Post on 03-Aug-2020
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Par Excellence! A&T to Establish STEM Center
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A&T TodAyNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Spring/Summer 2013
EdiTorSandra M. Brown
CrEATivE SErviCESBouvier Kelly Inc.
ProduCTionDonna M. W. Gibbs, Graphic DesignRR Donnelley, Printing Services
PhoTogrAPhErSAlicia Funderburk ’13Jessie Gladin-KramerCharles E. Watkins ’03
ConTriBuTing WriTErSCourtney Jackson ’13Tiffany S. Jones ’03
ConTriBuTing CoPy EdiTorNettie Collins Rowland ’72
ChAnCEllorDr. Harold L. Martin Sr. ’74
viCE ChAnCEllor for univErSiTy AdvAnCEmEnTBarbara Pitts Miller
ASSoCiATE viCE ChAnCEllor for univErSiTy rElATionSNicole Pride
BoArd of TruSTEES ChAirWillie A. Deese ’77
A&T Today is published biannually by the Office of University Relations for alumni, parents and friends of the university.
All editorial correspondence should be directed to the editor at the address/email below.
Editorial Offices: A&T Today Office of University Relations 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411 Phone: 336-256-0863 Email: today@ncat.edu
Postage Paid at Greensboro, NC
POSTMASTER, send address changes to: Advancement Services North Carolina A&T State University 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411
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NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURALAND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a land-grant university that is ranked by the Carnegie Classification System as a doctoral/research university. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is an AA/EEO employer and an ADA compliant institution. 45,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $24,315 or $0.54 per copy.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a learner-centered community that develops and preserves intellectual capital through interdisciplinary learning, discovery, engagement, and operational excellence.
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GettinG it RiGht: Dr. Philip Rubio’s first name is misspelled in the first paragraph on page 28 of the Fall 2012/Winter 2013 issue of A&T Today.
FEATURES
A&T To ESTABliSh STEm CEnTEr$1.76 million grant to fund STEM models
SEASon’S End“Dean of deans” to retire with a legacy of excellence
PAr ExCEllEnCE!Teachers, reseachers lauded for outstanding work
SWEET viCToriESAggie men and women’s basketball teams make history
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A&t Receives $1 Million from Merck
Alumnus Towns Delivers Keynote and Alumni Achievers Recognized at Founders’ Day
On March 21, North Carolina A&T State University faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends celebrated the institution’s 122nd year (est. March 9, 1891) at the 2013 Founders’ Day Convocation in the Richard B. Harrison Auditorium.
Retired U.S. Congressman Edolphus Towns Jr. (D-NY), class of 1956, was the keynote speaker for the occasion. In his speech, “Don’t Sit or Sit in Amazement,” Towns told the members of the audience not to rest on their laurels and to blow their own horn with their knowledge and performance. He also assured students that the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Towns served in the United States House of Representative from 1983 to 2013. He was chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2009 to 2011. During his 30 years in Congress, he represented districts based in Brooklyn: first New York’s 11th Congressional District, 1983–1993, and then the 10th District, 1993–2013.
He served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He co-sponsored and enacted several pieces of federal legislation including the Student Right To Know Act, which mandated the reporting of the rate of graduation, among student athletes, creating the Telecommunications Development Fund that provides capital for minority business initiatives and the development of a federal program for poison and control centers. He is the recipient of the 2012 Chair’s Leadership Award (formerly the Presidential Award).
Outside the political arena, Towns worked as an administrator at Beth Israel Medical Center, a professor at New York’s Medgar Evers College and Fordham University and a public school teacher. He is a veteran of the United States Army and an ordained Baptist minister. He is married to the former Gwendolyn Forbes and they have two children, Darryl and Deidra.
Merck & Co. Inc. has awarded the College of Arts and Sciences at North
Carolina A&T State University with a $1 million grant in support of the
university’s new Center for Outreach Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community
Health.
“N.C. A&T State University is excited about the proposed center, which
will significantly expand the university’s capacity to impact education,
outreach, and policy in Alzheimer’s and aging,” said Dr. Goldie Byrd, dean
of arts and sciences.
“The center will attract an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff and
students across the College of Arts and Sciences, and the university, to
conduct community based outreach activities that influence healthy aging.”
The center will create outreach and educational programs and resources
that will foster the creation of translational research, positively influence
curricula in aging, and advance research funding opportunities and faculty
scholarship in Alzheimer’s, aging and healthy living.
“Merck is pleased to be part of the remarkable effort by North Carolina A&T
State University to establish a new Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s,
Aging and Community Health that will improve education about this
debilitating disease while increasing support to Alzheimer’s patients and
their families,” said Willie A. Deese, executive vice president and president
of Merck Manufacturing Division and A&T alumnus and chairman of the
board of trustees. “The new center’s goal to create a pipeline of researchers
and social support personnel to combat this disease is very much aligned
with the Merck mission to preserve and improve human life.”
The grant is being awarded in three annual installments.
During the program, the university presented Alumni Achievement Awards to alumni who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the university. This year’s recipients were Kathy Hairston, class of 1975, College of Arts and Sciences; Stephanie Adams, ’89, College of Engineering; Archilus “Archie” Hart, ’82, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences; Patricia Miller Zollar, ’84, School of Business and Economics; Sandra Carlton Alexander, ’69, School of Education; Erma Jean Smith-King, ’74, School of Nursing; Elijah W. Thorne, ’64, School of Technology; and Kristen L. Rhinehardt, ’12 M.S., Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.
Towns
Adams Alexander Hairston Hart Rhinehardt Smith-King Thorne Zollar
tom Joyner School of the Month
The Tom Joyner Foundation will recognize North Carolina A&T State
University as the School of the Month in October. More information
is forthcoming.
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Thanks to the help of junior civil engineering
major Janie Locklear, a new generation of
engineers may have gotten their first taste of
the future. James Locklear III (eighth grade) and
Rhado Locklear (seventh grade), students at
Pembroke Middle School, and Johnnie Locklear
III (ninth grade), a student at St. Pauls High
School, plan to follow in their cousin’s footstep.
Janie introduced the teens to engineering last
spring. While preparing for a local science fair,
the students were invited to campus to work
on their science projects in the civil engineering
department’s structural and construction
materials lab with the assistance of department
chair, Dr. Sameer Hamoush, and Drs. Won-
ChangChoi and Taher Abu-Lebdeh.
This past March, the three students traveled to
Albuquerque, N.M., to compete in the National
American Indian Science and Engineer Fair
(NAISEF) at the Albuquerque Convention
Center. James and Johnnie won first place in
their categories and Rhado placed second. The
student travel was funded by a grant from the
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian
Education Title VII Program, through Robeson
County Public Schools.
Janie, who traveled with the students, says
she hopes this opportunity will inspire their
interest in science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM).
“My goal is to help provide educational
experiences for Native Americans in my
community who might not otherwise have this
opportunity.”
Held annually, NAISEF provides an opportunity
for students to actively participate in a science-
based learning environment and create science
projects and conduct scientific research
that can be shared with peers, educators,
and other Native role models. Students and
educators come from across the United States,
representing hundreds of tribal nations to
participate in this prestigious event. NAISEF
serves American Indians, Alaska Natives and
Native Hawaiians in grades 5-12.
In a little more than a year, students at North Carolina A&T State University will have a new health center to receive health care and health related information and services.
On Feb. 21, the university broke ground on its new student health center at the corner of Bluford Street and Benbow Road.
“We are long overdue for a new student health center,” Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It was built at a time when we had about 2,000 students. Now, we have more than 11,000.”
The current facility, Sebastian Health Center, is located behind Barbee and Vanstory halls and has served the campus for 60 years. It is approximately 11,000 square feet and does not meet modern building code requirements. The new facility will be nearly 28,000 square feet and will meet all building code and Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Civil Engineering Student Aims to Broaden Opportunities for Students
Ground is Broken for New Student Health Center
“Had we had a health center that looked like that when I came in 1973, I would have been ill more often,” alumnus and board of trustees chairman Willie A. Deese said laughing during the groundbreaking ceremony. “This is another step forward in the evolution of N.C. A&T.”
The two-story structure will be equipped with 11 exam rooms, a women’s health center, seminar rooms for wellness, prevention and maintenance education, a modern pharmacy, a laboratory diagnostic area, an immunization area, a substance abuse and counseling area as well as a secure record retention and triage area.
Senior biology major Jessica Sanders is the president of the Student Health Advisory Committee, the liaison between the health center and the students. She said the new health center is a visible milestone in A&T’s journey and more.
“This will be a place where we welcome students in a safe, comforting and confidential environment,” Sanders said.
The new student health center will be A&T’s first completely green facility. Upon completion, it will be a LEED silver building. Construction is expected to be completed in August 2014.
“my goal is to help provide educational experiences
for native Americans in my community who might not
otherwise have this opportunity.”
Janie Locklear
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In an effort to educate a more diverse audience and raise awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the School of Education at North Carolina A&T State University hosted the fifth annual Urban Education Institute, March 7-9, at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons.
The first jointly sponsored North Carolina A&T
State University Maximizing Opportunities
in Research (MORE) for Careers in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Retreat was held Feb. 16, at the Joint School of
Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) on
Lee Street.
The retreat was supported by the Historically
Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate
Program (HBCU-UP) TALENT-21, Integrative
Biomathematical Learning and Empowerment
Network for Diversity (iBLEND), Minority Access
to Research Careers (MARC), North Carolina
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation
(NC-LSAMP) and Research Initiative for
Scientific Enhancement (RISE).
North Carolina A&T State University spinoff, Bio-Adhesive Alliance, took
the grand-prize at the Charlotte Venture Challenge on May 2. In addition
to winning the $25,000 top prize, the startup company also won $10,000
in the new energy and high-tech category.
Bio-Adhesive Alliance aims to replace petroleum-based adhesives in
materials with a cost-effective and durable product created from pig
manure. The adhesive can be used in pavement, carpeting, roofing and
book binding.
The company first intends to market its liquid asphalt compound to
improve the quality of pavement, making it more resistant to the effects of
cold temperatures, which will reduce cracking and repairs. It also touts its
process as a solution for the disposal of pig waste.
2013 Urban Education Institute has STEM focus
Bio-Adhesive Company Wins Grand Prize in Charlotte Venture Challenge
“The institutional focus on STEM along with the historical record of leadership and service at the university make A&T uniquely positioned to host a national meeting that examines ways in which STEM involvement and success can be increased in communities of color,” said Dr. William Harvey, dean of the School of Education. The theme for this year’s Urban Education Institute was Addressing the 21st Century Imperative: Improving STEM Success in Communities of Color.
STEM careers are projected to grow at double the rate of non-STEM jobs over the next decade. The conference attracted national leaders from the political, corporate and academic communities to exchange ideas and information to help prepare minority students for futures in STEM fields.
“One of the distinguishing features of this year’s conference was the involvement of more than 100 high school seniors from across the state of North Carolina. These STEM scholars will help us understand—by sharing their insights and perspectives—how schools, colleges, universities and community groups can create more effective ways of involving young people in the STEM fields and how we can increase their success in these disciplines,” Harvey said.
The three-day conference included industry leaders and educators from North Carolina State University, Howard, Brown and others.
The conference helped spread the realization that African Americans can achieve great success in STEM, as evidenced by the recognition and celebration banquet that took place on March 8, when a set of STEM Exemplars who have earned national and international recognition for their accomplishments were honored. The honorees included Dr. Goldie Byrd, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at A&T, and Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County who keynoted the luncheon session earlier in the day.
SteM Retreat held at JSnn
The goal of the retreat was to promote synergy between campus
level STEM undergraduate programs. Students were engaged
in interactive workshops that covered a range of topics such as
research ethics presented by Donna Eaton, director of Research
Compliance and Ethnics; team building and networking presented
by Juanda Johnson-Taylor, program manager, NC-LSAMP, and John
Patterson, program coordinator, MARC; interviewing techniques
presented by Timothy Raines, Ph.D. graduate students, University of
Virginia; intellectual property presented by Laura Collins, registered
patent agent; and scientific presentation presented by Marvin Jones,
mathematics graduate student, N.C. A&T; and communication
presented by Joseph Graves, associate dean for research, JSNN.
JSNN provided a guided tour that included hands-on research
opportunities available to graduate students in the fields of
nanoscience and nanoengineering.
In its 12th year, the Charlotte Venture
Challenge (formerly Five Ventures)
provides support for early-stage
companies with high growth potential
and seeks to accelerate growth of
new enterprises in the region while
promoting Charlotte as a center of
innovation.
This year’s challenge attracted 95
entries from companies in the Carolinas,
Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and
Washington. Twenty-four of the entries
were from companies in North Carolina.
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North Carolina A&T State University and Vance-Granville Community College have formed a partnership that will allow graduates of VGCC’s associate degree nursing program to easily transition to N.C. A&T’s four-year nursing degree program.
Representatives from the two institutions formally signed an agreement in a ceremony Feb. 8, in the Civic Center on VGCC’s main campus. Through this new RN to BSN partnership program, a registered nurse will be able to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing within one calendar year of earning his or her associate degree at VGCC, if the prerequisites have been met.
The bilateral articulation agreement, as such partnerships that allow students to transfer credits are known, is the first between A&T and VGCC, although the UNC and community college systems enjoy a comprehensive articulation agreement that allows VGCC students to smoothly transfer general education credits to all of the state’s four-year public universities.
Advising of VGCC students interested in this new opportunity will begin this summer. New VGCC graduates could potentially enroll in the RN to BSN program at A&T as early as the fall 2014 semester. Once students transfer, they will be able to complete a majority of their coursework online, while also traveling to the university’s campus in Greensboro one day per week for traditional face-to-face classes.
Students who participate in the program will combine their VGCC nursing education with a university curriculum that incorporates principles of leadership and ethics, and focuses on the management of patient populations using emerging technologies. Earning a BSN is particularly attractive for registered nurses today, as hospitals attempt to gain or maintain the coveted magnet status, which is administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. As a way to earn magnet accreditation, many hospitals are encouraging current and future employees to advance their education and professional development through credentials such as a BSN degree.
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North Carolina A&T State University and Guilford Technical Community
College have a new joint partnership that will give GTCC students
an opportunity to apply for joint admission to N.C. A&T’s College of
Engineering, beginning this fall.
Representatives from both institutions formalized the agreement March 26,
during an official signing of the documents at GTCC’s Greensboro campus.
The partnership is intended to improve access to undergraduate STEM
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, to provide
coordinated services and activities in support of student retention and to
increase graduation rates.
The co-admission agreement is the first of its kind for both institutions
and for the state in the field of engineering. Only a few dual-enrolled
programs currently exist between North Carolina’s public universities and
community colleges. Agreements like this support efforts by the state’s
community college and university systems to improve the completion
rates of students and to align with the UNC system’s new strategic plan.
A&T, GTCC Establish Engineering Co-admission Partnership
The partnership involves two
components: a co-admission program
agreement and an articulation
agreement. Select students will be
co-admitted to both GTCC and A&T
simultaneously. In addition, a variety of
benefits will be offered to co-admitted
students including coordinated
federal and financial aid disbursement;
one application fee for A&T; special
scholarship opportunities for
Guilford County Schools’ graduates;
coordinated student and academic
services; a seamless transition to
A&T’s upper-division coursework for
students who maintain established
academic standards during their first
two years at GTCC; access to co-
curricular programs (e.g., internships,
student clubs), and coordinated
degree completion.
The curriculum articulation agreement
will allow successful students to apply
65 credits toward bachelor’s degrees
in civil or mechanical engineering at
A&T, giving students junior standing
upon transition.
Five new lower division courses in
engineering will be added to GTCC’s
curriculum and include: Engineering
Graphics, Introduction to Engineering,
Engineering Statics, Engineering
Dynamics and Engineering Materials.
GTCC hopes to enroll up to 30
students in the co-admission
program by fall 2013. Students will be
required to satisfy specific admission
requirements in order to participate.
VGCC Signs Nursing Agreement with A&T
Dr. Randy Parker (left), president of Guilford Technical Community College, and Dr. Harold
L. Martin Sr. (right), chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University, shake hands after
signing the co-admission partnership agreement that will allow GTCC students to apply
for joint admission to the N.C. A&T College of Engineering.
In February, North Carolina A&T State University and Vance-Granville Community College formed a partnership
allowing graduates of VGCC’s associate degree nursing program to transition to N.C. A&T’s four-year nursing degree
program. Pictured (l-r) from N.C. A&T are Dr. Harold L. Martin Sr., chancellor; Dr. Inez Tuck, nursing dean; and Dr.
Winser Alexander, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. From VGCC are Dr. Angela Ballentine,
vice president of academic and student affairs, and Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president.
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More than 1,200 candidates received
baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees
during North Carolina A&T State University’s
spring commencement exercises May 11 at
the Greensboro Coliseum. Alumnus Dmitri L.
Stockton (page 10, top left) was the keynote
speaker and honorary degree recipient.
Senior Class President Alisha Fairfax (page 10,
bottom right) also addressed the graduates.
Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley (pictured left with
Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. and UNC Board
of Governors member David Powers) was
recognized as a recipient of the BOG’s Award
for Excellence in Teaching.
commencement 2013
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campus briefs
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Faculty and Staff
The Alzheimer’s
Association recognized dr. goldie S. Byrd, professor
and dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences, during
Black History Month as
a scientist following the
path of pioneer Solomon Carter Fuller, M.D.,
one of the first recorded African American
scientists who worked with Dr. Alois Alzheimer,
whose findings led to the identification of
Alzheimer’s disease. Byrd is cited as “one such
scientist who is striving to make a difference
in the fight against Alzheimer’s.” Byrd has
worked more than a decade researching the
genetics of the disease, particularly among
African Americans.
dr. Shirley hymon-Parker, associate
dean for research in the School of Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences, is chair of the
Association of Research Directors, a federation
of 18 land-grant universities primarily in the
Southeast that coordinates research initiatives
among its members.
dr. Tracie o. lewis, coordinator for distance
learning, is a member of the 2013 class of
the Leading Change Institute sponsored
by Educause and the Council on Library
Information Resources (CLIR). Educause is a
nonprofit association and foremost community
of IT leaders and professionals committed
to advancing higher education. The Leading
Change Institute, successor to the Frye
Leadership Institute, engages leaders who seek
to further develop their skills for the benefit
of higher education. The former explores
higher education challenges, empowering
librarians and information technologists to
initiate conversations and take action on
issues of importance not just to their individual
institutions, but to the entire higher education
community. The Leading Change Institute will
convene June 2–7 in Washington, D.C.
North Carolina Campus
Compact, a coalition of
38 public and private
colleges and universities,
has honored Chancellor harold l. martin Sr. with
the 2013 Leo M. Lambert
Engaged Leader Award, for his leadership
in community engagement. Named in honor
of Elon University’s president, the Lambert
Award is given to a North Carolina college or
university head who is committed to creating
and sustaining efforts that deeply impact
community and campus. The honoree is
nominated and selected by fellow presidents
and chancellors whose institutions are
members of the Compact. The commendation
describes Martin as “a visionary leader with a
strong commitment to higher education and
to collaborations with community, educational,
and business entities.” He is also cited for
his recent appointment by President Barack
Obama to the Board for International Food and
Agriculture Development.
Civil engineering professor dr. Ellie fini added
another accolade to her list of accomplishments
when she was named to the Triad Business Journal’s
40 Leaders Under Forty—honors young leaders
for their accomplishments and contributions to
the Piedmont Triad as well as their potential in the
years to come—for 2013. Fini has been working
with biowaste for the past four years to create
an adhesive alternate to expensive petroleum
based adhesives. She also has been working with
colleagues to create a spin-off company for the
university, PiGrid. In years past, she has been named
outstanding junior researcher and rookie of the year
in A&T’s Research Excellence Awards.
The North Carolina Chapter of the Society of Research Administrators
International has elected nora Shively as president-elect. This
position serves a one-year term before moving on as president and
past president, both of which are also one year terms. Shively is the
senior research development officer for the Division of Research and
Economic Development, Office of Research Services.
dr. Syrulwa l. Somah, associate professor and graduate studies
coordinator in the Department of Construction Management and
Safety, spent Jan. 7–25 at W.V.S. Tubman University in Harper, Maryland
County, Liberia, to lay the foundation for international projects
between TU and N.C. A&T. The projects include (but are not be limited
to) a study abroad program, faculty and staff exchanges, and the
development of an environmental health and safety curriculum.
dr. Teresa Jo Styles, professor in the department of journalism
and mass communication, recently spoke at Kingston University,
London, UK, on “Writing Against The Grain: Dissent and the Press
in History.” Styles also recently published an article on HBO’s John
Adams, a film directed by Tom Hooper and produced by Tom
Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Kirk Ellis, Frank Doelger, David Coatsworth
and Steve Shareshian. The article appears in American Journalism
(Winter 2013, Vol. 30, No. 1), which is published by Routledge Taylor
& Francis Group.
dr. Justin Zhan, professor of computer
science and director of the iLab in the College
of Engineering, was an invited speaker at the
White House Big Data Workshop, held May
3 at the White House Conference Center in
Washington, D.C. Zhan’s topic was "Big Data
and Cyber Security," as it relates to recent
research conducted at ILAB. The Office of Science and Technology
Policy and the NITRD Big Data Senior Steering Group Researchers
hosted the workshop where representatives from Harvard, UNC
Chapel Hill, Carnegie Mellon and other universities across the
country also presented.
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campus briefs
April Burrage, 2013 marketing (sales)
graduate, was the first recipient of
the newly established Chancellor’s
Award for Academic Excellence,
which recognizes a student for the
integration of academic excellence
with other aspects of their lives that
may include leadership, community
service, arts, athletics and career
achievement. While it’s not required
for this award, Burrage has maintained
a cumulative 4.0 GPA. She won the
university’s Outstanding Athlete
Academic award as a valued member
of the tennis team and she won first
place in the Mock Sales Competition
sponsored by the National Sales
Network. Burrage will be working
as an insurance broker for Arthur J.
Gallagher Risk Management Services in
Chicago after graduation.
Jasmine Scott was one of 10
students selected to serve as a U.S.
Forest Service Student Ambassador
for the 2012–13 academic year. A
unique recruiting tool for federal
agencies, the ambassadors program
enlists students to promote job and
internship opportunities to their
fellow classmates on campuses
nationwide. The nonprofit Partnership
for Public Service created the
program in response to research that
found the best messengers to reach
students about federal employment
opportunities are their peers. The
Forest Service looked to Scott to
serve as an on-campus resource for
Forest Service job and internship
information, providing “insider” tips
on where to find and how to land
positions within the agency.
Tiffanie r. Smith, a computer
engineering major, is the first recipient
of the newly established University
Award for Academic Excellence,
to be given annually to a senior
who has enriched the university
through a record of accomplishment
in leadership across areas such
as scholarship, student life and
community service. The student must
also have maintained a cumulative
4.0 GPA. Smith will attend Clemson
University in the fall to pursue a Ph.D.
in human-centered computing.
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Students
Emmanuel Johnson, a 2013 graduate whose major is computer engineering,
is embarking on a new journey to foster a global perspective of robotics as the
recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship Award. He is the first N.C. A&T student to
receive a Fulbright.
The award will allow Johnson to travel to the United Kingdom this fall, to pursue
a master’s degree in robotics at the University of Birmingham. The UK award
remains the most competitive Fulbright scholarship. This year, 706 students
applied for 46 positions.
nadine y. Jansen, a junior mathematics major with
a 3.96 GPA, is a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
and Excellence in Education Program Award. Jansen
is the first N.C. A&T student to receive the award and
one of eight recipients from North Carolina this year.
The scholarship program was established by Congress
in 1986 to honor Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, who served
his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman,
including 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate. The
foundation’s purpose is to provide a continuing source of
highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers
by awarding scholarships to college students who intend
to pursue careers in these fields.
Each scholarship covers eligible expenses for tuition,
fees, books and room and board, up to a maximum of
$7,500 annually. Scholarship monies not used during one
academic year are not transferable to the succeeding
academic year. Junior-level scholarship recipients are
eligible for a maximum of two years of scholarship support,
and senior-level scholarship recipients are eligible for a
maximum of one year of scholarship support. Scholarships
are awarded based on merit and the actual amount given is
based on financial need.
In addition to his formal studies,
Johnson will live and learn from the
people of the host country through
community engagement, direct
interactions in the classroom, field,
home and routine tasks.
“Being selected as a Fulbright Scholar
is an honor. I am humbled and excited
to have won this award and hope it will
inspire others to compete in the future,”
he said.
The New Jersey native is the first in his
family to attend college and says he is
grateful to his professors and advisors
in the College of Engineering. With
a GPA of 2.9, Johnson says he barely
made it into the program at A&T, and at
the time did not qualify for competitive
academic scholarships.
“I knew I had to work hard and at the
end of my freshman year, I earned a
4.0 GPA.”
Johnson has since received numerous
scholarships that he says enabled him
to pay for his college education.
“Without the aid of scholarships, I would
not have been able to stay in school. It
really challenged me to excel and make
good grades.”
Johnson says that being a Fulbright
Scholar is an incredible opportunity
that will follow him throughout
his career and help him gain more
experience in robotics research
on an international scale. His long-
term goal is to earn a doctorate
degree in robotics and become a
university researcher.
Jansen spent the summer of 2012 doing research in
combinatorics at the University of Maryland at College Park,
and she submitted that research as part of her Goldwater
application. This summer she will study and conduct
research in algebraic combinatronics at the Mathematical
Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley, Calif.
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campus briefs continuedreginald nathaniel Johnson, a professional theatre
major and Mister A&T for 2012-13, was crowned Mr.
HBCU at the ninth annual HBCU Kings’ Leadership
Conference and Competition at Lincoln University in
Jefferson, Mo. He was also voted Mr. Congeniality by
fellow contestants. Johnson, 22, is the fourth Mister A&T
in university history and the first to receive the crown at
the competition.
leon White, a doctoral student in the College of
Engineering, and Hector Carmona of California State
University (the ERC’s outreach partner) won the first
Test-Bed for Innovation and Translation Competition at
the National Science Foundation’s Annual ERC Meeting
in Bethesda, Md., last November. The contest required
that projects involve the development of a system-level
test bed aimed at solving an identified problem, in
which the student(s) were engaged in the conception,
design or implementation. White and Carmona’s
concept was “Biodegradability–Revolutionizing Metallic
Biomaterials,” which challenged students at the
undergraduate and graduate levels to work together in
synergy to advance the research.
Thirty-two civil engineering students
participated in the 2013 American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) Carolina’s conference at the
University of South Carolina, where they won five
awards: first-place awards in geotechnical engineering
and surveying competitions, second place in
environmental engineering and third place in the mead
paper and concrete canoe competitions. A&T’s students
competed against schools such as Duke University,
Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Clemson.
In February, A&T’s SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Collegiate design Series teams
competed and won in all categories at the annual SAE
Carolinas’ Collegiate Design Presentation Competition
hosted by Duke University in Durham, N.C. The Baja
SAE, Formula SAE and SAE Aero teams won in each
of their respective categories. The winning teams were
awarded a cash prize of $100 in each category. Other
Carolina Section student SAE chapters competing in
the contest included Clemson, Duke, East Carolina, N.C.
State, UNC-Charlotte, University of South Carolina and
Western Carolina.
Six Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Scholars presented their research projects during the
70th Annual Joint National Institute of Science-Beta
Kappa Chi Scientific Meeting in Reston, Va., March 13–17.
Phillip Thomas, junior biology major, won first place
in the Biology-E poster session; marc Thompson,
junior bioengineering major, won first place in the
Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and
Environmental Science poster session; and Shonkela Pittman, junior biology major, won second place
in the Biology-C oral presentation session. Other
presentations were made by junior biology majors
Agape lucas and niageria lusk; and darius Bost, junior applied mathematics major.
Kiersten Bethea, junior biology major; nadine Jansen, junior, mathematics; nija Jones, senior,
mathematics; Armeshia mcCoy, sophomore,
biology; laura Peace, junior, chemistry; and Taylor rosemond, senior, mathematics, competed at the
2013 Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference
in STEM, in Washington, D.C. Feb. 28–March 2. Jansen
won first place for her oral presentation, “Weighed
Walks and Generating Functions,” in the category
of Mathematics and Statistics. dr. mufeed Basti, associate professor of chemistry; Wilsonia Carter,
HBCU-UP/TALENT-21 program coordinator; and
dr. guoqing Tang, HBCU-UP/TALENT-21 project
director and chair of the mathematics department,
accompanied the students.
Four Sport Science and Fitness Management (SSFM)
students in the Department of Human Performance and
Leisure Studies (HPLS)—Samantha Boddie, morgan fuller, Taya gaskins-Scott and nicole Jackson—
attended the "Totally Athletically You - Creating the
Athletic Administrator from Within - Women in Athletics
Professional Development Workshop," in Norfolk, Va.,
April 4–5. HPLS faculty members, drs. regina Epps
and dwedor ford, chaperoned. The workshop is
sponsored by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) Senior Women Administrators, providing the
opportunity for young women who are interested in
seeking athletic administrative leadership positions to
attend workshops and presentations, and to interact
with professional women in the field and network with
peers in the discipline.
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The N.C. A&T Aero Team participated in the SAE Aero
Design East competition, March 15-17, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Thirty nine teams from around the world participated in
the regular class, in which A&T’s team ranked 16th. The
Aggies’ airplane flew and lifted about 28 pounds including
the payload (15 lbs.). Team members are monica Allen, Ariana Betts, Katina henson, Samira Johnson, Alexis Trent, James Wolter, Justin gage, michael Troxell, Stephen Poe, Kerwin vargas and Ethan Poe.
dr. messiha Saad is the faculty advisor.
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campus briefs continued
Twelve graduate and undergraduate students
in the School of Agriculture and Environmental
Sciences participated in research competitions at
the 28th annual Minorities in Agriculture, Natural
Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)
Career and Training Conference in Sacramento,
returned with honors. The chapter received
Region II Chapter of the Year honors and a $250
cash prize.
Jessica Wooten, mykea mcKnight, myesha mcElveen, Johnny Williams, maranda Evans and Shakera fudge received first
place (national champions) honors for their
knowledge of agriculture, MANRRS and current
event facts in the MANRRS National QUIZ Bowl.
Taylor Johnson received first place for the
undergraduate written essay. freddrianna mcElveen and gabriel White were elected
national undergraduate president and Regional
II undergraduate vice-president, respectively, for
2013–2014.
Chapter advisors dr. Paula faulkner, dr. Tracy hanner and larry hartsfield—along
with dr. radiah minor—accompanied the
students. Faulkner also served as a judge with
the Graduate Oral Research Division II and
Undergraduate Poster Contest.
A team of four Master of Science in Management
students majoring in human resources
management was selected as the first place
winner of the graduate student division
of the 2013 Annual Southeast Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM) Case
Competition. The team consisted of Tanya Beatty, Brittney Jones, Adeia nevels and
Angelo Smith. The official award and $2,500
cash prize will be presented in Chicago at the
Annual SHRM Conference in June.
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On April 9, the N.C. A&T Bio-Adhesive Team
won the grand prize for the Southeast
Region’s Department of Energy ACC Clean
Energy Challenge, a national business plan
competition designed to encourage students
from universities throughout the southeastern
United States to pitch clean energy proposals
before a panel of judges comprised of energy
industry representatives from companies such
as ABB, Duke Energy and Siemens. A&T’s
project, presented by civil engineering major
daniel oldham (center), proposes turning
hog waste into an adhesive that can be used in
building materials and road repair. The project
received $100,000 and the chance to compete
in the National Clean Energy Business Plan
finals in Washington, D.C., in June. Other team
members include drs. mahour Parast (left)
of the School of Technology and Ellie fini (right) of the College of Engineering.
Six students maintained a 4.0 grade point average during their collegiate careers to graduate
at the top of their class in May: April Burrage, Briea Curington, monique davis,
Shelby Kilgore, rashida Scott and Tiffanie Smith.
Burrage, of Chicago, Ill., and Curington, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., both earned B.S. degrees in
marketing sales. Chicago native Davis and Westbury, N.Y., native Kilgore earned degrees in
economics and computer engineering, respectively. Scott and Smith, both from Richmond,
Va., majored in business education and computer engineering, respectively.
Burrage Curington Davis
Kilgore Scott Smith
20 | today today | 21
On Feb. 18, Dr. Goldie S. Byrd, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,
announced to the media that a $1.76 million grant from the North
Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation will be used to establish the
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Center of Excellence
for Active Learning at N.C. A&T. The STEM Center will be housed in
Marteena Hall and will benefit current students, future students and
prospective students.
The grant will be awarded over five years and will be used to implement
two new student-centered active learning models for more than
5,000 students annually. The funds also will allow a plethora of course
redesigns, group based education and a new community of practice for
student learning.
Byrd said that the STEM Center builds on the university’s STEM
infrastructure and directly aligns with the university’s long term strategic
plan, Preeminence 2020.
“We are committed to cultivating a spirit of excellence in STEM education
at N.C. A&T, and we couldn’t have a better partner than the N.C.
GlaxoSmithKline Foundation,” she said during the media briefing.
STEM jobs are projected to grow at
nearly double the rate of non-STEM jobs
in the next 10 years. As a STEM-focused
university, A&T is poised to help meet
the state, nation and world’s demand for
more qualified STEM professionals over
the next 10 years.
“Our colleges of engineering and arts
and sciences, as well as our schools
of technology, nursing, business and
economics, as well as agriculture and
environmental sciences, do a remarkable
job of engaging the best and brightest
STEM students,” Chancellor Harold L.
Martin Sr. said.
“To meet the demand, public/private
partnerships like this one are not only
natural, they are necessary.”
The grant will support two strategic
pipeline programs at the high school
and rising freshman levels to provide
motivated students with a strong
foundation for matriculating in STEM
disciplines.
A summer enrichment program will
immerse high school juniors in critical
applications of science, computational
science and mathematics and prepare
them for SATs and college. The bridge
program for rising freshmen will immerse
incoming freshmen in chemistry and
calculus pre-courses. Workshops
will strengthen oral and written
communication, critical thinking, time
management, leadership and business
etiquette and financial management.
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By Tiffany S. Jones ’03 “It is with a great deal of pride that we are here for this
announcement,” said Robert Ingram of N.C. GlaxoSmithKline
Foundation. “This grant will help North Carolina build and sustain a
world class STEM work force.”
A&T Interim Provost Winser E. Alexander says this grant reinforces
A&T’s commitment to student success.
“We want more of our students to get through their first year grade
point averages of 3.0 or greater with 24 to 30 credit hours,” he said.
“By having these learning methods available, we expect more of our
students to do well.”
Alexander said research shows that students who make it through
their first two years successfully are more likely to graduate.
A&T alumna Dr. Jillian Davis-Morgan says the center may set
students up for success at the university but it will also be valuable
in the work force.
“It will give them an opportunity to have cooperative active learning
and teach them critical thinking skills that all prove themselves to be
marketable in corporate America,” she said.
“In comparison to students graduating from other schools in STEM
disciplines, these opportunities will give them a leg up on the
competition.”
Davis-Morgan graduated from A&T in 1999 with a bachelor’s in
chemistry and says the strides the university will make with the
creation of this center make her even more proud to be an Aggie.
“I’ve had the opportunity to speak at the chemistry awards banquet
where I heard about what the students have accomplished – study
abroad, acceptance to medical school. I was impressed,” she said.
“It is opportunities like the ones the STEM Center will provide that will
make more of these accomplishments possible.”
A&T to Establish STEM Center
Thanks to a $1.76 million grant from the north Carolina
glaxoSmithKline foundation, north
Carolina A&T will create the
Science Technology Engineering and
mathematics Center of Excellence for Active learning.
22 | today today | 23
Business and Economics (SoBE) at North Carolina A&T State University, Dean Quiester Craig is set to retire at the end of this academic year.
“There is a season and a time for everything,” Craig said about retiring now.
While he feels great and still enjoys his work, Craig feels it is time for him to spend more time with his family and do other things.
“And I won’t have to keep answering the questions, ‘When are you going to retire?’ and ‘You’re retired, aren’t you?’”
In 1972, Craig was appointed professor of accounting and dean. During his tenure, the school’s programs received a unanimous vote for undergraduate accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and became the first HBCU to receive AACSB International accreditation.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of a team that has been a part of quite a few achievements,” Craig said. “I didn’t do this by myself. Everybody was on this train—even the Doubting Thomases and the Doubting Thomasinas, both inside and outside the university.”
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SeaSon’S end
School of Business and economics dean, Dr. Quiester Craig, to retire with a legacy of excellence
By Tiffany S. Jones ’03
After 40 yeArs At the helm of the school of
Craig (third from left) with (left to right) former N.C. A&T Interim Chancellor Cleon F. Thompson Jr., Chancellor Emeritus Edward B. Fort and Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr.
Dr. Quiester Craig and a business student
Craig (center) with Milton Wilson (left) and Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
24 | today today | 25
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Over the past four decades, some of the university’s most successful graduates are products of Craig’s work. Regional, national and even global leaders in business, industry, education and even law have all, in some way, been touched by Craig. Whether it was a scholarship, an encouraging word or the figurative kick in the pants, he made a point to make an impact.
“We aren’t worth a dime if they aren’t successful,” Craig said. “You’re only as good as your last graduates and what they are doing. What we want to have is a flock of students who will carry on the legacy of the School of Business and Economics.”
Dr. Frederick Hill is the superintendent for the Natchez-Adams School District in Natchez, Miss., remembers having two encounters with Craig. But it was the first of the two that changed his course.
“One time I met with him to talk with him about some possible scholarships that he may be aware of. He asked me about my GPA. I shared with him what my GPA was at the time and he hit the ceiling. He said come back when I have demonstrated to him that I am serious about college,” Hill said.
After a meeting with his advisor who agreed with Craig, Hill started to improve his studies and get more serious about his education.
“That encounter with him made me who I am today. I have talked with my former advisor and have thanked her several times, but I have not had the opportunity to say thank you to Dean Craig. You made an impact on my life in just the three minutes I stood before you,” Hill said.
Dr. Quiester Craig was appointed
professor of accounting and dean of
the School of Business and Economics
at North Carolina A&T State University
in July 1972. Under his leadership, the
business programs received a unanimous
vote for undergraduate accreditation by
the Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB) International
(1979), and the accounting program at
N.C. A&T was the first program of its
kind at a historically black college or
university (HBCU) to receive accreditation.
Craig has received a host of honors
and awards during his tenure at A&T.
The National Association of Black
Accountants presented him with its
Distinguished Service Award in June 1985.
At A&T’s 1986 commencement ceremony,
he was named Administrator of the Year,
and in April 1987, he was a Business and
Public Citation Merit Award recipient for
the University of Missouri–Columbia.
Miller Brewing Company recognized Craig
in its 1988 Gallery of Greats: 12 Black
Educators … Building the Foundation. The
North Carolina Association of Certified
Public Accountants presented him with
the Outstanding Educator Award in 1991.
Craig has received alumni honors from
two universities: Outstanding Graduate
Alumnus of the Year from Clark-Atlanta
University, 1991, and the Distinguished
Alumni Award from the University of
Missouri–Columbia, October 1998.
In 1992, Craig became the only African
American to serve as president of AACSB
International in its 93-year history. From
2000–2002, he was the first African
American president of Beta Gamma
Sigma, the international honor society for
qualified students in AACSB International
accredited business programs.
Craig’s exemplary service was recognized
by A&T in April 2004, with the naming
of the new classroom building for the
School of Business and Economics:
Quiester Craig Hall. The following
year Craig was honored by the HBCU
Dean’s Roundtable as the recipient of
the Milton Wilson Dean’s Excellence
award. In November 2011, he was one
of the inaugural inductees into the Ph.D.
Project Hall of Fame. He will receive the
Outstanding Dean award from Beta Alpha
Psi, the honors organization for financial
information professionals in August.
Craig holds membership in a number
of professional organizations. He has
been active in the Ph.D. Project since its
inception, has authored academic and
professional publication, has made many
professional program presentations and
has served as an educational consultant.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in
business administration from Morehouse
College, an M.B.A. from Atlanta University
and a doctorate in accounting from the
University of Missouri–Columbia. He is
a certified public accountant (CPA) in
Missouri and North Carolina.
the Legacy of Quiester Craig
Transformations like the one Hill made as a student are some of the highlights of Craig’s career. It is challenging to get students to change their course from instant gratification to delayed gratification but the hard work is worth it.
“We are trying to get as many students to buy into quality education as possible. It’s enjoyable to see a student make that choice to delay that gratification to get that education,” he said.
In addition to helping students make impactful decisions about their academics and careers, Craig has spent a great deal of time creating and fostering relationships that translate into scholarship dollars for students in the SoBE. He likes to drive home the point that relationships are paramount to achieving success in the classroom as well as the boardroom. They are preparation for the future.
“I grew up in an era where the opportunities available were a fantasy—they didn’t exist. Now we have transitioned to a time where preparation can be the foundation to get something started,” Craig said.
The awards, the accreditation distinctions, having the SoBE building named after him and securing scholarships are all a part of the legacy Craig will leave at A&T. The most important is the students and the graduates.
“These will always be my students, whether I’m in this office or not,” Craig said. “People in this profession who don’t, won’t or can’t experience the joy of student development have missed out.”
Enjoying the development of students and the team of faculty and staff is what this job is all about, he said. That is why Craig and the SoBE alums he’s interacted with hope the search committee for the new dean will look for someone who is “P.C.”
“The P.C. I’m talking about is passion and commitment. They need to have passion for what the school and the university are about,” he said. “They need to be committed to believing in, caring for and having an interest in the students.”
Craig says the new dean will have to provide the leadership to prepare the students to be competitive and to further the impact they will have on a global society. He is confident the search committee will do just that.
“The university is geared toward the selection of talented people and the alumni are assuming that will continue,” he said.
during his tenure, the school’s programs received a unanimous vote for undergraduate accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and became the first hBCu to receive AACSB international accreditation.
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north Carolina A&T State university’s best teachers and researchers were honored
during the combined Teaching Excellence and research Excellence Awards dinner,
held April 12 at the Alumni-foundation Event Center on campus. The keynote speaker
was dr. Teresa Jo Styles, recipient of the 2012 unC Board of governors Award for
Excellence in Teaching.
Par Excellence! TEAChErS, rESEArChErS lAudEd for ouTSTAnding WorK
2013 OutStAnDinG teAChinG AwARDS
dr. Stephanie luster-Teasley, Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching
and College of Engineering Award
dr. gregory goins, College of Arts and Sciences
dr. guochen yang, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
dr. Joanne utley, School of Business and Economics
dr. david lundberg, School of Education
JuniOR FACuLty teAChinG exCeLLenCe AwARDS
Anna reaves, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
dr. lisa owens-Jackson, School of Business and Economics
univeRSity ReSeARCh exCeLLenCe AwARDS
Senior Researcher of the Year: dr. osei-Agyemang yeboah, Department of Agribusiness,
Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
Outstanding Junior Researcher: dr. Paula E. faulkner, Department of Agribusiness,
Applied Economics and Agriscience Education
Rookie of the Year: dr. Justin Zhan, Department of Computer Science
Intellectual Property Award: dr. lifeng Zhang, Department of Nanoengineering
Interdisciplinary Team Award: Cone Health Foundation White Paper on Access to Health
Care in Guilford County - dr. inez Tuck, School of Nursing (with dr. Schenita davis
randolph, School of Nursing; dr. Kelly graves, Department of Human Development
and Services; Amanda Curry, Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness; dr. rosalyn
lang-Walker, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology; dr. miriam Wagner,
School of Education, Department of Human Development and Services; and
colleagues from the Wake Forest University)
Pictured on page 26 (left to right) are recipients of the university’s research awards: Drs. Inez Tuck, Justin Zhan, Kelly Graves,
Paula Faulkner, Rosalyn Lang-Walker, Osei-Agyeman Yeboah, Schenita Davis Randolph and Lifeng Zhang.
OtheR AwARDS
Advising Excellence Award: dr. Stephen mcCary-henderson,
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
New U.S. Patent Recipients: dr. Shamsuddin ilias, Department of
Chemical Engineering, and dr. Jianmei yu, Department of Family
and Consumer Science
COLLeGe AnD SChOOL ReSeARCh AwARDS
Senior Researcher of the Year: dr. Wendy C. hamblet, Department of
Liberal Studies; dr. lyubov Kurkalova, Department of Economics;
and dr. Comfort o. okpala, Department of Leadership Studies
Outstanding Junior Researcher: dr. narayan Bhattarai, Department
of Chemical and Bioengineering; dr. ibraheem Kateeb, Department of
Computer Systems Technology; and dr. Jing Zhang, Department
of Physics
Rookie of the Year: dr. Kimberly d. Erwin, Department of Curriculum
and Instruction, and dr. mahour mellat-Parast, Department of
Applied Engineering Technology
Intellectual Property Award: dr Ellie fini, Department of Civil,
Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Interdisciplinary Team Award
Evaluation and Mitigation of Multi Hazard Effects on Conventional
Buildings, Modeling and Simulation/Analysis Tools for
Infrastructure Applications, Land Management, and Adaptive
Intelligence Systems Architecture - dr. Sameer hamoush,
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental
Engineering, and dr. ibraheem Kateeb, Department of Computer
Systems Technology
NASA INSTRUCT - dr. Ajit Kelkar, Department of Nanoengineering,
and nine faculty members representing six departments and
three colleges/schools
NSF Engineering Research Center for Revolutionizing Metallic
Biomaterials - dr. Jagannathan Sankar, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, and faculty members from multiple N.C.
A&T departments, the University of Pittsburgh, University of
Cincinnati and Hannover Medical School in Germany
NSF Mentoring of Middle Grade Science and Mathematics Teachers -
dr. david Boger, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, with
faculty members from the Department of Human Development
and Services and faculty mentors from the College of Arts
and Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Agriculture and
Environmental Sciences, School of Business and Economics,
School of Education and School of Technology
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Outstanding teacher Molds the Rough Diamonds
By Courtney Jackson ’13
Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley is the magic that happens when
passion and purpose collide. The UNC Board of Governors
recently recognized Luster-Teasley for her outstanding
dedication and service to teaching with the prestigious “2013
Excellence in Teaching Award.”
The associate professor in the Department of Civil,
Architectural and Environmental Engineering and the
Department of Chemical, Biological and Bioengineering has
spent nine years at North Carolina A&T State University
engaging students and molding what she calls diamonds in
the rough for success.
Through her undergraduate mentoring program, “Engage to
be Engineers,” Luster-Teasley provides students with the tools
and resources that will give them the competitive edge they
need to be successful. The program is a community of support
that assists students from a variety of backgrounds including
first generation students and students with children.
It is Luster-Teasley’s relatable nature that sets her apart as a
professor and allows her to assess the core needs of her students.
She is an alumna of N.C. A&T and teaches in the same labs she
once studied in at the university. She remembers the difficulties
of being a graduate student while raising her children.
With a comprehensive summer and academic
school year program for middle school girls,
Luster-Teasley is channeling her energy into
inspiring girls to excel in the male dominated
STEM field.
“A lot of times middle school is when the boys
start telling girls that it is not cool to be good
at math or science,” she says.
Her goal is to erase those assumptions and
self-esteem related barriers and provide role-
models who prove that girls can be engineers.
Among her students and mentees, Luster-
Teasley promotes a positive work-life balance.
“I can have the family and I can have the
career,” she says as she explains her family’s
contributions to her career. “This award is as
much my family’s award in celebration of what
we do as a family.” Luster-Teasley plans to
reward her husband and sons with a vacation
for the first time since she’s been at A&T.
As an African American woman, Luster-
Teasley, represents two critical minorities in
her profession. According to statistics, she
has managed a career of beating odds and
exceeding expectations.
“I think what I’ve done shows that if you
genuinely care about the kids you can get
them to excel,” she said.
Luster-Teasley will continue to uplift and
inspire her students because she can admit
that at one time like most of them—a
diamond in the rough.
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For the first time in 18 years, the North Carolina A&T State
University men’s basketball team was invited to compete in the
NCAA Basketball tournament – The Big Dance. But the journey to
the dance was just as sweet.
DOn’t StOp BeLievinG The Aggies defeated the Morgan State University Bears 57-54 to
win the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference basketball tournament,
N.C. A&T’s 16th MEAC title and the most in conference history.
The win marked coach Cy Alexander’s sixth MEAC title as a head
coach and his first with A&T.
“I think no one in our program ever stopped believing regardless of
all the ups and downs,” Alexander said.
Aggie men win mEAC title then dances ‘The Big
dance’ to earn first nCAA tourney victory while lady
Aggies become the only mEAC team in conference
history to make three WniT appearances
The conference championship victory gave the Aggies one of
27 automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. A&T awaited the
announcement of its destination for tournament play.
Senior Austin Witter had been practicing and playing in Corbett
Sports Center for four years. Each time he looked in the rafters, he
saw the years marking A&T’s 15 MEAC championships. One thing he
noticed was those years didn’t extend into this millennium.
“It’s great to look up there and see all the history,” he said. “It’s great
to look up there and see all the championships. But then it just
stops. There is nothing that comes after 1995. I’ve always wanted to
change that.”
Now, thanks to Witter’s record-breaking season along with the
tenacious play of his teammates and the constant encouragement
from his coaches, the team has a banner raised in its honor in
Corbett Sports Center.
“Nobody believed in us,” said senior Adrian Powell,
tournament most valuable player. “There were times when
our own students and fans were tough on us. But coach
told us it was important that everyone in our locker room
stay together and stay committed. There are times when
you have to believe in yourself when no one else does.”
The Aggies entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed out
of 13 teams with a losing record at 15-16. They opened
the tournament with a win over 10th-seeded Florida A&M
(FAMU), their third win over the Rattlers this season.
In round 2 of play, all four of the tournament’s top seeds
were defeated, including the Aggies’ win over arch rival
N.C. Central, 55-42. In the third round, the Aggies claimed
a six-point victory over the Delaware State University
Hornets to compete in the MEAC championship game.
While this was Alexander’s first year as head coach at A&T,
he made more history of his own. He now has a league
best 31 MEAC Tournament wins and became the third
Aggies head coach to win the MEAC title in his first year in
Aggieland, joining Jeff Capel (1994) and Roy Thomas (1995).
DO A LittLe DAnCeThen, in their 73-72 victory over the Liberty University
Flames, the Aggies snapped the longest losing streak in
NCAA tournament history. This victory was especially
sweet as it made history for the Mid-Eastern Atlantic
Conference and Coach Cy Alexander. It is the first time
in MEAC history that two conference teams won NCAA
tournament games in consecutive years and Alexander’s
first NCAA tournament win.
While Alexander has a lot to celebrate, he shares this
victory with all of N.C. A&T’s constituents.
“I think the whole entire A&T community, the Greensboro
community, and the alumni of A&T are all very proud of
what these young men have done this past year,” he said.
“It's been a long time. The emails and texts I’ve had since we
beat Morgan State on Saturday—everybody is just elated
over how far the program has come in a one-year period.”
With the win, the Aggies moved ahead to face the
tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, the University of
Louisville Cardinals in Lexington, Ky.
SWEET VICTORIES
By Brian M. Holloway ’97 and
Tiffany S. Jones ’03
Aggie fans in Indianapolis
Head Coach Cy Alexander at press conference
32 | today today | 33
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aggie athleticsBy Brian M. Holloway ’97
The North Carolina A&T volleyball youth
movement is complete. Head coach Hal Clifton
announced the signing of three players in April.
Jade Boone (6-0, middle blocker, Concord,
N.C., Jay M. Robinson) Liz Martino (5-7, setter,
Elmhurst, Ill., Immaculate Conception) and Jillian
Nobles (5-11, middle blocker, Long Beach, Calif.,
Long Beach Polytechnic School) will be a part of
the volleyball program in 2013.
In year three of his stint at A&T, Clifton is
expected to have a roster that includes six
sophomores and three freshmen.
“This class, like last year’s class, will be very
instrumental in rebuilding this program,” Clifton
said. “Each of these young women brings
different attributes to the table and will
make an immediate impact in our
program both on the court and in
the classroom.”
Boone will help to replace the losses
A&T had at the middle blocker position
this spring with the graduation of Andrea
Evans and the return of Aprill McRae to women’s
basketball. Clifton added that she could see
some playing time on the right side. Last season,
she was All-Southern Piedmont at Robinson
High School. She also competed for John
Brannon and the Carolina Union Volleyball Club.
Martino will be filling a much needed role this
season. The Aggies have been looking for a true
setter for the past few seasons. Rising senior
Chelsea Fox transitioned into the role as a
sophomore in 2011, and competed there in 2012.
While she has been successful in that position,
Clifton is looking to move her back into either an
outside or right side hitter position.
Aggie volleyball 2013Home Games For a listing of all games, visit www.ncataggies.com
Sept. 6 ^ Alabama State Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 ^ UNC Greensboro Moore Gymnasium 11 a.m.
Sept. 7 ^ Murray State Moore Gymnasium 4 p.m.
Sept. 17 Charlotte Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 Campbell Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 Elon Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 S.C. State Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 Savannah State * Moore Gymnasium 1 p.m.
Oct.15 Gardner-Webb Moore Gymnasium 6 p.m.
Oct. 25 N.C. Central * Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 Florida A&M * Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
Nov. 3 Bethune-Cookman * Moore Gymnasium 1 p.m.
Nov. 5 East Carolina Moore Gymnasium 7 p.m.
* Conference game
^ Ashford Suites Aggie-Spartan Invitational
StiLL winneRS AFteR ALL theSe GAMeSIn two gymnasiums 412 miles apart, the
North Carolina A&T State University men and
women’s basketball teams put a cap on the
2012-13 season.
In Harrisonburg, Va., the women dropped
a first round Women’s National Invitation
Tournament (WNIT) game to the James
Madison University Lady Dukes 77-64. In
Lexington, Ky., the men suffered a tough loss
to the University of Louisville Cardinals in
a round 1 match of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
Though both teams’ seasons ended this way,
their fans say they don’t have anything to hang
their heads about.
“We played our hardest—gave it 100 percent
and that is something to be proud of,” alumnus
Kenneth Crawford said.
Both teams made MEAC history this year. The
women became the only team in conference
history to make three WNIT appearances.
This is the first time in MEAC history that two
conference men’s teams have won NCAA
tournament games in consecutive years.
“This has been an awakening for the university.
It has been like it was back in the day,”
graduate student Dwayne Johnson said.
Johnson is the president of the Graduate
Student Council and a 1995 graduate of A&T.
He says the teams’ success this year have
brought back the “old school HBCU feeling.”
“Aggie Pride is back to a state of being and not just something we say,”
he added.
In spite of being under the radar for the majority of the season, the
women’s team has had a successful year. The Lady Aggies entered the
MEAC tournament as the No. 2 seed with a conference record of 13-3 and
an overall record of 20-6.
The men’s team entered the MEAC tournament as the No. 7 seed and
with a losing record of 15-16. In their first game of the tournament, the
Aggies caught fire against the FAMU Rattlers and burned through
rivals NCCU, Delaware State and Morgan State to win the team’s first
MEAC Championship since 1995. The conference championship won the
Aggies an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they kept up
their winning ways versus the Liberty University Flames in a First Four
contest that earned the university and Coach Cy Alexander’s first NCAA
tournament win.
Excitement about the Aggies’ MEAC Championship and NCAA appearance
spilled over into the city of Greensboro and all across the globe with
messages of support pouring in via university-level Facebook and Twitter
from Aggie alums, rival schools and friends of the university.
Alumni chapters from places like St. Louis, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh,
northern Delaware, Chicago and the Washington (D.C.) area did their part
to support the teams by having watch parties.
“This is what Aggie Pride is all about,” biology major Jasmine Whitaker said.
“It’s great to have a school you can root for and to have other people root
for. Those who didn’t jump on the bandwagon—this was your loss.”
This was the first season for both head coaches, Tarrell Robinson and
Alexander. With players like MEAC Rookie of the Year Eboni Ross and
junior Amber Calvin returning for the women and freshman Bruce Bowen
and juniors Lamont Middleton and Jeremy Underwood returning for the
men, Aggie fans are already looking forward to next year.
“I hope the energy level goes even higher,” Johnson said.
A&T Volleyball Announces 2013 Recruiting Class
Martino leaves Immaculate Conception High as fifth all-time in
career assists and is seventh on the all-time serve percentage.
She was also an All-Suburban Christian Conference selection as a
junior and was also part of a highly successful club team, the Sports
Performance Volleyball team that is nationally known for producing
setters and Division I players.
Like Boone, Nobles will fill a much needed position at middle blocker. At
Long Beach Polytechnic School, Nobles earned Del Rey League first-team
All-League honors and was named Moore League second-team All-League
in 2011. She also earned the team’s 2010 Most Improved Award, and had
strong seasons with the Mizuno Long Beach 18-and-under Rockstar club
team. Her team competed in the Junior Olympics Silver Division in 2012,
and won a silver medal in the 2010 Junior Olympics.
The Aggies open the season on Friday, Aug. 30 in a tournament in
Radford, Va., against host Radford University at 6:30 p.m. For the
complete schedule, visit www.ncataggies.com.
wOMen’S CROSS COuntRyTop Performer Award - Kristin Rush
Men’S CROSS COuntRyTop Performer Award - Saeed Jones
wOMen’S BASketBALLMost Improved Player - Eboni Ross
Defensive Player - Ariel Bursey
Spirit Award - Nikia Gorham
Coach Award - Adriana Nazario
All-Around Award - JaQuayla Berry
Men’S BASketBALLHustle Award - DaMetrius Upchurch
Defensive MVP - Austin Witter
MVP - Adrian Powell
Top Free Throw Shooter -
Jeremy Underwood
Top Rebounder - Austin Witter
SwiMMinGMVP - Lauren Bowling
Rookie of the Year - Miranda Jacobs
Wright Swimmer Award - Victoria Orr
BOwLinGModel of Consistency Award -
Courtney Crook
Rookie of the Year - Emily Strombeck
Coach’s Choice - Amber Brown
wOMen’S tenniSTop Performer Award - Kimberly Stalling
Unsung Performer Award - Victorea Austin
wOMen’S tRACk & FieLDTrack Rookie of the Year - Nakita Gray
Top Field Event of the Year - Sydni Cobb
Men’S tRACk & FieLD Top Performer of the Year - Darryl Williams
Comeback Performer of the Year -
Christian Harrison
Top Field Event of the Year - Keenan Smith
CheeRLeADinGSpirit Squad MVP - Quatnera Repass
Rookie Spirit Squad Member of the Year -
Cierra West
Most Improved - Gloria Smith
The N.C. A&T Athletics Department had
plenty to celebrate at the 2012-13 All-Sports
Awards Banquet, April 15, at the Alumni-
Foundation Event Center.
Each athletic team presented team awards,
and the athletics department unveiled
the top award winners at the festive gala
themed “A Black and White Affair: A Night
in Hollywood.” The program was hosted
by women’s basketball public address
announcer, Joseph Level.
The postseason successes of the bowling,
men’s and women’s basketball teams were
reflected in the top honors given on the night.
34 | today today | 35
continued
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aggie athleticsBy Brian M. Holloway ’97
Freeman named MeAC player of the year
Senior first baseman Kelvin Freeman was named MEAC Player
of the Year and earned first-team All-MEAC honors along with
junior shortstop Luke Tendler, the conference office announced
May 15.
Freeman and Tendler will look to lead the Aggies to their fourth
MEAC crown in school history and first since 2005, when they
participated in the 2013 MEAC tournament, May 15–19, at Marty
L. Miller Field on the campus of Norfolk State.
Freeman leads the conference in home runs and RBI and ranks
eighth in the nation in home runs (14) and 21st in RBI (54) this
season. He finishes the regular season with a .339 average, 11
doubles, a triple and 116 total bases. He has a .644 slugging
percentage, which is 24th in the nation, and leads the team
with 13 multi-RBI games and 18 multi-hit games.
Freeman was the 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year and earned second-team All-
MEAC honors in 2012. He holds a career .344 batting average with 48 doubles,
three triples, 29 home runs and 170 RBI. He was named MEAC Player of the Week
on April 29.
Tendler is tied for first in the nation in doubles (25) and ranks among MEAC
leaders in average, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs and total bases. He finishes the
regular season with a .357 average, two triples, five home runs and 33 RBI, and
he leads the team in batting average and posted a team-best nine-game hitting
streak from April 24–May 7.
Tendler also recorded 18 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games. He was named
to the second-team All-MEAC in 2012 and to the 2012 MEAC All-Tournament team.
Tendler also garnered 2011 first-team All-MEAC honors. He holds a career .346
batting average with 55 doubles, 13 triples, 17 home runs and 141 RBI. Tendler
was named MEAC Player of the Week on March 7.
Student-Athletes and Teams Recognized at Awards Banquet
OveRALLFemale Rookie Athlete of the Year - Emily Strombeck, Bowling
Male Rookie Athlete of the Year - Bruce Beckford, Men’s Basketball
2012-13 Female Athlete of the Year - JaQuayla Berry, Women’s Basketball
2012-13 Male Athlete of the Year - Adrian Powell, Men’s Basketball
Senior Female Athlete of the Year - JaQuayla Berry, Women’s Basketball
Senior Male Athlete of the Year - Michael Mayhew, Football
Aggie Athletic Foundation Award - Amber Brown, Bowling
Highest Team GPA - Bowling
Academic Athletes (4.0 Cumulative GPA) - April Burrage (Tennis),
Kirby Whicker (Baseball), Jahkeem Forrester (Football)
FOOtBALLMVP - D’Vonte Graham
Defensive Player of the Year - Christopher Neal
Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year - D’Vonte Graham
Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year - Michael Mayhew
Football Aggie Award - Travis Crosby
Lineman of the Year - William Robinson III
vOLLeyBALLMost Valuable Player - Ashley Johnson
Most Improved Player - Ian Thompson
Aggie Pride Award - Jasmine Jones
teAM hiGhLiGhtSThe men’s basketball team made national headlines by winning the MEAC
Championship for the 16th time in program history and picked up its first NCAA
tournament win. The women’s basketball team also earned a berth in a national
postseason tournament, competing in the 2013 WNIT.
The football team ranked second in the nation in total defense, and posted its first
winning season in nine years in the second season under head coach Rod Broadway.
The volleyball team posted the most wins in a season since 2008.
The Aggies also set new program records in cross country, swimming and indoor
track and field. The bowling team finished second in the Southern Division and came
in fifth in the MEAC tournament this year. Tennis, baseball, softball and outdoor track
and field teams also made great strides in competition this academic year.
Pictured left to right: Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr., Female Rookie of the Year Emily Strombeck, Bowling Coach James Williams and
Athletics Director Earl Hilton; Aggie Athletic Foundation Awardee Amber Brown; Senior Male Athlete of the Year Michael Mayhew;
2012-13 Male Athlete of the Year Adrian Powell and 2012-13 Female Athlete of the Year JaQuayla Berry
Freeman
Tendler
aggie athletics
36 | today today | 37
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For junior Erika Eisenman, making
future plans for a month-long trip to
work in a Jamaican orphanage will
have to wait for another night.
On April 14, Eisenman, a social work
major and member of the swimming
team at N.C. A&T, was among the
students inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most
selective academic honor society. Membership to the
A&T chapter is only given by invitation to the top 7.5
percent of second-semester juniors and the top 10
percent of seniors and graduate students.
Eisenman, who had a 3.83 GPA for the 2012 fall
semester and a 3.55 cumulative GPA, is excited to have
discipline in balancing academics and her athletic
career recognized, even as she continues to work on her
plans for pursuing a career in social work and adoption.
“It’s really exciting because I’ve never really been
honored for grades or anything. I’ve never been a poor
student, but I’ve never excelled to the point that I would
get honored for something like this,” she said, adding
that this has been a challenging school year with her
course load. “Having this at the end, being honored,
really helped to have that extra push to make sure that
I maintain good grades.”
Coach Shawn Hendrix has been impressed with the way
Eisenman is able to succeed both in and out of the pool.
“Erika is a great example of being a remarkable
student-athlete. Her organization skills and discipline
in completing a task in a structured method is only a
few examples of her strengths,” she said. “I believe she
is among the small population that has learned how
to embrace and balance competition in the pool and
classroom. This is the framework of an Aggies leader.”
Eisenman credits her advisor, Dr. Mary Lewis, with
helping her to succeed academically.
“I think she’s just been amazing. She’s really helped
me with classes and professors that have not been the
easiest … she’s really a motivator,” Eisenman said.
The Salt Lake City, Utah, native also values her
academic success because it helps prepare her for
attending graduate school and for the demands of her
chosen career field.
“I’ve always been really interested in helping people. …
I really want to work for a nonprofit or an adoption
agency, in particular with parents who (voluntarily)
want to give up their children. That’s one of my dreams.”
continued
Somewhere out there, perhaps a landfill in Tallahassee, Fla., lies a bloody
baseball glove—a glove that was a part of a no-hitter, a road win over
North Carolina and a championship title all in the same season.
It’s been nearly 20 years since right-hander Ezra Cowan
and the 1993 North Carolina A&T baseball team swept
the conference tournament and celebrated their MEAC
championship title at Rattlers Field, and he still does not
know what happened to his glove.
“The celebration began and I lost my glove,” Cowan said,
adding that when the team bus returned to Greensboro, he
discovered his glove was not among his equipment. “I actually had
reconstructive surgery on my nose in the summer prior to my freshman
year. I got hit in the nose by a ball. I bled on my glove and I kept it. I kind
of liked having the blood on it. … I never found it.”
But even though he does not have the prized glove as a token from
that season, Cowan has plenty of memories of what ended up being an
exciting freshman season. Those memories still hold the Aggies together.
A majority of the founders of the Aggie Baseball Alumni Association,
an organization formed to support and celebrate the history of Aggies
baseball, were from the 1993 team.
“We didn’t get a ton of wins, but we got some big wins,” said Cowan, who
is now the athletics director at Trident Academy in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
“I’m very proud to have been affiliated with them.”
Despite finishing 12-22 in ’93, A&T recorded several key victories that
fueled the title run. A two-hit shutout victory at perennial powerhouse
Florida A&M, a 3-0 no-hitter at St. Paul’s and a 5-4 win at Appalachian
State all helped the Aggies pick up momentum and confidence.
But it was a 16-14 win over the University of North Carolina at Boshamer
Stadium on April 6, the day after UNC won the NCAA Men’s Basketball
Championship title that helped the Aggies the most.
“There’s no coach on this campus in the history of this school that can tell
anybody they ever beat Carolina at any game—we did,” said a smiling
Richard Watkins, assistant coach for the 1993 team, before assuming head
coach responsibilities in 1994-95.
A&T Baseball Celebrates 20th Anniversary of MEAC Championship
eisenman inducted into pkp
For everyone on the 1993 team, that
Carolina game was just as memorable as
winning the MEAC Championship.
“We shocked them when we started
banging and hitting, but we knew we
could hit. That Carolina victory was a
special victory,” said Derrick Dalton, who
was a junior second baseman for the
Aggies that season.
The victory even took A&T Athletics
Director Willie J. Burden by surprise.
According to Watkins, he received a call
from Burden asking if the rumors of a
victory over Carolina were true.
That victory gave the team some extra
confidence and momentum, which helped
them heading into the tournament. The
Aggies dropped the next three games
in close losses after defeating UNC, but
the energy and confidence from that win
helped them sweep the competition in
the MEAC Tournament and to overcome
opponents Coppin State, Howard and
Delaware State. The Aggies beat Delaware
State 6-5 to claim their first MEAC title
since 1974.
It was their longest winning streak of the
season, and it came just at the right time—
not only for the team, but for the program.
“This team, the ’93 team, nobody respected
them because of some of the history (of
the program),” said Watkins. “We didn’t get
any respect. Nobody expected anything
from them.
“I think that’s the reason I was the most
proud of them. They never owned others’
expectations of them. They would do
anything to represent North Carolina
A&T in a classy, professional, respectable
fashion and we started to get better. We
started to get better as a team and we
started to gain everybody’s respect.”
They certainly had the talent with players such as Miguel Cruz, who
batted better than .400, and led the nation in slugging percentage.
Mike Artis was also a big bat in the lineup and ace right-hander
Crawford Moser and right-hander Gerald Brannon were the leaders
on the mound. It was Brannon’s two-hit shutout at Florida A&M—
then a perennial favorite—helped the Aggies gain some confidence
early in the season.
Eisenman
1970sTwo months after retiring as the administrator of the Newport
News Drug Treatment Court, John f. haywood Jr. ’70 became
the inaugural recipient of the Patty L. Gilbertson Excellence
in Service Award. The late Gilbertson had been Haywood’s
supervisor for many years. The award will be given each year
to a Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board
employee who exemplifies the essence of service to others
and commitment to the board’s mission. Now that he’s retired,
Haywood plans to volunteer in the community, work with a
committee to develop an inpatient substance abuse program,
continue memberships on several boards and the N.C. A&T
Williamsburg-Peninsula Alumni Chapter.
1980sToward the end of his active duty career in the U.S. Air Force,
Ted Wood ’81 came up with three plans for life after the Air
Force: run his own business, work for a defense contractor and
attend law school. His business did not work out and he lost
interest in being a defense contractor, but he enrolled in the
University of Dayton and never looked back. Nearly 15 years
after graduating from law school, Wood has been named to the
LMG Life Sciences CleanTech 100 list of top legal practitioners in
clean technology. LMG Life Sciences is a subsidiary of Euromoney
Institutional Investor PLC. Wood was chosen primarily for his
work in smart grid, an electrical grid that uses information and
technology. He says the award validates that he is on the right
track and doing what he’s supposed to be doing.
38 | today today | 39
alumni news
AGGIES ON THE MOVE
Kia d. Buckner, CPA,
has joined the firm of
Heffler, Radetich & Saitta
LLP as a principal. Buckner
will be responsible for
managing the firm’s audit
department, which will
include coordinating the firm
peer review and instituting and monitoring the quality
control procedures and staffing for all attestation
engagements. She will also play a key role in business
development and strategic planning. Buckner’s
professional experience includes over 18 years of audit
experience within Big Four and regional accounting
firms, and she has taught courses on governance,
internal controls, financial reporting best practices and
accounting and auditing research techniques. She is a
CPA in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (and other
states) and resides in Wyncote, Pennsylvania with her
husband and two sons. 1990sdr. frances Williams ’94, associate professor of engineering
at Norfolk State University, is one of 12 recipients of the 2013
Outstanding Faculty Award presented by the State Council
of Higher Education for Virginia and Dominion Resources.
The award is Virginia’s highest honor for faculty at Virginia’s
public and private colleges and universities, and recognizes
superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public
service. Williams and her peers were chosen from a pool of
109 applicants from across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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SPRINGSUMMER
In her nine years at NSU, Williams has been awarded research
grants totaling more than $12 million, has been named an emerging
scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education and has received a
Distinguished Faculty Award. In addition to her duties as a professor
and a researcher, Williams is the director of the Micro- and Nano-
techology Center (MiNaC), a 6,000 square foot, state of the art
cleanroom research facility. She is also the interim director for the
NSU Center for Materials Research that houses the doctorate and
master’s programs in material science and engineering.
today | 41
alumni news
40 | today
2000sElectrical engineering alumnus dr. Cranos Williams ’01, an
accomplished scholar and researcher, was recently awarded
an INSPIRE Grant from the National Science Foundation.
Williams is an assistant professor in the electrical and computer
engineering department at North Carolina State University
where over the past four years he has developed a highly
collaborative, multidisciplinary research program focused on
the development of targeted computational and analytical
solutions for modeling and controlling biological systems.
Currently, his efforts are focused on developing solutions for
understanding the combinatorial interactions of biomolecular,
physiological, and structural processes that impact the
functionality of plant biology. The grant will be used to help the
team of researchers better understand how plants respond to
various stresses, such as lack of essential nutrients.
2010sCivil engineering alumnus James lindsey ’12, a
graduate student at the University of Arkansas,
received the Mike Shinn National Society of Black
Engineers Distinguished Member of the Year Award
during NSBE’s 39th annual convention in Indianapolis,
Ind., March 27–31. This distinction is awarded to NSBE
student members who have demonstrated high
scholastic performance, dedicated service to the
society and who possess high professional promise.
In 2009, Lindsay received an internship with Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, where he conducted
research on building design materials best suited
to saving energy in heating and ventilation. In 2010
and 2011, he interned with the U.S. Forest Service in
Rhinelander and Laona, Wis., assisting with bridge,
culvert and road inspections. During his 2011–2012
term as president of the NSBE chapter at A&T, the
chapter won NSBE’s 2012 Mission Competition for
having the most Summer Engineering Experience
for Kids (SEEK) mentors, and also received A&T’s
Student Organization of the Year Award. During
his presidency, Lindsay also started the first NSBE
Week, Black History and Leadership Month, and
ensured that the chapter members’ passion for NSBE
was ignited at all times by implementing the NSBE
Retention Program.
continued
IN MEMORIAM
Alumni 2012
herbert lee Byrd, High Point, N.C., Nov. 9
Barbara Jones Cook ’74, Winston-Salem, N.C., Jan. 8
Edward Earl gill ’68, Greensboro, N.C., Nov. 26
rita manley Jordan, Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 5
James grover lee iii ’07, Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 9
virginia Anne hopper Price, Reidsville, N.C., Nov. 25
vera S. Tyler ’57, New York, N.Y., Nov. 28
James W. younge iii, Oct. 17
Alumni 2013
nadine marie Albert ’75, Browns Summit, N.C., Jan. 31
Shirlene Anita Anderson ’80, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 3
Audrey Beatrice Thomas Ballentine, Reidsville, N.C.,
March 24
William mcduffy Bass ’52, Reidsville, N.C., March 2
Khristopher Blue, Greensboro, N.C., April 10
Jean marie Bright ’39, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 10
orian Bailey Captain, Omaha, Neb., Jan. 22
david michael gibbs ’88, Greensboro, N.C., Feb. 10
lana “gail” harris, Asheboro, N.C., Feb. 12
lois Elizabeth Brown hauser, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Eugene Waddell hinnant Sr. ’46, Greensboro, N.C., Feb. 17
Ernest C. lipscomb, Greensboro, N.C., March 7
robert Jeffrey mcBryde, Greensboro, N.C.
velma h. Price, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 31
vander d. Purcell, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 18
franklin Earl richmond Sr. ’68, Greensboro, N.C., Feb. 4
geraldine Staples Sapp ’61, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 11
Tracey Booth Snipes ’91, Durham, N.C., March 25
lola Jones Speas ’47, Winston-Salem, N.C., April 4
Priscilla Turner ’72, Greensboro, N.C., March 11
Blossom h. Tynes ’85, Greensboro, N.C., March 1
frank mcCoy Wall Jr., High Point, N.C., Jan. 15
michael lamont Williams, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 7
norma dean “deanie” Williams, High Point, N.C., March 5
Ella marienne hooper Woods ’45, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 5
Barbara Johnson Wright, High Point, N.C., Feb. 11
Employees and others
Bolindra nath Borah, retired professor of mathematics,
Jamestown, N.C., March 20
Cynthia Carolin Williams Chivers, former physical
education and dance instructor, Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 5
rosa Jean lovelace, former instructor, Greensboro, N.C.,
Dec. 17, 2012
Catherine louise “Shug” Staton, housekeeper,
Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 13
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SPRINGSUMMER
HOMECOMING November 2 A&T vs. Virginia University of Lynchburg, Aggie Stadium, 1 p.m.
save the date
42 | today today | 43
By Dr. Antoine J. Alston
As our global population is projected to exceed nine billion by 2050, society faces unprecedented challenges to produce sufficient food, feed, fiber and biofuel feedstock. The Masters in Agricultural and Environmental Systems Program will provide students with advanced interdisciplinary training in a variety of agricultural sciences to solve the complex problems faced in today’s agribusiness enterprise, particularly as related to sustainable agriculture and local food systems.
Agriculture is essential for human health and wellness. Over the next 40 years, we must produce more food than has been produced over the past 10,000 years combined, as well as sufficient biofuel feedstock to ensure a secure and independent energy supply on a contracting land area with fewer inputs.
Failure to meet these goals will cause food insecurity in many parts of the world, leading to instability in the global, geopolitical landscape. Coupled with this is the growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices, and locally grown food systems, to provide fresh food products for changing dietary and health habits.
The United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that collectively, agriculture accounts for 40 percent of the global workforce. Agriculture is America’s and North Carolina’s largest economic enterprise and employer.
mixed bag
Bio Feedbacknew masters in Agricultural and Environmental Systems Program established to provide advanced training that will help graduates solve sustainable agriculture issues
Given the aforementioned factors, the newly established graduate program in agricultural and environmental systems is greatly needed in order to produce individuals equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed by professionals to address the complex issues facing the 21st century global agricultural industry.
The program consists of three concentrations: integrated animal health systems, agribusiness and food industry management, and natural resources and environmental systems. In addition, students will receive interdisciplinary core coursework focusing upon sustainable agriculture and local food systems, and free electives outside of their respective area of concentration.
Compared to other agricultural science graduate programs, this is the only one of its kind with this innovative structure and focus upon agricultural sustainability and local food systems. According to Goecker, Gilmore, Smith, and Smith (2010), vast employment opportunities exist within the agricultural industry for college graduates in the areas of agricultural and forestry production (15%), education, communication and government services (11%), science and engineering (27%), and management and business (47%).
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the united nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that collectively, agriculture accounts for 40 percent of the global workforce.
Colleges of agriculture and natural resources—collectively—only produce 29,300 qualified graduates to fill these positions.
Annually, the agricultural, food and renewable natural resources sectors of the united States’ economy generates
approximately 54,500 job openings.
According to Goecker, Gilmore, Smith, and Smith (2010), vast employment opportunities exist within the agricultural industry for college graduates in the areas of:
education, communication and government services (11%)
agricultural and forestry production (15%)
science and engineering (27%)
and management and business (47%)
Annually, the agricultural, food and renewable natural resources sectors of the United States’ economy generates approximately 54,500 job openings; however, colleges of agriculture and natural resources—collectively—only produce 29,300 qualified graduates to fill these positions, thus creating a tremendous gap that must be filled within the industry. Graduate programs such as this one will help to address this need.
Dr. Antoine J. Alston is professor, agricultural education coordinator and interim associate dean of academic studies in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
remembering the past
A&T FOUR TO BE INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL BLACK COLLEGE ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
44 | today
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North Carolina A&T State
University alumni Ezell Blair Jr.
(now Jibreel Khazan ’63), Franklin
McCain ’63, Joseph McNeil ’63
and the late David Richmond ’10
(degree awarded posthumously)—
collectively known as the
“Greensboro Four” and “A&T
Four”—were recently announced
as the newest inductees into the
2013 class of the National Black
College Alumni Hall of Fame.
On Feb. 1, 1960, these four men
made history when they sat in
protest at the segregated lunch
counter of the F.W. Woolworth
store in downtown Greensboro.
This single act of courage
and the chain of protests that
would follow led to significant
changes in the existing laws that
banned African Americans from
receiving equal treatment in this
country. Their efforts led to the
desegregation of Woolworth
later that year and were a major
contributing factor in the passage
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Established in 1986, the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame
recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of alumni from Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the fields of arts/ entertainment,
athletics, business/industry, civil rights, community service, education, faith/
theology, government/law, medicine, science, and lifetime achievement.
The A&T Four will be honored in the category of civil rights at the 28th annual Hall
of Fame Weekend Conference in Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 25–29. The conference will also
feature a competition of black college queens, alumni/student leader workshops,
invitational black college golf tournament and gospel choir competition.
Past inductees from N.C. A&T include the late Dr. Ronald McNair (1987), Joe
Dudley (1995), James F. Garrett (2003), Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. (2005), Elvin
Lamont Bethea (2006), Royall Mack Sr. (2006), Donna Scott James (2007),
Dmitri L. Stockton (2008), Willie A. Deese (2010), Dr. Goldie S. Byrd (2010)
and Dr. Velma Speight-Buford (2012).
For more information on the National Black College Hall of Fame, visit
www.nbcahof.org or contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 336-433-5570.
Aggie FootbAll
2013
Sept. 7 Appalachian State Boone, N.C. 6 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Sept. 14 Elon Aggie Stadium 6 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Sept. 28 Howard * Aggie Stadium 6 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 5 S.C. State * Atlanta, Ga. TBA (Atlanta Football Classic)_____________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 12 Hampton * Hampton, Va. 2 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 19 Delaware State * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Oct. 26 Florida A&M * Tallahassee, Fla. TBA_____________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 2 Virginia University of Aggie Stadium 1 p.m. Lynchburg (hOMeCOMinG)_____________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 9 Morgan State * Baltimore, Md. TBA_____________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 16 Savannah State * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m._____________________________________________________________________________
Nov. 23 N.C. Central * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m.
* Conference game
NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURALAND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
1601 East Market StreetGreensboro, NC 27411
www.ncat.edu
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage PAID
Greensboro, NC
Permit Number 47
toda
yVisit us online at www.ncat.edu
NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURALAND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
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