COGER'S CORNER
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
It is already Spring Break. I am certain this week is a welcome breather in the semester for many members of our East Carolina University community. As I considered thoughts to share in this March issue of First Monday, I decided to focus on expressing two key words: Thank You.
Thank you to all the contributors who made this issue possible.
Thank you for the individual and collective work of everyone who is actively engaging in the department, school, college and university-level faculty and staff searches taking place across ECU. Your efforts in filtering candidates, welcoming finalists to campus and serving as ambassadors for the Pirate Nation, asking questions of the candidates, and in providing timely feedback to the search committees are all very important.
Thank you also to the faculty, department chairs, deans, staff and administrators associated with the four ECU degree programs in different stages of launch on the Project Kitty Hawk online platform: BA Psychology, BS Information & Cybersecurity Technology, BS Multidisciplinary Studies: Security Studies, and BS Criminal Justice. There are multiple dimensions to ensuring the success of these programs and the collaboration, communication and problem solving I’ve witnessed are demonstrative examples of the people of ECU working together for the benefit of learners.
I also thank everyone who has collaborated in the last few months on research, pedagogical, philanthropic and/or programmatic proposals designed to attract resources and/or prestige to ECU. The College of Education submitted one such application, and congratulations to them on being successful in restoring ECU’s status as a North Carolina Teaching Fellows partner institution.
I have often commented that the people of ECU are our University’s strength. From my perspective that continues to be true. While there is only enough space in this “Coger’s Corner” to mention a small subset of the many Future Focused. Innovation Driven actions being accomplished, the synergistic effects of all of these add value to our University now AND will also benefit future members of the Pirate Nation. On behalf of those future Pirates, thank you.
Go Pirates!
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BY THE NUMBERS
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IPAR DATA BYTE
Did you know that over the past ten years, the percent of ECU employees identifying as an underrepresented race or ethnicity has increased from 20% to 30%? Visit our Personnel dashboard to view more demographic information about ECU’s faculty and staff.
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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES
ECU Excels: Celebrating the academic achievement of first-time students
Students transitioning to college often encounter both academic and social challenges that can significantly impact their overall academic achievement.
In recognition of academic excellence, we are proud to recognize the success of more than 1,800 first-time freshmen who earned a GPA of 3.0 or above during the Fall 2023 semester. To acknowledge these achievements, the student academic success team extended their congratulations through personalized letters and presented each student with an exclusive "Success Starts Here" ECU luggage tag.
Joining the ECU Excels recognition, the Student Academic Success Services team honored students within SASS success learning communities achieving a GPA of 3.0 or higher in their first Fall semester. Dr. Allen Guidry, Associate Provost for Learner Operations, served as the keynote speaker, offering heartfelt congratulations, and recognizing their achievement. Dr. Guidry encouraged the honored students to express gratitude to those who have supported them on their academic journey. Each recognized student received a certificate, gift, and enjoyed a dessert reception.
Among the recognized ECU Excels students, 35 are part of the Gear Up NC program, 12 are in the PASC learning community program, 9 students are part of the STEPP Program, and 49 are TrACE transfer students.
Pirate Academic Success Center
On February 16, more than 80 peer educators from the Pirate Academic Success Center attended training sessions aimed at implementing effective strategies to support their peers with course content. Dr. Elizabeth Coghill led a comprehensive group session emphasizing the peer educators' role in fostering student success, discussing the importance of belonging, and promoting the pedagogy of kindness. Additionally, new peer educators engaged in smaller group sessions led by ADED 4500 leadership students Max Adkins, Marcus Apodaca, Ashton Brown, Dhwani Hada, Jennifer McCarthy, Makyla McLeod, and Allison Pate.
These evening training sessions are integral to the College Reading and Learning Associations’ Level 1 certification process. Since 2010, the Pirate Academic Success Center has maintained certification as a CRLA training program.
TrACE: Celebrating Transfer Student Success
Join the TrACE staff in recognizing the achievement of Makena Phillips, Melanie Burbano Mayorga, Tara Stancil, and Logan Joyner as the first students from the TrACE Success Program to be admitted into the College of Nursing at ECU! All four students transitioned to ECU this Fall following two years of studies at North Carolina community colleges. They particularly appreciate the close-knit environment of the Health Science campus and the continuity of learning alongside their peers over a two-year period, mirroring their experience in TrACE. Makena and Melanie (pictured) are pursuing careers as surgical nurses, with aspirations of becoming CRNAs. The TrACE Program is led by Dr. Tatum Taylor, serving as Program Director, and Yolanda Davis, who fulfills the role of Success Advisor.
STEPP Program
For the past two years, the ECU STEPP Program ("STEPP") and Beyond Differences have jointly organized the national annual event, No One Eats Alone ("NOEA"). Beyond Differences promotes NOEA to encourage students to work, play, and socialize together. This year, STEPP students engaged in various NOEA activities, such as charades, origami, bingo, and a scavenger hunt in the Main Campus Student Center, fostering enjoyment and mutual understanding.
Recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General, the California Department of Education, and the San Francisco 49ers, Beyond Differences, inspires students nationwide to combat social isolation through free curricula for schools and colleges. Educators receive free curriculum kits to address emotions, understand social isolation, and foster connections.
The partnership between STEPP and Beyond Differences began in August 2023 when STEPP Social Media and Marketing Intern Sam Huffman reached out to inquire about the Know Your Classmates event. Throughout this collaboration, STEPP and Beyond Differences have shared social media posts to raise awareness of both programs. STEPP Program staff look forward to the continued collaboration with Beyond Differences.
ECU CONNECT (formerly Starfish)
We are thrilled to extend our sincerest thanks to the following faculty who have utilized the ECU CONNECT system at the highest rates this semester. They have embraced the role ECU CONNECT plays in supporting student success.
- College of Allied Health Sciences: Emily Brewer, Jaquelin Dodge Evans and Paul Bell
- College of Engineering and Technology: Travis Powell, Joseph Jeansonne, and BJ Kim
- College of Fine Arts and Communication: Kelsey Sands, Amanda Pinkham-Brown, and Punam Madhok
- College of Business: Eric Reifschneider, Robin Ashley, and Mandy Messerli
- College of Education: Tomegia Winston, Leigh Belford, and Melissa Wrenn
- College of Nursing: Katelyn Edwards, Kim Cherry, and Elizabeth Mizelle
- College of Health and Human Performance: TinaMarie Devlin, Megan Williams, and Dave Kemble
- Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences: April Talbert, Debra McGowan, and Cynthia Crane
Faculty commitment to utilizing ECU CONNECT is instrumental in creating a supportive and engaging environment where every student can thrive. The hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed, and we are immensely proud to have committed faculty as a part of the ECU Connect program.
Mid-semester check in survey opens in March
The third Progress Survey, Support, aims to offer a mid-semester check-in for students and facilitate their connection to campus resources. It will be open from March 3rd to March 20th, highlighting the importance of faculty input for student success. Faculty feedback, especially regarding grades, is of considerable significance in this survey. Timely feedback ensures that students can make informed decisions about their academic futures.
GEAR UP for Success
Ensuring the academic success of college students is a top priority for Michelle Blount, the new Gear Up Success Coach at ECU. Michelle brings valuable experience to the Student Academic Success Services team, having served as the Education Director of the Coastal Plain Boys and Girls Club and gained administrative and instructional experience in the K-12 public school system.
At ECU, Michelle will play a crucial role in GEAR UP North Carolina, a college access initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The initiative aims to enhance the success of first-generation, low-income students during their first year of college. Operating under Student Academic Success Services, ECU freshmen from 12 North Carolina high schools will benefit from Michelle's academic coaching services. Welcome to ECU, Michelle!
ACADEMIC ADVISING & SUPPORT
In 2020, under the leadership of Elizabeth McAllister, Associate Director of Academic Advising and Support, ECU entered into a partnership with Kaplan to provide test prep courses to ECU students, alumni, and staff, at a significantly reduced rate. Kaplan recently changed their partnership with institutions to a licensing fee model. ECU signed a new agreement with Kaplan that will provide 18 MCAT test prep courses and 17 other test prep courses (DAT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, OAT) to ECU students, alumni, and staff at the reduced rates through June 2025. The reduced rates represent a savings of more than 50% in most cases. Details about the course options, prices, and how to register can be found HERE. Please contact Elizabeth McAllister with questions.
OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS
ECU’s Treasured Pirate Award recognizes the exemplary efforts made by ECU's most prominent faculty and staff whose distinguished contributions further ECU’s mission. This year our own Cathy Knudson won for her contributions to international student enrollment and international student and scholar engagement on campus.
ECU had strong representation at the annual Workshop on Intercultural Skills Enhancement (WISE) conference this weekend. Rose Malone, Erin Taylor, and Melanie Robbins represented the Office of Global Affairs, and Dr. Purificación Martínez and Dr. Laura Levi Altstaedter represented ECU's Quality Enhancement Plan: Go Intercultural! Erin and Rose presented a session on utilizing engaged returnees for campus internationalization and Dr. Martinez and Dr. Levi Altstaedter presented on building an intercultural framework at the institutional level.
Isabella Sardina joined ECU’s first cohort of Global Fellows in 2022. This semester she will graduate with her Bachelor's in Community and Regional Planning and a minor in Communications. Through the support of the Global Fellow's scholarship, she was able to study sustainable urbanism in Seoul, South Korea. This experience enriched her understanding of urban planning and provided her with a unique international perspective that is sure to empower her career.
OFFICE OF ONLINE LEARNING, ACADEMIC OUTREACH AND ACADEMIC INNOVATION (OLAOAI)
The ECU Online Student Services Team hosted its Spring LIVE Q&A Online Student Forum on February 21, 2024 at 6:30p.m. Online students were invited to join us virtually for a presentation from the Dean of Students Office by Ms. Logan Drumm, Case Manager.
Students were able to learn about the resources the Dean of Students offers, such as ECU Cares and its mission, Behaviors of Concern, Suicidal Warning Signs, How and When to Report, how the Care Team advocates, and that the team consists of representatives from Dean of Students Office, Center for Counseling & Student Development, Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities, Disability Support Services, Residence Life, and Student Health Services. Students also learned that the Dean of Students office can assist with University Excused Absences, Extenuating Circumstances Withdrawals, and Advocacy and referrals for students. After the presentation, the floor was opened for a live question and answer session.
OFFICE OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT
We hope you’ll join us for the annual Research and Scholarship Awards on Tuesday, April 2 at 5PM in the Murphy Center, Harvey Hall. This is the night we honor those who have gone above and beyond in research, creative activity, innovation, and engaged scholarship at ECU.
This year, we’re recognizing the following awardees:
- Lifetime Achievement - Dr. Xiaoping Pan, Department of Biology
- Five Year Recognition - Dr. Christine Habeeb, Department of Kinesiology
- Scholarship of Engagement - Dr. Kristen Cuthrell, Rural Education Institute
We’ll also celebrate our newest Trendsetters, who will be announced at the ceremony, EOSA cohort and inventors. Light foods and beverages will be served. Planning to attend? Please RSVP with Special Events.
ECU’s Water Resources Center and the Office of Undergraduate Research are fostering scholarly productivity by offering access to ForagerOne, a platform that enables students to connect with faculty and scholars to engage in research, innovation, creative pursuits, and more. Faculty and scholars can post their current work and availability so students can more easily connect with openings. Faculty are invited to log in to ForagerOne using ECU credentials and create a profile. The platform equips you with robust tools to effortlessly build your team, respond to student applications and messages, and forge connections with fellow faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and staff.
Currently, there are a limited number of faculty profiles available, so claim your profile soon. For a deeper dive into the platform, visit the ForagerOne support webpage or check out a tutorial video. Should you have questions or need assistance navigating the platform, contact Dr. Alex Manda or Dr. Tuan Tran at trant@ecu.edu. You can also connect with the ForagerOne Support Team.
REDE’s office of Economic & Community Engagement is excited to welcome Dr. Rachel Gittman as this year’s Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) Fellow. Gittman is an EOSA alumni and earned the 2023 Scholarship of Engagement award. She serves as an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Biology and the Coastal Studies Institute. Her contributions as an engaged scholar reflect her investment in mutually beneficial relationships with community partners to include federal and state policymakers, coastal management agencies, and conservation practitioners. Her collaborative research focuses on promoting and protecting socio-ecological benefits of coastal communities.
Through her role as EOSA Fellow, Gittman will be leading the 2024-2025 EOSA cohort and corresponding programming, including the newest addition to EOSA, a strong team of PhD students who are participating in engaged scholarship through ECU’s Water Resource Center’s National Research Traineeship (NRT).
The Innovator of the Month was established by the Office of Licensing and Commercialization to recognize faculty that have developed novel innovations that can have a major impact on eastern NC and beyond. Nominees are selected by members of the ECU Patent Committee, which chose Drs. Kori Brewer of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Stefan Clemens of the Department of Physiology at ECU's Brody School of Medicine for this month’s spotlight.
A research team led by Drs. Brewer and Clemens is actively exploring a novel drug combination to help reduce acute and chronic pain. This combination consists of two existing FDA approved drugs, and research performed by the group at ECU demonstrates that the approach can reduce opioid addiction and tolerance as well. This work has been funded by a NC Biotechnology Center Translational Research Grant and has been licensed by NC-based startup company Amalgent Therapeutics.
Do you have an idea or innovation that can have impact? Contact innovation@ecu.edu.
ECU Researchers Lead UNC System in Critical Army Program
As the UNC System leader on the Army’s Catalyst Pathfinder program, ECU was invited to brief U.S. Representatives and Senators on program developments in February. The Catalyst Pathfinder Program initiative launched at Fort Liberty in 2021. The program connects soldiers and university faculty and student teams to help accelerate technical solutions to military challenges in support of XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and 1st Special Forces Command.
ECU research teams are currently involved in four projects through the Pathfinder Catalyst program. The most interdisciplinary team is a partnership between the departments of Technology Systems, Physiology, Biology, and Chemistry. Other teams include faculty and students from Computer Science, Construction Management, and Engineering. Based on feedback from faculty who were funded, the most compelling aspects of the program include having a simple five-page proposal with quick response from the sponsor, generous funding for a four- to six-month proof of concept, direct collaboration with active-duty soldiers on real-world problems, and the positive experiences for their student researchers.
Karson Hallow, ECU’s Director of Strategic Initiatives & Legislative Liaison, and Keith Wheeler, ECU’s Executive Director of National Security and Industry Initiatives, provided program updates and explained the importance of such opportunities for ECU researchers through several briefings with state members of the US House and Senate.
Continuing & Professional Education
The Office of Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) provides continuing education programming through innovative training, certification, and professional development opportunities for adult learners.
Through a new partnership, CPE is working with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and the Institute for Defense and Business for the Center of Excellence in Logistics and Technology (LOGTECH) program to provide high quality professional development training in two areas:
- LOGTECH Executive is designed for executives in defense and business who are focused on strategy. Participants will learn new tools and techniques for innovative thinking to support implementation of strategic direction to leverage people, processes, and technology in organizations to deliver effective and efficient capabilities.
- LOGTECH Advanced brings together professionals from different sectors within the business, defense, and government logistics community. Participants gain tools, skills, and knowledge in critical thinking innovation, risk management, data fluency and many other specialty areas to better champion and lead significant improvement and sustainment in organizations. This training is led by expert faculty and industry practitioners. Participants learn strategies for successful implementation and adoption of new technologies at the strategic and operational levels.
Other CPE opportunities:
- North Carolina Certified Economic Developer (NCCED) Program
- 21st Century Leadership Program – Next session, March 22
Lifelong Learning Program (LLP)
Upcoming opportunities:
- GlasStation Workshops – Classes available through May
- Christmas in Montréal and Québec City (6-day trip) – December 4 – For more information, contact Kelsey Dwyer or join us for an info session on April 4 at 11AM in the Willis Building Auditorium!
Registration is open for LLP courses, events and trips. View the catalog and register online today.
LLP is accepting proposals for the Fall 2024 program! If you would like to offer your expertise as an instructor or propose an experiential trip or event, click HERE to submit a proposal.
FACULTY SENATE
2023 - 2024 Faculty Senate meeting dates are as follows:
- March 26, 2024
- April 23, 2024
- April 30, 2024 (Organizational Meeting for 2024-2025)
For more about ECU Faculty Senate, click HERE.
FROM OUR FRIENDS IN UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT
This year’s Golden LEAF Scholars cohort includes 78 current ECU students. Students and faculty and Golden LEAF Foundation leaders recently celebrated the long-time scholarship program.
Richard Twilley ’89 is leading the way to establish East Carolina University as a leader in sales education with a $4.5 million commitment to the College of Business (COB). His investment has established the Richard G. Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership in the COB and was a capstone of the university’s Pursue Gold campaign, which exceeded its $500 million goal ahead of schedule.
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COLLEGE UPDATES
ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
Student Success
Occupational Therapy students in the December 2023 graduating cohort all passed their certification exam on the first attempt – the sixth time in seven years that ECU’s program earned a 100%, first-time pass rate on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NCBOT).
Clinical Laboratory Science received a new device to help students identify blood types with greater accuracy and speed. The Ortho Clinical Diagnostics workstation supplements traditional methods taught by the department’s faculty and staff. WNCT interviewed Dr. Guyla Evans, Clinical Associate Professor and Chair, for a news feature on the device. Continue reading HERE.
Drs. Dominiquie Clemmons-James (left) and Chevelle Waddell(right), assistant professors in Addictions and Rehabilitation Sciences, received a 2024 ECU Teaching Grant to develop the project, Music & Lyrics in Counselor Education.
Emily Brewer – Teaching Assistant Professor (left), Tricia Carter - Clinical Assistant Professor (middle), and Ellen Poland – Clinical Assistant Professor (right), in Communication Sciences and Disorders engaged in the Active Learning and Leadership program which explores ways to incorporate student leadership within a course. Prof. Brewer facilitated the program while Profs. Carter and Poland participated in the cohort of 12.
Dr. Leigh Atherton, Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, co-delivered a professional development workshop as part of the Trendsetter Series hosted by the Office of Faculty Excellence. Dr. Atherton is an inaugural recipient of REDE’s Mid-Career Trendsetter Award.
Kayla Flynn, Clinical Assistant Professor in Health Services and Information Management, participated in the 10-week ECU Faculty Resource Community program which offers resources in support, professional development, accountability, and community for faculty.
Public Service
Judy Harrison, former Administrative Support Associate in Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, received the Richard Caswell Award for her more than 45 years of state service. Continue reading HERE.
First Year graduate students in Communication Sciences and Disorders provided speech and hearing screenings to children at the Nancy Darden Child Development Center in collaboration with the College of Health and Human Performance.
Abby Croom – Clinical Instructor, Angie Garcia – Clinical Laboratory Science student, and Dr. Guyla Evans – Clinical Associate Professor and Chair – attended an outreach event at Sampson Community College.
Students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders and Audiology programs attended the CARE Project 6th Annual Parent Professional Collaborative with Emily Brewer, Teaching Assistant Professor, and Kim Womack, Clinical Instructor. The event connects professionals to parents of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Regional Transformation
Amber Faircloth, Rehabilitation Sciences student with a concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Dr. Patrick Briley, Clinical Researcher, progressed to the final round of the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge with their virtual reality application, Talkative. An additional product co-created by Dr. Briley, Moon Grips, was also selected to advance to the finals in April. Continue reading HERE.
ARTS & SCIENCES
Just in time for ECU’s Williams-Ross Purple Pantry ribbon cutting and dedication, Harriot College’s Staff Council celebrated on Feb. 14 with their “Share the Love” fundraising campaign that raised 200 pounds of food and hygiene products for the Pantry, showing how they #MakeAMajorDifference! Alex Dennis, senior assistant director of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement where the pantry is housed, said 15% of students deal with food insecurity and that 6,000 pounds of goods were distributed last semester, with double the number of individuals helped at 1,400. “Your donations sustain us,” he said.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of ECU’s University Writing Center, a free resource that has helped countless students, faculty, staff and community members become better writers in all areas of their lives — academic, personal and professional. The UWC is directed by Dr. Nicole Caswell, Associate Professor in the Department of English, and assistant director Dr. Rebecca Johnson. “The writing center has a huge impact on our campus,” Johnson said. “We conduct about 5,000 face-to-face and online appointments a year, assisting students from all levels and majors within the university. That’s just the start of what we do, though.” Read more about the center HERE.
In a collaborative effort to bring closure to a 42-year-old missing persons cold case in Washington, N.C., ECU graduate students and faculty were called upon to support local and state officials and law enforcement. On Feb. 10, Dr. Christopher Wolfe, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, and MA Anthropology graduate students Liam Cline, Talia Hoffman, Emily Miller and Emilia Rose performed a survey of the area at Jack’s Creek and recovered human remains from the creek bed. Due to his strengths and expertise, Wolfe also serves as a consulting forensic anthropologist with the Regional Autopsy Center with the Brody School of Medicine Division of Autopsy and Forensic Services, allowing him to be called on for these types of cases. Read more about the students’ experiences HERE.
Stormwater management is a critical part of any city’s infrastructure. Greenville, being true to its name, has taken a “green” approach in this area. In 2020, in addition to pipes and culverts, ECU’s Dr. Mike O’Driscoll — Professor in Integrated Coastal Programs’ Department of Coastal Studies — and the city of Greenville worked together to install an infrastructure system known as regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC) in downtown Greenville, near Town Creek. An in-depth assessment of the RSC’s performance and effectiveness in Greenville is being conducted by Colin Finlay, a student in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine and Chemistry (IDPBBC), and Dr. Ariane Peralta, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. Read more on the unique research HERE.
Dr. Karly Murphy, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, has received a three-year, $750,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant will support the development of a digital self-management tool for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors experiencing depression. Murphy is leading a team of collaborators in ECU’s Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Brody School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, and the Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Together, they are finalizing the content of the digital self-management tool based on extensive user-centered design work. The team plans to launch recruitment for a multisite, full factorial trial of the tool later this year. Read the full ECU news release HERE.
BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, ECU Health and ECU’s Brody School of Medicine hosted the eighth annual Quality Improvement Symposium at Eastern AHEC. This year’s event showcased more than 40 projects related to quality improvement, patient safety, population health and interprofessional practice.
After welcoming attendees to the event, Dr. Mike Waldrum, ECU Health CEO and dean of Brody, expressed his pride in the symposium’s contributions, highlighting the collaborative efforts of teams in addressing regional challenges.
“When I look at these posters and our presenters, I see multidisciplinary, diverse teams coming together to educate, engage in dialogue and drive quality improvement for ECU Health and the patients we serve. I am incredibly proud of our team members and students for their commitment to addressing the immense challenges we face as a region,” Waldrum said.
Following the opening remarks, selected presenters who were chosen from an application process that took place in late-2023, shared their work with the audience of 178 in-person and virtual attendees.
Seven medical educators were recently named Master Educators by the Brody School of Medicine. The Master Educator program is designed to recognize excellence in education from a variety of categories, including outstanding teaching or mentorship, educational leadership and administration, and educational innovation and curriculum development.
Winners include Drs. Emily Askew, Justin Edwards, Amanda Higginson, Jacques Robidoux, David Tulis, Paul Cook and Sheena Eagan. The winners were announced during a Brody faculty meeting on Feb. 15, during which each winner received a white coat featuring a master educator designation, a plaque and a pin.
“The bestowing of the Master Educator Award allows us to honor faculty who have a well-established record of excellence in education. These faculty are recognized by their peers and learners as exemplifying leadership in education, not only as a one-time recognition, rather as a distinction that follows them throughout their careers,” said Allison Flowers, director of Brody’s Office of Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development. Since the program began in 2002, 84 Brody faculty members have received the master educator recognition.
Mohsen Zakaib’s path to service through medicine became clear during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Service during the pandemic forced him into new opportunities he says he wouldn’t have otherwise had. That path has led him to the Brody School of Medicine where he was selected as a Brody Scholar in 2023 and is one of the 85 students in the class of 2027.
Zakaib, the son of Mohammad Zakaib and Zahida Tallat of Winston-Salem, volunteered at COVID-19 testing sites. He said the experience also provided him the opportunity to hear stories of people worried about not being able to support their families compounded by the constant worry that their loved ones may get COVID.
Zakaib completed his undergraduate work studying nuclear engineering, with minors in anthropology and physics, at North Carolina State University in 2020 and earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from NCSU in 2021. He was a Citizenship Award finalist in the College of Engineering and served as president of Muslim Student Association at NC State.
Dr. Doyle “Skip” Cummings authored a guest column in Greenville’s Daily Reflector newspaper on the importance of blood pressure monitoring. The article was part of efforts by Pitt Partners for Health (PPH) to educate the community on health topics. PPH is a community health improvement partnership with representatives from local churches, businesses, communities, the hospital, health department and other human service agencies. The partnership’s mission is to improve the population health of Pitt County through coalition building and partnership. Cummings is a founding member of Pitt Partners for Health and serves on the steering committee. He is Berbecker Distinguished Professor of Rural Medicine and professor of public health and adjunct professor of family medicine at the Brody School of Medicine.
Dr. Rachel Roper (Microbiology & Immunology) was invited to a private meeting with the White House’s Executive Office of the President and the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy regarding the new outbreak of a more virulent monkeypox virus and its potential importation into the U.S. The meeting was an impactful opportunity to inform the development of public health policy. Roper was one of nine faculty invited, along with faculty representatives from Yale, Emory, Harvard, UCLA, Columbia and Brown universities.
Roper is also part of a team whose paper was recently featured by the Global Virus Network. The paper, “Comparing and validating air sampling methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection in HVAC ducts of student dorms,” also included the work of Brody’s Sinan Sousan, Marina Boatman, Lauren Johansen and Ming Fan.
BUSINESS
The second round of the '23-'24 Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge took place Feb. 6 in the Health Sciences Student Center. Seven teams will move on to the finals, scheduled for April 10, 6:00 - 8:30p.m., Main Campus Student Center Ballrooms. The finalists, who pitched their ideas to five entrepreneurs/judges, represent five ECU colleges and include:
- Crossfit Greenville Kids
- Horizon Shield
- Limulus Biomedical
- Moon Grips
- Palmquatics
- Surf Stick
- Talkative
Read HERE for descriptions of each of the finalists.
For the second year, the School of Hospitality Leadership held its Career Pathways Student conference, designed to introduce high school students to hospitality business careers. SHL student panels discussed their educational experiences at SHL, and industry panels discussed the lodging sector (specifically) and the career paths available for high school attendees.
Keynote David Mars, managing director of the Umstead Hotel and Spa, spoke about his experiences in the hospitality field and what students can expect once in the industry. The attendees also heard from SHL alumna Katie Parker, who presented opportunities and services of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) and its Foundation. Andrew Schmidt, president and CEO of Visit Greenville, also presented.
Angela Furniss will serve as the COB Business Advisory Council (BAC) chair starting in 2024. She previously served as vice chair with Jerod Cohen serving as chair since 2020. Furniss, who graduated with a BSBA in 1993, is the national account executive, managed markets for Dexcom, a pioneer in continuous glucose monitoring. On how the BAC is positioned to help the COB, Furniss says, "The BAC supports the COB strategy for growth and provides resources that align with the needs of COB's students, faculty, and staff." Rance Stokes (COB '90 and '93) will now serve as vice chair.
School of Hospitality Leadership’s Dr. Stephanie Bae will serve as an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrator. She will be the first COB participant in the upcoming Intercultural Competence Summer Institute, part of ECU's Quality Enhancement Plan.
As an administrator, she will work with individuals and groups around the university to measure their current intercultural competence. She will work with them to develop a plan to reach the desired intercultural competence level. Titled "Go Intercultural! Communicate. Collaborate," the QEP seeks to increase the intercultural competence of our students by teaching them the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to work and be agents of social change in the culturally diverse world of the 21st century. The goal of the QEP will be achieved by developing in students the cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in various cultural contexts.
What started as a strategy class became a leadership opportunity for Mathnasium, North America's leading math-only supplemental education franchise with over 1,000 learning centers in 10 countries. Through the College of Business and its Office of Expert Services, Mathnasium has embarked on a three-month pilot program, starting Jan 2024, designed to bring leadership and management best practices to participants.
"I'm hoping that the leaders in each center understand that they set the tone and the pace of greatness," said Susan Spengler, franchise business consultant at Mathnasium. Dr. Andy Herdman will lead the program.
Four COB students -- Rodney Bonilla, Olivia Grubb, Phillip McCain, and Jacob Sblendorio -- from the Twilley Sales Academy recently participated - and placed - in the Selling with the Bulls, a sales competition sponsored by the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. The three-flight competition, The Toughest Test in Sales Education, spanned the entire sales process from prospecting (email, LinkedIn, voicemail, phone call) to networking, needs identification and finally, the sales close. Grubb won second place in the second flight and finished in the top 10% in two of the three events. McCain finished in the top 10% of the prospecting email competition. Bonilla finished in the top 10% for the networking event. The entire team took third place in the second flight.
COB Professor Tope Bello, is the recipient of a grant that will help him attend the GPE XVII conference and cultural field seminar hosted by the University of Shimane in Hamada, Japan. According to its website, GPE strives to offer programming that helps students develop the cultural competencies and awareness necessary to thrive in today’s interconnected world.
Denise Dickins, emerita professor of accounting, has been appointed to the Investor Advisory Group (IAG) of the PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The IAG furthers the PCAOB’s mission to protect the interests of investors and furthers the public interest in preparing informative, accurate and independent audit reports.
Professor Victor Mbarika recently received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition from Americorps and the President of the United States. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to those who contribute more than 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime.
Dana Newell joined the College of Business in 2021 as a marketing and cultural international business instructor. She’s a 27-year executive with a creative services agency, marketing, and social media strategy experience collaborating with emerging, small, and mid-sized businesses to create strategies for revenue-producing profit centers. Last year, Newell was named as the new director of the two-year Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship. A recent article by the COB gives us more insight into Newell. Check it out!
Morgan Abdalla (ECU ’19) and Matt White (BSBA’18) recently visited ECU and the COB. After visiting the communications department and touring Bate and Isley Hub, they spoke with COB's Student Leadership Board about their career journeys. To learn more about their trip, check out Panthers visit ECU and the COB.
DENTAL MEDICINE
The school held its 9th annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship (CORAS) Feb. 7, showcasing student, resident and faculty research and welcoming two keynote speakers who spoke to the event’s theme, “AI in the Dental World.”
More than 50 research posters dotted the Ross Hall rotunda throughout the morning while the researchers stood by to explain their methods and findings to visitors from the school, university and other institutions. The event is one of the school’s central traditions, honoring research as a key part of its mission and vision.
Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean and interim associate dean for student affairs, welcomed visitors and participants to the event and emphasized the importance of research and scholarship to the ultimate benefit of patients.
“It’s important that we pause and reflect on the opportunities that we all have as educators and learners to improve oral health and overall health for all communities,” she said. “Research plays an essential role in improving oral health — and in order to make progress and create new knowledge, we need to have dedicated faculty who are involved in research, engaged in scholarly activities and committed to inspiring curious students and residents, enabling and encouraging them to develop a passion for discovery.”
The school’s six pediatric dentistry residents — Courtney Savoy, Diyora Amanova, Corey Stahley, Christian Penister, Antonio Roberts and Erin Howard — served during this year’s Give Kids a Smile event in Greenville in February. Give Kids a Smile, an American Dental Association initiative, provides free oral health care to underserved children. The ECU School of Dental Medicine's Residency in Pediatric Dentistry prepares graduates to provide oral health care to infants, children, adolescents and those with special health care needs. In addition to clinical training, the residents participate in community service and advocacy activities.
The school held its fourth annual Sonríe Clinic recently, caring for close to 25 migrant farmworkers and providing more than $10,000 work of dental work. Sponsored by the school’s chapter of the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA), the event is a link between health care resources and members of one of eastern North Carolina’s most vulnerable populations. the event reaches those in need of dental care — and helps them build bridges toward additional resources in the community, including primary health care.
Dr. Mark Moss, division director of public health dentistry and associate professor in the Department of Foundational Sciences, recently shared his insight with a Charlotte TV station as the commissioners in Union County discussed removing fluoride from the county’s water. Before coming to ECU, Moss served as the state dental director in the Wisconsin Division of Public Health and was a faculty member in the New York Dental Public Health Residency Program and at the University of Rochester and Eastman Dental Center.
Rachel Stewart, project manager and public health dental hygienist, was one of 14 recipients of the university’s Treasured Pirate Award last month. The award annually recognizes the exemplary efforts made by faculty and staff whose distinguished contributions further ECU’s mission. Stewart helps lead the dental school’s school-based oral health prevention programs in Bertie and Jones counties. Since 2020, the school-based programs have provided more than 12,000 preventive and diagnostic services to over 1,000 children in eastern North Carolina who have extremely limited access to care. “Being on the front lines of these programs is an amazing opportunity to connect with patients and community members,” Stewart said.
Alumni news
Dr. Makani Peele ’16 was named president-elect of the 5th District in the North Carolina Dental Society during the district meeting last month. Peele runs Peele Family Dentistry in Wanchese, North Carolina, and also completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at ECU.
Dr. Jessica Shamberger ’19, who works in the Wake County Health Department, joined Dr. Mark Moss’s class to share the value of considering a career in public health. Shamberger was also a member of the school’s inaugural cohort of the Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Collaborative in Pediatric Dentistry last year; the program provides practicing general dentists a year-long program built around rigorous academic classroom and clinical experiences focused on building their knowledge and skills in caring for pediatric dental patients. The collaborative was created to mirror the values of the School of Dental Medicine — including the mission to be vocal advocates for children, while also being professionally positioned to improve their oral health care.
EDUCATION
The College of Education is a partner institution for the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. The Teaching Fellows program is a competitive, merit-based program offering teacher licensure in elementary education, special education and STEM education. The forgivable loan program offers up to $10,000 per year of tuition assistance for students who commit to teaching in a North Carolina public school. Read more about how the program will impact the university HERE.
Dr. Loni Crumb has been selected as an awardee for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange. She, along with Dr. Janeé Avent Harris and Dorcas Barde, have co-designed a project that will form lasting partnerships, expand markets and networks and increase mutual understanding between the US & Africa. Read more about her project and the award HERE.
Counselor education faculty member Allison Fears visited counselor education students at their clinical experience internship sites for National School Counseling Week.
Dr. Monisha Atkinson received one of ECU's Treasured Pirate Awards recognizing faculty and staff who go above and beyond and distinguished accomplishments. Atkinson has served in a multitude of volunteer capacities in local schools, including on the PTAs for both of her children's schools and roles on local and state education organizations.
During National School Counseling Week, the college highlighted Ms. Nedra Bruner Jones, the school counselor for the ECU Community School.
Congratulations to Lou Anna Hardee for receiving the Richard Caswell Award for her 55 years of service to ECU and the College of Education! Service has always been integral to Lou Anna — she's a member of ECU's Servire Society and her plaque in the Educators Hall of Fame notes, "Dedicated to providing friendly, quality and outstanding service to the students, college, university and community. A true Pirate and friend to many!"
Counselor Education faculty kicked off the new year by providing professional development to over 80 school counseling professionals in Pitt County Schools on January 18. The session was entitled: The Power of School Counselors: Advocating for School Wellness, Safety, and Inclusion that focused on centering the social, emotional, and behavioral health of students and holistic wellness in school environments. Dr. Shanita Brown, Ms. Allison Fears, Mrs. Ashley Cannan and Dr. Loni Crumb led the session for PCS.
Five K-12 students participated in this year's Discoveries in Earth Science science fair. Next step? Regional science fairs!
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
After serving as interim chair, Dr. Qin Ding has been named the new chair of the Department of Computer Science. Her goals as chair are focused on student success, faculty development and community engagement. Read more HERE.
The College of Engineering and Technology celebrated excellence in its freshmen and first-year transfer students with its CET Excels event. Students who achieved a 3.0 GPA or higher in their first semesters were invited to the event that included snacks, fellowship and the opportunity to meet with faculty, advisors and Dr. Harry Ploehn, dean of the college.
Members of the College of Engineering and Technology Advancement Council came to campus for a meeting to receive updates about students and programs. Two students were included as part of a panel discussion that focused on student success and the college’s Student Success Center, advising and first-year support programs for students.
The Department of Engineering celebrated National Engineers Week Feb. 18-24. The week culminated with the Order of the Engineer Ring Ceremony in which engineering students receive a ring as a symbol of their commitment to engineering and application of “the golden rule” to the profession.
FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION
Sayward Grindley, teaching assistant professor and SoTD students presented on Dance Education at the NC National Dance Education Organization Conference at UNC Greensboro. The topics included:
- Project-based-learning: Utilization of projects within the course structure to aid in engagement, student learning and retention of content;
- Students-as-partners: giving students choices and autonomy within the course structure with student input to help drive the directions; and
- Culturally relevant and responsive teaching: meeting students where they are to be seen and valued within the classroom culture and environment, providing opportunities for their experiences and culture to be included thought the classroom setup and design.
Barbara McFadyen, '17 MFA, is a metalsmith and enamelist who has been designing jewelry in gold, silver, and enamel for over four decades. She has become nationally recognized through exhibitions with the American Crafts Council, the Smithsonian Institution, SNAG, and the Enamelist Society. Barbara is receiving the Jim Crane Award from Eckerd College for her significant achievements as an artist, leadership in visual arts education, and contributions to the creative arts.
Presented by the School of Art and Design, East Carolina University in partnership with the ECU Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center and the ECU College of Fine Arts and Communication, Nick Cave visited our campus and gave a presentation in Hendrix Theater in February.
Described as “the most joyful and critical artist in America” by the New York Times, multidisciplinary artist Nick Cave addresses issues of race, gender, and class. Cave is known around the world as the artist behind the "Soundsuit" series: a collection of fantastical, sculptural costumes assembled from everyday objects. He is also the graduate director of the Fashion Department at The Art Institute of Chicago. Born in Missouri, Nick Cave showed an early talent for performance before moving to New York City to dance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Followed by visual art studies in Missouri and Michigan, Cave’s genre-expanding work straddles both dance and visual art to explore the ways that African identity is subsumed into disparate cultural codes. Director of the fashion graduate program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Cave has built a notable reputation as an educator and artist.
CFAC Faculty Publications
- Navid Bargrizan, “Just Intonation, Dastgāh-Music, and Scordatura in Kupferteich,” in Mikrotöne: Small Is Beautiful V, ed. Agustín Castilla-Ávila (Salzburg: Mackinger-Verlag, 2024).
- Navid Bargrizan, Review of Marc Masters’s. book: High Bias; The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape, H-Sci- Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews, February 2024.
- Amanda Pinkham-Brown, "Two tales of one school: competing narratives in a charter school unionization battle in Chicago” in Globalisation, Societies, and Education.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Let’s Help our Students Showcase their Research to our State Legislators!
Graduate Education Day is Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Raleigh, NC. Please consider nominating your students who are doing research that directly impacts the citizens of North Carolina to showcase their work to our state legislators to help bring awareness to how our student’s research has positively impacted them, the university, and the state of North Carolina.
With your help, the Graduate School will identify up to three graduate students to participate in this important event. We will travel to Raleigh with the students and their research mentors to meet and discuss the benefits of graduate education with our state leaders.
We had a great turnout last year and look forward to doing it again with great success. For more information or questions, please reach out to Dr. Ron Preston.
HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Students Joseph Ratte and Alison Klein collaborated with Cypress Landing to lead helpful video instructions for Cypress Landing Fitness Center users. The students were mentored by Lisa Frederickson, teaching instructor and exercise physiology coordinator in the Department of Kinesiology. Gene Eakes represented the Cypress Landing fitness committee with these remarks: “The students were delightful to work with and quite professional. It is apparent that you and members of (HHP) recognize the value of experiential learning and, in doing so, generously share your expertise to improve the health and wellbeing of the larger community.”
Dr. Damon Rappleyea (above, right), associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, earned a Treasured Pirate Award during ECU’s recent awards ceremony. Also, representing the Department of Health Education and Promotion were Karen Vail-Smith (40 years) and Sue Raedeke (30 years) in recognition of faculty and staff members with 30 years or more of state service.
Students, staff and faculty in the Belk Building wore red Feb. 3 to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease in support of the American Heart Association’s Wear Red Day. Department of Health Education and Promotion chair Dr. Michele Wallen thanked HEP interns, Iyaira Williams and Karlee Harrington, and faculty members Rose Haddock and Kelli Russell for their efforts to plan this event and promote heart health.
Recent funding awarded in HHP includes Dr. Nick Broskey (kinesiology) with “Effect of Maternal Exercise in Women with Obesity on Offspring Mesenchymal Stem Cell Metabolism” by National Institute of Health R01 grant; Jamie Williams (health education and promotion) with “Title V SRAE” from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; and Dr. Jennifer Matthews (health education and promotion) in “Trauma Informed Pitt County DSS” from Pitt County NC Government.
The College of Health and Human Performance and Department of Recreation Sciences are preparing to host a film screening and panel discussion March 11 at Black Box Theater, focused on the power and uses of words. There are community partners and other ECU units involved in support of this event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and “The R-Word” film begins at 6.
Eleven students volunteered at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas as part of their sports studies event management course in the Department of Kinesiology. They were led in Las Vegas by Dr. Stacy Warner, professor and sport management graduate coordinator, and Mack Keenan, HHP’s director of outreach, for this unique experiential learning opportunity. The students are: Alexis Holthaus, Darius Lawton, Ethan Long, Gracie Simmons, Heather Coe, Jayla Hansley, Josh Harrelson, Maxwell Lukas, Quez Boyette, Riley Tripp, Savion Harris.
Join a panel of researchers on March 15 at 9:30 a.m. at Belk Annex 1 to talk about their experiences “on the inside” as NIH reviewers. Panelists will share experience and what grant writers can do to prepare their proposals for NIH review. Guests are asked to register for this event.
HONORS
The Honors College and Brinkley-Lane Scholars program welcomed 54 finalists to ECU’s campus this month to interview for Brinkley-Lane Scholars. The finalists have shown interest in 22 majors across seven different colleges and were the best and brightest from nearly 1000 applications around the world.
For Selection Sunday weekend, many of Brinkley-Lane Scholar alumni returned to Greenville to participate in the interview process. They gathered the Saturday night before the event to reconnect with each other and the program.
Imaan Siddiqi was highlighted by "Shoutout NorthCarolina" for her work with mental health advocacy, including being featured in the Macy's x NAMI x Jed Foundation Mission Every One back to school campaign and being a member of the NAMI National Board of Executives. You can read her interview on the Shoutout North Carolina website.
Lucy Anna Sheaffer won the best presentation/research in her category at the ECU School of Dental Medicine 2024 Celebration of Research and Scholarship.
Honors students built community through living-learning experiences at Greenville’s Painted Peacock and ECU’s The GlasStation in Farmville.
INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS
The Coastal Studies Institute will again hold a series of STEAM summer camps for students 10-15 years of age, and registration opened on March 1. Four themes will be offered during the eight-week season: Coastal Kingdoms, a marine biology and ecology camp; Legends of the Atlantic, a maritime history and shipwrecks focus camp; Shapes in Sciences, an art and science camp; and Sustainable Seas, an oceanography and coastal engineering camp. More information about CSI Summer camps and the link to register can be found HERE.
The Science on the Sound Lecture Series continues in March with Erin Fleckenstein, Oyster Program Director at the North Carolina Coastal Federation. During her presentation she will give an overview of the North Carolina Oyster Blueprint. The program will be held at the Coastal Studies Institute on Thursday, March 21, at 6 PM. A live stream will also be available on the CSI YouTube Channel for those unable to make it. The event is free, and all are encouraged to attend.
John McCord (Coastal Studies Institute) was recently recognized as an award recipient in three categories of the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest. He received second place in the Marine Energy category and third place in both the Marine Energy and Faces of Water Power categories.
Zack Shepard, a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Coastal Sciences (advised by Dr. Eric Wade, Department of Coastal Studies), has been awarded a Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellowship to support his dissertation research in Belize. During his fellowship, Zack's project will examine the structure of finfish communities in nearshore seagrass beds. This work is part of a larger multi-institutional effort to understand the role of finfish in food security in Belize. Zack will be co-mentored by Smithsonian scientists Dr. Steve Canty and Dr. Justin Nowakowski.
Students participating in the Semester at the Coast program had an opportunity to interact with several Dare County Commissioners in the Board Room. The discussion focused around civic leadership, the role of local government, recent points of pride, and some of the current challenges facing Dare County. Students asked questions about housing, learned about the County’s budget, and were impressed by the passion and dedication of the County leaders. Our students did a great job representing ECU!
Dr. David Lagomasino (Coastal Studies) is among a group of scientists from multiple universities recently awarded an NSF grant to fund an effort to improve data and predictions to reverse mangrove and seagrass habitat loss in frontline communities. The goal of their project, Use-Inspired Research Addressing Global Challenges in Climate Change and Clean Energy, Blue Climate Solutions, is to accelerate inclusive science and education, harness data, and implement AI, all in support of informed and equitable decisions for mangrove and seagrass conservation and restoration. More information can be found in a press release published by University of Rhode Island, the lead institute for the study.
JOYNER LIBRARY
The 16th annual School of Art and Design Graduate Student Art Exhibition reception and awards ceremony was held Feb. 22, supported by the Friends of Joyner Library. The exhibit’s participating artists were: Sina Bennett, Emily Booker, Katelyn Davis, Paul Edwards, Michael Gaines, Joogab Kim, Haley McElroy, Lori Scalamoni, Chase Shotton, Haleigh Lennox Brewer, Katelyn Lux Brewer, Lee Turner and Chris Zidek. School of Art and Design director Kate Bukoski said during the reception: “This captures the essence of what we do and the importance of partnership and engagement. It truly is a joy every year to be here to celebrate our students, our library and the hard work of our faculty and staff. I’ve had the opportunity to visit a lot of institutions and I’ve never seen a partnership as rich and as strong as the one that exists with Joyner Library and our School of Art and Design.”
The library is proud to be in the third year of an open access deal with Wiley Journals to benefit ECU scholarship being made available worldwide at no cost to readers. The number of open access publications in Wiley Journals by East Carolina authors grew from 27 in calendar year 2022 to 70 in 2023. There are 750 vouchers for all participating institutions, and they are likely to all be claimed by August or September 2024. Questions? See more details at our Open Access Publishing Support webpage or email Joseph Thomas or scholarlycomm@ecu.edu.
Registration is available for a neat opportunity to research family history and dig deep into family roots. This genealogy workshop series at the main campus library, led by Jennifer Daugherty, Head of North Carolina Collection, features three sessions costing $25 each. The first session — Getting Started with Genealogy to guide through the initial steps of beginning family history research — is March 12 at 5:30 p.m. The second is March 26, and third April 9.
Alston Cobourn and Justin Borer from Special Collections partnered with the Music Library and curated an exhibit featuring former ECU music professor Otto Henry. The exhibit highlights his contributions to ECU's School of Music and his passion for 20th century experimental music. Information about exhibits and more is available in Special Collections blogs.
More than 50 students from the ECU College of Education visited our Special Collections, with support from faculty members Paige Everett and Drs. Mary Huffman and Julie Stanley, to learn from Kristen Daniel and about incorporating primary sources in the elementary classroom.
The Teaching Resources Center hosted first grade and fifth grade students from the ECU Community School as part of a recent visit by the students to main campus. The ECU Community School is a partnership between ECU and Pitt County Schools with a mission to education the whole child through a web of support that thrives through partnerships.
LAUPUS HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY
Congratulations to Marlena Rose (left), library associate professor, and Megan Inman (right), library associate professor, for receiving the Medical Library Association’s 2024 Daniel T. Richards Prize for their book, “Building Health Sciences Library Collections: A Handbook.” The prize recognizes individuals who authored a significant work related to collection development in the health sciences. Marlena and Megan will be honored at a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Jamie Bloss, library associate professor, co-authored the article, “Aphasia subsequent to stroke in adults with Williams syndrome or autism: a review.” This was a collaboration with Dr. Matthew Walenski in the College of Allied Health Sciences’ Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, along with CSDI students Sierra Silva and Rhiannon Phillips. Congratulations on this interdisciplinary and interprofessional article.
Mark your calendars for the April 2 Spring Fling! Coordinated by the Laupus Diversity Committee with support from ECU Health, College of Allied Health Sciences, College of Nursing and School of Dental Medicine, the Spring Fling is a showcase for ECU units to share their initiatives on inclusion, care, connection and belonging. The event is hosted on the lawn by the Health Sciences Student Center and will include self-care stations, refreshments and information-sharing. Any ECU unit, committee or club can sponsor a table at the event. Interested? Please reach out to Andrea Bristol.
NURSING
Recently the College of Nursing welcomed Katherine Restrepo, senior advisor of health affairs, and Kari Travis, associate VP of communications, from the UNC System Office. Part of Katherine's role is to gain a better understanding of the landscape of nursing programs and other primary care programs across all UNC institutions. Her visit was focused on learning more about the obstacles that stand in ECU’s way of producing more nursing graduates.
We also had the opportunity to present some of the innovative initiatives ECU is undertaking to target the health care nursing workforce shortage.
Dr. Alex Hodges participated in an expert panel discussion January 26 at East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute campus on the Outer Banks. Dr. Jennifer Matthews organized a seven person panel that included public health, environmental health and nonprofit representatives. The panel benefited the ECU Public Health and Environmental Health Ambassadors, allowing them to hear about public health work and open their minds to possibilities associated with their degrees after graduation.
Hodges is an experienced family nurse practitioner in primary care in rural Eastern NC and is a Clinical Professor here at East Carolina University’s College of Nursing. Her clinical practice is serving the underserved population of Eastern NC in Dare County, and she is currently seeing patients at the Community Care Clinic of Dare.
Hodges is a recognized climate change expert, collaborating with Harvard and Americares, and has helped develop education tools utilized nationwide and was one of the pilot clinics developing this valuable information. She was a panelist at the American Health Equity Summit in 2021 and a panelist at the 2022 Boston Globe Climate Week.
On Feb. 13, the College of Nursing and College of Business launched a joint 3-year dual MSN/MBA with a reception to welcome the inaugural students. The program aimed at equipping nurses for leadership and executive opportunities is a giant step towards the strategic vision of East Carolina University with a Future Focused and Innovation Driven initiative.
A big thank you to Dr. Michael Harris for his collaborative vision, Dr. Robin Coger for her support and for the leadership, faculty, and staff at both Colleges for their hard work and dedication in making this transformational program a reality.
Earlier this month, U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Programs rankings that were released. We are very proud of this consideration of our online graduate programs – the College of Nursing either improved or remained unchanged in the areas we were evaluated.
“This national recognition of our dedication to excellence and practice readiness for our online graduate students is a significant point of pride for our College, University, region and state,” said Dr. Bim Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing. “In all the categories that we were evaluated for we have made significant gains or held our ground. These rankings are a welcome validation of the quality of our faculty and students, and the same quality of students and faculty are represented in our baccalaureate and doctoral-level programs, as well.”
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