EC Alumni - Winter 2015

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Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate ECU nurses like Jessica Griffin ’01 connect through the Pirate Nurse Network

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FEATURES

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12 writing the future

As the founder and CEO of Automated Insights, Robbie Allen ’04 is changing how information is shared and understood.

14 relationships = success Relationships are the key to success for Carlester Crumpler Jr. ’93, ’04.

16 once a pirate, always a pirate ECU nurses like Jessica Griffin ’01 connect through the Pirate Nurse Network.

20 orchestrating a higher calling

Steve Vutsinas ’88, ’90 thought he would be a professional violin performer, but found a higher calling in teaching.

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER Jessica Griffin ’01, a neonatal nurse at Vidant Medical Center, helps lead the Pirate Nurse Network.

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dear pirate nation pirate connections photo gallery university update 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 At East Carolina, we often say, “Tomorrow starts here.” But tomorrow is more than just one day. Tomorrow is the beginning of the future. When tomorrow comes, ECU and its students will be ready.

In September 2014, East Carolina University released a new five-year strategic plan entitled “Beyond Tomorrow: Our Commitment to the Future.”

From 2015 to 2019, the plan outlines specific goals under three major commitments: maximizing student success, serving the public, and leading regional transformation.

The East Carolina Alumni Association wholly supports this plan. Many of our existing programs already fit within these commitments.

Under student success, the plan states, “The success of our students is the ultimate measure of our university. We will support excellence, expand opportunity, and celebrate achievement.”

The Alumni Scholarship program is how the alumni association contributes to student success at ECU. Since 2005, the Alumni Scholarship program has awarded 197 scholarships totaling more than $260,000.

Alumni Scholarships are awarded to undergraduates who demonstrate academic achievement and service to both the university and community. Our scholarships recognize qualified students and enhance their educational experience. We do this because engaged students become engaged alumni who continue to give back to ECU. Applications for the 2015-2016 Alumni Scholarships are due January 31, 2015. We ask alumni to encourage students to apply or help by writing letters of recommendation. Consider participating in our annual Pirate Alumni Road Race & Fun Run in the spring or the ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic golf tournament in the fall to support the scholarship fund. Or, simply make a donation anytime online at PirateAlumni.com/Donate. If you can’t participate or donate, you can still help by spreading the word and sharing this information on social media (see below).

Alumni can have a great impact on making the student success portion and all portions of this new strategic plan a reality. Being a member of the alumni association and/or donating to the scholarship fund are great ways to support the university and the new strategic plan. With support from alumni and all of the East Carolina community, “beyond tomorrow” will represent a bright future.

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.

Marcy Romary 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

Megan Howard ’07 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Shawn Moore ’91, ’98 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI PROGRAMS

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

Chelsea Ward ’13 ALUMNI CENTER COORDINATOR

ALUMNI

VOL. 8, NO. 1

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.

Chris Dyba Vice Chancellor for University Advancement

Let’s Be Social!

©2015 East Carolina Alumni Association Read EC Alumni online at: PirateAlumni.com/ECAlumni ISSN: 2152-5668

PirateAlumni.com/Linkedin

Facebook.com/ECAAFanPage

Send change of address to: East Carolina Alumni Association Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Mail Stop 305 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353

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Twitter.com/PirateAlumni Use the hashtag #piratealumni

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To contact us or comment on this magazine: 252-328-4723 | 800-ECU-GRAD ecualumni@ecu.edu

EC Alumni is paid for with non-state funds.

Flickr.com/Photos/PirateAlumni Tag your photos with piratealumni

A team of golfers representing East Carolina University recently won a division of the Acura College Alumni Team Championship.

With a net score of 238, teammates Jerry Shaw ’99, Gill Young, Whitt Young, and Andrew Bain finished first place in the net scoring division. The fifth annual Acura championship was held October 5-8 at Pinehurst Resort.

The team qualified for the championship after winning the ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic golf tournament, held September 19 at Ironwood Golf & Country Club, sponsored by the East Carolina Alumni Association. All hometown friends from Clayton, NC, in Johnston County, the team calls themselves the “JoCo Pirates.”

The JoCo Pirates competed with 60 teams from universities across the country at legendary Pinehurst courses No. 2 and No. 4 in a 36-hole best-ball competition.

“Once we got to the Acura alumni championship it was unbelievable,” said Jerry Shaw.

“Representing my school against 60 other colleges was quite an experience and then to win was awesome. I was proud to represent ECU so well and hope we get another chance next year. We as a team made a commitment to try and make it back and defend our title.”

Alumni Scholarship Applications Due January 30 The East Carolina Alumni Association is accepting applications for Alumni Scholarships for the 2015-2016 school year through January 30, 2015. Approximately 20-25 scholarships of $1,000 or $2,500 are available. To be eligible, students must be registered as a full-time undergraduate with at least 12 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA. Students should demonstrate service and leadership in the university and community. Applications must be accompanied by a signed letter of recommendation. To receive a scholarship, students must be able to attend the Scholarship Luncheon on April 25, 2015. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/Scholarships.

Class of 1965 Golden Alumni Reunion Members of the class of 1965 are invited to return to East Carolina for their 50th reunion, when they will be honored as Golden Alumni during commencement weekend, ThursdayFriday, May 7-8, 2015. Activities begin Thursday morning, including campus tours, a luncheon with the university historian, and a special dinner with the graduating class of 2015. Then on Friday, reunion participants will lead the graduates into Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium during commencement before a formal dinner that evening. More information will be posted at PirateAlumni.com.

PIRATE CONNECTIONS

“JoCo Pirates” Place First at Acura College Alumni Team Championship

Class of 1965 PIRATEALUMNI.COM 3

PIRATE CONNECTIONS

The East Carolina Alumni Association Board of Directors is accepting applications for new members, with three-year terms to begin July 1, 2015. We are seeking bright, creative, diverse, dedicated, and enthusiastic alumni with a true desire to support their alma mater through volunteer service, leadership, and positively engaging other alumni in the life of East Carolina.

Board membership is a distinct honor and is rewarding. Members will play an active role in guiding the efforts and initiatives of the alumni association.

For detailed information on the application process, responsibilities of a board member, and the application form, please visit PirateAlumni.com/BoardApplicationProcess.

Road Race Set For April 11 Mark your calendars! The eighth annual Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run will be April 11, 2015. Like last year's popular "Paint It Purple" edition, runners will be dusted with colored powder along the route.

This year, the colors will be even brighter and bolder!

Proceeds benefit the Alumni Scholarship program.

Once registration opens in the spring, plan to register in advance, as last year's event sold out well before the event. Day-of registration will only be available if space allows. Details and registration forms will be posted at PirateAlumni.com/RoadRace.

New Home?

Quickly update your ECU record online PirateAlumni.com/UpdateInfo 4 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Pirate Career Casts Pirate Career Casts are interactive webcasts led by nationally renowned experts who can help alumni advance their careers in today's competitive workplace. Held the first Wednesday of every month at 8:00 p.m., Pirate Career Casts are free for association members and $10 for non-members. Spring topics are as follows.

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 March 4

“Stuff Your Resume with Keywords to Highlight Your Experience” Facilitated by Jay Block April 1

“Use Your Strengths to Create a Rewarding and Satisfying Career” Facilitated by Tom Rath 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

BY THE #s

Board of Directors Applications Due December 31

157,415 Total Alumni 1,939 Life Members 6,007 Annual Members 1,910 Student Members 8,340 ‘Like’ us

Facebook.com/ECAAFanPage 21,109 Event Photos

Flickr.com/photos/PirateAlumni 9,902 Connections

PirateAlumni.com/Linkedin 5,619 Followers

Twitter.com/PirateAlumni

PIRATE CONNECTIONS The Chantey Blog Launched A chantey is a work song sung by sailors at sea. Recently, the alumni association launched The Chantey blog to sing the praises of East Carolina alumni as we work to advance our university.

There is a long history of such efforts at the alumni http://piratealumni.wordpress.com association.

The Pirate’s Chantey was the name of our first printed newsletter, before ECUpdate e-newsletter and EC Alumni magazine. In addition to the e-newsletter and magazine, we’ll use this blog to share alumni stories, feature alumni accomplishments, and post upcoming alumni events.

East Carolina alumni do amazing things every day, and we’re honored to help tell your stories! Every time we promote the achievements of our alumni, we showcase the value of an East Carolina education and increase acclaim for the university.

If you have ideas for posts or if you’d like to suggest alumni to feature, please contact Assistant Director for Alumni Communications Jackie Drake at 252-328-4902 or drakej@ecu.edu.

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BOARD DIRECTORS

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

Derwood, MD

Dean Browder ’77, Treasurer

Winston-Salem, NC

John Israel ’82, Secretary Norfolk, VA Angela Moss ’97, ’98, Past Chair Raleigh, NC Marcy Romary, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations

Greenville, NC

William Burnette ’96 Virginia Beach, VA

Networking Events

Adrian Cullin ’04 Charlotte, NC

Tap into the power of the Pirate alumni network at one of our upcoming networking events. Meet fellow Pirates in your area and expand your professional and social networks.

Each networking event is led by featured alumni who are leaders in their industries and communities. Networking events are open to all alumni and friends of East Carolina, but members of the alumni association are eligible for discounted registration. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/NetworkingEvents.

Neil Dorsey ’65, ’66 Winterville, NC

New Bern, NC January 27, 2015 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Lawson’s Landing Cafe at Tryon Palace Wilmington, NC January 29, 2015 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Dockside Restaurant

Jim Dill ’79 Richmond, VA

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

College of Business 2015 Italian Experience

Michael McShane ’66 Alexandria, VA

Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the ECU College of Business are invited to the 2015 Italian Experience from June 26 to July 10. This two-week tour will begin in Milan and continue to Turin, Asti, Genoa, Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere, Lucca, Fiesole, and Florence. Highlights include a visit to Fiat, the Italian Riviera, a wine tasting at a vineyard, a stop at an olive oil production company, and a visit with a local artisan. Trip cost includes hotel accommodations, breakfast every morning, six dinners and three lunches.

Transportation throughout Italy will be provided on a Gran Turismo bus, which offers door-to-door service. All hotels will be three- or four-star. Hotel accommodations are double occupancy. Airfare is not included. The estimated cost per person is $2,100 to $2,800 depending on the number of participants. For more information, contact Amy McMillan at 252-258-6463 or mcmillana@ecu.edu.

Tyna Sloate ’90 New York, NY

Joy Ruhmann ’81 Raleigh, NC

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

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PHOTO GALLERY 6 6 EC EC ALUMNI ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate HOMECOMING 2014!

It was a wonderful weekend full of many successful events including the Alumni Awards Ceremony, Homecoming Breakfast, Buccaneer Buffet, Black Alumni Reunion, Marching Pirates Reunion, ECTC & ECC Reunion, and Collegians Reunion.

P IR ATE A LUMN I.COM/

VIEWING PARTIES are great opportunities for Pirate fans to come together and cheer on the football team.

Alumni currently host viewing parties in 22 cities throughout the Pirate Nation including (top to bottom) Chicago, IL, Orlando, FL, Nashville, TN, Charlotte, and Wake Forest.

The 2014 BLACK ALUMNI REUNION featured a golf outing, Friday night mixer at Wasabi 88, the Grand Finale Party on Saturday night, and an ecumenical service on Sunday morning. As many as 200 alumni participated in these events.

During the reunion, an announcement was made that the Laura Leary Elliott Memorial Scholarship Fund reached endowment status.

The November 22 game against Tulane was MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY. Paratroopers delivered our nation’s colors and the game ball, flags from each of the military branches came out with the team, and fans in the south stands were a part of the first-ever card stunt at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium that spelled out a “Thank You Military” message (below).

PHOTO G A L L E RY

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UNIVERSITY UPDATE 8 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

BEYOND TOMORROW OUR COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE

ECU Releases Five-Year Strategic Plan East Carolina University honors the values that have guided us in the past. We will sharpen our focus on these values as we look to the future.

OUR VALUES The next five years will see East Carolina Scholarship. We will be a community where University grow scholarly important intellectual freedom, discipline, andacademic the rigorous pursuit of knowledge thrive. programs, work to address the needs of Leadership.

Our students, faculty and eastern North Carolina andstaffgraduate will demonstrate leadership in their professions and communities. students who are ready to lead in the workplace Service. and We willcommunity. work toward solutions to the challenges of our region, state, and nation.

That’s the message of the university’s We will harness the skills and knowledge newDiscovery. strategic titled Beyond Tomorrow: of our faculty,plan, staff, and students to create a brighter tomorrow for North Carolina.

Our Commitment to the Future.

“Beyond Tomorrow sets a bold course OUR MISSION for the university,” said ECU Chancellor To be a national model for student success, Stevepublic Ballard.

“Itand is aregional reflection of the values service, transformation, Carolina University: and East principles of the university. It also points toinnovative one oflearning the strategies definingandqualities of Uses delivery methods to maximize access; East Carolina: our readiness to confront the challenges of students todaywith while pushingskills,beyond Prepares the knowledge, and to succeed in a global, multicultural society; them values toward a better tomorrow.”

Develops leaders to serve andmission inspire The plan tomorrow’s aligns with ECU’s positive change; in three key areas – maximizing student Discovers new knowledge and innovations success, serving the public and toleading support a thriving future for eastern North Carolina regional transformation – that the plans and beyond; callsTransforms “commitments. ” health care, promotes wellness, and reduces and Work onhealth thedisparities; underpinnings of the plan began last fall in the form of meetings Improves quality of life through cultural enrichment, academics, the arts, and athletics. administrators of faculty, staff members, and students who listed six potential directions and goals along with strategies and action items to meet them. Those were consolidated into three commitments and several related goals and compiled into a formal strategic plan.

In July, the plan was presented to the ECU Board of Trustees, and the university’s Executive Committee approved it in August.

During the next five months, 25 units within the university will develop their own strategic plans based on the broader plan along with action items to accomplish their goals and metrics to measure their success.

Senior Associate Provost Austin Bunch, Associate Professor of Nursing Elaine Scott and Interim Provost Ron Mitchelson led the Strategic Planning Committee.

East Carolina University is committed to honoring the values that have guided the progress of the university. As we look to the future, we will sharpen our focus on those that are critical to our continued growth.

Some work is already in progress. Below are some selected achievements under each ECU’s strategic plan positions the university as a leader in academic excellence, economic development, commitment. public service, discovery, and diversity. It is derived

OUR COMMITMENTS from our mission statement and is organized around three commitments.

Maximize student success Maximize Successfreshmen In August, Student 20 high-achieving The success of our students is the ultimate measure began their college careers as EC of East Carolina. We will support excellence, expand opportunity, and celebrate achievement.

Scholars, East Carolina University’s top undergraduate scholarship program. A few Serve thethree Public miles away, others began their medical Service has always been at the heart of this university. school studies as Brody scholars, the top We will inspire the next generation of leaders to carry this spirit of service into their professional graduate scholarship program.lives. We will be engaged with the needs of eastern North Carolina and beyond.

Serve the public Lead Regional Believed to be the Transformation first of its kind in the The past, present, andinstalled future of this by university state, a barrier ECUareresearchers closely aligned with the region it calls home. We see the of eastern North Carolina and accept them as ischallenges reducing nitrate-nitrogen concentrations our own. Through partnership, leadership, and discovery, we will be a force North for progressCarolina and growth. groundwater. in eastern The project is one example of how ECU We will keep these commitments while being good stewards of the resources entrusted us. faculty members are usingtotheir expertise to serve the region.

Lead regional transformation STRATEGIC PLAN 2014–2019 Developing technically adept workers for business and industry requires an early start. That’s why ECU, together with school systems, Pitt Community College and others, is creating a comprehensive, hands-on project aimed at fueling a regional advanced manufacturing and innovation workforce beginning with middle school students.

To read more about the plan, visit www.ecu.edu/beyondtomorrow.

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ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Captain Christopher Cash Memorial Foundation Establishes Endowed Scholarship Ten years ago, Army Captain Christopher S. Cash ’97, ’02, a two-time graduate of the ECU College of Health and Human Performance, was killed in Baqubah, Iraq while serving his country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He died a hero while attempting to protect the soldiers of his unit who were under attack.

During the ensuing ten years, Chris's widow Dawn Cash-Salau ’96 and her friends have committed an astounding amount of time, energy, and resources to ensure that Chris’ memory lives on in a very meaningful way. Lives have been touched by scholarships initiated by the Captain Christopher Cash Memorial Foundation of NC, which Dawn founded.

During this time, a number of students in the College of Health and Human Performance have received financial assistance through annually funded Captain Christopher Cash Memorial Scholarships.

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Recently, Dawn has revealed plans for scholarship support in the College of HHP to be awarded for the 2015-2016 school year. Five annually funded scholarships will be awarded in HHP generally, and one each will be provided to the Army and Air Force ROTC programs.

In addition to the programs outlined above, Dawn and the foundation board have decided that the celebration of their tenth year of providing these programs in Chris’s memory would be an appropriate time to establish an endowed Captain Christopher Cash Memorial Scholarship Fund in the College of HHP. In a recent email, Dawn commented, “It is truly exciting to establish this scholarship knowing that Chris's legacy will continue for years to come at the College of HHP.” The annual fundraiser for the Captain Christopher Cash Memorial Foundation is the Reindeer Dash for Cash 10M & 5K, held in Greenville every December.

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Morris Reid Endows Social Work Scholarship in Daughter's Memory Morris Reid has always encouraged each of his three children to work hard and pursue their dreams. Reid is a superintendent IV at the Neuse Correctional Institute in Goldsboro. He began working with the Department of Public Safety as a correctional officer in 1981. Although he did not attend college, he has been extremely successful in his career through lots of hard work, drive, and determination.

His daughter, Lamanda Reid, known to many as Michelle, shared the same drive and determination as her father. Upon completing her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Michelle enrolled at East Carolina University in 2010, to pursue a two-year master’s degree in social work. She was an active member of the Graduate Association of Social Workers, an organization that supports students in the field of social work and works to provide community outreach services.

Michelle had just completed her first year of the master’s degree program at ECU when her life was cut short at the young age of 22. On Friday, July 15, 2011, Michelle was on her way to visit a friend in Charlotte and was involved in a fender-bender. As she waited on the roadside for help to arrive, Michelle was fatally struck by a passing car.

The students, faculty, and staff of the School of Social Work felt a tremendous loss, but there is no greater loss than that felt by a parent. Morris Reid knew he wanted, and needed, Inside ECU Save the date! The Women’s Roundtable at ECU will host its fifth annual Inside ECU event on Friday, April 17, 2015. Gather your friends and don’t miss this exclusive opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at ECU! Contact Director for Women’s Philanthropy and Constituent Development Stephanie Bunn at bunns@ecu.edu or 252-328-9597 for more details.

“

Making a gift in Michelle’s honor made me feel proud and happy to help a student in need pursue their dream of becoming a social worker specializing in gerontology.

I have met some of the recipients who have benfitted from my gift and each were so thankful for being selected to receive funding in Michelle’s honor.

”

to do something positive after Michelle’s passing. He knew that something good had to come out of such a tragic event. He thought about what he could do to truly make a difference in the lives of others – the way Michelle would have done. And, in time, he decided exactly what he would do.

In honor of Michelle’s memory, Reid named ECU the beneficiary of an insurance policy that will endow the Lamanda Michelle Reid Gerontology Scholarship in the College of Human Ecology. The scholarship is awarded annually to benefit a student pursuing a degree in social work, specializing in gerontology.

Knowing Michelle’s memory will be honored through helping someone in need has brought comfort to Reid and his family.

“Making a gift in Michelle's honor made me feel proud and happy to help a student in need pursue their dream of becoming a social worker specializing in gerontology. I have met some of the recipients who have benefitted from my gift and each were so thankful for being selected to receive funding in Michelle's honor.”

Reid encourages anyone who is thinking about making a gift to do so, and says once they do, “They will be amazed at the difference their gift will make in the lives of those who are selected to receive it.”

Scholarship Endowment Completed The Kathy A. Taft Memorial Women’s Roundtable Access Scholarship Endowment was successfully completed at $125,000 in 2014, one year ahead of schedule! This endowment, established in memory of founding Women’s Roundtable member Kathy Taft, will annually provide $5,000 to a deserving fulltime student from North Carolina with proven academic potential and demonstrated financial need. Thank you to all members of the Women’s Roundtable for your financial support!

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Writing the Future As the founder and CEO of Automated Insights, Robbie Allen ’04 is changing how information is shared and understood

Subtitle...

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umbers and words convey information, but finding and expressing the meaning in those figures is usually the task of a human being – until now.

Companies like industry pioneer Automated Insights are using computer programming to turn raw data into a coherent story, without a writer.

Automated Insights’ signature Wordsmith platform generates insightful, customized reports from huge amounts of data on topics like stock market earnings and sports statistics.

“We’re helping companies automate content in a way they haven’t been able to before,” says Automated Insights founder and CEO Robbie Allen, who earned a degree in computer science at East Carolina University in 2004.

Based in Durham with 35 employees, Automated Insights generated more than 350 million reports in 2013. Wordsmith can now produce up to 2,000 stories per second. Automated Insights has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Forbes, Business Insider, and more. Now in its seventh year of business, the company has been voted Best Place to Work in the Triangle for three years in a row by the Triangle Business Journal.

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Allen’s original idea for a company was to analyze sports statistics.

From there it evolved into creating sports stories from the data.

“A lot of basic sports stories are very formulaic, and I thought I could write algorithms that could simulate the way a person writes,” Allen said.

“It became clear that applies to more than just sports, like finance, real estate, sales, and more. So many industries are realizing the value of data now. But they’re having a hard time figuring out what it all means. We help them process all that data in a way that sounds like a person wrote it in plain English.”

For example, Automated Insights works with Yahoo in fantasy football, Allen explains. “Every Tuesday morning, Yahoo sends us all their fantasy data from the previous week, like lineups and matchups.

We send back recaps that summarize which teams won, which teams lost, which teams had an upset. It looks as if a sports writer sat down and generated several million stories, but one person couldn’t possibly do all that.”

Demand for such services is increasing, according to Allen. “We’re getting lots of big clients now, like Allstate, Edmunds.com, Microsoft, Samsung, etc. Lots of different industries are doing a lot more with data.”

The media industry in particular has been watching Automated Insights very closely. Some reporters wonder if they will be out of a job soon, while others maintain that computer programs won’t ever be able to write the way humans can.

really knows in the early days how big their venture will get. It’s been a long journey.

Every year we keep improving and getting more business and publicity.”

Allen started his company in 2007, a month after his first child was born. He likes to say that he had “two babies,” his child and his start-up.

He was working for Cisco at the time, building up his company in his spare time until he got established enough to secure funding and set out on his own. He had started working at Cisco full-time in 1998 after gaining an internship with them while at ECU. Allen came to ECU in 1995 but left before graduating. “That was right around the time that the dot com boom was happening. Cisco wanted to move me out to California right away,” he said.

“They said I could finish my degree while working out there.”

too far away from home.”

Allen always knew he wanted to work with computers.

He recalled, “In tenth grade, I saw my first computer and I said ‘alright, that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.’

I knew then that I wanted to work with computers, so it wasn’t hard to choose computer science as my major.”

Because he knew his interest from an early age, he was able to focus on completing a full class load along with his internships and co-ops.

“I thought the computer science program at ECU was great,” Allen said.

“I have a lot of fond memories of all my professors. I liked all the classes. I was soaking up everything I could learn in every class.”

The internships Allen earned and completed at ECU were essential to his career.

“I’ve gotten degrees from both ECU and MIT and people ask if there’s a difference, and there are some, but I tell people that the quality of education at ECU was just as good as MIT or any university I’ve been to, and I’ve been to a lot.”

“To our knowledge, Wordsmith has never been the cause of anyone losing their job,” Allen said. “Typically, our relationship with our clients is helping them automate things that they can’t do on this large a scale. We’re creating content where it didn’t exist before. Or we’re writing the routine number-crunching stories that the reporters didn’t really enjoy writing anyway. This frees them up to do more in-depth stories.”

In fact, Automated Insights recently launched a landmark relationship with the Associated Press. The AP has previously written about 300 corporate earnings stories per quarter, but with Wordsmith, America’s largest news service can now cover 4,400 companies a quarter. By the end of 2014, Automated Insights will have generated over a billion stories, more than all major news outlets put together.

“We’re inventing something completely new that no one’s ever done,” Allen said.

“So we constantly have to keep innovating.”

Allen wasn’t sure at first how far his business would go. “No entrepreneur

He continued taking classes at Stanford and San Jose State. When the boom ended, he moved back to North Carolina in 2002 and commuted to ECU to complete his degree. He then went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing two master’s degrees in engineering and entrepreneurship.

“It took me ten years to get my undergraduate degree, and it took two years to get two masters degrees at MIT,” he likes to joke.

Initially, Allen spent his first semester of college at the University of South Carolina, but wasn’t happy there.

His high school sweetheart and girlfriend at the time, now wife, had gone to ECU, so he came to visit a couple times. He really liked the campus and decided to transfer to ECU. “The campus was very welcoming, and not overwhelming. It was a more intimate experience than some of the larger universities,” he said. “It was also not too far from our hometown, which is Burlington. It was far enough away but not

“That was something I loved about ECU, and something I tout to this very day,” he said. “The computer science department had a great co-op program with relationships with several different companies. Those co-ops and internships gave me a great foundation in computer science.”

“I’ve gotten degrees from both ECU and MIT and people ask if there’s a difference, and there are some, but I tell people that the quality of education at ECU was just as good as MIT or any university I’ve been to, and I’ve been to a lot,” Allen says. “ECU had all the right resources, but it ultimately comes down to the student. The quality of the education comes down to the individual. I was willing to put in the time, but at ECU I had professors that were willing to put in the time with me. Higher-profile professors tend to be more research oriented. But my ECU professors really cared about their students. I got an awesome education while I was at ECU. The whole experience was memorable. I really enjoyed it. It was overall just a great experience.”

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RELATIONSHIPS = SUCCESS Relationships are the key to success for Carlester Crumpler Jr. ’93, ’04

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hether helping a football team to victory or helping non-profits fulfill their missions, relationships have always been important to Carlester Crumpler Jr ’93, ’04.

After playing football for East Carolina University and the National Football League, Crumpler went on to a career in finance. Now based in Atlanta, he is a vice president at Bank of America assisting healthcare and not-for-profit institutions in Georgia.

“Building relationships is the key to success,” says Crumpler, who earned his bachelor of science in business administration from ECU in 1993.

He later went on to earn his master of business administration in 2004.

Some of his earliest relationships began at East Carolina.

“I grew up in Greenville, born and raised,” Crumpler said. “I always went to East Carolina football games every year.”

14 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

When he was in high shcool, Crumpler’s father, Carlester Crumpler Sr., was the recruiting coordinator for ECU football. After graduating from J. H. Rose High School, he considered other schools in the state but decided to go to ECU. He enrolled in summer school to take an industrial technology course, and quickly realized that was not for him, so he settled on finance.

He came to ECU on a football scholarship. After redshirting his freshman year and overcoming several shoulder injuries and surgeries, he played tight end for four years and finished his senior year as an All-American.

“Game day is always a fun experience at ECU, with all the energy and excitement,” he said. “Having the opportunity to play in front of our fans in my hometown was just great overall.”

As a redshirt sophomore, Crumpler was a member of the 1991 team that went

on to victory over NC State in the 1992 Peach Bowl.

“That was a very special and magical season for both the team and the university,” he said.

While playing on the football team took much of his time, Crumpler also served as an Orientation Assistant.

Orientation Assistant are upperclassmen who help new students transition to life at ECU. “I met lots of great friends that I still keep in touch with today,” he said. “I started those relationships during those summers as an Orientation Assistant.”

Crumpler also had strong relationships with his professors.

“I had a lot of really good professors,” he said. He especially remembers Don Boldt, who earned his MBA from Harvard and also served as dean. “He was the first professor to my knowledge to introduce Harvard case studies. They

Crumpler Jr. played TE for ECU from 1990-1993.

were really challenging and gave some great perspectives on different ways to run a business.”

He continued, “ECU had a broad range of classes that exposed me to many different industries and people.”

After college, Crumpler played six years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings. After some entrepreneurial efforts in Seattle, he decided to return to ECU to complete his master’s degree.

The relationships he began at ECU laid the groundwork for his future career.

“The big thing for me has always been about relationships,” Crumpler says. “Having an opportunity at ECU to interact with a diverse group of people with different backgrounds really helped prepare me for what I’m doing today. I work in a very diverse work environment.”

Crumpler leads Bank of America’s non-profit banking efforts in the state of Georgia. His office provides banking products and services to a wide array of health, social, religious, and educational institutions. He also has some clients in South Carolina and Washington, DC. “We help our clients achieve greater mission impact in the communities they serve,” Crumpler said. “Because of my experience in Greenville, when I drive into small towns in south Georgia, I can relate to the people there, even though I’m driving in from the big city of Atlanta.”

Crumpler’s favorite part of the job is

“finding solutions that can best meet the clients’ needs. We search for creative ideas that differentiate us from the competition.”

He continues, “Our business is a relationship business. The more face time we get with clients, the greater out ability to offer competitive products and pricing so they can achieve their goals in the community.”

Though he is based in Atlanta, Crumpler maintains his relationship with ECU and Greenville. He currently serves on the ECU Foundation Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees for Vidant Medical Center. He is a former founding board member of Ron Clark Academy. He has been a featured alumnus at networking events in Atlanta hosted by the East Carolina Alumni Association. He also returned to campus in August 2014 to speak at convocation for new students.

“It’s always great to speak to students,” he says. “My main message to them was

back to relationships. “Out of all the things that compete for your attention, you need to have the ability to prioritize.

The workplace is more global today than it’s ever been. Your ability to focus and get things done is a big differentiator. There’s so much interaction that takes place on a computer or mobile device, but being able to engage someone face to face and build relationships with not only your peers but also those that are older and younger than you will set you up for success.”

At Bank of America, Crumpler is among colleagues from prestigious universities all over the country, but he is proud to represent East Carolina.

“Our graduates make great contributions to the companies that hire them,” he said. “I think more big-name companies should hire East Carolina graduates.”

He concluded, “It’s amazing to see how the university has grown, from the time I

Crumpler Jr. with his wife Yarid and daughters Sophia (3) and Natalia (1).

the importance of finding out who you want to become, and then making your decisions align with that vision. So many students will go pro in something other than sports.”

When asked if he had any further advice for students, Crumpler again came

was a kid, to when I graduated, to today.

East Carolina University plays such an important role in eastern North Carolina and the state as a whole. The contributions we make to the state are huge. That’s something we should all be proud of.”

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 15

16 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate ECU nurses like Jessica Griffin ’01 connect through the Pirate Nurse Network

When Jessica Griffin ’01 was at East Carolina University, she had a support network of fellow Pirates around her. And now she has something very similar where she works.

Griffin, a neonatal nurse, is a founding member of the Pirate Nurse Network at Vidant Medical Center.

Launched in the fall of 2013, the Pirate Nurse Network is a memberdriven support organization for nurses who graduated from ECU working at Vidant.

“It’s a great

way for Pirate nurses to stay connected with each other and with their College of Nursing,” says Griffin.

The network now has more than 170 members. During the first year, the goal has mainly been to get the word out and recruit new members, but there have been a few successful events and activities so far. In the fall of 2014, a team of Pirate nurses rallied together to participate in the 2014 Down East Heart Walk. This Pirate Nurse Network team raised over $1,600 in donations to support the local chapter of the American Heart Association and ranked as the number one team from the medical center.

The network focuses on helping ECU nurses in four key areas: continuing education and career development, community service, social activities, and scholarships.

Griffin is quick to say she didn’t come up with the idea of the Pirate Nurse Network, though she and a colleague did help get it going.

“I like to think of it as a gift,” she says.

This gift came from the College of Nursing. Dean Dr. Sylvia Brown, Dr. Alta Andrews, and Dr. Lou Everett presented the concept to nursing leadership at the medical center. Senior Vice President – Nurse Executive Dr. Linda Hofler ’87, ’07 and the Nurse Executive Council at Vidant Medical Center loved the idea and tapped the existing Marketing and Mentoring Council, cochaired by Griffin and Cathy Bunch ’94, to implement the plan.

“Cathy and I absolutely loved the Pirate Nurse Network concept,” Griffin said. “We knew it

would really catch on. It’s a win-win for both the university and our organization.

It’s been wonderful working with Cathy and everyone else in the network. It has been an exciting journey.”

The College of Nursing has continued to be very supportive, according to Griffin.

The college has provided a variety of resources including what she calls “Pirate Nurse treasures,” like buttons, pens, stickers, and identification badge reels that say “Pirate Nurse” that are given to members when they join the network. The badge reels have been immensely popular, serving as a particularly effective marketing tool. Network members are also working on official Pirate Nurse Network apparel and merchandise, from which proceeds will benefit scholarships to help Pirate nurses go back to school.

“We’ve got a lot of cool things in the works,” Griffin says. “The possibilities are endless.”

The concept isn’t limited to Vidant. A second Pirate Nurse Network has been established at Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern.

Griffin’s favorite part of the Pirate Nurse Network is seeing the spirit and excitement from both new and veteran Pirate nurses alike. “We have a lot of different age nurses involved, from folks who graduated last year to those who have been in nursing for 30 years or more. It’s really inspiring for us to see, once a Pirate always a Pirate.”

Pirate spirit runs in Griffin’s family.

Born and raised in Pitt County, she attended Grifton School and AydenGrifton High School. Both her parents graduated from ECU. Her mother has been a nurse at Vidant Medical Center for more than 38 years.

Initially interested in a career in pharmacy, Griffin worked at a local drugstore during high school, and got a scholarship to study pharmacy at Campbell University. But she decided to stay close to home and attend ECU instead.

18 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

“It was a natural choice for me and a very good choice in the end,” she said.

“Family is a big part of my life. To have a university and medical center of this caliber right near where I live is a real blessing, and I’m very thankful for them both. I never regretted staying. Why go anywhere else?”

After some advanced chemistry classes, she realized she didn’t want to pursue a pharmacy degree any longer, and again looked to family for inspiration.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people. During the summers growing up, I carpooled with my mom and volunteered at Pitt County Memorial Hospital (now Vidant Medical Center) in several departments while my mom worked. I decided to follow in her footsteps and become a nurse. It all ended up working out the way it was supposed to.”

Griffin enjoyed all of her classes at ECU, but her favorite was anatomy and physiology. “I was absolutely amazed by how we are designed. I had a pure fascination with the human body. I was mesmerized by what I was learning. I remember always being the last one to leave the lab; they had to kick me out. I couldn’t get enough.”

She participated in several kinds of clinicals during nursing school, but her favorite was maternity/obstetric nursing,

which was taught by one of her favorite professors, Dr. Robin Webb Corbett. In addition, Griffin was senior class president for her nursing class. And she was involved in the Beta Nu chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Griffin worked throughout college, at her hometown pharmacy, as a tutor of high school students, as a research assistant to nursing professors, and at Lenoir Women’s Care. Since she commuted to ECU, she was able to live and work near family.

Griffin says her nursing degree prepared her very well for her career. “I learned just as much about myself as I did about nursing and the patients I’d be caring for.

That was pretty profound for me. You learn your interests and strengths, as well as what you’re not cut out for. It was an inspiring learning journey about self and others.”

After graduating and passing her state board licensing exam, Griffin got a job at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, now Vidant Medical Center. Initially she was hired to work in the surgical intensive care unit but soon realized that trauma nursing was not for her, so she transitioned to the labor and delivery unit. After working a year in the birthing center, she moved to the newborn/convalescent newborn nursery, where she “fell in love with babies” and has worked ever since.

Jessica and her mother Sue Edwards ’76, ’85, who is also a nurse at Vidant.

One of the first meetings of the Pirate Nurse Network in September 2013.

The convalescent newborn nursery has changed names and locations, but is now called the special care nursery at the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital.

It’s an intermediate level nursery that helps premature or struggling newborns transition from the neonatal intensive care unit before going home.

“I absolutely love the work I do and consider it a privilege to be a part of new beginnings,” Griffin says. “I have found my niche. It took me a while to find it. But that’s the beauty of nursing. With one degree, you can do so much. We owe it to ourselves and the patients and families we serve to find what we’re most passionate about. If you’re not happy where you are in your unit, you’re not benefitting those in your care. You have the flexibility to find where you belong and where you can do the most good.”

Griffin is a strong advocate for patient and family centered nursing care.

“Growing up, I was not only the daughter of a nurse but also a devoted family member at the bedside. My father spent a lot of years in and out of the hospitals in Greenville and Raleigh. Little did I know, even in high school, those experiences with him and my family on the receiving end of health care were giving me a unique perspective. Today I try to be very aware and supportive of what families are going through.”

Her favorite part of her job is “really connecting with people as they become new parents, and helping them cope with having a premature baby. I haven’t had a premature baby myself, but as a mother, I try to help parents work through their stressful situations and celebrate the milestones that their babies achieve.

They’re spending their first weeks and months in a hospital room, and that’s when the bonding happens. It’s humbling

to be a part of these special life moments.

It’s very rewarding.”

While Griffin says her greatest accomplishment is her family, her husband and three children, she is very proud of attending ECU and becoming a nurse.

“I couldn’t have picked a better university. It was a blessing to have ECU in my neck of the woods. All things have worked out the way they were meant to.

I’m so thankful for the great experiences I had at ECU and the College of Nursing.

I had wonderful instructors and mentors, and made great friends I’m still in touch with now, especially through the Pirate Nurse Network. I’m very grateful.

I’d recommend ECU to anybody in Pitt County or across the country for that matter. The nursing program and the medical center here are nationally recognized and that’s something that all Pirate Nurses can be proud of.”

“

I’m so thankful for the great experiences I had at ECU and the College of Nursing. I had wonderful instructors and mentors, and made great friends I’m still in touch with now, especially through the Pirate Nurse Network.

”

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 19

Orchestrating a Higher Calling

Steve Vutsinas ’88, ’90 thought he would be a professional violin performer, but found a higher calling in teaching

W

hen violinist Steve Vutsinas ’88, ’90 graduated from East Carolina University, teaching music in public schools was the last thing he wanted to do.

It took what could be called divine intervention, but he found his calling and went on to become a top 10 finalist for the first Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in January 2014.

“It was a whirlwind. I’ve been so blessed,” said Vutsinas, who is the orchestra conductor and music department chair at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, VA. In his 25 years of conducting school orchestras, Vutsinas has been teaching more than music. He teaches students to find their own calling.

“I believe God helped me find my way into teaching through East Carolina,” he

20 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

says. “Now I can help kids find whatever purpose God has for them through music.”

Vutsinas started studying the violin individually at a very young age while growing up in Maryland. His talent was noticed by two violin professors, Paul Topper and Rodney Schmidt, who recruited him to come to ECU. “It was kind of like they do for athletes,” Vutsinas said. Several schools were recruiting him, but once he visited East Carolina, he knew that was where he wanted to go. “I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day.

Everyone was outside hanging out on the hill. It felt like a great place to be. Once I got to East Carolina, I was hooked.”

Dr. Schmidt tried for four years to get Vutsinas to switch his major from violin performance to music education.

“I just didn’t want to be a teacher,”

he said. “All I wanted to do was play the violin. My high school didn’t have an orchestra, so I didn’t have any role models.

I had great teachers, but not orchestra conductors. It just wasn’t on my radar.”

But it all worked out in the end, Vutsinas says.

“I absolutely loved being part of the orchestra at East Carolina,” he said. “So many opportunities came out of that. It was a lot of hours and a lot of practicing but it was my favorite thing. I have so many great memories. I made some fantastic friends that I’m still friends with to this day.”

As first chair violin, he served as concert master for the orchestra, a leadership role that involves performing solos and helping other orchestra members tune their instruments. While a student, he played with the North Carolina Symphony and with the National Opera Company.

“My first degree in violin performance really shaped me as a musician,” he commented. “There are things today that I teach exactly the way Dr. Schmidt taught me. ECU furthered my love for music in The Grassfield High School orchestra in concert, October 2014. a way I can’t imagine any other institution doing. And I pass that but eventually went on to pursue more love on to my students today.” opportunities in Virginia and Florida.

He loved going to football games In addition to being a teacher, Vutsinas and playing intramural sports. He was is also a licensed pastor. After teaching also involved in InterVarsity Christian for a couple years at Great Bridge High Fellowship, and led Bible studies on campus. School in Chesapeake, he answered the call “Because I had an opportunity at East to go into full time ministry in Florida.

Carolina to be a leader, I have all these team He also taught orchestra there for a few building concepts that I still use today. I years. Then he moved back to Chesapeake learned to serve others first instead of asking to his current position at Grassfield, where them to serve me. If I hadn’t gone to East he has been teaching for eight years.

Carolina, I would not be who I am today.”

Grassfield is a magnet school that After completing his bachelor’s degree, opened in 2007. It was ranked the Vutsinas didn’t want to leave Greenville or 304th best high school in the nation by his church here. He ended up cutting grass Newsweek. Of the 2,000 students, more for six months for a landscaping company. than 220 are in the orchestra, making it One day, he got a call from the Pitt the largest program in the region. Under County Schools music supervisor saying Vutsinas’ leadership, the Grassfield orchestra that someone had recommended him to has won two national championships. fill an open teaching job. He never did find Vutsinas was also named Grasfield’s 2013out who suggested his name. The school 2014 Teacher of the Year, the same year he system offered to pay for him to get a was nominated for the Grammy award. certificate in education while teaching, so “It was an amazing year,” he said. he decided to give it a try.

Two of Vutsinas’ former students and a “I was terrible,” he recalled. “I should’ve community member nominated him for the been fired. I would’ve fired myself. I didn’t award without telling him until afterward. know what I was doing.”

“I told them thank you but never He realized that at first he was only thought twice about it,” he said. Still, catering to the kids who showed technical when he got an e-mail confirming his aptitude for music, because he didn’t know nomination and asking him to answer any other way. Then his whole view of some questions about his teaching teaching changed. “It was less about the philosophy, he went ahead and did so. “I music itself and more about helping the had zero expectations. I just felt I owed students find their own destiny. I have it to the people than nominated me to at students who have gone on to become least give it a shot.” doctors, lawyers, bankers. I help kids find His answers got him to the top 225. who they’re supposed to be.”

“When they posted that list, I’ll never Vutsinas taught in seven different forget it. I was on there with names I schools in Pitt County from 1989 to consider to be my mentors,” he said.

1997, including D.H. Conley and AydenThe top 225 were asked to submit short Grifton high schools, and ended up videos about themselves and their programs. combining the two programs. He took Vutsinas’ students offered to make his video those students, some of whom had never for him, and got him to the top 25. A been outside Pitt County, to a national special committee of prominent figures in orchestra competition in New York City. the music industry put Vutsinas in the top They came home with the first place ten. He received $1,000 for himself, and trophy. He loved teaching in Pitt County, $1,000 and several tablets for his school.

He went to a party in DC with Grammy Foundation. “It was surreal,” he said.

Vutsinas found out about a week before the Grammys that he was not the one chosen. “I was a little disappointed, but when I watched the biography of the man who won, it was incredible to lose to someone like that,” he remarked.

One of the students that participated in the video told Vutsinas, “I want to be just like you.”

“When you ask what my greatest accomplishment is, that’s it,” he said.

“Being able to point kids toward their destiny and letting them know that they have a purpose.”

The award was a huge validator of his life’s work as an orchestra director, Vutsinas says. “I have the best job there is.

It has been amazing. I wouldn’t trade my job for any other. I’m blessed and humbled to be able to do what I do every day.”

For some students, the orchestra is the family they never had. “One thing I’ve been able to do at every school I’ve been is create a family. And it all goes back to my ECU family. That’s where it started.”

During their formative years, when students are trying to figure out who they are, having a place where they can belong is important, Vutsinas says. “They’re not generally going to find that in subjects like math or English. They may love those classes and have great teachers, but they don’t offer the same teamwork as a whole orchestra working on one piece of music.

Music and the arts in general create a well-rounded education. I’ve seen it change kinds’ lives.”

Vutsinas is still involved with ECU. He often invites professors to come to Grassfield to work with his orchestra students. He still goes to football games as well. He and his wife Sandi are celebrating 24 years of marriage. His son Andrew is at the University of Virginia and his daughter Samantha is considering ECU. PIRATEALUMNI.COM 21

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

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

22 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Many employers use career fairs—both on and off campus—to promote their opportunities and to pre-screen applicants. An employer’s display area could be a simple table with a stack of brochures and business cards and a lone representative or an elaborate multimedia extravaganza with interactive displays, videos, posters and a team of recruiters.

Knowing how to navigate a career fair properly could mean the difference between getting the internship and job you want or never hearing from the employer. Here are some helpful tips to successful career fair navigation.

What to Wear • Business professional is the norm • It is better to be overdressed than underdressed • Think of it as a dress rehearsal for your real interviews

What to Bring • Copies of your resume (or resumes, if you have several versions tailored to different career choices) • Pens and pencils (have backups—they have a way of disappearing) • Folder or portfolio and some sort of notetaking device (a paper or electronic pad) • Don’t bring your backpack; it’s cumbersome for you, it gets in the way of others and it screams “student!” instead of “candidate!”

Ask Quality Questions • If you are interested in finding out about a particular career field then ask generalized questions about working within the industry • If you’re seeking career opportunities with a specific employer, focus your questions on the application and interview process, and ask for specific information about that employer

CAREER CORNER

Getting the Most Out of a Career Fair

Stay Engaged • Modify your “power greeting” to include information you know about the employer • Be an active participant and not just a browser • Keep track of the recruiters with whom you speak and send follow-up notes Upcoming Career Events Spring Career Fair (March) Alumni Career Fair in Raleigh (June) Education Fair (April) Alumni Career Fair in Charlotte (June)

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 23

AROUND CAMPUS

ALLIED HEALTH CAHS and PT Alumni Celebrate ECU Homecoming

The College of Allied Health Sciences celebrated homecoming weekend October 3 with a reception held in the Health Sciences Building lobby. With over 150 alumni and friends of the college registered to The Department of Physical Therapy graduating class of 1984 met at the attend, the building 2014 CAHS homecoming reception for a reunion along with faculty from that time period. was full of excited patrons exploring the various departments. Alumni also used the event to meet with fellow members of their graduating class. The Department of Physical Therapy class of 1984 enjoyed a reunion after the reception with 20 members of the class and faculty from that time enjoying a tour of the PT labs before gathering for dinner.

Leadership Legacy Student Fund Re-Named to Honor Dr. Stephen Thomas

Dr. Stephen W. Thomas thanks the College of Allied Health Sciences Advancement Council and the Medical and Health Sciences Foundation after learning the Leadership Legacy Fund has been re-named in his honor.

College of Allied Health Sciences Dean Stephen Thomas was surprised at the October 3 homecoming reception when he learned that the existing Leadership Legacy Student Fund had been renamed the Dr. Stephen W. Thomas Leadership Legacy Student Fund. Dr. Thomas, who retired at the end of October 2014, has always stood passionately behind the fund, which supports leadership activities and opportunities for professional development for CAHS students. He says he was “speechless” that the CAHS Advancement Council and Medical and Health Sciences Foundation would choose to honor him with the new fund name.

Ceruzzi Honors Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders

Though she isn’t an alumna, Grace Williams Ceruzzi recognized the passion of East Carolina University’s alumni and faculty through her husband Frank’s infectious love for his alma mater. Ceruzzi was so inspired by his generosity towards ECU and impressed with the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders’ dedication to the field of speech pathology that she has established a scholarship for students concentrating in Assistive Technology Learning. By designating the department as the recipient of a portion 24 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Grace and Frank Ceruzzi pose during an ECU home football game in 2013.

AROUND CAMPUS Cousteau’s work continues a mission initiated by his father, Jacques Cousteau, to preserve the oceans and the life within them.

He asked the audience to consider how they might make a positive impact on the environment, especially critical water resources.

Dr. Beth Velde Invited to Join Academy “I know we will make a difference, but we have a lot to do,” he said.

Cosponsors of the Cousteau lecture included ECU’s The Academy of Community Engagement Chancellor’s Office, Office of the Provost, Division of Research Scholarship (ACES) Board of Directors has and Graduate Studies, Division of Student Affairs and Division invited Dr. Beth Velde, director of strategic of Health Sciences. planning and the Mills Symposium for The Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series is made possible the College of Allied Health Sciences, through contributions from Harriot College’s Dean’s Advancement to become an inaugural member of the Council, various university organizations and many friends and academy. Dr. Velde was nominated and supporters. To contribute, contact Major Gifts Officer Jennifer selected by peers because of her practice Tripp at 252-737-4201 or trippj@ecu.edu. and model of excellence in collaboration Dr. Beth Velde For additional information about the Voyages series and with communities and the university while addressing critical issues of mutual benefit. The mission upcoming speakers, visit www.ecu.edu/voyages. of ACES is to assist in improving the physical, social, civic and economic well-being of communities by advancing scholarship based on collaborative discovery by communities and their higher education partners.

First Thomas D. Arthur Professor of Leadership Named of a life insurance policy, Ceruzzi will assist others in a field of study that she served in for 49 years.

BUSINESS

ARTS & SCIENCES

Dr. Aneil Mishra has been named the inaugural Thomas D. Arthur Professor of Leadership, the university’s first endowed leadership chair. He began July 1 and is Renowned underwater explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau urged based in the College of Business, with the action to protect mission to help build up the capability of endangered students and faculty throughout ECU. ocean resources Mishra is an internationally recognized in a presentation expert on how leaders build trust. He is the October 1 at East Dr. Aneil Mishra coauthor of two books with his wife Karen Carolina University.

Mishra: Trust is Everything – Become the Leader others will Follow (2008) “Marine debris and Becoming a Trustworthy Leader – Psychology and Practice (2013). is a global problem He has developed and conducted leadership assessment, with a global executive education programs, and team development for a variety solution,” he said. of Fortune 500 firms and other organizations, including leading “Every one of us Students listen attentively to underwater can change this explorer, film producer, and environmentalist health care organizations and non-profits across the globe.

Jean-Michel Cousteau, who presented “The The College of Business’ leadership chair was made possible problem.”

Great Ocean Adventure” to an audience in by Tom Arthur of Tampa, FL, who donated $1 million to the Cousteau Wright Auditorium Oct. 1. Before the lecture, he presented “The participated in informal discussions with ECU ECU Foundation to establish the endowed professorship. The university’s long-range plan is to endow leadership chairs for each Great Ocean students. college in the university.

Adventure” to an audience of approximately 1,500 in Wright Auditorium, as part of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Voyages of Discovery lecture series.

He said that all individuals are connected to the oceans, that Department of Special Education, Foundations & without water there is no life, and that decisions made about Research Receives $1.25 Million Grant how those resources are managed have tremendous impact. The chemicals in the products produced by industry and discarded The US Department of Education has awarded the Department trash all make it into the water systems that ultimately flow into of Special Education, Foundations, and Research a five-year, the oceans, affecting marine life, he added. $1,248,855 grant to prepare 42 new Baccalaureate Special Cousteau introduced a video showing thousands of bits of Educators with the initial license in Adaptive Curriculum and plastic, bottles, bags and trash that littered the water and shores of 18 MAEd Special Educators with the Advanced License in Low Necker Island, approximately 430 miles northwest of Honolulu, Incidence Disabilities and specialization in Assistive Technology.

Hawaii. “We were shocked to see what was out there in the middle Drs. Alana Zambone and Christopher Rivera, Co-PIs, in of the ocean,” he said. “What people think is, out of sight - out partnership with Dr. Laura King, Director of the College of of mind.”

Education’s Assistive Technology Center, will lead the project, Jean-Michel Cousteau Speaks with Students at ECU

EDUCATION

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 25

AROUND CAMPUS

ENGINEERING

ECU EQUIPPED: Engendering High Quality Personnel Preparation for Educators Serving Students with Significant & TECHNOLOGY Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The project supports research on effective teacher preparation and induction, an intensive summer institute aligned with the Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology for teacher-leaders, mentoring of graduates, and support for tuition, books, materials, and travel to state and national conferences for EQUIPPED scholars.

Kyle Barnes ’08 2014 Educators Hall of Fame

The College of Education recognized 26 individuals for their extensive impact in the field of education at the Educators Hall of Fame ceremony and reception held on Saturday, October 18, 2014.

The 2014 honorees were Alan R. Bailey, Nancy Jane Glaser Bray, Suzanne J. Brooks, Herbert Carlton, Anne Barker Faulkenberry, Dr. Diane L. Frost, Kathryn Carroll Gower, Bruce Elliot Gray, Barbara P. Glatthorn, the late James Henry Jones, Jena Gurganus Kerns, Dr. Jerry Edward McGee, Debbie Metcalf, Cynthia Parker Miller, Dr. Dorothy Hiott Muller, Jane B. Reel, Deborah Wiggins Seehorn, DeAnne Smith, Gail Dillahunt Smith, James Russell Smith, Jr., Patricia H. Smith, Mary Ann Southern, Betty S. Speir, Becky Howard Taylor, the late Frank Pleasant Teague, Jr., Sherryl Ezzell Tipton. Student Jessica Ballance, an Educators Hall of Fame scholarship recipient, was the guest speaker.

The Educators Hall of Fame event and scholarship program was initiated in 1999 to permanently acknowledge professionals and associations who have made distinguished contributions to the field of education through service and mission. Nominations are secured with a minimum $1,000 gift to the Educators Hall of Fame Endowment Scholarship fund that provides scholarship support to outstanding students majoring in education.

The 2014 Educators Hall of Fame inductees.

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First Engineering Alumnus Remembers the Early Days

As the Department of Engineering celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, Kyle Barnes remembers the “early days” of the program. Barnes graduated with the first class of 26 engineers in 2008.

A Halifax county native, Barnes applied to ECU and wasn’t even aware of the new engineering program. After his application was submitted, Dr. Paul Kauffmann, engineering department chair at the time, contacted him to consider enrolling in the brand new program. Barnes, having grown up working around his father’s auto garage, seemed to be mechanically inclined just like his father.

At the age of 14, he began restoring his first car. Thus, the new program appealed to him as a good fit. He also liked the idea of be able to pursue his educational goals and remain close to home in eastern North Carolina.

“My favorite memory of ECU is all the relationships that I had throughout the program,” Barnes said. “The majority of classes were shared among the same students. Those students were dealing with the exact same challenges as I was,” he adds. “I had many positive experiences with individuals that will last a lifetime.”

As an undergraduate, Barnes began working as an intern at Carver Machine Works, a metal fabrication manufacturer, in Washington in February 2006. He then worked on the manufacturing floor learning many skilled trades and “invaluable hands on experiences.”

After his graduation in May 2008, he began full time work for Carver. He began as a project engineer and was responsible for aerospace and Department of Defense contracts. He now is the engineering manager with oversight of all company contracts.

Barnes is an active member of the Engineering Advisory Board at ECU. “It enables me to be directly involved in the advancement of the program and have the point of view of someone who has experienced it,” Barnes states. He believes that the small classroom size is what sets ECU’s program apart from others. “It creates a learning environment that caters to the student and allows the available time for each student to succeed.”

Barnes now resides in Washington and is a member of the Washington Rotary Club as well. He enjoys being involved in the Beaufort county community where he can continue to promote ECU engineering.

AROUND CAMPUS

FINE ARTS &

COMMUNICATION Professor Presents Gift to University of Sharjah

Printmaking professor Matt Egan presented a gift to the President of the University of Sharjah, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah.

While on leave from ECU, Egan taught extensively in the United Arab Emirates. During that time he was instrumental in establishing a partnership that will promote a global dialogue. In November, ECU expects to host eight students and faculty from the University of Sharjah for two weeks. ECU students and faculty are planning a reciprocal visit to Sharjah in 2015.

The gift, incidentally, is a print designed by retired professor of printmaking Michael Ehlbeck, which was crafted with the help of Sharjah students while Ehlbeck was in residency as a visiting artist.

Solutions to this problem will demand a multileveled approach, involving changes not only at the individual level, but also at the institutional, community, and policy levels,” said Chaney.

Members are charged with preparing a comprehensive plan to address the underage sale and use of alcohol and drugs, risky behaviors and substance abuse among collegians. Additional work includes providing treatment and recovery services for individuals struggling with substance abuse, according to the executive order which created the task force.

“I look forward to working with the task force members to begin to develop strategies for tackling these problems, said Chaney.

“Substance abuse and underage drinking are critical public health concerns,” said Dr. Glen Gilbert, dean of the College of Health and Human Performance. “Beth’s service on this task force will add a researcher that understands the behavior of this important population as well as practical approaches to address the issues.”

The task force will build on statewide prevention, treatment and enforcement initiatives implemented by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, the Department of Health and Human Services and the UNC system.

The governor signed the executive order at ECU May 14. ECU is one of six University of North Carolina campuses that will take part in a pilot program that will emphasize prevention and treatment.

HONORS COLLEGE CNN Hero Speaks to Honors College Students and Community

HEALTH &

HUMAN PERFORMANCE Professor Receives Gubernatorial Appointment

Governor Pat McCrory has appointed East Carolina University assistant professor Dr. Beth Chaney to the North Carolina Substance Abuse and Underage Drinking Prevention and Treatment Task Force.

The task force consists of 20 members appointed for a two-year term.

“I am honored to be appointed to the governor’s task force and am hopeful that we will make positive impacts related to Dr. Beth Chaney substance abuse and underage drinking prevention,” said Chaney.

Chaney leads a team of ECU researchers in an alcohol field study conducted in downtown Greenville. The study results will provide important data related to drinking behaviors of over 1,000 bar patrons for the task force to consider when developing recommendations for approaches to address the hazardous drinking issues in North Carolina.

“The behaviors associated with high-risk drinking are complex.

ECU Honors College guest lecturer and children’s rights activist Danielle Gletow recently shared her experiences founding One Danielle Gletow, a children’s rights activist was named a CNN Hero in 2013, spoke to Simple Wish, a non- who Honors College students on September 11, 2014. profit that grants the wishes of children in foster care. Gletow was named a CNN Hero in 2013.

On September 11, Gletow met with a group of Honors College students at ECU’s West End Dining Hall and gave a presentation that was open to the public in the Science and Technology Building on campus. During her discussions and remarks, she exposed the needs that exist in the foster care system and promoted two of the main ideals of the Honors College — philanthropy and service.

EC Scholar Publishes in Science Magazine

An EC Scholar and biology major concluded a summer research experience at Stanford University with an article published in Science magazine.

Joseph W. Paul III helped his mentor at Stanford review two original manuscripts on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, PIRATEALUMNI.COM 27

AROUND CAMPUS also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The fatal neurodegenerative disease has received national attention recently because of the popular ice bucket challenge to raise funds for ALS research.

Paul’s work resulted in the paper “Clogging information flow in ALS,” coauthored by Aaron D. Gitler, associate professor of genetics at Stanford. The article appears in the September 5 edition of Joseph W. Paul III Science. The article explores the implications of new research into the largest genetic cause of ALS and another disease, frontotemporal dementia.

Honors College Students Lead University in Service Mission

This year, Honors College students put East Carolina University’s motto Servire - To Serve into action on Aug. 22, spending the day on campus helping the community.

More than 100 students volunteered at nine local nonprofits across Pitt County: the American Cancer Society’s McConnell-Raab Honors College students work with Habitat for Hope Lodge, Food Humanity during the annual Service Day event Bank of Central for incoming honors freshmen. & Eastern North Carolina, Golden Living Center, GO-Science, Greenville Harvest, Habitat for Humanity, NCPacks4Patriots, Pamlico-Tar River Foundation and the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge.

For the past four years, Honors College freshmen have participated in Service Day right after they move into their residence hall and before fall courses begin. This annual event helps introduce freshmen to the importance of community service, which is core to the mission and values of Honors College.

HUMAN ECOLOGY Re-Focusing on NC’s Aging Population

Dr. John Kerbs, associate professor of criminal justice, was recently selected as director for the Office of Healthy Aging Research, Education, and Services (OHARES) to foster a new generation of trans-disciplinary initiatives focused on North Carolina’s aging population.

Since taking the helm, Kerbs has been instrumental in changing the focus and activities of the office – formerly the Office of Aging Studies. He has worked with a team of OHARES research 28 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

affiliates to refocus the office with a new mission “to promote healthy aging through the advancement of trans-disciplinary research, education, and evidence-based services for diverse populations of older people” and to create a more comprehensive and fundable set of research, education, and service priorities. The office will continue to support ECU’s educational mission in Geriatrics and Gerontology, both at Dr. John Kerbs the undergraduate and graduate levels, to promote the ongoing development of a gerontologically competent workforce that meets the needs of North Carolina’s growing population of older residents.

For more information about OHARES, visit their website at www.ecu.edu/che/ohares or contact Dr. John Kerbs at (252) 3285546 or kerbsj@ecu.edu.

ECU Tartan Apparel Line Expanded

For the past two years, ECU alumni and friends have had the opportunity to sport official ECU tartan ties and scarves. Now, thanks to students in the fashion merchandising program, Collegiate Tartan Apparel has expanded the ECU product line to include bags, bowties, pocket squares, dog collars/leashes, key chains, flip flops, and a range of other products.

Dr. Runying Chen, associate professor of merchandising, spearheaded the project to give students handson experience in product development and marketing and to add a new revenue source for the Department of Interior Design and Merchandising.

“Our partnership with Collegiate Tartan has given the students an

AROUND CAMPUS opportunity to put what they learn in the classroom into practice,” said Chen. “It is a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Each semester the students in a senior merchandising course work through the process of developing new products for ECU’s tartan line. This semester, students have additionally focused on using social media to expand the Collegiate Tartan brand.

In addition to paying a licensing fee, Collegiate Tartan Apparel — a Greensboro-based company — donates a percentage of sales from the tartan plaid products to ECU for scholarships and program development.

Tartan products are available online or at ECU’s Dowdy Student Store and other local retailers. For more information or to view ECU tartan products, visit www.collegiatetartan.com.

MEDICINE

Tori Chapman, a freshman in ECU’s Honors College, writes on a discussion board at the inaugural TEDMED at ECU live event. TEDMED promotes innovation and idea sharing in health care and medicine.

Event Encourages Innovation, Idea Sharing in Medicine

stop blaming patients who are obese, examine underlying science and partner with them instead.

The nonprofit TED organization has devoted itself to spreading ideas in the form of short, powerful talks since the mid-1980s. TEDMED applies that concept to health care and medicine.

But more important than the talks are the discussions those presentations prompt, according to students and faculty who replicated the live TEDMED environment at East Carolina University for the first time in September.

Fourth-year medical student Dylan Suttle first proposed TEDMEDLive at ECU. He attended a national TEDMED event in Washington, DC, last fall and was inspired by the experience.

“The collaboration, idea sharing and meeting people outside the talks…I wanted to replicate that here,” he said. He sought help from fellow students, faculty, and staff and the 150-seat, free event quickly sold out.

Eight presentations streamed from national TEDMED events provided fodder to get people talking. Tori Chapman, a sophomore in ECU’s Honors College, was struck by one patient’s tale about how a cocktail of multiple prescription drugs created a psychosis that was not present when she first went to the doctor.

“The power of her story makes you think differently,” Chapman said. “And that’s what TED is for.”

The most unique component of the ECU event was the inclusion of four “homegrown” speakers – men and women from ECU who started dialogues about topics of their own choosing.

Suttle hopes the impact of the event will be measured through future collaboration and innovations.

“I want to hear about research or some great development where someone says ‘this all started when we met at TEDMED.’”

• Dr. Daniel Goldberg of Bioethics and Interdisciplinary Studies spoke about moving beyond “sick care” to implement social medicine and improve population health.

• Dr. Krista McCoy, from the Department of Biology, shared statistics about how environmental chemical exposure leads to endocrine disruption and childhood disease.

• Dr. Sam Sears, professor of psychology and cardiovascular sciences, explained that technology enables people to live longer, but asked whether they can be happy and feel secure about their health.

• Fourth-year medical student Julie Barrett urged everyone to

NURSING Scholarship Dinner Honors Donors, Students

If there’s a common characteristic among attendees at the annual ECU College of Nursing scholarship dinner, it’s a passion for helping others. The event brings together private donors who make the academic scholarships possible with the outstanding nursing students who receive their awards.

This year’s recipients were recognized at a ceremony held September 5 at the Hilton Greenville hotel. One hundred and four students received scholarships totaling $220,070 for the 20142015 academic year.

College of Nursing Dean Dr. Sylvia Brown thanked donors at the event for enabling students to pursue their dreams of becoming nurses or continuing their education.

“Please know your gifts make a huge difference in our students’ ability to study and meet the demands of the nursing curriculum,” she said.

Many of the scholarships awarded were created to memorialize individuals who have or had exceptional dedication to the field of nursing.

The evening event represents Jeff Charles with 2014-2015 Heather A. Purtee a heartwarming Nursing Scholarship recipient Amy Smith and opportunity for College of Nursing Dean Dr. Sylvia Brown. donors to meet the students who benefit from their financial gifts.

The “Voice of the Pirates,” Jeff Charles, and his wife, Debby make it a priority to attend the event each year. They created the PIRATEALUMNI.COM 29

AROUND CAMPUS Heather A. Purtee Nursing Scholarship, a fund named for their daughter who died in a car accident in 1992 while an ECU nursing student.

Charles explained that attending the event is a way to honor his daughter’s life and preserve her memory while at the same time seeing the students who receive the scholarship.

“The College of Nursing was very dear to (Heather),” he said.

“We try to award the scholarship to someone who needs financial help. That’s been gratifying to us, that we’re helping these kids.”

To make a donation to a nursing scholarship, contact Major Gifts Officer Mark Alexander at alexanderma@ecu.edu or 252744-2324.

STUDENT LIFE Homecoming Food Drive Tops 44,000 Pounds

East Carolina University is steeped in tradition. For 107 years, the campus has been focused on serving others through teaching, nursing, and public service to the community. ECU Homecoming continues its grand traditions with activities including the Cannon Ball Dance, the banner competition, lawn and skit competitions and, of course, the homecoming parade and football game.

However, a tradition that has been growing somewhat under the radar during homecoming week is the annual Homecoming Food Drive. In 2013, more than 23,000 pounds of food was collected and donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

This year’s goal jumped to 30,000 pounds and, naturally, ECU students and staff accepted the challenge and then crushed it. In total, the Pirate Nation collected and dropped off 44,146 pounds of food at the food bank.

“This is a very heartwarming response from our ECU family to our community,” said Nichelle Shuck, associate director of ECU’s Volunteer and Service Learning Center. “We strongly encourage our students to get involved and make an impact and that’s exactly what they did.”

Angel Ray ’05, the Greenville volunteer services coordinator for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, said the food bank and the university are both committed to service and this huge effort by ECU’s students and staff goes a long way to achieving their mission of No One Goes Hungry.

“The ECU Homecoming Food Drive will allow us to provide more than 36,000 meals to the ten counties that the Greenville Branch serves,” said Ray. “This partnership continues to grow and improve and we thank the students of ECU for stepping up and making a difference.”

The food drive was supported through the efforts of 19 student organizations, staff volunteers, the ECU Homecoming Committee, Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Student Activities and Organizations, and the Campus Kitchen at ECU. About 1,400 pounds of the collected food was donated to the Campus Kitchen at ECU, which will support meals served at the Little Willie Center, Operation Sunshine, Ronald McDonald House, and JOY’s Community Center.

30 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

Where Pirate Memories Continue...

“Since Marti and I have been at Cypress Glen we have been greatly impressed by the helpfulness, cordiality and efficiency of every member of the staff. It is a real pleasure to meet old friends and former colleagues at every turn and to be able to maintain our connections with many of our favorite East Carolina programs. Cypress Glen is a good place for us to be.”

Erwin Hester was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and grew up in Tryon, North Carolina. He holds the A. B., M.A. and PhD. Degrees in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Hester taught English at East Carolina University from 1966 until 1996. While at ECU he served as the English Department Chair for 14 years. He was enlisted for many leadership roles while at ECU where he served as the Interim Dean of the School of Art for two years and the Interim Dean of the School of Music for 6 months.

Dr. and Mrs. Hester have lived at Cypress Glen since 2014 and are members at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Erwin Hester Cypress Glen Resident since 2014

Official Partner

www.cypressglen.org

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 31

A LOOK BACK

Graduation 100 and 50 Years Ago

East Carolina Teachers Training School class of 1915 standing on the steps of the Old Austin Building with advisor Herbert Austin standing in the middle.

The 1965 senior class of East Carolina College included 1,000 bachelor’s and master’s degrees, the college’s largest graduating class to date.

State Senator Robert Morgan ’47 (right) of Lillington delivered the commencement address after illness forced Governor Dan K. Moore to cancel his appearance.

32 EC ALUMNI WINTER 2015

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