North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State...

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Executive CabinetChancellor - James Carmichael RenickProvost/Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs -

Carolyn W. MeyersVice Chancellor, Business and Finance -

Willie T. “Tommy” Ellis ’77Vice Chancellor, Development and University

Relations - David W. HoardVice Chancellor, Information Technology/Chief

Information Officer - Rodney E. HarriganVice Chancellor, Research and Sponsored Programs -

Narayanaswamy “Radha” RadhakrishnanVice Chancellor, Student Affairs -

Roselle L.Wilson (Interim)Executive Assistant to the Chancellor -

Colleen P. GrotskySpecial Assistant to the Chancellor, Legal Affairs -

Camille Kluttz-Leach

DeansAgriculture and Environmental Sciences -

Alton ThompsonArts and Sciences - Caesar R. Jackson (Interim)Business and Economics - Quiester CraigEducation - Lelia L.VickersEngineering - Joseph MonroeGraduate Studies - Kenneth Murray (Interim)Library Sciences - Waltrene CanadaNursing - Patricia Price-Lea Technology - Elazer J. Barnette

Alumni Association Executive OfficersNational President - Teresa M. Davis ’89 First Vice President - Claudette Bennett ’75 Second Vice President - William Moses ’88 Secretary - Carolyn Rinehardt ’64

Treasurer - Gerald Williams ’83 Parliamentarian - Sam Eady ’65 Historian - Deloris C. Chisley ’73 Immediate Past President - John Petty ’70 Mideast Regional Director - Barbara Bell Jones ’47 Midwest Regional Director - Marvin Walton ’91 Northeast Regional Director -

Louise Murrill-Graves ’73 Southeast Regional Director - John C. Holley ’61 Western Regional Director - Chuck Burch Jr. ’82 Executive Director -

Harriet Frink Davis ’75, ’89MS (Interim)

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical StateUniversity is a land-grant doctoral/research inten-sive institution and AA/EEO employer. N.C. A&T isan ADA compliant institution, and university facili-ties are designed to provide accessibility to indi-viduals with physical disabilities.

40,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $22,477 or $0.56 per copy.

Editor: Sandra M. Brown

Editorial AssistantsNettie Collins Rowland ’72/’95MSMable Springfield Scott ’99MS

Contributing WritersDarlene F. East ’04Millicent RothrockNettie Collins Rowland ’72/’95MSMable Springfield Scott ’99MSJoya Wesley

PhotographerCharles E.Watkins ’03

Design: Donna M. Wojek Gibbs

Printing: News & Record Direct

Board of TrusteesJohn J. “Nick” Becton ’79Milton S. “Brick” Brown IIICarole Bruce, SecretaryD. Hayes ClementHenry H. IsaacsonCalvin F.Williams Jr., Student RepresentativeVelma R. Speight-Buford ’53,Vice ChairMichael L. Suggs ’82 Melvin C. Swann Jr.Gerald Truesdale, M.D., ChairSteven C.WatsonJoseph A.Williams ’72

explore. discover. become.

ARTICLES

16) Obeying the Call

Business school’s Olenda E. Johnson receives

North Carolina’s top teaching award

20) Taking Care of Business

Willie “Tommy” Ellis Jr. is the top money man

at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical

State University

A&T TODAYNorth Carolina Agricultural and Technical State UniversityVolume 8, Number 3, Spring 2005

A&T TODAY is published quarterly by The Division of Development and University Relations North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University1601 East Market Street • Greensboro, N.C. 27411Phone: (336) 334-7582 • FAX: (336) 334-7094

Postage Paid at Greensboro, N.C.

All editorial correspondence should be directed to Sandra M. Brown,University Relations Office, N.C. A&T State University,The Garrett House,400 Nocho Street, Greensboro, N.C. 27411, or [email protected].

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Office of Alumni Affairs,North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 East Market Street,Greensboro, N.C. 27411. Phone: (336) 334-7583.

DEPARTMENTS

2) Inside Aggieland

6) Campus Briefs

10) From a Student’s Perspective

12) Aggie Sports

24) Research

26) People Behind the Scholarships

28) Alumni Profile

30) Aggies On the Move

32) Mixed Bag

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Visit us online at www.ncat.edu

TODAYTODAYPage 16

The Association for Gerontology and Human

Development in Historically Black Colleges and

Universities held its 2005 conference at A&T,

March 31-April 2.

“Aging in a Multi-cultural Society: Empowering

Adults to Age Well” was hosted by the school of

education’s adult and continuing education program.

The conference presented an interdisciplinary and

multidisciplinary overview of critical issues in aging,

as well as provided ideas for practice.

A&T’s Board of Trustees will name the new school

of education building in honor of Chancellor James

Carmichael Renick.

“This is a fitting tribute for a higher education

visionary who has tangibly demonstrated his theme,

‘we are only limited by our imaginations,’” said

Gerald Truesdale, M.D., chairman.

Renick was appointed the ninth chancellor of

A&T in July 1999. During his tenure, Renick’s cre-

ative vision has propelled A&T to a new level as a

doctoral/research intensive university.Trustees said

they made the decision in appreciation for his

“exemplary leadership and outstanding contribu-

tions affecting the growth, development and trans-

formation of A&T.”

NEW EDUCATION BUILDING

TO BEAR CHANCELLOR’S NAME

INSIDE AGGIELAND

lans for North Carolina A&T’s proposed Aggie Center for

African-American Entrepreneurship and Wealth got a boost in

January when the Bank of America Charitable Foundation

announced a $275,000 grant to the N.C. A&T University

Foundation to support the center and the campus-wide interdisci-

plinary financial literacy program.

The grant will create the Aggie Entrepreneur Case Study

Library, which will enable the university to secure new teaching

materials, electronic aids and computer software, and create the

Bank of America Business Plan Competition and the Bank of

America Lecture Series.

“Bank of America is pleased to support North Carolina A&T

State University’s creation of an interdisciplinary campus-wide

learning program that will make the university unique among its

peers,” said Milton Jones, Bank of America quality and productivity

executive.

NATIONAL CONFERENCEON AGING HELD

PROPOSED CENTER RECEIVES GRANT

SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 32 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGYPROGRAMS REACCREDITED

The National Association of Industrial Technology

has awarded the N.C.A&T School of Technology a

new six-year reaccreditation of its industrial tech-

nology programs.

The award reaffirms that the university meets

an important national standard in the areas of elec-

tronics technology, manufacturing systems, occupa-

tional safety and health, construction management

and graphics communication systems (computer

aided drafting/design and printing/publishing).

Painter Joseph Holston (right) spent the month of

March interacting with faculty and students.

CUBIST SPENDS MONTH AT A&T

Abstract cubist painter Joseph Holston spent the

entire month of March in Aggieland as the Spring 2005

Artist-in-Residence.

The Maryland-based artist with a career spanning

more than 30 years interacted with students and facul-

ty during his stay. An exhibition featuring his works,

“The Art of Joseph Holston:A Retrospective,” opened

March 23 and was displayed through May 27 in the

University Galleries, which is located in the Dudley

Building.

Largely a self-taught artist with commercial art

training, Holston’s work has drawn comparisons to

artists including John Singer Sargeant, Pablo Picasso,

Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. His works are

included in numerous public and private collections.

For more information, call University Galleries at

(336) 334-3209.

THEATRE LOBBY NAMED FOR

KILIMANJARO DURING GALA EVENING

he lobby of the newly-renovated Paul Robeson Theatre has been named

for John Marshall Kilimanjaro, founder of A&T’s theater program.

The lobby was renamed in March during intermission of a special presen-

tation of the show, “Paul Robeson,” by Philip Hayes Dean, starring television

and stage actor Avery Brooks. Earlier that day, Brooks taught a master class for

A&T students.

Kilimanjaro, also founder of the African American news weekly Carolina

Peacemaker, established A&T’s department of speech and theater arts in 1969

and founded the Paul Robeson Theatre in 1970. As executive director of the

Theatre and the Richard B. Harrison Players from 1970-1981, he produced

more than 80 plays and musicals.

The Kilimanjaro Lobby recognizes his tireless efforts and many contribu-

tions to theater at A&T. The John M. Kilimanjaro Endowed Scholarship sup-

ports A&T theater students. Contributions should be sent to: The John M.

Kilimanjaro Scholarship, c/o North Carolina A&T State University, Office of

Development, 1601 E. Market St., Greensboro, N.C. 27411.

T

John Marshall Kilimanjaro

and his wife Vicki take in the

audience’s congratulations

after the official dedication of

the Kilimanjaro Lobby of the

Paul Robeson Theatre.

P

4 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005 SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 5

INSIDE AGGIELAND

The Fourth Estate and Blacks

1) Charles Ogletree, author and

Harvard Law professor, moderates

“The O.J. Simpson Trial 10 Years Later:

The Media’s Role.”

2) AP editor Sonya Ross and Washington

Post reporter Kevin Merida share memo-

ries of covering the White House.

3) Chris Darden, O.J. Simpson prosecutor,

shares complaints during the conference

about the media coverage of the trial.

4) Actor and filmmaker Tim Reid is edgy

and comic in his talks with students and

community members.

5) National Public Radio host Ed Gordon

and former Los Angeles Police Depart-

ment spokesman Dave Gascon participate

in the panel discussion, which also featured

footage from the trial coverage, including

the footage visible of police chasing

Simpson’s white Bronco.

6) A&T video graphics producer Ron

Fisher (left) and his wife Wanda Starke,

WXII-Channel 12 anchor, laugh with

DeWayne Wickham at a reception

welcoming Wickam to his new post as

executive director of A&T’s Institute for

Advanced Journalism Studies.

ADVANCED JOURNALISM COMES TO A&T By Joya Wesley

More than 500 people swelled the ranks

of A&T students during “The Fourth

Estate and Blacks,” a conference sponsored

by the university’s new Institute for

Advanced Journalism Studies (IAJS) that

brought a slate of celebrated journalists

and newsmakers to Greensboro.

The three-day conference included a

10th anniversary discussion of the media’s

impact on the O.J. Simpson trial, a panel

of blacks in the White House press corps

and sessions on black images in the media

led by actor and filmmaker Tim Reid.

IAJS executive director DeWayne

Wickham, a USA Today columnist with

a distinguished career in journalism,

designed the conference “to explore

the ways journalists, and the media

organizations that employ them, affect

the lives of blacks.” It meshed with the

IAJS’ mission of stemming the loss of

blacks from the journalism profession by

offering them a broad mix of professional

enrichment programs and reporting

opportunities not normally available to

them in their newsrooms.

Heavy-hitters drew a crowd of more

than 400 people to the public discussion,

“The O.J. Simpson Trial 10 Years Later:

The Media’s Role.” Moderated by author

and Harvard University law professor

Charles Ogletree, the panelists were

former Los Angeles County prosecutor

Chris Darden, CBS reporter Bill Whitaker,

National Public Radio host Ed Gordon,

former Los Angeles Police Department

spokesman Dave Gascon and Norma

Johnson, a criminologist and adjunct

professor at Indiana University.

The evening also included compelling

questions from A&T students in the

audience as well as film footage from trial

coverage.

The next day, journalism students

and others got to hear the firsthand

experiences of black journalists covering

the nation’s commander-in-chief in a dis-

cussion led by moderator Arthur Fennell,

managing editor and anchor of CN8/

Comcast. Sharing memories and perspec-

tives were April Ryan of American Urban

Radio Networks, Sonya Ross of the

Associated Press, Kevin Merida of The

Washington Post and William Douglas of

Knight-Ridder Newspapers.

The last day of the conference fea-

tured Reid, who talked about the realities

of Hollywood and presented a screening of

his award-winning film, “Once Upon a

Time When We Were Colored.”

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Ida Robinson-

Backmon, formerly a

tenured associate professor

at the University of

Baltimore’s Merrick School

of Business, has been

named chair of the depart-

ment of accounting. Before going to the

University of Baltimore in 2001, Robinson-

Backmon also served on the faculties of A&T

and Oklahoma State University. She has been

a certified public accountant in North

Carolina since 1985.

Carey Baldwin, who

retired as an Air Force

colonel after 27 years of

service, has been named

physical plant director.

Since retiring, Baldwin

has served as executive

director of physical facilities management

and as interim associate vice president for

administrative services at Howard University.

Godfrey Gayle, a

bioenvironmental engi-

neer, has been invited to

attend an Oxford Round

Table meeting at Saint

Anthony’s College,

University of Oxford

(England), July 31- Aug. 5. Discussions will

be centered on trade and human rights. Gayle

recently tackled related issues at the National

Air Quality meeting in Washington, D.C. He

is a member of the Agricultural Air Quality

Task Force, which provides advice and expert-

CAMPUS BRIEFS

ise on the impact of agriculture on air quali-

ty. On March 9, under Gayle’s leadership,

A&T hosted a meeting of the N.C. Board

for the Licensing of Geologists. Gayle

recently began a second three-year term on

the board.

J. Phillip Halstead,

former executive direc-

tor of the Business and

Technology Institute

(BTI) and director of

the Kansas Polymer

Research Center at

Pittsburg State University (Kansas), is asso-

ciate vice chancellor for outreach and

economic development. Halstead brings

30 years of national experience spanning

education, business, government and

consulting to A&T. In his new post, he is

responsible for developing interdisciplinary

research activities, partnerships, collabora-

tions and agreements with other universities,

government agencies and the business sector.

He also will assist the vice chancellor for

research in developing strategic plans and in

formulating and promoting polices that sup-

port a large and diverse faculty in conduct-

ing their research and technology transfer.

Muktha Jost, an assistant professor of

curriculum and instruction in the school of

education, is one of seven individuals select-

ed through a democratic process to serve on

the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation

Commission, the first of its kind in the

United States. A native of India whose work

focuses on areas including teacher education,

instructional technology and multicultural

education, Jost and the other commissioners

are mandated to seek the truth surrounding

the shooting deaths of Nov. 3, 1979, and

recommend ways for the city to heal.

Harvette C. Jenkins,

M.D., has been hired as

medical director of

Sebastian Health

Center. Jenkins is a

graduate of North

Carolina State

University. She earned her medical degree at

UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and

completed her internal medicine residency

at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pa.

Charles Lownes,

M.D., has joined the

Sebastian Health

Center staff as universi-

ty physician. An A&T

alumnus, Lownes

received his medical

degree from UNC Chapel Hill School of

Medicine and completed his residency in

family practice at Moses Cone Hospital in

Greensboro. He is a Diplomat of the

American Board of Family Practice and the

American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Michael Roberto, an

assistant professor in the

history department, has

been selected as a 2005

Carnegie Scholar. He

will join 20 colleagues

at the Carnegie Academy for the

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in

Stanford, Calif., in residence June 18-27.

Roberto was chosen from more than 300

international applicants the organization

believed represent some of the most

promising work in the scholarship of

teaching and learning. Scholars are

expected to make “significant contributions

to an understanding of integrative learning,

bringing to the practice and profession

of teaching in higher education the kind

of rigor and attention to student learning

that distinguishes the best scholarship.”

Jagannathan Sankar,

professor of mechanical

and chemical engineer-

ing and director of the

Center for Advanced

Materials and Smart

Structures, was honored

by the AAAS, the world’s largest general

scientific organization, with the 2004 AAAS

Mentor Award. He was recognized for

mentoring 46 Ph.D. students, including

22 underrepresented minorities. The award

is directed toward individuals in the early

or mid-career stage who have mentored

students for less than 25 years.

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS


“Creating a Partnership between North

Carolina Agricultural and Technical State

University and North Carolina Public

Schools,” a proposal developed by Joi N.

Bass, a manufacturing systems major, and

Rico D. Beans, an agricultural business

major, has been funded for $60,000 by Cargill,

Inc. The purpose of the project is to

create a professional development program

that would motivate and prepare students in

grades K-12 for college in the fields of agricul-

ture, business, engineering and technology.

Nicole Y. Evans received a $7,500 scholar-

ship from the transportation and space

division of Battelle, a global science and

technology enterprise that develops and

commercializes technology and manages

laboratories for customers, for the 2004-2005

academic year.

Len Testa, a Ph.D. candidate in computer

science, was featured in the New York Times

in December because of doctoral research he

is conducting at an unlikely place: Disney

World in Orlando, Fla. A software developer

for American Express, Testa is using the

theme park as a laboratory, timing trips to

various attractions within Disney World in a

larger attempt to answer a question that

plagues many faced with logistical dilemmas:

What is the most efficient way to dispatch

people to multiple destinations, taking into

account fleeting factors like travel delays and

weather?

CAMPUS BRIEFSSTUDENT NEWS

The school of nursing held it’s 48th Annual Capping and Pinning Ceremony April 2

at Carolina Theatre in downtown Greensboro. More than 700 family members and friends

attended the event for 135 nursing students. The following students received scholarships and awards:

Lakisa Ballard, senior, Overall Leadership and Contributions to the School of Nursing

Maria Bortz, The Dr. Gerald Truesdale Studies Award

Leslie Bridges, The C.C. Steward Memorial Medical Foundation Award

Shannon Burton and Justin Spears, James R. Rogers Memorial Awards

Carmen Chatten and Nadirah Hargrove, Service to Humanities Awards

Melissa Cobb, District 8 NCNA Scholarship

Ayo Corbett, The PG Group Class of 1997 Award

Cassandra Corbett, The Florence Nightingale Award

Glennis Holland, The Graduate Chapter of TELOCA Award

Aisha Ibrahim, Central Carolina Black Nurses Council Award

Renee Jones, Cleveland Sauls and Andrea Young, TELOCA Undergraduate Awards

Julia Redding, senior, Highest GPA

William Whitsett, Men in Nursing Foundation Award

Seven A&T students placed in oral

and poster competitions at the Ninth

Annual North Carolina Louis Stokes

Alliance for Minority Participation

(NC-LSAMP) Undergraduate Research

Conference that was held in March

at Fayetteville State University in

conjunction with the FSU-Research

Initiative for Scientific Enhancement

(RISE) Colloquium. The joint confer-

ence provided an opportunity for

NC-LSAMP students to showcase

faculty-mentored research accomplish-

ments by students and faculty members.

A&T students who placed in

the oral presentations were Cheickna

Barber (Belinda Borah, faculty

mentor), mathematics, second place;

Jerry Adams and Erin Woolridge

(Abdollah Homaifar), second place,

engineering/technology, and William

Totten and Cristin Brown (William

Craft), third place, engineering/

technology.

Placing in the poster presentations

were Starla Lyles (Alex Williamson,

faculty mentor), first place, chemistry;

Brandon Ball (Maranda McBride),

first place, engineering/technology;

Nicole Allen (Clinton Lee), second

place, engineering/technology, and

Thaddeus Lamb and Gerald

Durham (Vincent Childress), third

place, engineering/technology.

Architecture students from the

College of Engineering and the School

of Technology competed and won prizes

in the North Carolina Sustainability

Design competition. Tonya Lang,

Jamaryl Matthews, Nashid

Muhammad and Malcolm Primus

won first place and $750, Turi Lipkins

won second place and $500, and

Jeremy Lyon and Charles Springs

won third place and $250.


A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVEAs I write this, I have just finished the

first exams of my study abroad experi-

ence. In contrast to the UNC system of

having midterm exams and then final

exams, here we have three exams called

“parciales” and then a final exam. We

have just completed our first parcial.

The university I attend is private

and very wealthy, as are the students.

So to celebrate the completion of the

first parcial, many organizations

planned trips to other cities and towns.

I went with an international organiza-

tion to the Mexican tourist destination,

Puerto Vallarta, a place that many

people visit for spring break and after

retiring.

The trip had nothing to do with

education. It was simply a way for

everyone to calm down from the stress

of the first exams. We stayed in a hotel

and were allowed to go exploring to

our hearts’ content. I decided to ven-

ture off with two other people to near-

by Sayulita, a town known for its surf-

ing beach, interesting arts and crafts,

and very rural community qualities. I

learned how to surf and met a variety

of people.

New experiences continue to

present themselves.

The classes here are very different

from the classes at A&T. I am enrolled

in four core classes and two electives.

Five classes are in Spanish, and I am

taking a speech class in English. Most

of the work done in class is group ori-

ented. The teachers are very lenient

with students, and grades — as a rule

— can usually be argued a little higher.

My chemistry teacher, however, is

an exception to that rule. She has a

reputation for failing many students. In

spite of her toughness, she is well loved.

She treats every student like a grand-

child, bringing the Mexican family cul-

ture into the class by kissing each stu-

dent and showing a genuine reaction to

good and bad work.

There is one aspect of student life

that the school is very strict about:

attendance. For most classes, a student

can only miss a total of four classes

throughout the semester. Missing more

than four days can result in being

barred from taking the final exam. As

harsh as this rule may seem to students

used to academic liberties within the

classroom, it makes sense within the

culture of Mexico, where children are

not mandated to go to school.

Like A&T, the campus here is

technologically advanced. The entire

By Migael S. Penix

CROSS CULTURAL COLLEGE COMPARISONS

Troy Aikins, Jennifer Crosby and Rikki

Vinson, industrial engineering - Brazil

Simon Conway, political science - Japan

Maurice Jenkins, computer science - Sweden

Lance Louison, professional theatre -

South Africa

Lauren McGee, environmental design - Australia

Matthew McHugh, history and secondary

education - Finland

Christina Minor, business management

and French - France

Cassonya Neal, marketing - Japan

Carol Osborne, journalism/mass communication

- United Kingdom

Kaushalya Patel, psychology - India

STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GLOBAL OP PORTUNITIES

Payton Bailey - Mexico

Judith Ball - New Zealand

Anita Butler - Spain

Quentin Carson - Brazil

Cecile Crawford - Russia

Crystal Ivey - Scotland

Shannon Koonce - Russia

Nathaniel Lewis II - Russia

Clifton Neal - Scotland

Arabia Pryor-Boykin - Russia

Radeena Stuckey - Kenya

In addition to Migael S. Penix, the following A&T students also are spending the Spring 2005 semester abroad. The following A&T students were welcomed back from their study abroad in January.

Chancellor James C. Renick and the Office of International Programs hosted a reception in their honor.

campus is wireless and this feature is utilized

within the classroom. Students and teachers

often carry their laptops around campus

and to classrooms, which I find can help

or hinder the learning process. From con-

versations with Chancellor Renick, A&T

soon will be completely wireless, an

advancement I believe would enhance the

educational experience exponentially.

My study abroad experience continu-

ously gets better as time goes on. I can’t

wait to see what new experiences I’ll have

to share with you next time.

Migael S. Penix is a

junior at N.C. A&T State

University and a

N.C.Teaching Fellow.

Education

B.S., Health and Physical Education,Winston-Salem

State University

M.S., Human Relations and Psychotherapy,

Governor’s State University

Professional Experience

Thornridge High School (Dolton, N.J.), Coach

Rich Central High School (Olympia, N.J.), Coach

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

(Bethesda, Md.), Coach

Northwestern University, Head Coach

Georgia Institute of Technology, Coach

World Track and Field Championships (Seville, Spain),

Assistant Coach

ACC Assistant Commissioner/Director of

Student-Athletic Welfare

Boards, Committees & Organizations

(Past and Present)

NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet and

Administration Subcommittees

NCAA Certified Contests Subcommittee, Chair

USOC Minorities in Sports Task Force, Chair

National Association of College Women Athletic

Administrators Board of Directors, President

NCAA Division I Track and Field Subcommittee, Chair

NCAA East Regionals for Women,

Tournament Manager

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission

North Carolina Juvenile Justice Commissioner

Goodwill Industries Board of Directors

Mental Health Board of Directors

YMCA Board of Directors

Center for Creative Leadership Board of Directors

Women’s Professional Forum and Board of Governors,

External Vice President

Summit House of North Carolina

Awards & Honors

Cross Country Big Ten Coach of the Year (1983)

Georgia State Intercollegiate Championship Coach

of the Year (1985, 1986, 1987)

ACC Coach of the Year-Women’s Outdoor

Track (1987)

CIAA Hall of Fame (2001)

Winston-Salem State University Hall of Fame (2002)

DELORES “DEE” TODD — DIRECTOR OFINTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

standing room crowd of Aggie alumni and

supporters were on hand May 4 when Chancellor

James C. Renick introduced the new director of intercol-

legiate athletics during a news conference in Bryan

Fitness and Wellness Center.

DeLores “Dee” Todd is the university’s new A.D.,

effective June 15.

“We are very pleased that we were able to recruit Dee

Todd for such an important role at A&T,” Renick said.

“She has excellent experience and the right motivation to

manage and lead our intercollegiate athletics program.”

As the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) assistant

commissioner/director of student-athletic welfare since

2000, Todd said she was excited and eager about her new

role at A&T.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to

take the athletics department in the same direction as

the university with its growth,” Todd said. “I am looking

forward to doing my best to motivate, support and lead the

department to victory on the playing field, in academics

and in life.”

ACC Commissioner John Swofford described the

hire as a wonderful opportunity for Todd, A&T and

Greensboro.

“Dee has vast experiences as a student athlete,

coach and administrator, and she is an (outstanding)

individual who knows intercollegiate athletics in and

out,” Swofford said.

Todd was the first female to serve as an assistant

commissioner in the history of the ACC and will be

A&T’s first female director of athletics. She has over

30 years of progressive experience and responsibility with

documented success in interscholastic and intercollegiate

athletes in planning, scheduling, training development,

Olympic sports programs and financial and human

resource management.

Todd’s ACC responsibilities enabled her to supervise,

direct and coordinate officiating programs for baseball,

as well as plan, organize and direct men’s and women’s

cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field,

men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and baseball

championship events. She was the liaison between those

sports committees and coordinated special projects with

institutional staff members.

AGGIES GET FIRST FEMALE A.D. By Mable S. Scott ’99MS

A

AGGIE SPORTS


DeLores “Dee”Todd

AGGIE-EAGLE CLASSIC TO BE PLAYED LABOR DAYDue to a scheduling conflict, the Aggie-Eagle

Classic — which traditionally has been

played on the Sunday before Labor Day —

has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 5.

N.C. State’s 2005 football opener

against Virginia Tech, originally scheduled for

Saturday, Sept. 3, has been moved to Sunday,

Sept. 4, in State’s home field, Carter-Finley

Stadium — the same venue as the Aggie-

Eagle Classic.

The stadium gates will open at 9 a.m.

for the annual gridiron match between

A&T and N.C. Central.The game begins

at 1:30 p.m.

FOUR AGGIES TURN SHARKSCornelius Gary, Aleiene Washington,

Montrail Pittman and Ivan Butler

— four former A&T football players — have

been signed to play with the Carolina Sharks

of the new Atlantic Indoor Football League.

Based in Charlotte, N.C., and featuring

players with local connections, the Sharks

are among six teams in the developmental

minor league designed to help players

advance to NFL Europe, the Canadian

Football League or the Arena League.


Veteran coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has been named head

coach of the university’s women’s basketball team.

Cage-Bibbs was head coach for women’s basketball at

Hampton University from 1997 until 2004. She was MEAC

Coach of the Year in 1998 and MEAC Outstanding Tournament

Coach in 2000, 2003 and 2004. In 2000, Cage-Bibbs was hon-

ored for her team’s 300th victory and as the first basketball

coach at Hampton (men’s or women’s) to take the team to the

NCAA Division I post-season

tournament.

Cage-Bibbs moved up the

ladder in athletics at her alma

mater, Grambling State

University in Grambling, La.,

from 1983 to 1997, where she

was head softball coach, assis-

tant women’s basketball coach,

head women’s basketball

coach and assistant athletic

director/senior women’s

administrator. She was the first

NCAA women’s basketball

coach to go undefeated in the

SWAC regular season in 1997

and she was SWAC Coach of

the Year for seven seasons. She

was the first basketball coach

at Grambling (men’s or

women’s) to take the team to

the NCAA Division I post-

season tournament.

The standout has

received the NAFEO

Distinguished Alumni Award

and Black College Sports Information Directors Association

Coach of the Year Award. During her stint as a high school

coach, Cage-Bibbs was Louisiana High School Coach of the

Year, Louisiana Sportswriters Association Coach of the Year, and

All-Lincoln Parish Coach of the Year several times while work-

ing in Louisiana high schools.

Following a rewarding, 32-year career as a celebrated

college and high school coach, Cage-Bibbs became a business-

woman in their family-owned car rental company in Ruston, La.

She and her husband Ezil have two daughters, Sabrina and Satin.

Cage-Bibbs said she is excited about coaching at A&T to

further fulfill her dream to work on the collegiate level.

“I am a builder who loves challenges,” Cage-Bibbs

explained.“Many people avoid challenges ... but this has always

been my purpose.This is what

God has given me to do ...

to walk in new situations

and build strong, effective

programs.

“I’m here at A&T to build

and manage a program for

young women to bring results

for our team and to develop

our players. I feel good about

coming to Greensboro and (I

am) energized about the new

program.”

The coach received her

undergraduate degree in

health and physical education

and a master’s degree in

sports administration from

Grambling State University.

She did an internship at

Michigan State University and

other graduate work at

Louisiana Tech University. She

is a member of the MEAC

Basketball Tournament

Committee,Women’s

Basketball Coaches Association, Black Coaches Association, and

NCAA Council (1987).

A life member of Grambling State University’s National

Alumni Association, Cage-Bibbs is affiliated with Zeta Phi Beta

Sorority and St. Rest Baptist Church (Choudrant, La.).

WINNING COACH SELECTED TO LEAD LADY AGGIES By Mable Springfield Scott ’99MS

AGGIE SPORTS

Cage-Bibbs

SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 15


the call

She believes that her students’ learning

experiences should be like dew is to earth

and sleep is to eyelids.

This year, Johnson’s cutting edge style

of teaching and rapport with her students

and peers earned her the Outstanding

Teacher Award in the school of business and

economics. Added to that milestone is the

state’s 2005 UNC Board of Governors

Excellence in Teaching Award.

Established in 1994, the Excellence in

Teaching Award is given annually to

emphasize the importance of teaching and

to reward good teaching across the UNC

system’s 16 campuses. Honorees receive a

commemorative bronze medallion and a

$7,500 cash prize.

Johnson began her teaching career

with A&T in 1996 after receiving her doc-

torate in organizational behavior from the

University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate

School of Business. She has a B.S. and an

M.B.A. in business administration from

Florida A&M University.

Teaching however, is not new to

Johnson. The next to the youngest of six

siblings born to Olen (she is his namesake)

and Thelma Johnson has been teaching and

leading all her life.

According to her mother, when she

played school with her siblings and other

children, she was always the teacher.

“Learning came easy to her and

because it came so easy, it was always just

something that she loved to do. It was

natural for her, even as a little child,” her

mother said.

Quiester Craig, dean of the N.C. A&T

School of Business and Economics, believes

that Johnson represents what the school is

supposed to be about. It was no surprise to

him when it was announced that Johnson

had been chosen for the state’s award.

“I was pleased,” Craig said. “I don’t

know that I was surprised because of my

knowledge of just how seriously she takes

teaching, how seriously she engages in

preparation for her students and how

enthusiastic she is about teaching. She is

just dedicated to what she does and that

shows up in the results of her kids.”

Like Craig, Johnson’s father was not

surprised by his daughter’s latest achieve-

ments. As a matter of fact, both parents

believe that the energy, leadership,

organizational skills and compassion for

others that she exhibited as a child are the

characteristics that make her an excellent

teacher.

Her father said that as a young girl

growing up in Cheyenne, Wyo., where he

retired from the military, Johnson was

always challenged by something. She was

the first African American cheerleader in

her school, she was on the debate team

and she played base saxophone in the

orchestra.

“As a student, she always wanted to

excel and often fell asleep at night with

a book in her hand,” her father said.

Johnson’s mother often told her

that all work and no play was not good

for the mind, but she wasn’t interested

in anything but learning and trying to

further her education.

Teaching is Johnson’s passion and

she takes pride in it.

“I am called to teach,” she said.

“It’s what I do!”

Edna Ragins, interim chairperson

for business administration, agrees with

Johnson’s proclamation.

“Teaching is her calling and she does

an excellent job,” Ragins said. “She is just

a caring person. In addition to that, she

has the expertise that is needed to teach

in her field.

“She absolutely loves it and the

students know it,” she continued. “When

students talk about Dr. Johnson, their eyes

just light up and they are filled with grati-

tude for experiencing what she does in

the classroom.”

Marquez Keller, a junior marketing

major, and Darlene Mason, a senior

business education major with a minor in

marketing, echo Ragins’ comments.

Business school’s Olenda E. Johnson receives North Carolina’s top teaching award.

By Darlene F. East ’04

o be y i ng

EVERY DAY WHEN OLENDA E. JOHNSON ENTERS HER CLASSROOM,

TEACHING AND LEARNING BEGIN AFRESH.

Olenda E. Johnson is never too busy to discuss projects with students. Johnson is

one of the state’s 2005 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award recipients.

“In our management concepts class,

she applies her personal experience from the

business world,” said Keller. “She can actu-

ally take a concept and apply it to what she

has been through. It gives us better insight

into the concept that she is trying to

express.”

Mason agreed by saying, “She is

hyped; her energy level is way above other

professors and teachers. You know that you

are not going to fall asleep in her class.

You know that you are going to get some-

thing challenging and rewarding each

and every day.”

After graduating from FAMU, Johnson

had a short but successful career at Eastman

Kodak in Rochester, N.Y. During that time,

the passion for teaching remained alive.

She found time to teach and mentor stu-

dents from the community, and every year

she returned to her alma mater as a speaker.

“I would return to work invigorated,”

Johnson said, “and I realized that it was

teaching and college life that I loved.”

It was at this point that she decided to leave

Eastman Kodak to pursue her first love,

teaching.

In order not to shortchange her

students, Johnson uses a variety of teach-

ing techniques to ensure that learning

always takes place in her classroom.

A strong advocate of active learning, her

students are involved in activities that

develop their critical thinking skills.

Recently, she incorporated the Adult

Learning Model in her instruction.

Students drive the learning process in this

model, learning from one another.

Senior recreational administration

major Derrick Johnson praises Johnson’s

teaching methods.

“She makes us feel welcome and very

much a part of the curriculum in her class-

room. She is very open and wants us to

provide input to the discussions,” he said.

“By the time you leave Dr. Johnson’s class,

you will definitely know what to expect in

the business world!”

Classes are conducted in a business

setting and professional norms are outlined

in her syllabi. For example, there is no

chewing gum in her classroom, proper

grammar is a must, and Johnson is a stick-

ler regarding punctuality.

“You don’t want to be called out

every day by apologizing to the class for

being late,” said Jason Jones, a senior busi-

ness management major who had a

propensity for being late.

Jones, who wrote a letter of recom-

mendation for his favorite teacher, believes

that she is responsible for changing his atti-

tude about life. He started A&T in 1999,

dropped out and returned in 2003. It was in

her class where he made up his mind what

he wanted for the future.

Humor, encouragement and personal

development (e.g., dining etiquette, e-mail

etiquette and speaking etiquette) play

important roles in Johnson’s curriculum

as well.

“I love to see and hear my ‘kids’

laugh, even if it is at the expense of my

corny sense of humor. Laughter puts stu-

dents at ease, thereby creating an open

learning atmosphere.”

To determine if her students under-

stand the course material, exams are

designed to assess comprehension and

application. Class discussions are often

centered on articles from USA Today and

The Wall Street Journal.

Not only does Johnson measure her

students’ comprehension, but she evaluates

her own success as well. She uses the feed-

back from the quantitative assessment and

written responses on student evaluations at

the end of each semester to measure her

effectiveness in the classroom and to

improve the learning environment.

“When students come back and tell

me that the things they learned at A&T

have helped them, I feel I have done a good

job,” says Johnson.

For Johnson, teaching doesn’t stop in

the classroom. She serves as faculty advisor

to the national Management Doctoral

Association, which is designed to increase

the number of people of color who receive

Ph.D. recruitment in business.

“When I graduated from the

University of Pittsburgh in 1996, I was

one of 28 African Americans across the

country to receive a Ph.D. in business

out of 1,200 awarded,” Johnson said.

Since then, she has watched those num-

bers grow and finds it to be a wonderful

experience.

Raised in a Christian home, Johnson

is quick to acknowledge that she lives by

faith and not by sight.

Because she walks by faith, being cho-

sen as the first African American female to

teach at the U.S. Army War College in

2002, the teaching awards for 2005 and

being named three times in Who’s Who

Among America’s Teachers by her students

is seen as God’s way of acknowledging that

she is using her gift according to his plan

and purpose for her life.

While she is both honored and hum-

bled by these awards, they are not goals

that she has written on a wall to achieve

at certain periods in her life.

Recruited by FAMU, Northwestern

and several other Ivy League schools after

receiving her Ph.D., Johnson recognizes

that doing what she loves best at A&T is

not by mere chance, the overt doings of

men or by her own plan, but her obedi-

ence to the moving of God’s hand.

“While at Pitt, after praying and

asking for God’s will regarding where to

begin my academic career, I received a

telephone call from Dean Craig (that

same day) indicating that he was going to

do everything in his power to get me to

A&T,” said Johnson.

What is most unusual about this

scenario is that Craig and Johnson had

never met, she had not applied to A&T,

nor had he seen her vita. It turned out

that Craig was a very good friend of

Johnson’s mentor, Melvin Stith, formerly

the dean of the business school at Florida

State and presently dean at Syracuse

University. Stith mentioned Johnson’s

name to Craig and she ended up at A&T.

As a teacher, Johnson instructs her

students to think ahead.

“I teach them to think of their

possibilities, think of their goals and what

it is they want to be when they grow up,”

she said. “Yet, I have no plans or goals in

place for my own life and it is the antithe-

sis of what I teach my students,” she said.

When Johnson said, “I don’t know

what God has in store for me, I just look

forward to whatever it is,” it seemed she

had an epiphany of Oswald Chambers’

classic devotional, “My Utmost for His

Highest.”

Professors Receive Honors for Outstanding WorkIn addition to Olenda E. Johnson, six additional A&T faculty members were recognized this year for their outstanding

teaching skills at the annual Honors Day Convocation that was held March 17 in Corbett Sports Center.


Ronnie S. Bailey

Associate Professor

College of Engineering

DeWayne R. Brown

Associate Professor

School of Technology

Linda F. Callahan

Associate Professor

College of Arts and Sciences

Edward B. Fort

Professor and Chancellor Emeritus

School of Education

Lorna H. Harris

Professor

School of Nursing

Abolghasem Shahbazi

Associate Professor

School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

18 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005

Business Business TAKINGCARE OF


ommy is big on most university

campuses, for Tommy Hilfiger is a hot

brand among college students.

Tommy is big in Aggieland, for Willie

“Tommy” Ellis Jr. is the top money man at

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical

State University.

As vice chancellor for business and

finance, Ellis keeps A&T in the black.

He is responsible for the university’s fiscal

operations including accounting, auxiliary

services, budgeting, financial reporting,

purchasing, personnel, and campus safety.

The division of business and finance

has played a significant role in implementing

new management strategies, upgrading

technology, ongoing renovations, and new

construction, especially during the Renick

era. Hundreds of unsung heroes within this

division have loyally offered their service to

provide leadership, training and assistance

to strengthen the fiscal and physical aspects

of the university.

Aside from clean audits and a safe

physical plant, Ellis’ team has served the

community-at-large by sponsoring fund

raisers to benefit the disadvantaged; they

have adopted families; provided food,

toys and clothing, and assisted with academic

scholarships.

“We provide support and service,”

Ellis said. “We are probably the most diverse

group of departments within the university

setting, but we come together to do what’s

best for our students.

“You will find somebody from our

division working 24 hours a day, seven days

a week, to maintain the fiscal management

and physical plant of the university,” Ellis

explained. “We’re everywhere, taking care

of business.”

And that’s why you may find Ellis indif-

ferent parts of the campus communicating

with colleagues regarding projects. He checks

and waves and wanders around the main

campus in his stylish sweaters, slacks and

shoes. Far from pushy, Ellis is a behind-the-

scenes leader who empowers his team and

silently affects A&T in a profound way.

According to his resume, Ellis is an

experienced and versatile financial executive

with talents in organizing, motivating and

leading innovative teams of employees in

collaborative yet entrepreneurial focused

financial and strategic initiatives.

Face-to-face, Ellis is hesitant to talk

about himself. Instead, he commends the

professionalism of his team while staying

attentive to a stream of instant messages and

incoming email. Wired with an ear-piece, he

responds to an urgent call, answers questions

and deals with his constant companion —

a Blackberry — during the course of the

interview.

“I love gadgets and technology,” Ellis

admitted. “Thanks to this Blackberry, I can

move across campus and beyond and stay

up-to-date with what’s going on. Technology

helps us work smart and keeps us ahead of

the curve.”

Ellis also remains well connected to

his family. During rigid timelines and

stringent deadlines balancing the books,

Ellis is constantly reminded of home in his

home away from home. He has decorated

his office in Dowdy Administration Building

with colorful, large photographs of his family

that he personally shot.

He smiles as he warmly talks about

his wife Yvonne, his children Wesley ’05,

Brittany (a student at A&T) and Corbin

(a high school student), and his parents

Alice Jean and Willie T. Sr. Ellis shares a

story about his relaxing weekend working

on his lawn, but he tries to avoid talking

about himself and smiles when he is asked

about his years growing up in Greensboro.

Some of A&T’s human resources staff

“I have worked with Tommy Ellis for

over 18 years. … he saw potential when

he hired me. I thank Tommy for that

opportunity.” — Deborah Harris,

accounts payable supervisor

“Tommy is a team player who is always

looking for positive solutions. He has

contributed to the successful university

construction program over the past five

years.” — Andrew M. Perkins,

assistant vice chancellor for facilities

“Vice Chancellor Ellis is a very progressive

and supportive leader. He allows his

managers to ‘step through’ problems that

are within their area of responsibility.

When we are faced with issues that are

more global in nature, he employs the

team approach and plays a significant role

in the resolution process.”

— Lavonne Matthews, director of

contracts and grants

“Tommy Ellis is an effective communicator,

planner, delegator, sounding board, and

educator. Working with, listening to and

observing him for more than 15 years has

convinced me that he keeps one eye on the

future to plan, one eye on the past as a bal-

ance, and two hands busy in the interim

making sure that things happen within

Business and Finance.” — Vanessa

Lawson, special assistant to the vice

chancellor for business and finance

“Mr. Ellis strives to increase the effectiveness

and efficiency of his staff by getting involved

in issues that affect them, and by making

sure these issues are resolved in a positive

manner.” — Helen Buck, CPA, interim

director of accounting

What They Say about Tommy … Quotes from Tommy Ellis’ Team

TAKINGCARE OF

T

By Mable Springfield Scott ’99MS

remember Ellis as a youth. Kathryn

Webb-Evans has known Ellis since their

teenage years at Aycock Junior High and

Page High School.

“When I think of Tommy Ellis

back in the day, I think of cars,” Webb

said. “But the thing I most appreciate is

how he still has that happy-go-lucky

personality.”

Glenn Hart remembers Ellis even

further back than Webb.

“Before the Ellis family moved to

Greensboro, I was their newspaper route

carrier in Tarboro, N.C.,” Hart recalls.

“Tommy’s father, Dr. Willie T. Ellis Sr.,

was quite a role model and Tommy was

quite an athlete in baseball and basketball.”

When Hart had the privilege of

working with youth baseball, he saw Tommy

display excellent sportsmanship on a rival

team.

“Tommy happened to come along

during an era of exceptional athleticism in

the Tarboro community where the extended

family and mentors like his father helped

shape our destiny.”

The Ellis family eventually moved to

Greensboro where Dr. Ellis became A&T’s

assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs.

He retired in June of 1989.

“An apple doesn’t fall too far from

the tree,” Hart said. “Dr. Ellis gave many

years of valuable service to A&T and so

has his son.”

EXPERIENCENorth Carolina A&T State University — Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance •

University Budget Director • University Treasurer • Supervisor of General Accounting

Coopers and Lybrand, Charlotte, N.C. — Auditor

North Carolina A&T State University — Research Analyst

EDUCATIONM.B.A., General Management with an emphasis in Strategic Planning — Wake Forest University,

Winston-Salem, N.C. • Traveled to Japan to study managerial practices

B.S., Accounting — North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C.

B.S., Business Administration — North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C.

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS• 2004 N.C. A&T State University Paul Robeson Susan B. Dudley Award

• 2004 N.C. A&T State University Staff Senate Support and Assistance Award

• Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

• 2003 Nissan-ETS Fellow

• 2003 Thurgood Marshall Leadership Award-Outstanding Achievements

as a Chief Financial Officer

• Management Development Program, Harvard University

• Past Board Member,Triad Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation

• Past Financial Advisor, Piedmont Center for Advanced Manufacturing

• Member, National Association of College and University Business Officers

• Member, University of North Carolina Budget Officers Roundtable

• Graduate, Greensboro Education and Development Council Leadership Program

• Volunteer, Cub Scouts Troop #441, St. Matthews Methodist Church

• Volunteer, Cub Scouts Troop #402, St. James Presbyterian Church

“I’ve learned many leadership qualities just

by observing Tommy Ellis interact with his

counterparts and direct reports. It seems that

he has an innate ability to diffuse situations

and has a keen sense or ‘gut’ — as he refers

to it — for detecting trouble in the camp. I

admire him most for his ability to lead firmly

without firmly leading. He allows us flexibility

in leading our departments, and that promotes

creativity.” — Kim Sowell, treasurer

“Mr. Ellis’ leadership does so much to guide

and teach us in an unequivocal way that is

genuine in promoting the overall growth

and development of the division.”

— Angela A. Peterson, director of

auxiliary services

“A leader with high standards and

unquestionable integrity are the words to

describe Vice Chancellor Willie T. Ellis Jr.”

— Richetta Graves Slade, deputy

chief of public safety

“Tommy has strong leadership abilities.

He has pulled a very diverse group of

people together and got them to work

together as a team with a common goal.”

— Ted A. Little, CPM, director of

purchasing


What They Say about Tommy … Quotes from Tommy Ellis’ Team

Willie T. “Tommy” Ellis Jr.Willie T. “Tommy” Ellis Jr.

Let your ride display your Aggie Pride

with an official State of North Carolina

license plate bearing the North

Carolina A&T mascot. The plate is

available through the North Carolina

Division of Motor Vehicles at a cost

of $25 each year plus the standard

renewal fee. You now can order your A&T

license plate online. Visit www.ncat.edu and

click Alumni, or visit www.onlinedmv.com.

For more details, call the N.C.A&T Office

of Alumni Affairs at (336) 334-7583.

SHOW YOUR

AGGIE PRIDE

EVERYWHERE YOU GO

Tommy Ellis

elestine Ntuen and Jagannathan

“Jag” Sankar, two engineering pro-

fessors, were presented the North Carolina

A&T State University Distinguished

University Professor Award at the April

board of trustees meeting.

The professorships are recommended

to Chancellor James C. Renick by a com-

mittee of their peers as well as the provost

and board of trustees.

“The Distinguished University

Professor Award is the highest honor for

an A&T faculty member,” Renick said. “It

is a wonderful honor for them because we

are able to recognize and recruit the very

best. Ntuen and Sankar represent the

best!”

The title University Distinguished

Professor is conferred by the chancellor to

select members of the A&T faculty in

recognition of distinguished

achievements and contribu-

tions in learning, discov-

ery and engagement. It

is the highest academic

honor at A&T reflect-

ing exemplary perform-

ance in two of the fol-

lowing areas: teaching,

mentoring and advising;

research, scholarship, or artistic

creativity; and extension, university serv-

ice or professional practice.

The accomplishments of University

Distinguished Professors exceed substan-

tially those of faculty at the rank of full

professor, bringing honor, distinction and

recognition to the university. The quality

of the accomplishments is unequivocal

and unambiguous, supporting the universi-

ty’s focus on excellence.

“I am humbled to be selected from a

group of talented peers and scholars and

honored to represent an institution aspir-

ing greatness,” said Ntuen. His counterpart

Sankar said, “Recognition for your work is

a good stepping stone for accomplishing

even more on behalf of your fellow

beings.”

Ntuen is an internationally recog-

nized expert in human-machine systems

engineering. This is evidenced in his more

than 250 publications and presentations.

Ntuen introduced education and research

programs in human factors and ergonomics

to the industrial engineering curriculum,

which subsequently has made A&T the

largest — if not the only — producer of

minorities in the field. The human-

machine systems engineering tract has

become an established discipline within

the department of industrial and systems

engineering.

In addition, Ntuen has brought visi-

bility to A&T through his efforts to organ-

ize and conduct two international sym-

posia. He is recognized for the consistency

of his research funding, which has been at

a high level since he joined A&T in 1994,

and his research program is a cornerstone

on which the human factors engineering

graduate program at A&T is built. In the

last 18 years, Ntuen has conducted

research in excess of $11.7 million at

A&T.

Notably, Ntuen’s research has been

accepted by a wide variety of journals not

only in both human factors engineering

and general engineering journals. In the

area of human-machine systems engineer-

ing, Ntuen has worked with and coordi-

nated diverse teams of researchers from

MIT, University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign, University of Maryland and

Georgia Institute of Technology. Within

an interdisciplinary team at A&T, he has

coordinated faculty and students from the

departments of psychology, computer sci-

ence, electrical engineering, mechanical

engineering and the School of Education.

Sankar is director of the Center for

RESEARCHRESEARCHERS NAMED DISTINQUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS

Advanced Materials and Smart Structures

(CAMSS) and director of NSF/CREST and

DoD/Center for Nanoscience and

Nanomaterials. He has been a leading

researcher in the field of advanced ceramics,

composites, electronic ceramic lenses, sensors

and smart structures for the past two decades.

A&T received distinction when Sankar

recognized the strategic importance of develop-

ing a high profile advanced materials research

and education program at A&T. He has

achieved national and international recogni-

tion with over 340 publications to his credit in

international journals and conferences, and he

has graduated 24 M.S. and M.E. students and

seven Ph.D.s.

Sankar has developed a team of

researchers and staff along with several external

scientists from industries and universities both

in the U.S. and abroad. His research has sup-

ported eight faculty from mechanical engineer-

ing; four, electrical engineering; two, chemical

engineering; one, computer science; one, agri-

culture; two, physics, and one, mathematics.

In 2001, Sankar received the “White

House Millennium (HBCU) Researcher” title.

This February, he received the American

Association for the Advancement of Science

2004 AAAS Mentor Award for mentoring 46

Ph.D. students, including 22 from underrepre-

sented minorities.

The title of Distinguished University

Professor will be held for the remainder of the

recipient’s full-time, active service at A&T.

Upon retirement, the title Distinguished

University Professor Emeritus will be conferred

by the chancellor.

The Distinguished University Professors

Recommendation Committee is composed of

faculty who hold the rank of full professor

and/or Distinguished University Professor.

Deans advised the provost and the chancellor

on the awarding of this honor.

SENSORY ANALYTICS,A&T COLLABORATE

Sensory Analytics, LLC, a Greensboro-based provider of coating

thickness and color measurement solutions used in manufacturing,

and North Carolina A&T State University have announced the estab-

lishment of an agreement to cooperatively seek and perform on new

government development programs for defense, aerospace and

advanced manufacturing applications.

Under the terms of the announced agreement, Sensory Analytics

and N.C.A&T will jointly propose and perform selected government

and commercial contracts focused on the areas of film and coating

thickness measurement and defect detection technologies. In addition,

Sensory Analytics will utilize the advanced testing and qualification

capabilities of A&T for selected new product offerings from its

expanding product suite.

“We are pleased to join forces with A&T on the development

of coating measurement and various detection products for the aero-

space, manufacturing, defense and homeland security markets,” stated

Sensory Analytics CEO Greg Frisby.“With their enviable track record

of successful research work for government applications, we look

forward to a rapid expansion of our efforts.”

“Sensory is a fast growing leader in the information technology

space, with strong customer relationships throughout DOD and the

aerospace community.A&T looks forward to working with Sensory to

link our research and test facilities and their tremendous commercial

and government experience,” added N. Radhakrishnan, vice chancellor

for research and economic development at A&T.

Headquartered in Greensboro, Sensory Analytics is a leader in the

development of optical, RF and related sensory solutions for color and

thickness measurement and control applications.The company provides

its information technology solutions globally to manufacturers that are

seeking to reduce their manufacturing costs, while also increasing their

production throughput. Sensory Analytics was founded by regional

entrepreneurs Frisby, Doug Young and Joseph “Jody” Price in 2004.

A&T has developed a suite of technologies for structural health

monitoring that uses sound waves to detect and locate cracks in

airplane frames and other rigid structures.

“Our researchers have developed and patented technology that

complements Sensory Analytics’ non-destructive testing equipment,”

says Doug Speight, director for outreach and technology transfer at

A&T.“Not only does this collaboration have the potential for joint

development of new non-destructive testing equipment and techniques,

but it may also expose new applications for the technology.”

For more information on Sensory Analytics and its information

technology solutions, please visit www.sensoryanalytics.com. For

further information on A&T, visit www.ncat.edu.


Ntuen Sankar

THE TITLE DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR IS

CONFERRED IN RECOGNITION OF DISTINGUISHED

ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS IN LEARNING,

DISCOVERY AND ENGAGEMENT.

C

or Lillie M. Robbins, endowing

a scholarship at N.C. A&T is

part of the many acts of community

service she performs each year,

mostly in Atlanta, Ga., where she

has resided for 30 years.

For nearly 25 years she has

given $1,000 scholarships to young

members of her Georgia church who

opt to study at A&T. In addition to

her church scholarship, she always

wanted to establish a scholarship

fund at her alma mater.

Beginning this fall, students

will receive money from the

Lillie M. Robbins Endowed

Scholarship. In 2004, Robbins

created the scholarship with an

outright gift of $25,000, which

was matched through Title III.

“I wanted to leave the scholar-

ship as a lasting legacy in terms of

my service to my community and to

A&T,” Robbins says of her

decision to fund the schol-

arship. “I wanted to do

something before it became

a memorial scholarship so

maybe I could even meet

and communicate with the kids

who will benefit from it.”

Raised on a tobacco farm about

10 miles outside of Greenville, N.C.,

Robbins, the youngest of 15 children,

learned the value of education at an

early age.

For high school valedictorian

Robbins, it wasn’t really a matter of

if she would attend college or where

she would attend college. Everyone

she admired — family members and

teachers — studied at A&T.

Robbins graduated from A&T

in 1966 armed with a degree in

sociology. She moved to Atlanta and

eventually earned a master’s degree

in sociology from Atlanta

University. In 1969, she

joined what is now the

Atlanta office of the U.S.

Department of Education

Office for Civil Rights,

where she worked as an investigator

and team supervisor until her retire-

ment in 2002.

Since her days at A&T when

she worked as a residence hall advi-

sor, president of the Baptist Student

Union and a member of a service

society, Robbins has always enjoyed

serving her community. Today, she is

a tireless member of Cascade United

Methodist Church and a ground

breaking member of the Kiwanis

Club, serving as the first female pres-

ident of her club, the first female

lieutenant governor for the Georgia

district of Kiwanis and the first

African American female to serve as


An endowed scholarship strengthens the long-

term financial underpinnings of North Carolina

A&T State University. Endowed Scholarships provide a

base of support for generations of students in perpetuity.

An endowment is a permanent fund, often named in

honor of an individual, created for the purpose of leaving a

legacy to current and future Aggie students.The principal, or

corpus, of an endowment fund is never spent. Only annual

earnings, or a portion of annual earnings, are awarded for

scholarships. In this way an endowed scholarship provides

annual income to be awarded to deserving students forever.

Typically, annual awards equal no more than

5 percent of the principal balance (depending on

investment performance).Thus, a $25,000 scholarship

would pay out $1,250 (5%) each year in the form

of a scholarship. Annual earnings above the payout

amount are reinvested in the principal of the scholarship

fund.This builds the principal of the endowment

fund over time, allowing for larger scholarship awards

in future years.

Historical evidence proves tuition typically increases!

Reinvestment also serves as a hedge against inflation.

Lillie M. Robbins ’66 WHY I ESTABLISHED AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AT A&T

GUIDELINE TO ESTABLISH AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY AMOUNTS REQUIRED

Endowed Scholarship (minimum) $25,000

Fully Endowed Scholarship $200,000North Carolina or Washington, DC Student

Fully Endowed Scholarship $400,000 Out of State Student

The minimum amount to establish an endowed scholarship

is $25,000 and may be donated over a period of up to five years

($5,000 gifts annually for five years). One year after the principal

reaches $25,000, the first scholarship award may be made. (One

year is needed after the minimum is reached to earn interest.)

A donor (or donors) may suggest a designation and

associated criteria for an endowed scholarship. For example,

the John Doe Endowed Scholarship Fund may be designated

for a student in the College of Engineering who demonstrates

financial need and who is from North Carolina (or a specific county

or region of North Carolina).

A scholarship donor(s) is required to sign a Deed of Gift

(pledge statement) and document the desired scholarship

designation and criteria.

governor of the Georgia district and, finally,

the first African American to serve as gover-

nor of Kiwanis International.

“When I look back at how far I’ve

come, it’s amazing to me. My education

allowed me a job that allowed me to travel

and to have new experiences. I’ve seen parts

of the world I read about in geography books

growing up.

Students from Pitt County (N.C.)

and Atlanta are eligible for the Lillie M.

Robbins Endowed Scholarship.

F

Lillie M. Robbins ’66 presents a $25,000 check to A&T Chancellor James C. Renick during Homecoming 2004.

PEOPLE BEHIND theSCHOLARSHIPS AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO MADE SACRIFICES FOR ME TO ATTEND

SCHOOL AT THAT TIME AND OF COURSE I THANKED THEM, BUT YOU WANT

TO GIVE BACK SOMETHING TANGIBLE THAT JUST MIGHT HELP SOMEONE ELSE.

— LILLIE M. ROBBINS ’66

ALUMNI NEWS


ALUMNI PROFILE

mitri L. Stockton,chief executive officer

for Central and EasternEurope-GE ConsumerFinance in Switzerland, wasn’t afforded any globalopportunities when heattended A&T in the1980’s. Growing up on afarm in the small town ofStoneville, N.C., he never envisioned living or working outside the UnitedStates.

However, Stockton never doubtedthat he would obtain a college education.This was a mandate given to him by hismother at an early age.

“My mother (Peggy Watkins) had a tremendous impact on my life,” the 1986 accounting graduate said. “My parents divorced when I was seven, and I think success for her wasmaking sure that I did something with my life. One of her minimum require-ments was that I would get a collegedegree.”

Upon entering A&T, Stockton, like most students, was apprehensive about his pathway to success. But early on he met two business gurus who imme-diately took him under their wings,Quiester Craig, dean of the school of business and economics, and Mark Kiel,former chair of the accounting depart-ment. The astute Stockton was wiseenough to realize that if he adhered totheir advice and took advantage of theinternships and other opportunities the business school offered, he wouldachieve anything he set out to do.

“A&T created an environment where I couldnetwork and interface withsuch people as DennisDammerman, vice chairman of GE,” Stockton said. “Thepersonal interactions — justthe experience laid out beforeme — the rigor and the expo-sure to corporations in the

business school was great.”The National Association of Black

Accountants’ 2004 CEO of the Year mayhave had some doubts when he first cameto the university, but when he departedhe knew that he was capable of excelling.

“When I came out of A&T therewas no question that I was going to suc-ceed,” he said. “A&T has a unique way ofbuilding self-confidence in people andgiving them the confidence that they canachieve anything they want; it is up tothem. I am eternally grateful for the time I spent there. If I hadn’t matriculated (atA&T) things probably would have turnedout differently.”

The bond that Stockton developedwith Craig and Kiel still remains. He rou-tinely has discussions with them.

“They are like an extension of myfamily,” he said.

Kiel believes that Dmitri is successfulas a professional for the same reasons thathe achieved as a student.

“He has always been highly focusedand has always possessed a strong desire tolearn and to excel,” Kiel explained. “Moreimportantly he recognizes that learningand excelling require a willingness tocompete.”

After graduating from A&T,Stockton joined Arthur Andersen &Company as an external auditor. He dis-covered that the accounting professionwasn’t for him, and that he wanted towork in the corporate finance field.

In 1987, Stockton began his careerwith General Electric in the prestigiousFinancial Management Program and laterjoined the GE Capital audit staff. Duringhis audit at GE Commercial Real Estatehe joined the team in 1991 as a projectmanager; he was later promoted to man-aging director in 1994.

Stockton continued to climb the ladder at GE, becoming the chief risk offi-cer of GE Mortgage Corporation in 1997,senior vice president for marketing andbusiness development at GE MortgageInsurance in 1999, and senior vice presi-dent for New Growth Initiatives in 2001.

He went on to serve as chief executive officer at GE Capital Bank inSwitzerland where he grew revenues from$262 to $475 million over a three-yearperiod. In January 2005, he assumed hiscurrent position at the largest bankingplatform for GE Consumer Finance in Europe, which has approximately $8 billion in assets and over $1 billion in revenues.

Stockton oversees approximately8,000 people in countries that includeRussia, Poland, Hungary, Czech andSlovakia. He is charged with expandingretail banking for this business and entering other markets such as Turkey,Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

When it comes to hiring his employ-ees, Stockton is quick to tell you that he

D

GLOBAL WARMING By Nettie Collins Rowland ’72/’95MS

Studying abroad is rapidly becoming part of the curriculum at North Carolina A&T State University. This academic year, nearly

30 A&T students are exploring, discovering and becoming knowledgeable of the language, culture, religion and trends of other

countries. While matriculating in such places as Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Russia and Japan, these students are experiencing

firsthand what they have read in their textbooks.

employs the best. “I hire people who are smarter than I

am. I won’t compromise on that. You areonly as good as the people you havearound you.”

This is an attribute that Kiel hasadmired about the CEO over the years.

“Stockton has a desire to achieve at ahigh level and his motivation to have others with whom he is associated have an equal measure of success,” he said.

Change is something that Stocktonembraces, so living in Switzerland —where the people speak four languages(English, French, Italian and German) —is a positive for him. He has adapted tothis environment and sees it as an oppor-tunity to broaden as a leader, living withthe approach of learning something neweach day.

The 41-year-old believes that to livein a foreign country you must be open inhow you view the world and you must be

willing to immerse yourself in the culture.That’s exactly what he is doing.

Of course, he has had to make adjust-ments in Switzerland, such as getting useto the stores closing at five, banks closingat lunchtime and dry cleaners closing on weekends. He misses attending profes-sional basketball and hockey games; nevertheless, he enjoys bicycling, hikingand skiing.

And it helps that his wife Renee,who has put her public accounting careeron hold since they moved to Switzerland,fully supports him along with their twodaughters, Nicole (12) and Sydney (10).

Living more than 4,000 miles awayhasn’t stopped him from supporting A&T.

“Dmitri continues to demonstrate hiscommitment through giving to his almamater,” said Harriet Davis, director ofalumni affairs at A&T. “He has madeA&T a part of his invest portfolio. ...While he continues to soar professionally,

he never forgets what he learned here, theexperiences that he had here and the people here at A&T that aided him inpreparation for his life’s experiences.”

Dean Craig also speaks highly ofStockton.

“Dmitri Stockton is an outstandingfamily man, a respected leader, a competitive professional, a role model and mentor, and a strong supporter of the school of business and economicsand the university. We are extremelyproud of his accomplishments.”

Stockton realizes the importance ofhis international experience.

“I think about how as a father I have a chance to create global children,”he said. “Children who have global mindsets can go further than I have gone in my lifetime. I look at what theoutcome has been for me. It can be atleast 10 percent higher for them. I thinkthey can live a phenomenal life.”

Dmitri L. Stockton ’86

and daughter Sydney

Dupont-Columbia award for excellence in

broadcast journalism. Before Orlando, he

worked in markets including Charlotte,

Miami and Cincinnati.

Jabbar R. Bennett ’96, research and sci-

ence specialist in the Office for Diversity and

Community Partnership at Harvard Medical

School, recently shared his story in the week-

ly online publication Science’s Next Wave.

His article told of his growing up in

Winston-Salem, N.C., graduating from the

N.C. School of Science and Math in

Durham, and then earning a bachelor’s

degree in biology with a minor in Spanish

from A&T and a Ph.D. in biomedical

sciences from Meharry Medical College.

Bennett served as assistant coordinator of

Meharry’s Health Careers Opportunity

Program before beginning post-doctoral work

at Harvard, where he conducted research in

basic cell biology and immunology research.

Sylvester “Sly” Fleming ’96 of Bowie,

Md., has published the book, 30 Days of

Love: A Spiritual Journey. Fleming, an

MBA as well as an author, says the book

reconnects with the true meaning of love

in a time when drugs, sex and violence are

taking center stage in society. The book is

available online through websites including

amazon.com, Heaven1580am.com,

barnandnobles.com, and xulonpress.com.

Lenard D. Moore ’97 of Raleigh, N.C., is

the first poet to sweep all three categories in

the annual awards given by the Haiku jour-

nal The Heron’s Nest. Moore, who earned his

undergraduate degree from Shaw University

and his master’s degree in English and

African American literature at A&T, was the

Reader’s Choice Poet of the Year. In addi-

tion, he received both the reader’s choice

and editor’s choice Poem of the Year honor.

He is the author of books including The

Open Eye (North Carolina Haiku Society

Press, 1985), Forever Home (St. Andrews

College Press, 1992) and Desert Storm: A

Brief History (Los Hombres Press, 1993). His

poetry has appeared in over 30 anthologies.

He is founder and executive director of the

Carolina African American Writers’

Collective and co-founder of the

Washington Street Writers Group.

Jillian Heather Davis

’99 completed all of the

requirements for the

Doctor of Philosophy

degree in pharmacology

from Howard University

on Dec. 16, 2004. Her

major field of research is

cancer pharmacology. Davis was the recipient

of numerous honors and awards while

attending Howard. She presented her

research in Hawaii and in many U.S. cities,

and she is published in Cellular and Molecular

Biology. Davis, who graduated magna cum

laude from A&T with a B.S. degree in chem-

istry, currently holds a post-doctoral position

at Howard.

LandDesign, an urban

planning, civil engi-

neering and landscape

architecture company in

Charlotte, N.C., recent-

ly hired Ashlie Hood

’00, as a landscape

architect. Hood is a

Charlotte native who earned a bachelor’s

degree in landscape architecture. She worked

in the Charlotte offices of two other archi-

tectural firms before joining LandDesign.

LandDesign recently

promoted Robert

Hayes ’01 to project

manager. As project

manager, Hayes supervis-

es a team of engineers

and deals with client

needs. He has worked for

LandDesign for three and a half years and

as an intern while in school.

IN MEMORIAMAlumni

William E. Banks ’72 MEd, Jan. 27

Allan Boyd Carlson, March 23

Evelyn Sterling Bennett, April 15

Jerry L. Chandler ’89, April 3

Ralph McKinley Dowe, Jan. 2005

William H. Edwards ’56, Jan. 23

William Franklin, April 2

Mark A. Hord, April 4

Annie Ruth Ingram, April 3

William A.Thomas Jr. ’66, Jan. 16

Thelma M. Hauser ’47, social worker/

placement coordinator for the Department of

Veterans Affairs, was named the 2004

District of Columbia Outstanding Older

Worker. She was honored at the annual

Experience Works Prime Time Awards.

Hauser has a bachelor’s degree in biological

and social science from A&T and a Master of

Social Work degree from Howard. She has

worked with Veterans Affairs since 1957. In

addition, she has served as the District of

Columbia’s representative to the White

House Conference on Aging, as chair of the

D.C. Social Work Board and as an active

member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

William D. Smith ’65, the new president of

Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas Inc.

(PBQ&D), has been named Black Engineer

of the Year for 2005. The honor goes to an

innovator who demonstrates a commitment

to engineering expertise and leadership and

serves as a role model who can excite and

inspire young people to reach their potential.

The award winner must also carry substantial

financial and management responsibility and

be an innovator in his or her field. PBQ&D

is the oldest and largest of the companies

comprising Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB). As

president, Smith oversees 3,000 employees

working on 1,700 infrastructure planning and

design projects, including transit and rail sys-

tems, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports,

ports, and water resources facilities in the

United States and Canada.

Henry E. McKoy ’68,

regional director of Africa

for the Peace Corps, trav-

eled to Mozambique in

February for the presi-

dent’s inaugural ceremony

after being asked to head

the U.S. delegation to the event. McKoy is a

former presidentially-appointed member of the

African Development Foundation (ADF), the

principal agency of the U.S. government to

support Africa. He also has run his own man-

agement consulting firm and served in govern-

ment roles including deputy secretary of the

North Carolina Department of

Administration and director of the North

Carolina Human Relations Commission. In

1995, he was elected to the N.C. State Senate.

Charles E. Huff Jr. ’69 is owner and

president of Charles E. Huff’s International

Funeral Home and CEO of Star Productions,

Inc., a concert promoting enterprise. Huff is a

member of several professional organizations

and boards of directors, including St. Francis

Hospital, which featured a profile on him in

the fall edition of its magazine, Spirit of St.

Francis.

William A. Dudley Sr.

’72 is the 2005 recipient

of North Carolina’s John

R. Larkins Award, which

recognizes state employees

for dedication to human

rights. Dudley received

the award during the

annual state Martin Luther King Day pro-

gram. Other Aggie recipients are Lloyd E.

Inman Jr. ’74 (2002) and Nelli Feaster

Riley ’66 (2003).

Donna A. James ’79, featured on the

February 2005 cover of Black Enterprise as one

of the “75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate

America,” has received the Business

Achievement Award from Beta Gamma

Sigma after being nominated by the A&T

chapter. Quiester Craig, dean of business and

economics at A&T, presented the award. An

accounting graduate, James is president of

strategic investments for Nationwide, the

$16.8 billion insurer. James and her team

manage five subsidiaries that generate $650

million in revenues and employ some 2,100

people, Black Enterprise said. James is also fea-

tured in the “Speaking of People” column of

the May 2005 edition of Ebony magazine.

Bradford Hayes ’83, Aggie saxophonist,

composer, record label owner, bandleader and

educator, was in the spotlight in February in

Black NJ eMagazine, an online publication.

Hayes majored in music education at A&T.

He credits William Smiley, chairman emeri-

tus of the music department and Hayes’ saxo-

phone teacher, with having a strong influ-

ence on him. Since graduation his career has

included 22 years teaching in the Newark

Public Schools and 15 years playing with the

African drum legend Babatunde Olatunji,

among others. Hayes plans to record a CD

this spring and do some touring. For more

information, visit www.bradfordhayes.com.

Holla If You Hear Me...No More Blind Dates,

Please!, a book by Shawne A.White ’92,

has been released. This first-person account

of a young woman’s blind dating search for

“the One” entertains and shares lessons

learned along the way. Vicariously tag along

with White as her blind date blunders and

occasional successes unfold in oftentimes

humorous therapeutic observation and

commentary. White currently lives and dates

in Knightdale, N.C.

Anzio Williams ’94 is the new news direc-

tor of WDSU NewsChannel 6, the Hearst-

Argyle owned NBC affiliate serving the

New Orleans area. Williams previously

served as assistant news director at WESH in

Orlando, Fla., where he and the news team

received the Peabody Award and the

ALUMNI NEWSAGGIES ON THE MOVE


Others

Evelyn Sterling Bennett, former English instructor, April 15

Reginald W. Brinkley Jr., student, March 26

Camilla Allen Graham, retiree, Feb. 10

Doris Levon Graham Hunter, registrar, Jan. 23

Theodore Hall Patrick, retired professor, Feb. 11

OCTOBER13-16,2005

THEGREATEST

HOME-COMING

ON EARTH

save the date

32 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005

MIXEDBAG

he text-in-community series atNorth Carolina A&T is an excel-

lent forum for academic discussions acrossthe disciplines.

It’s been nearly two years since theuniversity put this interdisciplinary seriesin motion. Last year students and facultywere required to read and discuss W.E.B.Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk and this

year’s pick was Ralph Ellison’sInvisible Man.

Some revealing discussionsand attitudes were born as a resultof these required readings. Theacademic community actuallycommunicated across disciplines... there was a common thread.

Another winning text hasbeen selected for academic year2005-2006.

Pulitzer Prize authorThomas L. Friedman’s TheWorld Is Flat: A Brief Historyof the Twenty-First Centurycould not have been“required” at a better time.Friedman sums up in 13 chapters societalchanges that have leftmany people dazed, con-

fused and a little annoyed. Like its two predecessors, the coming

year’s text has an intriguing title. And theensuing pages are not disappointing.

The World Is Flat is an easy, captivat-ing read that is filled with aha moments.Friedman explores trends that have causedthe world to flatten (becoming smallerand more connected in recent years),beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wallin the late 1980s and the evolution of

personal computers and the Internet inthe early 1990s. As you might guess, poli-tics, technology, economics and globaliza-tion greatly influenced this phenomenon.

The author’s anecdotes are cleverlydisguised history lessons, and each chapterprovides unsuspecting Swingers, Boomersand early GenXers with good, oftentimesfamiliar examples of when and how theworld became flat (again) right under our noses.

In the final chapter, Friedman compares the “competing forms of imagi-nation at work in the world today: thecreative imagination of 11/9 and thedestructive imagination of 9/11.” Thischapter corroborates what has becomewidely known and increasingly feared: “in a flat world so many of the inputs and tools of collaboration are becomingcommodities available to everyone.”

During Christopher Columbus’ time,the world was thought to be flat becauseof man’s lack of knowledge and techno-logy. Today, Friedman’s theory is that theopposite has occurred — which raisesnumerous questions about the way com-merce and politics will be conducted inthe very near future.

I’ll stop here. This is not intended to be a book review; just an invitation to read the book and join the resultingdialogue.

S. Marie Brown works in the UniversityRelations Office atN.C. A&T.

T

IT’S A FLAT WORLD, AFTER ALL By S. Marie Brown

Alumni Concert featuring Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

A loyal member of the N.C.A&T Alumni Associationand a university employee for more than 32 years,Doris Levon Graham Hunter’s death (Jan. 23) was aloss to the entire Aggie Family. Hunter served as registrar for more than a decade. She first joinedA&T’s staff in 1973.

In addition to dedicated service in her professionalwork, Hunter was a proud member of Sigma GammaRho Sorority Inc. and a community volunteer.

Survivors include husband Danny, motherGertrude W. Graham of Laurinburg, and a host ofother relatives.

Memorials may be made to:Doris Graham Hunter Scholarship Fund North Carolina A&T State University Foundation1601 E. Market Street, Greensboro, N.C. 27401

Doris Levon Graham Hunter

____________________

Non-Profit Organization____________________

US Postage PAID____________________

Greensboro, NC____________________

Permit Number 47____________________

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University1601 East Market StreetGreensboro, NC 27411

REMEMBERING THEPAST

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