JCSU_Bulletin_Summer2011

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S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 1 1
ULLETIN
A MAGA ZINE FROM JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSIT Y
IN THIS ISSUE:
Nomzamo Nobandla
Winifred Madikizela-Mandela
Addresses 2011 Graduates
Duke Endowment Grants
$35 Million to JCSU
Mosaic Village
Groundbreaking
Pioneer Bowl Victory
Davis House
Groundbreaking
Ceremony
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Building the Future
The first of seven clear expectations of the University’s fiveyear plan for radical transformation is to build a more vibrant
and productive connection to the Charlotte community.
Our goal is to create partnerships with the local business
community and launch community development projects in
the neighborhoods immediately adjacent to our campus.
As a result of our bold efforts to engage our neighbors, the
local landscape is beginning to see some bright spots in the
Northwest Corridor, an area that has experienced decades
of neglect. Most recently, we have broken ground on Mosaic
Village and the Foster Village Network Center.
Mosaic Village is a mixed-use development of residential
and retail space that demonstrates our commitment to help
redevelop the West Trade Street area from Center City to
the University gates. Equally exciting is the Foster Village
Network Center, an initiative to support the unique needs
and challenges of emancipated foster care youth who desire
higher education.
I am extremely grateful for the support we have received from Griffin Brothers Co., the West Trade Street/Beatties Ford Road
Task Force, Charlotte City Council and Center City Partners to revive one of the city’s most historically significant black
communities. It is more than bricks and mortar. It is a symbol of our commitment to economic vitality for our neighbors and
academic success for our students.
Speaking of student success, we celebrated the largest graduation class in recent history during May Commencement
ceremonies, which you can also read about in this issue. We were delighted that day to hear Nomzambo Nobandla Winifred
“Winnie” Madikizela-Mandela, a member of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa and the African National
Congress Women’s League, share her story of commitment to community and determination as she fought to build a
nonsexist, nonracial and democratic South Africa. As she challenged students to use their talents to change the world for good,
may her words also inspire us to take action.
Please join me with excitement and anticipation in 2012 as we continue on our trajectory that will indeed land us at the
forefront of HBCUs and the brand of new urban universities.
Ronald L. Carter, Ph.D.
President
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE BULLETIN
A magazine from
Johnson C. Smith University
SUMMER/FALL 2011
www.jcsu.edu
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PRESIDENT
Ronald L. Carter, Ph.D
EDITORIAL TEAM
Sherri Belfield
Managing Editor
Jennifer Gaskins
Lamont Hinson
Kate Marcus
Erin Phipps
Commencement: May 8, 2011
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Davis House Groundbreaking
DESIGN
Moonlight Creative Group
Published by the Office of University
Communications and Marketing for
alumni and friends of JCSU. Please
address letters, photos, ideas and
concerns to:
JCSU Magazine
University Communications
and Marketing
100 Beatties Ford Road
Charlotte, NC 28216
phone: 704.378.1022
fax: 704.330.1426
email: [email protected]
ON THE COVER:
JSCU students Danyell Mitchell and
Jordan Broome talk in front of the
Davis House renovation project in
the heart of the planned Foster Care
Village Network Center across from
the main campus (see cover story
on page 7).
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Arch of Triumph Gala
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20
22
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25
26
28
32
34
35
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JCSU Breaks Ground on
Mosaic Village
Larry Griffin Sr. Receives Honorary Degree
Founders’ Week Events
Duke Endowment Grants $35 Million to JCSU
Student News
Student Activities
2010–11 JCSU Athletics Year Review
Athletics Profiles and Student Athlete Awards
Track and Field Makes Great Strides with Coach Graham Leading the Way
CIAA Tournament Excitement Returns
Athletics News
Philanthropy News
Campus News
Fewer Students, Higher Standards
Faculty and Staff News
Homecoming 2011
Alumni Notes
Letter from the President of the National Alumni Association
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FEATURE
Commencement: May 8, 2011
Our Future Community Leaders Graduate from JCSU
Under clear blue skies, 257 excited graduates of the Class of 2011
– the largest graduating class in recent history – turned their
ceremonial tassels, marking the start of a new chapter in their
young lives. Some 2,500 family members, friends, faculty and staff
gathered to celebrate on May 8, 2011 at the Irwin Belk Complex
on campus.
Jin Yoo of Charlotte, this year’s valedictorian, marked the occasion
with a congratulatory speech that encouraged graduates to set a
positive example for others. “By sitting here today, we have proven
that we are motivated and dedicated to our success. We will make a
difference to every individual back home,” said Yoo. “We truly are
the future leaders of this nation.”
The message of leading by example in service to the world
was punctuated by a powerful, heartfelt speech given by
commencement speaker Nomzamo Nobandla Winifred “Winnie”
Madikizela-Mandela. A current member of the South African
Parliament, Madikizela-Mandela endured incredible hardship
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under the oppressive regime of apartheid and spent more than 50
years as part of the South African liberation movement.
A commitment to community and determination to build
a nonsexist, nonracial and democratic South Africa opened
Madikizela-Mandela up to a life of frequent arrests and restrictions.
In 1958, as chairperson of the Orlando West branch of both
the African National Congress (ANC) and African National
Congress Women’s League (ANCWL), she faced opposition as
she organized and led women involved in the anti-pass campaign.
Later, in 1976, she was actively involved in mobilizing young
people to oppose the substandard Bantu Education Act, which
segregated the South African education system along the lines of
race. This peaceful protest became known as the Soweto Uprising,
and resulted in a police response of violence and brutality that
eventually produced 176 deaths and 1,139 injuries.
Madikizela-Mandela began her comments by comparing the fight
against apartheid to the Civil Rights Movement, citing a long list
FEATURE
of Civil Rights activists who served
as inspiration for the South African
people. “It’s important”, she said, “to
remember the incredible sacrifices
made by individuals for freedom. We
remember the scores of South Africans
who laid down their lives so that we
could be free… Others dared to fight
so that we can enjoy the freedoms we
sometimes take for granted.”
Madikizela-Mandela said the world
is now faced with the challenge
of “defeating global apartheid
and gender discrimination.” She
encouraged graduates to use their
talents to change the world for good.
“The question remains: What will our
contribution be in the struggle for a
humane society? How will we use our
new-found status as graduates and
skills acquired to advance humanity?”
In turning to University President
Dr. Ronald L. Carter, MadikizelaMandela praised him for his
leadership and recognized Johnson
C. Smith University as an instrument
for change. “Mr. President, you have
taken your institution on the path
of being part of the revolution and
not as part of the problem…
I am particularly impressed by your
insistence that the Smith experience
involves original thinkers with a
passion for success and no fear of
professional limitations.”
Valedictorian Jin Yi Yoo
Salutatorian Layla F. Bluefort
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
Academic Major: Criminology
Academic Major: Social Work
Activities while at JCSU: Criminal Justice
Honor Society and Army National Guard
Activities while at JCSU: Social
Work Club, Sigma Tau Delta
International English Honor Society,
Collegiate Sisters for Action, Foster Care
Initiative Ambassador/Mentor, Phi Alpha
Social Work Honor Society, Pi Gamma
Mu International Honor Society in Social
Sciences, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society
Why I chose JCSU: I wanted to stay
in Charlotte. When I was in the eighth
grade, my teacher took the class on a tour
of JCSU. My teacher, Ms. Ruff, was an
alumnus. I really liked the campus and the
[smaller] classroom size.
Best memories of JCSU: The criminology
faculty, especially Dr. Bivens.
Plans after graduation: I completed my
coursework three weeks early because
I was selected to attend the CharlotteMecklenburg Police Academy to become a
police officer.
Why I chose JCSU: I wanted the
experience of attending a historically black
college or university (HBCU).
Best memories of JCSU: My best
memories of JCSU were when I studied
abroad in Egypt/Israel in May 2010.
Plans after graduation: I will start graduate
school at the University of South Carolina
in Columbia, S.C. to pursue my master’s in
social work. I want to work in a field that
will allow me to empower people and make
a difference.
Dr. Ronald L. Carter; salutatorian Layla F. Bluefort;
Nomzamo Nobandla Winifred Madikizela-Mandela;
valedictorian Jin Yi Yoo; and Parran L. Foster III, chair,
JCSU Board of Trustees.
For her steadfast determination
and transformative leadership, the
University presented MadikizelaMandela the honorary degree of
Doctor of Humane Letters. “Winnie
Madikizela-Mandela chartered a path
for South Africans – black and white,
male and female – and rallied the
black majority of her nation against
tyranny of the minority, demanding
equality in an era of injustice,” said
JCSU Board Chairman Parran Foster
III. “We honor her because her passion
is our passion, her persistence is our
inspiration and because her leadership
is our call to action.”
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FEATURE
Larry Griffin Sr. Receives Honorary Degree
Johnson C. Smith University presented Charlotte entrepreneur
Larry Griffin Sr. the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters
as part of its 139th commencement exercises. Griffin, a native of
Charlotte’s Long Creek community, turned his passion for fixing
up old cars into a successful family-owned business that has served
the community for more than 50 years. Today, Griffin Brothers
Tires, Wheels and Automotive provides honest, affordable tire and
automotive services through its eight Charlotte-area locations.
“Today we honor Larry Griffin Sr. and the entire Griffin family
for their initiative, generosity and responsibility vitally necessary
for Johnson C. Smith to lead a neighborhood renaissance and
commence rebirth of the Northwest Corridor,” said JCSU Board
Chairman Parran Foster III.
Parran L. Foster III , Chair, JCSU Board of Trustees; Dr. Ronald L. Carter and Larry Griffin Sr.
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Surrounded by his family, Griffin humbly accepted the honor
saying, “I started this business when I was 20 years old down on
West Trade Street… and I am so looking forward to seeing this
whole Beatties Ford Road area open up to people walking along the
streets, riding their bicycles and just enjoying themselves.”
The Griffin family and JCSU have had a long-standing
relationship and share a passion for servant leadership and
community engagement. Recently, the Griffins partnered with
the University on its revitalization effort of Charlotte’s West End.
The Griffin family donated the land where the new Arts Factory,
a 14,000-square-foot teaching facility, now stands. They also have
been instrumental in bringing about Mosaic Village, a mixed-use
development consisting of residential, retail and commercial space.
FEATURE
Davis House Groundbreaking Ceremony
Dozens of people supporting JCSU attended the formal
groundbreaking the University’s restoration of the George Davis
House and announcement to start a pilot program for teenagers
aging out of foster care.
The historic landmark, located a block from the main campus, will
undergo a complete renovation to serve as the headquarters for the
Foster Village Network Center, an initiative designed specifically
to support the unique needs and challenges of emancipated
foster care youth who desire higher education. The Foster Village
Network Center is the vision of JCSU President Ronald L. Carter.
The holistic program provides guidance and support to help teens
who have aged out of foster care navigate through the educational
system and into college.
“We must pay attention to this sector of our youth,” said Dr.
Carter, a former foster father of four students. “Access to higher
education is essential for these students to reach their full potential
and become productive members in our society. If we don’t provide
them with the information on networking services, they’re not
going to make it through the pipeline.”
“Access to higher education is essential for these
students to reach their full potential and become
productive members in our society.”
The George E. Davis House was built in 1895 by George E Davis,
the first black professor of Biddle University, now Johnson C.
Smith University.
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founders’ week
Giving Societies Inductee Luncheon.
Cultural stage performances and Caribbean table.
1867 Giving Societies Inductee Luncheon
Passport to the World
Cultural Extravaganza
April 17, 2011, marked JCSU’s 144th Founders’ Day celebration. The 1867 Giving
Societies held their annual inductee ceremony, showing continued gratitude for the
University’s generous donors. Societies recognize an individual’s cumulative giving since
January 2000, and amounts range from $10,000 to $1 million and beyond. Each Giving
Society level is in honor of a past donor whose contributions enhanced the path of the
University. This year’s Smith Society inductees, contributing $100,000 to $499,999 were:
• Eva G. Donaldson ‘48
• Talmadge W. Fair ‘61
• Trustee Parran L. Foster III ‘72
• Trustee J. Frank Harrison III
We thank you, again, for your continued loyalty and commitment to our past and present.
The third annual extravaganza took place
on April 15, 2011. The event continues
to expose students to various cultures
and ethnic diversity among the Charlotte
community. Attendees enjoyed food,
entertainment and goods from several
regions around the world.
Performances included dance and musical
representations from Germany, Asia, the
Caribbean, Africa and South America.
Annual Scholarship
Luncheon
The annual scholarship luncheon was held
Thursday, April 14 in the Grimes Lounge
of the Mary Joyce Taylor Crisp Student
Union. Kendall Alley, executive vice
president at Wells Fargo, addressed the 100
scholarship recipients in attendance.
Trustee Shirley Hughes and Dr. Elfred Anthony
Pinkard, executive vice president and chief
operating officer for the University, shown (front
row left) with students and faculty participants at
the scholarship luncheon.
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k events
Arch of Triumph Gala
The third annual Arch of Triumph Gala, celebrating the 144th
anniversary of the University’s founding and the 2011 Arch of
Triumph Award honorees was held Saturday, April 16 at the
Charlotte Convention Center. As Johnson C. Smith University’s
signature fundraising event, the gala supports the JCSU Fund,
which raises needed resources for scholarships, teaching and
learning initiatives, as well as programs vital to providing a
quality educational experience for our students.
This year’s event, sponsored by Wells Fargo, grossed more than
$230,000 for the JCSU Fund. Since its inception, the event has
raised more than $622,000.
More than 850 attendees packed the ballroom to pay tribute to
this year’s distinguished honorees who represent excellence in
their respective fields, along with demonstrated commitment
to serving their communities. The 2011 alumni and nonalumni honorees in each category are: Hill Harper - arts and
entertainment; Carlenia G. Ivory – education; Dr. Charles L.
Curry – medicine; and Michael Marsicano – philanthropy.
Hill Harper is an accomplished, award-winning film, television
and stage actor who currently stars in the hit CBS drama series,
“CSI: NY,” the most successful television franchise in history.
He is also a noted philanthropist and three-time New York Times
best-selling author who penned the books Letters to a Young
Brother, Letters to a Young Sister and The Conversation.
To date, his collective work as a writer and actor has garnered
him six NAACP Image Awards, while his charitable and
community outreach efforts have resulted in, among other
accomplishments, the establishment of the Manifest Your
Destiny Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to mentoring
underserved youth and empowering, encouraging and
inspiring them to succeed. Harper also travels frequently as
a motivational speaker addressing a wide range of audiences,
including youths and adults. Harper graduated magna cum
laude from Brown University and was valedictorian of his
department. He earned his J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law
School, as well as a master’s in public administration from the
Kennedy School of Government.
Master and Mistress of Ceremonies JCSU student Darius Melvin and
Jessica Williams ‘04.
Carlenia Graham Ivory (’72), known for her passion for
improving public education for all children, is befittingly a
specialist with Charlotte Mecklenburg School’s Family and
Community Services and Parent University. Whether she is
working quietly behind the scenes or directly on the frontline,
Ivory has spent her career ensuring that the children and families
she serves experience success, hope and love.
To support her efforts, she has garnered several grants over
the years, including a $250,000 gift from the Junior League
of Charlotte to develop programs focused on making education
a top priority in the Double Oaks community, as well as funding
for a Saturday Enrichment Program.
Ivory, who graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Johnson
C. Smith University in 1972, also sponsored SAT preparation
and study skills workshops; started a middle school girls club
in partnership with Crown Jewels Links; launched a Family
Literacy Program at Double Oaks; organized a SOAP Pail
program that arranged rides to a local laundromat and provided
parenting workshops for participants while they laundered their
clothes; and led the efforts to raise more than $2.6 million to
build the Oak Lawn Recreation Center for youth.
Ivory’s many accomplishments have resulted in accolades such as
the YWCA Women of the Year Distinction, the Legal Defense
Fund Community Service honor, the 2010 Greater Alliance
of Educators recognition and the 2011 Charlotte Bobcats
Influential African-American Black History Month award.
Named one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, the Iowa
native resides in Los Angeles.
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arch of
10
triumph gala
Arch of Triumph Gala (continued)
Dr. Charles L. Curry (’55), John B. Johnson professor of
medicine emeritus and the former chief of the Division of
Cardiovascular Diseases at Howard University College of
Medicine, is a prolific writer, respected medical researcher, gifted
teacher and compassionate physician. He is also nationally and
internationally recognized for developing innovative approaches
to diagnosing and managing heart and vascular disease. He is a
leader in both professional and community organizations.
A fellow of the American College of Cardiologists, Curry has
lectured throughout the United States and abroad on a wide
range of topics, including hypertension and other cardiovascular
diseases. He has also authored a host of articles appearing in
major professional journals, co-authored two books and made
numerous scientific presentations nationwide.
Curry earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, magna cum
laude, from Johnson C. Smith University in 1955 and in 1959
received a medical degree from Howard University College of
Medicine. He continued his medical training with an internship
at the K. B. Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem,
N.C., and subsequently became the first African-American to
complete a residency in medicine at Duke University Medical
Center in Durham, N.C.
The Arch of Triumph Awards will be given annually to recognize
outstanding Johnson C. Smith University alumni and role models
within our community. The award nominee should:
• Hold a degree from the Johnson C. Smith University
(N/A for Non-Alumni award)
• Uphold the mission and values of the institution
• Demonstrate a high level of social consciousness by actively
responding to the community needs
• Have achieved professional success and recognition
• Be willing to attend the Honoree Roundtable and the
Annual Arch of Triumph Gala.
JCSU wishes to extend a heartfelt thanks to presenting sponsor Wells
Fargo, the more than 70 table sponsors, and to all who made this
year’s gala such a success. Mark your calendars for this year’s
Arch of Triumph Gala to be held on April 14.
Dr. Ronald L. Carter, Tami Simmons and Jay Everette.
Michael Marsicano is president and chief executive officer of
the Foundation for the Carolinas (FFTC). The foundation holds
approximately 1,825 charitable funds and manages assets, owned
and represented, of $910 million. In the 10 years Marsicano has
been at the helm of FFTC, contributions have totaled more than
$1.23 billion and more than $755 million in grants have been
awarded to charitable causes.
Prior to joining the foundation in 1999, Marsicano spent a
decade as president and CEO of the Arts & Science Council
in Charlotte, and under his direction, the United Arts Fund
gained the nation’s highest per capita annual giving amount.
In addition, Marsicano has been active in several national and
local organizations, including chairing the Board of Americans
for the Arts, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte
Symphony Orchestra.
Committed to social justice, Marsicano and his team have
catalyzed initiatives like Crossroads Charlotte, The Institute for
Social Capital, The United Agenda for Children and Project
LIFT – designed to close the achievement gaps in high poverty
schools. Acknowledged for his work in such areas, Marsicano
has received The Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from The Urban
League of Central Carolinas and the Philanthropy Campeon
Award from the Latin American Coalition.
Photos, Opposite Page
Top: Honorees Hill Harper, Michael Marciano, Dr. Charles Curry and Carlenia Ivory
escorted by JCSU students. Bottom Left: Mayor Anthony Foxx and Hill Harper.
Center: Grey Warner, Catherine Bessant, Dr. Ronald L. Carter, Sheryl Underwood
and Dr. Art Ulene. Bottom Left: Dr. Ronald L. Carter, Hill Harper, Carlenia Ivory,
Michael, Marsicano, Dr. Charles Curry, Trustee Chairman Parran L. Foster, III.
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FEATURE
JCSU Breaks Ground on Mosaic Village
Dreams became reality as community leaders joined JCSU officials
May 15, 2011 to break ground on Mosaic Village, a mixed-use
development featuring living and retail space. The project is part of
an exciting new vision for the redevelopment of West Trade Street
from Center City to the University gates.
“In 14 months, there will be over 124,000 square feet of living
space, 6,500 square feet of retail area, a four-level parking deck and
a 4,000-square-foot green roof,” said Sen. Malcolm Graham, special
assistant to the president for government and community relations.
“West Trade Street is alive with activity and momentum, and we
are grateful to our many community partners.”
“Johnson C. Smith University is a private
institution with a public purpose.”
Mosaic Village is a public-private partnership between JCSU, the
Griffin family of Griffin Brothers Tires, Wheels and Automotive
and the city of Charlotte. Neighboring Concepts is the architect
for the project, and Balfour Beatty Construction and Shelco
Inc. are the general contracting team. Representatives from these
partners, as well as Mayor Anthony Foxx, Councilman James
Mitchell Jr., Charlotte Center City Partners President Michael
Smith and other community leaders joined faculty, staff and
students to mark the event.
Plans for Mosaic Village.
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Mosaic Village groundbreaking.
“Johnson C. Smith University is a private institution with a public
purpose,” said University President Ronald L. Carter. “We are an
institution that is not afraid to engage in big sky thinking and to
look out over the landscape of Charlotte and see dreamers … and
join hands with them and say ‘let’s dream bigger.’”
Dr. Carter has been a catalyst for positive change on campus and in
the surrounding community since taking the helm at JCSU in July
of 2008. That same year, he assembled the Beatties Ford Road Task
Force, bringing together businesses, developers, residents and city
authorities to chart a course for revitalization of the West End.
After the groundbreaking, guests walked next door for the official
ribbon-cutting ceremony and a tour of JCSU’s Arts Factory, a
14,000-square-foot teaching facility that houses the University’s
performing arts classrooms for dance, film, graphic art, studio art
and theatre.
FEATURE
Duke Endowment Grants $35 Million to JCSU
The Duke Endowment announced Oct. 12, 2011 it has granted $35
million to Johnson C. Smith University, which is one of the largest
gifts ever awarded to a Historically Black College or University.
News of the gift received a standing ovation from University
officials and supporters gathered in the audience. Johnson C.
Smith University President Ron Carter said the grant will help
the University continue its transformation as Charlotte’s premier
independent urban university and help solidify JCSU’s place as
one of the nation’s top producers of African Americans in science
and technology.
“Smith is exceeding goals for enrollment and
retention rates, and more highly qualified students
are attending.”
“I know there are the Harvards and the Dukes and the Yales,”
Carter said. “But you know what, we have a blue ocean that
is waiting for Johnson C. Smith University and the Duke
Endowment has made it possible to sail.”
JCSU will use the grant as follows:
• $25 million to build a Science Center to support JCSU’s
vibrant Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) program.
• $5.5 million to renovate Duke Hall (residence hall).
• $4.5 million for scholarships to support international students
and to support students majoring in science and technology,
visual and performing arts, as well as social work.
The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that has awarded
more than $2.7 billion in grants to support higher education, health
care and other projects. The foundation was founded in 1924 by
prominent businessman James B. Duke, founder of Duke Energy
and whose family is the namesake for Duke University. With the
latest contribution, the Duke Endowment has awarded Johnson C.
Smith University more than $100 million over the years.
“The University has been going through sweeping changes under
Dr. Carter’s leadership,” said Neil Williams, chair of The Duke
Endowment’s board of directors. “Smith is exceeding goals for
enrollment and retention rates, and more highly qualified students
are attending.”
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STUDENT NEWS
Making the Grade
Scholarships
The Annual Performance Report, required by the U.S. Education
Department, calculates persistence, graduation and good academic
standing of students. We are happy to report that all three goals
were met and that we have exceeded estimates.
CIGNA Endowed Scholarship
Program Objective
Proposed Percentages 2009 – 2010 Outcome
Persistence
70%
80.44%
Graduation
35%
40.96%
Good Academic Standing
80%
85.71%
Study Abroad: Senegal
In May, students traveled to West Africa, immersing themselves in
the experience of a lifetime as they conducted applied research on
various aspects of the region’s society and traditions.
Course work designed by Drs. Adelheid Eubanks, Kirsten Hemmy
and Aman Nadhiri included:
• Exploration of West African history, politics, art and culture
• Internships with Senegalese development agency or project
• Field study of French language and literature
• Examination of post-colonialism in West African literature
and film
Mecia Moore, a junior pursuing a degree in political science,
has been awarded a $10,000 health care scholarship by
CIGNA at the 28th Annual Conference for the National
Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), held
in Chicago.
Moore is vice president of the Gamma Lambda chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated and was the Student
Government Association vice president of institutional
advancement. She also served as a resident assistant.
Belk Retail Endowed Scholarship
The Belk Scholarship is awarded to students with a business
administration degree and a concentration in retail
management. Students must have maintained a minimum
3.0 cumulative GPA. A total of $5,000 was awarded to each
of this year’s recipients: Andre Collins, Janay McPherson and
Denitric Scott.
The mission of The Belk Foundation is to support deserving
educational, health and youth organizations located in the
communities where Belk associates live and work. In addition
to the scholarships, a partnership with Belk, Inc. will match
Belk Scholars with a Belk employee mentor in Belk’s Black
Employee Resource Group and include the scholars in
professional development opportunities exclusive to Belk.
Food Lion Endowed Scholarship
Student Research Projects
Through Smith Institute
JCSU conducts ongoing research across the University. The
driving force of our research is the Smith Institute for Applied
Research, through which research is funded and grants are
awarded. The Smith Institute also works to fund faculty-led
projects and paid internships.
Two Smith Institute students who worked as applied research lab
assistants for Connie Van Brunt are Shawana Wilson, who was
mentored by Dr. Tim Champion and Dr. Satish Bhalla, and Kevon
Scott, who was mentored by Dr. Lijuan Cao.
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The Food Lion Scholarship is awarded for continued
development of the retail management program and
curriculum, guest lectures and Food Lion Mentors. Eligible
students must possess a minimum 3.0 GPA. This year’s
recipient, Daniel Monte, received $3,000 toward his
educational efforts.
Snyder’s-Lance Annual Scholarship
The Snyder’s-Lance Scholarship is awarded to students
entering their junior year of study and pursuing a business
administration degree with a concentration in retail
management or marketing. Students must have maintained
a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, shown commitment to the
community and exhibited leadership qualities as evidenced
by campus involvement. This year’s recipient of the $6,000
scholarship is Jamil Sims.
STUDENT NEWS
Student Feature:
Sabrina Davis
Opera Star Shares With Students
Expected to Graduate: 2012
Major: Communication Arts
SGA Vice President of Institutional
Advancement
Teach for America Internship: June 2011
– August 2011 in New York, New York
This summer I began my United Negro
College Fund Social Entrepreneurship
Fellowship program. This summer each
of the fellows were placed at leading
organizations in education reform. I
interviewed with the Teach For America
national officer, and landed an internship
with their national public affairs team.
I led a national media campaign called
the Hometown Press Initiative (HOPI)
where I pitched stories to newspapers all
over the country about people from their
towns joining the Teach For America
corporations. I was responsible for having
40 stories run in newspapers nationwide.
My favorite part of the summer in NYC
was being able to connect with other
TFA interns from all over the country
that attended universities such as Yale,
Harvard and Stanford. The best part about
connecting with other college students
was that they were really interested in
my experience of receiving a secondary
education from an HBCU. Being able
to explain to them the culture and selfidentity that is found on the campus of
JCSU allowed me to see that everyone has
a very unique journey through life, and
the more diversity you have, the more you
will experience. I’ve been accepted to the
2012 Metro Atlanta Corps for Teach for
America where I will spend at least two
years in a low poverty school working with
special education students.
Dr. Ronald L. Carter and Denyce Graves
When international
opera superstar Denyce
Graves appeared in
Charlotte for her
performance of Il
Trovatore with Opera
Carolina, she held a
master class with eight
voice students from
regional colleges and
universities on opera
repertoire, interpretation,
performance and style.
Recognized as one of today’s most exciting vocal stars, mezzo-soprano Graves
continues to gather unparalleled critical acclaim in performances worldwide.
Literary Studies Grant Awarded to
JSCU Students
Three students from Johnson C. Smith University have received a grant to attend
an eight-week graduate mentoring and research experience at the University of
California Riverside campus this summer. The grant will focus on African American
literature and literary studies.
They are among 18 students selected from a nationwide pool of applicants from
historically black colleges and universities. The students selected from Johnson C.
Smith University are the only students selected from North Carolina. They are
Asia Mapp of Sacramento, Cal., an English major whose research will focus on the
cultural and historical differences between African American literature and American
literature; Janelle S. Martin of Roosevelt, N.Y., an English major who will research
Jamaica Kincaid and her novel Lucy; and Lauren Simmons of Chicago, an English
education major whose research will focus on Julia Alvarez’s How the Garcia Girls Lost
Their Accents and related questions of race, family, gender and psychology.
“I am very proud of and excited for our students,” said Dr. Matthew DeForrest,
associate professor of English and interim chair of the Department of Languages and
Literature at Johnson C. Smith University. “The three students who applied to the
program were all accepted. While such an acceptance rate speaks well of our program,
I think it says even more about the quality of the languages and literature majors and
how far they can go. I have no doubt that this opportunity is their first step on the
long and fruitful journey they will begin after graduating from JCSU.”
Sabrina Davis
15
STUDENT NEWS
JCSU Residence Hall Energy
Efficiency Competition
The “Power Down” energy conservation contest ran from
March 15 to April 30 and is one of the steps the University
has taken toward creating a sustainable campus. The purpose
of the competition was to challenge students in the residence
halls to become aware of energy use and consumption while
educating them of their responsibility and the roles they can
play to reduce energy use.
Competition goal and objectives:
Fireside Chat Series
Two professionals in the Charlotte area shared their expertise
with students during the University’s Fireside Chat series this past
fall. Every month, from September to November and January to
April, an interesting personality is selected from the Who’s Who in
Black Charlotte publication to be featured at a Fireside Chat at the
University’s Smith House. Kevin A. Henry, senior vice president
and chief human resources officer at Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. spoke
to a group of 15 students during the September Fireside Chat.
He shared his career and experience in the business and human
resource fields. Many of the attendees benefited from his advice, as
they are majoring in business management.
October’s Fireside Chat featured Dr. Yele Aluko, a cardiologist
with Mid-Carolina Cardiology, who is a member of the Board
of Trustees of Novant Health and a founding member of the
Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas. He is the
director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at the
Presbyterian Cardiovascular Institute and has been regularly
involved in health education and delivery programs in West Africa
and the Caribbean.
16
• Effect change within residence life community with
individual behavior modification
• Use sustainability as a tool to effect energy awareness
and savings
• Demonstrate how energy efficiency improves JCSU’s
opportunities to save money
• Provide incentive for students to sustain this practice
throughout the school year
• Participate in similar competitions between university
campuses nationwide
• Explore ways to extend this competition throughout the
campus community
The winner of the competition, and of a flat screen TV for
their student lounge, was Carter Hall. Residents participated
by scheduling certain times during the day for everyone to
turn their lights off and unplug devices. Students with lamps
in their rooms were given energy efficient light bulbs. Also,
Carter Hall residents agreed to minimize energy use by doing
laundry collectively once a week when possible.
STUDENT NEWS
Student Activities
Greek Life
The Office of Counseling Services
Greek life on the campus continues to grow. The following
organizations initiated new members during the spring
membership intake period:
The Office of Counseling Services exists to promote and facilitate
the interests, wellness and personal development growth of all
JCSU students. Programs and services include:
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity – 2 initiates
• Individual Counseling Services
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity – 5 initiates
• Alcohol and Other Drug Services (AODS)
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – 20 initiates (process completed
November 2010)
• March Mixer – Event hosted by Office of Counseling, Health
Center, Spiritual Life Center and Health Department to
promote available services to students.
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity – 4 initiates
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority – 3 initiates
• Iota Phi Theta Fraternity – 1 initiate
• Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority – 1 initiate
Student Government
The Student Government and Class Council elections were
completed on April 1, 2011.
The University continued usage of Charlotte/Mecklenburg
County voting machines and a total of 530 students participated
in the elections. For the first time, to incorporate the concept
of a student body-wide elections process, the students of the
Metropolitan College also participated in the voting process. The
student body majority voted to include a Mr. Johnson C. Smith
University program as a part of the University activities.
Making a Difference
The women’s basketball team invited Health Center staff to
participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Game Day. The Golden
Bulls donned pink uniforms with a “Think Pink” message. At the
end of the game, Gloria Lockhart and Marian Jones were presented
with a plaque for collaboration with the Women’s Basketball
Coaches Association to honor the Health Center as an “Awareness
Difference Maker.”
On April 9, 2011 the Health Center participated in the West
Charlotte High School Women’s Conference, represented by
Marian Jones, along with JCSU student Jasmine N. SmithWilliams.
• African American AIDS Awareness Day
• Emerging Men’s Group (E.M.G)
• QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Training – Targeted
program for current resident assistants with instruction on
how to recognize a student who may be in need of additional
resources beyond the University community.
• Domestic Violence Speakers Bureau
• Safe TALK workshop
“The Champion in You” Male Book Club
Adonis Jeralds, former manager of the Charlotte Coliseum and
current Charlotte Bobcats employee, served as the facilitator
for this group. Students discussed topics that were designed to
encourage them to become better students and well-rounded
citizens and also addressed the concept of manhood, in particular
African-Americans’ role in today’s society.
Civil Rights Historical Tour
During spring break, 20 students embarked upon a life-changing
adventure to learn about monumental events and history that
marked the trail of the Civil Rights Movement through the South.
Students visited museums and churches in Atlanta, Ga.; Tuskegee,
Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham, Ala.; and Memphis, Tenn.
Tour highlights included meeting Julian Bond, former chairman of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) and social activist and leader in the American Civil
Rights Movement, in addition to visiting the National Civil Rights
Museum, formerly the Lorraine Motel, in Memphis - the site of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
17
ATHLETICS
2010-11 JCSU Athletics Year Review
Achieving Golden Success
The Johnson C. Smith University Department of Athletics
has had a record-breaking, historic and exceptional year of
achievements during the 2010-11 athletic season. The Golden
Bulls brought a CIAA Championship, 12 All-Americans, one
CIAA Coach of the Year, two athlete/players of the year and
many other team and individual accomplishments.
FOOTBALL
Senior Jeremy Franklin and junior Tyler Rabb earned All-CIAA
honors for the Golden Bulls. Franklin ends his career at JCSU as
the school’s all-time leader in receptions (206) and receiving yards
(3,154) as well as an All-CIAA career selection. The program had
a tough 2-8 finishes, but managed to win their second consecutive
Commemorative Classic over longtime rival Livingstone College
(26-13) to conclude the season.
Women’s basketball team at regionals.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Senior Ronald Thornhill became the 24th player in JCSU history
to score 1,000 or more points during his/her career. Thornhill also
set a new record for most three-pointers made in a single game with
10 against Newberry College. He scored a career-high 40 points in
the Newberry game and was named Tip-off Classic MVP.
The women’s basketball program had a truly historic season by
achieving the most wins in a single season (26) and earning the
first regional tournament victory ever. JCSU finished the season
26-5 overall, 14-3 in the CIAA, and entered the conference
tournament as the No. 1 seed. JCSU defeated Chowan and Bowie
State, but were the tournament runner-ups. JCSU earned an
NCAA DII Atlantic Regional bid and entered the tournament
as the No. 2 seed. JCSU topped Glenville State for their first
regional tournament win and beat West Liberty to advance to the
tournament finals. JCSU ended the year ranked 22nd by the USA
Today/ESPN Coaches poll.
Sophomore Trevin Parks scored a conference-high 572 total points
this year. He is ranked 1st in the CIAA and 10th in the NCAA DII
ranking for scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game. He was named
CIAA Newcomer and Player of the Week twice. He became the
first Golden Bull in history to be named CIAA Player of the Year.
Along with this honor, Parks has awarded NABC DII All-American
honors, NABC DII All-District First Team honors, Daktronics
DII All-Atlantic Region Second Team honors, HRSN Player of the
Year, All-CIAA honors and CIAA All-Tournament team.
The program finished 17-11 overall, 11-6 in the CIAA and entered
the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed. JCSU earned
victories over Chowan and Bowie State to advance to the semifinals
of the 2011 CIAA Tournament. Head coach Stephen Joyner Sr.
was recognized twice as CIAA Coach of the Week. The team was
ranked as high as 4th in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region early in
the season.
Head coach Vanessa Taylor was named 2010-11 CIAA Women’s
Basketball Coach of the Year, her third time receiving the award in
her career. Junior LaQwesha Gamble was selected to the All-CIAA
and All-Tournament honor at the CIAA and NCAA DII Atlantic
Region Tournaments in her first season at JCSU. Freshman Racquel
Davis received CIAA All-Rookie honors for her performance this
season. Junior Terran Quattlebaum earned CIAA All-Tournament
honors, while senior Shakeena Cunningham picked up
all-tournament honors at the NCAA DII Atlantic Regionals.
WOMEN’S BOWLING
The JCSU women’s bowling team placed seventh at the 2011
CIAA Championships. Senior Sasha Thornhill received AllCIAA and CIAA All-Tournament honors with a team-high 182.8
bowling average.
18
ATHLETICS
SOFTBALL
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
The Golden Bulls women’s softball
team concluded the season 8-31
overall and 7-10 in the CIAA.
Johnson C. Smith University received
a bid to the 2011 CIAA Softball
Championships as the No. 4 seed
in the Southern Division. Despite
being eliminated with losses to
Chowan and Fayetteville State, junior
Samantha Smith earned CIAA AllTournament honors. Smith was also
named CIAA Offensive Player of the
Week (week ending April 10, 2011).
The men’s track and field team placed fourth (indoor) and
second (outdoor) at the CIAA Championships for the second
consecutive season. Senior Leford Green won the 400m title at
both championships as well. Six earned All-Region honors from
the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
(USTFCCCA), including sophomore Winston Brown,
sophomore Jamille Callum, junior Andre Collins, Leford Green,
sophomore Akino Ming and freshman Randale Watson.
Green won the NCAA DII Indoor National title in the 400m and a
part of the 4x400m relay team. Including Green, the 4x400m relay
team with Winston Brown, Akino Ming and Jamille Callum won
the national indoor crown. All four earned All-American honors for
their performances at the NCAA DII Indoor Championships.
MEN’S TENNIS
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
Junior Robert Butts and senior
Jamil Jones were both selected
to the 2011 All-CIAA men’s
tennis team. The Golden
Bulls finished the year 7-20
overall, 5-8 in the CIAA and
entered the CIAA Tennis
Championships as the No.
5 seed. JCSU topped No. 4
seed Chowan to advance, but were eliminated in the semifinals by
eventual champions Shaw University. Johnson C. Smith was the only
team to beat the higher seed in the opening round of the tournament.
The JCSU women’s track and field team placed second (indoor)
and first (outdoor) at the CIAA Championships. The women’s
team won the first ever conference outdoor championship in the
program’s history and the only championship at Johnson C. Smith
this year. The JCSU women’s team earned the All-Academic Team
Award with a 3.56 team grade point average. The women’s Golden
Bulls track and field team had the third highest GPA of the 67 AllAcademic teams for the 2010 track and field season.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Sophomores Samantha
Barnes and Margaret Jones
were both selected to the
2011 All-CIAA women’s
tennis team, a first time
selection for both. The
women’s tennis team
concluded the season 14-14
overall, 10-6 in the CIAA
and entered the CIAA Tennis Championships as the No. 5 seed.
JCSU topped No. 4 seed Chowan to advance, but were eliminated
in the semifinals by eventual champions Winston-Salem State
University. Johnson C. Smith was the only team to beat the higher
seed in the opening round of the tournament.
GOLF
The JCSU golf team finished 9th
overall at the 2011 CIAA Golf
Championships. Senior Carleton
Beamer placed 22nd overall on the
leader board in the tournament.
Eight student-athletes picked up All-Region awards from the
U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
(USTFCCCA), including freshman Naffene Briscoe, junior
Rosemarie Carty, junior Sasha-Gay Cunningham, junior Monique
Kelly, sophomore Xahnn-Georgia Reid, senior Lakaevia Tyler,
freshman Danielle Williams and her sister, senior Shermaine
Williams. All of these student-athletes, with the exception of Reid,
were also named All-Americans for their performances at the 2011
NCAA DII Indoor Championships.
OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS
• The second annual Commemorative Classic launched a
two-day symposium on the Black and Minority Male Crisis,
in addition to the football contest. The theme of the
symposium was: Black and Minority Males Taking Flight
through Personal Development, Knowledge Sharing and
Commitment to Community.
• JCSU Athletics retired the basketball jerseys of Dante Johnson
and Angela Hamilton to honor their historic playing career
at Johnson C. Smith University. The ceremony took place on
Monday, February 21, 2011 inside Brayboy Gymnasium.
• JCSU Athletics recognized the 2000-01 Golden Bulls men’s
basketball team on Saturday, February 19, 2011 inside Brayboy
Gymnasium. The department honored the team for winning the
first CIAA Tournament Championship in school history and
advancing to the NCAA DII Elite Eight on their 10th anniversary.
19
ATHLETICS
Leford Green: A Man Known For
Capitalizing On Opportunities
Recent Johnson C. Smith University
graduate Leford Green has fully taken
advantage of his opportunities. Green
had a superior year in men’s indoor and
outdoor track and field. At the NCAA
DII Indoor Championships, Green won
the National title in the 400m dash and
4x400m relay. He earned All-American
honors for his performance. Green was
also named USTFCCCA Regional and
National Indoor Athlete of the Year. He
won the CIAA Indoor and Outdoor title
in the 400m. Green won CIAA Outdoor
MVP honors and recently earned the
College 400m Hurdles Championship at
the Penn Relays.
At the Central American and Caribbean
Championships, Green claimed victory
in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of
49.03 seconds. He won the same event
the previous year and set a game record
(48.47); his time this year is a season’s
best. The victory qualified him for the
Leford Green
IAAF World Championships in Daegu,
South Korea. He advanced to the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles after placing fourth in
his heat (49.45). His semi-finals effort of 49.29 was good enough for fourth place. Green
also ran the anchor leg on the Jamaican 4x400m relay team of Allodin Fothergill, Jermaine
Gonzales and Ryker Hylton en route to gaining a bronze medal (3:00.10) behind the
United States (2:59.31) and South Africa (2:59.87).
“The World Championship experience was wonderful because I now know what is
required of me to make it to the Big Eight (final) in a championship,” stated Green. “Plus,
I also achieved my first ‘Worlds’ medal, so it was a wonderful experience.” Green recently
turned professional, signing with global sporting goods giant Adidas. He will stay with
coach Lennox Graham who has guided him since high school and all four years at JCSU.
Green, a native of St. Catherine, Jamaica, earned his degree in information systems
engineering (Class of 2011). “The transition from Jamaica to the United States wasn’t hard
at all,” said Green. “I’ve been traveling since 2004 on the Jamaican national team and I’ve
seen various places.” He has been a stellar student-athlete since stepping foot on the campus
of Johnson C. Smith University.
Green feels as though he has tons of support from the community surrounding JCSU, fellow
student-athletes, and lots of love from the Johnson C. Smith family. “At first they didn’t
know who I was or my potential, but now even when I go to the barber shop they know who
I am,” Green said. After examining how he seized his opportunities at the collegiate level, the
entire world may soon know the name Leford Green.
20
Jeremy Franklin:
Worth His
Weight In Gold
Written by: Joseph Smiley
In the past few years, the Golden
Bull’s football program hasn’t shined
as much as expected with 3-7 seasons
for the past three years. One bright
spot in the program has been the
performance of rising senior and
wide receiver Jeremy Franklin. As
a collegiate athlete with big league
dreams at a smaller university, it never
really appeared that the dreams could
become a reality. Franklin came to
Charlotte and Johnson C. Smith
University from Casselberry, Fla.
not knowing what to expect from
the opportunity he was about to be
granted. With the support of his
parents, he realized that anything was
possible. Being the second oldest of
many siblings, Franklin serves as a role
model because they are all looking up
to him.
After one year of play on the field,
Franklin led the bulls in receiving and
quickly became the next big face of
the Golden Bull football program.
In the next few seasons, Jeremy
Franklin was the receiver for the
Jeremy Franklin
ATHLETICS
Golden Bulls offense that demanded
the most attention and the first look
from the quarterback. Franklin was
named a first team All-Conference
for his third consecutive year after
ending his junior season ranked
first in the CIAA in All Purpose
yardage with 1382 yards. Whenever
a dynamic play was needed Franklin
was almost guaranteed to make the
play because of his ability to make
defenders miss. Along with the ability
to make defenders miss, his 6-foot
4-inch frame, weighing at around
200 pounds, gives him the ability to
high point the football or just plain
outmuscle defenders. Franklin has the
unique combination of athleticism
and strength to maneuver through
traffic on the field like an exotic sports
car, yet has the ability to carry a heavy
load similar to the torque of a dump
truck. Franklin adds to his resume of
being a pro prospect receiver with the
ability and desire to block.
Despite the struggles, Franklin has
managed to find a balance between
his academics and athletics. Aside
from the day-to-day team activities,
Franklin puts in overtime training
in improving his craft to make his
dreams a reality. Franklin also puts
in extra time with his quarterbacks
to improve the chemistry and timing
between each other. As the leader
of the receiving core, many of his
teammates come together around
him. Going into the 2010 football
season, Franklin is looking to put the
individual accolades behind him for
a greater goal. That includes leading
the Golden Bulls back to the greatness
they experienced in 2006-2007
season where they were 7-3 during the
regular season. Not being involved
that season due to being a redshirt,
Franklin knows that if he is able to
lead his team back to winning, he
can come closer to his dream of being
selected in the 2011 NFL draft. With
the stage already set, Jeremy Franklin
is ready to do what he has done
since he came to Johnson C. Smith
University, which is to accept the
challenge and perform.
JCSU student Trevin Parks wins Player of the Year in men’s basketball.
Student-Athlete Awards
More than 200 students and faculty attended the annual ceremony to recognize top student
athletes. Sophomore Trevin Parks and seniors Leford Green and Shermaine Williams all
took home the Pettis Norman Student-Athlete of the Year Award, the highest honor from
Johnson C. Smith University Athletics. The award is named for Pettis Norman, a graduate
of JCSU and former All-Conference tight end. Parks won the award as a member of the
men’s basketball team and his Co-Male Athlete of the Year, Green, won for men’s track and
field. This is Green’s third consecutive Pettis Norman Award. Williams earned her honor for
women’s track and field, making this her third student-athlete of the year recognition.
Green and Williams also received the Coca-Cola Academic Award for the highest grade
point averages among student athletes, maintaining a GPA above a 3.5. Green is majoring
in information systems engineering, while Williams is a biology major.
Parks became the first JCSU athlete in history to be named CIAA Player of the Year.
Along with this honor, Parks was awarded NABC DII All-American honors, NABC DII
All-District First Team honors, Daktronics DII All-Atlantic Region Second Team honors,
All-CIAA honors, CIAA All-Tournament team and HSRN DII Player of the Year.
At the NCAA DII Indoor Championships, Green won the national title in the 400m
dash and 4x400m relay. He was also named USTFCCCA Regional and National Indoor
Athlete of the Year. He won the CIAA Indoor and Outdoor title in the 400m, CIAA
Outdoor MVP honors and the College 400m Hurdles Championship at the Penn Relays.
At the CIAA Indoor Championships, Williams won the title in the 60m hurdles,
60m dash, and 200m dash, along with CIAA Indoor MVP. At the CIAA Outdoor
Championships, Williams earned Outdoor MVP after winning the 100m hurdles and
4x100m relay crowns. Her efforts helped JCSU win its first ever conference outdoor track
and field championship.
21
ATHLETICS
Track and Field Makes Great Strides with
Coach Graham Leading the Way
By: Naffene Briscoe
Coach Graham
When examining the success of Johnson C.
Smith University athletics, most observe
the men’s and women’s basketball programs,
which continue to achieve on a high level
in the conference and the region. However,
perhaps the magnifying glass should also
focus on the men’s and women’s indoor/
outdoor track and field programs.
Last season, Johnson C. Smith track and field student-athletes
competed and won championships at the conference, regional,
national and international levels. One prime example of Golden
Bull excellence in track and field is recent graduate Leford Green. In
2011, Green earned All-American status at the NCAA Division II
Indoor and Outdoor Championships, repeated as the 400m hurdles
champion at the Central American and Caribbean Championships
and competed at the World Championships in athletics in South
Korea as a member of the Jamaican national team.
The program has garnered several other honors and awards
including multiple All-American and All-Academic Team honors.
Recent graduate Shermaine Williams competed at the World
University Games in China and won the 2011 CIAA Outdoor
Women’s Championship, the first in University history.
Thus far, the key ingredient in this successful recipe has been head
men’s and women’s track and field/cross country coach Lennox
Graham, who joined JCSU in 2007. He has brought to the
University 14 years of international coaching experience at the junior
and senior level in Jamaica, which resulted in six national high school
championship titles at Kingston College (high school). Graham
has coached many individual/relay champions at the Jamaican high
school, Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), Central
American and Caribbean (CAC), North American Central
American and Caribbean (NACAC) championships, Penn Relays
and Pan American Junior Championships levels.
At JCSU, Graham has coached medalists, All-Conference
and All-American champions at the CIAA, NACAC, Junior
Pan-American Championships, Penn Relays, NCAA, and in
2011, coached medalists at the World University Games World
Championships in athletics. His student-athletes have also
achieved multiple regional awards in the Atlantic Region, in
addition to 67 All-American awards.
No stranger to hard work, Graham credits his up-bringing to such
success. “I was raised in a humble, hard-working household and
those values have continued to serve as a foundation throughout
my adulthood,” he said.
22
Born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, Graham is the youngest of four
children and was raised in a rural community in Clarendon,
Jamaica. Graham was a scholar during his primary education and
aced the common entrance examination to earn a place at the
prestigious Kingston College. It was during his years at this all-male
institution that Graham became involved in track and field.
He competed for Kingston College in development track meets
and the annual Boys and Girls Championships, the highest
national level of competition for Jamaican high school track and
field. Graham became a national champion sprinter and sprint
hurdler. He was a repeat silver medalist in the 110 meters sprint
hurdles and, in his first year competing in the 400m hurdles
(a much more difficult event), he won the gold.
After graduating from Kingston College in 1983, he continued
his education at Alabama State University on a track and field
scholarship. He pursued degrees in business administration/
computer information systems, while balancing his commitment
as a student-athlete. He had many athletic and academic
accomplishments at ASU. He ran a school record in the 110m
hurdles (13.89 sec), which he currently still holds. Graham
graduated with the highest grade point average in his class and
received the president’s award at commencement.
After finishing his undergraduate studies, Graham went on to pursue
his MBA at the University of New Orleans. He graduated summa
cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. After his academic stint in the United
States, Graham returned to Jamaica and worked in the information
technology industry for 18 years with companies such as Island
Life Insurance Company Ltd. and Digicel. He even worked as a
consultant with the office of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
While working, Graham remained a volunteer coach at his alma
mater, Kingston College. Throughout his high school coaching
days, he accounted for six championships at the Boys and Girls
Championships. As his passion for coaching grew over the years, he
decided to further his knowledge about track and field by earning
his IAAF Certification in sprints and hurdles.
He acknowledges IAAF certification instructor Lawrence Seagrave
as his main motivator throughout the program. “Seagrave served
as a presenter during the program and his approach to track and
field was so scientific,” said Graham. “His presentation focused on
technique and the scientific specification of the human body. Those
experiences greatly influenced some of my coaching methods with
track and field.”
After the certification process, Graham had an opportunity to
coach in the U.S. The Golden Bulls were searching for a new track
ATHLETICS
and field coach to revitalize the program.
Graham assumed the position and moved
to the “Queen City” with his wife, Valrie,
and children Richard, Brian and Xonnel.
“The City of Charlotte and Johnson C.
Smith have been a great experience for my
family and me,” said Graham. “Some have
difficulties with culture shock moving
from one country to another, but the
biggest adjustment for me has been the
cold weather. I am accustomed to Jamaica
and Alabama, even the climate in New
Orleans was warm when I was there.”
The only challenge Graham faced when
building a program from scratch was
competing against readily established teams.
Since his arrival, he has elevated the indoor
and outdoor track and field program to a
consistent level of great accomplishments.
He has been named the CIAA women’s
track and field coach of the year three times.
Last year, Graham had three studentathletes competing at the international
level and he wants to do the same or
better this year. Two of his prized pupils,
Shermaine Williams and Leford Green,
recently graduated with honors and
signed professional contracts with Adidas.
Graham shares a good relationship with
his athletes and is known and appreciated
for his candidness, jovial personality and
work ethic.
Aside from coaching, Graham enjoys
spending time with his family and
attending church. He has several
nicknames including: Lenny, Coach
Graham, Nox, Skippa, LG and Sir G mainly used by his athletes. Graham shared
these life philosophies: “Life is a journey;
in some instances the journey will be easy
and sometimes the journey will definitely
be impossible to bear” and “giving is always
better than receiving.”
CIAA Tournament Excitement Returns
While the rest of the country prepares for the beginning of March Madness,
Charlotte has its own preview of basketball mania. On Feb. 27, the annual Central
Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) men’s and women’s basketball
tournament returns to the Queen City.
As one of the nation’s oldest athletic conferences, the CIAA has partnered with
the city of Charlotte for seven years to host the tournament at Time Warner Cable
Arena, home to the Charlotte Bobcats, and has now extended the contract to keep the
tournament in the Queen City through 2014.
For the Love of the Game
Ask any student at JCSU and you’ll probably hear that it’s not just the basketball
games that have everyone excited about the CIAA Tournament. Drawing more than
175,000 fans to celebrate and watch heart-pounding rivalries over 24 games in just six
days, the CIAA Tournament also features parties, concerts, events for the fans and step
shows, making it a highly anticipated event.
The tournament’s momentum doesn’t show any signs of stopping, either. According
to statistics, the CIAA Tournament is the third largest NCAA basketball tournament,
as well as one of the largest African-American events in the country. Last year the
tournament set a new economic impact record by drawing over $44.3 million to
Charlotte. Attendance soared to new heights too; more than 190,000 fans came to the
week-long event.
CIAA in the Community
Besides keeping fans and attendees entertained, the CIAA has long been known to have
a major impact on the Charlotte community and the educational institutions in the
conference. In addition to regular high marks for economic impact, the tournament has
raised more than $15 million in scholarship funds for conference schools.
The CIAA Tournament also provides opportunities for college and grade school
students to take their game to the next level. During CIAA Education Day, students
from local high schools and middle schools meet representatives from CIAA
institutions and learn about the college experience from students like Miss JCSU and
her court.
The CIAA Career Expo also helps college students network with potential employers.
Follow the JCSU Golden Bulls participation in this year’s tournament by visiting
www.goldenbullsports.com.
For more general information about this year’s tournament Feb. 27 – March 3, please
visit http://www.ciaatournament.org/.
Graham is truly a man of talent and has
made an undeniable mark on Johnson
C. Smith University athletics. All ears
and eyes are attuned to what he and the
Golden Bulls will accomplish next.
23
ATHLETICS
Golden Bulls Football Beats
Miles 35-33 for the 2011
Pioneer Bowl Championship
The Johnson C. Smith
University football
team trumped Miles
College 35-33 in the
13th Annual Pioneer
Bowl, held inside A.J.
McClung Memorial
Stadium on Saturday,
Dec. 3. JCSU finished
the season 6-5 overall
with the victory over
the SIAC champions.
This is the first winning
season at Johnson C.
Smith since 2006; the
Golden Bulls made their
second bowl appearance
in school history.
Freshman quarterback
Keahn Wallace
(Homestead, Fla.) was
named Pioneer Bowl MVP with his three rushing touchdown
performance. Junior running back Dedrick Anderson (WinstonSalem, N.C.) finished with 104 yards rushing off 15 carries and
a touchdown. Seniors Darius Johnson and Quinton Toomer
(both natives of Atlanta, GA) swarmed to the ball for a combined
19 tackles. Johnson earned Most Outstanding Defensive Player
honors with his 10 tackles.
The Golden Bulls brought the Pioneer Bowl trophy back to
Charlotte to cap an extremely progressive year. “This is a great
feeling, I’m so proud of the way we fought today,” said head coach
Steven Aycock.
Aycock received CIAA Coach of the Week honors on three
occasions this season with a 4-3 conference mark. “The coaching
staff put together a terrific game plan and prepared our guys to
execute. This win exemplifies the type of success our program is
aiming for on a continued basis. Thanks to all our alumni and
University administration for support, today’s a great day to be a
Golden Bull.”
24
Vanessa Taylor: A Path to Follow
200 Steps and Counting
Longevity can
be defined as the
long continuance
in a particular
occupation.
Success is defined
as the achievement
of something
desired, planned or
attempted. Johnson
C. Smith University
head women’s
basketball coach
Vanessa Taylor is
a shining example of longevity and success in coaching. In
the midst of her 11th season, Taylor has reached her 200th
victory at the helm of the women’s basketball program
at JCSU. With such as impressive milestone in tow, the
opportunity to reflect on the journey is available.
After 10 seasons as head coach at JCSU, Taylor continues
to strive for new heights instead of resting on her laurels.
Last year, JCSU concluded the 2010-11 season in the USA
Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 poll at No. 22 after a historic
best 26-5 overall record. The Golden Bulls advanced to the
championship game in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic
Association (CIAA) and NCAA Division II Atlantic
Regional Tournaments. The victory over Glenville State
(74-69) in the quarterfinals was the first-ever regional
tournament win for the women’s basketball program.
Taylor was elected as the 2011 CIAA Women’s Basketball
Coach of the Year. It was her third time winning the honor,
but first at JCSU. She has the most wins all-time as the head
women’s basketball coach at JCSU, with a school record of
200-108 and an overall record of 283-203. Taylor has never
had a losing season at Johnson C. Smith University, including
four seasons with 20 plus victories and no season with fewer
than 16 wins.
PHILANTHROPY
JCSU Capital
Campaign Gains
Momentum
In 2009, JCSU President Ronald L. Carter,
announced an ambitious seven-year pan to
transform the University into Charlotte’s
nationally recognized premier independent
urban university.
As part of this quantum leap forward,
he also announced an unprecedented
fundraising campaign of $150 million
from both the private and public sectors.
Campaign objectives will be clustered
around the areas of Enrollment, Retention,
Scholarships, Campus Experience and
Academics. Although the University is still
in the early part of the “quiet” stage of this
wide-ranging campaign, more than $73
million has already been raised.
“We are encouraged by early
commitments to the campaign from many
different corporate, foundation, individual,
and government sources as affirmation
of our ambitious effort to create a new
paradigm for Historically Black Colleges
and Universities,” Carter said.
Carter and the board of trustees are
proud to announce three major gifts
that have jump-started the institution’s
metamorphosis: $350,000 from
Charlotte-based Cato Corporation to
endow the Cato Par Excellence Teaching
Award; $250,000 from the Wells Fargo
Foundation; and $50,000 from the
Sisters of Mercy Foundation to begin the
University’s Foster Care Initiative.
Cato Corporation Donates
$350,000 for Teaching Excellence
Charlotte-based Cato
Corporation has donated
$350,000 to endow the Cato
Par Excellence Teaching
Award at Johnson C. Smith
University. The award will
recognize outstanding
faculty performance annually
and will provide both a
cash stipend of $5,000 and
financial assistance to help
fund faculty professional
development opportunities.
Cato Corporation is a leading
specialty retailer of women’s
fashions and accessories with
approximately 1,300 stores in
31 states.
The first recipient of the
2011 Cato Par Excellence
Teaching Award is Dr.
Dr. Brian Madison Jones
Brian Madison Jones,
assistant professor of history
in the College of Arts and Letters. Jones started teaching at JCSU in 2007, and
his teaching and research in history have been assets to our campus. His book,
Abolishing the Taboo: Dwight D. Eisenhower and American Nuclear Doctrine, 19451961, was just published by Helion and Company, Limited of the United Kingdom.
His professional affiliations include the Organization of American Historians, the
Southern Historical Association and the Charlotte History Alliance. In addition
to the Cato Award, Jones has won both teaching and research grants from such
institutions as the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan and the
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library.
We invite you to learn more about the
campaign and join us in transforming
this proud and historic institution into
Charlotte’s premier independent urban
university. For more information, contact
the Division of Institutional Advancement
at 704- 330-1437.
25
CAMPUS NEWS
Grant Fuels Energy Conservation Projects
Johnson C. Smith University has received a $6,500 grant from the North Carolina State
Energy Office to renovate and improve the energy efficiency of its student union and
residence halls.
To raise energy efficiency awareness on campus, the University kicked off a sustainability
initiative on Dec. 5 in the Student Union Rotunda. Students attended Reduce and
Recharge to learn simple ways to conserve energy around campus and at home. The first
50 students received a free gift. Activities included a raffle for a JCSU gift basket, a carbon
footprint quiz, eco-friendly games and refreshments.
“This sustainability effort is another milestone in our comprehensive, ongoing effort to
improve the long-term environmental sustainability of our campus,” said Dr. Ron Carter,
president of Johnson C. Smith University.
Specifically, the grant will partially fund a project to retro-fit Grimes Lounge to allow the
University to conserve energy by reducing heat loss in the cooler months and retain cooler
air in warmer weather. Additionally, the funds will enable the University to install controls
and efficiency measures to Smith Residence Hall. The projects are slated for completion by
the end of December.
White House Selects JCSU as a Model for
Blue Ocean Strategy
JCSU is proud to have been selected by the White House for a unique “proof-of-concept”
project that will use the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy to examine the University’s
retention and graduation rates.
The announcement is from the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs). JCSU was the only site chosen.
The effort will be led by Renée Mauborgne, co-developer of the Blue Ocean concept and
a member of the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. Mauborgne is the INSEAD
Distinguished Fellow and a professor of strategy at INSEAD (the world’s second largest
business school) in France. She is also co-director of the INSEAD Blue Ocean Strategy
Institute. She was born in the United States.
Used in the for-profit sector for several years, “Blue Ocean” is an analogy for new, untapped
market space where demand is created rather than fought over with competitors. It
provides an analytical framework and the tools for examining a range of organizational
challenges, including many that are found in the educational sector.
Mauborgne and her team made their first visit to JCSU on Oct. 12, 2011. The project’s
first phase will identify factors impacting students’ graduation rates and then present
recommendations for improving them. The next step will focus on implementation.
In a letter to JCSU President Dr. Ronald L. Carter, John P. Brown, associate director of
the White House Initiative, said that JCSU had been selected because of Dr. Carter’s
enthusiastic leadership; the University’s proximity to an airline hub; and the University’s
high-caliber “working and strategic relationships” with funders.
Brown also wrote that Dr. Carter saw JCSU’s “target populations not simply as bodies to
fill seats on…campus, but as promising and enthusiastic scholars eager to learn and willing
to invest in their own intellectual and social development.”
26
Nationally Known
Entrepreneur
Addresses Executive
Leadership Luncheon
Bill Sherrill was the keynote speaker
at the Executive Leadership Luncheon
Series for students, faculty, staff and city
dignitaries on Nov. 15 at the Charlotte
City Club. Founder of the Wolff Center
for Entrepreneurship at the University
of Houston, Sherrill built a program
that has been ranked number one among
the “Top 25 Undergraduate Schools for
Entrepreneurs” by The Princeton Review
and Entrepreneur. JCSU is considering
modeling a career-focused curriculum after
Sherrill’s work, making the University the
only HBCU in the nation to offer such a
program to students.
Addressing a full audience, Sherrill
emphasized the importance of
understanding free enterprise — a model,
he said, that hasn’t changed in 60 years.
“Entrepreneurs create jobs, and that’s what
this nation needs,” said Sherrill, who has
led many entrepreneurial efforts, from
start-ups to turnarounds, in real estate
development, electronics, manufacturing,
banking and finance.
The event also included music by the
JCSU Jazz Band and a closing address by
Dr. Ronald Carter.
CAMPUS NEWS
Upward Bound
The goal of the Upward Bound
programs (Upward Bound/Upward
Bound Math & Science) is to increase
the rate at which participants enroll
in and graduate from institutions
of postsecondary education. The
programs have three components;
(1) Academic Year Component
(2) Summer Component
(3) Bridge Component
The following activities were
provided for the Upward Bound/
Math & Science programs for spring/
summer 2011:
• Orientation
• Tutorials
• Academic Saturday Sessions
• Grade Reviews
• College Tours
• Museum Series
• Parent Workshop/Seminar
• Black History Month/TRIO
Day Celebration
The theme for Summer Component
2011 was, “From Victory to Victory.”
Students learned that challenges
are intrinsic to life. Our goal was to
present specific principles that can
be used to achieve “victory” in one’s
life. The colors used for this session
were, brown, beige and green (army
fatigue). Summer Component 2011
was a success with the following
activities provided:
• Week 1: Pre-testing,
Teambuilding, Self-Awareness
Workshops, Career Day.
• Weeks 2-5: Academic Classes and
Awards Ceremony.
• Week 6: Trip to Nashville and
Memphis, Tenn. (College Tours,
Lorraine Motel, Alex Haley’s
Childhood Home and Museum,
Slave Haven Burkle Estate,
Stax Music Museum of
American Music).
University Breaks Ground for HealthPlex
Johnson C. Smith University and the surrounding community will soon have access to a new
facility on campus that supports a healthy lifestyle. The University and special guests broke
ground Aug. 19 on a one-million-dollar HealthPlex Center near Brayboy Gymnasium.
Dr. Diane Bowles, vice president of Government Sponsored Programs and Research at
JCSU, welcomed guests including Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. E. Winters
Mabry and Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton. Also attending the event were the
student-athletes and coaches affiliated with the Department of Athletics.
President Dr. Ronald Carter called the project “another promise fulfilled for the
community’s sake,” as the University continues to work with Charlotte city officials and
corporate partners on the project.
The 5,760-square-foot center will feature state-of-the-art fitness equipment and a full line
of services designed to provide the tools needed to reach personal health and fitness goals.
It will be equipped with cardiovascular machines, strength and resistance machines and
offer a free weight training area and a group exercise studio for such classes as yoga, Pilates
and dance.
Two locker rooms equipped for 50 student-athletes each also will be included in the facility.
In addition to the physical fitness areas, the center will feature two large multi-purpose
rooms with televisions and computer technology for educational use. Plans also call for a
kitchenette setup for nutritional cooking demonstrations.
27
CAMPUS NEWS
Fewer Students, Higher Standards
By Elizabeth Murphy, Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 9, 2011
(editor’s note: After seeing freshman enrollment drop for two years,
Johnson C. Smith welcomed the largest freshman class ever this year.
Read more on page 30.)
Johnson C. Smith University saw its enrollment fall by 200 in 2009,
and it is looking to cut programs in the coming year. But these are
good things, says Ronald Carter, the university’s president.
In 2009, the university capped admissions about 200 students
short of the year before because of a commitment made by
administration, faculty and the board of trustees to increase
the academic standards at the private, historically black college
in Charlotte. The faculty also just completed an exhaustive
reexamination of the curriculum. The move was notable, given
the longstanding mission of Johnson C. Smith, like many black
colleges, to be open and welcoming to students who might not
be admitted elsewhere. Some worry about the university moving
away from that mission, but university leaders and some others say
the college is shifting in an important way toward an emphasis on
academic rigor, with the goal of graduating more students, not just
admitting them
There have always been black institutions — such as Morehouse
and Spelman Colleges — with highly competitive admissions.
While the changes at Johnson C. Smith aren’t bringing the
university into that level of admissions competition, they do
represent a move in that direction and away from the approach of
admitting most who apply.
Note: Graduation rates largely reflect the performance of students admitted
under old standards
20082009
20092010*
20102011
20112012
Average high school GPA
of incoming freshmen
2.6
2.89
2.98
2.91
Average SAT score of
incoming freshmen
(reading and math)
821
867
879
862
Fall-to-fall retention rate
63%
68%
70%
74%
Six-year graduation rate
39%
38%
39%
37%
*Academic year university administration implemented changes to academic standards
Data provided by Johnson C. Smith Office of Enrollment Services
Wanda Ebright, president of the Faculty Senate and chair of visual,
performing and communication arts, said her colleagues have
mixed feelings on the change. When Carter came to the university
as president in 2008, he reached out to faculty to assess the current
shape of the institution. Many faculty members were concerned
that some students were unwilling or unable to finish their degrees.
Through these discussions, a plan was formulated to increase the
academic standards, Ebright said.
“We look carefully at every student and say, ‘Is this is a good fit?’ ”
Carter said. “That is raising standards in raising in that question.”
Ebright said she believes the changes are positive, as she’s already
seen differences in her classes, with students showing a greater
willingness to work hard and pay attention.
Making Waves
But some professors and students are concerned, she said.
In its deliberate efforts to elevate the caliber of student, university
officials have aimed to admit those with higher high-school gradepoint averages and SAT scores. Admissions officers are also looking
at “non-cognitive variables,” Carter said. For example, admission
officers are taking a closer look at prospective students’ volunteer
and work experience, motivation to learn, and self-confidence. So
while average score and grade numbers are rising, those figures are
not the sole factor, Carter said.
“I think that there have also been some people who feel we are
letting down a segment of the African American community who
may not have had access to a certain education,” Ebright said. “There
are some students who I have heard echo that sentiment. Students
at least used the term that this was a second-chance university. Some
people are offended that the higher admission standard is making it
impossible for some people to come to Smith.”
Slow improvements are evident in the university’s average student
profile and graduation and retention rates -- starting in the data for
2009-10, when the new admissions standards took effect.
28
Four-year Snapshot of the Changes at Johnson C. Smith
Ebright said despite these concerns, the administration and faculty
have struck a balance in maintaining the institution’s historic
mission while improving its academic rigor. For example, the
university offers a summer program for students who are on the
cusp of admission, she said.
CAMPUS NEWS
“Any time there is change it will create anxiety because … you are
saying, ‘We are not what we used to be and we are not what we
want to be, so what are we?’ ” Carter said. “We had to continue to
reassure folks that we are not turning our backs against a student
who may have struggled but has strong motivation. We are being
more thoughtful about the students we accept into the university.”
John Silvanus Wilson, Jr., executive director of the White House
Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, said
black colleges have a tradition of admitting, educating and
gradating students who don’t always have the highest test scores
and grades coming out of high school. But with a stagnant
economy, it is becomingly increasingly difficult to prepare students
for life after four years of college, he said.
It’s important, then, for all institutions, not just black colleges,
to reexamine their capacity to prepare students for the future, he
said. At Johnson C. Smith, administrators are carefully evaluating
their capacity to successfully educate and graduate students — an
effort Wilson said he applauds. “I don’t see this as drifting from the
access mission. I see this as strengthening the completion mission,”
Wilson said. “I think we have to educate and graduate students
effectively — that’s the bottom line. In order to do that well you
have to shape a class with as much as wisdom as possible.”
Indeed, James Minor, director of higher education programs at
the Southern Education Foundation, said it’s an unfair to assume
that by raising academic standards the university is no longer
following its historical mission. Minor said this shift reflects the
higher education environment. “The higher education community
has a story of hypnotic fix on outcomes,” he said. “Part of the
challenge is that focusing on outcomes is used as a proxy for
institutional effectiveness.”
Minor said it’s great Carter and the university’s faculty are
undertaking such a strategy to strengthen the institution.
One reason the university was able to shoulder the burden of
losing out on tuition dollars from 200 students is a $2 million
grant from the Duke Endowment, a private foundation that
financially supports four universities in the Carolinas, including
Johnson C. Smith. The university also received a $35 million grant
from the endowment — one of the largest gifts ever received by a
black college -- in October to support the university as it moves
through this transition and into the future, said Eugene Cochrane,
president of the fund.
“We are very impressed with [Carter’s] vision, but also his strategy
for carrying it out,” Cochrane said.
Sylvia Carey-Butler, director of enrollment management for the
United Negro College Fund Institute for Capacity Building, said
it’s a “misnomer” that most HBCUs are open-enrollment. There
are 38 UNCF member institutions, including Johnson C. Smith,
and of them, only 10 are open-enrollment. Even then, she said,
those institutions have baseline requirements for admission.
At Johnson C. Smith, it’s not “change for change’s sake,” CareyButler said. “They are really trying to create an ethos that lends
itself to student success,” she said. “At Johnson C. Smith they have
been engaged in not only how they enroll and retain students, but
connecting that to the faculty. They continually look to enhance
across several domains on campus.”
Starting at the Beginning
Carter said that the shifts at the university don’t mean a sole focus
on test scores. For example, he said a student recently applied
with a 1300 SAT score, but Carter said there was no evidence that
student was serious about learning at the university and the student
was not admitted.
On top of changing measures of prospective students, Carter said
the faculty just completed an exhaustive overhaul of the entire
28-major curriculum. Programs will be added, programs will
end and programs will be consolidated, he said. Carter said the
university wants students who are graduating with a passion to be
“social entrepreneurs,” and the new curriculum design focuses on
critical, creative and practical thinking in all fields, Carter said.
There is also talk of creating a graduate school, he said.
For example, he said, in the revamped visual and communication
arts, there is an emphasis on theory in the classroom, but also on
outside mentorship and internship programs with organizations in
the city of Charlotte.
“We are keeping traditions while
building on them. I see the community
involvement getting more interwoven
in more intricate ways in serving as a
supportive organization.”
Ebright was a member of the program review committee that
evaluated the curriculum and every non-academic center on
campus, including housing and dining units. “We are keeping
traditions while building on them,” she said. “I see the community
involvement getting more interwoven in more intricate ways in
serving as a supportive organization.”
Carter said this is just one step in the university’s growth. The
private university has an enrollment of about 1,300 this year, but
it hopes to expand to about 2,500 in the coming years, he said.
“Johnson C. Smith University is on a trajectory that will land it in
the forefront of HBCUs,” Carter said.
29
CAMPUS NEWS
JCSU Enrolls One of Its Largest Freshman Classes
After seeing freshman enrollment drop dramatically for two years,
JCSU has started the 2011-12 academic year with one of its largest
classes ever with 514 new students.
The decrease was a result of a bold new direction for the institution
– moving from a near-open admissions policy to one of moderate
selectivity. But with a number of changes made to the recruiting
process, such as an improved scholarship program, freshman
enrollment has more than doubled from the 2010-11 figure of 222
Incoming freshmen receive a pin at Opening Convocation to signify their official
status as JCSU students.
without sacrificing academic quality. The freshman class of regular
admits had a median GPA of 3.16 and a median SAT score of 865.
The Biddle Cohort had a median GPA of 2.87 and a median SAT
score of 840.
Efforts to make the student population more diverse are also
becoming increasingly effective. African-American students
now make up 72 percent of the student body, and there are 147
international students enrolled from countries such as the Barbados,
Bermuda, China, Haiti, Jamaica, Liberia and South Africa.
The most popular majors among incoming students are: business
administration and economics, social and behavioral sciences,
natural science and math, followed by visual, performing and
communication arts.
Total fall 2011 enrollment for the University stands at 1,543.
Tami Simmons addresses freshman class about finding personal purpose and
achieving self-actualization. She is Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Company
where she is director of Corporate Philanthropy for the Eastern U.S.
30
CAMPUS NEWS
JCSU Invited to Join the U.S. Department of
Defense Center for Digital Forensics Academic
Excellence Program
Everyone does it.
Every day, millions
of Americans enter
personal information
on retail or social sites.
They use the same
password that’s easy
to remember — like a
child’s name or a favorite
pet — to sign into all of
their online accounts.
While these actions seem
harmless, they’re actually
Dr. Magdy Attia
a hacker’s dream. Now
that technology and
database systems are an integrated part of almost every aspect of
business and modern-day life, cyber attacks have never been more of
a concern for national security.
It’s a frightening concept. Even scarier, however, is the severe deficit
of professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) in the United States.
To address the issue, the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber
Crime Center (DC3) engineered the Center for Digital Forensics
Academic Excellence (CDFAE) program and has invited Johnson
C. Smith University to join nine additional pilot schools across the
country in its development.
“The United States loses approximately $500 billion a year
because of cyber security glitches, including the loss of intellectual
property and physical damage,” said Dr. Magdy Attia, a James
B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and
Engineering at JCSU and the founding dean of the school’s
College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
“Professional hackers have proven that you don’t need bombs or
guns to attack another country.”
establishment of “standards and best practices for digital
forensics practitioners, educators, and researchers to advance
the discipline of Digital Forensics and increase the number of
qualified professionals to meet the needs of law enforcement,
counterintelligence, national defense and legal communities.”
JCSU was invited to join the program after completing its
Undergraduate Research Center in Electronics and Cyber
Security, thanks to a $400,000 Congressionally directed grant the
University received in 2010. The funding allowed JCSU to develop
laboratories, software, summer research programs and a curriculum
for a minor in cyber security that will tentatively be offered during
the 2012-2013 academic year.
Currently, JCSU is in the assessment phase of becoming certified
in the CDFAE program. In addition to a certified curriculum,
involvement with the program will also help JCSU increase
campuswide awareness of cyber security to instruct faculty and staff
on the ways they can protect their online identity and information.
JCSU’s involvement with the CDFAE program also marks the
University’s commitment to moving from a traditional education
to one that is more market driven, ensuring that students have
the ability to find jobs or continue their education with graduate
school if they choose.
“JCSU has always had a strong STEM program,” said President
Ronald L. Carter. “Our involvement with the Department of
Defense will make our program that much more competitive
and prepare our students to make an impact in the field of
digital forensics.”
“With the $35 million grant our university received from the
Duke Endowment, we’ll use a significant portion to continually
improve our STEM departments,” said Carter. “Additions to our
Technology Center and state-of-the-art laboratory technologies
will also ensure that our students will be some of the most soughtafter graduates in these critical fields.”
According to the CDFAE, the partnership between American
universities and key government agencies will lead to the
31
FACULTY AND STAFF
Johnson C. Smith Professor
Tapped for Oral History
Project at Duke University
Johnson C. Smith Professor Sharon
Raynor will be working with Duke
University’s Center for Documentary
Studies to conduct and document
community experiences, spoken memory,
oral history and the literacy and culture of
silence during the spring 2012 semester.
The Steering Committee for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg African
American Community Fund (CMAACF) is pleased to announce
its 2011 grant award recipients. The award recipients are Hope
Haven, Inc. ($10,000); Lupus Foundation of America, Piedmont
Chapter ($5,000); C. Ray & Cynthia Kennedy Foundation
($5,000); Girl Talk ($3,750); Lakewood Community Development
Corporation ($3,750); and Classroom Central ($2,500).
She plans to explore topics including the
cultural preparedness of making a memory
into a story and how memories and stories
can cross cultures and generations without the experiences being
lost in translation. Professor Raynor has directed two oral history
projects, “Breaking the Silence: The Unspoken Brotherhood of
Vietnam Veterans” and “Soldier-to-Soldier: Men and Women
Share their Legacy of War,” originally funded by the North
Carolina Humanities Council.
Johnson C. Smith University’s Center for Applied Leadership
and Community Development currently provides administrative
support and technical assistance to the Steering Committee of the
newly formed CMAACF and its subsequent grant award recipients.
Sharon Raynor
Tom Rankin, director of the Center for Documentary Studies,
said the timing could not be better for having Professor Raynor on
campus. “We are beginning a veterans history initiative, much of
which is grounded in oral interviews.
Sharon D. Raynor is an associate professor of English and the
Mott University Distinguished Professor (2010-2013). She
earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in English
from East Carolina University and her Ph.D. in English from
Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
She is also the recipient of the Alphonse Fletcher Sr. Fellowship
through the Fletcher Foundation and the W.E.B. DuBois Institute
for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
In previous years, she served as the interim director of the Honors
College (2008-2009), the chair of the Department of English
and Foreign Languages at Johnson C. Smith University (20052008) and as a lecturer in the English department at East
Carolina University.
32
Center for Applied Leadership
Assists in Awarding $30,000
to Local Organizations
According to Sherrill Hampton, executive director of the Center
for Applied Leadership and Community Development, the grant
awards will support a range of activities benefitting Charlotte’s
African American community, including after-school tutoring,
mentoring for high school girls and young African American
males, educational supplies for low-income and at-risk students, as
well as outreach and education on a debilitating disease affecting
women of color.
The grant funds were made possible through the Lethia Henderson
Fund Endowment and the Elizabeth S. Randolph African
American Fund Endowment, managed by the Foundation For The
Carolinas (FFTC). The Henderson Fund was established at FFTC
in 1981 to support nonprofit programs and organizations with
an emphasis on health and community service. Henderson was
an African American business woman and resident of the Beatties
Ford Road Corridor. The Randolph Fund was established in 1993
at FFTC to foster philanthropy and to support nonprofit programs
and organizations that address African American concerns.
Randolph was a teacher and principal in Charlotte and also lived
along the Beatties Ford Road Corridor.
Hampton said Johnson C. Smith is proud to assist in
helping to continue the legacy of philanthropic giving by two
great Charlotteans.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Former Dean Don Mager
Honored With Lifetime
Achievement Award
Prior to his retirement, Don Mager was honored on April
14, 2011 with the Irene Blair Honeycutt Award for Lifetime
Achievement in the Literary Arts in a ceremony at the Philip
L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center on the main campus of
Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.
The award ceremony was part of CPCC’s annual week-long
Sensoria Festival.
The Irene Blair Honeycutt Award for Lifetime Achievement
in the Literary Arts was established to recognize outstanding
achievement in the field of literary arts and community
involvement in support of writers. The award is presented
to a community member who is committed to the artistic
life, shares skills and talents, produces exemplary art and has
achieved public recognition in the art field. Previous winners
include Anthony Abbott, Frye Gaillard and Julie Suk.
At the award ceremony, Mager was recognized for service
to writing in Charlotte as former board member of the
Charlotte Writers’ Club, his leadership in fundraising
for Wale Soyinka’s Cities of Asylum Foundation and the
founding of the annual World of Words International Poetry
Festival at JCSU. Diana Pinckney made the presentation and
commented specifically on Mager’s eight published books
and his anthology of translations from Russian, Us 4 Plus 4,
published by the University of New Orleans Press in 2009.
Dr. Adelheid Eubanks
Appointed to the Charlotte
International Cabinet (CIC)
Adelheid Eubanks
The CIC is the Charlotte
region’s leading resource for
promoting international
business and international
communities. Working as a
consultant to elected officials
and city staff, the cabinet
provides guidance on local
activities of international
scope and is a reflection of our
community’s changing face.
Presidential Acclaim for
Servant Leadership at Home
and Abroad
In honor of Black History Month, Dr. Ronald Carter was
recognized as an outstanding citizen by the Charlotte Bobcats and
Lowe’s Companies at the Feb. 5 game against the Dallas Mavericks,
held at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
Lauded for his professional accomplishments, academic
achievement and community involvement, our president’s
distinguished career spans more than 30 years of serving students,
universities and the communities he has called home. Most
notably, Carter spent several years in South Africa, emerging as
a leader in academia during the wake of the apartheid era. He
became one of the first black administrators at the University of
the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, a traditionally
white institution.
Congratulations, Dr. Carter! We are truly grateful for your
dedication and leadership.
33
HOMECOMING 2011
This year’s coronation kicked off Homecoming festivities with the crowning of Robert Butts and Rolanda Sue as Mr. and Miss Johnson C. Smith University. It is University
tradition that during coronation the previous queen comes back and crowns the new queen. Shakirah Randolph, Miss Johnson C. Smith University 2010-2011, returned to
crown the new reigning queen. Miss Randolph was also crowned Homecoming Queen in later festivities.
The coronation’s “Global Elegance” theme highlighted various cultures on campus with a fashion show and native dancing of Latin American, Indian and African influence.
34
ALUMNI
National
Speaking Tour
Underway
Johnson C. Smith University has
been featured prominently in the
Charlotte-area media lately. With
a recent $35 million grant from
The Duke Endowment and several
ground-breaking ceremonies for
on- and off-campus developments,
it looks as if JCSU is heading for a
major transformation.
That’s the message President Ronald
Carter is taking to alumni across the
United States in an eight-city speaking
tour that began in November. “These
intimate speaking engagements are
designed to help the president lay out
the vision for the future to the JCSU
community and some of its most
important constituents,” said Grover
Smith, president of the National
Alumni Association.
“We have a clear and focused vision
of where our university is going in
the next five years,” said Carter. “Our
business and community partners are
now looking to us to be a leader in the
growth and prosperity of Charlotte.
It is a challenge and an opportunity
that this university has boldly chosen
to accept.”
The tour began in Charlotte and
has since included stops in RaleighDurham, Winston-Salem, High
Point, Greensboro, Columbia and
Philadelphia. Future tour dates and
locations include:
March 15, 2012
Atlanta, GA
May 17, 2012
Chicago, IL
June 9, 2012
Los Angeles, CA
July 10, 2012
New York, NY
Alumni Notes
40’s
Eva G. Donaldson (1948) was presented
the American Chemical Society and the
Department of Chemistry at Howard
University during their honors and
awards program. Donaldson received the
award of appreciation for establishing the
Kenneth and Eva G. Donaldson Endowed
Scholarship Fund.
50’s
Raphael O. Black (1950) was recognized
as a trailblazer for being one of eight
African Americans in 1951 to be the first
to integrate a fire company in the state
of North Carolina. The Winston-Salem
Fire Department sponsored the event
to spotlight the 60th anniversary of the
establishment of Fire Station No. 4.
Ophelia DeLaine Gona (1957) was a
member of the very first group of Peace
Corps volunteers to depart for service
50 years ago. During her Peace Corps
service, Gona taught French at a Ghanaian
secondary school from 1961-1963.
After her service, Gona became a teacher in
the U.S. and continued to teach for more
than 40 years.
Dr. Walter Hill (1958) recently assumed
the role of chief child psychiatrist with
Potter’s House Family and Children’s
Mental Health Services Stone Mountain,
Ga. Hill has been in practice in Atlanta for
33 years. His previous psychiatric practices
have included states of New Jersey, Ohio,
Maine and Tennessee. Hill does not have
intention of retirement anytime soon.
60’s
Harold R. Washington Jr. (1961) was
an activist and groundbreaking Harvard
professor. In 1968, Harvard University’s
Crimson newspaper published the
demands of the campus’s black students,
among them more courses relevant to black
students and more black faculty to teach
them. Nearly 18 months later, Harvard
created the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for
Afro-American Research and named nine
new black faculty to teach the college’s
first black studies courses. Washington was
among the groundbreaking instructors,
hired during a time of social upheaval
in the country. His time at Harvard was
among many stops he made during a
lifetime of fighting for civil rights and
representing society’s downtrodden.
Washington died July 22 at his home
in the Virgin Islands, where he lived for
20 years. He was 76 and succumbed to
complications of coronary disease. Known
ubiquitously as Hap, he was considered
a forceful and motivating speaker in the
classroom and the court of law.
Friends and family said his motto was,
“If I don’t say it - who will?’’ He held fast
to that ethic through his latter years, when
he served as a public defender in the Virgin
Islands where he had gone on a government
grant and liked it enough to stay.
Washington was born in Manhattan to
Harold R. Washington Sr., a tailor and
former Negro Leagues baseball player, and
his wife Ermine (Pearson), a teacher.
For additional information, please visit:
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/
articles/2011/09/11/harold_r_washington_
jr_activist_ground_breaking_harv
Photos, Opposite Page
Top Left: JCSU football team. Top Right: Rolanda Sue and Robert Butts as Miss and Mr. Johnson C. Smith
University. Center Left: National Alumni President Grover Smith, Jr. ’70 with Rob and Sharon Harrington. Center
Middle: Trustees Parran L. Foster III, Shirley Hughes and Melba Costen. Center Right: Maya Hicks ‘11, April Moore
‘11 and Nicole Matthews ‘10. Bottom Left: U.S. Marine Corps presents Excellence in Leadership Award to Rolanda
Sue, Miss JCSU. Bottom Right: Debra Purvis Clayton, Theaoseus T. Clayton ‘55, Phillip Clayton, Eva M. Clayton ‘55,
Dr. Ronald L. Carter and Trustee Argie Johnson.
35
ALUMNI
Alumni Notes (continued)
SAVE THE DATE!
Reunion Weekend 2012
May 4 – 6, 2012
This year, we will celebrate the
reunion classes ending with seven
(7) and two (2). The alumni
banquet will be held at the Hilton
Center City.
Hotel Reservations:
Hilton Center City
222 East 3rd Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704-377-1500
or 877-667-7213
Group name: JCSU 2012
Reunion Weekend
Rates:
• $129 - Deluxe King and
Deluxe Doubles
• $159 - Exec King and
Exec Doubles
• $139 - Corner King
• $199 - Hospitality Suites
James Debeuneure (1966)
August 13, 1943 - September 11, 2001
It is 10 years since the terrorist attacks
took the life of James Debeuneure. The
state of Maryland unveiled the 9/11
Memorial in Maryland at the World
Trade Center Baltimore on September
11, 2011. If you would like to support the
memorial by giving a donation in memory
of James Debeuneure, or would like more
information on the Memorial, go to
http://www.maryland911memorial.org/.
Dr. JoAnn Haysbert (1969) has been
named executive vice president at
Hampton University. She previously
served as president of Langston University
in Oklahoma.
Rev. Ronald W. Johnson (1969)
(deceased) family had a dedication and
unveiling of the “Rev. Dr. Ronald W.
Johnson Way” at the corner of Burgess
Place & Myrtle Avenue, Passaic, N.J.
Frederick A. Wilson Jr. (1969) received
the Doctor of Ministry degree on May 14,
2011 from Hood Theological Seminary
in Salisbury, N.C. Wilson currently serves
as pastor of Life Baptist Church in
Charlotte, N.C.
70’s
Vincent Matthews (1972) has been
selected for induction into the USA Track
& Field Hall of Fame. (http://www.usatf.
org/News/Devers,-Greene-lead-Hall-ofFame-Class-of-2011.aspx, http://www.
goldenbullsports.com/news/2011/11/1/
MTRACK_1101113942.aspx)
Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins (1975) was
appointed provost at Dillard University.
ADDRESS CHANGE/ALUMNI NEWS UPDATE:
80’s
P. Michael Green
(1980) is pursuing
his Ph.D. degree in
the leadership
studies program at
North Carolina A&T
State University. Green has managed
technical projects and teams throughout
China, India and the U.S.A for the
IBM Corporation.
Patrick K. Moss (1980) is currently
serving as the deputy executive director of
the Virgin Island Authority on the island of
St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Dr. Gloria Boutte (1980) was selected as
chair for the Department of Instruction
and Teacher Education at the University
of South Carolina. Boutte, who is also the
Schuyler and Yvonne Moore Distinguished
Chair, is the first African American chair
for this department.
Steve Jarrett (1981) received the
Champion of Champions Award from
the National Society of Black Engineers
(NSBE). The award, one of the first of
its kind presented by NSBE, is given to
executives or sponsors who have provided
exemplary service and support to NSBE,
which is the largest student managed
organization in the U.S.
In addition, Jarrett was chosen to be
a contributing author for the recently
published book by Aspatore, entitled Inside
the Minds: Leveraging HR Metrics. The
chapter that he wrote is titled “Creating
Relevance through Business Partnership
and Metrics,” where he shares his thoughts
on the value of obtaining buy-in from
business leaders regarding the measurements
that matter to them most.
Send your address change and alumni news to the Office of Alumni Affairs at [email protected],
or call 704.378.1023. You can also submit information online at www.jcsu.edu. When changing an address, please also
provide the old address. We would appreciate any news about what you’re doing so that we may share it with fellow alumni.
36
ALUMNI
William L. Roberts
(1982) was honored as
the 2010 Volunteer of
the Year by the YMCA
of the Metropolitan
Philadelphia Area.
Roberts has served on the YMCA Board of
Trustees for more than seven years. Roberts
is currently assistant VP and director of
Corporate Risk Management at Lincoln
Financial Group.
Cheryl B. Mallory (1988), a four-year
breast cancer survivor, was honored by
her Order of Eastern Star chapter, Frances
E. Edwards #20, along with two other
sister/survivors from her chapter, at a
“Passionately Pink for the Cure” gala.
The evening was filled with a sea of pink
and inspiring words of reflection by
the honorees!
90’s
Juana Jordan (1993)
graduated with a
Master of Divinity
degree from Emory
University Candler
School of Theology,
with a concentration in leadership in
church and community. Jordan also earned
certificates in black church studies and
women in theology. In July, Jordan began
her appointment through the United
Methodist Florida Conference as senior
pastor of Harris Chapel UMC in Oakland
Park, Fla. She was recently honored
with proclamations from former JCSU
classmate Florida Senator Chris Smith
(1992) and Rep. Alcee Hastings and Rep.
Perry Thurston.
Shanna Benjamin (1994) received two
national awards, the National Endowment
for the Humanities Summer Stipend
( http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/
stipends.html) for the essay “Strategies
Not Truths: Nellie Y. McKay and the Art
of Self-Construction” and the American
Association of University Women
(AAUW) American Fellowship for In
Control of Her Narrative: A Biography of
Nellie Y. McKay (http://www.aauw.org/
learn/fellows_directory/).
Dr. Davida L.
Haywood (1998)
has been appointed
to serve as the senior
executive director
of the Multicultural
Center (MCC) at the Ohio State
University. In Haywood’s new role, she
will provide intellectual, multidisciplinary
and administrative leadership for the
MCC staff; assess student needs and
develop policies, objectives, programs
and services to meet them; administer
daily operations; and create program and
service partnerships with students, faculty,
administrators and community groups.
Nepherterra Estrada (1999) received
the Urban League of Central Carolinas
Leadership Award for demonstrating a
commitment to professional and personal
development, philanthropic opportunities
and community activism.
Terence E. Guess (1999), vice president,
mortgage servicing group manager at Bank
of America, joined the NMO Advocacy
team and will be responsible for the all
advocacy third-party nonprofit (nonNACA) and political events. The team
provides guidance and leadership to the
distribution channels on business and
financial issues.
Karen Meadows (1999), of Sedgefield
Elementary School, has been named
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of
the Year and serves as Sedgefield’s robotics
team coach.
00’s
Kristene M. Kelly (2000) was
named CIAA Senior Woman
Administrator of the Year. She is the
associate athletic director and senior
woman administrator at Saint Augustine’s
College in Raleigh, N.C. In addition,
Kelly was recently selected to participate
in the year-long NCAA Division II/ADA
Mentoring Program.
Dr. Nicki Washington (2000) was
recently promoted to associate professor
with tenure in the Department of Systems
and Computer Science at Howard
University. She is the first AfricanAmerican female computer science faculty
member in the department.
Quentarus T. Brown (2001) was
appointed the new general manager of the
Monroe Transit System in Monroe, LA.
Danielle S Monroe(formerly Adams)
(2001) had a baby girl on September 12,
2011. Dania Marissa Monroe was 6 lbs., 9
oz. and 20 inches long.
37
ALUMNI
38
Alumni Notes (continued)
Necrology
Kori McKay (2003) has received a
Contract and Procurement Master of
Science degree.
NAME
Jessica Gay (2004)
earned the Master of
Public Health degree
in health promotion
and disease prevention.
She received her degree
from Florida International University,
Robert Stempel School of Public Health in
Miami, Fla. She will be working at Florida
International University as an assessment
and testing coordinator for the Herbert
Wertheim College of Medicine.
CLASS
DOD
Dr. Robert Bligen
1959
8/19/11
Hedy Brown
1967
10/24/11
Henry Byrd
1964
6/1/11
Clarence Carter
1941
1/6/11
Dr. Ladda B Cook
1957
12/13/2011
Judge William Davis
1945
6/29/11
Roberta Ellis-Howell
1936
12/11/2011
Earnest Fair
1954
10/2/11
Nellie Flanders
1959
9/10/11
William Fletcher
1950
6/11/11
Dr. Joseph Gaston
1949
9/7/11
Reginald Goins
2005
10/29/11
Shannon Cross (2004) was the official
ESPN.com social media correspondent
for the Women’s Final Four, providing
poll questions, sharing comments from
ESPN.com’s live discussion chat room
and tweets from the viewers. It marks the
first time ESPN.com has utilized its live
discussions during a telecast for crossplatform integration.
Steve Gray
1985
10/20/11
Regina Green
1983
7/24/11
Alberta Louise Greenlee
1947
12/3/2011
Robert Hamilton
1958
2/25/11
Amos Harper
1952
8/13/11
Willie Hatfield
1972
10/3/11
John Heath
1951
6/10/11
Lance Holmes
2002
8/11/11
Talece Y. Hunter (2004), a political
science graduate of JCSU, received a
certificate in paralegal studies from Duke
University in Durham, N.C.
Lt Colonel Willie Jones
1979
9/12/11
Beverly Lawston
1983
10/20/11
Ulysses Lee
1975
9/20/11
Dorothy Long
1969
8/4/11
Kiosha Ford (2006) graduated from St.
John’s University School of Law.
Mary Malachi
1947
8/20/11
Emma Mathis
1957
11/1/11
Aisha Lide (2007)
graduated from
Savannah College of
Art and Design with
a second master’s in
digital photography.
She is currently the CEO and creative
director of www.myshoefreak.com.
Harvey Michael
1939
4/14/11
Gladys Moreland
1938
11/12/10
Harold Napper
1963
4/23/10
Margaret Reeder
1949
11/27/10
Reverend Clarence Thomas
1947
7/23/10
Harold “Hap” Washington
1961
7/22/2011
Clyde Williams
1960
12/9/2011
ALUMNI
JCSU NATIONAL ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
Grover Smith (1970)
President
Rosalind Lee (1990)
1st Vice President
Elijah Washington (1970)
2nd Vice President
Gwen Isley (1989)
Recording Secretary
James Hicks (1976)
Treasurer
Peggy Lide (1979)
Financial Secretary
Dr. Omotolokun Omokunde (1970)
Chaplain
Dorothy Mitchell (1964)
Sergeant-At-Arms
Fred Tatum (1969)
Parliamentarian
Doreen Hilton (1979)
Member-At-Large
Diron Ford (1993)
Member-At-Large
Charles Hargrave (1949)
Member-At-Large
Barbara Massey (1981)
Member-At-Large
Dear fellow alumni of our beloved JCSU,
Thank you for electing me to serve as your national alumni association president. I ask that
you join me in focusing our efforts in areas that are in the best interest of the University.
President Carter recently hosted a fantastic dinner meeting for our National Alumni
Association and Charlotte Chapter. He presented information that featured completed
projects, projects in process and long-range plans for future development. We will be
setting up future chapter meetings to share the information with you during this school
year. By the end of the next five years, you will not be able to recognize the changes to the
JCSU campus you knew as an undergraduate student.
Projects completed or those in progress have these key goals:
• Sustainability, viability and growth for decades ahead
•M
oving JCSU toward the pinnacle in educational leadership among all colleges and
universities across America
•C
ompeting and winning in the attraction of a broad, cross section of student
demographics
•T
ransformation of our campus to a more attractive, functional and integral part of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg landscape
“AWESOME!” is the only word that comes to mind to describe the future architectural and
cultural plans for the University. “PLEASE!” is the word asking you to support that outline
for JCSU’s transformation through your valued and valuable financial contributions.
Our major priority is ensuring the University continues to be financially sound for today’s
operations and maintains that level of security for years to come. I invite you to consider
the JCSU Legacy Society as a great way to leave money for the University. The money
may be left in your name or the name of any person you designate. The Legacy Society is
a phenomenal means for quickly generating cash for all the University. Our Institutional
Development office will be able to help you set up your account.
Our constant operational priority remains increasing enrollment and maintaining our
accreditation. We now have more than 1,500 students enrolled with an eye toward a
maximum of 2,500 students.
Meanwhile, I thank you again for your continued support.
Grover Smith, Jr. ‘70
National Alumni Association
Wanda Foy-Burroughs (1973)
Member-At-Large
39
100 Beatties Ford Road | Charlotte, NC 28216
SAVE THE DATE! Reunion Weekend 2012 May 4-6