COGER'S CORNER
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Welcome to our October issue of First Monday. This semester is certainly moving swiftly.
I hope your Fall semester is going well and that you’ve been successful in navigating through the planned and unplanned occurrences (e.g., projects, deadlines, events, assignments, Hurricane Ian, etc..) that make this journey fulfilling, while simultaneously prompting many to look forward to Fall Break.
In the September issue, I mentioned that I’ve had the honor of learning about examples of excellence and commitment throughout every part of ECU since joining the ECU family. That continues to be true. I’ve also heard from a few Pirates who read last week’s Chronicle of Higher Education article by Audrey Williams June, which discussed why some high school graduates aren’t choosing to attend college and what universities could do to change their minds. Inside Higher Ed published a similarly focused article, where in both cases the source of the data was a Gates Foundation funded study authored by Edge Research and HCM Strategists. If you haven’t read them, the articles essentially present data from a study of people between the ages of 18 and 30 who either stopped out or chose not to attend college. To briefly summarize, while 38% of those polled pointed to financial concerns as a key reason for not enrolling in college, 62% agreed they “would be willing to take on college debt if guaranteed a good job after graduation." Additionally, 70% of the respondents somewhat agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “On-the-job training is the best path to career advancement.”
The study mentions several key points:
- the need for higher education practitioners to be more effective in communicating our degree programs’ alignments and successes in providing real-world hands-on experiences;
- the need for higher education practitioners to be more effective in positioning graduates to attain degree-aligned jobs and advance students’ career goals;
- many of these potential students want degree program flexibility, as well as help with financial aid & scholarships, managing personal finances, and job search counseling - among other supports.
Connecting the dots, I thought I’d use today’s segment to link a fraction of the excellence ongoing at ECU with some of the support respondents identified as helpful to them in these publications.
We all already know that our faculty are front and center in fostering learning in the classroom in ways that are well received by today’s students and directly relevant to the competencies valued by employers. Wonderful scholarships certainly exist across our University and are also nationally available, and we have dedicated advisors and financial aid experts assisting current and potential students. The accessibility to and number of these scholarships are areas in which our University can improve, yet I also respect that the larger Academic Affairs community is currently in a better position than I am to assess the steepness of our opportunity curve in this arena.
ECU students also have opportunities to engage in course-specific projects, faculty-led research, REDE’s RISE29 projects, CRISP Center projects, global experiences abroad, on-campus work, service as student leaders and community volunteers, and internships & co-ops with local and national employers. Regarding the latter, ECU’s Career Services produced their Fall Career Fair last week and that office is an incredible resource for students to access key resources for preparing their resumes, navigating interviews, and so much more.
All of these things are critical for positioning students to secure the jobs of their dreams after graduating from Pirate degree programs, if - and only if - students:
- Immerse in the learning that comes from both the curricular and extracurricular activities; and
- Make time to document and reflect on their experiences in ways that elevate their resumes, electronic portfolios, and subsequent job interviews.
This brings me to another gem already existing at ECU – the ECU GROW program led by Student Affairs and also adopted by the leadership of Joyner Library. For those unfamiliar with the program, its tenets are designed to help students translate their learning through ECU work to their future careers using a framing defined by 11 competencies. I am pleased to share that at our last Deans Council meeting, the Deans expressed enthusiasm in learning more about the program. I also suspect that as this incredible program “grows” (pun intended) throughout Pirate Nation, we will also find applicability of the ECU Grow framework to the learning that our students gain in the classroom.
ECU’s faculty and staff are experts and life-long learners doing wonderful work. As we succeed in communicating that work more broadly, while continuing to leverage the knowledge of our many Pirate Nation experts to advance our amazing One ECU, I am confident that we will also win as a national exemplar in continuing to attract learners of every age to our programs.
Enjoy this October issue, and please join me in thanking all the contributors and the issue's designer for making this issue of First Monday possible.
Regards,
Robin Coger
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BY THE NUMBERS
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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS
As part of ongoing efforts to expand ECU’s global impact, the Office of Global Affairs is pleased to announce that applications for the university’s annual international awards for faculty and staff are now open. These awards highlight the impactful contributions of ECU faculty and staff in the areas of international teaching, research/creative activity, and service. More information on this year’s awards can be found HERE. The application deadline is October 14.
Academically supported, professionally prepared, You Belong at ECU!
This year, the Office of Global Affairs has placed considerable emphasis on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for our international students. In addition to an enhanced international orientation and a new Welcome Cookout, we also organized a day trip to the Outer Banks and hosted the third annual International Tailgate during Parents Weekend to help familiarize our international students and Global Fellows with their new home.
Have you checked out the new Study Abroad Wall in the Main Campus Student Center? Special thanks to Ben Robbins, Katie Erickson, Erik Kneubuehl, Dean Smith, Melanie Bunch, Brad Ritchie, Chris Jones, T.C. Powers, Mike Litwin and Ricky Ipock on making this vision a reality as well Erin Taylor for the creative content. This is a beautiful jewel in ECU’s Pirate chest, promoting study abroad to enrolled students and ECU to prospective Pirates.
Upcoming events for faculty, staff and students:
Study Abroad Fair
- For: Students interested in learning about their study abroad options
- Date: October 5
- Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Location: Main Campus Student Center – Lawn
Global Zone Training
- For: Faculty and staff interested in contributing to a more welcoming and inclusive environment for international students and scholars
- Date: November 17
- Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Location: Main Campus Student Center – Black Box Theater
- Register: Sign up today!
World Cup Watch Party
- For: Kickoff of the world’s most watched sporting event
- Date: November 21
- Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Location: Main Campus Student Center – Lawn
OFFICE OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT
New startup faculty members were invited to a STEM@Starlight meet-and-greet event on September 26 at the Life Sciences and Biotechnology building. Loren Limberis provided an introduction to the Eastern Region Pharma Center and new faculty members gave three-minute presentations on their research interests. This event is a partnership between REDE and the NC Biotechnology Center. STEM@Starlight events are held once a quarter and are open to all ECU faculty and staff. Contact Mary Farwell to learn more about STEM@Starlight.
Dr. Emily Yeager, College of Health and Human Performance, and Cat Normoyle, School of Art and Design, were named awardees of the highly competitive Engagement Scholarship Consortium’s (ESC) Research/Creative Activities Grants Program. Only 13 other faculty members in the nation were named for 2022.
Yeager and Normoyle, along with other grant recipients, were recognized during the Engagement Scholarship Consortium Annual Conference, September 19-22 in Athens, Georgia. Read more about the awards HERE.
Post presentations during the meeting included:
- Using the Give-Get Grid to Evaluate Impact of Engagement: Deborah Tyndall, ECU and Mitzi Pestaner, ECU. This presentation described a partnership between East Carolina University and a Title 1 middle school in North Carolina serving underrepresented youth. Insights gained from using the Give-Get Grid group process tool during a Partner Retreat to assess contributions (‘gives’) and benefits (‘gets’) were discussed.
- Anti-Oppressive Practice across Institutional, Co-curricular, and Curricular Contexts of CLDE: Dennis McCunney, ECU and Jacquelyn Lee, UNCW. Anti-oppressive practice (AOP) is an interdisciplinary framework used in various fields to explore the dynamics of power and privilege at play on individual and structural levels. Guiding principles include focus on equity, empowerment, intersectionality, self-exploration, and collaboration. This presentation explored integrating the framework across institutional, co-curricular, and curricular contexts.
- Partnering to Address Racial Trauma & Promote Equity in Schools: Mitzi Pestaner, ECU. Presenter discussed a partnership that involves a training program and manual titled Trauma: The Invisible Elephant that Underlies Challenging Behavior to focus on racial trauma, implicit bias, and racial inequities in public-school systems in eastern North Carolina serving low-income, high minority, underserved populations.
Do you want to start your own business and become part of the thriving regional startup scene? Do you have an idea for the next big thing? The Small Business & Technology Development Center at ECU can help. Register for our unique on-campus business launch program, Taking the Leap, to learn how to start a business, identify potential markets, pitch your idea, and profitably price your product or service. The program is free and provides an accelerated, one week cohort. With the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge right around the corner, now is the time to perfect your business plan and pitch skills. For more information on an upcoming Taking the Leap: Pirate Edition, contact our business launch specialist, Tyler Lumley via email or at 252-320-9226.
Continuing & Professional Education Opportunity:
Organization, Operation, and Strategy for Economic Developers in North Carolina, Nov. 2-3. This course establishes a fast track not only to understand, but to implement and practice the key tenets of economic development. Excelling at Organization, Operations, and Strategy can position your community to achieve its best future. The three primary organizational structures of an economic development program will be identified, explained, and discussed. The importance of establishing effective and efficient operations and creating a strategy with measurable deliverables will be stressed. These key components get to the heart of what makes economic development work in your community. Register HERE.
ECU’s Lifelong Learning Program opened the fall semester with 90 registrants. This year, the office removed the 50+ age requirement to include all adult learners. One of the more popular classes was the Tuscarora of Eastern North Carolina, which was a rare, sold-out class and received great reviews. The Coastal Studies Institute on the Outer Banks hosted the group for an educational group tour, and participants were very interested in future classes with CSI instructors. If you would like to offer your expertise as an instructor, contact Annette Kariko with the Lifelong Learning Program to see what opportunities are available. Know someone who could benefit from the LLP offerings? Information is available HERE.
Dr. Rukiyah Van Dross, associate professor in Pharmacology and Toxicology, recently received a $398,200 Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant was awarded to Claradele Pharmaceuticals which was founded by Dr. Van Dross in 2020. In addition to funding from NCI, Dr. Van Dross received a matching grant of $75,000 from the One North Carolina Small Business Program. Funds will be used to advance a novel small molecule immunomodulator for the treatment of melanoma (patent protected). Support for the intellectual property portfolio and new venture development was provided by the Office of Licensing and Commercialization.
OFFICE OF ONLINE LEARNING, ACADEMIC OUTREACH AND ACADEMIC INNOVATION
The ECU Online Student Services Team hosted a LIVE Q&A Distance Education Student Forum on September 14. Online students were invited to join us virtually for a presentation from the Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC). The PASC Director, Dr. Elizabeth Coghill, gave an overview of all the services available at a distance. After the presentation, the floor was opened for questions. Each fall and spring, we host a Live Q&A Distance Education Student Forum based on topics suggested by students. Past forums have included Library Services, Financial Aid as well as Career Services.
If you haven't lately, we invite you to visit the ECU Online website. ECU Online: Real Options for Real Life.
Over the past academic year, the Collaborative for Online Learning (CfOL)’s initial efforts have been to provide mechanisms for movement for programs that are identified through the strategic enrollment efforts (SEM – Academic Program Planning and Development) as having potential for growth in the online learning space, specifically as 100% online programs. The CfOL, along with the Academic Planning and Accreditation (APA), helped to support the development of three existing degree programs seeking approval for online delivery with completing the necessary UNC SO documentation. These degree programs have been deployed into the Curriculog System for university review. Please contact Jennifer Baysden if you have interest in offering your existing degree program in an online delivery format.
Jeff Netznik, the Director of Military Outreach, represented ECU at the MWR Awards Banquet aboard Fort Bragg Army base held on September 23. ECU came in third out of 95 sponsors who advertise aboard Fort Bragg. These sponsorships and advertising help to conduct several activities and events throughout the year that support our troops and families with a variety of services as they serve our country. This is the third year in a row that ECU has been recognized as a top sponsor aboard Fort Bragg.
FACULTY SENATE
2022 - 2023 Faculty Senate meeting dates are as follows:
- October 4, 2022
- November 1, 2022
- December 6, 2022
- January 24, 2023
- February 21, 2023
- March 28, 2023
- April 25, 2023
- May 2, 2023 (Organizational Meeting for 2023-2024)
For more about ECU Faculty Senate, click HERE.
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COLLEGE UPDATES
ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
Part of the college’s interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives, the annual Fall Risk Assessment brought together 92 graduate students from Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies for an exercise one recent Friday afternoon. Split into small groups with a member from each program, students reviewed a patient case and developed a plan to assess that patient together in the time allotted. Standardized patient actors from the Department of Clinical Skills Assessment and Education then met with the group playing their assigned patient role.
The interprofessional groups shared their conclusions with other students and faculty during a large debrief session. Several professors from the OT, PA, and PT programs volunteered their time to prepare, set up, and guide students through the Fall Risk Assessment, including:
- Professor Audrey Eaves, Clinical Associate Professor in Physician Assistant Studies
- Dr. Tim Harrigan, Clinical Assistant Professor in Physician Assistant Studies
- Dr. Young Joo Kim, Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy
- Dr. James (Chia-Cheng) Lin, Associate Professor in Physical Therapy
- Dr. Christine Lysaght, IPE Task Force Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy
- Dr. Lynne Murphy, Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy also recently started collaborating with Physical Therapy in the department’s Student-Run Clinic, building the college's interprofessional practice and creating opportunities for patients to receive integrated, pro-bono care.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Dr. Leigh Atherton, Associate Professor in Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies, a five-year, $2.5 million grant for the 'Engage Eastern NC: Minority AIDS Initiative' project. Engage ENC: MAI will provide outreach and engagement services for racial and ethnic minorities with a history of substance use who are at high risk for developing HIV/AIDS. It complements the current 'Engage ENC: Workforce Development' project for which Dr. Atherton received an additional five-year, $2.5 million award from SAMHSA in 2021.
Alice Kenneally, a Physician Assistant Studies student, received the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship, a program that incentivizes professionals to practice in areas with high need for medical services. In exchange for two years providing primary health care after graduation, Alice's tuition, fees, and other eligible education costs will be paid for by the Health Resources & Services Administration. Alice will also receive a monthly stipend to assist with living expenses while enrolled.
Drs. Leigh Cellucci - Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Allied Health Sciences - and Tony Cellucci - Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology - recently published the second edition of 'Ethics and Professionalism for Healthcare Managers’ by the Health Administration Press.
Kym Jefferson, Technology Support Analyst for the College of Allied Health Sciences, received 72 Panopto recording requests for faculty to capture their fall courses. As Instructional Technologist, Kym will oversee more than 1,800 recordings before the semester ends with assistance from her student worker, Emily Platt, a Clinical Counseling student in the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies.
ARTS & SCIENCES
Research by Michelle Malkin, assistant professor of criminal justice in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, shows that North Carolina has a high rate of problem gambling despite the lack of legalized gambling available. Malkin also said that problem gambling does not affect the gambler alone. An estimated 10 to 17 people, primarily family members or coworkers, are affected by a gambler’s addiction. Read more HERE.
Anna Froula, associate professor of English, with Sheena Eagan, assistant professor of bioethics in the Brody School of Medicine, have been awarded a grant from the North Carolina Humanities. The grant will support the seventh iteration of ECU’s Veteran to Scholar Boot Camp in August 2023, with cost-sharing support from ECU’s Harriot College, the Brody School of Medicine and the Mason Fund.
ECU’s Center for Survey Research, led by Peter Francia, professor of political science, has released a new North Carolina state election poll showing upcoming U.S. Senate election Republican nominee, Ted Budd, receiving support of 49% of likely voters, compared to 46% for Democratic nominee, Cheri Beasley. Read the full report HERE. The poll’s results appeared on several websites including MSNBC, FiveThirtyEight, 270toWin and Real Clear Politics. Francia also appeared on the radio program “Talk of the Town with Henry Hinton” (September 14), as well as WPTF radio in Raleigh (September 14) to discuss the poll’s results.
Kayla Sall, a graduate student in the clinical health psychology doctoral program, led a collaborative team between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences in writing, “Cardiac psychology training in a rural health care setting: East Carolina Heart Institute,” which will appear in an upcoming edition of Health Psychology, a journal by the American Psychological Association. The article details ECU’s training program and its strong collaborations in cardiology and highlights the importance as a national model for ideal collaboration between cardiology and psychology training that enhances the clinical and research expertise of both groups. Co-authors include Rajasekhar Nekkanti, professor of cardiovascular sciences at the Brody School of Medicine; Sam Sears, professor of psychology; and ECU doctoral students Ashley Griffin, Emily Midgette, Andrea Winters, and Connor Tripp.
BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
SUPPORTING PUBLIC HEALTH
A partnership between ECU and Fayetteville State University has secured more than $1.3 million in grant funding from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation to address regional public health needs.
The partnership will build pathways to recruit a diverse graduate student population through the development of a summer research immersion program and provide graduate student scholarship support. The partnership will fund scholarships for students from the state’s Minority Serving Institutions — Historically Black Colleges and Universities and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke — to enter East Carolina University’s public health, environmental health, health education and promotion, biology and biotechnology graduate programs.
Eastern North Carolina is a predominantly rural region, characterized by high rates of preventable chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this situation and exposed the ongoing need for a strong public health infrastructure.
“It is exciting to see this program supporting diversity and providing opportunities to underserved students centered on public health graduate educational attainment, and the future impact of those educated through our commitment to this program shows promise to impact the health of the eastern North Carolina residents for years to come,” said Marilyn Foote-Hudson, executive director of the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.
RESEARCH CAREER AWARD
An ECU researcher has earned a National Science Foundation Career Award for $1.2 million over five years to study synapse formation in brain development, which is vital to cognitive processes like learning and memory.
Dr. Karen Litwa, assistant professor in the Brody School of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, was awarded the grant for the project, which aims to address how synapses — the points of contact between neurons where information is passed from one neuron to the next — form in brain development and mediate the transfer of information in the brain. The research techniques will allow “unrivaled experimental access to developing synapses,” according to Litwa’s project abstract.
“The brain supports complex cognitive processes, such as learning and memory,” Litwa said. “These complex processes require information transfer within the brain. Synapses mediate this information transfer, yet important details about the exact ways that synapses form in brain development are still unknown.”
Each year, close to 500 researchers are recognized for their potential to serve as “academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization,” according to the NSF. “Dr. Litwa joined this elite group and has shown that ECU’s investments in growing the university’s research portfolio are paying off, and we are thrilled that she has achieved this prestigious award,” said Dr. Sharon Paynter, ECU’s acting chief research and engagement officer. “This award is a signal of the high-quality research undertaken at ECU. It also evidences the return on our investments in recruiting innovative faculty and providing them with institutional research support once they are on campus. The NSF Career award will allow Dr. Litwa to engage and inspire students to continue their own journeys of discovery.”
BRODY ALUMNI MAKING A DIFFERENCE
For nearly a half century, the Brody School of Medicine has been fulfilling its three-fold promise to North Carolina to increase the number of primary care physicians who serve the state, improve the health status of eastern North Carolina and enhance the access to a medical education for minority and disadvantaged students.
Brody, which only accepts North Carolina residents, consistently ranks in the top 10% nationally for medical schools that produce physicians who practice in-state, in primary care and in underserved areas. The school leads the state in the percentage of its graduates who practice in North Carolina, as more than 50% of its nearly 2,400 alumni practice in state. The school was also ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2022 as the ninth “Most Diverse Medical School” in the nation. Additionally, Brody provides an affordable medical education that enables alumni enter the workforce with an average graduate debt that is $50,000 less than students from other medical schools.
“The Brody School Medicine, in my opinion, is the highest value medical school in the nation. And that is very intentional,” said Dr. Mike Waldrum, Brody’s dean and CEO of ECU Health. “Our mission is to train North Carolinians to care for North Carolinians and to be well equipped to address the complex health challenges facing the residents of our state, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. When our students graduate, they are very highly trained and also have more financial flexibility, so they are able to pursue literally any career path of their choice. And the data consistently shows that a majority choose to stay in North Carolina, choose to practice primary care and choose to serve in communities where they are needed most.”
Read more about how some Brody graduates are making a difference HERE.
BRODY RESEARCHERS LINK ANCESTRAL DIET, MODERN HEALTH FACTORS
Parental diet and physical activity levels are critical factors in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders such as diabetes not only among their offspring but also their children’s children and beyond, according to ECU researchers.
Studies at ECU have shown epigenetic factors — those that are passed down in addition to DNA — such as ancestral diet, can influence offspring feeding behavior along with changes in activity, triglyceride levels and mitochondrial density in the brain. They also found the generational differences are associated with changes in sets of proteins in the brain proteome and microRNA, the bioregulators that can determine how genes function.
Their most recent findings, under review by the journal Scientific Reports, together with the familial clustering of obesity, may indicate children’s food preferences and eating habits could be hard-wired into their brains — that ancestral nutrition could be a critical factor in feeding behavior.
“Something is transmitted from parents to offspring making them more predisposed to obesity or other metabolic disorders,” said Alexander Murashov, a professor of physiology at the Brody School of Medicine. “We don’t know the mechanism. But it may be changes at mitochondrial level.”
Murashov is collaborating with Darrell Neufer, professor of physiology and director of the East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute; Kelsey Fisher-Wellman, assistant professor of physiology at ECU; and Krishna Bhat, professor of molecular medicine at the University of South Florida. Their research has been funded by grants totaling more than $1.5 million from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
RESPIRATOR RESEARCH
A recent study by a team of Brody researchers confirmed that while N95 respirator masks are more expensive and a bit less comfortable, they offer much greater protection against catching COVID-19 and other airborne infections than reusable cloth face coverings.
Dr. Sinan Sousan, an assistant professor at Brody — joined by Dr. Jo Anne Balanay and Public Health and Honors College student Omar Chaaban, of ECU’s College of Health and Human Performance — proved as much in a study of five different N95-alternative (KN95) respirators and five commercially available cloth face coverings. The results of the study were published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The research conducted by Sousan, Balanay and Chaaban suggests, however, that the cloth masks that many of us relied on over the past few years are of little value in protecting ourselves from respiratory viruses like COVID-19. The study confirmed that in the face of potential COVID-19 variants or other novel respiratory viruses, the only reliable protection is the government-approved N95 respirator mask and some KN95 alternatives. The N95 mask is the most efficient, and cost effective, filter of airborne contaminants and disease-causing infectious agents, including bacteria and viruses like COVID-19. As the name suggests, the N95 mask filters about 95% of potentially harmful particles.
DASHBOARD SHOWCASES MEDICAL STUDENT TRENDS
The Brody School of Medicine Admissions Dashboard is now live! This dynamic tool provides details on BSOM Admissions Student Profiles, including year-by-year trends and analytics about Brody entering classes starting with the Class of 2025, and offers admissions information to incoming students. Made available through ECU’s Office of Data Analysis and Strategy, the dashboard serves as a hub for information, including breakdowns by county and applicant demographics.
The interactive dashboard shows specific data, such as how many students were selected for the 2021 and 2022 academic entry years, and the average age of incoming students and a map of Brody students’ home counties. For example, did you know that 17% of students for admission year 2022 are first-generation college students? Or that 1,155 students applied for the 86 spots in the 2022 entering class? The dashboard also includes academic information like the top undergraduate schools attended, top majors students earned degrees in before medical school, average GPA and MCAT scores.
BUSINESS
On September 15, ECU officials cut the ribbon on a new space made for bringing people on campus together to brainstorm ideas and solve problems. In addition to open space, the Isley Innovation Hub offers a One Button Studio to record high-quality videos, a technology lab with software for design and testing, the Wornom Makerspace, 3D printers and scanners, an automated cutting machine, power and hand tools, and a sewing machine for hands-on idea experimentation. Read more HERE. The innovation hub builds on the success of the College of Business’ Miller School of Entrepreneurship, the first named school of entrepreneurship in North Carolina.
The College of Business has found its next cohort of the Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellows. Eight new fellows will participate in a comprehensive program that celebrates and encourages a culture of diversity and inclusion. They will immerse themselves in an extensive range of programming that includes multicultural experiences outside the classrooms and a celebration of the diverse experiences in the COB student body. Read more HERE. The 2022 Copeland Fellows include:
- Kadyn Pleasants, management
- Lauren Humann, entrepreneurship, EC Scholar
- Andrea Knight, management, Honors College
- Rodney Bonilla Gonzalez, marketing and supply chain management
- Caitlin Kysar, hospitality management
- Neeraj Mehra, entrepreneurship, Honors College
- Tiphany Watson, marketing
- Logan Mitscherlich, finance
The College of Business’ annual Meet the Firms event, designed to introduce regional and state accounting firms to soon-to-be College of Business (COB) accounting graduates, returned to ECU’s Murphy Hall on September 13. Twenty-eight accounting firms met, networked and connected with 180 accounting students with varying career aspirations. “This event is the highlight of our fall semester," said Dr. Cal Christian, accounting chair. "It felt like gameday! Our students are in high demand and to be able to come out tonight and experience the excitement of having all of these employers on campus wanting to recruit our students is awesome.” Read more HERE.
Officers with ECU’s Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) chapter, a business fraternity for risk management and insurance students, just returned from the annual GIS Leadership Symposium. Jason Broder, ECU chapter president and Filmon Futsum, the chapter’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer, attended the event so they could learn how to make the most of the ECU chapter, e.g., new ways to recruit, holding joint events, etc.
Both Broder and Futsum are busy representing the ECU chapter at a national level, as well. They currently are members of the Student Advisory Council for GIS’ grand chapter. They work closely with the Grand Chapter to heighten member engagement and allow all students to have a great experience regardless of chapter size or demographics. In late September, Broder and Futsum were scheduled to attend the annual GIS National Conference in Charlotte. There, they network with other students and industry recruiters, attend sessions, and lead “regional” sessions. Futsum is also scheduled to lead a session on diversity, equity and inclusion. Read more HERE.
The Miller School of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business held its second induction ceremony Friday, September 16 in the ECU Main Student Center. In total, the Miller School welcomed 26 students who plan to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship degree within the next two years. Miller School acting director Dr. Dennis Barber III welcomed inductees and families to the celebration. Dr. Mike Harris, interim dean of ECU’s College of Business, congratulated the inductees on behalf of the COB. Fielding Miller (BSBA ’84), CEO and co-founder of CAPTRUST, was also on hand and provided advice to whom he called “future job creators.”
“I continue to be pleasantly surprised with the progress of the Miller School and the quality of its students,” said Miller.
Five additional students were named to the Chip Chesson Fellowship program. Read more HERE.
Congratulations to School of Hospitality Leadership graduate Hailee Austin. She is the recipient of two scholarships that have awarded her more than $4,000. The scholarships came from the Professional Convention Management Association and the International Association of Exhibition and Events. Austin is in her first year of graduate school, working toward her master of business administration degree with a certification in sports management. She is currently interning with ECU Athletics Pirate Hospitality and REVELxp, where she is learning to manage premium seating and hospitality in the sports industry. Hailee is also involved on campus as the vice president of the Women in Business Club and a senator for the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. Read more HERE.
College of Business finance professor Dr. Thanh Ngo is a publishing machine. During fiscal year 21-22, she published nine papers with a common theme of corporate governance on a firm’s transparency and long-run performance. One of those papers, “Assortative Matching in Merging Firms’ Stock Price Informativeness,” was awarded the best corporate finance paper during the 2021 Academy of Finance meeting. The paper was set to be published September 2022 in the journal Applied Economics. Read more HERE.
The College of Business’ Management Information Systems’ student organization, formerly known as AITP, has been approved as a member of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Student Chapters organization. The premier international network of student organizations is designed to increase student success through the development of leadership skills and engagement in activities, preparing them to assimilate readily into the profession and enhance career trajectories.
On September 14, more than 125 students and faculty attended a resume workshop hosted by multiple College of Business student organizations. The groups requested Melissa Parks, Associate Director of the Cunanan Center for Professional Success share the dos and don’ts of resume writing to prepare students for upcoming job fairs. Virtual students participated as well as COB alumni who helped during the workshop.
Decision-makers need relevant and actionable data about the business and economic environment. The Bureau of Business Research (BBR) in the COB is addressing this need. As an example, through an ongoing partnership with the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP), researchers in the BBR are helping manufacturers by providing services to support production and innovation. To date, researchers at ECU have completed dozens of projects with manufacturers across our region.
DENTAL MEDICINE
LEWIS PROFESSORSHIP NAMES FIRST SCHOLAR
Dr. Michael Webb was named the inaugural recipient of the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Pediatric Dentistry during a July 21 ceremony at the East Carolina Heart Institute. Webb is a clinical associate professor and chair of the school’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
The Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Distinguished Professorship and related Collaborative position the school to place a more specialized emphasis on evolving topics, treatments and research in the realm of pediatric dentistry and to enhance educational experiences in classrooms and clinics.
“It is a great honor to be named the inaugural Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Distinguished Scholar,” Webb said. “As this professorship and collaborative developed, it has become so much more than I think any of us imagined it would. We are honoring the legacy of Dr. Jasper Lewis, Jr., but we are doing it in a way that perpetuates his deep commitment to provide dental care for all children.”
PAFFORD NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
Dr. Maggie Pafford was named associate dean for student affairs in August after an extensive national search. Pafford most recently served as clinical assistant professor, general practice group leader and 8x30 course director for the ECU SoDM. Pafford was the first graduate of the ECU School of Dental Medicine to join the school’s faculty. She earned her DMD as a member of the school’s inaugural Class of 2015 and went on to complete an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency at the SoDM, before joining the faculty in fall 2016. She began her educational journey at ECU as well, earning a BA in chemistry in 2011.
She was a member of the 2020 ECU Leadership Development Academy and is a founding member and current faculty advisor for the SoDM’s Women in Dentistry organization. She is also an active member of the SoDM’s faculty practice. Pafford is a member of American Dental Education Association, North Carolina Dental Society, American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Association of Women Dentists and Fifth District Society.
STUDENT AND ALUMNI AWARDS
D4 Octavia Miller was named the Overall National Winner of the Audacity to Dream Scholarship from the Colgate/National Dental Association Foundation Audacity to Dream Scholarship program, which was created to recognize some of the most talented rising dentists and help alleviate the cost burden of their education.
“Representing ‘the audacity’ is huge,” Miller said. “I hope that achievements like this remove every bit of self-doubt other small-town students may have and challenges them to see a problem and create a solution. I want the students coming behind me to feel empowered.”
Dr. Toyosi Coker ’22 won the 2022 Hanau Best of the Best Prosthodontic Award, which is presented nationally to the graduating senior who has excelled in the study and clinical applications of prosthodontics. She was nominated by Dr. Maged Abdelaal, clinical associate professor and division director of prosthodontics at ECU.
“I look forward to continuing my time at ECU as an AEGD-1 resident over the next year and finding my footing as a practitioner,” Coker said. “I feel very honored to be chosen amongst many other recipients of this award across the country.”
SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS
- The school’s ECU Smiles for Veterans program, which offers qualifying veterans free dental care, expanded to the Lillington community service learning center. The program, which began in 2018 at the Sylva CSLC and expanded to the Brunswick County center last year, has provided oral health care for well over 200 veterans.
- Since spring 2022, faculty and students have traveled to Swan Quarter once a month to care for patients in Hyde County, one of the state’s four counties without a practicing dentist, as well as the surrounding counties and communities. The satellite clinic also provides more hands-on training for students as they navigate patient care and learn office processes.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The 52 students in the Class of 2026 represent 27 North Carolina counties and were selected from among 328 applicants.
- Students from the class of 2015 through the Class of 2025 have come from 86 North Carolina counties, representing 66 rural counties and 20 urban counties.
- More than 400 alumni have graduated from the SoDM; 90% of those who have completed educational requirements are practicing in North Carolina.
- The School of Dental Medicine earned a 2022 Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Award for Excellence in Social Mission in Health Care Professions education for its focus on social mission across the state.
EDUCATION
The College of Education hosted its annual Scholarship Recipient and Donor Recognition Ceremony where over 130 scholarship recipients were honored.
A research collaboration between Counselor Education’s Dr. Allison Crowe and Criminal Justice’s Dr. Heidi Bonner explored how law enforcement officers use mental health resources. Their research highlighted peer-to-peer programs and professional assistance programs as main assets.
The College of Education welcomed Dr. Holly Fales into a new role this summer. She was named the assistant dean of undergraduate affairs and educator preparation.
ECU’s Staff Senate coordinated their 4th annual School Supply Drive for the ECU Community School and were able to donate 1,477 school supplies for our scholars.
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
The Department of Construction Management received its reaccreditation from the American Council for Construction Education through 2029. The program was the first to be accredited in the state and is one of less than 80 construction management programs to be accredited in the country. Dr. George Wang, chair of the department, thanks the entire staff and faculty for their hard work in attaining the achievement.
Dr. Michael Behm, a professor in the Department of Technology Systems, was recently named the 2022 Safety Professional of the Year by the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals. Behm played an important role in helping the Master of Science in occupational safety (MSOS) program achieve a six-year accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Read more HERE.
The college’s Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering spearheaded ECU’s celebration of national Pollution Prevention Week. Events included a solar energy demonstration as well as a seminar. Read more HERE.
The college hosted its Student Organization and Appreciation Day on Sept. 13, drawing hundreds of students to the event. More than 15 student clubs and organizations set up tables to recruit new members and explain their missions and goals for the upcoming academic year, and students and participants were treated to a free lunch where they had to chance to interact and enjoy some social time outside of class.
FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION
The College of Fine Arts and Communication hosts monthly gatherings at the Proctor Yongue House (PYH), CFAC PoPs (Pirates on the Porch), as part of Uptown Greenville’s First Friday Art Walk. These monthly gatherings start at 5:00pm at the Proctor Yongue House and will include several elements of our college. Our October PoPs event focuses on Pride, celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. Please join us at the PYH to view the work by the School of Art and Design students and their invited guest artists this Friday, October 7. Find us on campus HERE.
Dan Rutzen (Musical Direction) was recognized at the Dora Mavor Moore Award (DORA), a prestigious award given to Toronto theatre, dance, and opera, for the production of Sweeney Todd. This production led the Musical Theatre Division as well as earning the most nods in any Division with 13 nominations. Along with four other wins, Sweeney took Outstanding Production – the top award in the category.
Dr. Jung Kyu Kim joins the School of Communication as the visiting scholar for this year. Dr. Kim is associate professor at Pukyung National University, which is located in beautiful Busan (the second largest city in South Korea). Dr. Kim's primary research areas are advertising effect, transmedia narrative, and immersive/interactive media (like VR). He finished his master's degree at Ball State University and his doctoral degree at the University of Alabama (roll tide!).
In Animation Career Review 2022 Illustration School Rankings (4th annual rankings), the Illustration program is rated top 50 Nationally (#40, top 30%), top 25 Nationally among Public Schools and Colleges (#13, top 25%), and top 10 in the South (#6) - #2 in North Carolina.
Robin Haller had an Artist Residency at the Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduós, Iceland during the entire month of July. She was one of thirteen international artists working at the center and the only person awarded the TC2 residency. During her time there, Robin worked on digital files of images that inspired her during daily walks, including flowers, rocks, beaches, landscapes, experiences, and interactions with the other artists and local Icelandic people. Robin wove these designs on the TC2 hand-jacquard loom at the new Textile Lab at the Icelandic Textile Center. She created 32 weavings during this residency. The work culminated into an international exhibition with the other artists-in-residence.
Dr. Jay Juchniewicz was selected to serve a six-year term on the editorial committee of the Journal of Research in Music Education by National Association for Music Education.
The Music Therapy department has announced that 100% of their 2021 Graduates are employed in the field! The 2021 grads complete an internship following completion of coursework and must pass their National Boards. This is quite an accomplishment and a credit to Dr. Ginny Driscoll and Dr. Adrienne Steiner-Brett.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Graduate School is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James Coker as Assistant Dean for Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Management. Dr. Coker has served as Senior Associate Director of Admissions for Processing Operations in the Undergraduate Admissions office since 2019 and, more recently, as the Interim Assistant Dean for the Graduate School since October 2021. Dr. Coker began his career in admissions and enrollment management at Shenandoah University, where he served as Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions and as Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions for Transfer Student Recruitment. As Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Wilkes University, he successfully enrolled the second largest class in university history and restructured their tour and student worker budget to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Dr. Coker comes with vast wealth of knowledge in the field of admissions. Since joining ECU in January 2013, he has served in positions that support our undergraduate admissions, which will serve well as he transitions into the world of graduate admissions. He also oversaw the implementation of two customer relationship management projects, including our most recent university-wide conversion to TargetX. Dr. Coker is a Pirate who gives tirelessly to the university, and we are excited to have him join the Graduate School in maintaining and increasing graduate student enrollment.
HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Dr. Joseph Lee and the College of Health and Human Performance welcomed faculty from various campus colleges and departments for the first National Institute of Health biosketch and breakfast workshop involving NIH-funded researchers and experts. HHP faculty representatives Drs. Kristin Black, Kate Egan and Eric Soule served as panelists, sharing their experiences and tips for preparing and updating an NIH biosketch.
ECU’s Recreational Therapy program earned an Excellence in Education award issued by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, which was founded in 1984. Mrs. Rebecca Burnworth and Drs. Jaehyun Kim, David Loy, Lori Ann Eldridge and Megan Janke attended the ATRA Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, to receive the award. According to the ATRA, ECU was recognized as a clinical agency or institution of higher education that distinguished itself through outstanding contributions to the recreational therapy profession.
HHP alum Jamie Reed, who is Senior Director of Medical Operations for the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball, hosted representatives from the ECU Alumni Association Dallas alumni chapter for special access prior to the Rangers’ home game against the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 14. The guests enjoyed access on the field for pregame batting practice. Reed is a 1982 ECU graduate.
Dr. Alice Richman received a $238,905.90 award from research-intensive biopharmaceutical company Merck titled, “Advancing vaccine equity: A mixed-methods study to understand vaccine hesitancy, structural barriers, and trust in vaccine information among medically underserved populations living in the rural South.” Richman is a professor in Health Education and Promotion.
HONORS
The Honors College hosted its second annual research fair in the new Isley Innovation Hub. More than 50 researchers from across the university signed up to meet Honors students and share their ongoing research projects with them.
The Honors College is thrilled to welcome our newest staff member, Meghan Lower, as our business services coordinator. Meghan is a graduate of the Honors and the EC Scholars Program. Previously, Meghan worked for ECU Admissions and the Honors College at the University of South Carolina.
Senior business major Evelyn Gonzalez represented the Honors College during this year’s Incredible ECU Women Award Luncheon as a student speaker. Evelyn is a Copeland Fellow and currently interns with SAS.
Senior EC Scholar Vedika Modi for winning the 2022 Paul Farr Essay Award contest in ECU’s English Department. This contest encourages excellence in undergraduate expository writing, particularly emphasizing clarity and elegance in prose.
INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS
ICS Ph.D. students Samantha Farquhar, Maria Gomez Saldarriaga, and Yicheng Xu, and Dr. Nadine Heck (Coastal Studies) recently published a paper in Frontiers in Marine Science about how long-term changes in weather have decreased fishing ability of small-scale fishers in Madagascar.
ICS Ph.D. student Samantha Farquhar has received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) award to study fisheries development and food security in the Canadian Arctic. She will work in partnership with the Université Laval and the Makivik Corporation to understand how commercial fisheries development may impact local food systems and lead to food security outcomes in Nunavik.
ICS Ph.D. student Maria Gomez Saldarriaga has been accepted to the National Science Foundation's NRT Graduate Student Communicating Research Series! As a participant in the series, Maria will attend six, weekly workshops this fall as well as the NRT Annual Conference in mid-October.
CRM Ph.D. student Brian Bartlett and Dr. Rebecca Asch (Biology), along with a colleague from Louisiana State University, recently received funding for a grant “Climate Change Impacts on Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations, Larval Dispersal, and Settlement in Southeastern U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries and Surrounding Areas” from the NOAA Climate Program Office. The project was awarded three years of funding at $445,000, and the team will use this funding to investigate how climate change will influence fish spawning aggregations by utilizing climate models to determine spawning habitat and population connectivity for key species of interest (Black Grouper, Nassau Grouper, and Mutton Snapper) in three National Marine Sanctuaries: Gray’s Reef, Florida Keys, and Flower Garden Banks.
ICP’s Dive Safety Officer, Ryan Bradley, organized a screening of the documentary “To What Remains” along with a panel of guest speakers with experience recovering POW/MIAs in underwater environments. Members of Project Recover, subjects of the film, along with the veterans advocacy group Task Force Dagger Foundation and members of the Maritime Studies faculty were on hand to answer questions at the conclusion of the film regarding their experiences conducting this important work.
George Bonner, Director of the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program (led by the Coastal Studies Institute), participated in the “Building a Better North Carolina” event at the White House in September. Participants included Mayors, local government leaders, and broader community and special interest groups from across NC. Bonner represented veterans working in the clean energy sector.
The Coastal Studies Institute will host its first BioBlitz at the ECU Outer Banks Campus on October 22 from 11 AM- 1 PM. An extension of First Flight High School senior Fenton McKown's internship project at the Coastal Studies Institute, this event is an opportunity for the community to gather together and document as many different animal, plant, fungi, and plankton species as possible within a short span of time. Participants will use iNaturalist to record their findings, and help will be offered onsite for those not familiar with the program. Questions regarding the event may be directed to Alex Nolte.
A new "All Swell?" podcast episode, hosted by ICS Ph.D. student Genevieve Guerry, was just released and features fellow ICS Ph.D. student and maritime archeologist Allyson Ropp. During the interview, the two discuss the importance of maritime studies in the coastal sector and contemplate how learning about the past can prepare us for the future.
The Coastal Studies Institute is pleased to announce the revival of a beloved favorite, Science on the Sound. This monthly lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina. Each lecture is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend. The program will also be live-streamed and later archived on the CSI YouTube channel. Mark your calendars now for the following evenings and guests:
- September 29, 6 PM: Dr. Reide Corbett (Coastal Studies), "Beach Nourishment on the OBX: Addressing the what, why, and potential impacts"
- October 27, 6 PM: Dr. Chris Oakley (History), Title TBA
- November 17, 6 PM: Dr. Mike Muglia (Coastal Studies), Title TBA.
Prior to First Friday in downtown Manteo, M. Gabe Duggan (School of Art and Design) and Dr. David Lagomasino (Coastal Studies) will host a public artist talk, Q+A session, and deinstallation on October 7, from 5-6 PM. See photo caption for info about the installation from Duggan.
Last but certainly not least, Integrated Coastal Programs is proud to share the Summer 2022 edition of CoastLines. The newsletter highlights the many exciting things that happened on the Outer Banks Camps this summer including day camps, the C2C REU program, the arrival of Dr. Stu Hamilton (Coastal Studies), the work of the ECU Acoustics and Vibrations Lab led by Dr. Teresa Ryan (Engineering), another visit from the National Renewable Energy Lab, and more. Read CoastLines HERE.
ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES
Library Professor Kelly Spring, head of manuscripts and digital curation for Academic Library Services, traveled to Rome for the ninth annual conference of the International Council on Archives. Among Spring’s responsibilities for the conference held Sept. 19-23 was to serve as an expert for a workshop on managing physical and digital records. An online description of that session listed aims as detecting the main challenges of the profession along with physical, digital and hybrid document lifecycle management.
Banned Books Week was Sept. 18-24 and the main campus library celebrated our freedom to read with various programming and displays. Education reference librarian Vatoyia Gardner delivered a presentation and students had the chance to read excerpts from their favorite books. Displays included an opportunity to take a photo with a book in front of a poster titled, “Wanted for contesting censorship AKA the informed reader.” Local H.B. Sugg Elementary & Sam D. Bundy Elementary Schools joined in support of ECU and created a poster of their own for photo opportunities at school.
LAUPUS HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY
MIGRANT FARMWORKER LITERACY
As part of a grant-funded effort to address the lack of health information for migrant farmworkers and their families, staff in Laupus Health Sciences Library are helping expand and transform resources into accessible content for this eastern North Carolina population. The latest efforts build on what began in 2017 as a pilot grant. The project, led by College of Health and Human Performance faculty member Dr. Joseph Lee and ECU’s Academic Library Services team, secured a $15,000 grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The project also includes support from the Department of Health Education and Promotion and Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF).
North Carolina ranks sixth nationally in the employment of migrant farmworkers, with approximately 150,000 migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families living in the state each growing season. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are at elevated risk for incidents of heat-related illness, pesticide exposure and occupational hazards. Lack of connectivity and digital resources often leads to other health-related disparities including separation from families, many living abroad, resulting in isolation and mental health challenges. These challenges stem from the limited labor protections and meager earnings prevalent among farmworkers.
In 2019, ECU earned a three-year, $427,551 health disparities grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to help ECU and its collaborators — including Laupus Library, North Carolina State University’s Extension Toxicology program and the nonprofit group SAF — get critical health and safety information and equipment into farmworkers’ hands.
2022 MEDICAL HISTORY INTEREST GROUP LECTURE SERIES
Mark your calendar for these upcoming sessions in this exciting and informative lecture series. All in-person lectures are held in the Evelyn Fike Laupus Gallery, 4th Floor Laupus Library. The lectures will be hosted in a hybrid format with the online portion on WebEx. For more information about the presentations, please visit the presentation website or email History Collections.
- Monday, October 24 at 4:30 p.m. (In-person & Virtual): “They Made a DIFFERENCE: The Old North State Medical Society and African American Hospitals during Segregation in North Carolina;” Presented by Julius Q. Mallette, MD, Medical Director of the Behavioral Health Center at the Kinston Community Health Center, Graduate and Retiree of the Brody School of Medicine
- Wednesday, November 16 at 4:30 p.m. (In-person & Virtual): “A Favorite Pastime: Disease and Disinformation in the Cold War;” Presented by David Durant, MLS, MA, Associate Professor/Federal Documents & Social Sciences Librarian, Academic Library Services
VISIT THE LAUPUS VR LAB
The VR Lab @ Laupus Library is a virtual reality learning and development workspace that includes five state of the art virtual reality workstations and is available to ECU students, staff, and faculty. The lab is located on the second floor of the library past our Computer Lab. Learn more about services and resources offered at Laupus Library HERE.
NURSING
LAMP OF LEARNING
The College of Nursing’s Class of 2024 were formally welcomed as initiates into the nursing profession during a ceremony Sept. 8 where they were presented with Lamp of Learning pins. Dr. Bimbola Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing, spoke about the significance of the Lamp of Learning pin as an outward signal of the commitment that the new nursing students were making — to themselves, their future patients and the nursing profession.
“I remember welcoming you during our College of Nursing orientation just a couple of weeks ago. Our Lamp of Learning ceremony today is another way of welcoming you to your beginning stages of learning about the nursing profession,” Akintade said. Each student in attendance received a Lamp of Learning pin, a time-honored tradition that symbolizes their commitment to nursing. Students are encouraged to wear the pin on their uniforms during their time in the College of Nursing. The specific ECU College of Nursing pin is available to students upon their graduation.
Rebecca Michaud, from Raleigh, has always wanted to be a nurse, after undergoing surgery when she was a young child. Being presented the Lamp of Learning pin is a reality check, Michaud said. “Getting the pin, the thing that I see every nursing student wearing, symbolizes that I really am in this. It’s very exciting,” she said.
HIGH RANKINGS
Undergraduate programs in business, engineering and nursing are national leaders in preparing students for the workforce, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Colleges released last month. ECU’s undergraduate nursing program ranking rose from 76 last year to 67 this year, placing it in the top 10% of schools in the category.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr. Laura Gantt is being inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
- Dr. Mark Hand went to Edinburgh, Scotland, to present at the 33rd International Congress of Sigma and was invited to serve on the NLN Strategic Action Group; Integrating Competency-Based Education in Nursing Curriculum.
- Dr. Alex Hodges is becoming a member of the N.C. Great 100 Nurses.
- Dr. Gwen Tyson is serving on the DEI Commission’s Culture, Climate and Communication Subcommittee.
Dean Selected as Fellow
Dr. Bim Akintade, the new dean of the College of Nursing, will be inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, recognized by the nursing community as the highest honor that a nurse can receive from their peers.
Akintade will join 250 other nurses from across the nation and 17 foreign countries to be formally inducted into the 2022 class of fellows during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in October. The new inductees will join more than 3,000 other nursing professionals as AAN fellows who serve as experts in nursing research, practice and education.
Akintade comes to ECU after beginning his academic career as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, he served as the director of the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist Doctor of Nursing Practice program prior to being appointed associate dean of the Master of Science in Nursing Program.
As a nurse, Akintade spent four years at the bedside and another 15 years an acute care nurse practitioner, giving him real-world understanding of the academic principles that he will oversee as the dean of ECU’s College of Nursing.
“Having been a bedside nurse and an acute care provider in a hospital setting, I recognize that being a leader in the nursing community means that we need to advocate for the nurses and patients in clinics and hospitals, particularly in rural areas and underserved communities,” Akintade said. “I plan to leverage the connections that this fellowship affords me to strengthen the profession of nursing to the best of my ability.”
LUMBEE STEM STUDENTS VISIT NURSING, HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS
High school students from North Carolina’s largest state-recognized Indian tribe — and who have particular interest in science, technology, engineering and math fields — visited the Health Sciences Campus to get a first-hand look at what life as a Pirate health sciences major might look like.
The STEM-focused students visited a cluster of post-secondary schools in eastern North Carolina — stopping at Methodist and Campbell universities — before spending an entire day on ECU’s Health Sciences Campus. They toured ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, Health Sciences Student Center, College of Nursing, School of Dental Medicine and met with the ECU directors of the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute.
The tour was organized by Project 3C (Community, College and Career), a collaboration between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Public Schools of Robeson County, Robeson Community College, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Grant funding for the project was provided by the Native Youth Community Project which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Lumbee Tribe’s 55,000 members live primarily in the southern North Carolina counties of Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland.
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