Normalindexfall2013

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY

FALL 2013

AAMU ...

Daring to place students first

Taking on the Globe When in Cyprus...

AFRICA

In the Mother Land

Brook Sims

Senior Psychology Major IIP Scholar

AAMU Professor Makes Presentation in China

Era of the Student Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones

Fall 2013 Andrew Hugine, Jr., Ph.D. President Publisher Wendy Kobler Vice President for Marketing, Communications & Advancement Associate Publisher Jerome Saintjones Editor-in-Chief Sandra S. Stubbs Alumni Editor Staff Shirley Alexander Yvonne Artis Sibyl E. Moore Linda Elliott Publication Committee Larry Abernathy John Hackett, Jr. Elizabeth Sloan-Ragland Archie Tucker

Accountability?

Fashion Extravaganza 2013

Student Assistants Quinton Brasfield Kejuan Brooks Princess Dollerson Oyedeji Oluwoye Cover Design: Jerome Saintjones On the Cover: Brook Sims of Waukegan, Ill.

is a special publication designed to showcase the myriad accomplishments at Alabama A&M University.

It intends by no means to be allencompassing.

Office of Marketing and Public Relations Alabama A&M University P. O. Box 1027, Normal, AL 35762.

Send contributions/story ideas to

NORMAL INDEX

AAMU Film Club at Sundance

P. O. Box 1027, Normal, AL 35762 or E-mail: public.relations@aamu.edu.

Send “ClassNotes� to Sandra.Stubbs@aamu.edu Copyright 2013

Class of 2030

Kadeem Hinton Food Science and Chemistry Lithonia, Ga.

College of Agricultural, Natural and Life Sciences

4 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

K

adeem’s Dream Although he has only recently completed his junior year, Kadeem Hinton is already mapping out a strategy that will net him a Ph.D degree. For his picking just last summer, internship positions were dangled before him from Cornell and Purdue. He was also designated a finalist for the USDA 1890 Scholars Program.

A native of Lithonia, Ga., where he completed an active high school tenure and band stint at Southwest DeKalb, Hinton is the oldest of three sons and is a first-generation college student who wants to be a role model to his two brothers.

He took the initiative to apply to Alabama A&M University and received a scholarship. The food science major and chemistry minor has a 3.75 grade point average. His long-range goal is to complete a doctoral program in food science in product development or sensory evaluation.

“A&M has been an eye-opening experience,” said Hinton. “I’m learning a lot about myself, and I have really surprised myself academically, making straight A’s during my first semester of college.”

It has not been all books. Hinton served as the freshman and later sophomore representative for the Food Science Club. He again served the organization as junior representative in the 2012-13 academic year. He has been a residence assistant at the large Mamie Labon Foster Complex and even served as parliamentarian for the Residential Assistant Operation Services (RAOS).

Among his AAMU mentors are Drs. Ola Goode Sanders (food science), Razi Hassan (chemistry) and recent food science Ph.D. recipient Kristen Campbell.

A continuing interest in music stems back to his public school days, when he performed as an instrumentalist on Mariah Carey’s “Up Out of My Face.” He also took part in the All National Festival in Indianapolis, Ind. When he is not overly occupied with his studies, Hinton enjoys working on computers, an interest he picked up from shadowing technical support specialists in middle and high school. At home, he transforms into ‘the handy man’ because of his ability to fix things.

- Jerome Saintjones

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 5

Second Chances Travis Muller, a native of Bridgeport, Conn., was getting tired of how her life was going. Many years ago, the man who is now her husband committed an offense. Muller noted that Connecticut was a state that expunged records, and her husband Adrian was ultimately able to get a provisional pardon.

Adrian believed the Huntsville area would be a good place to live, went on to change his life, and encouraged his wife Travis to make some changes, as well. Although Adrian had turned his life around, Travis found it troubling that one she had known and loved for more than three decades was continually haunted by an age-old offense.

Muller was also nagged by the fact that she never achieved the level of education she had always wanted to complete. Again, her husband became her cheerleader and encouraged her to return to school. After giving it some consideration--the desire was there ... no kids ... no responsibilities--she enrolled at Alabama A&M University.

Now a senior majoring in marketing and business, mentored by Professor Marsha Griffin, the 52-year-old Muller and her husband reside in Hillsboro, Ala. The problems experienced by nonviolent offenders, however, continued to plague the couple.

They sought out and received a lot of pro bono legal support from the University of Alabama and were able to turn an idea into a 501c3 entity. Muller and Adrian also received business planning assistance from the North Alabama African-American Chamber of Commerce. Together, the husband and wife team formed the

6 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Travis Muller and Husband Adrian

Alabama Nonviolent Offenders Organization in 2009.

Today, ANVOO has more than 250 clients. More than 70 have received pardons from Alabama and other states, two have had records expunged, nearly a hundred have had their voting rights reestablished, and over 50 have been able to find jobs.

Muller is looking forward to completing her A&M degree in 2013.

For additional information about the organization, contact (Mrs.) Travis Muller at anvoo@yahoo.com or visit ANVOO.org.

- Jerome Saintjones

Travis Muller

Marketing/Business Bridgeport, Conn.

College of Business and Public Affairs Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 7

Brook Sims Psychology Waukegan, Ill.

College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences 8 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Getting Psyched Up! Dating back to her high school years, Brook Sims has always packed every minute of her day with countless service activities. A 2009 graduate of Waukegan High School in her Illinois hometown, where she was also crowned Miss Waukegan, Sims even loaded up her summers with work as a recreation leader for the Waukegan Park District.

It is only natural, then, that she entered Alabama A&M University equally determined in her scholarly pursuits and her commitment to worthwhile service and extracurricular activities. She has served as a secretary to the Honors Program, as president of the Psychology Club and as a student ambassador for the admissions office.

Returning for her junior year, Sims served as a residence assistant, mentoring her female peers at the largest residence facility on the nearly 140-year-old campus.

She also represented AAMU in New York City at the annual Thurgood Marshall College Fund Student Leadership Institute.

Moreover, Sims has assisted licensed psychological counselors and psychiatric nurses for Huntsville Hospital’s observation program. In March 2012, she was accepted by the Student Conservation Association to participate in the alternative spring break program at Joshua Tree National Park to gain information on climate and environmental issues.

Perhaps most amazing, however, is the fact that Sims has perfectly balanced the academic and the extracurricular, evidenced by her 4.0 grade point average. To further round off an already comprehensive collegiate academic experience, Sims ably arranged to study in London in fall semester 2012 as a scholar under the International Internship Program.

“I chose to study abroad because I wanted to experience a cultural transformation,” says Sims. “It has been a passion of mine to experience the life of a Londoner, and now my dream became true.” She returned from her four-month study abroad and internship program at Richmond College last December.

Throughout the summer, Sims worked feverishly to make the trans-Atlantic trip possible. This included making appeals and fundraising pitches to family and friends, as well as making application to the NAFEO/American Institute for Foreign Study and the Diversity Abroad Achievement Scholarship.

“As an upcoming psychologist,” reasons Sims, “it is essential for me to learn how to interact with a diverse group of people and to be familiar with different cultures and regions--an experience that no classroom can prepare me for.”

- Jerome Saintjones

LONDON

When she had but completed her sophomore year, she conducted research in a pre-doctoral scholars institute under the auspices of a clinician in the Psychological Services Center at Louisiana State University.

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX

9

Roderick Abernathy

Mechanical Engineering Technology Class of 2011 Birmingham, Ala.

College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences 10 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Mechanical Engineering Tech Appreciates the ‘Hands-on’ Back at the onset of summer 2012, Roderick Abernathy was beaming with pride and excitement. In just days, he recalls, he would be embarking on a new career that would methodically take him from Point A to B and then land him squarely at Point C ... in Omaha, Neb. A native of Birmingham, Ala., Abernathy had graduated from Alabama A&M University with a degree in mechanical engineering technology only a semester earlier. But it seemed like a light year.

He had now joined CNA Insurance, an important insurer of large machinery, where he would hone his academic acumen into the skills needed to become a top-notch insurance adjuster.

Abernathy, formerly a student barber in the West Campus Complex, praised A&M’s MET program for providing the hands-on experiences and the opportunities beyond the classroom that make the blackboard more applicable to the real world. He says that nearly every member of his 20-person senior design class had secured gainful employment.

A few years ago, the path leading to mechanical engineering technology had not been so ironclad. He had enrolled at Livingstone College in North Carolina on a full athletic scholarship, but he soon decided that he “wanted to impact the world in a different way.”

In his new position at CNA, Abernathy visited a wide range of businesses, from small restaurants to large industry plants. He then performs a diagnosis on the condition of machinery, writes a report and submits it to CNA. His initial months with the company were spent in Kansas City, Kans. But he has been sent to Chicago, to Wisconsin, to Ohio to take an eight-hour certification exam, and now, finally, to Omaha, Neb. Abernathy especially thanks Aaron Adams, professor and coordinator of the MET program, for “making sure we had all we needed--in school and out of school.”

- Jerome Saintjones

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 11

Tiffany Ousley Finance St. Louis, Mo.

When in Cyprus ...

College of Business and Public Affairs

An Alabama A&M University finance major started one of her Spring semesters on the island of Cyprus, thanks in large measure to expert coordination by the on-campus study abroad program.

That January, Tiffany Ousley left for an exciting four-month study and learning experience in the Turkishand Greek-inspired Mediterranean island. She shared an Internet-ready apartment located about five minutes from the University of Nicosia, where she took on courses conducted in English.

“I hope to return changed by the experience and appreciating the value of my education,” Ousley said prior to the trip. During the course of studies in the Global Semester Program (GSP), Ousley and fellow participants visited some 14 countries.

The current senior is indebted to Dr. Barbara A.P. Jones, the AAMU economist and educator who first recommended that Ousley consider studying abroad. Another College of Business and Public Affairs faculty member, Dana Harris, helped her to fine tune and edit her essays and offered pointers to help her paperwork stand out. But Ousley is particularly grateful to Mary Monroe of AAMU’s study abroad program.

“She (Monroe) did so much,” says Ousley. “She wrote sponsorship letters, helped with essays, and even talked with the GSP advisor in New York.”

The St. Louis native says the experience undoubtedly made her a more positive student leader with unique educational experiences and perspective.”

12 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Forestry Ambassador

An Alabama A&M University forestry management student is part of a new program designed to build interest in and awareness of the U.S. Forest Service among her fellow students.

As part of the first group of a dozen Forest Service Student Ambassadors under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sylvia Staples is making one of a series of steps toward her ultimate aim of becoming a forester.

Additionally, Staples was charged with generating up to 100 student contacts throughout a term slated to end in May 2013.

Staples is looking forward to launching her career as a GS-7 forester in London, Ky., where she will be situated at the Daniel Boone National Forest Ranger District.

by Jerome Saintjones

A native of Roanoke, Ala., with a 3.74 GPA, Staples is the baby child among a group of seven siblings and is the first college graduate in the family. Her decision to attend A&M stems back to the similar decision made by a cousin and 2004 AAMU graduate that she “really looked up to.”

On “The Hill,” Staples has enjoyed mentoring young girls, as well as demonstrating considerable talents at softball and basketball.

As an AAMU ambassador for the Forest Service, Staples has been responsible for working with the campus’ Career Development Services unit, discipline-related faculty and staff, student group leaders, as well as conducting general marketing, presentations, workshops, and one-on-one advising sessions.

Sylvia Staples Forestry Roanoke, Ala.

College of Agricultural, Natural and Life Sciences Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 13

Striking

Ross Fontenot Ph.D. Recipient Physics 14 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Prolific Researcher Part of Physics Succession As a 28-year-old doctoral candidate in physics at Alabama A&M University, Ross Fontenot has achieved accomplishments that would likely be considered enviable even by seasoned professors and researchers.

The Lafayette, La., native and selfdescribed lover of warmer climates tracks his first real interest in physics back to his high school days. That gripping attraction spurred him onward to an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he also completed his master’s degree.

What brought about the AAMU connection, however, was his intense material science work in the area of triboluminescence (TL), a way of emitting light on impact that could offer wide-ranging applications. Turns out, his master’s adviser was none other than William Andrew Hollerman, a talented TL researcher who had completed his own Ph.D. in applied physics at AAMU in 1996. Dr. Hollerman was advised at AAMU by Dr. Lawrence Holland, while Dr. Mohan Aggarwal, who currently and ably heads the physics program on “The Hill,” served on Hollerman’s dissertation committee.

The chain of succession propelled him back to AAMU, where he extends his list of influences to include the guru Aggarwal and the energetic and knowledgeable Kamala Bhat.

Thus, it becomes readily understandable that such influence would lead to the publication of nearly 20 articles in major research journals, including the notable Materials Today and Journal of Theoretical and Applied Physics.

If Fontenot had an interest in TL while at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, no doubt that interest escalated into a passion while under Bhat, who not only directs his research and serves on his dissertation committee, but whose enthusiasm about TL research permeates any given room.

“If you are able to capture the light,” excitedly explains Bhat, “you can tell where it hit and how hard it hit. The ultimate usefulness of TL research can run the gamut from fun applications (coating a golf ball with material that enables it to light up after striking) to defense, biomedical and even environmental applications.”

through materials and sensors, the integrity of important structures, such as bridges and overpasses, or even the onset of earthquakes.

A two-time recipient of a NASA fellowship from the Alabama Space Grant Consortium, Fontenot credits the Ph.D. program’s “interesting courses,” flexibility and freedom for much of his ability to be so prolific in his published research. He also has presented his research at major conferences, among them the International Conference on Luminescence in Ann Arbor, Mich.

As Fontenot remains busy completing his doctoral requirements and applying for a variety of positions and post-docs at a few universities in addition to posts at national labs, (such as Oak Ridge, Lawrence Livermore, Air Force Research Lab, Army Research Lab and the National Institute of Standards and Technology), the chances are highly favorable that he will one day strike the interest of yet another prospective Normalite, spreading light on the AAMU legacy among future generations.

by Jerome Saintjones

Fontenot adds that TL research also could play a key role in determining,

College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 15

CLASSNOTES 1960 Dr. Glenda E. Gill, classically trained theatre historian and professor emerita, Michigan Technological University, was the subject of an exhibit on “The Influence of Alabama A. & M. on the Life and Work of Glenda E. Gill.” The exhibit was sponsored by the State Black Archives Research Center and Museum on the AAMU campus, and a wellattended reception lured family and longtime friends from throughout the United States.

Always socially and academically active, Dr. Gill gave a presentation, “P. Diddy and Walter Lee Younger: Brothers and Saints,” during the spring 2013 semester at AAMU.

of the nationally distributed higher education publication DIVERSE magazine.

1961 AAMU clinical psychologist Annie M. Wells collected data for a study on the correlation between Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and body mass index ranges.

The study emphasized the importance of cognitive or psychological factors that must precede lifestyle changes in order to reduce obesity and its relationship to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

1981 Jamal Ali published Black and Green, a book on going green, a call to action for African Americans to be involved in the green movement.

1964 William E. Cox is president of Cox Mathews & Associates, publisher

1967 Rose Crum Johnson is a senior adviser for Pan-American Risk Management, LLC. She pioneered new methods of service delivery in the health care arena and was noted for her innovation in implementing new initiatives.

1973 W. Clyde Marsh has achieved the highest rank of any graduate of the AAMU ROTC. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral and is currently serving as the Director of Veterans Affair for the State of Alabama.

Ricardo J. Hall wrote an article in Football Nation on the professional aspiration of fellow AAMU alumnus Kaderius Lacey.

Dr. Henry Panion III arranged and conducted gospel singer Kirk Franklin’s Haiti relief production of “A Song for Pain.” Panion is best known for his work as a conductor and arranger for superstar Stevie Won-

16 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

by Sandra S. Stubbs ‘87

der, for whose performances and recordings he had led many of the world’s most notable orchestras.

of Alabama, the first female and the second African American to hold the post., began her position as executive director of Jefferson County Committee for Equal Opportunity.

1983 Carolyn P. Caldwell is president and CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo. She has also been elected to the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees for a three-year term that began in January 2013.

Dr. Dee Fowler has been named Alabama PTA Superintendent of the Year. Fowler was recognized at the Alabama PTA state convention at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in April 2013. The Madison (Ala.) City Council of PTAs nominated Dr. Fowler, due to his continued support of the PTAs and his leadership that has placed Madison City Schools among the “top in the state,” according to council president Sonja Griffith.

1984 Sponsored by the Title III program, AAMU admissions staffer Manicia Finch attended the Harvard Institute on Admissions in Cambridge, Mass. The College Boardhosted, weeklong conference covered a wide range of admissions-related areas and accounted for “an awesome experience.”

1989 Lisa S. Jones, founder/CEO of EyeMailInc.com of Atlanta, Ga., was featured in Black Enterprise magazine and was also dubbed Atlanta’s next tycoon.

1991 Dr. Marquita Furness Davis, former finance director for the State

1992 Paul A. Pinyan is executive director of the Alabama Farmers Federation and general manager of ALFA Services, Inc. 1993 AAMU physicist Michael Curley joined transportation expert Jacob Oluwoye and physicist Tatiana Kuktarev to research truck drivers’ exposure to diesel exhaust. Further studies could indicate some correlation between continued exposure to diesel exhaust and current and potential ailments within the respiratory system.

1994 Julian Green has joined the

CLASSNOTES Chicago Cubs operation as vice president of communications and community affairs, following a stint as the spokesperson for MillerCoors.

1996 John O. Hudson, III, is vice president of public relations and charitable giving for Alabama Power.

He also serves as president of the Alabama Power Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Alabama.

2000 Chanda Davis was named the recipient of the Presidential Award of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching given by the National Science Foundation.

2001 Gary Richardson, president and CEO of Richardson Broadcasting Corporation, a Birminghambased radio broadcasting company with nearly 20 employees, was featured in a lengthy Birmingham News article on his business success and the state of African Americans in the broaccast profession.

2003 Miranda Bouldin, CEO of

Huntsville, Ala.-based LogiCore, gave helpful and inspiring tips to developing a successful business operation to an attentive logistics class at AAMU. Shewanda Pugh, a native of Boston, Mass., current resident of Miami, Fla., and AAMU political science graduate, is the author of Crimson Footprints, a novel about the interracial romance between a black heroine and a JapaneseAmerican hero.

2004 As supervisory accountant and finance/accounting officer at the Huntsvillebased U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Quintessia Fuller has now taken on the additional role of overseeing nine employees in the Resource Management’s Finance and Accounting Division.

2006 Ebonee A. Walker received the Ph.D. degree in interdisciplinary materials science from Vanderbilt University.

the Master of Music Performance.

Devine says, “It’s good to come back home and lead and guide.” Also, the vocal talents and community engagement of two students from “The Hill” received accolades at a celebratory music gathering sponsored in part by the internationally renowned Washington National Opera during the summer of 2013.

Devine’s students Christopher E. Cole and Deric Jackson represented Alabama A&M University as competent participants in an event coordinated by the noted 105 Voices of History HBCU National Concert Choir.

The organization’s National Soloist Award activity was held June 27-30 in celebration of African-American Music Month at the Washington National Opera Studio.

In recognition of “off-stage” performance, Jackson earned

a national citation for and recognition for AAMU owing to his volunteer and community service work over the past year, while Cole achieved an important distinction for his performance in the National Soloist Award event. Needless to say, Devine was ecstatic.

SPOTLIGHT

Cleanza Lanier ‘81 is well known for the expertise that has launched her into the coveted spot of successful business owner. The celebrity Tampa, Fla., realtor also was prominently featured in The Powerbroker magazine’s Top 50.

President Hugine waves to supportive alumni during the Bulldogs’ gridiron contest against Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

2009 AAMU’s first vocal performance major, the incomparable Miss Shonda Devine, has returned to her Alma Mater to teach voice after a stint at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 17

Apparently Apparel

18 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

2013 Fashion

Extravaganza

Each year, students from AAMU’s Apparel Merchandising and Design area display the best of their hard-earned skills. The Fashion Extravaganza embodies the creativity of the budding designers, along with the patience and expertise of their professors. Here is a sample from the long, hot spring tradition.

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 19

AAMU Students Visit Motherland

In Ghana: Seven AAMU students join Drs. Ohene-Nyako and James O. Bukenya at the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, West Africa. Pictured (l-r) are: Stefanie Gresham, Victoria Donaldson, Danyelle Starks, Marcus Reynolds, Dr. Eric Ohene-Nyako, Morgan Pettway, Tashieka Smith, Dr. James O. Bukenya and Bri-Anna Barber.

A group of Alabama A&M University students expanded their horizons while visiting the African continent, thanks to a government grant promoting global awareness and leadership.

Seven students representing AAMU’s College of Agriculture, Life and Natural Sciences (COALNS) and the College of Business and Public Affairs (COBPA) are currently visiting the University of Ghana (in western Africa), where they are engaged in a program of study designed to build a well-rounded student with international exposure, says Dr. James O. Bukenya, AAMU professor of resource economics.

The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) 1890 Capacity Building Program. The overall objective is to provide opportunities for AAMU students to increase their awareness and to deepen their understanding as they prepare for future employment in a knowledge-based global economy.

Bukenya is being assisted on the trip by Dr. Eric OheneNyako, director of AAMU Small Business Development Center.

During the trip to Ghana, the students had an opportunity to visit Cape Coast Castle (known for the transAtlantic slave trade), said Bukenya. The Castle and Museum are among the historical places that President Obama visited on his first trip to Africa, he added.

- Jerome Saintjones 20 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Researcher Publishes Journal Chapter on Technological Engagement An Alabama A&M University professor and a colleague published a book chapter in a journal focusing on new educational technology.

Dr. Maurice Eugene Dawson, assistant professor of management information systems, Department of Management and Marketing, and Imad Al Saeed, Colorado Technical University, have published a book chapter on the “Use of Open Source Software and Virtualization in Academia to Enhance Higher Education Everywhere.”

The work is included in an Emerald Publishing edition on

Dawson

building student engagement and retention in new ways.

The journal series is entitled Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education, Vol. 6)

A&M Professor Presents at International Forum With China’s growing prominence in world affairs, learning Chinese has become increasingly important. Enter Rebecca L. Oxford, Alabama A&M University’s new coordinator of the psychology and counseling program.

Dr. Oxford, delivered one of two keynote presentations at the third international Chinese Language Education Forum (CLEF) held recently in San Francisco, Calif. Some 400 persons representing 12 countries attended the event.

In addition to ample positive feedback from attendees— among them Chinese Language Education and Research Center

Oxford

official Benson Zhao—Oxford received a Fulbright grant in 2012 to present her work in Costa Rica.

Alumni Chapter Prez Heads Foundation AAMU alumna Pamela Thompson is executive director of the North Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation in Huntsville.

Thompson is president of the Huntsville Madison County Alumni Chapter and serves

Alabama as the regional vice president of the national alumni association.

138 Points of Pride There are numerous reasons people from around the world have found the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) experience fulfilling and exhilarating.

One, AAMU is a dynamic and progressive, 138-year-old land-grant institution with a strong commitment to academic excellence, quality research and service. This requires that all students, faculty, staff and closely affiliated parties remain consistent in their search for new ideas and ways to improve communities and the world. With more than 5,000 students, AAMU is a state, regional, national and international resource that has made a significant impact on the lives of people the world over.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far...

AAMU did not come by its sought-after curriculum, culture and scholarly reputation on its own. The picturesque, hillside campus is located less than five miles from downtown Huntsville. And, the vibrancy of “The Rocket City” has contributed much to AAMU’s success over the years, and the University has continually returned the favor. For instance, its numerous undergraduate and graduate degree programs—including four doctoral (Ph.D.) degree programs in Food Science, Physics, Plant and Soil Science, and Reading/Literacy—provide Huntsville many of the tools needed to sustain its unprecedented growth.

Traditional and Futuristic The University undeniably progresses with the times, owing to cutting-edge programs and boastful research in agriculture, engineering, food science and physics, to name a few. Yet, AAMU holds fast to its traditional core of liberal arts, education and student volunteerism.

Fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as other specialty, regional and national accrediting bodies, AAMU’s academic programs have been recognized by U.S. News and World Report, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and the Washington Monthly. Each year, several students achieve regional and national honors in their respective disciplines.

Among the newer traditions are the annual Nobel laureate public lecture and the Louis Crews Classic. The University also continues to host numerous professional associations and organizations throughout the year. For instance, the campus recently hosted the 75th anniversary meeting of Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society in 2013, along with other important events noted throughout the “Points of Pride”.

Moreover, in the longstanding athletics tradition, the AAMU Bulldogs compete in 17 Division I NCAA sports and are a formidable presence in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). AAMU student athletes firmly establish themselves as scholars first and foremost. For example, the men’s tennis team was the SWAC’s most scholarly group.

There is so much more ... so much more. Read the following highlights and continue the discovery at www.aamu.edu.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

1.

AAMU is among the Top 20 largest employers in the region.

2.

Through its 5,000 students and 1,100 employees, AAMU has a $650 million economic impact on the region.

3.

The annual Louis Crews Classic, held in the 21,000-seat Louis Crews Stadium, is the first football classic in North Alabama.

4.

AAMU provides a quality and cost-effective education for the citizens of Alabama, and more than 70 percent of its students are Alabama residents.

5.

AAMU has awarded more than 5,000 degrees in the past five years.

INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND STATE DISTINCTIONS 6.

AAMU has been a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) since 1963.

7.

Fredrick Law Olmstead, Sr., designer of New York’s Central Park was commissioned by the State of Alabama to layout the Alabama A&M University campus in 1928.

8.

AAMU is the only 1890 land-grant university with three Ph.D. programs in science, technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM) areas.

The fourth Ph.D. program (and state’s only one) focuses on Reading/Literacy.

9.

The Department of Food and Animal Sciences offers the only Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) certified food science program at a historically black college or university (HBCU) in the U.S. The Food and Animal Sciences Department is one of two and the oldest Ph.D. food science program among HBCUs in the U.S. 10.

In the 2012 U.S. News and World Report rankings among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), state-supported Alabama A&M University has climbed to No. 18.

11.

AAMU is 3rd in the nation in the awarding of undergraduate degrees in natural resources and conservation to African Americans (DIVERSE, 2012).

12.

AAMU ranks 3rd in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees in communications technologies/technicians (DIVERSE, 2012).

13.

AAMU ranks 6th in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees to minorities in the agriculture-related areas (DIVERSE, 2012).

14.

AAMU ranks 5th in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees to African Americans in mathematics and statistics, and 23rd in similar degrees to students in marketing

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 21

(DIVERSE, 2012) 15.

AAMU ranks 8th in the nation in awarding undergraduate degrees to African Americans in education (DIVERSE, 2012).

16.

AAMU is 10th largest producer of undergraduate degrees to minorities in engineering (DIVERSE, 2012) 17.

AAMU ranks 12th the nation in awarding baccalaureate degrees to African Americans in engineering technology and related fields (DIVERSE, 2012).

18.

AAMU ranks 7th in the nation in awarding master’s degrees to African Americans in the fields of both biological/ biomedical sciences and physical sciences.

19.

AAMU contributes directly to the defense of the country and has commissioned nearly 1,000 officers through its ROTC since the program’s inception.

20.

AAMU President Andrew Hugine, Jr.’s 2012 trip to China to request establishment of a coveted Confucius Institute. The Institute already has received support from the University’s various constituencies.

21.

The engineering facility is named for Arthur J. Bond, former dean and late Father of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

22.

Alabama A&M University’s forestry program is accredited by the Society of American Foresters and is the only such program at an HBCU. 23.

Six AAMU graduate students were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) scholarships in 2012 to participate in the East Asia Pacific

Summer Institute. The group received training in Japan, China and New Zealand.

24.

AAMU boasts the only certified (Planning Accreditation Board - PAB) undergraduate Community Planning program in Alabama. It is also the only HBCU in the U.S. with both the master’s and undergraduate programs accredited by PAB. 25.

AAMU has the state’s oldest computer science program in the state.

26.

The College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences has the only e-tutorial in teacher education in the state of Alabama.

27.

The teacher education programs in the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

28.

AAMU still boasts the only Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in the region and is one of only two in the state.

The social work programs, undergraduate and graduate, are accredited by the Council of Social Work Education.

29. Derrick K. Yates, interim director of bands, and the Marching Maroon and White Band were awarded the “Key to the City” of New Orleans by Mayor Landrieu in connection with the sought-after performance during Mardi Gras.

30.

The rehabilitation program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation.

31.

The communicative disease and disorders program is accredited by the American Speech and Hearing Association.

22 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

32.

The Family and Consumer Sciences program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Family and Consumer Sciences.

33.

The Nutrition and Hospitality program is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation for Dietetics Education.

34.

AAMU’s College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences possesses the only MACH 1.4-4.0 Super Sonic Wind Tunnel (with air flow faster than the speed of sound) in North Alabama.

35.

The programs in Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Technology, and Mechanical Engineering and Technology are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Education.

ACADEMICS/ FACULTY 40.

AAMU physicists received NSF funding in the amount of $8 million through 2017 for an “Alliance for Physics Excellence” (APEX) program for improving physics education for up to 40,000 high school students statewide.

41.

Environmental scientist William E. Stone and a team of surveyors were the first to discover the presence in Alabama of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a deadly disease that afflicts bats. This is particularly significant because bats prey on insects that would otherwise cost the U.S. agricultural industry an estimated $3 billion each year.

36.

AAMU received second place in 2012 the national Home Depot “Retool Your School” contest. The award netted the University $25,000 toward campus beautification efforts.

42.

Drs. Arjun Tan and Mostafa Dokhanian, AAMU physicists, contributed a 34-page book chapter to a publication on the phenomenon of the tsunami. The effort was provided assistance from graduate student Ashwith Chilvery and alumnus Sihon Crutcher.

37.

AAMU has hosted a Nobel Laureate for 15 consecutive years, the only institution in the country to have such a distinction.

43.

Education professor Delores Price has been reappointed to the Governor’s prestigious Women’s Commission of Alabama through January 2018.

38.

Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District, also known as Normal Hill College Historic District, has 28 buildings and 4 structures, listed in the United States Register of Historic Places.

44.

AAMU Engineering College Dean Chance Glenn initiated a speaker series in 2013.

Engineer and inventor Lonnie Johnson was the inaugural speaker.

39.

Alabama A&M University improved its graduation rate an impressive 8 percent (to 43 percent) during the reporting period of 1998-2011, according to a 2013 article published in the Journal of Blacks in Higher

45.

Urban regional Extension specialist Robert Spencer has received national recognition for his volunteer work in Haiti over the past six years.

Spencer was nominated by the Partners of the Americas to receive the distinguished President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Get Your Hands Dirty Dr. Joe Washington Art Program

27

A www.aamu.edu/ R T Online

Normal Index

46.

Dr. Susan Brown, professor in the Department of Visual, Performing and Communicative Arts, is a director of the National Education Association.

47.

Dr. Harriet Hamilton, associate professor of health and human performance, received the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) 2012 Dr. Nell C. Jackson Award. NAGWS is an affiliate organization of the American Alliance for Health and Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD).

48.

Transportation expert Jacob Oluwoye and physicists Michael Curley and Tatiana Kuktarev teamed to research truck drivers’ exposure to diesel exhaust. Further studies could indicate some correlation between continued exposure to diesel exhaust and current and potential ailments within the respiratory system. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

49.

Dr. Duncan M. Chembezi, associate professor of agribusiness, and staff of the Small Farms Research Center received a $675,491 USDA grant to help beginning farmers and ranchers find the resources needed to run sustainable farm operations.

50 Alabama’s only certified orofacial mycologist has published an important new work in the field of speech and language pathology (SLP). Dr. Hope C. Reed, associate professor of communicative sciences and disorders in the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences at Alabama A&M University, is the author of 157-page “The Source for Counseling for SLPs.” 51.

New $350,000, three-in-

one equipment is housed in a nearly half-million dollar device characterization laboratory built from scratch by Dr. Mohammad Alim, an electrical engineering professor. The JEOL JSM6610LV equipment functions as a scanning electron microscope (SEM); an Oxford-produced energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS); and a nanometer pattern generation system (NPGS) by the Nabity Company.

52.

Dr. Martha Verghese, professor and interim chairperson in the Department of Food and Animal Sciences, was honored by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) for outstanding service and for serving as a chair of a regional association.

53.

Physicists Mohan Aggarwal and A.K. Batra contributed to the “Springer Handbook of Crystal Growth,” an important international reference publication on the subject.

54.

Dr. Horace Carney, chair of the Department of Fine Arts and coordinator of the AAMU music program, directs the noted Horace Carney Chorale in Birmingham, Ala. He also directed the noted HBCU 105 Voices of History National Choir.

55.

Associate Professor of Health Lynne Edmondson published an article on “Obesity Prevention at an HBCU” in 2012, part of the AAMU Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences & Health Disparities.

The project led to the development of “Fitness the Bulldog Weigh” and “For the Health of It Summer Camp.”

ALUMNI 56.

AAMU produces leaders for higher education. Two A&M alumni, Dr. Carl Harris

24 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Marbury and Dr. Jack Thomas, former English major and AAMU track star, served as presidents of Alabama A&M University and Western Illinois University, respectively. Dr. Nathan Essex serves as president of Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Norman Cephus was a two-year college president at C. A. Fredd Technical College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

is used as a resource for schools.

57.

AAMU produces governmental leaders: Kenneth Gulley, Mayor of Bessemer, Alabama and former Bessemer Mayor Edward May; Jay Roberson, Birmingham City Council; Senator Linda Coleman and Representatives Laura Hall and Mary Moore of the Alabama Legislature; James Perkins, former Mayor in Selma, Alabama; Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin State Assembly; and Chris Carter and Michael Butler, Missouri General Assembly.

Other local governmental leaders include Bob Harrison, Madison County Commission (Ala.); Richard Showers, Huntsville City Council; and Wil Culver, Huntsville City Council.

61.

Dr. Henry Panion III arranged and conducted gospel singer Kirk Franklin’s Haiti relief production of “A Song for Pain.” Panion is best known for his work as a conductor and arranger for superstar Stevie Wonder, for whose performances and recordings he had led many of the world’s most notable orchestras.

58.

AAMU produces leaders in public education, among them current and former superintendents of schools: Eugene White, Indianapolis Public Schools; Arlester McBride, Wilcox County Schools; Dee O. Fowler, Madison County Schools; Dr. Fred Primm, Jr., Bessemer City Schools; Woodie E. Pugh, Jr., Clarke County Schools; Elam Ray Swaim, Madison County Schools; and Robert Brown, Greene County Schools.

59.

William Hooper Councill, AAMU’s founder and first president, was included in AT&T’s African American 2013 calendar. Done in collaboration with the Alabama State Department of Education, the publication is distributed statewide and

60.

An innovative and engaged fund-raising program—“Adopt a Band Student Uniform Fundraiser”—was included in “A Guide to Fundraising at Historically Black Colleges and Universities - An All-Campus Approach” by Dr. MaryBeth Gasman & Mr. Nelson Bowman III.

62.

William E. Cox is president of Cox Mathews & Associates, publisher of the nationally distributed higher education publication DIVERSE magazine.

63.

Julian Green has joined the Chicago Cubs operation as vice president of communications and community affairs, following a stint as the spokesperson for MillerCoors. He was also a communications specialist for then Senator Barack Obama.

64.

Lisa S. Jones, founder/ CEO of EyeMailInc.com of Atlanta, Ga., was featured in Black Enterprise magazine and was also dubbed Atlanta’s next tycoon.

65.

Dr. Marquita Furniss Davis is the finance director for the State of Alabama, the first female and the second African American to hold the post.

66.

Paul Pinyan is executive director of the Alabama Farmers Federation and general manager of ALFA Services, Inc.

67.

Chanda Davis was named the recipient of the Presidential Award of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching given by the National Science Foundation. This award is given to one math and one science teacher for each state.

Davis won for Alabama as the science teacher. She traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive this prestigious award and a monetary gift of $10,000.

68.

Booker T. Whatley was noted internationally for developing a process of year-round farming for a 100-acre family.

The plan attracted the attention of the Wall Street Journal and the founder of Domino’s Pizza.

69.

Rose Crumb Johnson is a senior adviser for Pan-American Risk Management, LLC. She pioneered new methods of service delivery in the health care arena and was noted for her innovation in implementing new initiatives.

70.

John O. Hudson, III, is vice president of public relations and charitable giving for Alabama Power. He also serves as president of the Alabama Power Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Alabama.

71.

Carolyn Caldwell is president and CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo. She has also been elected to the American Hospital Association Board of

Trustees for a three-year term that began in January 2013.

72.

Dr. Alease S. Sims was a co-defendant in the longrunning Knight & Sims vs. Alabama higher education desegregation lawsuit, first launched in 1981.

73.

W. Clyde Marsh has achieved the highest rank of any graduate of the AAMU ROTC. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral and is currently serving as the director of veterans affair for the State of Alabama and as president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.

74.

Adrienne Pope-Kelly Washington is the first black female to earn the permanent grade of GS-15 in the history of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, first black female to hold the position of Director of Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD) and first black female to serve as the Division Chief of Air and Missile Defense Systems in SAMD. 75.

A building on the campus of University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) was named in honor of Dr. Harold Wilson, an AAMU alumnus.

ATHLETICS 76.

AAMU annually plays

in the Magic City Classic, first played in 1924. The Magic City Classic is one of the oldest continuing rivalries between historically black colleges and universities.

77.

The first annual Robert Mathis football camp was held in Louis Crews Stadium.

Mathis, a former A&M standout and current member of the Indianapolis Colts, with some help from the Bulldog football coaching staff, conducted the free clinic on the fundamentals of football, footwork, use of hands, position drills and many more football-related activities.

78.

The football team has had the top Academic Performance Record (APR) scores in the conference for the last three years. Student athletes firmly establish themselves as scholars first. For instance, the men’s tennis team was the SWAC’s most scholarly group.

79.

The Alabama A&M University Athletics Department graduates its athletes at a higher rate than the University.

80.

AAMU joined forces with the City of Huntsville and Huntsville Public Schools on a stadium artificial turf project that enables access to junior high and high school football teams at Louis Crews Stadium.

81.

NFL Hall of Famer John Stallworth is a former

American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Stallworth played in six AFC championships and four Super Bowls.

82.

Michael Thompkins was youngest baseball coach in the history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) history.

83.

Jearl Miles Clark was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame and is a fivetime Olympic winner in track and field, winning two gold and one silver medal.

84.

At least eighty (80) former Bulldogs have played professional sports.

85.

All-time NFL draft picks (19) include: Johnny Baldwin, Robert Mathis, Joe Patton, Fred Lester, Todd Woulard, Howard Ballard, Morris Johnson, Reginald Gipson, Thomas Hopkins, Mike Williams, Raymond Cooley, Frankie Smith, Oliver Ross, John Stallworth, Louis Swain, Onree Jackson, Alvin Pressell, Bill Kendricks and Bernard Corbin.

86.

The 2012 Class of the AAMU Athletic Hall of Fame was the largest in the organization’s history. It also included the largest induction of women (10) into the organization.

87.

Drafted in April 2011, Frank Kearse is an American football nose tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. According to A&M’s sports information office, Kearse is the 20th player drafted from AAMU.

94.

AAMU has partnered with the Madison County Commission District 6 to form and sustain community/public gardens. In 2012, the AAMU Wellness Center partnered with United Way in launching emergency preparedness efforts.

88.

At a capacity of 21,000 seats, Louis Crews Stadium is still the largest such athletic facility in North Alabama.

95.

Ranging from rodeos to horse shows, the AAMU Agribition Center hosts a number of unique events for the greater Huntsville and Madison County community.

89.

Barry Wagner is a retired player from the Arena Football League for the Orlando Predators with whom he won his first Arena Bowl Championship and the San Jose SaberCats, with whom he won two championships. He is considered the best arena football player of all time.

OUTREACH 90.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension Program, a joint program between Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, has extension offices in all 67 Alabama counties.

96.

The AAMU Community Development Corporation (AAMU-CDC) is working to revitalize the Edmonton Heights neighborhood adjacent to the campus and to assist first-time homebuyers. By 2013, some 14 homes had been built, renovated, or upgraded. A family life center for after school care and other activities was built and expanded. The community park has also been upgraded.

91.

The AAMU Urban and New Nontraditional Programs hosted the 2013 Green Living Expo in the AAMU Agribition Center to promote eco-friendly consumerism.

97.

AAMU students have provided consistent mentoring services to students at Morris Elementary School in Huntsville, Ala., thanks to AAMU students in social sciences.

AAMU student volunteers have clocked more than 60,000 hours at more than 60 local agencies and schools.

92.

The AAMU Community Development Center and Edmonton Heights Family Life Center teams to provide tutorial, tax preparation and other services to the neighborhood

98.

The College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences is participating in a student and faculty exchange program with Nanjing Forestry University in China.

93.

Department of Community Planning and Urban Studies students have assisted the towns of Albertville, Arab and Hillsboro in developing comprehensive municipal plans.

It holds “Future of the City” symposia annually in connection with its yearly Benjamin Banneker awards program.

99.

The AAMU Urban and New Nontraditional Programs Unit annually hosts its “Successful Aging Initiative” in collaboration with the Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. The programs average 800 attendees each year.

100. The Small Farms Research Center conducts and

promotes interdisciplinary research on the economic and social development of limited resource, new and beginning farmers and ranchers and rural entrepreneurs in Alabama’s underserved communities. The Center serves nearly 700 small farmers and over 100 rural entrepreneurs each year.

101. In conjunction with the Faith Advocacy Commission, Alabama A&M University launched AAMU Day in 2013 to encourage local churches to show their support and appreciation of the University.

102. The 100,000-watt radio station WJAB-FM hosts a citywide backpack drive to help prepare students returning to school in the fall who are from low-income families.

108. The University partners with the Madison County Commission to provide vegetables to low-income persons at no cost.

109. The AAMU Gallery of Art, located in the R.D. Morrison Fine Arts Building, is a professional and accessible showcase for on-campus and community artists. Professors coordinated SPACES, a program sponsored the City of Huntsville and the Huntsville Arts Council to bring art and sculptures to public places.

110. The AAMU Master of Social Work program has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of North Alabama.

104. The Bulldog Pride Committee, headed by First Lady Abbiegail Hugine, pulls together University and community persons in a partnership focused on campus aesthetics.

111. The Black Farmers & Agriculturalists Association, Inc. (BFAA, Inc.) met on the AAMU campus in 2012. The advocacy association is dedicated to making sure that all African American claimants and potential claimants receive the full measure of relief (benefits both compensatory and injunctive) from the historical class action lawsuit and/or voluntary claims process being offered by the United States Government (USDA).

105. Education majors provided tutoring and enrichment to more than 50 students in the Sparkman Homes (Oscar Mason) public housing community and Martin Luther King Elementary School.

112. AAMU was the 2013 site of an important and free workshop on Tourette Syndrome geared toward professionals in the areas of counseling, nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, social work and other areas.

106. AAMU has adopted the Ninth Grade Academy at Butler High School and will assist them until they graduate in 2014.

113. College of Business and Public Affairs faculty are systematically expanding online degree offerings. In 2013, the College launched the online Bachelor of Science degree in management, a program especially suited for the nontraditional student.

103. The AAMU Student Wellness Center boasts stateof-the-art fitness equipment, bowling alley and health and wellness outreach programs for the community.

107. AAMU’s WJAB-FM airs a nationally syndicated radio program, “Return to the Source,” hosted by political science professor and jazz enthusiast Douglas Turner.

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 27

RESEARCH 114. There are more than 25 specialized research laboratories and three outdoor research stations and forest sites where agricultural, environmental, forestry and wildlife research is undertaken by students and faculty members in the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences.

115. AAMU was the host site for the 2012 National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)-U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) project directors’ conference. In addition to promoting mission awareness, the research meeting helped to build and strengthen partnership among the participants and with USDA. 116. The Alabama Center for Teaching, Learning, and Psychological Research, an affiliate of the International Learning Style Network (ILSN), engages in research, grantsmanship and publication. It is one of less than a dozen such centers nationwide.

117. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a travel award grant to AAMU’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences to engage emerging scientists as undergraduate students and to expose them to the professional environment at the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) [ASA-CSSA-SSSA] national meetings.

118. Faculty generated over $57,239,068.19 in competitive grants and contracts between 2009-12. During the same period, more than $94 million was obtained in sponsored dollars.

119.

AAMU’s Center for

Forest Ecosystem Assessment (CFEA) is part of the National Science Foundation’s Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST).

120. Assistant professor of management information systems Maurice Dawson has co-authored with Imad Al Saeed on a chapter in the book Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education. Dr. Dawson’s chapter focuses on the “Use of Open Source Software and Virtualization in Academia to Enhance Higher Education Everywhere.”

STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERISM 121. According to AAMU’s Office of International Programs, AAMU students are expanding their collegiate experiences far beyond the traditional classroom settings. For instance, Kyle King will participate in the Absolute Internship in Shanghai, China, in summer 2013; Glenn Wiggins, World Endeavors internships, London, England, summer 2013; Arienne Asberry has been accepted into the Semester in the Mediterranean Study Abroad Program in Cyprus in fall 2013; Brittney Christian and Sandra White, Semester at Sea, fall 2013; and Chelzea Owens, Global Learning/Semester in Europe, spring 2014.

122. AAMU was accepted to begin a student chapter of The Wildlife Society in 2012.

123. AAMU students won awards for their participation in the Vann Vocal Institute at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. Sophomore music majors Hannaan Ester, Alexa Watkins, Christopher Cole, and senior music major George Edwards, Jr., won scholarships to participate in master classes,

lectures, and private coaching by international opera artists and Metropolitan Opera singers David Cangelosi, Patricia Risley, Caren Levine, Steven Crawford and Teresa Eickel.

124. The AAMU Film Club hosted a screening of the celebrated drama-fantasy “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The film garnered an Oscar nomination in the best actress category.

125. The AAMU Choir received a superior rating at the Alabama Invitational Collegiate Choral Festival.

126. The work of AAMU Apparel Merchandising and Design students received a runway audience as part of Fashion Week Alabama activities, marking the students’ first-ever participation in the annual event.

127. Two AAMU students made an impressive showing in Atlanta, Ga., at an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference designed to showcase young talent. Taylor Hood won first place in the poster presentations in the chemistry and chemical sciences category, and Breana McArthur placed third with her research focusing on an analysis of the effects of coffee and cocoa on the production of cancer cells in humans.

128. AAMU Dairy Team won additional honors in the regional and national North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge competitions in 2012.

129. Forestry major Sylvia Staples received a travel grant from the Ecological Society of America to attend a field trip to Cedar Creek Ecosystem Reserve in Minnesota (2012) and a subsequent travel grant to attend a leadership meeting in New Orleans, La. (2013).

130. The AAMU Marching Maroon and White Band performed as lead band again for the 2013 Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In the past, the Band has provided halftime entertainment at the Atlanta Falcon Fulton County Stadium, played at the All American Bowl at the Alamo Dome, played at Disneyland, and was named the lead band for the Tournament of Roses.

131. Student Gri’Anna Baber will participate in an internship in Ghana, West Africa; Ryanna Miller will participate in the Duke University Global Health Issues in South Africa; and Frederick Randall II will be an intern with Senator Jeff Session in Washington, D.C. Additionally, students Christina Peters and Jasmine Walker were admitted to one of the Top 25 ranked law schools in the nation.

132. Dr. James O. Bukenya and Dr. Eric Ohene-Nyako took a group of seven AAMU students to Ghana as part of a government grant aimed at promoting global awareness and leadership.

133. Students from the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences devoted volunteer hours during the Spring 2013 term to improve the reading skills of children at the Huntsville-based Morris Elementary School.

HONORING OUR OWN 134. In 2013, AAMU and unit supervisors paid tribute to nearly 40 professional office workers for their roles in the carrying out the University’s mission.

135. In April 2013, the Academic Honors Convocation recognizes more than 300 students who have achieved distinctions

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 29

as members of the Dean’s List, Honor Roll, Who’s Who, as well as bronze, silver and gold presidential medallions.

136. Alabama A&M University dedicated Legacy Lake in 2013 in tribute to the work and memories of the first ladies of the institution.

137. The “Normal Legacy Society,” established by President Hugine, recognizes lifetime contributions of $100,000 or more to AAMU, contributed more than $1.2 million. The members were: Dr. Henry &

Mrs. Nell Bradford; the late Ms. Bertha M. Jones; Dr. Ernest and Mrs. Marion Knight; Mrs. Ella Byrd McCain and the late Dr. John McCain; the late Rev. Lucien M. Randolph; the late Ms. Velma Walker; Mrs. Geneva Wright and the late Mr. Elbert Wright; the Tom Joyner Foundation; Atty. W. Troy and Mrs. Sue Massey. The 2013 inductees include Huntsville Hospital, and Ronald and Patricia McIntosh.

138. In 2013, AAMU launched its first-ever capital campaign.

30 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Engineering students display team project during the 2013 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Day hosted by the College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences.

Olympian

Cullen Jones Olympic gold medalwinning swimmer Cullen Jones hosted two free swim clinics in Huntsville during the close of the spring semester 2013. On Day One, Jones spent time visiting Alabama A&M University, where he met students and local dignitaries, signed autographs and posed for several photos at A&M’s Student Health and Wellness Center.

For about an hour that afternoon, Jones led a clinic at the Wellness Center for advanced swimmers. He also facilitated a “Community Learn to Swim Clinic” from 6-7 p.m.

The Olympian was part of the world record-setting U.S. 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, along with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak and Garrett WeberGale. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Jones earned a gold medal in the men’s 4 x 100-meter medley relay and captured

President Andrew Hugine, Jr., listens intently.

silvers in the 50-meter Olympic swimming team. freestyle and 4 x 100-meter Anthony Ervin joined it freestyle relay. first at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in SydJones is just the third black ney, Australia, followed by athlete to make the U.S. female swimmer Maritza

Correia at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

According to an online biography, Jones learned to swim after nearly drown-

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 31

“Golden”

Class of 1963 32 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

Photos from the Return to “The Hill”

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 33

Going National!

GONE NATIONAL ...

Now you can listen to the nationally syndicated radio program, “Return to the Source,” coming to you live from “The Hill” -- the campus of Alabama A&M University! Check your local National Public Radio affiliate.

34 NORMAL INDEX Alabama A&M University

National Alumni Association Officers (Founder’s Weekend 2013): 1st Row (lr) - Sharon Langford Jones, Annie J. White, SanYvette Williams-Foy, John Hackett, Jr., Karen R. Epps, Clarene Teague Johnson, and Albert Benifield, Jr. 2nd Row: Trinia T. Nkhazi, Leticia Drakeford, Bobbie J. Nix McGhee, Stephanie S. Wilson, and Isaiah Robinson, Jr. Back Row: Jerome Morgan, Jr., Bobby Hayden, Joe Arrington.

PawPrints The first annual Robert Mathis football camp was held in Louis Crews Stadium. Mathis, a former A&M standout and current member of the Indianapolis Colts, with some help from the Bulldog football coaching staff, conducted the free clinic on the fundamentals of football, footwork, use of hands, position drills and many more footballrelated activities.

ing achievements she earned a full scholarship to Alabama A&M University, where she also earned her degree while simultaneously working towards her dreams in her track and field career.

After college, Stone became living proof that consistent hard work does pay off. Not only did she further advance her amateur career by running for Reebok®, but she fulfilled the dream of any athlete by winning a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, as a member of the Women’s 4x400m Relay Team. Four years later, she added a silver medal

to her collection as part of the Women’s 4x100m Relay Team during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

After years of hard work and dedication, Dannette Young Stone was inducted into the Alabama A&M University Sports Hall of Fame, Florida Bob Hayes Sports Hall of Fame, and The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

As this former Olympian looks back at her career, she still feels obligated to give back and continues to pass on values through the Sport that it takes dedication and hard work to achieve your goals of life.

Former AAMU gridiron standout Afu Okosun published King Without a Crown, a heartfelt book delving into issues of self-identity, relationships and purpose.

As she continues to live out her passion for the sport of Track & Field, former United States Olympian Dannette YoungStone and her husband Curtis Stone founded Dynamic Speed Elite Track Club.

Stone’s career started in her hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., at Jean Ribault High School, where she still holds school records in the 200-meter dash. As a result of her high school outstand-

Olympian Jearl Miles Clark was honored during visit to “The Hill.”

BOWLING: After a great season that ended in defeat in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship match, the Lady Bulldogs finish as the 20th best team in the nation.

According to the National Tenpin Coaching Association Media Poll, the Alabama A&M bowlers’ 45-41 season placed them in the realm of elite teams. A&M regained a spot in the poll with a strong finish toward the end of the year.

With 14 points, the Maroon & White tied for the 20th place with Bethune-Cookman University, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Lady Bulldogs were the only SWAC team to be represented in the nationally rankings, despite not winning this year conference title.

A five-time Olympic Team member, Miles Clark is a threetime Olympic 4x400m relay medalist (1992, silver, 1996 & 2000 gold), and she also won 4x400m relay medals at six World Outdoor Championships (1991 silver - 1993 gold - 1995 gold - 1997 silver - 1999 silver - 2003 gold). A six-time World Indoor Championships competitor, who captured the 400m gold medal in 1997 and bronze medals in 1993 and 1999, Miles Clark won two 4x400m relay medals at that event (1991 bronze & 1997 silver).

Alabama A&M University NORMAL INDEX 35

AAMU hosts the Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society’s 75th anniversary. Campus coordinator: Dr. Cynthia Smith, Family and Consumer Sciences.

Marketing and Public Relations Office of Marketing, Communications and Advancement Alabama A&M University P.O. Box 1027 Normal, AL 35762