From the Desk of Vice Chancellor Brandon Frye
Dear Colleagues:
I hope everyone had a restful winter break and that your spring 2024 semester is off to a good start. I am excited about the beginning of the new semester and ready to fulfill our mission and begin executing around our strategic priorities. Student Success is the focal point of those efforts. Additionally, I want to emphasis the importance of student recruitment and retention. In fact, recruitment and retention of students are parts of the lifeblood of our university and important to our work. Please remember the key role that each of you play in welcoming new students and supporting returning students at ECU. These important intentional and daily actions and services help create what Chancellor Rogers calls an “ecosystem” that supports our students, their enrollment and persistence, and ultimately, their success.
I am also excited about building a “culture of care” at ECU for our students, colleagues, and stakeholders. Part of doing this will involve our unit living our divisional values. During our recent divisional strategic planning process we identified the following five values to influence our work: 1.) student-centered, 2.) belonging, 3.) respect, 4.) integrity, and 5.) excellence. Over the course of the next few editions of this publication, we will work to highlight our values and tell stories that show how we are supporting a culture of care at ECU.
Additionally, over the next few editions of this publication we will also provide articles and information that showcase our work supporting our new divisional strategic plan, which advances our ECU strategic plan, Future focused. Innovation driven.
In closing, as we move forward and complete this exciting, and at times challenging work, it will be important that you take care of yourselves and focus on your well-being. Our team members are the greatest assets we have, and need to be supported in our culture of care. One resource for employees that I want to highlight is the Work-Life & Wellness page available through ECU Human Resources.
Be well and keep our students at the center of our work.
Regards,
Brandon Frye
Dr. Jesse R. Peel
ECU and the Division of Student Affairs mourn the loss of Dr. Jesse R. Peel who passed away on December 28, 2023, at the age of 83.
Born in Everetts, North Carolina, Jesse lived a life marked by activism, advocacy, compassion and charity. A friend to many and a stranger to none, Jesse traveled the world and reveled in the photography that captured his adventures around the globe. He earned his MD at the UNC School of Medicine in 1965 and went on to a career in psychiatry. As a lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the United States Navy, Dr. Peel completed tours of duty in Vietnam and Okinawa, Japan. Upon returning to home, he eventually accepted a position at a psychiatric practice in Atlanta in 1976 and subsequently began to tailor his outpatient practice to treat men living with HIV/AIDS. He was at the forefront of grassroots organizing to develop community-based HIV/AIDS resources. He was active on many boards in Atlanta including AID Atlanta, the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, Positive Impact, Lost N Found Youth, and Actor’s Express.
Jesse embraced his father’s belief that East Carolina University represented the future of eastern North Carolina. His own philanthropic support of the university and its mission included the J. Woolard Peel Scholarship in the Honors College and the J. Woolard and Helen Peel Distinguished Professorship in Religious Studies, as well as designated funds for the Brody School of Medicine and the College of Education’s Rural Education Institute. His pride and joy was the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center, the largest center of its kind in the 16-campus UNC system.
The Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center will host “Hey Sweetie,” a Celebration of Life for Dr. Jesse R. Peel on Saturday, February 24 at 3PM in the Ballroom of ECU’s Main Campus Student Center. Lunch will be served following the program. The public is invited to attend. RSVP is requested.
Internship Best Practices
ECU Career Services understands internships are an invaluable experience for college students. Internships allow students to gain practical experience in their field of study, apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations, and develop essential and professional skills. It's also an opportunity to explore career paths, build a network of professionals and mentors, and sometimes even secure a full-time job with the company. In addition to exploring career paths, it allows the student an opportunity to learn more about themselves and test their interests related to their career development.
ECU Career Services created this handout on internship best practices in the hopes that it guides academic departments who are looking to reflect, improve, or grow their required or highly encouraged internship experiences for students. Our office can be a helpful on campus resource if you have any questions regarding internships or if you would like to further discuss or learn more about internships and best practices. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at career@ecu.edu or 252-328-6050.
BRIDGES 2023
Last summer, 5 ECU Faculty and Staff were accepted into the BRIDGES Academic Leadership Program Fall 2023 cohort. The program ran from September through November and consisted of 4 weekend sessions that included keynote speakers, leadership development sessions, small group discussions, and networking opportunities for participants. ECU has a long history of involvement in the BRIDGES curriculum and facilitators, including annual presentations from Dr. Virginia Hardy and Dr. Rick Niswander, and representation on the BRIDGES Advisory Board.
BRIDGES is an inclusive professional development program dedicated to supporting women and nonbinary colleagues in higher education who seek to gain or strengthen their academic leadership capabilities, and/or individuals who demonstrate a commitment to supporting women, gender issues, and equity in the academy. This year’s theme, “Leading In A Time of Transformation,” guided the curriculum and program design with participants engaging in activities and skill development focused on core values, organizational leadership and decision-making skills.
This year’s participants included:
- Katrina Dubose, Professor of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Performance
- Melinda Doty, Senior Teaching Instructor, College of Engineering and Technology
- Nancy Dias, Associate Professor, College of Nursing
- Linda Quick, Assistant Dean of the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business and Associate Professor, Department of Accounting
- Kelly Weaver, Staff Counselor, Center for Counseling and Student Development
ECU’s current Advisory Board member is Lauren Thorn, Director, Center for Student Success. Congratulations to all participants who took part in the BRIDGES graduation celebration in November at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill, NC!
The Women and Gender Office is excited to offer continued support for this annual program and will host informational sessions later this spring for the Fall 2024 cohort application. For more information, please visit the BRIDGES website.
Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is a collaborative program with Purple Pantry, the Student Government Association, and ECU Dining that kicked off January 8 and continues through January 21.
Using the GET Mobile app, students with purple and gold meal plans will be able to donate 1 or 2 meals to students experiencing food insecurity at ECU. From the campaign, students will now get access to healthy and well-balanced meals at West End and Todd Dining Halls.
Students experiencing food insecurity and/or a student emergency will now get access to healthy and well-balanced meals at West End and Todd Dining Halls. Swipe Out Hunger is for students who live off campus (undergraduate, graduate, dental, and medical). Swipe Out Hunger offers short-term help until students obtain sustainable funding or other resources.
If interested in donating to the Purple Pantry, please visit the CLCE website or email purplepantry@ecu.edu.
Menstruation Station Project
Submitted by Chelsie Hargrove, Women and Gender Office and Aleshia Hunt, Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) partnered with the Women and Gender Office (WGO) and the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) in a pilot program for the installation of menstruation stations on the 1st floor of the Main Campus Student Center. SGA purchased products and 2 wall dispensers as a part of the pilot program.
SGA, WGO, and CLCE began working with Monthlies, a student-led initiative that is ran through the Entrepreneurship Hub in the College of Business, over summer 2023 to install temporary countertop dispensers in the first floor Women’s restroom near the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center (LWCC). This partnership sought to assess the campus need on a larger scale in hopes of rolling out to the Main Campus Student Center and Health Sciences Campus Student Center restrooms.
Restocking of the dispensers is being fulfilled by the WGO. The total amount of products restocked in the Main Campus Student Center 1st floor Women’s restroom from 8/28/2023 to 12/15/2023 was:
- Pads - 1,307
- Tampons - 1,456
Permanent wall dispensers will be installed in all the 1st floor Women’s Restrooms, with plans for a tabletop dispenser in the 1st floor Gender Neutral Restroom.
Should departments be interested in having a satellite station, please contact WGO at wgo@ecu.edu.
Pirate Media 1
Pinnacle Awards
ECU’s Student Media, Pirate Media 1, recently was awarded several Pinnacle Awards by the national College Media Association to honor the best work of college media organizations and students. The awards were presented at the annual CMA conference held in Atlanta in October.
The PM1 winners are:
- 1st Place, Best Magazine Sports Page/Spread, Olivia Magistro, The Hook
- 2nd Place, Best Literary Magazine Spread, Olivia Magistro & Kimberly Cusack, REBEL
- 2nd Place, Best Magazine Entertainment Page/Spread, Audrey Milks & Halie Miller, The Hook
- Honorable Mention, Best Literary Magazine Table of Contents, Olivia Magistro & LC Love, Expressions
ECU Student Media Board Chairman
Glenn Hubbard recently was elected chairman of the ECU Student Media Board. Hubbard (Ph.D. University of Tennessee, 2008) is an associate professor in the School of Communication. He previously taught at the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Tennessee, and Appalachian State University. His research has been published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, Atlantic Journal of Communication, Journal of Radio & Audio Media, Electronic News, Journal of Consumer Behavior, and the Journal of Media Literacy Education. He is a former news anchor/reporter at WLW in Cincinnati. He previously worked for several media outlets in western North Carolina, both in radio and TV/video production. In addition, he is a musician, record producer, and songwriter with credits on more than a dozen album releases.
The governing agency for Pirate Media 1, the Student Media Board is an autonomous group that comes under the jurisdiction of the Student Media Board Constitution. Members of the board include the student media executives, three other student representatives, three media professionals, a faculty member, an administrator appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs; and the Student Media Director, who serves as board adviser and ex-officio member without a vote. The director appoints the board secretary from the professional staff.
Steppingblocks
With the increasing emphasis on Career Readiness and ROI, ECU Career Services is taking advantage of new resources to help students make informed career decisions.
One of those tools, Steppingblocks, was unveiled recently by Tom Halasz, Director of Career Services. Steppingblocks is an innovative online career exploration platform that helps students discover meaningful career pathways and helps them prepare for the future of work with information about relevant skills and experiences. ECU students can use the data-driven “digital career counselor” to gain access to a wealth of knowledge encompassing millions of career paths. Students get an insider’s look at education and career outcomes of ECU alumni and can analyze career paths by job title and major from a database of over 100 million professionals.
Demonstrations and training are available for academic units and with academic advisers. Requests for these sessions can be made by clicking here or by contacting Tom Halasz at halaszt18@ecu.edu.
New Hires, Separations and Retirements
New Hires
Jayden Brown – Transit Operations Supervisor
Jayden Brown joined the ECU Transit team as a full-time employee in December. His primary duties include managing transit operations, charter services and demand response. He is also responsible for driving fixed-route transit and motorcoach buses.
Jayden started at ECU Transit as a student driver in 2020 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in music in 2023. He thoroughly enjoys playing and writing music and is also a pilot and enjoys flying in his off time.
Valerie Rutledge – Admin Support
Val Rutledge joined the Intercultural Affairs Department mid December as an Administrative Assistant.
In this role, Val supports the five departments within IA: Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement, Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center, Ledonia Wright Cultural Center, Military & Veterans Resource Center, and Women & Gender Office. She will perform administrative tasks including financial reporting & management, scheduling, organization and the like.
Val most recently worked in Commercial Banking. Prior to that, she was with Innovation Early College High School that is housed on campus in the Brewster building. That time here on campus is what ultimately lead her back to ECU.
Val is still relatively new to the state of North Carolina having relocated from a small town in Southwest Virginia in 2015. She and her five children now call NC home. Having formerly coached high school track and cross country, she’s still an avid runner and enjoys just about any activity that involves sunlight and fresh air!
Leslie Sexton – Physician Assistant
As a Physician Assistant at Student Health Services, Leslie will assess, diagnose, provide treatment and patient education including self-care and wellness concepts. This is accomplished through patient histories, examinations, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, evaluation, and interpretation and implementation of patient treatment plans. Leslie will also see patients for psychiatric care due to her certificate of qualification in psychiatry.
Leslie’s previous employment includes primary care and mental health clinics. She enjoys writing poetry.
Jocelyne Alfaro-Ruiz – Program Coordinator
Jocelyne Alfaro-Ruiz is the Program Coordinator in Student Transitions and is working primarily with focused populations including first-generation, graduate students, males, and class year programming. Jocelyne has excelled in this temporary role for a year and coordinated events such as Senior Sendoff, the Consider This Dinner, National First-Gen College Celebration, and more. Jocelyne graduated with a degree in Biology from ECU in May 2021 and served as President and founding member of the “I’m the First” student organization.
When not at work Jocelyne spends her time on DIY arts and crafts projects and spending time with family and loved ones.
Emily Anderson – Student Services Specialist
Emily Anderson joined the ECU Residence Life family in the Spring of 2024. She is natively from New Bern, North Carolina. She completed a BA in Psychology from ECU in 2022 and is currently earning her M.Ed. in College Counseling and Student Development at NC State. When not at work, she enjoys going to the gym, walking her dogs, and spending time with friends and family.
Separations
- Andrea Savage – Admin Support Specialist – Campus Living – December 1
- Gwen Krause – Coordinator of Well-Being – CRW – December 19
- Caitlin Giannetti – Assistant Director – Career Services – December 21
- Darin Brown – Admin Support – Campus Living – January 5
- Katherine Freed – Assistant Director of Fitness – CRW – January 15
Retirements
- Kathryn White – Tech Support – Student Health Services – November 30
- Bela Aneja – Staff Physician – Student Health Services – December 31
- Stephen Gray – Director – Disability Support Services – December 31
- Carol Woodruff – Assistant Director for Career Development – Career Services – December 31
- Wanda Case – Admin Support – Counseling Center – December 31