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the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library at Norfolk State University has received a top environmental certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The library was awarded the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certificate.dfdfdfdfadfdfadfafafafa. LEED is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in- class strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. The 135,000 square-foot building opened in 2012. NSu t urns Green into Gold Commonwealth’s Secretary to Address Spring Graduates Levar Stoney, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, will present the keynote address at Norfolk State University’s spring 2014 commencement, Saturday, May 10, at the Norfolk Scope Arena. The processional begins at 9:30 a.m., with the ceremony following at 10 a.m. Approximately 775 graduates will receive their degrees. Stoney, a Yorktown native, served as the deputy director of the McAuliffe Gubernatorial Transition and was the deputy campaign manager of McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign for governor. In 2008 when Stoney served as executive director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, he was one of the youngest state Democratic Party executive directors in the United States. He received his undergraduate degree from James Madison University in 2004 and completed the Virginia Commonwealth University Minority Political Leadership Institute’s leadership development program in 2006. Integrity is of the utmost importance for Felton Blow, a 21-year-old computer technology major. Blow, a resident advisor in Charles Smith Hall, discovered an envelope that was accidentally left at the front desk. When he opened it, he found $600 divided between cash and a check. Upon his discovery, he immediately handed the envelope over to Residence Hall Director Tariq Smith. Based on the name on the check, the two were able to track down the student who lost the money, which was slated for schooling. For this act of honesty, Blow, a Suffolk, Va. native, was recently recognized by the Division of Student Affairs as the first “Ideal Spartan.” “Felton received the ‘Ideal Spartan’ award because of his character and integrity,” said Tracci K. Johnson, NSU dean of students. “He did the right thing when no one was watching. Impressive!” NORFOLK StAte uNIVeRSIty® A Newsletter for Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends of Norfolk State university Dr. Margaret Knight, early childhood education, elementary education and special education department chair, recently received notification of a new sub-award grant titled the “Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Severe Disabilities” for $61,567, and another sub-award grant titled the “Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation” for $25,421 from George Mason University. e. Arnold Modlin Jr., instructor of geography, has published a co-authored article with Derek H. Alderman in “The Historical Geography of Racialized Landscapes” in North American Odyssey: Historical Geographies for the Twenty-first Century. Dr. Kianga thomas, assistant professor of early childhood education, elementary education, and special education, recently published an article in the Journal of Mathematics and Science, Collab- orative Explorations titled “Infusing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) into Science Methods Courses Across Virginia.” Dr. Messaoud J. Bahoura, asso- ciate professor of engineering, organized the 2014 NanoDays, a unique, nanotechnology educa- tional outreach event held at the Children’s Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. The event included hands-on activities for children. Dr. Charles Ford, NSU professor and history department head, and Dr. Jeffrey Littlejohn of Sam Houston State University, were featured in a 10-minute segment on the NPR radio show “With Good Reason.” They discussed their research project on Camp Huntsville– the first World War II prisoner of war camp in Texas. Their book, “The Enemy Within Never Did Without”: German and Japanese Prisoners of War at Camp Huntsville, Texas, 1942-1945, will be released next year by the peer-reviewed Texas Review Press. Six NSU Honors College students presented their work at the Virginia Collegiate Honors Council conference at Virginia State University. The presenting students were Albarou Sabi, Nyra Rodgers, yasmeen Burnell, tokia Wright, Brittney Parker and Delnecia James. FACuLty, StAFF AND StuDeNtS ARe PRIDe OF NSu W A V E S MAKING Act of Honesty Leads to ‘Ideal Spartan’ Recognition www.nsu.edu Created by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (757) 823-8373 Dr. Charles Ford (center)
