COGER'S CORNER
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
It is officially autumn and our Fall semester is proceeding rapidly. As the pages of this issue will reveal, there are many things happening across the Pirate Nation. Congratulations to you all for all you are accomplishing!
In this installment, I thought I’d give an example or two of how actions on the individual level can directly influence learner success at ECU and also have additive effects on the University’s enrollment and performance metrics. As a brief reminder, recall that the funding model for UNC System universities is dependent on enrollment changes and on weighted performance metrics, as shown by the equation below:
where ECU’s performance metrics are:
- 4 Year Graduation Rate
- Undergraduate Degree Efficiency
- Average Cumulative Debt at Graduation of First Time Freshmen
- Average Cumulative Debt at Graduation of Transfer Students
- Education and Related Expenses per Degree
- Research Productivity
In last month’s Coger Corner, I also reminded the University community that the relative undergraduate student credit hours (SCHs) generated by incoming and continuing NC resident students across the calendar year dictate the enrollment portion of that funding equation. Recent campus conversations helped me realize that it is important to emphasize how localized actions can add up together to make a big difference.
I thus present one example for you to consider: ECU’s first year to second year persistence rate is now ~82%, but we have great opportunity to significantly increase the retention rates of our undergraduates for Year 2 to 3 and Year 3 to 4, since students of a given cohort leaving ECU negatively affects our enrollment SCHs and negatively affects that cohort’s 4 year graduation rate. Suppose a faculty member has a class of 65 students and noticed that in past years, ~1/4 of the class seemed to disengage around the third week of the semester. If that faculty member shifts their exam schedule so that they first assess learning in the second or third week of class, posted the students’ grades on that exam in CANVAS within 7 days post-exam, and returned the graded tests to the students soon after – the students in the course would know early if their approach to the course needs adjusting, and they have time to make those adjustments to still perform well.
What if that single adjustment resulted in six more students passing the course? This would mean that six more students have a solid understanding of the course content and six more students are able to proceed forward in their degree programs. Now imagine the additive effects this could have on student success if this slight change was applied in all courses across East Carolina University. The result could be six students in this class, two students in another, and so on - resulting in a workable strategy for growing our retention rates, and thus our enrollment due to continuing students, each year.
I also thought it helpful to share that my office also has two searches underway: Associate Provost, Learner Operations and Dean of the College of Health and Human Performance. Additionally, the Dean of the Graduate School search will be launched later this month. Regarding the latter, I’d like to publicly express my gratitude to Dr. Kathleen Cox for her continued service as the interim Dean of the Graduate School for a second year.
For the two searches that have been launched, I thank the chairs and the members of the search committees for their service. All search committee members have signed confidentiality agreements to protect the integrity of these searches, and thus I thank the ECU community in advance for your patience as the committees work through the non-public steps of the search process. I also ask that any questions are directed to the respective search committee chairs.
Thank you again to our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends for all you do to ensure the strength and the success of East Carolina University. A hearty thanks also to everyone who contributed to making this October 2023 First Monday possible.
Go Pirates!
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BY THE NUMBERS
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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES
Faculty Input Needed: Starfish Faculty Forums
The Student Academic Success Services office is hosting a series of faculty forums to evaluate and guide new faculty features to be implemented in the Spring 2024 semester. Forum discussions will help shape the Starfish system at ECU. Faculty Forums will be held on Teams and facilitated by EAB Starfish consultant, John Kulak. Following each forum faculty will be sent a short input survey. You do not need to be a regular Starfish user to attend.
Starfish is a student success tool to facilitate communication between student and faculty and provide a way to praise or raise concerns regarding student academic performance. Once a notification is raised, a university success network provides outreach and services to support identified students.
To register for one of the Starfish Faculty Forums listed below, use Cornerstone Training or click HERE.
- Monday, October 16, 1:00 - 2:00pm
- Tuesday, October 17, 2:30 - 3:30pm
- Wednesday, October 18, 9:00 - 10:00am
- Thursday, November 2, 2:00 - 3:00pm and 3:30 - 4:30pm
- Friday, November 3, 10:30 - 11:30am
Starfish faculty tools can be used to:
- Celebrate achievement through Kudos messages shared with students with outstanding course performance.
- Connect your students to success resources through early alert identification.
- Refer students to success services like the Pirate Academic Success Center.
- Manage faculty office hours, appointments, and class attendance.
For more information about Starfish at ECU, contact ECU’s new Starfish system Administrator, Dylan Moore.
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Elizabeth Coghill, Executive Director of Student Academic Success Services, facilitated the workshop series Welcoming All Learners: Establishing Success Pathways for Neurodiverse Students, for the Yes, We Must, College Success for All Coalition. Attendees of the two-session workshop represented not-for-profit college/university teams where undergraduate enrollment of Pell-dependent students is 50% or more. Later this month, Coghill will provide the keynote address at the North Carolina Tutoring and Learning Association’s Fall conference, sharing insights on the ways community college tutoring and learning centers can address the needs of neurodivergent students on their campuses. Dr. Coghill is a published leader in creating support systems for neurodiverse learners and is a co-editor and author of Supporting Neurodiverse College Student Success: A Guide for Librarians, Student Support Services, and Academic Learning Environments, a Roman and Littlefield publication.
OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS
For the first time since the pandemic, Global Affairs staff members participated in international recruiting fairs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. After two years of comprehensive social media campaigns in Colombia, Nigeria and Ghana, Mary Crawford, Cathy Knudson and Jon Rezek visited with prospective students face to face in Bogotá, Accra, Kumasi, Lagos and Abuja.
Dr. Jami Leibowitz is currently at Yesenov University in Aktau, Kazakhstan completing the third leg of her Fulbright Global Scholar Award. While there, she is teaching a Global Understanding class in collaboration with Ewa Silvers History 1030 class here at ECU and working with Yesenov University faculty and staff to introduce them to International Virtual Exchange and explore how to use it to build cultural competencies amongst their students.
Upcoming Global Affairs Events and Activities:
- Global Zone Training: October 5, 2:00 - 5:00PM, MCSC 249
- Gender and Study Abroad: What to Expect: October 5, 3:00 - 4:00PM, MCSC 253
- Study Abroad Fair: October 12, 11:00AM - 2:00PM, MCSC Lawn
- Annual Pumpkin Carving Event: October 27, 3:00 - 5:00PM, International House
- International Education Week: November 13 - 17
OFFICE OF ONLINE LEARNING, ACADEMIC OUTREACH & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
The ECU Online Student Services Team hosted its Fall LIVE Q&A Distance Education Student Forum on September 13. Online students were invited to join virtually for a presentation from the Financial Wellness Hub given by Kevin Sutton, director. Students were able to learn what Financial Wellness really means and were given an overview of services and resources available at a distance, such as Budgeting, Credit Scores, Federal Student Loan Repayment, and Debt Management Strategies. Online students learned about their access to iGrad online modules, small-group workshops and presentations, and individual financial coaching appointments. After the presentation, the floor was opened for a live question and answer session.
OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
Financial Aid CPOS Implementation
Course Program of Study (CPOS) is a Department of Education requirement that only considers courses counting toward a student’s program of study for financial aid eligibility. ECU’s Office of Student Financial Aid, in coordination with the Registrar’s Office and campus Academic Advisors, have rolled out an awareness campaign that began on September 11. The federal requirement will be fully implemented beginning with Spring 2024 registration. Student information is available on the Financial Aid Office website HERE.
2024-25 FAFSA Updates
In 2020, Congress passed legislation leading to a reworking of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. Historically available on October 1 since 2016, FAFSA is expected to open sometime in December due to the significant changes this year. An official date is yet to be announced at the time of this writing.
The new form is intended to be easier to complete, and the formulas that underpin the financial aid system are also changing. No longer will there be an "Estimated Family Contribution," but the score will now be known as "Student Aid Index" (SAI). Due to the changes, a student’s aid eligibility may change from what they have been used to under the old FAFSA.
College Cost Transparency Initiative
The higher education community is committed to providing students with financial aid information about the cost of college that is clear, accurate, and transparent, evidenced by the formation of the College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCT) in 2022. At East Carolina University, we have been meeting the recommended standards with our annual award letters, but are partnering with the CCT, committing to continue using their standards going forward.
Core tenets of the initiative include providing clear, accurate, consumer-friendly information about college costs and financial aid eligibility, using language that is transparent, ensuring that costs are understandable for students and their families, with offers including the most accurate estimate possible of a student’s costs. More information about the initiative and standards can be found HERE.
OFFICE OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT
The ECU community and partners were invited to meet new startup faculty members during last week’s STEM@Starlight event held at the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building. The session provided time for networking and allowed guests to hear from faculty about their research interests. This annual meet-and-greet event is a valuable opportunity to consider partnerships and collaborations that can lead to all that ECU sets out to do in student success, public service and regional transformation. This event is supported by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Learn more about STEM@Starlight HERE. More photos from the event are available on REDE’s social media channels.
In honor of National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2023 (Sept. 18-22), ECU postdocs gathered for a networking event at The Scullery in Downtown Greenville on Thursday, September 21. We appreciate these dedicated members of the team and the inspiring work they do every single day. You can learn more about ECU postdocs on the ECU Postdoctoral Scholars page, HERE.
During the event, the new ECU Postdoctoral Association Officers were announced. Here are the 2023-2024 officers:
- President - Katherine Dale, Biology
- Vice President - Syed Anees Ahmed, Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Secretary - Alex Claiborne, Kinesiology
- International Liaison - Ananth Wuppukondur, Coastal Studies
Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) Applications
The Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) applications will open on October 25. Be on the look out for exciting new opportunities with EOSA for the coming application year.
Staff from ECU’s Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) recently travelled to Nashville to participate in the 44th Annual National Conference of Small Business Development Centers. The ECU team joined over 1,500 business counselors from across the country to participate in two days of professional development. Over 200 workshops and seminars were presented on a variety of topics including financial analysis, business leadership and social media marketing. Keynote speakers included SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and Chris Barton, Founder of Shazam, the world’s first music recognition service.
The annual conference included a meeting of the organization’s board during which North Carolina State Director Byron Hicks was elected Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors. This will expand his leadership role within the organization and is a reflection of the high regard for the NC SBTDC at the national level.
The Office of Licensing and Commercialization, Office of National Security and Industry Initiatives, and the College of Business provided support for the Army Innovation Lab Drop Zone Pitch Competition at Fort Liberty on September 6. The event featured business pitches from members of the 82nd Airborne Division on novel innovations that can improve the lives and safety of service members in the field.
ECU startup company Treg Therapeutics was among a few select companies to present at the BioPharm American conference in Raleigh, NC on September 13. Treg Therapeutics is developing a novel combination therapeutic for the treatment of autoimmune disease, including plaque psoriasis. The company licensed the parent rights from ECU in 2018. Inventors of this technology include Dr. Mark Mannie from the Department Microbiology and Immunology. In addition to the company presentation, Licensing and Commercialization Innovation Ambassadors Brittany Trotter from the department of bioenergetics and exercise science, and Sara Lowe, from the department of microbiology and immunology, were in attendance to learn about partnering with industry to enhance business development.
ECU startup company Amalgent Therapeutics announced the receipt of a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This $2.5M award will support manufacturing and development efforts for an investigational new drug filing to support clinical trials of AMGT-0220, a combination therapeutic for the treatment of pain. Amalgent Therapeutics licensed the patent rights from ECU in 2021. Inventors of this technology include Dr. Kori Brewer from the Department of Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Stefan Clemens from the Department of Physiology.
Continuing and Professional Education Opportunities
- GlasStation Glassblowing - View October class schedule HERE
- Economic Development: Organization, Operation, and Strategy - November 15 & 16; Register HERE
- Education, Literacy, Assistive Technology Courses; Register HERE
- College Star Conference (Preparing students with learning differences for college success!) - October 26; Register HERE
- From Tide to Table: Exploring Oyster Ecology, Farming, and Culinary Delights - October 27; Register HERE
Lifelong Learning Program
- Fall memberships and classes are available. View the catalog HERE. We hope you will join us!
- If you would like to offer your expertise as an instructor or propose an experiential trip or event, contact Kelsey Dwyer with the Lifelong Learning Program to see what opportunities are available or, click HERE to submit a proposal for Spring by October 6.
- The Lifelong Learning Program is open to all adult learners, age 18 and up. Do you know someone who could benefit from the LLP classes and experiences? You can find course and registration information on the LLP website.
FACULTY SENATE
2023 - 2024 Faculty Senate meeting dates are as follows:
- October 3, 2023
- November 7, 2023
- December 5, 2023
- January 30, 2024
- February 27, 2024
- March 26, 2024
- April 23, 2024
- April 30, 2024 (Organizational Meeting for 2024-2025)
For more about ECU Faculty Senate, click HERE.
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COLLEGE UPDATES
ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
Student Success
Faculty in the College of Allied Health Sciences received more than $3 million in research awards, a new record reached during the 2023 fiscal year. Dr. Heather Harris Wright, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, reported that students co-authored 39% of 67 publications and 71% of 190 presentations. Nearly $9,000 was awarded to 27 students traveling to six conferences this last year. The college also supported students through five dissertation or thesis awards totaling more than $15,000.
The Department of Clinical Laboratory Science hosted representatives from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) for its reaccreditation site visit.
Health Information Management (HIM) graduates from the classes of 1980-1994 visited Dr. Peggy Wood, retired faculty member and founding HIM program director, at her home. They looked at class pictures together while celebrating Dr. and Mr. Wood’s 67th wedding anniversary.
“Mrs. Wood has influenced so many lives. We love her so very much and are so thankful for her. Go Pirates!!” -Dr. Susie Harris, 1989 HIM graduate and current program director.
Members of the Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2023 completed their PACKRAT II examination, exceeding the national average score by more than one standard deviation. This assessment is used to predict future performance on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) which the Class of 2023 will take following their December graduation.
Public Service
The Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic Aphasia Group hosted a story time where members took turns reading to a small group of children. Aphasia is a speech disorder often caused by brain injury or other life events. Directed by Sherri Winslow, Clinical Assistant Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, ECU’s Aphasia Group provides a supportive and therapeutic space for individuals with aphasia to meet.
Undergraduate program directors welcomed a group of middle and high school students from Building Hope Community Center to campus in July. The young visitors learned about majors in Clinical Laboratory Science, Health Information Management, Health Services Management, Nutrition Science, and Speech and Hearing Sciences through hands-on activities and a tour.
Regional Transformation
Dr. Swati Surkar, Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy, and her volunteers welcomed nine children to the Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT) program – a NIH-funded clinical trial. Traveling from across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, the young participants completed a five-day camp under the supervision of occupational and physical therapists.
Drs. Christine Lysaght, Clinical Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy, and Caroline Adams, Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy, served alongside Dr. Surkar as lead therapists. Graduate research assistants in Dr. Surkar’s lab, including Shailesh Gardas, Katie Woosley, Caroline Brown, Natalie McBryde, Brody Morton, Joseph Morphonois, Jade Butcher, Holly Donelly, and Natalie Grimes, in addition to 18 PT and 28 undergraduate student volunteers, helped organize the HABIT program.
Enrollment for December 2023 HABIT for volunteers and participants is now open.
ARTS & SCIENCES
Harriot College celebrated student success and thanked its generous donors at the college’s eighth annual scholarship luncheon on Sept. 15. This academic year, nearly 150 college students will benefit from more than $300,000 in donor-funded scholarships. Friends and supporters of Harriot College traveled from near and far to join the festivities. Read more about the program and the ripple effect of scholarships HERE.
The 2023-2024 Voyages of Discovery Series, Inspiring Hope and Healing, opens on Nov. 16 with world-famous actor Sean Astin. In addition to his energy and passion for the arts, he is a tireless advocate for mental health awareness and civic engagement. His appearance provides an excellent co- or extra-curricular activity for ECU students, and tickets are free with an ECU 1 Card. Learn more by reading our feature article about this year’s series or by emailing us.
Faculty in the Departments of English and Geography, Planning and Environment are part of an international team that recently received a $1.5 million grant from the Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation with a mission for everyone to benefit from science’s potential to improve health and save lives. More than $300,000 will come to ECU to support the work of Dr. Erin Frost and Dr. Beth Bee. The project, led by the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, will facilitate the research and implementation of community-based interventions to reduce heat-related illnesses in rural Mexico.
Dr. Heather Vance-Chalcraft, assistant professor of biology, is the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Harriot College Dean’s Early Career Award. Through her research, Vance-Chalcraft focuses on making biology more accessible and engaging by exposing students to authentic research practices, demonstrating the relevance of biology outside of the classroom, and integrating strategies to improve team competencies. Read more about her collaborative approach to STEM education research and her accomplishments HERE.
ECU undergraduate student Cameron Brown, a senior majoring in Community and Regional Planning, has won a national election to represent one of six geographic regions on the Student Representatives Council of the American Planning Association, which “exists to elevate and unite a diverse planning profession as it helps communities, their leaders and residents anticipate and navigate change.” Brown’s experience in several internship programs, including the SECU Public Fellows Program and Rise29, as well as his engagement in ECU’s Student Government Association, prepared him well to successfully campaign for this leadership position.
Two accomplished alumni have accepted appointments to the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Advancement Council. Dr. Victoria Hardy McGowen (’14, ’16, ’22) holds three degrees from ECU including a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Economics, a Master’s degree in Biology, and a Doctor of Dental Medicine. Currently, she practices dental medicine with Sound Dental in Morehead City. Lee Mascarenhas (’10) holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and is a senior account executive for Cisco Systems, Inc. Both are excited to engage and support our students and our programs.
BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Dr. John N. Catanzaro has been named division chief of cardiology, director of East Carolina Heart Institute Service line and professor of medicine at the Brody School of Medicine. Catanzaro comes to ECU from the University of Florida, where he served as associate medical director and program director of the University of Florida Health’s Clinical Cardiology Electrophysiology Section.
Catanzaro received his Doctorate in Medicine from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, with distinction in research. He completed his fellowship in cardiovascular disease at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. He also completed an advanced fellowship in clinical cardiac electrophysiology from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and earned an MBA from the University of Florida.
He serves as co-chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Entrepreneurship Working Group as well as vice chair of the Heart Rhythm Society’s Quality Improvement Committee. He holds intellectual property through the University of Florida and is active in seeking innovative new technologies to advance care for cardiac patients. He is a serial entrepreneur and is co-founder of a preoperative beverage startup company. He has a passion for teaching and has received numerous teaching awards. He is a coinvestigator on a National Institute of Health R01, while his current research includes esophageal protection during ablation and regenerative medicine.
Catanzaro is a fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society, American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases and cardiac clinical electrophysiology and in advanced cardiovascular life support by the American Heart Association. He also has numerous international presentations, publications and scholarly activities.
Brody student Manthi Dissanayake is one of five individuals selected to be featured by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for Women In Medicine Month for her work in advancing representation in gynecologic medical education.
Dissanayake is a part of a team of students who created and published, “In Plain Sight Digital Guidebook: Normalizing Diverse Clinical Presentations in Obstetrics and Gynecology,” a resource that showcases what different gynecologic and related pathologies look like on darker skin tones. The team's hope is that this resource will increase clinical due diligence for people of all backgrounds and colors — especially people who often go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed due to underrepresentation.
Since March, Dissanayake has been leading a national virtual book tour, presenting the guidebook to OB-GYN and family medicine departments across the country. The goal is to increase awareness of the resource to further enhance medical education and advance racial equity in OB-GYN and gender-based medicine. So far, the students have presented at NYU Langone, ECU Health and UNC Chapel Hill and have upcoming presentations at the University of Kansas, the University of Virginia and Yale.
Dr. Robert Carroll, professor of physiology in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, was awarded the American Physiological Society’s (APS) inaugural Presidential Outstanding Service Award during the recent American Physiological Summit in Long Beach, California. The new award recognizes an APS member for extended and outstanding volunteer service to the society and the APS community. The recipient is chosen each year by the current APS president.
“APS is a member-driven organization that relies heavily on its member-volunteers, many of whom spend their entire careers in service to the society with little public recognition,” said APS President Dee Silverthorn. “I’m pleased to recognize Rob for a lifetime of volunteer service to the society and to the broader physiology community.”
An APS member since 1980, Carroll is an inaugural member of the Center for Physiology Education Advisory Board. He has also held leadership roles within the society, including past chair of the Teaching of Physiology Section and the Education Committee and former editor-in-chief of “Advances in Physiology Education.”
“I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Presidential Outstanding Service Award,” Carroll said. “After joining the APS as a student member in 1980, the society rapidly became my ‘go-to’ source for professional and personal development, both scientifically and organizationally. The society invites and encourages member involvement at all levels, and the skills I acquired while volunteering with the APS facilitated my growth into leadership roles at ECU.”
On Aug. 23, the Brody simulation center welcomed more than 40 members of North Carolina’s law enforcement and first responder community to refresh their medical skills ranging from how to treat burns and heart attacks to the basics of assisting in an unplanned birth on the side of the highway.
More than 1,700 North Carolina state troopers need medical refresher training annually to stay qualified for their positions. The highway patrol has statewide jurisdiction to render medical care, making the SHP unique among first responders in North Carolina.
“Troopers may stop somebody they think is drunk when they’re having a diabetic emergency or won’t respond, they may be having a complex partial seizure,” said Sean Johnson, the highway patrol’s director of training. “Training in a controlled environment, where feedback can be given, is a game changer for public safety. The community is very appreciative when they get to see a side of a trooper that they’re not expecting. This is definitely beneficial to everybody.”
ERHD graduate certificate program honors fall 2023 graduates
The newest graduates of Brody’s Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) graduate certificate online program are being honored this fall. The cohort includes medical and public health students who completed four online courses in ethnic and rural health disparities and a Capstone project on related issues.
The graduates include Bryant Foriest, Kaitlin Frey, Bridget Gallagher, Courtney Kirchner, Melenis Lopez, Parth Panchal, Emily Parks, Karen Semaan, DJ Smith-Getchell and Latasha Stabler.
These graduate public health and medical professionals are primarily in the Brody School of Medicine as medical students and the Department of Public Health as MPH public health students. The four courses that they completed were: (1) Global Public Health, (2) Ethnic Health & Health Disparities, (3) African American Health, and (4) Capstone Experience in Ethnic Health and Health Disparities.
Clemens featured in national research newsletter
Dr. Stefan Clemens has been featured in “Nightwalkers,” the national newsletter of the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. Clemens, a professor in Brody’s Department of Physiology, is a member of the RLS Foundation’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and chair of the Brain Bank and the Research Grant committees.
The article takes a closer look at Clemens’ life and career and research, which focuses on neural systems in the spinal cord and, more specifically, their role in neurologi- cal disorders like RLS and chronic pain. According to the article, “some of his most recent work focuses on the interactions of the dopamine system with its different receptor subtypes to better understand the mechanisms of augmentation. He holds several patents, including one for the treatment and management of augmentation in RLS.”
“My lab specializes in studying animal models that mimic the characteristics of RLS, including sensorimotor changes in the spinal cord and changes in sleep onset. We try to understand how and why these behaviors occur, and to explore potential therapeutic options that alleviate symptoms,” Clemens said in the article. “We have recently published work in Frontiers of Neurology in which we show that changes in iron levels in an animal’s diet can lead to changes in both sleep onset and spinal cord function that are similar to the symptoms observed in RLS patients. Gaining an understanding of how the spinal cord responds to iron deficits and dopamine function is critical, especially to provide insight into the sensory components of RLS. In animal models, spinal cord function can be readily probed for behavioral responses to experimental drugs and therapies.”
BUSINESS
The College of Business (COB) and its Department of Accounting held their annual Meet the Firms career fair in mid-September. Twenty-eight accounting firms participated, hoping to find their next intern or employee from the 150 students who attended. “Everyone leaves the night with such a positive momentum for the year,” said Dr. Cal Christian, COB’s Department of Accounting chair.
College of Business (COB) students, faculty and donors totaling almost 160 celebrated a record-breaking $435,000 in scholarships at the COB’s annual scholarship ceremony September 27. To kick-start the event, Interim COB Dean Mike Harris recognized another record-breaking number for the 2023-2024 – $675,000 in total financial support for COB students who received scholarships and other funding, which includes Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business support. Sanford Bailey ’64 provided remarks during the ceremony, as did entrepreneurship junior Lauren Humann.
Corey Pulido was named on Business NC’s Trailblazers 2023 list. He is being recognized as a thriving business owner and professional “under the age of 40 who works in cities and towns with fewer than 100,000 residents. They are creating jobs and providing services while championing their communities.”
Pulido’s influence on the COB and the Miller School is immense. He teaches every entrepreneurship student who goes through the program, and he organizes the annual Summer Innovation Academy.
Click HERE to find out why Pulido made the list. Pulido was also featured in Chatter, Business North Carolina’s weekly podcast that interviews some of the state’s most interesting people. You can find the podcast HERE.
The ECU Student Chapter of the Institute for Supply Management attended the ISM2023 Annual Conference at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas, TX, May 7-10, 2023. Two students (William Dong and Danny Bismark-Pettit) represented the chapter due to their active participation in the Student ISM Chapter during the 2022-2023 academic year. The trip was made possible through the Vincent K. McMahon Endowed Professorship, currently held by Dr. John F. Kros of the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management.
Students who complete an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Business Administration at Beaufort County Community College (BCCC) through a new transfer pathway will be guaranteed admission to East Carolina University (ECU). The ECU College of Business will grant BCCC graduates in the transfer pathway 60 hours of credit toward a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) at the university.
Micah Sam (MBA’ 21) has been named the COB’s new technology, information and operations (TIO) director. For his new role, Sam will support, integrate and improve the technology, information and operational processes within the COB so that increased quality, efficiency and effectiveness of services and support are achieved. The office employs and integrates both proprietary and centrally provided resources and technologies beyond the standard level of support from central support units. He will manage seven support staff. Sam replaces Len Rhodes, who served as executive director of TIO for ten years and who is now the executive director of the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business.
East Carolina University and its College of Business once again hosted 17 high school juniors from around the state as they participated in EY’s College Mentoring for Access and Persistence (MAP) program. EY’S College MAP is the company’s signature volunteer program in education. It is focused on empowering students in underserved high schools to gain access to college and succeed in higher education. During the weeklong camp (July 24-28), the students met with EY and ECU volunteers who spoke about assorted topics to make applying for and going to college easier.
The annual Summer Innovation Academy was once again hosted by the College of Business and the Miller School of Entrepreneurship this summer. Sixteen students from Pitt County high schools came prepared with an idea on the first day of camp, and from there, Corey Pulido, teaching instructor with the Miller School, took the students on an entrepreneurial journey and readied them to make a pitch about their idea on the camp’s last day.
DENTAL MEDICINE
Dr. Alexandre Vieira has been named associate dean for research at East Carolina University’s School of Dental Medicine. Vieira comes to ECU from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, where he served as director of clinical research, director of student research and professor. He also is currently president of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research.
“I am looking forward to working with the faculty at ECU School of Dental Medicine and across the medical campus in the integration of dental clinical research to all disciplines and have a positive impact in the oral health of the region, making ECU the reference center of oral health research in the state,” Vieira said.
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Vieira joined the University of Pittsburgh’s dental school after spending nearly six years at the University of Iowa for post-doctoral training in human molecular genetics. He earned a DDS in 1992 from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), completed a residency in special needs patients at the Brazilian Dental Association–Rio de Janeiro section. He also earned a master’s in pediatric dentistry and PhD in genetics from UFRJ in 1997 and 2001, respectively.
Vieira created the Dental Registry and DNA Repository (DRDR), the only project in the world to keep DNA samples linked to a comprehensive dataset of dental clinical information. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed papers, editorials, letter to the editor, book chapters, and books, including the Genetic Basis of Oral Health Conditions. Vieira has mentored more than 200 students in his lab, from high school to post-docs, and has received numerous awards including the William J. Gies Award for best paper published at the Journal of Dental Research three times in 11 years — the only person to do so in the history of the award.
ECU School of Dental Medicine Dean Dr. Greg Chadwick was officially installed on Tuesday, Sept. 26, as president of FDI World Dental Federation during the organization’s 2023 World Dental Congress in Sydney, Australia. He had served as president-elect since 2021.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, FDI leads the world to optimal dental health through policy, education and advocacy. Its membership comprises nearly 200 national member associations and specialist groups in more than 130 countries, making it the premier representative body for more than one million dentists worldwide. FDI works closely with United Nations agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other groups to align on oral health care initiatives across the globe. Chadwick will begin work as president to establish the group’s priorities and goals over the next two years, including to solidify FDI as the global voice of dentistry by addressing the most pressing topics in oral health care. One major priority is working with WHO to ensure that oral health is integrated into general health policy.
“Dr. Chadwick’s broad knowledge of dentistry, cultivated from international, national and state leadership experience, provides him a unique perspective as he continues to lead the School of Dental Medicine in its mission of education, service, scientific discovery and care,” said School of Dental Medicine Vice Dean Dr. Margaret Wilson. “His leadership with FDI will provide a global context of oral health topics, positioning our dental school to be even more effective in improving oral health care in North Carolina.”
The school’s community service learning center in Spruce Pine held its first ECU Smiles for Veterans event on Friday, Sept. 23. Fifteen veterans from surrounding western North Carolina counties received care at no cost to them during the school’s traditional veterans service event held across the state throughout the year. Students, residents and faculty members provided $10,000 worth of care during the event, including extractions, fillings and other restorative and preventive procedures.
The event joins others across the state, hosted at the school’s community service learning centers and supported by state and local veterans organizations. The program began in Sylva in 2018. Nearly 300 veterans have been served since that time through the school’s partnership with the Veteran Smiles Foundation.
Patient Victor B. called the event an “awesome experience” and said it was the best dental office experience he has ever had.
Two groups of School of Dental Medicine alumni recently visited Ross Hall to share their experiences and advice with current dental students. Drs. Velvet Martin ’19, Liz Price ‘16/AEGD ’17 and Julio Morales ’18 joined Drs. Lee Lewis and Billy Williams in an Ethics class to discuss ethical decisions that providers face in dentistry. Drs. Tanner Wolf ’21, Robert Pinner ’21 and Amanda Stroud ’15 shared insight with the Practice Management class on different types of dental practice options and models.
Research grant targets pediatric oral health
A team of School of Dental Medicine researchers has received a $302,000 grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health. The project, “Overcoming early childhood caries disease burden through the Words of Mothers Project,” aims to develop evidence regarding the relationship between prenatal dental care utilization and subsequent utilization by children to inform strategies to improve oral health in children.
Principal investigator Dr. Vanessa Pardi is joined by fellow researchers Dr. Kristin Black, Dr. Mark Moss, Dr. Linda May and Dr. Huabin Luo.
EDUCATION
The College of Education celebrated scholarship recipients and donors during the annual scholarship ceremony. This year, more than $681,000 in scholarships were awarded for the 2023-2024 academic year. Read more HERE.
Five faculty in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions have published research around gamification, video timeline-anchored comments, children’s access to reading material and more. Read more HERE.
We have welcomed 48 students into the Education Living-Learning Community who are passionate about becoming educators. View their profiles HERE.
English education alumna Jackquelyn Derritt wants to help future students reach their full potential. She is pursuing her master’s in English with the goal of teaching college students in the future. Read her Pirate Profile HERE.
ECU’s Department of Interdisciplinary Professions is hosting a visiting scholar from Spain, Lara Murvartian. Lara is working on her doctoral thesis on the public stigma exerted by professional helpers toward women survivors of intimate partner violence. She recently spoke at a Lunch & Learn event for ECU faculty and staff about her research. Learn more about Lara HERE.
ECU and the Rural Education Institute have formed a new partnership with the Rural Schools Collaborative to serve as the Southeast hub of the RSC, which will create a space for educators in the Carolinas to have their voices heard while creating a local network that facilitates collaboration. Learn more about why REI was selected HERE.
A $3.9 million grant is helping youth and families in eastern North Carolina receive access to teaching and mental health support through ECU’s brand of AmeriCorps. The Collaborative Action in Rural Education (CARE) Corps consists of three branches: resiliency, teaching and counseling. Learn more about the program HERE.
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
The College of Engineering and Technology honored 67 scholarship recipients and recognized the donors who supported them during the Robert and Betty Hill Recognition of Excellence Awards Ceremony. Students received nearly $102,000 in scholarship support from donors for the 2023-24 academic year. Read more HERE.
Seven students from the College of Engineering and Technology participated in a unique summer internship program that focused on pollution prevention through ECU’s Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering (CSE3). The program, funded through a $350,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, places students inside manufacturing facilities to help companies reduce pollution, conserve water and save energy. Read more HERE.
Rolando Rosado, a junior engineering student, participated in the Engineering World Health program in which he spent two months repairing and maintaining medical equipment in the East African country of Uganda. “The experience was astonishing and a definite life-changer that has given me a positively new perspective regarding everyday life,” Rosado said. Read more HERE.
Pablo Hernández, an ECU alumnus and director of project management services at 35 North in Durham, returned to Greenville as a guest of the college’s Student Success Center. He hosted presentations and discussions for students in the Main Campus Student Center, talking about his journey as a first-generation college student whose first language was not English and offering career and academic advice. Read more HERE.
The College of Engineering and Technology celebrated its students with the annual Student Organization and Appreciation Day. The event offered club information from many of the college’s nearly 30 student organizations as well as the chance to have some fun with friends and enjoy a free lunch.
FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION
Neil Nenner, who teaches industrial design at Shenkar University Engineering, Design and Art in Tel Aviv, Israel, was invited to the school after meeting art faculty member Gerald Weckesser, who was teaching a boat building class at Penland School of Craft last summer. Nenner liked the class so much that he worked with his university to bring Weckesser to Israel, where the pair led 30 industrial design students divided into four or five teams to build seven boats in seven days. The two discussed Nenner coming to ECU, which was made possible this semester by School of Art and Design Director Kate Bukoski and College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean Linda Kean. Read more HERE.
Amber Delgado (BFA ’19 Film and Video Production) started her new role as the grant compliance manager with The Community Preservation Act Office with The City of Boston. Amber received her Master's Degree in Heritage Studies and Public History from The University of Minnesota in 2022. During her time in Minneapolis, Amber contributed to multiple oral history projects rooted in community collaboration.
Born and raised in North Carolina, her passions for outreach, storytelling and archiving, and protecting community spaces emerged from her southern upbringing and Afro-Latinx identity. In 2018, Amber graduated from East Carolina University with a BFA in Film and Media and Production and a BA in Art History. Following her undergraduate career, Amber held the position of exhibitions intern at The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. She seeks to use her multidisciplinary background to support the efforts of The CPA Team.
Read more about Amber HERE and see some of her work HERE.
Dr. Keith Richards and Brittany Thompson recently had a work published: Richards, K., & Thompson, B. (2023). Challenges and Best Practices for Transitioning to Online Learning During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Communication, 8.
Edited by Linda G. Kean, Sachiyo M. Shearman, Mary Tucker-McLaughlin, and Władysław Witalisz, Freedom of Expression Across Borders (a collection of papers presented in the 2021 conference of the same name) examines how freedom of expression can be defined, shared, acted upon and responded to globally. In curating this volume, the editors collected works on freedom of expression and communication, culture and identity from a broad swath of viewpoints. Scholarly contributions come from a variety of disciplines, including communication, literature, linguistics, translation, journalism, cultural studies, art, and other humanities and social science perspectives. This compilation addresses ideas such as censorship and free speech, minority and migration discourse, language and translation, mass media, including social media and advertising, and humor and political satire.
Director of Choral Activities, James Franklin, finished editing his second album with the ECU Chamber Singers and Grammy-winning producer, Blanton Alspaugh. The album will be released on the Gothic Label and at our fall concert Friday, October 27 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. It will also be available on various streaming platforms.
A dance film, “with/in,” by John Dixon was selected for screening at the Experimental Dance & Music Film Festival in Toronto, Canada and given the award for “Best Cinematography.”
Jen-Scott Mobley (Associate Professor, SoTD) directed a reading of Jami Brandli’s THE MAGICIAN’S SISTER at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) annual conference in Austin in August, as part of her role as co-coordinator for the Jane Chambers Award for Excellence in Feminist Playwriting sponsored by ATHE and the Women and Theatre program. The Jane Chambers Award recognizes new plays and performance texts created by women writers which present a feminist perspective and that provide significant opportunities for female performers. This annual award, founded in 1984, welcomes experimentations in form and in subject matter. It is given in memory of lesbian playwright Jane Chambers, who, through her plays such as A Late Snow, My Blue Heaven, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, and Kudzu, became a major feminist voice in American theater. This year the contest received over 250 submissions which were vetted by 25 readers across the country.
HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE
The School of Social Work is hosting a lunch & learn series this semester, including a virtual option Oct. 17 at noon featuring Dr. Claudette Grinnell Davis from the University of Oklahoma, on community research for community healing: evaluation work in Indian country. With questions, email admin support associate Brittany Bates.
HHP is pleased to announce more than 100 students were recently celebrated and the spirit of support, gratitude and confidence in achievement was present in awarding 125 scholarships totaling $166,200 in support for this academic year. Click HERE for an electronic program from the annual HHP scholarship social celebration event held Sept. 7.
Another HHP course received the Quality Matters Certification Mark following a review process focused on examining critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learning success. Senior teaching instructor Wendy Whisner led the process for Cognitive and Psychosocial Interventions in Recreational Therapy (RCTX 4263) to earn the certification. RCTX 4263 is a core class in the recreational therapy program within the Department of Recreation Sciences.
Recent funding includes for Molly Robinson and Dr. Avian White, both in the Department of Health Education and Promotion. Robinson’s research is “How to be an Ally to LGBTQ Youth,” and White’s research is “Survey of Occupational Hazards Among Vector Control Personnel.”
Melanie Melton, an alum of family and community services under the Department of Human Development and Family Science, authored an article published nationally in Family Therapy Magazine. The article was titled, “Helping Black Women Heal Through a Womanist Mental Health and Healing Framework.”
Graduate students in recreational therapy, Lauren Harrell and Mackenzie Dolecheck, presented posters that were judged and part of the 2023 American Therapeutic Recreation Association’s conference in St. Louis.
Dr. Leslie Cofie won the Dr. Mike and Sherri Felts Regional Impact Research Award. Cofie is an assistant professor in Health Education and Promotion.
Drs. Joseph Lee and Leslie Cofie, with the Department of Health Education and Promotion, and Laupus Library liaison Jamie Bloss are leaders for ECU and roles in a new award in partnership with North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Rural Health. More on the five-year, nearly $6 million award, aimed to advance health equity by promoting digital inclusion for agricultural workers and their families, is available HERE.
HONORS
The Honors College has launched the Honors Ambassadors — students who will assist with admissions and recruitment efforts on behalf of the college, including meeting with students and leading panels. Learn more about each of the ambassadors HERE.
Four Honors College students — Kooper Ashmore, Katie Council, Laith Marjan, and Alyssa Rambert — have been selected for the newest cohort of Copeland Fellows. Learn more about them HERE.
This summer, engineering major Rolando Rosado participated in the Engineering World Health program where he repaired and maintained medical equipment in Uganda. Learn more about his experience HERE.
Our first Fridays with Fraley (and Ford) was a success! Students were able to learn more about external opportunities they can participate in. Special thanks to students who spoke about their experience at the Outer Banks campus and Coastal Studies Institute.
Our students were able to talk with faculty from across campus as well as student organizations during this year’s Honors College Engagement Fair.
Honors students have been busy with service events in September, including cleaning up the street adopted by the Honors College.
Brinkley-Lane Scholar alumna Dymon Blango-Pickett has released her first book of poems, “To Speak Volumes,” which encourages others to find their voice and use it. You can learn more on Dymon’s website, HERE.
INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS
Integrated Coastal Programs and the Department of Coastal Studies is pleased to announce Dr. Rosana Ferreira (Dept. of Geography, Planning and Environment) as the next director of the Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. program. Dr. Ferreira is an accomplished atmospheric scientist with research expertise relevant to coastal science, and she is well versed in leadership roles and advocating for students. Dr. Ferreira is highly qualified for the ICS Director position and will successfully carry out its mission to benefit all parties and bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas into the program.
Drs. Mike O’Driscoll (Coastal Studies), Bob Christian (Biology- Emeritus), Guy Iverson (Health and Human Performance), Rebecca Asch (Biology), Jacob Petersen-Perlman (formerly with Geography, Planning and Environment), and graduate student Neda Safari (Geography, Planning and Environment), led a Coastal Ecological Flow Workshop for the Albemarle Pamlico National Estuary Partnership in Raleigh, NC on August 28. The workshop brought together Federal (US Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency), State (NC Department of Environmental Quality, NC Wildlife Resources Commission), and NGO (Farm Bureau, Nature Conservancy) partners to assist with the development of streamflow management guidance to protect ecological integrity of North Carolina’s coastal rivers and estuaries.
Drs. David Lagomasino (Coastal Studies) and Sean Charles (Coastal Studies, pictured above) attended the NASA BlueFlux project meeting in Washington, DC. The meeting brought scientists, managers, and practitioners to the table to discuss recent findings from the field data collected over the past two years. Multiple teams from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Yale University, University of Maryland, Everglades Foundation, Seminole Tribe of South Florida, Florida International University, and of course ECU presented on their research focused on measuring carbon dioxide and methane emissions over Everglades National Park. The research project, co-led by Dr. Lagomasino, is one of the first of its kind when it comes to simultaneous measuring carbon emissions from the ground, air, and satellites to understand how cyclones and water management influence how carbon is emitted to the atmosphere.
Dr. David Lagomasino (Coastal Studies) took his GEOL 7002 - Coastal Geoscience class on their annual field trip to the Aurora Fossil Museum. Lecture was held in the education and learning room for the first part of the day where students learned about the geologic history of North Carolina and how rocks turn to sediment. The second part of the day the students went on a self-guided tour of the museum to contemplate the reason why the museum exists at that location and how geologic processes result in fertilizers for the present and future. After exploring the museum, the students had fun digging for fossils and the elusive Megalodon teeth.
Dr. David Lagomasino (Coastal Studies) also traveled to the Philippines at the start of the semester to lead a hands-on workshop on Remote Sensing of Coastal Habitats. The workshop was hosted as part of the USAID Fish Right Philippines program through the University of Rhode Island. The goal of the Fish Right Program is to sustainably manage fisheries in the region, build resilience, and secure local livelihoods. Actively mapping and monitoring the coastal habitats like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs are an integral part of the sustainable management plans. Dr. Lagomasino (ECU) and Dr. JP Walsh (URI) held a 3-day workshop where participants used open-source programming cloud computing to map the distribution of coastal habitats around Puerto Princesa.
While in the Philippines, Dr. David Lagomasino also presented his research on land reclamation of coral reefs within the West Philippines Sea using satellite data. His work was presented alongside hundreds of other interdisciplinary researchers focused on social and natural challenges at the 4th International Conference on West Philippine Sea hosted by Western Philippines University.
Dr. Eric Wade (Coastal Studies, above) participated as an invited regional fisheries management expert at the 19th Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) held in Bridgetown, Barbados. The session was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with 110 delegates from 22 member countries and 11 partner organizations. During the session, discussions revolved around key issues threatening marine resource sustainability in the Caribbean, including the interim Caribbean Regional Management Plan for the Anchored Fish Aggregating Device Fishery, the impacts of sargassum on marine resources, and topics like the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
Dr. Eric Wade also published a new article in the Journal of Human Ecology that examines the role of information-sharing social networks in supporting small-scale fishers facing social and environmental changes. The study, conducted in Jamaica, explored the relationship between fishing roles and actor prominence within these networks. Contrary to expectations, fishing captains did not consistently dominate these networks; instead, non-captains played significant roles in information sharing. The trustworthiness and influence of shared information depended on fishers' perceptions rather than the prominence of the actor. This research provides valuable insights into adaptive strategies in small-scale fisheries and emphasizes the importance of identifying key informants for effective information dissemination.
The Coastal Studies Institute continues to offer Evening in the Estuary programs into the Fall. This two-hour, family-oriented program is suitable for children (ages 8 and up) accompanied by their adults and includes a boat ride through the Croatan Sound to a marsh island to wade the shallow waters, survey the sandy shores, and explore the grassy uplands. Participants learn about estuarine biology and ecology, investigate plant and animal adaptations, seine for critters, and more. The remaining two Evening in the Estuary programs for the season will take place on October 12 and November 1, both starting at 4 PM. Find more information and registration HERE.
Integrated Coastal Programs and the Coastal Studies Institute will partner with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to offer an educational evening and tasting event focused on North Carolina oysters and celebrate NC Oyster Month. From Tide to Table: Exploring Oyster Ecology, Farming, and Culinary Delights will take place on October 27, 2023, from 5- 8:30 PM. The evening will begin with a guided tour of the NC Coastal Federation’s demonstration oyster lease in Wanchese. Participants will then travel to the ECU Outer Banks Campus to sample a variety of locally sourced oysters, and CSI/ ECU scientists will share their research on oyster farms. The evening will also include a panel discussion about the future of oysters and oyster farming in NC and will feature industry experts from the area. Find more information and registration HERE.
The Coastal Studies Institute is pleased to announce the seasonal return of the Science on the Sound monthly lecture series held on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. This series highlights information, research projects, and education programs on coastal topics and issues of concern for coastal communities. In September, Kathie Dello, State Climatologist and Director of the NC State Climate Office at NC State University, gave a presentation entitled “It’s Hot Y’all: Data Driven Decision Support from North Carolina’s State Climate Office;” and, in October, Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. student Allyson Ropp will be the featured speaker. Ropp will share information about a few of the shipwrecks around Wimble Shoals. Science on the Sound occurs 6 PM on the third Thursday of each month during the academic year. The events are free of charge, and all are welcome to attend. Each lecture is also streamed live on the CSI YouTube Channel.
JOYNER LIBRARY
The main campus library is excited to announce new access to Pressbooks. Pressbooks allows authors to create Open Educational Resources that are both free for students and openly licensed, so they can be adapted to local contexts, Alternatively, if instructors find a preexisting textbook with sections that they like in the Pressbooks directory that is appropriately licensed, they can clone a copy of that textbook and adapt it to meet the needs of their class. For more information about creating a textbook or other OER through Pressbooks, email open access librarian Allison Kaefring or scholarlycomm@ecu.edu.
ECU Academic Library Services was well represented in the latest issue of North Carolina Libraries. Interim editor was Joseph Thomas, layout editor Michael Reece, authors Allison Kaefring, Ronnie Woodward, Joe Barricella and Jennifer Daugherty, and peer reviewers Kaefring, William Gee and Jan Mayo. Read the full issue HERE.
Led by head conservator and instructor Larry Houston and special collections instruction and outreach librarian Kristen Daniel, our library hosted Angela Wells’ students in ART 4260, introduction to alternative photographic processes, from the School of Art and Design in the fourth floor special collections reading room. Students explored different photographic processes dating back to the early 1800s.
In collaboration with the College of Health and Human Performance and Air Force ROTC, a reception and panel discussion was held for the exhibition “75 Years of Detachment 600: East Carolina’s Air Force ROTC” featuring retired Gen. Gary North and other panelists. Lt. Col. Billy Dye, who is the current commander of ECU Air Force ROTC Detachment 600, served as the panel moderator for discussions. Alston Cobourn, head of university history and records for Academic Library Services, curated the exhibit.
Game night at the library is scheduled for Oct. 19 from 5:00 - 9:00PM. There will be free food and prizes, in addition to an abundance of game options for staff, students, faculty and all friends and visitors to enjoy.
Lego challenge days in the library have produced some unique Lego builds this semester. This also has allowed us to display Lego scenes in different areas throughout our building.
LAUPUS HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY
Director Beth Ketterman began a two-year term serving as chair of the International Federation of Library Association’s Health and Biosciences Libraries Section at the end of the World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in August. She will work with the section on several projects including a globally-broadcast webinar series on access to health information as a human right.
Marlena Rose, library associate professor, was elected to the Society of North Carolina Archivists Executive Board as education chair and is also now serving as the Medical Library Association’s chair of the Technical Services Caucus. Both roles are two-year appointments that will end in 2025.
Are you a health sciences campus author interested in publishing an open access article? Need help covering the article processing charge? The AY24 Open Access Support Fund is now open and accepting submissions. Rolling submissions are accepted through April 1. Application process and requirements are linked from the ECU Libraries’ Sustainable Scholarship website and also HERE.
Jamie Bloss, information and research services librarian and library associate professor, is part of the research team awarded a five-year, $6 million Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society award from the National Institutes of Health. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Rural Health is lead partner, along with researchers in the College of Health and Human Performance and at North Carolina State University. The funded project, the Agricultural Workers Digital Equity Initiative, strives to advance health equity by promoting digital inclusion for agricultural workers and their families in North Carolina.
NURSING
Earlier this year The Fulbright Program confirmed that Dr. Kim Larson (far right, above) would have her research and outreach project fully funded – she and her team will provide nurses across the world tools to help provide medical care to Ukrainian refugees. We just got our first dispatch from Dr. Larson, who is innovating the way that Pirate Nation helps those in need across the globe:
Hello from Kraków, Poland, a beautiful medieval city of 750,000 people located in Lesser Poland. My Fulbright award with the School of Nursing at Jagiellonian University began in August 2023 and I have used these past three weeks to immerse myself in Polish culture and meet new colleagues.
Jagiellonian University is the oldest university in Poland and where Nicolaus Copernicus studied. The city celebrated the 550th anniversary of his birth last week with the Copernicus Procession, where “Copernicus” paraded through the streets to cheering crowds. Getting to know the culture is not hard as the city has dozens of small and large museums. The Ethnographic Museum has been a favorite.
My work here centers around developing intercultural care guidelines for nurses caring for refugees from Ukraine. My apartment overlooks a pediatric hospital where refugee children from Ukraine go for care and two blocks away is the university’s Department of Surgery, where refugee families sheltered in the initial months of the war. Nursing colleague, Dr. Lucyna Plaszewska-Zywko, and I have spoken with many people with interest in our study including the Ukrainian-Polish Justice Foundation, and nursing faculty at Jagiellonian University and Krosno State University. We have meetings with nursing faculty in Warsaw and Gdansk in the coming weeks.
In the Kraków train station, there is a map showing the five million refugees who fled Ukraine the cities in Poland where they can receive assistance. We will begin recruiting Polish and Ukrainian nurses next week to elicit their perspectives on intercultural care of refugees.
Dr. Mark Hand, clinical nursing professor, was named the Education Nurse of the Year by the North Carolina Nurses Association at a gala event Sept. 14 in Winston-Salem.
Hand started out as a clinical nursing instructor in 2000, after completing his master’s degree at the University of New Hampshire near his home. He said he didn’t enter the nursing profession to be a teacher, but to care for his patients.
“I said, ‘Sure, why not try it?’” Hand remembered. Something clicked for him while leading those first few classes. He spent three years as a faculty member at Rivier University before moving to Durham, where he taught for five years as a faculty member at Durham Technical Community College in the associate’s-level nursing program.
In 2008, he began teaching clinical nursing and health assessment at the ECU College of Nursing. After six years of teaching future Pirate Nurses, he was offered a position as the assistant director of the nursing program back at Durham Tech, his first role as a program administrator, but not his last.
Hand said he enjoys being in the classroom and teaching the next generation of nurses. A major tack for nursing instructors, Hand believes, is knowing how to build self-confidence in students, which he sees a lack of, and to teach future nurses to manage their anxiety. “The goal is to get them to think like a generalist nurse,” Hand said. “We're moving back to competency-based teaching so we know that students are competent at a variety of skills, not that they did it once correctly in the classroom, but to know they can continue to perform in the clinical setting.”
The morning of Sept. 7 saw the latest cohort of BSN students pinned with their Lamp of Learning pins, outward symbols of their being welcomed into the first phases of the nursing profession. The lamp pin emulates the lamp carried by the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, as she treated patients during the Crimean War. The lamp is now a reminder for new members of the nursing profession to be compassionate and continue to pursue learning.
The nursing-intended freshman from the Nursing Living Learning Community visited the College of Nursing Sept. 22 to tour the building, speak with faculty members and have Dinner with the Dean. During the tour, students got hands on experience with our simulation labs and spoke with ROTC representatives to explore post-graduation employment opportunities.
Last week we had an opportunity to showcase the CON to staff members from across the university. A 3rd annual welcome back mixer was hosted by the Organization of Black Staff (OBS) and the Black Faculty Organization (BFO). The guest speaker this year was Provost Robin Coger. OBS and BFO are employee resource groups that are housed under the Office for Equity and Diversity and have been around for more than 20 years. The organizations provide members opportunities for service, personal growth and development, and help with fostering a sense of belonging and connections for ECU employees.
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