First Monday AN UPDATE FROM THE PROVOST | APRIL 2024

COGER'S CORNER

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Thank you for taking the time to read our April 2024 issue of First Monday - and to everyone who made this issue possible, thank you for your contributions.

Some of you may recall that I’ve been a biomedical researcher for over thirty-five years. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about that work is that the complexity of the problems we seek to solve are such that an interdisciplinary team approach is necessary. For everyone who has ever worked in a team, you know that the initial phases of establishing a team require the individuals to commit to understanding the expertise and perspectives of its members. Through every phase of an effective team experience it is important that each person embraces learning and strong communication with the other members, and it is critical that the team stays focused on the problem they are seeking to solve together. With each challenge the team overcomes - and each win (small and large) that the team members accomplish together - trust in the power of the team is reinforced. Hopefully you’ve also been a part of high functioning teams and enjoyed the experience and achieved difficult goals through those efforts.

March Madness is putting on display the journey to victory, achievable when NCAA basketball teams are functioning well. I could postulate about the roles of skill, practice, focus, determination and working under pressure in achieving wins, but instead I’ll pivot in a different direction. Today, corporations, governments, and higher education are all facing realities in which effective solutions to large complex problems have to be identified and implemented at a rapid pace. A few years ago, I watched a TED talk in which the speaker mentioned traditional teams such as the type I’ve mentioned, but also described temporary teams made up of members who had not worked together in the past, but who had the expertise required for getting the work done. Temporary teams are necessary in increasing frequency to solve big problems that are also complex and unpredictable. It took a moment to find it, but the TED talk I remembered was by Amy Edmondson, a business school professor, entitled: “How to Turn A Group of Strangers Into A Team.” Even though the talk was recorded in 2017, it is still applicable. As our University continues to navigate the changes required of us to meet the moment of now, how we pull teams together to get things done will enable us to be the “Future focused, Innovation Driven” ECU of our intentions.

Each week I have the honor of experiencing teams of Pirate faculty, staff, students, partners, and friends working together to achieve deliverables. Whether in a workgroup, on a committee, a council, or engaged in collegial discussions, and I am grateful for each person who committed to making these collaborations productive. We have a lot more work to do together as a University and I’m counting on you - your passion, your commitment, and your expertise - to give Team ECU the edge we need.

Thank you and I wish the Pirate Nation a successful April as the Spring 2024 semester rushes swiftly to its conclusion.

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BY THE NUMBERS

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IPAR DATA BYTE

Did you know that students from Generation Z (“iGen” / “Zoomers”) enrolled in college for the first time in 2013? As of Fall 2023, Generation Z now make up over 80% of the student body at ECU. The next generation of students, Generation Alpha, will begin enrolling in college in 2031. Visit our Students dashboard to view more demographic information about ECU’s students.

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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES

Three members of the Student Academic Success Services staff, Monique Barrett, Dylan Moore, and Elizabeth Coghill delivered presentations at the Association for the Coaching and Tutoring Professions’ national conference in Charlotte, NC. Their sessions centered on two key student success initiatives: the Success Learning Community program and the innovative Connect for Success communications program. Copies of the presentations can be found on the Success Research page of the SASS website.

• Coghill, E. & Barrett, M. (2024, March 18). Embedded Learning Communities: Empowering Student Achievement and Success. Presented at the Association for the Coaching & Tutoring Profession National Conference, Charlotte, NC.
• Moore, D. & Coghill, E. (2024, March 20). Connecting for Success: The Essential Role of Communications in Student Success. Presented at the Association for the Coaching & Tutoring Profession National Conference, Charlotte, NC.

On March 14, also known as Pi Day, peer educators and learning community students took to campus with a fun-filled mission: to spread joy, one pie at a time. Armed with over 300 pies and enthusiasm, peer educators took the opportunity to invite students to connect with academic resources. Pi Day is a great opportunity to appreciate the mathematical constant π, the dessert it shares its name with and to connect fellow Pirates to essential success resources for the remainder of the semester. This is the second year Student Academic Success Services, the Pirate Academic Success Center, the TrACE success program, and GEAR UP NC have participated in the Pi Day event.

On March 15, Student Academic Success Services hosted a Faculty/Staff and student leadership luncheon centered around the topic of student success. Dr. Robert Pinner, a distinguished Greenville dentist and respected alumnus of ECU's Dental School, was the event’s keynote speaker. Notably, Dr. Pinner was a former peer educator with the Pirate Academic Success Center.

In his keynote address, Dr. Pinner personalized student success with anecdotes, drawing from his ECU student experience. His captivating delivery style and insights into strategies influencing a student’s academic journey was both engaging and motivational.

Throughout the luncheon, Faculty/Staff members were seated alongside student leaders representing various service areas within Student Academic Success Services. This arrangement facilitated meaningful exchanges between campus academic leaders and student representatives, fostering a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights regarding student success.

ECU CONNECT

Happy to extend our sincerest thanks to the following faculty who have utilized the ECU CONNECT system over the last month. They have embraced the role ECU CONNECT plays in supporting student success.

• College of Allied Health Sciences: Becca Taylor, Dominiquie Clemmons-James, Jennifer McDougal
• College of Engineering and Technology: Sharon Rouse, Alex Vilkomir, Bill McClung
• College of Fine Arts and Communication: Courtney Rasor, Brittany Thompson, Adrienne Muldrow
• College of Business: Jared Taunton, James Zemanek, Andy Bowman
• College of Education: Jessy Pearsall, Carol Brown, Guili Zhang
• College of Nursing: Misti Phillips, Joyce Buck, Candice Bissette
• College of Health and Human Performance: Julie Kulas, Patrick Rider, Jennifer Sadler
• Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences: Subodh Dutta, Ryan Kirk, Katherine Kane

Faculty commitment to utilizing ECU CONNECT is instrumental in creating a supportive and engaging environment where every student can thrive. The hard work and dedication of our faculty does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate their commitment to student success.

Serve and Succeed Survey opens April 1

The fourth and last Progress Survey of the semester, Serve and Succeed, recognizes outstanding academic performance, student improvement, and referral for peer roles on campus. The survey is open from April 1 to April 24, with the following items included:

• Outstanding Course Work
• Recommendation for campus service (tutoring, peer mentoring, learning assistant etc.)
• Thank you for being in my class.
• Overcoming Adversity
• Recommendation for graduate studies

For more information about ECU CONNECT, contact Dylan Moore.

OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS

This year the Office of Global Affairs raised over $7,000 in donations during Pirate Nation Gives, ECU’s annual day of giving. These funds will support international student experiences, study abroad scholarships and scholarships to students from countries in crisis. Watch this video to see how your donations helped Roshan Saud, a graduate student from Nepal, see the ocean for the first time.

Global Affairs welcomes the return of 85 students from spring break study abroad programs this year. Students and faculty directors traveled to Argentina (Educational Leadership), Belize (Communication Sciences and Disorders), Chile (Business), Costa Rica (Biology), the Czech Republic (Business), and Mexico (Math, Science and Instructional Technology).

Twenty international students and scholars from six colleges recently visited Washington, DC on a cultural program sponsored by the Office of Global Affairs. This two-day excursion is part of our wider effort to assist our international population to better understand US history and acclimate to US culture. Annual excursions include visits to Raleigh and the Outer Banks.

The Pitt-Greenville Soccer Association recently honored Dr. Bill Mallett, Assistant Director for International Student Advising, for his years of community service. Dr. Mallett has been coaching and refereeing with PGSA since his arrival in Greenville in the early 2000s and has been one of the leaders in the organization for two decades. Field #1 has been renamed to Mallett Field in his honor.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT

Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) – Events Run Today through Friday

Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) is taking place this week in the Main Campus Student Center, and we hope you will find time to stop in and support presenters. RCAW is an annual event to highlight undergraduate and graduate students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ research and creative activity at ECU. There will be podium talks and poster sessions in diverse areas: biomedical sciences, business, fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, technology and computer science, and more. You will also find performances including music, art, and literary contributions.

Find a full schedule of events HERE.

The annual Research & Scholarship Awards recognize excellence among researchers, scholars, and inventors at East Carolina University. On Tuesday, April 2, we will honor faculty whose research and scholarly activities impact their field, their students, the region, and the world. Our key awardees include:

• Lifetime Achievement - Dr. Xiaoping Pan, Department of Biology
• Five-Year Recognition - Dr. Christine Habeeb, Department of Kinesiology
• Scholarship of Engagement - Dr. Kristen Cuthrell, Rural Education Institute

We’ll also celebrate our newest Trendsetters who will be announced at the ceremony, SPARC awardees, EOSA cohort, inventors and our star research administrators. Light foods and beverages will be served at Harvey Hall starting at 5:00PM. The ceremony begins at 5:30PM.

Purple and Gold Bus Tour Engages with Region for Beneficial Collaborations

On March 4 - 5, 50 members of ECU’s faculty and staff embarked on a transformative excursion to eight community sites across seven eastern North Carolina counties for the 7th annual Purple and Gold Bus Tour. Invited faculty and staff boarded a Pirate bus bound for select stops to meet with community members and leaders and to learn about the assets and needs of the region. The goal is to build connections, partnerships and collaborations that may have long-term benefits for the people and communities in eastern NC. Staff organizers work each year to build an itinerary that shines a light on economic development, education, industry, health care, military and agriculture operations throughout ECU’s service area.

Read more about this year’s tour HERE.

2024 Bus Tour attendees are invited to join the REDE team on Friday, April 19 from 2:00 - 4:00PM in the Willis Building to learn more about ECU engagement resources, grant and contract pathways, and additional opportunities to network.

2023-2024 EOSA Cohort to Present on Community Engaged Projects

Join us in the Willis Building Friday, April 19, 1:00 - 2:00PM, as the outgoing Engaged Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) cohort present on their community engaged projects. Community partners will be in attendance. Light refreshments will be provided.

Two ECU Faculty Elected as National Academy of Inventors Senior Members

ECU’s Dr. Stefan Clemens, Professor in the Brody School of Medicine, and Dr. Rukiyah Van Dross-Anderson, Associate Professor in the Brody School of Medicine, have been elected to the National Academy of Inventors Senior Members Class of 2024.

Clemens is a pioneer in harnessing the dopaminergic system to resolve restless legs syndrome augmentation and to minimize opioid use disorder and tolerance. His research discoveries could have a profound impact on restless leg syndrome and opioid addiction and ultimately change how these diseases are treated and managed. Clemens currently holds two U.S. issued patents and one foreign issued patent that has been licensed to two separate companies.

Van Dross-Anderson is at the forefront of skin cancer biology, discovering a novel molecule that can train the immune system to target skin cancer that has metastasized. In addition to melanoma skin cancer, her technology has the ability to treat other forms of cancer as well as skin and oral diseases. She currently has three issued US patents. She is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Claradele Pharmaceuticals.

Clemens and Van Dross-Anderson are the fourth and fifth from ECU to receive this honor since 2010.

Innovator of the Month: Dr. Elizabeth Hodge

The Innovator of the Month was established by the Office of Licensing and Commercialization to recognize faculty that have developed novel innovations that can have a major impact on eastern NC and beyond. Nominees are selected by members of the ECU Patent Committee, which chose Dr. Elizabeth Hodge for this month’s spotlight.

The idea of merging kayaks and painting may seem to be an odd combination at first, but given the beautiful landscapes that can only be seen on the water, one can start to see the desire to capture such images. Traditionally, painting is done with an easel that provides a stable platform to hold the canvas and brushes. On a kayak, a traditional easel will not work due to the limited space, and this is where Dr. Elizabeth Hodge from the Department of Education came up with a solution. Her innovation is a portable easel that can universally connect to any surface to provide a stable environment for painting and storing accessories. The development of this device provides a new avenue for ecotourism to engage their customers while delivering a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Do you have an idea or innovation that can have impact? Contact us.

Blue Economy Pitch Competition – April 9

ECU's Office of Licensing and Commercialization invites the ECU community to attend the I-Corps Blue Economy Pitch Competition on Tuesday, April 9 at the ECU Health Sciences Student Center, Room 201. The event will start at 5:00PM with networking and food, followed by the pitch competition at 5:30PM.

We have seven teams pitching for a chance to win $5,000 in funding to support prototyping and proof of concept. Our teams come from the fields of construction management, public health, political science, education, and recreation sciences.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Continuing & Professional Education (CPE)

The Office of Continuing and Professional Education provides continuing education programming through innovative training, certification, and professional development opportunities for adult learners.

Upcoming CPE opportunities:

• GlasStation Workshops, Glass Witch Ball – April 4, 12, 18
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship in North Carolina, part of the NCCED program – April 17
• 21st Century Leadership Program, Leadership Influence and Negotiation – April 26
• ECU’s Spring Pharma Conference – May 21 & 22
• Nursing Education Educator Development (NEED) – May 14 - August 9

Upcoming Lifelong Learning Program (LLP) opportunities:

• Christmas in Montréal and Québec City (6-day trip) – Info session – April 4, 11:00AM, Willis Building Auditorium

Registration is open for LLP courses, events and trips. View the catalog and register online today.

LLP is accepting proposals for the Fall 2024 program! If you would like to offer your expertise as an instructor or propose an experiential trip or event, click HERE to submit a proposal.

FACULTY SENATE

2023 - 2024 Faculty Senate meeting dates are as follows:

• April 23, 2024
• April 30, 2024 (Organizational Meeting for 2024-2025)

For more about ECU Faculty Senate, click HERE.

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COLLEGE UPDATES

ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

Student Success

Briana Toplin, Ph.D. student in Counselor Preparation and Research, shared her health journey and discovery of ECU’s graduate program, for a recent Pirate Profile.

Kathryn Hough and Brynna Wolfe, Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate students, completed a two-day Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) training, sharing that they felt well-prepared by their program to participate in the exercises.

Public Service

Tricia Carter and Sherri Winslow, clinical assistant professors in Communication Sciences and Disorders, visited Punta Gorda, Belize with nine undergraduate and two graduate students for a study abroad service-learning trip facilitated by Therapy Abroad. The team provided screenings and therapy for both children and adults, learned from guest speakers, and toured sites.

Regional Transformation

Health Services and Information Management hosted the 2024 Consortium of Baccalaureate and Graduate Health Informatics and Information Management Educators’ Annual Meeting with professionals representing nearly a dozen organizations from across the country. Attendees participated in sessions with a range of topics from program and course design to experiential learning and the Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) examination.

Dr. Chevelle Waddell, Assistant Professor (left), and Samantha Campbell (right), Program Coordinator, attended the Recovery Alliance Initiative (RAI) Mid-Year Symposium where they connected with Jarmichael “J” Harris (middle), inaugural recipient of the Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies Alumni Award.

ARTS & SCIENCES

Senior and Brinkley-Lane Scholar Cassidy Fitz-Randolph is seeking dual degrees: a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Political Science. For her Honors project, she recently presented her research, “Rape Myth Adherence Among University Students,” at the North Carolina Criminal Justice Association conference. Fitz-Randolph found that particular populations were less likely to adhere to female rape myths, including women and individuals who know someone who has been the victim of rape. She is mentored by Dr. Scott Walfield, Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Sarah Hayes, who earned the MA in School Psychology/Specialist in School Psychology (MA/SSP) in 2022, and Dr. Jeannie Golden, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, have received national recognition for their paper “School Psychologists Improving Equity for Students of Color: Is Applied Behavior Analysis the Answer?” They have been invited to present their prize-winning paper in a special session for the Scholarly Contributions to DEI Paper Competition at the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Currently, Hayes is working as a full-time school psychologist for Durham County Public Schools.

Seven graduate and undergraduate students from the lab of Dr. Elizabeth Ables, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, traveled to Washington, D.C. over spring break. In addition to seeing the Lincoln monument, they shared their latest research in developmental genetics at The Allied Genetics Conference. This unique cross-disciplinary conference sponsored by the Genetics Society of America brought together scientists worldwide to network and communicate research in genomics, neurogenetics, and developmental genetics. The conference is unique in that scientists studying various genetic models (human, mouse, fruit fly, C. elegans, zebrafish, and yeast) gather, linked by common research goals. In addition to the support provided by the Department of Biology for the trip, two of the students, senior undergraduates Gage Outlaw (B.S., Biology 2024) and Lindsay Swain (B.S. Biology/Public Health 2023) were among 12 undergraduates nationwide awarded the prestigious Victoria Finnerty Travel Award for their research achievements. Both Outlaw and Swain have conducted their Honors thesis research under the direction of Ables. Undergraduates Allison Simmons and Lovens Paul were funded by a National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) grant, and graduate students Amanda Powell, Alex Warren and Lauren Jung were funded by the department and Ables’ research grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Mona Russell, Associate Professor in the Department of History, has published a new book with Dr. Lisa Pollard from UNCW. The book, “History, Women, and Gender in the Modern Middle East,” explores the modern Middle East from the 18th century to the present, and the various ways in which gender has defined the region and shaped relations in the modern era. In particular, the book captures three aspects of change simultaneously: the events that mark the “modern” Middle East, women’s encounters with the transition to modernity and gendered responses to modernity. The publication appears in Routledge’s emerging series, Gender History Around the Globe.

Angela J. Johnson, M.A., a doctoral candidate of Clinical Health Psychology in the Department of Psychology’s Health Psychology PhD program, has been selected as a 2024-2025 American Psychosocial Oncology Society Health Equity Scholar. The fellowship is offered to individuals committed to reducing health disparities in cancer through clinical or research practices. Johnson’s research interests focus on HPV-related cancer disparities and prevention-seeking behaviors among Black women. She is currently working on her dissertation, “Using a Black Feminist Lens to Examine Black Maternal Intention to Vaccinate their Children against Human Papillomavirus,” and her research findings may help develop culturally tailored interventions to increase HPV vaccination uptake within the Black community.

Wayne “Sonny” Lehto, a junior studying in Russian Studies through the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Science interdisciplinary minor, has received a competitive award for a fully funded, immersive summer study abroad trip to study Russian in Riga, Latvia. ProjectGo is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office targeted to ROTC and military-affiliated students who wish to pursue careers as officers, linguists and other specialized tracks within the military. “It feels good,” Lehto said. “ECU’s faculty have provided excellent guidance and support at every turn, and they have helped me to grow as a student as well as an individual.”

In recognition of her body of scholarly work on gender-based violence, Dr. Heidi Bonner, Chair and Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, has been selected as a member of the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Violence Against Women Standing Review Panel (SRP). NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, and they receive numerous requests to fund social and behavioral science research across the country. Bonner will serve alongside other experts in the field to identify meritorious proposals on specific types of violence and abuse, along with the associated justice system responses, procedures, policies, and challenges. This SRP will facilitate important work that, as the motto of the NIJ states, is critical for “Advancing Justice Through Science.”

BRODY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

M4s celebrate Match Day

In a March 15 ceremony more festive than formal, fourth-year medical students in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University learned where they will spend the next three to seven years completing residency training.

This year, 100% of Brody’s 79 members of the Class of 2024 — which began its medical school journey during the COVID-19 pandemic — matched with a residency program.

The traditional event is arguably the pinnacle of the medical school experience for Brody students. Before they opened their envelopes to reveal their next stop, the students were presented to the audience of family, friends and members of the Brody community to strains of music they each selected as they marched — or danced — across the stage in the ballroom of ECU’s Main Campus Student Center.

“Match Day is such a special time for these students from the Brody School of Medicine, all of whom have worked incredibly hard to reach this exciting moment,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, dean of Brody and CEO of ECU Health. “Our medical students, by virtue of the education they receive here at Brody, are uniquely prepared to provide high-quality, human-centered care to the patients they will soon serve as part of their residency training and beyond. I want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Brody Class of 2024. We are grateful for the positive impact they will have on the lives of so many.”

2024-25 Schweitzer Fellows named

Six Brody students have been named to the 2024-25 cohort of the North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program.

Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based organization. Schweitzer Fellowships also have an intensive leadership component, with Fellows working closely with community and academic mentors during their fellowship year. They often serve as role models for their peers inspiring others to improve the health of those who experience barriers to care.

Brody students and projects include Taylor Stamey and Kristen Armel, who will develop a medical respite and employability program for people experiencing homelessness; Carlyn Uhlir and Myna Tirupattur, who will address fall prevention needs in older adults by providing risk assessments, conducting counseling sessions and leading Master of Balance classes; and Mohsen Zakaib and Aliyah Young, who will provide workshops to improve the health literacy of Syrian and Colombian refugee families.

Health Care outreach

Like many health professionals who treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, Drs. Paul Bolin and Paul Shackleford started to draw conclusions about who was most at risk of dying from infections: people with eastern North Carolina’s typical comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

Shackleford, a primary care provider and research professor at the Brody School of Medicine, said large swaths of the population served by the heath care structure in eastern North Carolina can be identified through electronic medical records. But that is just part of the equation, leaving a sizable percentage of citizens outside of public health surveillance.

At the height of the pandemic, Shackleford and a team of health care professionals — Bolin, a fellow Brody professor and chairman of the department of internal medicine, and Dr. Linda Bolin, an associate professor of nursing science in the College of Nursing with expertise in hypertension, and Dr. Ashley Burch, an assistant professor and behavioral health scientist in the College of Allied Health Sciences — were getting requests from businesses across the region to help find ways to keep workplaces functioning and employees safe on the job.

The team inaugurated the SERVIRE (Stopping Early Reversible Vital organ damage In Rural Eastern North Carolina) project and decided that incorporating students into outreach efforts would fulfill ECU’s motto, and overarching mission, of service.

To date the SERVIRE project has worked with more than 35 businesses across eastern North Carolina, having engaged nearly 1,400 workers at job sites ranging from a water faucet manufacturer in New Bern to a metal fabrication shop in Ahoskie and a commercial fishing fleet on Hatteras Island.

BUSINESS

Ridgewells Catering recently paid the School of Hospitality Leadership (SHL) a visit to look for SHL students willing to work the 2024 U.S. Open Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina. For the championship, Ridegewells is responsible for recruiting, hiring and training all staff needed to support food and beverage operations. Dr. Bob O’Halloran, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership, says several students have already been hired for some supervisory, front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house roles. He expects more to be hired.

Dr. Brenda Killingsworth was the recent grand prize winner of an all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to attend the March CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Conference. While there, she connected with industry leaders and learned the latest tips and techniques to succeed in the rapidly changing cybersecurity market.

Kinley Borum has been elected as the next chapter president of SHRM@ECU. She will take over the chapter presidency from its current president, Seth Jones. Jones has served as chapter president since the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester. Kinley is a Bachelor of Science in business administration student with a concentration in human resources management. She is also a second-year resident advisor for Greene Hall.

Management and SHL Advisory Council member Wanda Gispert spoke with COB students recently and offered guidance and encouragement from her 20+ years of hospitality industry experience. Her advice included:

• "Align with companies that match your passion."
• "Global experience is important."
• "HR knowledge is essential to leadership preparation."
• "Be excited about your future."

Gispert is the VP of Global HR development for MGM Resorts International, providing overall organizational insight, analysis and strategic workforce development to effectively support the business needs of eight regional resorts in Mississippi, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts and MGM Japan. Gispert plans to speak at the COB Leadership Conference in the fall.

ECU’s College of Business Office of Expert Services debuted its 21st-century Leadership Series on Feb. 23. The non-curricular learning workshops will provide 17 participants with opportunities to grow their leadership skills with the tools needed to strategically lead employees and their companies. Over the next seven months, workshops will include lectures, case studies and opportunities for participants to apply what they’ve learned to their circumstances and challenges as a leader.

It was a full house on March 1 when the College of Business welcomed back its business advisory council. After Chair Angela Furniss kicked off the meeting and introductions were made, the topic of artificial intelligence became the morning discussion. COB faculty members Christine M. Kowalczyk and Tom Robbins spoke about how they are incorporating AI into their classroom discussions and curriculum. Joining them were industry representatives from Amazon Web Services, who discussed how the industry is turning to AI for day-to-day operations.

The student-led ECU CEO Club welcomed Jim Segrave, CEO of flyExclusive and ECU Trustee, Chris Knott, chief merchandising officer for Johnnie O’s, and Michael Overton, founder and president of The Overton Group, LLC, as they participated in the inaugural ECU Entrepreneurial Showcase, held on March 20 in the Isley Innovation Hub. According to student organizers, the showcase aimed to empower ECU students by demonstrating the possibilities an ECU degree unlocks. By hearing the inspiring journeys of successful business leaders, students gained valuable insights and a renewed sense of what they could achieve. More than 80 students, plus faculty and guests, attended. Organizers hope the Showcase will be an annual spring event.

Dana Newell, teaching instructor in the COB’s marketing and supply chain department, has been named to the leadership team of the AMA Triangle, which is committed to meeting the needs of local marketing professionals in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas.

Thanks to another donor gift, COB sent 22 students to New York City so they could get business exposure outside the classroom and North Carolina. The students, mostly finance degree seekers, met with alumni who hosted them at places such as the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial District, the Federal Reserve Bank, Deloitte, the New York Athletic Club and other esteemed financial institutions.

The inaugural ECU TechSummit was held on March 20 and featured one keynote and ten breakout sessions designed to expose students to the technology industry and give them a platform to network and talk with professionals in the industry. The keynote was delivered by two-time COB graduate Robert Daigle of Lenovo, who spoke about artificial intelligence. Representatives from Fidelity Investments, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Cisco, Forvis and SAS spoke to the students in the breakout sessions. The 100 percent student-led event was organized by COB’s Student Leadership Board and CET’s Association of Computing Machinery. Both the COB & CET financially sponsored the event. (Photo provided by Meaghan Skelly.)

DENTAL MEDICINE

Second cohort of Lewis Collaborative visits Ross Hall

The second cohort of the School of Dental Medicine’s Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Collaborative in Pediatric Dentistry visited campus recently to begin their experience. The cohort includes Dr. Heather Berkheimer of Western North Carolina Community Health Services in Asheville, Dr. Gabriela Nwobu of Aspen Dental in Greensboro, Dr. Lejla Streets of private practice in Pinehurst and Dr. Joyce Wei of private practice in Asheboro.

The collaborative provides practicing general dentists a year-long program built around rigorous academic classroom and clinical experiences focused on building their knowledge and skills in caring for pediatric dental patients. The collaborative was created to mirror the values of the School of Dental Medicine — including the mission to be vocal advocates for children, while also being professionally positioned to improve their oral health care.

The Lewis Collaborative is led by Michael Webb, chair of the ECU dental school’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Webb was named the school’s inaugural Jasper L. Lewis, Jr. Distinguished Scholar in 2022. The Lewis Collaborative is an extension of the Jasper L. Lewis Distinguished Professorship that is named in honor of Dr. Jasper L. Lewis, a pediatric dentist in Greenville, N.C., and a leader in pediatric dentistry at the national, state and local levels. The endowed professorship will help the school educate the next generation of dentists, with a focus on pediatric dentistry.

2024-25 Schweitzer Fellows named

ECU School of Dental Medicine students Baldwin Bell, Kayla Gorham and Maya Grimes have been named to the 2024-25 cohort of the North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. The class’s 29 graduate students will spend the next year learning to effectively address the social factors that impact health as they develop lifelong leadership skills. This year’s class includes Fellows from medicine, dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy and business.

Gorham, a BCBSNC Foundation Schweitzer Fellow, will work to launch a Baby Oral Health Program to connect children under one year old to a dental home. She will work under the mentorship of dental school faculty Dr. Taneet Ghuman and Dr. Mark Moss.

Bell and Grimes will focus on leading a mouthguard project providing oral health education and free custom-made mouthguards to middle-school athletes. Their faculty mentors are Dr. Taneet Ghuman and Dr. Luis Sensi.

Schweitzer Fellows develop and implement service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while also fulfilling their academic responsibilities. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based organization. Schweitzer Fellowships also have an intensive leadership component, with Fellows working closely with community and academic mentors during their fellowship year. They often serve as role models for their peers inspiring others to improve the health of those who experience barriers to care.

Dr. Josh Cook ’23 was co-author on an article with primary author and faculty member Dr. Roopsi Kaur, along with co-authors Dr. Mark Moss and staff member Gerard Camargo. The article, “Improving predoctoral education related to caries risk assessment in adults,” was published in the Journal of Dental Education.

The school’s Inclusion and Engagement Committee hosted Cultural Potpourri on March 6, a spring cultural celebration that highlighted the unique backgrounds and experiences of students, faculty and staff. The event included presentations, a panel discussion on culture in the context of dentistry and food and artifacts representing a variety of countries and cultures.

The school’s second-year dental students recently marked their first day in clinic, when they explored the layout of the clinics, consulted with faculty and got hands-on experience with equipment and tools.

EDUCATION

Science education faculty Dr. Tammy Lee and Bonnie Glass led a study abroad trip to Baja California Sur, Mexico for eight ECU students to explore how climate change is affecting marine ecosystems in North Carolina and Mexico. One of the biggest draws of the trip was to observe the gray whales, a species of whales that complete an approximately 12,000-mile round-trip migration between the Arctic and Baja. Learn more HERE.

Sophomore education majors had the chance to visit schools in Pitt County, including Pactolus Global School, Lakeforest Elementary School, the Kathy Taft Center and J.H. Rose High School.

Students in the ECU Community School visited main campus to tour ECU’s Advanced Kitchen and learn more about careers in restaurants and the culinary arts, as well as visiting Joyner Library’s Teaching Resources Center for story time and restaurant-related activities and crafts.

Six history education student ambassadors attended the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference in Greensboro with Dr. Jenni Gallagher. The interns — Lydia Surprenant, Lucas Madden, Delicia Cherry, Alex Schweitzer, Remington Sullivan and Ryan Keller — were able to attend sessions related to technology, diversity, content-specific pedagogy and a host of other social studies related topics as well as networking with educators from across the state.

Dr. Travis Lewis and Dr. Karen Jones have partnered with Pender County Schools through the North Carolina Practitioner Network, a partnership that pairs school districts with researchers from NC universities to help investigate barriers affecting beginning teacher retention. Learn more from the WECT News article on the NC practitioner network.

History education major Ryan Keller was awarded the North Carolina Council for Social Studies Student Teacher of the Year award. Ryan aims to cultivate a social studies classroom founded on principles of inclusion and tolerance as well as to help students develop historical empathy through the use of inquiry-based pedagogy. Ryan has been supported by clinical teachers Kacey Daw and Elyse Cannon McRae at South Central High School in Pitt County as well as by intern supervisor Rock Morgan.

Karen Dusterberg and Camryn Story were finalists for the NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year. Karen is an alumna of the special education program and Camryn is currently pursuing her master’s in special education.

Dr. Janeé Avent Harris, COE assistant dean for community engagement and wellness, participated in Pitt Community College’s annual Women’s History Month celebration as a panelist during the “Courageous Conversations – Sharing the Woman’s Walk.” Learn more on Pitt Community College’s event website.

Dr. Scott Glass has been selected as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education. Dr. Glass, who has served in this interim capacity for nearly four years, brings a wealth of experience and dedication to this role. With an impressive tenure of almost 19 years at East Carolina University, Dr. Glass has contributed significantly in various capacities, including Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions, Assistant Department Chair, Program Coordinator, and Professor in the Counselor Education program. He earned his PhD in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from East Carolina University.

Dr. Dionna Manning has been named the Executive Director of Student Engagement, Student Success, Scholarship, and Development. Over the past 3.5 years, Dr. Manning has excelled in dual roles as the Director of the Education Community of Scholars and the Education Living and Learning Community within the Office of Educator Preparation, while also spearheading the COE’s Community Relations and Donor Engagement, under the direction of the Dean. This new role formally recognizes Dr. Manning’s outstanding contributions in these capacities. In her expanded position, Dr. Manning will oversee the COE Academic Success Center, encompassing the Education Community of Scholars, Engagement and Outreach, Undergraduate Academic Advising, and the new ECU Teaching Fellows program. All areas under the Academic Success Center will continue to operate as a crucial part of the Office of Educator Preparation, under Dr. Holly Fales' leadership. Furthermore, Dr. Manning will collaborate closely with the Dean's office, leading development efforts for the College.

Members of the Alternative Licensure Office, Dr. Nicole Tripp, Ms. Lori Cohens, and Ms. Allena King represented ECU’s College of Education at the National Critical Questions in Education Conference with a presentation: Paving the Way – an educator preparation program’s response to the teacher shortage through alternative pathways. ECU continues to serves our state in producing teachers through the ECU Residency Program!

The North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance honored Dr. Kristin Burnette, assistant professor of special education, as their Community Partner of the Year. Burnette formerly served as a NCDSA board member and received her PhD from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a focus in systemic sustainable change and inclusive education.

Assistant professor of special education Dr. Sarah Vach was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune this year where she racked up wins, including just over $17,000 in cash and prizes. Learn more about her time on the show in this WITN article.

Counselor Education faculty and graduate students attended the annual conference of the North Carolina Counseling Assocation, in Greensboro, NC. Dr. Shanita Brown serves as President-Elect-Elect of the association, Dr. Jason O. Perry serves as association secretary, and Ms. Allison Fears was elected as incoming secretary. ECU was a Platinum Sponsor. Professor Dr. Loni Crumb, along with former students Demetrise Cobb and Kim Riddick, presented on the topic of Optimizing Options: Increasing Access to Mental Healthcare in Rural Areas. Dr. Allison Crowe was recognized for her distinguished service and was presented with the award for Administrator of the Year.

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Student Chris Campbell could think of no better way to honor his mother, “the greatest logistician I’ve ever known,” than creating the Pamela A. Garriques Excellence in Logistics Scholarship Fund. Read more HERE.

A team from the Department of Technology Systems, with support from computer science students, is working on a $1.2 million project to support the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division with a new database that will assist in the planning and execution of airborne missions. Read more HERE.

Sometimes, tunnel vision is a good thing. ECU engineering student Matthew Graham is using a wind tunnel to improve the design of wind turbine blades to maximize efficiency. Read more HERE.

A team of industrial distribution and logistics students finished third in an international competition in which they increased the value of a fictitious dairy company through cost analysis, sales forecasts, inventory control, transportation and other methods. Read more HERE.

The Department of Technology Systems hosted its Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (BSIT) and Technology Systems Transfer Day in the Murphy Center. About 150 community college students, faculty and staff attended to learn more about the nationally recognized BSIT and other programs. Read more HERE.

FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION

The School of Art and Design Photography Program hosted The Portfolio Throwdown 2024. This photo symposium/ Portfolio Review was held on Saturday February 13th and included:

• 15 presenters including our 3 graduate students, in 20- minute presentations about their work and research.
• 19 Students participated in our portfolio reviews (9 ECU students, 2 Savannah College of Art and Design students, 4 Brevard College Students, 3 from Francis Marion Univeristy, and 1 from UNC Wilmington.
• Students participated in building tours, Wet Plate Collodion workshop with Dr. Tim Christensen, and viewing two exhibitions: ECU Student work in Burroughs Wellcome, and Participating Faculty exhibition in MSC gallery.

Professor Angela Wells on the event:

Fine Art Photography Portfolio reviews provide valuable insight into the quality of a photographic project, ways to develop and expand an idea, The effectiveness of communication of a photo series, and so much more. This exhibition features works from several of the 2024 Portfolio Throwdown invited reviewers. These artists, educators, and image makers came from the Southeast region to engage in conversation with art students from regional colleges and universities. All works are digitally reproduced. The original medium is provided by each print. We are delighted to introduce their work to our community.

Currently on display at the Proctor-Yongue House is Creating Gods: A behind-the-scenes look into the designing and building of costumes for Once on This Island. Costume Designer Delta Childers-Smith, along with the Shop Supervisor and Students of ECU School of Theatre and Dance, guide the viewer through the design process from the initial conceptual research to the completion of costumes. Viewers will see the designer’s renderings, time-lapse videos of technicians working, workbooks logging the progression of costume pieces, and the final Costumes, including production photos of the Costumes in the world created by all those involved in making Once on this Island. View this video for a behind-the-scenes look.

Marcin Wrona is the U.S. correspondent and Washington bureau chief for TVN-Discovery, the leading TV news outlet in Poland. Wrona came to ECU on February 29 to speak to Dr. Glenn Hubbard’s Video News Production and Dr. Cindy Elmore's International News classes about his experiences reporting on the U.S. for an audience in Poland. He showed the students broadcast clips of himself interviewing John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Advisor, and of a 2021 Washington protest he covered where he and his photographer were attacked by an angry mob before escaping with the help of police.

Adrienne C. Steiner-Brett presented a concurrent at the Southeastern Region of American Music Therapy Association's regional conference in Atlanta, GA in March with music therapy student Maggie Ford, entitled "Listen, Breathe, Move: A Pilot Music Therapy and Gentle Movement Program for Informal/Family Caregivers." This is in partnership with Dr. Bhibha Das in HHP and her Kinesiology student Ashby Dickerson. The pilot was done with funding Maggie was awarded for an URCA Summer 1, 2023.

Mi-Sook Hur of the School of Art and Design has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in All Disciplines to South Korea for the 2024-2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. In her Fulbright proposal, she stated,

“This research project, conducted for ten months at Seoul National University's College of Fine Arts, explores traditional Korean crafts in metalsmithing and enamel. It identifies barriers to innovation and proposes alternative approaches through in-depth research, collaboration with experts, museum visits, and learning from masters. The methodology involves studying colors and patterns in historical Korean crafts, collaborating with local museums and researchers, and disseminating findings through media, symposiums, exhibitions, and educational resources. The project aims to enrich Korean and American cultures by merging traditional crafts with modern art practices.”

HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE

A multidisciplinary effort within the Department of Kinesiology and College of Health and Human Performance — the 2024 ECU and Special Olympics Unified Youth Exchange project — recently sent our representatives to Peru for the outbound exchange. ECU’s faculty team is led by principal investigator Dr. Stacy Warner and includes Drs. AJ An, Eboni Baugh, Andrea Buenaño, Christine Habeeb and David Loy. This was intended to share and exchange ideas on how to make sport more inclusive in both countries, with an agenda that utilized a mixture of interactive activities, talks from Peruvian sport leaders, connections with local organizations and reflection opportunities to nurture skill-building and cross-cultural dialogue.

The North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association spring symposium and 50th anniversary gala was held in Wrightsville Beach, and rings were made for past and current Hall of Fame inductees. Pictured is Dr. Katie Flanagan, middle, a professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, joined by fellow ECU athletic training alums Mike Guerrero, Eric Hall, Kevin King and Jim Bazluki.

The Department of Interior Design and Merchandising and College of Health and Human Performance thanks the ECU Women’s Roundtable for its recent visit and financial support of Professionally Purple Closet. This closet, in which any ECU student is eligible to use items, stems from a Fall 2023 IDMR course to establish a campus-wide professional clothing closet addressing clothing needs of ECU students and enhancing opportunities for success. Email idmr@ecu.edu for more information, appointments, support options or to set up drop-off donations.

“Glitz and Glam” is the theme of this year’s student-led Apparel and Interior Merchandising Organization fashion show, scheduled April 14 at 6 p.m. at Black Box Theatre. The theme is inspired from a red-carpet runway. President of AIMO is student Elizabeth Leary, a fashion merchandising and consumer studies major.

Dr. Kayla Fitzke, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, secured a research grant to serve as the spouse employment principal investigator for OneOp, an inter-university cooperative agreement project aimed to further the services professionals provide to military families at the regional and national levels. ECU’s Fitzke, Kim Smith, and all team members in the five-year grant, with Auburn University as the primary awardee granted $2.85 million for the initial year, will work directly with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide research- and policy-based professional development opportunities.

Twenty students represented the Department of Kinesiology at the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Greenville, S.C. There were eight presentations with representation from undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs. Faculty co-authors and mentors for presentations were: Dr. Bhibha Das, Dr. Zac Domire, Dr. Nick Murray, Dr. Katrina Dubose, Patrick Rider and Dr. Linda May.

Former HHP employee Wendy Beachum was nominated and recently approved to receive the East Carolina University Staff Emeritus recognition.

HONORS

Over spring break, students enrolled in an Honors College seminar class taught by College of Education faculty Dr. Tammy Lee and Bonnie Glass traveled to Baja California Sur, Mexico to watch whales through the Born to Baja eco-tourism agency. The class is studying how climate change affects marine ecosystems in North Carolina and Mexico, especially as it relates to whale migration. Learn more about the trip and the class HERE.

This year’s five Robert H. Wright Award recipients are Honors College students. Luke Boldt is graduating with a degree in public health and a minor in leadership studies and plans to attend medical school in the coming years. Rachana Charla is graduating with a degree in biology and was a part of the first cohort of volunteer doulas established in October 2022 at ECU Health. Anjalee “AJ” Hou will graduate with a degree in economics and minors in business administration and science and plans to pursue a graduate degree in business or public health before attending medical school. Javier Limon is graduating with a degree in political science with a public health minor and will pursue a master’s in public administration at UNC-Chapel Hill. Tete Narh-Mensah is graduating with a degree in biology and minor in public health and will work at the National Institute of Health’s Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology laboratory while preparing for medical school applications. Learn more about the award winners on the ECU Alumni Association’s website.

The Honors College Art Maker residents had their final showing of their work during the last week of February. The three Makers — Kaeleigh Kruger, Kathryn Kaoud, and Majoie Ngandi — showcased the pieces they had been working on throughout the year.

Lauren Humann is passionate about using her entrepreneurial spirit to help people create memories that will last a lifetime. She is a member of the national nonprofit A Moment of Magic and interned at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with the eventual goal of working for Walt Disney Imagineering, the research and development arm of Disney. Learn more in Lauren’s Pirate Profile.

As part of their Honors College seminar, Economics of the Wine and Craft Brewing Industries, students were able to take a field trip to Duplin Winery in Rose Hill.

The Honors College and Brinkley-Lane Scholars program saw great success during this year’s Pirate Nation Gives by meeting all posted challenges, including a goal to have 150 unique givers. The college had 179 total donors, unlocking a $135,000 challenge gift, and raised a total of $73,000 (excluding the additional challenge gifts).

INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS

Dr. Rachel Gittman (Biology, Coastal Studies Institute) is among a team of researchers and educators organizing the N.C. Living Shoreline Academy. The program was awarded a $460,186 grant in 2023 through National Sea Grant College Program’s work with the U.S. Coastal Research Program. Partners of the program include Carteret Community College, ECU, North Carolina Sea Grant, the North Carolina Coastal Reserve, and the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Gittman and the program were recently featured in an article published by the Coastal Review.

Dr. Reide Corbett (Coastal Studies) participated in a visioning workshop on March 21 at Carteret Community College as part of the NSF Economic Engines development project NC EcoTech (Corbett is a co-PI with investigators from UNCW, Duke, Carteret Community College and RTI). The workshop was an opportunity to introduce a broad group of aquaculture industries to the NC Ecotech mission and engage with the group on a wide range of topics: directions for industry growth; Bottlenecks, hurdles, and challenges for industry growth; Workforce development needs for a growing industry; and Technologies that can be developed to address industry challenges. The new partnerships forged and data gathered will help create opportunities for connecting research capacity across our institutions with industry needs.

Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. student Johnnie Sabin defended his dissertation entitled, “Socio-ecological Restoration at the Boundary: Integrative Monitoring in South Florida’s Protected Areas” on March 25. Sabin is advised by Dr. Cindy Grace-McCaskey (Coastal Studies Institute, Anthropology).

Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. student Tara Van Niekerk will defend her dissertation entitled “Valuing Submerged Cultural Resources: A Holistic Approach to Understanding Site Formation Processes and Site Significance” on April 4, at 9 am in Flanagan Hall 247. She is advised by Dr. Lynn Harris (History).

In late March, Dr. Tom Rickenbach’s Coastal Storms class visited the ECU Outer Banks Campus to tour the facility and enjoy a boat-based with John McCord, Associate Director for Education, Outreach, & Communications at the Coastal Studies Institute. The course- ATMO 4540 (Coastal Storms)- is based in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, and this semester, is led by Dr. Rickenbach with visitor lectures taught by DCS faculty including Drs. Stu Hamilton, Mike Muglia, Sid Narayan, Qubin Qin, and Rosana Ferreira.

The Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus will host their annual Open House on April 20, 2024, from 11AM- 3PM! Attendees will be able to tour the campus, grounds, and facilities, learn about current research and education programs, take part in family-friendly activities, and interact with faculty and staff from ECU, CSI and our partners. The event is FREE and the public is welcomed and encouraged to attend. The open house will run from 11am to 3pm and food trucks will be onsite during the event.

The Coastal Studies Institute will again hold a series of STEAM summer camps for students 10-15 years of age. Four themes will be offered during the eight-week season- Coastal Kingdoms, a marine biology and ecology camp; Legends of the Atlantic, a maritime history and shipwrecks focus camp; Shapes in Sciences, an art and science camp; and Sustainable Seas, an oceanography and coastal engineering camp. More information about CSI Summer camps and the link to register can be found HERE.

The Science on the Sound Lecture Series continued in March with Erin Fleckenstein, Oyster Program Director at the North Carolina Coastal Federation. During her presentation she gave an overview of the North Carolina Oyster Blueprint. An archived live stream is available on the CSI YouTube Channel for those who were unable attend.

JOYNER LIBRARY

Photography by Bayard Wootten is available to view at two locations in the library — in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery (second floor) and in the research and instructional services area on the first floor of the library. Wootten, a New Bern native, is considered one of North Carolina’s most important photographers during the first half of the 20th century. “Light and Air” is the title of her exhibit in the Faulkner Gallery, and “The joy is in the going” is on the first floor. These photos prominently feature North Carolina scenes and people.

Registration is open for the 20th annual paraprofessional conference, hosted by the SHRA assembly of ECU's Academic Library Services. The conference will be in the library May 10 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and this is a hybrid event, with sessions offered in-person and selected sessions streamed virtually. The theme is Engagement & Assessment. There are reduced registration costs and more information available at the paraprofessional conference website.

Full-time employees Kayla Hathaway and Eryn Staib with student employees Analise Watts, Allison Davis and Areen Miqdad have been leaders at events connecting the library to Pitt County Schools students. This included reaching more than 900 students at a career fair held at A.G. Cox Middle School, and at the ECU Main Campus Student Center where they encouraged 600-plus middle and high school students to become future teachers.

Arwen Parris, Academic Library Services’ interlibrary loan borrowing manager, helped facilitate a successful and unique book exchange to Meekins Library in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. This book was “Seamanship in the Age of Sail: An Account of the Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-of-War 1600-1860, Based on Contemporary Sources.” Meekins librarian Rochelle Wildfong wrote in a thank you letter about ECU’s main campus library: “Our patron, who spent years aboard various tall ships, thoroughly enjoyed reading this spectacular, in-depth book on seamanship. We appreciate the reality of library systems across the country willing to loan out rarely read volumes, making it possible for our patrons to continue to be hopeful in the quest for books that are hard to find and out of state.”

LAUPUS HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY

The latest art exhibit in Laupus Library, “Capturing the Art of Science,” in the Student Computer Lab 2502, is on permanent loan from the Laser Technology Application Group (Laser TAG). Laser TAG is an intellectual exchange group funded by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The mission is to promote awareness of emerging technologies in research. Their imaging competition celebrates the beauty of scientific discovery and promotes awareness of how emerging technologies have furthered research on campus. The objective of this exhibit is to raise visibility of the numerous ongoing imaging efforts occurring in research labs across the ECU campus. This event is now held annually with winning images being displayed prominently in community locations, which have included the Art Lab, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences - Greenville and the Scullery. We hope that you enjoy this ‘cell’-ebration of science at Laupus Health Sciences Library.

The 2024 Spring Fling Diversity and Information Fair will take place on the Health Sciences Campus lawn by the student center on April 2. All are welcome to attend. Learn more HERE.

The Country Doctor Museum, managed by Laupus Library, recently installed Artifact ABCs in the ECU Family Medicine Building. The installation includes fascinating artifacts from the museum's collection and will be on exhibit throughout the year.

NURSING

Fellows Inducted

Earlier this month two of our senior faculty members were inducted as members of their respective nursing specialties.

Dr. Julie Linder (above, left), clinical associate professor in the Advanced Practice Nursing and Education Department, was inducted as fellow of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute during a ceremony in New Orleans March 12, and Dr. Michelle Skipper (above, right), director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, was inducted as a fellow of the National Academies of Practice at its annual meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 16.

Dr. Bim Akintade, the dean of the College of Nursing, said Linder’s and Skipper’s inductions are a testament to their individual professional expertise and a recognition of the national leadership of the college’s faculty.

“I’m very proud of both Michelle and Julie, certainly for being recognized as fellows by their peers, but more so because of how they mentor their students while conducting cutting-edge research and rendering service to our communities across North Carolina,” Akintade said.

NCNA Spring Symposium

Dean Bim Akintade lead the College’s representation at the North Carolina Nursing Association’s Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium in Asheville March 17-20 with the opening keynote, “The Role of Nurse Practitioners in Transforming Healthcare in NC.”

Also presenting at the symposium were Drs. Michelle Skipper and Ann Bell who discussed their research on reproductive health and Dr. Margaret Dillon Spruill who addressed the safe prescription of opioids.

Collaborative Nurse Research Day

The College of Nursing partnered with ECU Health and Eastern AHEC to present the Collaborative Nurse Research Day at the East Carolina Heart Institute March 13. Registered Nurses from across eastern North Carolina, representing a variety of practice settings, as well as nursing school faculty and graduate and undergraduate students, participated.

The conference was intended to bring nurses together to share the research done in a variety of practice and educational settings. Special guest speakers from the Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Maria Castillo Clay and Rebeca Lewis, spoke about interdisciplinary rural health.

Black History Month Celebration and Panel Discussion

On Leap Day, the College of Nursing hosted a Black History Month Celebration and panel discussion titled “Champions of Change Through Perseverance: A Black History Perspective.”

Panelists included the American Nursing Association’s Dr. G. Rumay Alexander, ECU Health’s Dr. Daphne Brewington, Duke University School of Nursing’s Dr. Ernest Grant, ECU’s Michael L. Jones and Dr. Julius Mallette, the chief medical officer at Kinston Medical Center. The panel discussion focused on the success and challenges for Black patients and health care providers, and the way forward for health care and health education.

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