EC Alumni magazine - Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

Asking Questions, Finding New Answers Reggie Edgerton ’62 is improving recovery after paralysis

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FEATURES

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10 home is where the heart is Cardiologist Dr. Brian Cabarrus ’01 takes care of his patients’ hearts in his home region.

12 a solid foundation

Joni Vanderslice ’80 built her interior design career with lessons learned at ECU.

16 asking questions, finding new answers Reggie Edgerton ’62 is improving recovery after paralysis.

20 giving to others Barbara Lee ’80 gives her time and expertise to support organ donation.

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER Reggie Edgerton ’62 is a professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles.

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dear pirate nation pirate connections 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 In this issue of EC Alumni magazine, you’ll read about a cardiologist, an interior designer, a professor, and a social worker. These four East Carolina graduates are a perfect example of the variety and success to be found among our alumni. I’ve met and talked to so many amazing ECU alumni and supporters since I started leading alumni relations in November. I am honored to be part of the East Carolina Alumni Association and I look forward to serving the Pirate Nation!

The alumni association will be conducting another alumni survey. We’ve been working hard since the last survey was done in 2012 and we’d like to hear how we’ve been doing! Your feedback is important in helping us develop our programs, services, and communications. Responses will remain anonymous. We’ll be e-mailing the survey out in late February, so keep an eye on your inbox.

We are excited to announce a new program called Bring the Whole Crew, a series of family and social events for alumni of all ages — and their friends and family members. These events will be a great way for Pirates to get together in addition to our networking events and tailgates. Learn more in the Pirate Connections section on the following page.

Finally, we have our Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run on April 11, which is one of our main scholarship fundraisers. We’re also honored to host the Golden Alumni Reunion for the class of 1965 on May 7-8.

Your support is vital to the alumni association and the university. I hope you’ll continue stay involved as we work to serve alumni and strengthen ECU. Go Pirates!

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

Scott H. Duke ’06, ’08 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP

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

Marcy Romary Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations We are sad to share the passing of Jack Everton ’50, ’58 on January 25, 2015 at the age of 86. Jack was chair of the East Carolina Alumni Association Board of Directors from 19941996 and named board member emeritus in 2014. He received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 1993. Jack could be found at many alumni events including the annual ECTC/ECC Reunion Dinner Dance, the Alumni Awards Ceremony, scholarship golf tournaments in Greenville and in the Tidewater Virginia area, and football tailgates.

Our condolences to his wife Frances ’54 and all of Jack’s family.

Chelsea Ward ’13 ALUMNI CENTER COORDINATOR

ALUMNI

VOL. 8, NO. 2

EC Alumni (ISSN: 2152-3886) is published quarterly by the East Carolina Alumni Association. The Alumni Association is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that operates interdependently with East Carolina University. The views expressed in EC Alumni magazine do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Alumni Association or the University. Reproduction of EC Alumni in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. ©2015 East Carolina Alumni Association Read EC Alumni online at: PirateAlumni.com/ECAlumni ISSN: 2152-5668 To contact us or comment on this magazine: 252-328-4723 | 800-ECU-GRAD ecualumni@ecu.edu Send change of address to: East Carolina Alumni Association Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Mail Stop 305 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353 EC Alumni is paid for with non-state funds.

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ECU Night at the Carolina Hurricanes on March 14 MAR

The East Carolina Alumni Association is proud to announce a new series of family and social events for alumni of all ages. Starting in the spring of 2015, these events will be held in cities across the southeast throughout the year. Bring the whole crew to sporting events, amusement parks, outdoor activities, social mixers, and more! Open to all alumni, students, and their BRING THE WHOLE CRE W family members, these events will provide opportunities for Pirates to get together in addition to our networking events and football tailgates. Come have fun with the whole Pirate family! Our first event will be ECU Night at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, March 14.

We’ll have a buffet dinner and designated section where Pirates can sit together. Get more information and register at PirateAlumni.com/ March2015Hurricanes. If you have suggestions for future events or would like to find out more, contact Assistant Director of Alumni Programs Megan Howard ’07 at 252-3285557 or howardme14@ecu.edu.

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Alumni Survey

Your Opinion Matters...But Only If We Have It! The East Carolina Alumni Association is in the process of conducting another alumni survey. We’ve been working hard since the last survey was done in 2012 and we’d like to hear how we’ve been doing! Your feedback is vital to helping us develop our programs, services, and communications. Survey e-mails began sending in late February, and the survey will remain open until March 23. Didn’t receive an e-mail and want to participate?

Visit PirateAlumni.com and look in the News section for the link. Responses will remain anonymous. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 252-ECU-GRAD (3284723).

Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run Race to Raise Money for Alumni Scholarships!

The eighth annual Pirate APR Alumni Road Race and Fun Run will be held Saturday, April 11, 2015. In this second “Paint It Purple” edition, runners will be dusted with a full array of even brighter colors, including purple and gold. The 5K road race will begin at 9:00 a.m. at U.B.E. and follow Fifth Street next to campus. The one-mile fun run will start immediately after the 5K and follow a portion of the same route. The entry fee for the road race or fun run is $25 from March 1 to April 10, and $30 on race day. Registrations received prior to Monday, March 30 will be guaranteed a race T-shirt. The maximum number of participants is 700. Registration will close at 700 participants, which may occur before race day.

Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Proceeds support the Alumni Scholarship program. Register today at PirateAlumni.com/2015RoadRace.

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PIRATE CONNECTIONS

New Program: Bring the Whole Crew!

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PIRATE CONNECTIONS April is Service Month The university’s motto Servire, meaning To Serve, encourages students, staff, and alumni to give back to their communities. Pirates are encouraged to volunteer at their favorite non-profit or charity or wherever help is needed across the Pirate Nation throughout the month of April. Service unites Pirates no matter where they are! If you are an alumnus looking for a way to volunteer, or if you are a community organization that could use some help from volunteers, get involved with Service Month! Contact Director of Alumni Programs Shawn Moore ‘91, ‘98 at at 252-328-5775 or Networking Events Tap into the Power of the Pirate Alumni Network! mooresh@ecu.edu, or visit PirateAlumni.com/ServiceMonth.

The alumni association is planning networking events in several cities this spring. Meet fellow Pirates in your area and expand your professional and social networks. These events feature successful alumni who are leaders in their industries and communities.

Advance your career and stay connected with your alma mater wherever you are! These events are open to all ECU alumni; members of the alumni association get a discount on registration.

Please note that advance registration is required.

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Celebrate 50 Years of Pirate Pride!

Members of the class of 1965 are invited to return to East Carolina for their 50th class reunion, where they will be honored as Golden Alumni during commencement weekend, May 7-8, Charleston, SC 2015. Thursday morning will begin Tuesday, March 24, 6-8 p.m. (Register by March 20) with tours of the main campus, medical Stars Rooftop and Grill Room campus, and athletic facilities, followed by PirateAlumni.com/March2015Charleston a luncheon with the university archivist.

Then join us for the Senior Celebration Columbia, SC Dinner and Candlelight Ceremony with Thursday, March 26, 6-8 p.m. (Register by March 23) the class of 2015 on Thursday evening.

Terra Restaurant Friday morning will start with a breakfast PirateAlumni.com/March2015Charleston with faculty. Then, reunion participants will don gold robes to lead the graduates into commencement ceremonies at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. After graduation, there will be a lunch with the university

Class of 1965

New Home?

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

BY THE #s

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Class of 1965 Golden Alumni Reunion May 7-8

159,044 TOTA L A LU M NI 1,972 Life Members 5,886 Annual Members 8,675 ‘Like’ us

Facebook.com/ECAAFanPage 21,264 Event Photos

Flickr.com/photos/PirateAlumni 10,240 Connections

PirateAlumni.com/Linkedin 5,860 Followers

Twitter.com/PirateAlumni

PIRATE CONNECTIONS historian. The reunion will conclude with a formal dinner and celebration. For more information, visit PirateAlumni.com/2015GAR or contact Assistant Director of Alumni Programs Christy Angle ’95 at 252-328-1958 or anglec@ecu.edu.

The Chantey Blog

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BOARD DIRECTORS

The alumni association’s new blog The Chantey, launched in the fall of 2014, continues to sing the praises of East Carolina alumni. The blog has been viewed more than 1,100 times in its first few months.

The Chantey has featured many different successful alumni like: Neal Crawford ’85, Chair Norfolk, VA Glenda Palmer-Moultrie ’79, Vice Chair

Laura O’Neal ’97, a teacher who leads a steel drum ensemble at Pactolus School Chris ’02 and Kelly ’02 Edwards, two brothers with a real estate business in Raleigh

Derwood, MD

Dean Browder ’77, Treasurer

Winston-Salem, NC

http://piratealumni.wordpress.com

Alice Zincone ’89, ’98, who was named the 2014-2015 Special Needs Art Educator of the Year by the North Carolina Art Education Association Anna Smith ’11, executive director and co-founder for the non-profit organization Restore One, a ministry that seeks to open safe homes free of cost to male victims of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) John Choquette ’11, author of the young adult series Burlwood Forest Trilogy The Chantey also details upcoming events like the Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run and recaps successful events like the networking receptions in Washington, DC and Norfolk, VA. 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 blog 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.

NC and VA License Plates Updated North Carolina and Virginia have updated their ECU license plates to reflect the new skull and crossbones logo. If you’d like information on how to purchase one of these plates or an ECU plate in Delaware or Maryland, visit PirateAlumni.com/LicensePlates.

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 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

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PIRATE CONNECTIONS

SAVE THE DATES! JULY

7 AUG

3 SEPT

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Buccaneer Buffet registration opens for alumni association members

SEPT

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Buccaneer Buffet registration opens to all alumni and friends

OCT

Away Game Tailgate at Florida Gainesville, FL PirateAlumni.com/UF2015

OCT

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Away Game Tailgate at Navy Annapolis, MD PirateAlumni.com/Navy2015 Away Game Tailgate at SMU Dallas, TX PirateAlumni.com/SMU2015 Alumni Awards Ceremony & Dinner Friday, October 16 PirateAlumni.com/2015Awards

ECU ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT Friday, September 25, 2015 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Ironwood Golf and Country Club PirateAlumni.com/Golf Winning team participates in the Acura College Alumni Team Championship to be held Oct.29-Nov. 1 in Pinehurst.

September 5 Greenville, NC

October 3 Dallas, TX

2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

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October 30 Storrs, CT

September 12 Gainesville, FL

October 10 Provo, UT

November 7 Greenville, NC

September 19 Annapolis, MD

September 26 Greenville, NC

October 17 Greenville, NC Homecoming

October 22 Greenville, NC

November 19 Orlando, FL

November 28 Greenville, NC

East Carolina University has earned higher education’s top honor for community engagement.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced Jan. 7 that ECU received the 2015 Community Engagement Classification.

ECU first received the designation in 2008. The re-classification – the first offered by the foundation – is valid for 10 years.

“We do public service because it is our mission and it makes a positive difference for North Carolina,” said Chancellor Steve Ballard. “We don’t do it to gain recognition, but it is nice when our peers recognize our efforts.”

Carnegie noted in their selection letter that ECU showed “excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.”

The classification “is a demonstration of ECU’s promise to the public to continue to work with our community partners to solve issues that are important to them,” said Dr. Beth Velde, former director of public service and community relations at ECU. “It demonstrates that community engagement is present across the entire campus.”

The work supports the university’s mission to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation, and ECU’s motto, Servire, she said.

From coordinating nutrition-focused programs to addressing health issues prevalent in eastern North Carolina to leading art projects at community local centers, ECU students and faculty members are working with community partners on a range of projects. The work advances scholarship by

linking theory and practice across a wide range of academic disciplines through engagement and outreach, course work and service.

“University-community partnerships are important because of the mutual benefits that result,” said Dr. Sharon Paynter, interim director of public service and community relations at ECU. “The Carnegie classification recognizes the hard work and commitment of ECU faculty, staff, and students as well as our community partners.”

In 2013-14, more than 10,200 ECU students worked on projects through community-based learning, servicelearning, internships and capstone courses.

As part of the application process, the university submitted documentation describing the nature and extent of its community engagement, Velde said.

Since 2008, ECU showed sustained growth in several key areas including student involvement in community-based learning and engagement through internships, fieldwork, cooperative education and practice-based experiences, Velde said.

“The importance of this elective classification is borne out by the response of so many campuses that have demonstrated their deep engagement with local, regional, national and global communities,” said John Saltmarsh, director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, Carnegie’s partner in administering the Community Engagement Classification process. “These are campuses that are improving teaching and learning, producing research that makes a difference in communities, and revitalizing their civic and academic missions.”

UNIVERSITY UPDATE

ECU Receives Carnegie Classification

ECU was recognized for community engagement that takes place campuswide with programs such as the ECU Honors College Day of Service, shown above.

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ADVANCEMENT UPDATE 8 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

Wayne Staton Honors Mother with Education Scholarship Wayne Staton’s late mother Ellen B. Staton was a graduate of East Carolina Teachers College in the late 1930s, going on to teach home economics and elementary school until he and his brother Allyn were born. His father William Staton, a graduate of Wake Forest College and Law School, was a practicing attorney, who later became a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, and eventually served in the North Carolina State Senate for 24 years. After their parents passed away, Wayne and his late brother, Allyn Staton, wanted to do something to honor their mother, who had been such a great support to their father and his career. They decided it would only be fitting to endow a scholarship in her name in the College of Education for undergraduate students majoring in elementary education.

Like his father, Wayne has had a successful career. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he has held careers in manufacturing, banking, and information technology. Currently, he is the owner of Staton Group LLC, a forestry, agricultural, and commercial investment property business. He has also followed in his mother’s footsteps, teaching business and government classes at Central Carolina Community College for over 10 years. Not only that, Wayne has kept himself busy hosting a weekly television program in Sanford for more than 20 years.

Throughout the years, Wayne has been able to witness firsthand how the university has grown. “My father served in the North Carolina Senate during the time that Dr. Leo Jenkins was working so hard to expand East Carolina University. I was extremely impressed with the medical school that was established, and also the good reputations of the College of Business, the College of Education, and the Theater Arts Department.”

He was especially surprised by the administration, staff, and faculty’s dedication to making East Carolina a major regional university and serving the surrounding communities. “I believe that ECU is ably serving Eastern North Carolina with its medical school and related medical practices and services,” he said.

Whenever he isn’t working or volunteering, Wayne is travelling, working out, or pursuing his passion: history. Those who know Wayne will know he is an avid history buff. “I am particularly interested in U.S. history from pre-World War II through the 1960s. I am also interested in North Carolina history from the late 40s through the 1990s.” Another passion of his is art. Wayne enjoys visiting art exhibits, galleries, and shows.

Since beginning his work with the university, Wayne has made many great memories.

Wayne has enjoyed several escorted tours of the ECU Medical Complex and The Heart Center. Of one particular tour, Wayne recalls, “My tour guide was Dr. Wily Nifong, a respected heart surgeon. He was wonderful! It was a very exciting experience to me to be able to go behind the scenes to see how doctors are trained and patients are treated and hopefully cured.”

Wayne describes his decision to give to the university as a gratifying one. “My association has been a great and extremely rewarding experience. I have become so very impressed with the administrators, faculty, and staff at the university. The gift officers are the ultimate professionals, and the students I have met have all been highly motivated to succeed in school and in their careers. I urge anyone and everyone to make gifts in some shape or form to the university, and then get involved personally. It has certainly been rewarding to me.”

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Planned Gift to Benefit the Music Library Students, faculty, and patrons who utilize the ECU music library not only know David Hursh as the head music librarian, they also know him as a peer and fellow performer. David has worked at the music library since 1998; first as the assistant music librarian and then, due to a promotion in 2001, as head music librarian. He is the longest standing music library employee and his passion for his profession is well known. David received the master of science in library science from Florida State University and the master of music in voice performance from Converse College.

David recently made the decision to support the Music Library via a planned gift. According to David, “Because I have dedicated the greater portion of my career to guiding the progress of Joyner’s music library, I thought it only fitting that I should continue to contribute to its development after my death.

Hence, my planned gift.”

The Women’s Roundtable at East Carolina University is an organization of female philanthropists who, under the leadership of a board of directors, raise funds for endowed scholarships at ECU, build a strong volunteer base of women committed to advancing the university, and form a deeper pool of women to be considered for other leadership roles at ECU. The Women’s Roundtable fosters a commitment to East Carolina by building a sense of community among women graduates and providing a channel for our alumnae to play an active role in the university.

The Women’s Roundtable believes in the power of women to impact other women’s lives as well as our students, our university, and the broader community in dynamic and sustainable ways. If you share this belief, we invite you to join us. Affiliation is not limited to ECU alumnae. For more information please visit www.ecu.edu/womensroundtable or contact: Stephanie Bunn, Director of Women’s Philanthropy Women’s Roundtable at East Carolina University Greenville Centre, Suite 1108 2200 South Charles Boulevard Greenville, NC 27858 252-328-9597 bunns@ecu.edu

Where Pirate Memories Continue...

“Life at Cypress Glen has been full of discovery. Every day I have the opportunity to renew old friendships and meet new, interesting residents. I can do as much or as little as I want and have loved discovering the many options available at Cypress Glen.”

Sallie Mann glows when she talks about East Carolina University and fondly recalls her days as a student and later her career of 25 years working in Joyner Library.

Sallie attended East Carolina College, earning a BS in English and library science in 1957 and a MA in English and library science in 1960. Upon graduation from her BS program, she worked at Sheppard Memorial Library before accepting a position at Joyner Library. At Joyner, she served in many different positions including the assistant circulation librarian, periodicals librarian, acquisitions librarian, and acting associate director. After leaving ECU, she moved with her husband T.J. to Hyde County and worked as a library media coordinator for Hyde County Schools. She also taught night classes in basic computer skills and served as GED coordinator for Beaufort County Community College.

These days, Sallie is often seen chatting with old friends and new residents she has met while living at Cypress Glen. Her “Pirate pride” is evident in everything she does.

Sallie Mann ’57, ’60 Cypress Glen Resident since 2014

Official Partner

www.cypressglen.org PIRATEALUMNI.COM 9

Home is Where the Heart is D

r. Brian Cabarrus ’01 knows about the heart. As a cardiologist at Vidant Cardiology in Greenville, Cabarrus takes care of his patients’ hearts – and the region that is home to his own heart.

“I’ve always known that I want to stay in North Carolina,” says Cabarrus, who is originally from Creswell, a small town about an hour east of Greenville. “Eastern North Carolina is close to my heart.”

Cabarrus completed medical school at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU after graduating from NC Central.

He started as a nursing major, but after his clinicals, he decided he wanted to be a doctor.

“I’ve always liked science and I’ve always been interested in health,” he said.

Cabarrus was deciding between UNC Chapel Hill or ECU for medical school. “ECU was closer to home,” he said. “It was a better environment and a better fit for me.”

“I especially liked the class sizes,” he commented. “The classes were small enough to get individual attention, and yet you still got the full clinical exposure.”

Cabarrus says he learned a lot from all of his professors and administrators, especially Dr. Julius Mallette ’82, a member of the second graduating class at Brody. “He had a lot of positive influence on me and inspired me to come to Brody,” Cabarrus said.

As a Brody Scholar, Cabarrus received a scholarship covering tuition, fees, and living expenses for four years.

“Being a Brody fellow gave me the freedom of choosing a medical specialty without the influence of financial constraints,” he said. “With the cost of graduate education increasing each year, programs like the Brody scholarship are needed to help students alleviate debt.”

During his time at Brody, his studies kept him pretty busy, but he enjoyed serving as a co-advisor for undergraduate fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha.

Cabarrus then completed his residency in Florida, but North Carolina was calling him home. “I left and came back. I knew I liked it enough to return,” he said.

His first job was an assistant professor at ECU for five years.

Then he got his current job at Vidant Cardiology.

Cabarrus practices mainly interventional cardiology, treating conditions like heart attacks, heart failure, coronary disease,

arrhythmia, and more. He specializes in trans-catheter aortic valve replacements.

This is a relatively new procedure developed over the last three to four years.

It is a minimally invasive surgery that inserts a new valve into the aorta through a small opening without opening the chest to remove the old damaged valve.

“I learned about it right here at ECU,” Cabarrus said.

One of the main challenges in cardiology in this area is access to care, he says. “This is a big region, with people spread out in rural areas, many of them elderly. It’s hard for people to get here and it’s hard for people to afford treatment.

We’re trying to bridge the gap.”

To help reach those who are medically underserved, Cabarrus also serves at an outreach clinic in Tarboro every Wednesday.

His favorite part of the job is taking care of patients. “They come in with chest pain, and after I’ve seen them, they leave happy because they can go back to doing their regular activities. It’s great to feel like I’ve made a difference in people’s lives.”

“It’s nice to be close to home,” he continued. “It’s great to represent my home region among doctors from all over the world here at Vidant.”

Cabarrus continues to be impressed with the growth in the region. “Growing

up, Greenville was the big city.

That’s where you went to go to the “Patien mall or go ts to the movie pain, an come in with c d af hes theater. Now they lea ter I’ve seen th t it’s grown em, ve happ even more. y t b h e e c y au It’s wonderful can go b ack to d se to see all the their re oing gular ac growth in both tivitie Greenville and It’s grea t to feel s.

ECU.” like I’ve Cabarrus made counts his greatest a d i ff erence accomplishments as in coming from a small p e o p l e ’s town and graduating from both college and lives.” medical school, and especially the recent birth of his first child.

A medical career is very rewarding, he says, but you have to make sure your heart is in it.

“Be dedicated. It’s not easy and it won’t happen fast. There are times you’ll wonder if it’s worth it, but it is.

You just have to follow your heart and stick with it.”

BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SCHOLARS PROGRAM The Brody Scholars program is North Carolina’s most distinguished medical scholarship.

Each year, outstanding applicants to the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University are invited to become Brody Scholars.

This award provides full tuition and fees and most living expenses for four years of medical school, allowing scholars to choose a medical specialty without the worry of debt after graduation.

What’s more, the Brody Scholarship funds summer enrichment, such as travel abroad

and special projects. The Brody Scholarship also supports service projects students may undertake while in medical school. Brody Scholars join a dynamic group of medical students with exceptional values. Their service to others, character, and leadership allow them to design unique programs of study, supported by the scholarship program.

Since the program began in 1983, Brody Scholars have continued to succeed as compassionate healers and community leaders.

The Brody Medical Scholars program shares the goals of the medical school to improve the health and quality of life for people in eastern North Carolina.

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12 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

A SOLID FOUNDATION Joni Vanderslice ’80 built her interior design career with lessons learned at ECU J

oni Vanderslice’s career in interior design began with a solid foundation at East Carolina University.

“I learned so much at ECU that has helped me in my career,” says Vanderslice, who graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in interior design in 1980. She is the president of J. Banks Design Group, an award-winning interior design firm based in Hilton Head, SC. Growing up in High Point, the furniture capital of the state, had a significant influence on her, Vanderslice says. “From fourth grade, I knew this is what I wanted to do. It never varied. I was looking for schools that had interior design degrees, and at the time, ECU was the only school in North Carolina with a BFA in interior design.”

“It was an excellent program,” she continued. “We had wonderful professors and a great architectural foundation. Two of the professors were architects. It was very rigorous and accredited, which was not the case for every program at that time. That has served me so well ever since.”

Vanderslice’s senior interior design class had the opportunity to remodel a house in Greenville owned by the university. Over a semester, they worked with contractors and craftsmen to redo everything from floor to ceiling.

“We actually made it a home,” Vanderslice recalled. “I was walking to other classes with sheet rock dust on my clothes. It was a great hands-on experience.”

The house no longer exists today, but the lessons learned there remain forever.

“It was excellent to come out of that project and be able to work with a contractor and understand the building process and know what you can do with a structure because you’ve experienced it in a hands-on way. That was a tremendous opportunity,” she recalled.

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While at ECU, the interior design program kept her pretty busy, but Vanderslice really enjoyed going to football games. She was also a member of Alpha Delta Pi. “I had a fabulous experience in the sorority,” she said. “There were a lot of us in the art program, so we could set up our drafting tables in the sorority house and pull all-nighters together. It created a great environment.”

The interior design program at ECU is unique, Vanderslice says, because of the way it interacts with many different schools, like art, architecture, etc.

“East Carolina has a very unique culture,” she commented. “People are involved, and there’s an incredible school spirit. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and that helps you in life. There’s not an attitude of being better than everyone else, we just love being who we are. That serves you well in real life.”

After graduation, Vanderslice and some of her friends from ECU moved to Hilton Head for the summer. Her first weekend there, she met a friend who introduced her to his boss, who happened to be Charles Fraser, the founder of Hilton Head.

“That was definitely a divine appointment for me,” she said. “His wife Mary and I spoke at length and she hired me the next day as a liaison for several designers on redesign projects at Sea Pines Resort. That was a huge step.”

“I quickly fell in love with the island,” she continued. “Charles Fraser let me sit in on meetings with developers. It was like an internship in resort design.”

She worked for the Frasers that summer, then got a job as a clothing buyer for major retailers for a couple years. “I learned so much about making quick decisions and managing a budget. But eventually I knew I needed to get back to interior design,” she said.

She decided she wanted to live in Hilton Head full-time. She got a job with an interior design company and became design manager. After a while, the owner came to

14 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

her and said he was interested in retiring and asked if she wanted to buy the firm.

Shortly afterward, one of her largest clients said they wanted to start an interior design firm under her leadership. She combined both offers, and with her client’s help, was able to make the company her own in 1986.

“We’ve gone through a lot of changes,” she said. “The first few years of the business were really up and down. I had to learn a lot about how to run a business and manage people. But I love this business. We’ve been very blessed.”

J. Banks Design Group specializes in high-end residential and hospitality design.

Their work has been featured in Conde Nast Traveler, Elle Décor, Travel & Leisure, and more.

Today, the company has 35 employees and works in 12 states and two to three foreign countries.

Vanderslice has been named Southeast Designer of the Year twice, in 2009 and 2012. J. Banks Design has been listed in the top 200 interior design firms in the country by Interior Design magazine. Hers is one of the few high-end companies not located in New York or Los Angeles, which can be a challenge when it comes to clients’ perceptions, but is also an opportunity. “We live and breathe resort life every day,” she says.

She says her favorite part of interior design is visualizing all the possibilities for a project with her team and fulfilling the vision of the client.

“At the end when they say, ‘this is perfect, this is exactly what I wanted,’ that’s what it’s all about,” she says.

She also loves mentoring her employees and watching them grow. In addition, she contributes to the Hilton Head community, and was named Woman of the

Joni Vanderslice ’80 is setting up an orphanage in Tanzania.

Year in 1996.

Vanderslice stays connected to ECU. She has critiqued design students’ projects both in person and online. She spoke at the College of Human Ecology graduation in December 2013. She also keeps in touch with her friends and classmates from her time on campus.

“Those are relationships that have not gone away,” she said.

“I love being a Pirate,” she continued.

“There are quite a few of us here in Hilton Head actually. It brings a sense of camaraderie and community. It’s a tremendous school. I’m so proud of what has happened at ECU. The evolution of what has happened there is amazing.”

In addition to the ECU and Hilton Head communities, Vanderslice is also helping a community in Africa. With support from her company, she is heading up the Valentine Project, which is building an orphanage in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

There are over two million orphans

in Tanzania, Vanderslice says, and the government does not fund orphanages.

“My husband started going to Africa for medical mission trips and fell in love with the people there,” she said. “At first I felt I didn’t have anything to give, but once my husband talked me into going, I knew that I could help by offering my design skills.”

After breaking ground in the summer of 2014, the orphanage will be ready for the first of about 300-350 children to move in around March 2015.

“It has become a family project,” she commented. “It has been a joy to see it all come together and see what a difference you can make in the lives of children.

Vanderslice says her greatest accomplishments are her relationships, primarily with her husband and two teenage daughters, but also at her business. “I am amazed at the growth that has happened at my business, and it’s because of the relationships I’ve made. Many of those relationships were founded at ECU.”

“I am amazed at the growth that has happened at my business, and it’s because of the relationships I’ve made.

Many of those relationships were founded at ECU.”

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 15

Asking Questions, Finding New Answers

Reggie Edgerton ’62 is improving recovery after paralysis 16 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

A

fter a spinal cord injury, paralysis is often complete or permanent. But one East Carolina graduate’s research is helping some paralyzed patients move again, and increasing the amount of recovery possible after paralysis.

Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton ’62, a professor in the Department of Physiological Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles, has been combining exercise and electrical stimulation in his patients to restore communication between the spinal cord and the affected limbs.

“We’ve been able to use our interventions to enable these subjects to regain sensation and bodily functions, stand independently, take assisted steps, and, most interestingly, regain some voluntary control of lower limbs,” he said. “These observations have opened up new doors as to what may be possible for individuals with severe spinal cord injuries.”

Edgerton’s work has been featured on NBC News and in Popular Mechanics, Scientific American, and MIT Technology Review. He has been published in several high-profile scholarly journals including The Lancet, Journal of Neurophysiology, Nature: Medicine, Nature: Neuroscience, and more.

It was Edgerton’s experience at ECU that led him to think about the science of exercise in new ways.

“I had a great experience at ECU. My education has served me well,” he said.

“My interest in the science of exercise got started at East Carolina. That same idea has been the basis of my research for the last 45 years.”

Originally from Oriental, Edgerton had two older brothers who went to East Carolina, so it was a familiar choice.

“It was feasible and close to home.

Having a limited budget, it was one of the few places I could go to,” he recalled.

“Looking back, it was an even greater environment than I realized at the time.

Sometimes growing up, you don’t realize what you had until later. It ended up being a very good fit. It helped me mature and prepare for the future, even though I didn’t know what my future would be at the time.”

Edgerton graduated from East Carolina College in 1962 with a double major in

jobs. But it turns out, 45 years later, I physical education and biology.

“I had always been interested in sports never found a better one.”

Edgerton began studying how the and exercise, particularly exercise,” he said. nervous system controls movement during “I was intrigued by how exercise changes exercise. Then he concentrated his focus your physiology.” on studying the spinal cord, particularly At that time, physical education was more practical than scientific. “I wanted to recovery from spinal cord injury.

He says, “It turns out one of the understand the biology as well,” he said. most effective ways to improve the level Several professors had an impact on of recovery after spinal cord injury is him, Edgerton said, mainly swimming through activity-dependent mechanisms; coach Ray Martinez and physiology that is, some type of exercise or use of professor Robert Haubrich. the neural circuits. That’s basically the Edgerton had never swum in a swimming pool, just creeks and rivers, before he got to East Carolina. He started hanging out at the pool and helping Martinez get the pool ready for swim practice, and eventually became a team manager. Helping the swim team allowed him to practice what he learned with Professor Haubrich.

“Ray was very scientifically oriented, and he was a great coach,” Edgerton commented. “He taught excellent mechanics to maximize performance in swimming and got great results, including national championships. That reinforced my idea about science and exercise. I learned Dr. Susan Harkema, Rob Summers, and Dr. Reggie Edgerton speak at Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's A Magical a lot from him.”

Evening Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on November 30, 2011 in New York City.

To help pay his way through school, Edgerton got central concept of my work over the last a job at the infirmary as a lab technician, which included a room and gave him hands- 40 years.”

Almost all of the movements we make on experience in biology. “That was a good in a day are automatic, Edgerton says. “In experience as well,” he said. other words, we don’t think about which After graduating, he went to the University of Iowa for his master’s degree. muscles are activated, we just decide to Then he came back to Greenville for a few move. This automaticity comes from the spinal circuitry, not the brain. That spinal years, teaching and starting a swim team circuitry below the injury can perform a at J.H. Rose High School. He decided to lot of useful function with minimal input return to his field and earned his PhD at or without input from the brain; it just Michigan State. needs to be stimulated, or reminded. And Two weeks after completing his we’ve found sometimes the spine can even doctorate in 1968, he started as an regain input from the brain.” assistant professor at UCLA. “I didn’t Edgerton’s research has had a big think I would like LA, coming from the impact on a small number of individuals country, so I kept my eye open for other

“My interest in the science of exercise got started at East Carolina. That same idea has been the basis of my research for the last 45 years.”

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 17

so far, but he and his colleagues are in the process of taking their findings beyond the lab and making their interventions widely available in clinics throughout the spinal cord injury field.

“I’ve been working in this area for a long time, but particularly in the last ten years, things have really started to come to fruition,” he said. “For the subjects and their families and all the investigators, you can imagine how exciting it has been.

We had a hard time believing it was happening, but it worked even better than we thought. The regaining of voluntary control was completely unexpected. We’re pretty confident this is going to have a significant impact eventually.”

Edgerton says his particular challenge is to find out how far recovery can go.

“We’re finding out that activity is one of the most effective interventions so far in regaining function after paralysis. The idea is to find out what level of recovery we can achieve with the spinal circuitry even after complete paralysis.”

“The exciting thing is finding out things that have never been known before,” he concluded. “It’s even more rewarding when you know these findings can have a positive impact on individuals.”

Edgerton stays connected with ECU in

Edgerton (center) with fellow UCLA researcher Yuri Gerismenko (right).

a number of ways. He still has family in eastern North Carolina and has returned to campus to participate in seminars and forums. He keeps in touch with former swimmers and has returned for a couple swim team reunions. In addition, he is involved with a very active group of ECU alumni in Los Angeles.

In addition to helping people through his research, Edgerton says his greatest accomplishment is raising four sons.

As for students considering a career in scientific research, he says to keep asking

questions.

“I continue to be impressed with how what we think we know can change,” he said. “My best advice is to be continuously skeptical, and allow yourself to think independently, and not accept everything you’re told. The idea that our interventions would work was considered so remote as to be impossible. If we had accepted the way things were, we would never have continued our research to help people move again.”

Gift Your Home Now and Stay in It for Life A retained life estate is a gift plan that allows you to donate your home, vacation home, or farm to one of the ECU foundations while retaining the right to live in it for the rest of your life and/or a term of years. If you decide to vacate your property, you may rent all or part of it or sell the property in cooperation with the ECU Real Estate Foundation Inc. When your retained life estate ends, the ECU foundation of your choice can use your property or the proceeds from the sale of your property for the purpose you designate.

EXAMPLE:

If you irrevocably transfer your property with a value of $250,000 and a cost basis of $50,000, to ECU Real Estate Foundation Inc., and the right to live in it is retained for an individual, age 60: • You qualify for a federal income tax deduction of approximately $113,154. Your deduction may vary depending on the timing of your gift. Deductions for this and other gifts of long-term appreciated property will be limited to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. You may take unused deductions of this kind over the next five years, subject to the same 30 percent limitation.

• Your estate may enjoy reduced probate costs and estate taxes.

• The residence sale price after the donor’s lifetime will fund a project of your choice at the East Carolina University Foundation Inc., East Carolina Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc., or the East Carolina Educational Foundation Inc. (Pirate Club).

For more information regarding planned giving instruments, please contact Greg Abeyounis, assistant vice chancellor for development, at 252-328-9573 or e-mail at abeyounisg@ecu.edu or visit www.ecu.edu/plannedgiving.

18 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 19

GIVING TO OTHERS

Barbara Lee ’80 gives her time and expertise to support organ donation T

here are more than 3,200 people waiting for a donated organ in North Carolina, as of December 2014. In addition to the organ donors who will give them the gift of life, advocates like Barbara Lee ’80 give their time and expertise to make sure this gift continues to be given.

Lee has over 30 years of experience as a medical social worker, and she actively volunteers in the community as an organ donation proponent. As a living donor advocate at Vidant Medical Center, Lee helps living donors through the process of donating a kidney, which is a role different from a traditional social worker.

“I help patients feel comfortable and understand their situation in a medical setting where everything is new and can

20 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

often be intimidating,” she says. “I help them understand how their donation will affect their life as well as the life of the organ recipient.”

With high rates of kidney and heart disease in this area, “there is such a need for organ donation and making sure the public is aware of how they can help,” Lee says.

Lee knew from an early age that she wanted to help people. She grew up in Atkinson in Pender County as the third of eight children. One of her high school teachers encouraged her to attend ECU, saying it would be a good fit for her.

“I initially thought I wanted to be a math teacher,” she said. “But I had to follow my heart to help make a difference in the health and welfare of others. I took

an introductory course in social work at ECU and I was hooked.”

Lee has many fond memories of her time at ECU, like social work service projects, sporting events, and movie nights at Mendenhall Student Center. As a resident of Garrett Hall, she enjoyed dorm activities and playing on her dorm’s intramural softball team, the “Garrett Yard Apes.” The dance craze at the time was “the hustle,” and she enjoyed going downtown and cheering on contestants in dance contests. She was also at ECU with current Head Coach Ruffin McNeill ’80, who was in her graduating class.

A few of her professors especially influenced her education. John East, a political science professor who went on

“ECU prepared me to live and become part of a diverse community, As a minority, I was able to prove to myself and others that I was competitive and could excel at a larger university. With the lessons I learned at ECU, I have continued to excel in the workplace and in civic activities.” to be a senator, gave her an appreciation of politics. Lauretta Lewis was very encouraging as the only African American professor in the school of social work at the time. Mary Louis, a clinical social worker at the Brody School of Medicine, inspired Lee to focus her social work studies in health care.

“ECU prepared me to live and become part of a diverse community,” she said. “As a minority, I was able to prove to myself and others that I was competitive and could excel at a larger university. With the lessons I learned at ECU, I have continued to excel in the workplace and in civic activities.”

After graduating from ECU, Lee went on to earn her master of social work from UNC-Chapel Hill. She began her career as a medical social worker at Wilson Memorial Hospital, and then worked at Pitt County Dialysis Center for several years. She began working at Vidant in 1993, where she has worked for over 20 years.

In addition to her job, she is also a prolific volunteer, particularly in the minority community. She has volunteered with Carolina Donor Services (CDS), a federally-designated non-profit organ and tissue donation organization, for more than 20 years. She started the Eastern North Carolina Donor Impact Project in 2013 to educate African American and Latino communities about the need for minority organ donors. She is also the project director of Healthy Lives Healthy Choices with Total Christian Ministries, Inc., which she set up in 2006 to accept grants to provide health education to the African American religious community.

Through a network of local churches, this program specifically addresses health care disparities regarding cardiovascular disease.

In 2014, Lee received the National Donor Memorial Award for Excellence from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS). Lee was chosen out of many nominations from organ procurement organizations across the country.

“I’m still trying to come back to reality,” she said after she accepted the award at the UNOS annual meeting in the summer of 2014. “I knew I was nominated, but I had kind of forgotten about it until I got the call and I thought ‘wow!’ I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until I got there.”

registered donors.

“What I do is not done for recognition,” she says. “I love what I do. I love working with the patient populations and seeing the life-changing benefits of organ donation.

I’ve seen people on dialysis get a kidney and I’ve seen them get well, go back to work, travel, and live a full life.”

Barbara Lee ’80 (center) with UNOS President Kenneth A. Andreoni, MD, OPTN (left) and UNOS CEO Brian Shepard (right).

Also in 2014, Lee and Eastern North Carolina Donor Impact Project received the Charles Jeffries Donate Life Award from CDS. In addition, she was named a distinguished alumna by the ECU School of Social Work in 2012. She was also named the NC Council of Nephrology Social Worker of the Year in 1990.

Overall, she has earned more than $900,000 in grants, with $170,000 received since 2013 for organ donation programs. Her organization is credited with signing up more than 1,700

There are several misconceptions about organ donation that Lee is working to correct. People often erroneously believe that emergency responders won’t work as hard to save registered organ donors or that donors can’t have an open casket funeral. She says, “EMS teams always work hard to save everyone they can; they don’t make transplant decisions. While on scene, they generally don’t even know if eligible recipients are nearby, which is sometimes wrongly dramatized on television. There are many people involved with the donation PIRATEALUMNI.COM 21

process. The bodies of organ donors are treated with respect. Great care is taken by all personnel throughout the organ donation process.”

Lee will be especially busy this spring with April being National Donate Life Month. She will be planning local and regional activities to raise awareness for the importance of organ and tissue donation.

“I’m challenging the Pirate Nation to become organ donors if you have not yet considered registering,” she says. “You do not have to wait to get your driver’s license renewed.

You can go online to DonateLifeNC.org or find the DonateLifeAmerica site in other states to register. It’s a great decision to make. Be sure to share your wish with your family as well.”

Lee says her favorite part of her work is “when I see the light bulb come on when someone learns how important organ

22 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

advisory committee and has taught classes and given seminars to students as an adjunct faculty member.

She attends many university events like lectures, art exhibits, and performances.

She also supports the East Carolina Alumni Association and the Black Alumni Chapter.

“I think ECU is a great school,” she said. “I still have purple in my blood.

Whenever I go on a trip, I always wear purple. When I’m wearing ECU apparel, I often meet other Pirates of all ages and races in many different places. It’s really exciting. There donation is.”

She continued, “I would recommend the was a small minority student population in the 70s at ECU but I’ve seen it getting field of social work for anyone who likes advocating for people and making the world more and more diverse. And I’m glad that a better place. The profession is wide open.” the department of social work is now a Lee finds many ways to stay connected school that is nationally recognized. It’s easy to share good news about ECU. I to ECU. She has been a football season can’t say enough good things about ECU. ticket holder for over 15 years. She has For me, that’s where it all started.” served as a member of the social work

Did you know that alumni of East Carolina University are eligible to schedule an appointment Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for in-depth counseling appointments at the Career Center? This service is free to any alumni up to 18 months after graduation. A $25 charge applies to alumni beyond the 18 month time limit.

You can also freely attend any or all of the more than 10 career fairs, employer information sessions, interview schedules, or workshops provided by a host of employers visiting campus as guest of Career Services each year.

All of these opportunities are also available to you through our online career database called ECU CareerNET. This database is exclusive to current ECU students and alumni. It is used to announce all open positions throughout the U.S. and

upcoming events including employer visits to ECU. Additionally, ECU CareerNET gives users the ability to upload their résumés for employers to view.

Currently the ECU CareerNET system contains 7,269 employers/organizations!

Last year alone there were 3,923 new jobs posted in CareerNET. Career Services also hosted 91 employer-related events. These job postings are refreshed every 30 days in order to keep them up-to-date and active.

In order to set up an account in ECU CareerNET you just need to call our main office and a staff member will create your profile, username, and password. For more information on ECU CareerNET, please visit www.ecu.edu/career.

For any questions regarding general career planning please contact the Career Center at 252-328-6050.

Spring 2015 Career Fairs Spring Career Fair March 19, 1-4 p.m.

Education Fair April 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Alumni Career Fair (Raleigh) June 4, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Alumni Career Fair (Charlotte) TBA Spring 2015 On-Campus Interviews Insight Global Cisco Systems, Inc. Norfolk Navy Shipyard BB & T Tata Consultancy Services CVS Pharmacy CSX The Around Campus Group Aramark Carolina Ale House The Pecheles Group Vanguard Beck Target Geico PLS Logistics Sherwin-Williams Auto Finishes The Select Group

CAREER CORNER

Career Center Services Available to Alumni

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 23

AROUND CAMPUS 24 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

ALLIED HEALTH Dean Dr. Stephen Thomas Retires

Faculty and staff from across East Carolina University gathered at the East Carolina Heart Institute on October 13 to honor Dr. Stephen Thomas, who retired as the dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences in October after 34 years with the college.

Thomas came to ECU in 1980 as a faculty member in the rehabilitation studies department, tasked to start and direct the vocational evaluation master’s degree program.

He was named chair of the department in 1998 then later named interim dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences in April 2001.

Dr. Stephen Thomas and his wife, Melodie.

After his promotion to dean in 2003, Thomas led the college through several new endeavors including the move from its former location in the Belk Building to the new Health Sciences Building in 2006, and a name change to the College of Allied Health Sciences from its original name, the School of Allied Health Sciences.

Operation Reentry, Food Lion Join Forces

Operation Reentry North Carolina, based at East Carolina University, has partnered with grocer Food Lion to launch a mobile food pantry to help feed homeless and at-risk veterans in eastern North Carolina.

The mobile food pantry will accompany ECU faculty, staff and students who travel on the satellite-equipped Operation Reentry Rover van to provide medical and behavioral health services to veterans and their families in 13 eastern North Carolina counties.

The addition of the Food Lion Mobile Veterans Pantry will help build relationships more quickly, said Jim Menke, project manager for Operation Reentry North Carolina (ORNC). “These relationships are essential for veterans to fully benefit from the services ORNC and its partners offer,” he said.

“With nearly 1.5 million veterans in the United States at risk of becoming homeless and an additional 130,000 veterans fighting hunger, Operation Reentry North Carolina and its fast growing number of partners, such as Food Lion, are serving at-risk veterans right here in eastern North Carolina. This partnership with Food Lion will further enable ORNC to make a difference in veterans’ lives throughout our region,” Menke said.

The pantry was unveiled and displayed with the van at ECU’s Military Appreciation Day football game against Tulane on Nov. 22 in Greenville.

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BUSINESS

DENTAL MEDICINE

College Named a Top Business School for 2015

Endowed Scholarship Named for Dr. June Rose

For the eighth straight year, the ECU College of Business ranks among the best U.S. business schools according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features ECU in the 2015 edition of The Best 296 Business Schools.

Dr. Stan Eakins, dean of the College of Business, said, “The College of Business is proud to be honored once again as one of the nation’s most outstanding business schools. Through all that we do, we strive to prepare and challenge our students with the necessary skills to think, act, and lead in today’s business world.”

As part of its rating in the new guide, the College of Business is outlined in a two-page profile highlighting academics, career placement, student life and environment, and admissions information. The profile states that, “ECU has an intimate feel…

Professors know students’ names, and the campus has a friendly atmosphere.”

It also said the MBA program “provides students with lots of individual attention and allows them to tailor the program to their needs.”

A reception was held at the School of Dental Medicine on November 6 to honor long-time Kinston dentist Dr. June (Junius) H. Rose, Jr. with an endowed scholarship in his name.

Dentists from Greenville, Kinston, and across the state joined Dr. Rose’s family, friends, and ECU dental students in celebration of the greatly admired dentist and community member and the scholarship that bears his name.

Greenville dentist Dr. Don Hardee and his wife Peg organized the June Rose Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will provide financial assistance for ECU dental students from Pitt, Lenoir and the contiguous counties who have a passion for working with underserved populations.

Dr. Rose is a 1957 graduate of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. He owned a private dental practice in Kinston from 1959 to 1998. In 1998, he co-founded a dental clinic for indigent and Medicaid patients in the Kinston Community Health Center.

He has received numerous professional and civic honors, including The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Currently, he serves as an associate in Dr. Don Hardee’s practice in Greenville.

“It is very appropriate that the scholarship sponsors have chosen to honor Dr. June Rose with a scholarship at the ECU School of Dental Medicine,” said Greg Chadwick, the school’s dean. “His passion to serve others and his professional career align perfectly with the mission of our school. He is a true role model for our students.”

MSA Student Wins Best Student Poster Award

Mengyuan Fang Farley, a master of science in accounting student at ECU and graduate assistant at the Center for Healthcare Management Systems, won the best student poster award at the 2014 North Carolina Health Informatics Career and Internship Fair/Symposium.

The event was held on October 24th at the East Carolina University Heart Institute to discuss the latest research trends and developments in health industries along with job opportunities.

Mengyuan Fang Farley Twenty posters from five North Carolina universities (including Duke University, East Carolina University, North Carolina Central University, UNC– Chapel Hill, and NC State University) and healthcare organizations such as Vidant were selected for the final presentation at the fair/ symposium.

Farley’s poster title was “Effects and Sustainability of Healthcare Information Exchange.” Her project was conducted under the guidance of Drs. Yajiong (Lucky) Xue and Huigang Liang.

Dean Greg Chadwick (at left) paid tribute to Dr. June Rose (center) and thanked Dr. Don Hardee (at right) for organizing the June Rose Endowed Scholarship Fund.

EDUCATION Alumni Named Regional Teachers of the Year

Joshua Gaskill ‘10, Pamlico County Schools’ Teacher of the Year and a graduate of the master of arts in teaching program in history education, was recognized as North Carolina’s Southeast Region Teacher of the Year! Joshua is the third graduate of the history education program to be recognized as a teacher of the year this PIRATEALUMNI.COM 25

AROUND CAMPUS fall. Earlier this year, Connie Fischer of Manteo High School in Dare County and Elyse Cannon of South Central High School in Pitt County were recognized as their Joshua Gaskill (Photo by Charlie Hall/New Bern Sun Journal) schools’ teachers of the year.

Jami Dickerson ‘08, Pitt County Schools’ Teacher of the Year, was recently selected as the Northeast Region Teacher of the Year for North Carolina. Both Jami Jami Dickerson and Joshua are two of nine finalists who will vie for the 2015 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

The college is proud of these alumni, and all education graduates across the Pirate Nation, for the work they do each day to improve the lives of children in the state.

That exposure paid off after graduating on a Saturday and beginning his first job on Monday. Several positions and several moves brought him back to eastern North Carolina with his current employer, T.A. Loving Company, which is one of the oldest and most respected contractors in North Carolina. Philyaw is currently the senior vice president and building division manager for T.A. Loving.

Philyaw has had the opportunity to work on multiple projects at ECU including Clark-LeClair Stadium, the Terry Holland Olympic Sports Complex, the Boneyard at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the Smith-Williams Center at Minges Coliseum, and now on the preconstruction phase of the new student union. He has certainly made his mark around the ECU campus.

Philyaw is an active member of the construction management industry advisory board, and serves on the executive committee of that board as well. He is a life member of the East Carolina Alumni Association and Pirate Club member. He speaks regularly at construction management department functions and career panels and has hired ECU graduates on a regular basis. He gives back to ECU in many ways and has future plans to fund an endowment for the construction management department.

ECU alumni are prominent in Philyaw’s family. His wife, Ashley Phillips Philyaw, is a 1999 graduate of the College of Education, as well as his mother and several other family members.

Philyaw and his wife reside in Snow Hill with their two daughters, Caroline, 11, and Meredith, 8.

College Receives Additional $1 Million Gift

James and Connie Maynard have given the College of Education another $1 million gift in continued support of the Maynard Scholars program. The gift will support 50 additional $20,000 scholarships over the next five years for the best and the brightest candidates who wish to become teachers. Upon graduation, these candidates agree to teach for at least four years in one of 50 designated counties in eastern North Carolina. The college is forever grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Maynard for their continued support and their unwavering commitment to improving education in the east.

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Construction Management Alumnus Builds Successful Career

David Philyaw is a 1998 graduate of the construction management program. Philyaw grew up in the small town of Comfort, located in Jones County, NC, where he graduated from Jones Senior High School. After starting at a community college in architectural technology, he transferred to ECU and began working towards his construction management degree.

“The construction management program was very close-knit and the faculty were fully engaged in making sure students had every opportunity to land good jobs and succeed after college,” remembers Philyaw. He worked throughout his college career which limited his free time but exposed him to the construction industry early on.

26 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

FINE ARTS &

COMMUNICATION Impact of the Arts Makes Full Circle

When the Koresh Dance Company came to campus in 2007, 30 dance performance and education majors participated in a master class. The following summer, two of the participants got jobs dancing professionally with the Philadelphia-based company.

Those dancers, Shannon Bramham and Micah Geyer, returned to campus in the fall of 2014 to set a piece of Koresh choreography on current ECU students.

AROUND CAMPUS

Thirteen students gave up their fall break to learn and rehearse the signature Koresh work “Standing in Tears.” They’ll perform the piece on the ECU/Loessin Playhouse Dance 2015 program and open an S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series presentation of the Koresh Dance Company.

“It’s come full circle,” Bramham said.

“We’re helping the next generation of dancers to fulfill their dreams and goals like we were able to,” Geyer said.

Seventy ECU dancers auditioned to be cast in the piece.

“I would have given up summer break,” said Sarah Kleinke, a dance performance major from Hickory who was selected for the performance.

“This outweighs any break we could have possibly had,” said Kelsie Jayne, a dance performance major from Clayton who also was selected. “I would have gone home and watched Netflix.”

Students participated in about 20 hours of rehearsals over five days to refine and, in a few months, perform in front of the company’s director, Ronen “Roni” Koresh, said Teal Darkenwald, assistant professor of theatre and dance.

The remarkable audition turnout was no surprise, Darkenwald said.

“Dance majors are expected to go above and beyond the normal requirements of the university in the hopes of one day becoming part of a dance company such as Koresh,” she said.

“We’ve already gotten so much out of this, to work with actual company members,” Kleinke said. “Having different teachers, it gives you a different perspective, a different way of doing a movement.”

It also provides networking opportunities, something the seniors are contemplating as graduation nears.

“We’ve been hearing about Koresh since we first got to ECU,” Jayne said. “To have Micah and Shannon here and to be a part of it is the greatest opportunity.”

Project Mentor is offered by the Department of Kinesiology.

Tom Raedeke directs the program with the assistance of Mike McCammon. Both are professors in kinesiology. Participants range in age from 12 to 18 and no fee is charged.

“Our goal is to facilitate exercise success and enjoyment along with providing participants a sense of ownership over lifestyle change,” Raedeke said. “Beyond being just an exercise program, we provide tools that adolescents can use to make lifestyle changes, including eating healthier and being physically active outside the program.”

“The benefits go beyond what we expected,” Raedeke continued.

“We see an increase in self-esteem, self-confidence and a sense of belonging.”

The program’s success rests in part with the relationships formed, McCammon said.

“The strength of the bond that develops between the mentor and the mentee has been the most surprising,” he said. “College students learn about the challenges to losing weight.”

Project Mentor participant Andrew Todd, left, ECU graduate and mentor John Alexander are reflected in a mirror working with weights. students Kellie Minton and Pier-Alexandre Desilets serve as program coordinators.

Both are studying sport and exercise psychology.

Under Raedeke’s supervision, Minton and Desilets provide two hours of weekly classroom training to undergraduates. Those undergraduates then serve as one-on-one mentors to the enrolled adolescents, working together three days per week for 60 minutes each session.

Minton, a native of Emerald Isle, said her work as a mentor in 2012 helped her gain a sense of community on campus. She had transferred that year from Carteret Community College. “My mentee was homeschooled so we meshed well together,” she said.

“We were each other’s own little support system.”

The experience was powerful, Minton said. “It was the first time I had to be professional about exercise.” She said the experience taught her effective communication “using reflective listening skills and asking open-ended questions.”

HEALTH &

HUMAN PERFORMANCE ECU Students Learn While Teaching Teens About Health

Three days a week, Becky Blanton of Jamesville travels 90 miles round trip to East Carolina University. And she’s not attending classes.

Blanton makes the drive to deliver her adolescent grandchildren, Emily and Caleb Winslow, to ECU’s Project Mentor program, where ECU students help them develop lifelong healthy habits.

ECU student Nikkei Gray, right, advises Elise Karriker, shown working on the exercise equipment in the FITT Building on campus.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 27

AROUND CAMPUS

HONORS COLLEGE

experience, called the Senior Impact Trip, is participation in a service project that benefits the Charleston community. This year, the EC Scholar seniors spent six hours volunteering with the Presentations at National Collegiate Honors Charleston County Public Library’s “That BIG Book Sale” hosted Council by the Charleston Library Friends. The fundraising event featured Seven representatives from the ECU Honors College presented at more than 60,000 books, DVDs, CDs, and much more for sale the National Collegiate Honors Council’s (NCHC) 49th annual with all proceeds supporting the library. The EC Scholars helped raise $68,000, which is above and beyond the goal. conference hosted in Denver on November 5-9.

Kevin Baxter, associate dean of the Honors College, presented two Alumni and Faculty Honored sessions with the title “Transitioning The School of Social Work honored three social work practitioners from an Honors at the fifth annual Alumni and Friends Celebration.

Program to an Glen Osborne ’11 was recognized with Honors College.” the Rising Star Alumni Award. Osborne, Baxter also presented MA, MSW , LCSW , LCAS received his a session titled undergraduate and graduate degrees in “Honors Student sociology/psychology and counseling at Engagement and Adrian Modzik, Kevin Baxter, and Shayna Appalachian State University and a second at the National Collegiate Honors Leadership: Honors Mooney master’s degree in social work from ECU. Council annual conference.

Ambassadors” Since 1994, he has successfully directed with EC Scholar Shayna Mooney, a senior neuroscience and Glen Osborne the operations of the Wilson County international studies double major, and Honors College student Department of Social Services. Osborne Adrian Modzik, a senior biology major. Associate Dean for has provided program consultation statewide and nationally on Academic Programs Dr. Katie O’Connor presented a session on the best practices that have emerged from Wilson County DSS. “Top Merit Scholars and Honors Programs: A Happy Marriage On the state level, Osborne served as president of the North or Just Good Friends.”

Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services Drs. Todd Fraley, the director of the EC Scholars Program in 2002-2003 and was named the 2004 Director of the Year.

Award, and Kindal Shores, an Honors College faculty fellow, Nationally, he is currently serving as president of the National presented a session titled “Leading from Within: A Team-Based Association of County Human Services Administrators. In Leadership Challenge for 110 First-Year Students.” Dr. Tim addition, Osborne has recently been appointed to the National Runyan, an Honors College faculty fellow, presented a session Association of Counties Board of Directors. titled “Launching a Living-Learning Program.” Fraley, O’Connor Brenda Reid Jackson ’86 was recognized and Shores also presented a session together titled “Inspiring Top with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Merit Scholars: Implementing Community-Based Experiences to Jackson, a bachelor of social work graduate, Develop Student Research and Leadership Skills.” is director of Cumberland County The conference had approximately 1,950 attendees this year Department of Social Services. Previously, with 1,000 of those being honors students from across the nation. she was the former Director of Greene The NCHC’s mission is “to support and enhance the community County Department of Social Services and of educational institutions, professionals, and students who Deputy Director of Mecklenburg County participate in collegiate Honors education around the world,” Department of Social Services. according to the organization’s website.

Her honors include recognition as the Brenda Reid Jackson “Outstanding New Social Services Director” by the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social EC Scholars Service. Recently, she was elected as Second Vice President of Help Raise the NC Association of County Directors of Social Services and Nearly appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Association of $70,000 for County Human Services Agencies.

Library Dr. Constantine G. Kledaras was recognized with the Distinguished Faculty Every year during Legacy Award. Kledaras, LCSW , BCD ECU’s fall break, received his bachelor’s degree from Duke the senior class of University, his master of social work from EC Scholars travels UNC-Chapel Hill, and his doctorate in to Charleston, SC. Payton Burnette sorting books at the Charleston County Public Library’s “That Big Book Sale” A major component social work from Catholic University of during this year’s EC Scholar senior impact trip. of this capstone Constantine Kledaras America. After completing his doctorate,

HUMAN ECOLOGY

28 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

AROUND CAMPUS he joined the faculty in the Department of Social Work and Corrections at ECU. As a tenured professor, he became the associate dean of graduate studies in the new School of Social Work and Criminal Justice. In 1994, Dr. Kledaras left ECU to become the Chair of the Department of Social Work at Campbell University. He maintains a restricted, part-time private practice.

JOYNER LIBRARY

Friends of Joyner Library Annual Spring Banquet April 30, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

The Friends of Joyner Library will host their annual Spring Banquet on April 30, 2015 at Yankee Hall in Greenville. The event, featuring author Allan Gurganus, will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35. For more information please visit http://tinyurl.com/friendsbanquet or contact Heather White at 252-328-2870 or whiteh@ecu.edu.

The Art of Recycling Exhibit May–August 2015

Reorchestrated: Music Library Revitalization Campaign

While the ECU Music Library’s primary mission is to serve the ECU community, its reach extends to music educators, performers (musical and dance), and music lovers throughout eastern North Carolina. Patrons visit the Music Library because it is the largest music collection east of the Triangle. It fills an important role within the cultural community of the region. The collection passed the 100,000 volume mark in July 2014 and the library averages 70,000 patron visits annually. Your financial support is needed to fund a campaign that will revitalize the facility, which is no longer able to meet the needs of its patrons. School of Music alumni are encourage to participate in this revitalization campaign.

For more information, contact 252-328-6514, lewisja@ecu.edu, or make a gift online at www.ecu.edu/giving and click “give now.”

African American Life in Eastern North Carolina Exhibit February 6-March 20

African American Life in Eastern North Carolina is an exhibition combining the artwork of African American artists with images from Joyner Library’s extensive African American History Collection within the Special Collections Division. The exhibition will be on display in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery from February 6 through March 20, 2015. A free community celebration event honoring the opening of the exhibition and featuring performances by eastern North Carolina African American musicians will take place on Friday, February 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Joyner Library will feature an exhibition called The Art of Recycling from mid-May through mid-August, 2015 in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery. The show will feature both art made from recycled books and books made from recycled objects, all created by members of the Triangle Book Arts Group from Durham. This exhibition is co-sponsored by Joyner Library’s exhibit committee and green committee.

MEDICINE Brody Grads Stay in Primary Care in NC

Five years after they graduated, 35 of the 70 members of the Brody School of Medicine’s class of 2008 were practicing primary care medicine. Among the four medical schools in North Carolina, that’s the best rate of producing the kind of doctors the state needs most, according to an annual report presented to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Brody’s 50 percent rate of retaining its graduates in primary care fields five years after they graduated compares with 42 percent for UNC-Chapel Hill, 35 percent for Wake Forest University and 19 percent for Duke University, the report said.

Brody doctors also are more likely to remain in North Carolina to practice medicine. The report noted that 46 percent of Brody’s class of 2008 were practicing medicine in the state in 2013. That compares with 37 percent for UNC-Chapel Hill, 29 percent for Wake Forest University and 17 percent for Duke University.

ECU family medicine practitioner Dr. Susan Keen, right, and medical student Demetria Watford, left, collaborate on a patient exam.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 29

AROUND CAMPUS Brody excels at producing graduates who choose to practice primary care in rural areas because that’s where it recruits its students, said Dr. Paul Cunningham, dean of the Brody School of Medicine. Brody only admits students from North Carolina.

“Living in a rural area requires somebody who has that desire… to work in that environment. We recruit from rural areas so they are already familiar with that environment.”

Out of the 70 Brody doctors who graduated in 2008, nine were practicing primary care medicine in a rural North Carolina county in 2013, the report found. To put that number in context, of the 419 graduates of all four NC medical schools in 2008, only 16—including the nine Brody graduates--were practicing primary care medicine in a rural NC county five years later.

However, “North Carolina’s rural areas continue to have a higher supply of physicians than comparable rural areas elsewhere in the country,” the report said.

Finally, the report raised concerns about the growing trend of hospitals acquiring medical practices. “Most of these health care systems have not developed workforce strategies which will support a primary care and population health infrastructure,” the report concluded.

NURSING Nursing Honor Society Celebrates 40 Years of Leadership

Like a traditional honor society, East Carolina University’s Beta Nu chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing requires incoming members to meet certain academic and professional achievement requirements. But the organization, which celebrated its 40th anniversary with a banquet November 13, does much more than recognize scholarly excellence.

The group is one of only two of Sigma Theta Tau’s 500 global chapters to have earned 11 Chapter Key Awards. Sigma Theta Tau bestows the honor on chapters that successfully recruit and retain members, generate publicity and programming, support scholarly activities, provide leadership development and foster international collaboration.

Beta Nu chapter has more than 500 active members — including undergraduate students, graduate students and nurse leaders who work Phyllis Horns, right, with current Beta to advance the profession Nu president Dr. Donna Roberson. through scholarship, leadership and a variety of service projects.

“Beta Nu has been the most influential nursing organization in my career,” said College of Nursing Dean Dr. Sylvia Brown.

Brown, a past president, said that providing leadership 30 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

Karen Krupa, right, speaks as part of a panel of past Beta Nu presidents at a banquet honoring the organization’s 40th anniversary.

opportunities for career growth is one of Beta Nu’s greatest contributions. Several of the College of Nursing’s senior faculty members were founding or early members of the organization, and ECU’s Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Dr. Phyllis Horns was a charter member.

Beta Nu consistently sends students and faculty to conferences and research and leadership academies organized through Sigma Theta Tau and its partners. Over the past 40 years, members also have served in numerous official capacities at regional and national levels.

Beta Nu also stands out for its record of giving back to the profession. It provides grants to support members’ research, and has given $11,000 in student scholarships since 2005. The organization also co-sponsors Collaborative Nursing Research Day, which provides a venue for continuing education and gives nurses an opportunity to showcase their research.

Communities at home and abroad are other beneficiaries of Beta Nu’s outreach. Its biannual Scout Out Nursing Day has introduced more than 500 North Carolina Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to the profession since 2007. International projects include providing scholarships and mentorship to the Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti and making donations to provide water filters for Guatemalan families.

STUDENT LIFE MLK Day of Service

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center and Ledonia Wright Cultural Center partnered to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 19 through various service activities across Pitt County. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a

An ECU student volunteering at the Pitt County Animal Shelter for the MLK Day of Service

AROUND CAMPUS national day of service that is observed as “a day on, not a day off.”

ECU students joined the millions of volunteers across the nation encouraged to unite together to live out Dr. King’s legacy through community action.

The students partnered with community organizations such as the Third Street Community Center, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and the Pitt County Animal Shelter.

The day began with a light breakfast, followed by inspirational talks by Dr. Melissa Haithcox-Dennis, director of the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center, and Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, which was followed by a portion of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The motivated students then headed to their respective project sites to volunteer throughout the day. At the end of the day, the students reflected on their service opportunity and shared how they plan on challenging themselves to carry on Dr. King’s legacy.

Student Success Conference

The divisions of Student and Academic Affairs at East Carolina University hosted the second ECU Student Success Conference on January 6, 2015. Two hundred ninety-five attendees participated

Dr. Jennifer Keup of the University of South Carolina presented at this year's Student Success Conference at ECU.

in the conference, attending the keynote and breakout sessions. This year’s conference theme was “Diversity of Today’s Students.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Jennifer Keup, director of the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. Dr. Keup addressed 21st century student outcomes that look at focusing beyond transactional measures of student success, infusing liberal arts outcomes into the student experience, the seven principles of undergraduate education, and unpacking the work Student and Academic Affairs can do to impact student success.

During the closing session, Dr. Keup challenged participants to consider alignment between institutional opportunities and student needs and partnerships between campus units in order to deliver high-impact practices, and positioning the first year experience as a springboard for success for the entire undergraduate experience.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 31

A LOOK BACK

100 Years of Women’s Basketball

The 1915 women's basketball team at East Carolina Teachers Training School with coach Herbert Austin.

Between 1909 and 1932, the only organized sports teams at East Carolina Teachers College were women's teams. Women's basketball was by far the most popular sport until 1932, when the number of men on campus allowed for the organization of a men's basketball team.

The 1947 East Carolina Teachers College women’s basketball team.

The women’s basketball team defeated Rice 79-70 to win the Conference USA championship in 2007.

32 EC ALUMNI SPRING 2015

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