NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY®

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March 2015, Issue 34

A Newsletter for Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends of Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University will induct16 members into the LymanBeecher Brooks Society at its 80thAnniversary Gala scheduled for

Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in Joseph G.Echols Memorial Hall, located on the NSUcampus. The honorees include prominenteducation and business leaders whom the University will recognize for their support of Norfolk State.

The inductees will become the inaugural members of the Brooks Society, which recognizes individuals whose lifetime giving to NSU is $100,000 orgreater. Dr. Brooks, NSU’s first president, built the school from a three-classroom junior college with five teachers to an 18-building campus with6,300 students and 375 faculty. As President, Dr. Brooks often said, “There

Norfolk State University – An Equal Opportunity Employer

NSU Gala HonorsStellar Leaders

Norfolk State University will host one of four town hall meetingsscheduled by the Virginia Cyber Security Commission. Established byGov. Terry McAuliffe in 2014, the commission brings public and private

sector experts together to make recommendations on how to make Virginia a leader in cybersecurity.

The purpose of the town hall meetings is to introduce the public to the mission of the commission. Norfolk State will host the town hall scheduled for June 9, the location is to be determined. The commission held its firstmeeting in February at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Each meeting will featurespeakers, panel presentations and question-and-answer sessions withcommission members. The discussions will cover federal and state programs,cyber education and cybercrime.

The other town hall meetings are scheduled for the following dates:

• March 23, New College, Martinsville

• April 24, James Madison University, Harrisonburg

• May 19, University of Virginia, Charlottesville

NSU’s Computer Science Department recently received a $25-million grant to lead a cybersecurity consortium consisting of 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Department of Energy National Laboratories and theCharleston County School District in South Carolina. The grant, awarded by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, aims to expand and diversify the cybersecurity workforce, part of a multi-prongedinitiative advanced by President Barack Obama.

NSU and its partners will use the funds, which will be distributed over a five-year-period, for training students and faculty; course development;research in cybersecurity fields; and expanding cybersecurity programs.

NORFOLK STATE HOSTS CYBER SECURITY TOWN HALL MEETING

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Alumni Day 2015On Feb. 7, the Office of AlumniRelations hosted more than 500alumni at its annual Alumni Dayactivities. The day began with abrunch where the NSU AlumniAssociation recognized 37 newlifetime members. InterimPresident and CEO Eddie N. MooreJr. provided attendees with anupdate on campus progressincluding its academic achievements. Attendees also had an opportunity totour the new Nursing and General Education Building, and to receive anoverview of the Brown Hall replacement project.

During halftime of the NSU vs. Howard men’s basketball game, the AlumniAssociation expressed its continued support by presenting a $10,000 check to President Moore and Interim Vice President of University AdvancementDeborah C. Fontaine, Ph.D.

NSU’s 2015 MEAC Tournament Distinguished Alumni

On March 12, Virginia natives Clevester and Dameron Jones will be recognized as NSU’s 2015MEAC Tournament Distinguished Alumni. Theygraduated from Norfolk State University as scholars of the Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematicsand Applied Sciences (DNIMAS) in 1991. Over theyears, these proud NSU alumni have supported themission critical priorities of their alma mater bybecoming leadership donors and spearheading thecreation of a $25,000 scholarship endowment tobenefit the DNIMAS program.

Mason to Speak atMass Comm EventJonathan Mason ’95, 34thInternational President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., will be one of the guest speakers at this year’s MCJR (Mass Communicationsand Journalism) Week. 2015 marksthe department’s 40th anniversary.MCJR Week is March 30-April 3.Mason will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday, April 1, event.

Making Waves 2

Making Waves is publishedby the Office of Communications

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(757) 823-8373

Eddie N. Moore, Jr.Interim President and CEO

Deborah C. Fontaine, Ph.D.Interim Vice President

for University Advancement

Stevalynn AdamsInterim Director

Communications and Marketing

Regina LightfootEditor

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ALUMNI SUPPORTING STUDENT RECRUITMENT

ALUMNI SEcTION

Jonathan Mason

Dameron and Clevester Jones

Making Waves

Sandra J. olanitori ’75,’79,Department of Nursing and AlliedHealth advisor/recruiter and faculty,has been selected as a recipient ofthe 2015 Women of Distinction Awardby the YWCA South Hampton Roads.Olanatori also was selected as a 2014Virginia Nurse of the Year finalist bythe Virginia Chapter of the March of Dimes.

Dr. Wanda G.Brockington,Department of MassCommunications andJournalism chair, is arecipient of the 2015Women of DistinctionAward by the YWCA

South Hampton Roads.

Taliya Gunawansa, a junior in optical engineering, will participate in the 2015 International NationalNanotechnology InfrastructureNetwork (iNNIN) Research Experiencefor Undergraduates (REU) Where shewill be working at the NationalInstitute of Materials Science (NIMS)in Tsukuba, Japan. Dr. Aprillya Lanz,NSU associate professor ofmathematics, and Dr. Terry Alford,professor of materials science and engineering at Arizona StateUniversity (ASU), mentoredGunawansa in the 2014 NationalNanotechnology InfrastructureNetwork REU at ASU, which providedher the opportunity to apply for theinternational program.

The School of education’sDepartment of Health, Physicaleducation and exercise Science’sStrength and Conditioning Programhas been approved as a member of the National Strength andConditioning Association EducationRecognition Program.

Bryan Kazmierski,NSU compliancecoordinator, and fivestudent-athletesrecently attended theAPPLE Conference inWashington, D.C.,which is dedicated to

substance abuse prevention andhealth promotion for student-athletesand athletics departmentadministrators. The participatingstudent-athletes were football playersDeon King and Mike Pierson,baseball player Andre’ Moore,volleyball player Janay Frazier andtrack and field athlete Tiara Davis.

Tasha Jordan, contracts officer, and Tasha Humphrey, procurementspecialist, in Procurement Servicesobtained their Virginia ContractingAssociate certification (VCA), a statecertification for procurementprofessionals.

Dr. Tarin Hampton,associate professorof health, physicaleducation andexercise science,received the 2015SHAPE AmericaSouthern District

Ethnic Minority of the Year Award at the 2015 Southern DistrictConvention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Colita Fairfax, associateprofessor of social work, and Dr. Charles Ford, professor ofhistory, appeared in two of the six2015 Black History Moments thataired on SKY4 TV. The public serviceannouncements ran on a rotatingbasis during February.

Willie C. Cordy Jr.,adjunct in fine arts,was named 2014Excellence AwardHampton RoadsEducator of the Yearand Best Illustratorat the Third Annual

NAACP Black Men Rock Image Awards.

Dr. Page Laws, Honors College dean, received a 2014 Impacting Lives Award from The New Journal and Guide.

Anthony Stockard,NSU TheatreCompany director,and the NSU TheatreCompany cast of For Colored Girlsappeared on WAVYTV’s The Hampton

Roads Show.

Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander,professor of history, appeared onCBN’s Underground Friends: A Slave in Need? Send Them to Me.It can be seen on the web athttp://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015/February/Underground-Friends-A-Slave-in-Need-Send-Them-to-Me/

Clifton DuShaun (Shaun)Thompson, junior, masscommunications and interdisciplinarystudies major, won two trophies atthe Actors, Models and Talent forChrist Winter SHINE 2015 at theGaylord Palms Resort and ConferenceCenter. He received the trophies inAthleticism and Dance.

Aprilfaye Manalang, assistantprofessor, was notified that her whitepaper, “The Utang Ng Loob (Blessing)of American Citizenship: AnInterdisciplinary Analysis of Religion,War, and Military Service in East CoastFilipino-American Communities,” waschosen as one of the two proposalsfor submission to the NationalEndowment for the Humanities (NEH) for the NEH Summer Stipend Program.

HAVe YoU HeArD?

Dr. Wanda G. Brockington

Bryan Kazmierski

Dr. Tarin Hampton

Anthony Stockard

2015 L.E.A.D. Speaker SeriesNatalie Jackson, Benjamin Crump (center) and Daryl Parks, attorneysfor the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown families, spoke to studentsrecently. Part of their discussion focused on recent civil rights issuesacross the country.

Willie C. Cordy Jr.

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raymond Jackson, NSU alumnus and U.S. District Court Judge for Virginia’sEastern District, and John S. Davis, a former prosecutor, discussed high-profilenational security cases—including two pirate cases—as part of the HonorsCollege New Lyceum Speakers Series.

Judge Jackson ruled in the case against the Somali pirates who attacked theAshland in April 2010. Davis has worked on high-profile cases including the9/11 conspirators and the five Somali pirates who attacked a Navy ship in2010, among others.

The New Lyceum Series continues with the following speakers:

Dr. Alexey Kraykovskiy, Fulbright visiting scholar“18th Century Russian Maritime Development”March 19, Student Center, Room 149

Dr. Daniel Stein, University of Siegen, Germany"Hearing and Seeing Louis Armstrong's Jazz Writing"March 23, 6 p.m., Student Center, Room 149

PROSECUTING PIRATES:LEGAL TEAM BEHIND THECAPTAIN PHILLIPS MOVIE

really are extraordinary powers in ordinary people.” With this observation inmind, the Lyman Beecher Brooks Society embodies the expectations forachievement and excellence that were exemplified by Dr. Brooks.

The honorees, who will receive a special medallion, are:

Dr. Marie V. McDemmond, President Emerita, NSU

Stephen B. Ballard, CEO, S.B. Ballard Construction Company

Thomas N. Chewning, Rector, NSU Board of Visitors

Dr. Sandra J. DeLoatch, NSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. ronald I. Dozoretz, a founding benefactor of NSU’s Dozoretz NationalInstitute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences

Joseph e. Fergus ’82, CEO of Communication Technologies, Inc.

Tony e. Greene ’86, Lockheed-Martin

edward L. Hamm Jr., President and CEO of E.L. Hamm and Associates, Inc.

ernest M. Hodge ’75, CEO Heritage Automotive Group

William T. Mason Jr., NSU Foundation Board and local Attorney

Gary T. McCollum, Former Rector and Vice Rector, NSU Board of Visitors

Margaret A. Pemberton ’59, President and CEO of MARG-2 Enterprises

Joyce H. Shambley ’74, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, Retired

Harold D. Shambley, Major, United States Army, Retired

Dr. Melvin T. Stith ’68, Dean Emeritus, Whitman School of Management,Syracuse University

Dr. Patricia L. Stith ’68, Assistant Provost for Equity and Inclusion, Syracuse University

The Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening is actress Tasha Smith, who’s starred in Tyler Perry’s televisioncomedy, For Better or Worse, and box office hits, Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married, Too? Shecurrently has a recurring role in the television drama Empire.

Entertainment for the President’s Gala will be provided byThe Fuzz Band, whose music is a blend of urban, rock andsoul. Tickets to this event are $150. Proceeds will benefit

initiatives that enhance the NSU student experience. For more information orto purchase tickets, call the Office of University Advancement at 757-823-8323or go to www.nsu.edu/givenow. Sponsorship opportunities for the 80thAnniversary Gala are also available. Get more information by calling the Officeof Advancement at 823-8323 or at www.nsu.edu/givenow.

NSU Gala Continued from page 1

Judge Raymond Jackson and former prosecutor John S. Davis spoke to students as part of the NewLyceum Speakers Series.

Tasha Smith