As we come to the end of the semester and with the holiday season upon us, I want to express my deep gratitude for your hard work. Even in times of uncertainty, this is the season to realize that we have much to be thankful for. Yes, this has been a year marked by serious challenges, but at this moment, I want to stop to celebrate and reflect on how fortunate we are to work with so many creative, innovative, and compassionate individuals who make ECU such a special place. You continue to demonstrate unparalleled commitment and passion to our university and to those we serve. With that said, I’d like to thank you for your flexibility, personal resilience, and care for one another during these unusual times.

I feel very fortunate to serve as the interim provost of a university who is truly dedicated to its mission. Your talents, new ideas, creativity and dedication inspire me daily. Your accomplishments are not only an inspiration for me, but also to those whose lives you touch.

We are in unprecedented times and we must continue to come together in extraordinary ways to respond to the evolving challenges we continue to face. There is significant work ahead, but I have every confidence that we will rise to the challenge together, as we have in the past.

I hope this holiday season affords each of you a time of refreshment and renewal. Thank you for many contributions and again, I am deeply grateful for all you do for our university. May you have a holiday season filled with hope and joy.

B. Grant Hayes, PhD, Distinguished Professor

Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

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UNIVERSITY STUDIES

Since 2014, the University Studies program at ECU has supported the life-changing power of higher education by providing a pathway to graduation for students who face barriers that prevent their completion of a traditional undergraduate degree. That pathway is the Bachelor of Science in University Studies (BS-US) housed in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences.

“The University Studies program helped me make a smooth transition back into college after having been in the transportation industry for almost 14 years,” said Liz Hanes, BS-US alumna and ECU Transit employee. “The program allowed me to combine credits across multiple majors to create a degree that encompassed my current and future career goals.”

The program includes a Faculty Oversight Committee (FOC) made up of faculty from each college at ECU. Members review and provide final approval of every student’s course of study. They also ensure academic rigor and non-replication of any existing ECU major.

“Because FOC members represent multiple units and disciplines, students receive the benefit of diverse perspectives on their programs of study. Often, FOC members have many years of experience in study and/or practice in their fields and are eager to share that with BS-US students,” said Dr. Stacey Altman, FOC member from the College of Health and Human Performance.

To help students integrate the knowledge and theory gained through their curriculum, they must complete a practicum prior to graduation. They also receive support from a Workforce Advisory Committee comprised of professionals from the local community who provide advice regarding current demands for professional skills.

“The University Studies program provided me with the exact education I wanted,” said Juli Kidd, BS-US alumna and Director of Systems Administration for the N.C. High School Athletic Association. “As an older student, I wanted a degree that would make me the best employee and colleague. I found that in the University Studies program.”

For additional information, email Dr. Amy Shannon, Director of University Studies.

PIRATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

Engaging Students One Call at a Time

When students transition to 100% online instruction, forming connections to campus resources can be challenging. For first-time students, establishing support networks and utilizing campus resources is essential to their academic success. Recognizing the intensifying need for campus connection, the Pirate Academic Success Center amplified Call Center operations by increasing the number of student contacts and the frequency of calls. Employing target messaging for academic support services, PASC streamlined tutoring services, provided immediate scheduling for tutoring and study skills appointments, and expanded opportunities for peer engagement. The number of students contacted in Fall 2020 increased by 262%. The PASC call center contacted 7,820 students with 18,582 calls. Call center student lists were comprised of specific groups including first-time Freshmen, campus living residents, course enrollments, and students earning all F's in Block 1.

Prior to COVID, the Connect for Success Call Center contacted primarily Freshmen at four primary touchpoints. Success Navigators (peer student callers) used scripts with questions to guide their calls. In Fall 2020 semester, success navigators began contacting students weekly, increasing call volume. Call Center conversations focused on class/school balance, course difficulties, and general well-being. Students were reminded of key academic dates such as advising periods, withdrawal, and registration processes, as well as referred to campus resources. Efforts to expand the Connect for Success Call Center will continue Spring 2021 and will employ the use of text messaging campaigns designed to better inform students of academic resources.

OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Global Affairs is excited to welcome Melanie Robbins as the newest member of our team. Melanie will be joining Global Academic Initiatives as the Coordinator of Global Understanding, where she will take primary responsibility for the day to day running of our virtual exchange courses, including the Global Understanding program. Melanie has extensive experience working both in the U.S. and abroad in the field of ESL. Most recently, Melanie served as the Academic Coordinator for the Intensive English Program at Western Carolina University. A Greenville native, we are glad we were able to entice Melanie back to her Pirate roots.

Even in normal times, building community and connections among our international and domestic students is challenging. In response to COVID-19, this past semester OGA shifted its weekly international coffee hour to an online environment to encourage students, faculty, and staff to come together to learn about each other in a relaxed and friendly environment. From online games and trivia to discussions about books, movies, and holiday traditions, each week there was a different topic or activity that promoted learning and laughter and gave a glimpse into the lives of all who attended.

Dec. 15 is the deadline for submitting applications for ECU’s International Awards. Three faculty awards will be given including awards for International Teaching, International Research & Creative Activity, and International Service and Engagement. One Staff Award for International Service, one International Graduate Student Award, and one International Undergraduate Student Award will also be given. Please visit https://global-affairs.ecu.edu/international-awards/ for more information.

OFFICE FOR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

Consistent with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, ECU has programs, offices, and resources that support the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff who are veterans. More information is available here.

Additionally, understanding military experience and related skills and how that relates to civilian positions can be a bit daunting for those unfamiliar. Resources are available to assist with translating military experience that can be helpful in a recruitment and selection process. More information is available here.

For more information or to further discuss, please contact the Office for Equity and Diversity at oed@ecu.edu or 252-328-6804.

ACADEMIC ADVISING

2019-2020 Advising Collaborative Awards

Recipients are nominated annually by their peers for their outstanding work during the previous year. A committee made up of representatives from each advising center selects winners in each category. These awards are usually presented at an end-of-the year breakfast in April. We postponed the presentation to fall because of COVID. This is the 8th year of this recognition.

The awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence in advising by going above and beyond their expected duties. Nominees are judged on the evidence of qualities and practices that distinguish the nominee as an outstanding leader in advising.

New advisors are classified as having fewer than three years of advising experience. At the time the awards should have been presented, both recipients had fewer than three years of experience but now have more than three.

Outstanding Advising Partner – Julie Poorman, Director of Financial Aid

Outstanding New Advisor – Melissa Watterson, College of Allied Health Sciences

Brittany Wood, College of Fine Arts & Communication

Outstanding Advisor – Jennifer Rezeli, College of Nursing

Outstanding Faculty Advisor – Brian Cavanaugh, Department of Health Education & Promotion

STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT

The National Council of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) has reviewed ECU’s application and approved ECU for renewal as a participating institution in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) for the 2020-2021 year. Participation in SARA provides ECU the opportunity to offer educational experiences in the 49 SARA member states and three territories without seeking authorization from each state. Thousands of ECU students participate in these experiences which range from learning at a distance to practice based experiential learning activities. ECU students can enroll in our programs with confidence knowing that we are ensuring access to quality educational offerings regardless of their location. SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensing requirements.

To learn more about how SARA and professional licensure affect your students, please contact Charlene Lee, SARA Compliance Specialist.

THRIVE@ECU

Announcing the launch of THRIVE - Towards Hiring, Resources, Inclusion, Value and Excellence @ECU, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE Adaptation program for just under $1 million. This three-year project is dedicated to removing barriers to the inclusion of all women faculty in STEM, their advancement through rank and into leadership roles on our campus. The activities and outcomes of THRIVE are designed to support all faculty. The objectives of THRIVE are three-fold:

1) Build a campus-wide culture of inclusion through multicultural competence professional development for faculty and leaders;

2) Create support systems for all women in STEM units including a network of support for those marginalized by race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and other minoritized statuses; and

3) Implement structural change with a set of accountability practices and incentives for faculty, department chairs, and deans.

This grant is led by PI Ron Mitchelson in collaboration with Kristen Myers (Sociology, THCAS), Rachel Roper (Microbiology and Immunology, BSOM), Crystal Chambers (Educational Leadership, COE), Mary Farwell (REDE), Cindy Putnam-Evans (THCAS) and Stephanie George (Engineering, CET).

Be on the lookout for launch events in January and February 2021!

Eastern AHEC

East Carolina University and the Eastern Area Health Education Center (Eastern AHEC) are partnering on a project to promote the proper use of masks and other personal protective equipment among students and all community members of eastern North Carolina and beyond during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the CARES Act funding that ECU received, ECU and Eastern AHEC have created, and are still sharing/advertising, a series of videos on proper PPE usage. Some of them are fun, while others have a more serious tone. The aim of the short video series is to bolster PPE use among students and young adults.

You can find a list of the published videos and more information about the project here: https://www.easternahec.net/projects-resources/ppe-project/.

The YouTube link to the video playlist on ECU’s channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJkR9-1CLryqlLLSb7RcNqaawW_RLmCgN.

COLLEGE UPDATES

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Anna Williams, a sophomore in the lab of Elizabeth Ables (Biology), was awarded the George T. Barthalmus Undergraduate Research Award by the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS). This award will support Williams and her effort’s in understanding the molecular mechanisms through which germ line stem cells produce high quality eggs in a female’s ovaries. Her work on the development of the eggs in the ovaries of fruit flies represents an important step to advancing our understanding of why infertility and miscarriage risk increase as women age. Her work will be featured at the 2020 and 2021 SNCURCS conferences.

Brad Rodgers (History, retired) received the 2020 Joyce S. Hayward Award for Historical Interpretation from the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History. The award is presented annually to someone who has made a significant contribution in the interpretation of the history of the Great Lakes.

Juan Beltran-Huarac (Physics) has been awarded the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), of which ECU is a consortium member. The $10,000 prize will support Beltran-Huarac’s research on magnetic field mediated cell-based therapy for brain cancer.

Matthew Whited (Psychology) founded a Cardiovascular Disease Special Interest Group within the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). Over the past year, Whited and his team have organized clinicians and researchers within SBM to create and provide educational content on cardiovascular behavioral medicine and to support each other through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The special interest group will now be a constant presence within SBM, advancing the field of cardiovascular behavioral medicine.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

The ECU Miller School of Entrepreneurship’s chapter of Sigma Nu Tau recently inducted three new students during a virtual celebration. Douglas Thomas, Oswaldo Corona, and Taylor Slaughter were welcomed to the entrepreneurship society by Dr. Dennis Barber, III, chapter faculty advisor. As part of the ceremonies, Dr. Mike Harris, Miller School director, inducted honorary member and COB alumnus Van Isley. Sigma Nu Tau’s mission is to promote, recognize and reward academic excellence in entrepreneurship.

ECU’s School of Hospitality Leadership is in the top five of hospitality programs that produce students who have received their Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics. Geared to revenue managers, general managers, corporate staff, and research professionals, the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) is the only hotel-related certification for industry professionals focused on analytics. CHIA is jointly offered by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and STR. SHL’s CHIA program is part of its hospitality financial management course. Almost 700 SHL students have received their certifications since 2012.

In spite of COVID-19 shutting down conferences across the country, that hasn’t kept Dr. Brenda Wells from sharing her expertise on cannabis legalization and its impact on insurance and other related issues. This fall Wells, along with her colleague and Melissa Roeder, J.D., of Foley-Mansfield in Seattle, presented at the Casualty Actuarial Society Annual Conference and also spoke to the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. Both speaking engagements were virtual. Wells also spoke at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies’ annual meeting online.

The first round of the annual Hult Prize Competition recently wrapped, albeit virtually, and Food Trucking App will represent ECU and move on to the regional finals.

In coordination with the United Nations, the Hult Prize is a crowdsourcing platform for social good. It identifies and launches disruptive and catalytic social ventures that aim to solve the planet’s most pressing challenges. The theme of this year’s challenge asked teams around the world to build viable food enterprises that will impact the lives of 10M people in the next decade while strengthening communities, increasing incomes, feeding the hungry and creating jobs. Food Trucking App is a student-led team whose entrepreneurial idea centers around youth coaching for health and life skills. Food Trucking App is run by ECU students Sydnie Alligood, Benjamin Selby and Zachary Griffin. This year marked the fifth-straight year that ECU hosted the competition, which is sponsored by the Miller School of Entrepreneurship.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Beginning teachers across North Carolina received support during their first year of teaching through the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program’s Fall Institute. This institute is one of the core services the NTSP provides, in addition to individualized professional development and face-to-face or remote instructional coaching. Read more.

The ECU College of Education has received its largest-ever financial gift from alumna Sarah Coble Roos and her husband, Ed. This donation will fund a scholarship program for elementary education majors. Read more.

East Carolina University’s College of Education and Rural Education Institute (REI) have launched a crowdfunding initiative to provide a webinar series about equity, social justice, diversity and inclusion for teachers and administrators in rural schools. The goal of the crowdfunding initiative is to provide the webinar series to educators at no cost. REI is partnering with several Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) educators across eastern North Carolina to create the series. Read more.

Dr. Steve Schmidt was presented with the American Association for Adult and Continuting Education (AAACE)’s 2020 Presidential Award for Exceptional and Innovation Leadership. Read more.

Dr. Guili Zhang has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Evaluation Association and will be sworn in this month. Read more.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Graduate students Mark Sokolov and Kehinde “Kenny” Olufowobi, and Assistant Professor Nic Herndon from the Department of Computer Science received the Best Presentation Award for their research paper that highlighted spam filter limitations during the 13th International Conference on Security of Information and Networks. Their research showed that replacing some English alphabet characters such as a, c, e, k, o, p, and y with their corresponding characters from the Cyrillic alphabet in emails is sufficient to bypass spam filters. With many phishing schemes generated through email, the research highlights problems that may leave computer users more susceptible to having account and password information stolen while also leaving networks and systems susceptible to malware attacks.

With professional experience in industry and 13 years teaching at ECU, Dr. George Wang has been named the chair of the Department of Construction Management. He vows to continue faculty research involving students and stresses excellence in teaching and advising while working with each student personally. He believes teamwork among students, staff and faculty will lead to success for all. Wang is interested in creating new endowments and scholarships for students, additional industry internships and partnerships, study abroad projects, construction site visits, and workshops and webinars that feature guest speakers from industry.

The College of Engineering and Technology sent longtime administrative assistant Bonnie Eshelman into retirement with a virtual party. Eshelman spent 25 years and 10 months at the college, working for seven deans in the process. She was on the ground floor as the School of Industry and Technology transformed into a college with four departments, two centers, its own advising staff and thousands of students. “I’ve enjoyed it,” Eshelman said. “I enjoyed what I did. We are a family.”

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION

A gift of remembrance

To honor the life and legacy of alumnus Howell Binkley, ROSCO Vice President Chad Tiller gifted a gobo to the School of Theatre and Dance. The design — one of the decorated lighting designer’s favorites — has been renamed the R77760 “Binkley Reflections” by the company and is the first of five units that will bear his name. Binkley, who lit Jersey Boys, Hamilton and scores of additional award-winning theatrical and dance productions, passed away on Aug. 14.

Travis Alford (composition) won a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts award in support of the North Carolina NewMusic Initiative’s student-led composition commissioning project. The award will support a new piece by Asha Srinivasan.

Jessica Christie (art history) has another book in print. Earth Politics of Cultural Landscapes and Intangible Heritage: Three Case Studies in the Americas is forthcoming from the University Press of Florida.

The Italian translation of Daniel Kariko’s (photography) book “Aliens Among Us: Extraordinary Portraits of Ordinary Bugs” was released in November.

Bryan Conger (theatre) appeared as an actor in the Triad Stage Sound Drama series Nightmares from Elm Street: 3 classic tales of horror. Conger was featured in Caterpillars by E.F. Benson and a contemporary retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic Masque of the Red Death.

Virginia Driscoll (BM ’01) (music therapy) is an editorial board member for a new platinum, fee-free open-access journal, Dialogues in Music Therapy Education.

Pam Hopkins’ (Speech Communication Center) article “Patient satisfaction starts with effective, efficient communication” appeared in the Medical Group Management Association Connection magazine in October.

Tim Lazure (metals) and graduate student Lauren DelBrocco were two of 25 artists invited to participate in “Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E. (Innovative Merger of Art and Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace” exhibition at the Edward Mitchell Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. The exhibition features decommissioned guns that are recontextualized from weapons of destruction to prompts for dialogue.

Cat Normoyle (graphic design) will complete a large-scale mural project in Uptown Greenville by the end of the year. In partnership with the Pitt County Arts Council and with funding from ECU’s Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) program, Normoyle has invited community members to help paint 16 8’x4’ panels that will be installed at 423 Evans St. This research considers and addresses how a design intervention (arts-based community project) can improve and/or expand on the economic, cultural, and community development of Uptown Greenville by contributing to the community’s sense of place through the addition of activity-programming, cultural-historical context, social-spatial interactions, with a specific focus on contributing to the community narrative.

J Public Relations, owned by Jamie Sigler (BA ’01) and sociology alumna Sara Evans, was named by Forbes magazine as one of the top public relations companies in the United States for 2021.

Adrienne Steiner (music therapy) and lead author Rashmita Basu of ECU’s Brody School of Medicine were finalists for the American Public Health Association’s Aging and Public Health Section 2020 Aetna Award for Excellence in Research on Older Women and Public Health for their work “Positive Aspects of Caregiving and Prevention of Overall Decline of Health for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.”

HONORS COLLEGE

Honors College first year student Rachana Charla was highlighted in N.C. State University's Center for Human Health and the Environment newsletter for receiving a position in the 16th annual "Break the Cycle of Children's Environmental Health Disparities" training program. Her mentor is Dr. David Collier, ECU's liaison to the center and a professor of pediatrics at Brody School of Medicine.

Serving the public and creating an inclusive and inspiring community are key parts of the EC Scholars motto. Keeping in line with this creed, the EC Scholars organized a Books that Embrace Race fundraiser that raised over $4,200 for children’s books. Read more.

INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS

Dr. James Morley (Assistant Professor of Biology, Assistant Scientist at the Coastal Studies Institute) published a new paper, along with colleagues from Rutgers University and the University of Bern, in the ICES Journal of Marine Science (doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsaa103). The paper, entitled “Characterizing uncertainty in climate impact projections: a case study with seven marine species on the North American continental shelf,” examines the relative importance of different sources of uncertainty when modeling the response of species to climate change in the 21st century. Using economically important species, including American lobster and Pacific halibut, the authors help to develop a best-practices approach to forecasting climate change effects on U.S. marine species and fisheries. Ensemble projections show the potential for major shifts in future distributions.

The Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), under the direction of George Bonner (Director, NC Renewable Ocean Energy Program) and Dr. Linda D’Anna (Research Scientist, CSI), was recently selected as a regional partner for DOE’s Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP). Working with four other regional partners and DOE National Laboratories to provide resources and access to on-the-ground support for remote and island communities seeking to transform energy systems and lower vulnerability to energy disruptions. Collaborating with UNC-Charlotte’s Energy Production Infrastructure Center, CSI has been awarded $331,000 to work with island communities to address energy and infrastructure challenges over a three-year period. Mr. Bonner, lead PI, noted his excitement about “opportunities to enhance resilience for NC’s vulnerable coastal communities and support NC’s Clean Energy Goals of clean, affordable, reliable, and equitable electrical power.”

The ETIPP Regional Partners, chosen as trusted and knowledgeable organizations to work within their regions on stakeholder and capacity development, include:

• Alaska Center for Energy and Power (Fairbanks, AK)
• Coastal Studies Institute (Outer Banks, NC)
• Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (Honolulu, HI)
• Island Institute (Rockland, ME)
• Renewable Energy Alaska Project (Anchorage, AK)

Eric Diaddorio (ECU Captain, Diving and Water Safety), co-PI with Drs. Rebecca Asch, Joe Luczkovich, Pat Harris, Roger Rulifson, and Mark Sprague, make up the Southern Flounder team, part of a N.C. Marine Fisheries funded project through the Coastal Recreational Fishing License Fund. The team have deployed acoustic receivers in Oregon, Hatteras, Ocracoke, Drum, Bardens, Beaufort and Bogue Inlets and tagged 110 Southern Flounder with acoustic tags. The team is working to track flounder movement and better understand their spawning location and movement patterns.

Coastal Resources Management Ph.D. student Dominic Bush was awarded a Graduate/Ph.D. Scholarship from Chugach Heritage Foundation. The scholarship is a competitive award given to students of Chugach ancestry who are pursuing advanced degrees. The foundation was established as a non-profit by the Alaska Chugach Corporation, which was created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Dominic will receive a graduate scholarship of $5250/semester for the next 3 years, including this year.

Integrated Coastal Programs and the Coastal Studies Institute’s first episode of “Meet the Scientist” featuring Dr. April Blakeslee (Biology) was a great success. It premiered on Nov. 11, and a recording is now archived for those who missed it. The series will continue to highlight ECU and CSI scientists and their work on coastal and marine topics in North Carolina and around the world. For the most up to date “Meet the Scientist” schedule including dates and guest information, please visit https://www.coastalstudiesinstitute.org/meet-the-scientist/.

The 2020 UNC-CH Institute for the Environment’s Outer Banks Field Site (OBXFS), in partnership with Integrated Coastal Programs and the Coastal Studies Institute, hosted the annual Capstone research project presentation, What lies beneath: A socio-ecological case study of septic systems in Nags Head, on Nov. 23. This cohort of students represents the third and final year the OBXFS focused on a study examining the interactions between septic systems and groundwater in Nags Head, North Carolina. This interdisciplinary effort has provided a broader understanding of the social, physical, and biological implications of a rising groundwater table along a populated barrier island. See these exceptional students present their research and the impact it has had on them and our community (click here).