Page 4 Page 12 Page 16 Page 28
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.”
1
2
3
4 5
6
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 76 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 98 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
“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.
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 1110 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 1312 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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.
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 1514 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 1716 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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.
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 19
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 21
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 2322 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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.
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 2524 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 2726 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 2928 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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
SPRING 2005 • A&T TODAY 3130 A&T TODAY • SPRING 2005
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