He completed his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.

In addition to his appointments at ECU, he served as chief-of-service for the emergency department at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, now Vidant Medical Center, from 1980 to 1995. Following his positions at ECU and PCMH and other academic appointments, Dr. Allison began working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving as chief of staff at VA medical centers in Syracuse, NY and Asheville.

Jack has brought recognition to ECU through his national and international appointments. He is one of the founders of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, and served as the organization’s first president. He also served as president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In 2010, he received the highest honor offered by the ACEP, the John G. Wiegenstein Leadership Award. In addition, he has published more than 280 journal articles.

Humanitarian work is another interest of Jack’s. After college, he volunteered with the Peace Corps in Malawi. Later in his career, he responded to help victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He has also provided medical care in several countries in Africa.

Now retired, Jack resides in Asheville with his wife Sue Wilson, also an ECU graduate, and serves as a professor of emergency medical care at Western Carolina University.

Robert H. Wright (1870-1934) was the first president of East Carolina Teachers Training School, now East Carolina University. Under his 25 years of visionary leadership from 1909 to 1934, East Carolina grew from a two-year training school to a four-year college, laying the foundation for this institution’s future growth and success.

Wright earned his bachelor of arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1897. He later earned a doctorate of education from Wake Forest in 1928. He first taught in Stanhope for a year, and then taught mathematics and coached football at Oak Ridge Institute. He entered Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in 1901, and in June 1902 began teaching history in Baltimore City College.

In 1903, Wright left Johns Hopkins to work full-time at Baltimore City College, where he became chairman of the Department of History, Civics, and Economics. In 1906, he was appointed principal of Eastern High School, one of two high schools for girls in Baltimore. He was there for three years before coming to Greenville.

During Wright’s tenure at East Carolina, more than 4,000 teachers earned their diplomas. Enrollment increased from 100-some students to more than 1,000. The faculty had grown from 13 to 90, and the nine subjects taught in the first year had grown into 12 departments. Completed in 1927, Wright Auditorium was named after the first president in 1936.

Wright was a key figure in education in the state and nation. He collaborated in the preparation of a bulletin, Training Courses for Rural Teachers, issued by the U.S. Bureau of Education in 1913. He was the chairman of an educational commission appointed in 1917 to study the public schools of North Carolina and make recommendations for their improvement. In addition, he served as president of the American Association of Teachers Colleges.

Throughout his career, Wright believed that the most vital factor in improving education in the region was quality training for teachers. Wright’s impact cannot be overestimated. His legacy has made East Carolina what it is today.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 17

Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients William “Bill” Hunter Clark ’66, ’68 is the founder of Bill Clark Homes, with more than 30 years of experience building homes and communities in eastern North Carolina.

Bill earned his bachelor of arts degree in social studies and his masters in business administration from ECU. While a student, Bill served on the Men’s Honor Council and the Student Government Association. He also served as president of Theta Chi fraternity and was active on the Men’s Fraternity Council.

After a number of years as a successful banker, Bill started Bill Clark Homes, a residential land development and construction company, in 1977. Bill Clark Homes is now one of the largest privately owned homebuilding companies in the state, with five office locations across eastern North Carolina and South Carolina, including Greenville, New Bern, Havelock, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, and more.

Bill believes in building quality houses, but that families make them homes. Thanks to his commitment to quality and customer service, his company was named one of Builder magazine’s top 100 homebuilders in 2013.

Bill was a major contributor to Clark-LeClair Baseball Stadium, which bears his name. Construction began in May of 2004 and was completed in March of 2005. The stadium can seat 3,000 spectators in permanent seating and can hold 2,000 more in the grassy area now known as “the Jungle.”

He is a past president of the Pirate Club and continues to give his time and energy to the university. He has three sons, two of whom attended ECU.

Lieutenant General William “Mark” Faulkner ’82 is currently serving as deputy commandant for installations and logistics for the US Marine Corps. He has commanded at several levels during his 32 years in military logistics.

Mark earned his bachelor of science degree in business at ECU and was commissioned as an officer in 1982. His first assignment was with First Battalion, Sixth Marines in Camp Lejeune as an infantry platoon commander.

From 1990 to 1992 he participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

He was later assigned to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the former Yugoslavia, where he coordinated the delivery of humanitarian relief into Bosnia and throughout Serbia.

He attended Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, AL, graduating with distinction in 1997. After that, he participated in Operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox, and Noble Response. He was then deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.

He graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at National Defense University in 2003. He was assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon from 2003 to 2005. He was assigned duty as the Chief of Staff of Second Marine Logistics Group (Forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

He returned from Iraq early 2008, was selected for Brigadier General and commanded 3d Marine Logistics Group in Okinawa Japan 2008-2010. In his current assignment, Mark is responsible for managing and controlling all installations, supplies, and equipment for the Marine Corps worldwide.

He holds a master’s degree in business from Chaminade University in Hawaii and a master of science in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Mark’s wife Janet and one of his two daughters, Katherine, are both proud ECU graduates.

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Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients Van Isley ’85 is the founder and CEO of Professional Builders Supply, LLC, an award-winning building materials distribution company. He is just as involved as he is successful.

Originally from Burlington, Van earned his bachelor of science degree in accounting, He got his first job at Price Waterhouse, at the time a “Big 8” accounting firm. There, he became a Certified Public Accountant and served as audit manager and director of marketing.

After eight years in accounting, Van joined Carolina Builders, then a Price Waterhouse client, as the manager of a new location in South Carolina. He was promoted to Atlanta, and then returned to Raleigh as a regional manager overseeing stores in South Carolina and North Carolina. Van spent ten years with the company, which was renamed Stock Building Supply, and was the largest building material supplier in the country.

In 2003, Van became an entrepreneur and started Professional Builders Supply.

The company grew rapidly, and now has five locations in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Wilmington. Professional Builders Supply has been named six times to the Triangle Business Journal’s annual list of 50 fastest-growing companies. The company was twice named one of Entrepreneur magazine’s “Hot 100” fastest-growing companies in the US. The company has also been named one of the “Best Places to Work in the Triangle.”

Van strongly believes in giving back to his university, his profession, and his community. He serves on the board of directors and several committees for the Lumbermen’s Merchandising Corporation and the Southern Building Material Association. He has served on the board of directors for the Raleigh/Wake County and Franklin County home builders associations. He also currently serves on the board of directors for the National Association of CEOs. In addition, he serves on the ECU College of Business Advisory Council. Through his business, he has supported Operation: Coming Home, the Duke Children’s Hospital Miracle Home project, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, and more than 40 other organizations.

Van currently resides in Raleigh with his wife and two sons.

Maria Theresa “Terry” Shank ’77 (1931-2014) served for over 60 years as a civic leader and political activist working for social justice and community enhancement.

Terry was a role model and mentor for countless others and widely admired for her leadership style that blended integrity, humor and magnanimity. Her prolific record makes her an extraordinary example of an outstanding alumnus of East Carolina.

Originally from Paterson, NJ, Terry earned her bachelor’s degree in music in 1953 from Oberlin College Conservatory, taught music in public schools, and performed as a professional violinist. She earned a master of education in adult education at ECU in 1977 and worked at Pitt Community College in several director-level positions from 1978 to 1996.

Terry served as an influential leader and engaged board member for dozens of organizations that provide service at the city, county, state and national levels. She was president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and the Women’s Forum of North Carolina. Terry was a delegate to the UN World Conference on Women held in China.

She was elected to the Board of Education for Greenville schools (1972-1982), and was the first woman to be elected its chair. Terry was the second woman to be elected to the Pitt County Board of Commissioners (1998-2002). As a supporter of the arts at ECU, Terry served on the Friends of the School of Music Board and established a scholarship. She was on the ECU Campaign for the Arts steering committee.

In 2013, Terry was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor for civilians in North Carolina. She was inducted into the ECU Educators Hall of Fame in 2007 and honored as one of the ECU Women of Distinction in 2013. Terry’s accomplishments truly exemplify the spirit of leadership and service of East Carolina.

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r i a P t e r s take e v e r o f

New York

In the spring of 2014, under clear skies and fair winds, a crew of Pirates began an epic voyage.

Eight students from East Carolina University, along with staff from the East Carolina Alumni Association, embarked on the inaugural Forever Pirates New York City Exploration and Networking Trip.

The students were Forever Pirates, or student members of the alumni association. They were specially selected by an application process for an opportunity to meet East Carolina alumni in New York City.

“I signed up for the New York City trip because it’s been a dream of mine to go to New York. That’s always been the dream, even before college. I never knew how I was going to pay for it or how I was going to get there, but I knew I had to go, no matter the cost,” said student Antonio Jackson, who was a senior art major during the trip.

“Networking with Pirates in New York City made the dream more of a reality.

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Seeing those Pirates come from where I am now, and seeing how successful they’ve been – I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

“I’ve always been interested in going to New York City,” said student Allison Flowers, who was a freshman during the trip. “Networking with ECU alumni in New York was an amazing experience. I got to see where they work, and a lot of them have built their business from scratch, and now they’re really successful. It was awesome getting to see the reach of the Pirate Nation all the way up to New York City.”

After driving up to New York by van, the group had dinner at the home of Michael Aho ’02, who worked for the Department of State at the time of the trip. The next day, they stopped by the Today Show and got a tour of the Martha The group showed up in the Instagram feed of The Today Show’s Tamron Hall.

Stewart Living headquarters, and saw Martha Stewart herself. They visited with Sarah Evans ’01, co-founder of J Public tour of the United Nations headquarters.

Relations along with fellow alumna Jamie After a dinner hosted by the New York Lynn Sigler ’01. Aho led the group on a chapter of the alumni association, they

“Networking with ECU alumni in New York was an amazing experience. I got to see where they work, and a lot of them have built their business from scratch, and now they’re really successful. It was awesome getting to see the reach of the Pirate Nation all the way up to New York City.” saw a Broadway show, and explored Times Square. The next day, they met with alumni who work at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital and the New York Stock Exchange. They also explored Chinatown and Staten Island. On the last day, they had breakfast with alumni association board member Jim Hammond ’66 before departing for home.

“The idea with this trip was to take students to meet alumni in New York so they could learn to be future leaders out in the world,” said Michael S. Kowalczyk ’09 ’10, the assistant director for alumni programs at the time. He organized the trip as the staff member who oversaw student programs for the alumni association.

“My favorite part of the trip was, after all the planning, just seeing the amount of student and alumni engagement that took place,” he said. “I saw our students grow.

The trip was a huge benefit to our students as well as the alumni who participated.”

Kowalczyk went to New York as an MBA student with fellow classmates, but they had to pay their own way and find alumni on their own, so he wanted to create an opportunity for current students to travel to New York at little cost to them and access a vast network of alumni through the alumni association.

“I think the power of the Pirate alumni network is in full force in a city like New York, with Pirates involved in local, domestic, and international work,” Aho said. “It’s such an amazing, although a little overwhelming, city!”

The trip was very beneficial for the students, according to Aho, both for their professional development and personal enrichment.

“I know many of them had never been to New York City before, so it offered a chance to explore such a massive and busy city with the help of Pirates and others who had already visited,” Aho said. “But it also afforded them a chance to speak with a variety of alumni working in very different fields, which gave them a good perspective on the many things that are possible as an ECU alumnus!”

Outside the New York Stock Exchange with Jason Earnest ’00 (far left).

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 21

At the offices of J Public Relations with co-founder Sara Evans ’01 (center).

Evans also believes that the world is full of possibilities for ECU students who seek to learn from fellow Pirates.

“The Pirate alumni network is hugely powerful,” Evans says. “We’ve had two ECU interns who are now full time employees.

Staying connected to the people I met at ECU has been invaluable.”

“ECU was an amazing experience for me,” Evans continued. “Much of what I learned there helped shape me to who I am today. I think it’s hugely important for college students to get as much real-life, practical knowledge and advice as possible about the work force and what’s out there.”

The students did indeed gain practical experience in networking, but they also gained insight into their own lives and careers.

“I believe this trip will help my career in that it expanded my perspective on the world and all the people in it,” Jackson said.

“There are millions of people in New York, and all these individuals have their own story, and you may never know them. But it really makes you look at yourself more and ask ‘what is my spot on this planet, what is my role in this life?’ You want to make an impact. So I’m taking that perspective into my career.”

“I definitely learned to try new experiences and not be afraid to try new things,” Flowers said. “This trip has been life-changing, and if I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have experienced the things I have and met the amazing people I have. I think this trip will definitely help my career in many different ways. I recently changed my major to business since the trip. Going to New York City gave me a different perspective on 22 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

what I can do with my career.”

Students don’t have to go all the way to New York to get advice and insight from alumni.

They can hear from alumni at events on campus and in their area through the alumni association.

“We all get out of the network only as much as we put in, so even spending 15 or 30 minutes with fellow alumni or current students is beneficial and worth our time,” Aho says.

“It’s amazing to realize how many connections we all have, but usually these can only be discovered if we talk to one another.

Mark Winkler (center) toured the students through the offices of That’s the power of Top: Martha Stewart Living. Bottom: The students had breakfast with Alumni the Pirate alumni Association Board Member James Hammond ’66 before departing for home. network!”

The Forever “The Forever Pirates program has been Pirates program allows students to tap great,” Jackson commented. “At first I didn’t into the power of the Pirate alumni know what it was about. You get free stuff network before graduation. Students can interact with alumni everywhere from New in the beginning, like the treasure chest and the tee shirt. But I believe the New York York to right here at home in Greenville. trip really showed what this program can be.

This experience gives students a strong foundation for a lifelong relationship with It showed the impact this organization can East Carolina, no matter where they go in have on students. It can change their lives, and I say that firsthand.” life.

Catrina Davis, ECU Career Center According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 3.7 million full-time elementary and secondary school teachers were engaged in classroom instruction in fall 2012. This number includes public and private school teachers and reflects a 7 percent increase since 2002 (http://nces.ed.gov).

Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for education-related occupations for 20122022 are cited as a having a steady 11.1 percent growth over the next ten years (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.t06.htm).

In spite of the steady growth and projected demand for teachers, many with education degrees choose not to enter the profession or to leave it. Some of the reasons include, but are not limited to: burnout, desire to make more money, frustration with school politics, and discontentment with national and legislative changes in education. Regardless of the reason some teachers choose to change professions, a career change should be done with careful consideration and planning.

There are three career planning steps that can be used to help teachers who are considering a career change. First is selfassessment, which provides an opportunity for individuals to reflect on and realize their attributes as it relates to personality, skills, interests, and values. Second is career exploration, which involves researching occupations where one’s transferrable skills from teaching can be applied. The functions and tasks of those occupations should be considered as well as one’s ability and desire to do them.

After completing the first two steps, it is important to reflect on what was discovered and to connect what was learned about oneself to the alternate career options. The third step, taking action, may be a challenge for some because applying what was learned from steps one and two may seem overwhelming. Taking action can encompass a number of tasks and opportunities; for example, informational interviewing and job shadowing. Step three is critical because it helps one to learn whether the newly explored career options would bring satisfaction, fulfill expectations, and align with future career goals.

The Career Center offers a variety of resources, many available online at www.ecu.edu/career, to help with the career planning process.

The staff at the career center administers the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a self-assessment tool that helps users gain insight about the connection between their personality and career options. In addition to the MBTI, the Career Center staff uses free assessments offered through College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC.org) as well as a career and major exploration instrument called “What Can I do With A Major In…?” (WCIDWAMI).

Additional free assessment, career exploration, and planning tools are available on the CareerOneStop website at www.careeronestop.org as well as in the Career Resource Guide booklet, published annually by the Career Center, available at www.ecu.edu/career. This guide is a comprehensive resource that provides detailed information about career exploration, resumes and cover letters, interviewing, networking, as well as other career topics.

Along with these tools and resources, current students and alumni can utilize one-on-one counseling offered at the Career Center. Counseling appointments focus on career-specific topics where the counselor coaches students and alumni to develop career goals and strategies to successfully accomplish them. Face-to-Face, phone, and Skype appointments are available and can be made by calling the Career Center at 252-328-6050.

Helen Keller stated that “life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” Similarly, career development is a continuous lifelong process that involves learning, work, and transition in order to move towards one’s future career goals. This process will be used throughout the course of one’s career and when used effectively, will lead to a career journey that is satisfying, rewarding and fun!

CAREER CORNER

A Different Career Path for Teachers

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 23

AROUND CAMPUS

ALLIED HEALTH State Superintendent Delivers Address at Summit

North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson, left, and Marianna Walker, dean of the ECU Honors College, enjoy a laugh at the Interdisciplinary Literacy Summit held on campus May 21.

North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson delivered a keynote address titled “Student Literacy: Now and in the Future” at the 2014 Interdisciplinary Literacy Summit in May. The event, which is part of the Barbara Bremer Distinguished Lecture Series, was co-sponsored by the divisions of Academic Affairs and Health Sciences, the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Allied Health Sciences, and the Walter and Marie Williams STEPP Program, focused on the changing definition of literacy and the constant evolution of teaching methods.

Dr. Thomas Honored as Navy Employer

Dean Stephen Thomas received a Navy Employer Support Certificate of Appreciation from Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Robin Braun during a ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB) Little Creek in Norfolk, VA on June 20. The certificate is presented by the chief of Navy Reserve annually to recognize selected civilian employers of Navy reserve sailors, as nominated by their own citizen-sailor employees. Dr. Thomas was nominated

by Pat Frede, director of development for the college and a proud Navy veteran and reservist.

(L-R) Vice Adm. Robin R. Braun, Chief of Navy Reserve, with Melodie Thomas, wife of Dean Stephen Thomas, and the dean as he was presented with the Navy Employer Support Certificate of Appreciation during a ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB) Little Creek in Norfolk, VA on June 20.

Student Chosen for Highway Safety Scholarship

ECU occupational therapy student Lauren Cochran has been named the winner of the 2014 Megan Cornog Memorial Highway Safety Scholarship by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC). The scholarship is named in memory of a former HSRC staff member, Megan Cornog, who died November 7, 2010, at her home in Carrboro, after a courageous battle with cancer. After earning her master’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2009, Megan began her career working as a project coordinator for HSRC, focusing on pedestrian and bicycle issues.

ARTS & SCIENCES Downs Named Dean

Dr. William M. Downs joined East Carolina University on July 1 as dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. Most recently, Downs served as area dean for social and behavioral sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University, 24 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

AROUND CAMPUS where he was a member of the faculty for 17 years.

“I am both honored and excited to lead the college as dean. As I continue to learn more about arts and sciences at ECU, I gain even greater appreciation for the rich tradition of excellence that we have across a diverse range of disciplines and Dr. William M. Downs interdisciplinary programs,” said Downs.

Among his research and teaching interests, Downs’ expertise lies at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. His research in political science has led to funded partnerships with faculty at Queens University, Belfast (Northern Ireland), the University of Strasbourg (France), and the University of Pretoria (South Africa).

“Teaching remains a great passion for me,” said Downs, “and I look forward to engaging ECU students in the classroom and through mentoring of individual projects in my home discipline of political science.”

A Raleigh native, Downs earned his bachelor of arts in political science with a minor in journalism from North Carolina State University in 1988. He earned his master of arts and doctorate in political science from Emory University in 1990 and 1994.

“I am a proud North Carolinian. My motivations as an educator and as an administrator were fundamentally shaped by growing up in North Carolina,” said Downs. “As a college student, I had the opportunity to serve as a state government intern in Raleigh, which impressed upon me the value of a local perspective and gave me a lifelong appreciation for place and identity. I also had the opportunity to study abroad, which complemented my local perspective with a global one. By taking the job at East Carolina, I have in some ways come home again. As I think about my new role as dean, I am buoyed by the hope that our college can enrich students and our region’s communities by likewise connecting them to an ever globalized world.”

BUSINESS Online Graduate Program Ranked for Veterans

McDowell, who was elected the national SBI president for 2015 and is serving as program chair for 2014.

In addition, Dr. Shanan Gibson concluded her term on the SBI board of directors, where she focused on improving the organization’s research and journal profile.

The College of Business has enjoyed a tradition of students winning top honors in the SBI’s Project of the Year Competition.

In eight out of the last nine years, ECU students have placed in the top three nationally.

Business Students Sweep SGA Election

A College of Business student team has won the 2014-2015 Student Government Association (SGA) election with a straight ticket victory, winning the executive board positions of president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.

Michael King (finance) will be president, Jake Srednicki (finance) is vice president, Kaitlyn Dutton (management) will serve as treasurer, The 2014-2015 SGA executive board. (From left and Katie Swanner to right) Top: Michael King and Jake Srednicki. (management) will Bottom: Katie Swanner and Kaitlyn Dutton. be secretary.

President-elect King, a senior from Prince George, VA, said, “I’m proud to represent 27,000 Pirates. I strongly believe that all of the points on our platform would not be possible without everyone from my ticket getting elected. I am so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to work with them throughout the next year.”

U.S. News & World Report has named the College of Business at ECU as one of the best online graduate business programs for veterans, ranking #15 out of 45 schools. The rankings, now in their second year, help veterans identify high-quality online degree Dental Students Begin Rotations at Centers programs that suit their educational needs.

Across the State

DENTAL MEDICINE

Students, Faculty Honored at National Conference

For the sixth straight year, a student team from the College of Business at ECU placed in the top three at the National Small Business Institute® (SBI) Conference, held in Las Vegas earlier this year.

ECU’s student team won second place in the national SBI Project of the Year competition for its work with Art Avenue, a Greenvillebased gallery and art studio. Students on the team included Carson Clark, Michael Deaton, Joeroyal Evans, Antoine Khoury Jr., Yunhea Kim, Kylie Smith, and Juan Vergara.

ECU faculty members were also honored, including Dr. Bill

Another first for the ECU School of Dental Medicine occurred in May when fourth-year students began rotations at community service learning centers across North Carolina. Students joined faculty dentists and staff at centers in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City, Lillington, and Sylva.

The students will also begin rotations in Spruce Pine, Davidson County, and Robeson County this fall as construction is completed on centers in those areas. Fourth-year students complete eight-week rotations at three different centers to gain hands-on experience with patients and to help meet the oral health needs of North Carolinians in rural and underserved communities.

“Working in the community service learning center in PIRATEALUMNI.COM 25

AROUND CAMPUS College of Education 2014-15 Scholarships

The College of Education has awarded $403,200 in donorfunded scholarships to 68 of the most outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students enrolled in the college for the 2014-15 academic year. This includes 10 incoming freshmen who are a part of the Maynard Scholars program. Additionally, 113 students who are State Employees Credit Union Partnership East program students received $276,800 in scholarship support.

Grant Received for New Math Teachers in Eastern NC

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation granted ECU with $70,000 in funding to develop a program that trains new elementary school teachers to teach math more effectively. This cohort of new teachers hails from school districts across eastern North Carolina, many of which are experiencing some of the highest teacher turnover rates in the state. The program aims to ensure that Elizabeth City is a truly rewarding and remarkable experience,” said the math performance of students who are taught by beginning fourth-year student Kelly Walsh. “Being able to participate in the teachers align more closely with the performance of students who comprehensive care model in a private practice setting is extremely are taught by veteran teachers. valuable, and I am grateful to be able to help make a positive impact on the access to care problem that plagues North Carolina. Newly Renovated Academic Success Center Opens My time at the center is exceeding all of my expectations, and I am eager for all of my classmates to share the same unbelievable The College of Education’s newly renovated 2,700-square-foot experience.”

Academic Success Center (ASC) opened in May 2014 in Rivers Community service learning centers function as a network Building. The ASC houses the college’s Academic Advising Center, of practices that are owned, operated, and centrally managed by Office of Professional Development and Student Outreach, and the ECU School of Dental Medicine. The supervising dentists the Teaching Fellows/Maynard Scholars/Abernathy Scholars at the centers are full- and part-time faculty members. Fourth- and Education Housing Community. Features include a spacious year students and residents in the Advanced Education in General waiting area, a meeting space with presentation technology, six Dentistry (AEGD) program treat patients alongside faculty private cubicles for counseling appointments, and four brick members, dental assistants, and dental hygienists. and mortar offices. Five Academic Advising staff members serve The site of the school’s eighth community service learning approximately 900 undergraduate education majors through the center was announced by ECU at a news conference in Brunswick ASC. County in May. The Brunswick County center will be located near the Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia. The 2014 Educators Hall of Fame is October 18 center is scheduled for completion in late spring 2015.

The 2014 Educators Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 18 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This event highlights the service of those educators to whom East Carolina Graduate Recognized as National Emerging Leader alumni and friends are most grateful. This permanent recognition is displayed prominently in the Speight Building. A reception and Kenneth “Kenny” McKee ’13 of Asheville, viewing of the Educators Hall of Fame in Speight Building will who earned a master’s degree in reading immediately follow the induction ceremony in Fletcher Recital education from ECU, has been named Hall. Contact the Office of Development and Communications for to the Association for Supervision and additional information at 252-737-4799 or COEdevelopment@ Curriculum Development (ASCD) ecu.edu.

Emerging Leaders Class of 2014. McKee is an instructional coach with Buncombe County Schools in Asheville. The Emerging Kenneth McKee ’13 Leaders program is designed to prepare & TECHNOLOGY young educators for potential influence and ASCD leadership. The 2014 Class of Emerging Leaders ECU the “Right Decision” for Barry Carter will receive exclusive access to a pool of grant funds, designed to support students through innovative approaches to whole child Barry Carter’s father passed away when he was just 16 years education and to help emerging leaders grow professionally. old. Fortunately, because of his father’s military service, the Air Fourth-year dental students began rotations at community-based centers across the state in May. Pictured left to right, Credle Harris, Anna Liakh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Matt Morrone joined faculty dentists, residents, and staff at the center in Sylva.

EDUCATION

ENGINEERING

26 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

AROUND CAMPUS Force and VA benefits aided him in paying for a college education.

His road to ECU, however, was not so straight and narrow. After having an unpleasant experience trying to get registered for classes at another university, “it became apparent that I was just a number there,” Carter explained. “I then decided on ECU and knew I had made the right decision Barry Carter ’85 immediately after I got there and started classes.”

After taking a course in Fortran computer programming, Carter decided on a computer science degree and graduated in 1985. He later pursued his master in business administration from Syracuse University.

Carter remembers several aspects of the program that were important to him. He adds, “Small classes, professors that were very accessible, and a computer lab that was open a lot.” All of these things contributed to a successful experience at ECU, as well as prepared him for his first job.

Carter was very active in the Greek system, being president and holding other officer roles in his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order.

He was also an active member of the Intra Fraternity Council during his time at ECU. Carter has been part of the College of Engineering and Technology Advancement Council and continues to support the Pirates when they play sporting events in and around the Texas area.

Carter began as a systems engineer, worked for several major airlines, and held various executive positions. He is now the chief financial officer and chief operations officer for Enterprise Financial Group, which provides consumer protection products.

He resides in Colleyville, TX with his wife Karen and his two sons, Russell and Brandon. He and his wife have pledged the first ever annually-funded computer science scholarship beginning this year.

The “Barry and Karen Carter Scholarship for Computer Science” will be awarded to a rising junior or senior from eastern NC. Carter adds, “My education from ECU has allowed me to see the world and have many really great jobs! I give to ECU each year in hopes that I can make it easier for someone else to achieve their academic ambitions.”

FINE ARTS &

COMMUNICATION African Art Collection Exhibited Across Campus

The College of Fine Arts and Communication office in the historic Erwin Building will become the newest display site for part of the School of Art and Design’s African Art Collection.

More than 500 pieces create a significant and diverse collection that represents central, southern and western regions of Africa.

Some pieces were donated anonymously and others were given

by Winston-Salem physician James W. Lankton and Charles

Jones, a collector and dealer in Wilmington.

Two pieces in the collection are masks created in the African congo, located centrally on the continent.

The mask at top right was made by a member of the Bayaka pygmy ethnic group. The piece is a Ndemba, or a coming-ofage, initiation mask and is made in one of several traditional styles using raffia and a finely carved wooden helmet. The patina of the Ndemba in the ECU collection makes it a rare example of Bayaka art.

The Moshambwooy mask at bottom right, from the Lankton collection, is an example of the art from the 16th century Kuba kingdom, a federation of 20 ethnic groups.

Lankton acquired his pieces through his contacts with the Kuba royal family.

ECU’s Moshambwooy mask is one of the most important kinds of masks in the Kuba kindgom. It represents Woot, the first man, and was worn during male initiation ceremonies. This particular example was intended for a king, as indicated by the use of a leopard skin.

Lesser royalty wore masks made of antelope skin. Additional materials include wood, palm leaf fi bers, hair, cowrie shells and beads.

The other accessioned pieces in the African Art Collection form an extensive holding of high-quality pieces from western and southern Africa. The complete collection includes functional and ceremonial objects such as headdresses, sculpture, vessels, jewelry, weapons, musical instruments and rare examples of figures and masks.

The collection is also displayed on rotation in the Wellington B. Gray Gallery in the School of Art and Design; the Mamie Jenkins Building, home to the Honors College; the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center and Joyner Library.

The College of Fine Arts and Communication will host an exhibition in the Erwin Gallery in January and February 2015.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 27

AROUND CAMPUS

HEALTH &

HUMAN PERFORMANCE Students Assist in Adapted Recreational Water Sports Clinic

Students from ECU’s recreational therapy and rehabilitation counseling programs joined in a real world adapted recreation learning experience, getting their feet wet by volunteering with the adapted water sports clinic June 14 at the Roanoke Christian Service Camp in Washington.

The students learned techniques for assisting individuals with disabilities while the clinic participants professor David Loy, center, along with enjoyed an afternoon ECU ECU recreational therapy students Rachel of adapted water Aycock, left, and Amanda Keyser, perform a safety test before a participant can join in sports. Before the water adapted water sports at the clinic. participants arrived, ECU recreation and leisure studies professors David Loy, Thom Skalko, and Richard Williams taught the students how to facilitate transfers from a wheelchair to a mat, bench, adapted equipment, Ardenia Burney and Lynne Schaefer, or into the water. participants in an adapted water sports clinic, Among the enjoy tubing on the Pamlico River. ECU students in recreational therapy and rehabilitation student volunteers counseling volunteered to help in the June 14 was Rachel Aycock clinic, which provided a learning experience students while offering clinic participants a of Norlina, a for chance to have some fun in the water. recreational therapy student who was helping out with adapted sports for the first time. Aycock observed how excited the participants were about the water-related activities.

“I saw firsthand how recreational therapy can change a person’s life,“ she said.

Volunteer Amanda Keyser of Wake Forest worked with participants in safety procedures to ensure they could hold their breath in the water and could flip to their back while wearing a life preserver. She also helped participants get into water tubes or skis.

The program was sponsored by STAR (Support Team for Active Recreation).

STAR board member Jim Barrett, manager of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at Vidant Medical Center, said approximately 65 people participated in the clinic. He said events like the ski clinic provide valuable interaction for students because recreational therapists often only see patients for hourlong training sessions in a clinical setting.

28 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

“Students see individuals trying new things and figuring out that there is much more in life they can do –with a few modifications – than they ever dreamed,” Barrett said.

Brent Carpenter, 32, who has quadriplegia, was one of the participants. He sustained injuries in 2005 while diving into a swimming pool. He described himself as a daredevil who enjoyed water skiing and wakeboarding before his injury.

“I was waiting for this event all year,” Carpenter said.

“Students jumped in and were willing to help. It seemed like they had been doing this all of their life.”

Pinchuk is shadowing Clemmons-James this semester, learning from watching the therapy in action.

Two Professors Honored for Contributions

ECU professors Michele Wallen and Jamie Williams, of the Department of Health Education and Promotion, were honored at the 65th 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.

HONORS COLLEGE Donors Provide Summer Events for Incoming Freshmen

The Honors College hosted a three-event Summer Kickoff series this year for incoming Honors College students. These events are unique opportunities for incoming freshmen to bond with each other and Honors College faculty and staff before they arrive on campus in the fall. The series also celebrates their acceptance to the Honors College.

The first event, sponsored by Billy Dunn and attended by Pat ’67 and Lynn Lane, was held on the waterfront of Washington.

Students sailed on the Jeanie B, a 72-foot schooner that sails the Pamlico River, and had lunch at On the Waterfront on June 14. Students who attended this event helped crew and steer the vessel, raise and lower sail, and learned nautical terminology and navigation.

The next event was in Raleigh at Falls Lake Park and in Durham at the Durham Bulls Stadium on June 27 and was attended by Laura Brinn ’99 and Johnny Bland ’87.

The group of newly named Honors College students participated in environmental volunteer activities at Falls Lake Park. Students ate at Durham’s Tobacco Road Café and attended a Durham Bulls game that evening.

The final trip was to the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte on July 11, which included a 90-minute whitewater rafting trip and the opportunity for students to pursue additional

AROUND CAMPUS Criminal Justice Faculty Member Recognized

Dr. Heidi Bonner, assistant professor of criminal justice, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of The John F. Finn Institute for Public Safety in Albany, NY. The Finn Institute is among the nationally recognized leaders in criminal justice-related social research. Dr. Bonner is an affiliated researcher with the institute who specializes in law enforcement policy and practice. Her activities at the center like kayaking, zip lines, rock climbing, new leadership role on the board will not mountain biking, eco trekking, and the adventure course. After only complement her research but benefit rafting, students attended the Charlotte Knights baseball game. the institute and East Carolina University.

The Charlotte events were sponsored by Bill ’83 and Doris Langley, Robert ’78 and Amy Brinkley, and David ’70 and Linda Guilford ’73.

Interactive Mural Coming Soon

Dr. Heidi Bonner

JOYNER LIBRARY

HUMAN ECOLOGY

Coming Soon! An mural created by Amber Watts, School of Art and Design student, made up of magnetic squares of various colors, images, and textures will be installed along the hallway on the first floor of Joyner Library. Viewers will have the opportunity to move the squares to make their own patterns.

Center Seeks Former Students and Their Families interactive

The Nancy Darden Child Development Center (NDCDC) in the Department of Child Development and Family Relations is setting out to build a Family and Alumni Archive and it needs your help. Though it has had many names, the NDCDC has provided a high quality developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children and university students for more than 70 years.

What Director Julie Fowler would like to accomplish is to bring the thousands of families and former students together.

“The center itself has a long-standing history on ECU’s campus. However, there is not much information on those who came through our center as children. We want to build that history from the ground up,” said Fowler.

The NDCDC Family and Alumni NDCDC teacher Crystal Sanders uses Archive will serve as technology to engage a group of three-yeara starting point for olds. gathering stories and photos from anyone who has made their way through the center.

Additionally, the archive will allow the center to periodically reach out to its former constituents to alert them of upcoming events.

“We hold events throughout the year to which we’d love to invite our families and alumni to participate,” said Fowler. “A lot has changed at the center recently and we want to show it off!”

Former child participants and family members are urged to contact Director Fowler at ndcdc@ecu.edu. Please be sure to include your name, the child/children’s name(s), years attended, current mailing address, and phone number.

Graduate Student Exhibition

The seventh annual Graduate Student Art and Design Exhibition awards ceremony is scheduled for September 23 in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery on the second floor of Joyner Library.

The event recognizes the hard work of ECU graduate art students and provides an inspirational learning environment for students, faculty and visitors. The exhibition showcases various mediums including textiles, jewelry, photography, sculpture and metal works.

Refreshments will be available at 4:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 5:00 p.m.

FotoTastic Exhibit Closing Reception

FotoTastic 2014 is an exhibit created by the School of Art and Design photography students. Coordinated by professor Daniel Kariko, FotoTastic is a brief introduction to contrasting approaches to making contemporary fine art images, whiles maintaining a strong sense of formal and conceptual issues. The closing reception is scheduled for September 4 at 5:00 p.m. in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery on the second floor of Joyner Library.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 29

AROUND CAMPUS Homecoming Tour

she said. “It’s where parents can learn from other parents and staff.

Where they can get the knowledge and tools to help their child Joyner Library will be offering a building and exhibit tour on and to advocate for their child. Where they can get support, but Friday, October 3 to celebrate ECU Homecoming. The tour will mostly hope.” begin at 2:00 p.m. in the first floor lobby.

MEDICINE

NURSING

Pirate Nurse Network Launched at CarolinaEast

Major Gift Helps Autism Center Expand Services

An anonymous $1 million gift will enable the Family Autism Center at ECU to increase professional staff and expand services for people with autism in eastern North Carolina.

Marcy Romary, interim president for ECU’s Medical & Health Sciences Foundation, said the gift was motivated by the donor’s close relationship with grandparents of a child on the autism spectrum.

“They saw firsthand how early diagnosis and treatment was so beneficial to this family, and wanted to ensure that families throughout the region would have access to first-rate Michael Reichel, developmental and diagnosis and care Dr. behavioral specialist in the Department of through the Brody Pediatrics, works with 5-year-old patient McLawhorn at ECU’s Family Autism School of Medicine Christian Center. A recent $1 million gift will enable the Department of center to increase professional staff and expand Pediatrics,” Romary services for eastern North Carolina. said.

Autism spectrum disorder refers to a group of developmental disabilities that affect how a person understands what they see, hear or sense. People with ASD typically have difficulty understanding verbal and nonverbal communication and learning appropriate ways of behaving and interacting socially.

No one knows exactly what causes ASD, and no single test can diagnose it, said Dr. Michael Reichel, a developmental and behavioral specialist and the center’s director.

“Accurate diagnosis is made by a team of multidisciplinary professionals who have observed a person’s communication, behavior and developmental levels – combined with caregiver input and developmental history,” he said.

Interventions for ASD should also involve multiple disciplines.

That’s why organizers envisioned the center as an interdisciplinary hub for autism support, treatment, advocacy, training and research to benefit the community and region.

“With additional private and public support, we’ll be able to attract other clinicians who can support and advocate for older individuals with autism,” said Reichel. “These kids do grow up.

Our goal to emphasize needs across the lifespan will make our center truly unique.”

Sharon McLawhorn of Chicod said her 5-year-old son, Christian, has made unbelievable strides since being diagnosed with ASD a little over two years ago. “(The center) is a safe haven for the kids and their families,” 30 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

ECU College of Nursing graduates who work at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern have a new way to stay connected with their alma mater. The college and the medical facility have partnered to launch the Pirate Nurse Network at CarolinaEast Medical Center.

The Pirate Nurse Network is a member-driven support organization designed to provide educational opportunities and networking for ECU nursing graduates. The New Bern alumni group is eastern North Carolina’s second such network; the college and Vidant Medical Center in Greenville announced the first Pirate Nurse Network in November 2013.

“The College of Nursing is very proud of its alumni,” said Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of nursing. “We intend for these networks to support graduates’ careers while also keeping them connected to the college and to each other.”

Dr. Alta Andrews, director for community partnerships and practice at the College of Nursing, said that when the Pirate Nurse Network held its inaugural meeting at CarolinaEast this spring, attendees immediately sensed their common bonds.

“There were people who work in that agency that really didn’t know each other at all, who came to school in different decades.”

Andrews said. “But the energy… the warm feeling in that room was phenomenal.”

Andrews worked with Dr. Lou Everett, assistant to the dean for the undergraduate program, and other college staff to establish the network. Collaborators at CarolinaEast included Rosanne Leahy ’78, vice president and chief nursing officer, and Beth Paul ’07, ’14, an intensive care nurse.

Paul remarked on the same sense of community that Andrews noted about the group. Many CarolinaEast Medical Center nursing staff members help educate ECU students by serving as clinical preceptors, but this is another way for alumni to get involved. Already 30 alumni have joined, and members say they are looking forward to continued growth.

“We all have that Pirate spirit within us,” Paul said. “This is a great opportunity for us to give back to the college and get involved with it again.”

For information about joining or creating a Pirate Nurse Network, contact Elizabeth Willy at willye14@ecu.edu or 252744-6424.

AROUND CAMPUS

STUDENT LIFE New Student Centers on Main and Health Sciences Campuses

When North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed a bill this summer, East Carolina University was awarded over $156 million for capital projects, the most by any institution in the state. The funds will go directly to the construction of a new student center on the health sciences campus as well as a new student center and parking deck on ECU’s main campus.

“These building projects will improve learning and living conditions for our students,” said McCrory. “Additionally, they will help create new jobs for North Carolina construction and architectural firms.”

This is the largest construction project for campus in ECU’s 107-year history. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for student affairs, said that while the Mendenhall Student Center is still a functioning facility, it’s just not built for today’s college student and the ways in which they want to use a student center.

“A student center should be the living room of our campus.

They can hang out, collaborate, socialize, and build connections.”

The student center on the health sciences campus, which is scheduled to break ground early in 2015, will be a hybrid. There

will be recreation space with a fitness center and gymnasium, student health services, career center, marketplace dining, and coffee shop. There will also be multipurpose meeting and event space, student organization space, etc.

The health sciences student center should take about 18-20 months to complete. This building will provide much needed services, programs, and space to the 3,500 students in the four colleges/schools on the health sciences campus.

The student center and parking deck for main campus will be located between 10th Street and Joyner Library and span across part of the current parking lot at Mendenhall.

The student center will have meeting spaces for students as well as large ballrooms for dances and major events to be held.

Mendenhall will still keep the theater and bowling alley, but many services like Greek Life, student organizations, and SGA will move to the new center.

Other services will relocate to the new student center, e.g.

Dowdy Bookstore and the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center.

The final plans for the main campus student center and parking deck will be complete this summer and the 20-24 month construction project should begin in late spring 2015.

“This is a major step forward for East Carolina University and for our students of today and tomorrow,” said Hardy. “Just like Chancellor Steve Ballard always says, ‘It’s a great day to be a Pirate.’”

Renderings of the new student center on the health sciences campus.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 31

A LOOK BACK 32 EC ALUMNI FALL 2014

Homecoming Parades Past

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