Eagle View A monthly Newsletter from the Office of Institutional Advancement
March 2009
In this Issue: Welcome NCCU Biology Banks on Undergraduate Research Experiences Did You Know...Q & A Student Spotlight Giving Back to NCCU Invest in the Vision
Dear Alumni: Welcome to this first edition of the Eagle View! I am pleased to have the opportunity to connect with you and to update you on the progress at your alma mater. This is our inaugural newsletter. Its intent is to strengthen the bond that ties us all together; the one that links Board of Trustee member to a first semester freshman; that ties groundskeeper to the NCCU alum who has become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. In the tough times that lay ahead, we have to recognize that we are all in this together. Last year, I made a commitment to the campus to enhance the intellectual climate at NCCU. One way to do that is to provide opportunities for faculty and students to hear exciting new ideas from accomplished individuals that they will want to discuss and debate in class, in the residence halls, and/or by the coffee cart.
Kent Williams, Jr., NCCU’s Student Government Association president, waits as Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus signs a copy of his book, Creating a World Without Poverty, prior to his lecture at the B.N. Duke Auditorium on February 5, 2009.
One great example was the lecture given on February 5, 2009, by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. Dr. Yunus had the inspiration to loan tiny amounts of money to women so that they might purchase the materials for their craftwork themselves and escape indebtedness to loan sharks. In so doing, he enabled them to profit from their own labor. This innovative concept called microcredit has lifted millions out of poverty in Bangladesh. Yunus’ Grameen Bank grew from these humble beginnings to now boast 7.5 million borrowers, $100 million in assets, and a 97 percent rate of loan repayment. Now, Yunus may expand the Grameen Bank to North Carolina where many of the poor are turned away by our traditional banks. Dr. Yunus was a professor in nearby Tennessee before returning to his homeland of Bangladesh. You can only wonder at the contribution of such a scholar to the intellectual climate of that lucky campus. An important goal of our “Invest in the Vision” initiative is to bring that sort of talent to our university. To bolster NCCU’s ability to compete, we must endow key distinguished professorships in each of the colleges and professional schools. To that end, we are seeking an investment of $15 million for distinguished professorships and faculty development, which will help to ensure a vibrant and scholarly student population. There is, however, much more that we need to do. Our goal is to raise another $15 million in scholarship funds, $10 million for global learning opportunities, $10 million to invest in readiness and outreach programs in our community and $5 million to make our campus the kind of place students will remember for the rest of their lives. Can we count on you to contribute and invest in these priorities? We have a variety of options available and we welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your level of commitment. Please join us by donating to the NCCU Foundation and Invest in the Vision! Sincerely,
Charlie Nelms Chancellor
North Carolina Central University
Feature Story NCCU BIOLOGY BANKS ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES
(From left to right) Stephen Allsop and Carla Perry, juniors, and Annika Barnett, senior, have taken full advantage of the hands-on research experiences available to them at NCCU’s Biology Department.
In President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, he called for a new emphasis on science “to raise health care’s quality.” The federally funded research conducted in the Biology Department at NCCU is intended to do just that but also, to offer hands-on research experiences that set NCCU’s students apart from the crowd. NCCU biology senior Annika Barnett is a case in point. She has sought out extra-curricular opportunities to bolster her chances for a scholarship to attend medical school on her way to becoming a pediatrician. To this end, Barnett pursued and received acceptance to the Summer 2008 Medical Education Development Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC – CH). This trial run of a first-year medical school curriculum is reserved
for students who show high promise but limited resources. In a class of 80 students from schools such as UNC – CH, Duke, and Spelman, Barnett earned the highest cumulative average. “I felt I was very well prepared,” said Barnett. “I was able to compete with students from these bigger name schools and actually finish number one in the program.” Stephen Allsop, a biology junior at NCCU was accepted to the Summer 2008 Honors Undergraduate Research Program at Harvard, another enrichment opportunity for minority students. This paid, ten week research experience draws candidates from all over the country.
Invest in the Vision
March 2009
“I found at Harvard I was right there with them,” said Allsop. “I had the skills to be competitive in that arena.” Working at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Allsop was analyzing a patient’s response to a tumor vaccine – particularly, the antibody/antigen interactions. Allsop plans to earn both a Ph.D. and a medical degree saying, “Clinical application adds excitement to the research.” Carla Perry, another NCCU biology junior, is seeking to become an obstetrician. From the small town of Kittrel, N.C., Perry earned the opportunity to spend one month in China extracting DNA to investigate genetic relationships among the protozoan Vorticella. She said, “I was working with Ph.D. students. I was the only undergraduate there.” All three NCCU students have benefited from the Biology Department’s tradition of offering handson research experiences to undergraduates. Already, both Barnett and Allsop have gained significant research experience in the laboratory of pancreatic cancer researcher, Dr. Antonio Baines. Baines has put Barnett to work on inhibiting the expression of a protein thought to contribute to the disease. He describes her as a “top student” who “had opportunities to go elsewhere but chose to come here.” Allsop has been working in Baines’ lab since his freshman year. “He’s been very heavily involved,” said Baines. “He’s amazing. He’s definitely going to go far.” Annika Barnett, Stephen Allsop, and Carla Perry, presented their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students last November, in Orlando, Fl. Allsop won an award for his oral presentation in the microbiology category while Barnett was honored for her poster on cell biology. Barnett, a senior, is busy interviewing at choice medical schools across the country. NCCU Biology has helped ensure that she will have her choice.
North Carolina Central University
Did You Know...Q & A Can my gift make a difference?
Although it might seem like a gift of $25 or $100 wouldn’t have that much impact, every gift adds to the total pool of funds available to the university or to a department. If ten donors give $100, a seemingly small donation can have a big impact. These kinds of donations can allow many students to earn an education who might not be able to otherwise.
Who supports NCCU?
North Carolina Central University is very grateful for the generous support of alumni, friends, parents, corporations, foundations and organizations. Everyone has the opportunity to make an impact at NCCU!
How can I make a gift to the university?
There are numerous ways in which alumni and friends can make gifts to NCCU. Gifts can be made in the form of cash, by check or credit/ debit cards, stock transfer, gift-in-kind, or in a variety of planned gift scenarios. For more specific information on how you can make your gift, please contact NCCU Institutional Advancement.
What is the minimum level of an endowment and how much of it can be spent? For a permanently restricted endowment, the minimum contribution is $25,000. This is due to the necessity of the investment income to be spent in such a manner that is benefits current and future generations. A spending policy related to the market value of a permanently restricted endowment is also adhered to so it will be available for future generations. For a temporarily restricted endowment, the minimum is $15,000, and it can be totally expended once a need aligned with it’s purpose is identified.
Elizabeth McKoy Graduating Senior | Nursing
I am originally from New Jersey, but my family moved numerous times while I was a child. I attended high school in Raleigh. I am the youngest of four girls. I have wanted to be a doctor since I was three years old. Through determination and hard work, I maintained an “A” average. I also played basketball at my school and became a student athletic trainer. I became a parent at the age of 16. My parents kicked me out of the house a few months later. My determination allowed me to finish high school with an “A/B” average. I finished high school a semester early. After high school, my boyfriend and I were married. We have three beautiful children. I attended some college, but did not finish. In June of 2002, my husband died. I was left to raise three children with no income and no career. My husband’s terminal illness had depleted all our assets. I decided that I needed a career and a stable source of income. Realizing that there would never be a “good time” to go back to school, I decided to enroll and pray that it would work out well. Since beginning classes in the fall of 2005, I have met so many wonderful people. I have met others like me who are trying to make a better life for themselves. The instructors have been helpful and understanding. My advisor has helped me obtain scholarships to ease the burden of tuition. My fellow nursing students are like family. We laugh together, cry together, and encourage each other to keep pressing forward to our goal. The Nursing Department Faculty continues to challenge me to think critically and compassionately. Attending school at NCCU has helped me achieve my goal, while making life-long friendships and professional relationships. This scholarship has been instrumental in my education. I am raising three children without any family support. I have been able to obtain money for my tuition and books, without taking money away from my household. This scholarship has also helped me decrease the number of hours I would have to work each semester. This allows me to have more time to focus on my studies, and it also gives me time to spend with my children. I have been able to attend their football games, school concerts, plays, and other events. I am grateful for this scholarship. It is a great honor to have been selected. No words can truly express my gratitude. Thank you.
Invest in the Vision
March 2009
Giving Back... <<
(Left to right) Bobby Salmon of IIANC presents a check for $30,000 to NCCU Business School Dean Bijoy Sahoo.
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(Left to right) Joe Becton, president of James E. Shepard Sertoma Club; Thomas Layton, chair Department of Communication Disorders; Fred Green, James E. Shepard Sertoma Club member; and Donell Lewis, audiologist Department of Communication Disorders, take part in the presentation of a check for $20,000 to Chancellor Charlie Nelms.
Newsletter Staff Brian Culbreath Marketing & Communications, Editor Contributing Writers Cynthia Fobert Willa Wilson Jennifer Bynum
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Chancellor Nelms received a gift of $15,000 from Kay and Donald Thomas on behalf of the Soaring Eagle Athletic Fund at the Winston-Salem State football game, November 15, 2008. (Left to right) NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms; Kay Thomas, chair, Board of Trustees; Donald Thomas, Class of 1964; Ingrid Wicker-McCree, director of athletics; and Veronica Hemmingway, assistant A.D. for development.
North Carolina Central University
Invest in the Vision We Invite You To
Generous donors of years past have helped make North Carolina Central University the outstanding educational institution it is today. The research, teaching, and mentoring that takes place here is second to none, and the education we can offer is coveted by many. Now we must take steps forward to ensure this educational opportunity is available to all who seek it. A society is only as great as its weakest members, and education is the key to strengthening and lifting the weakest. As we do, we know they will rise to the challenge and, in turn, become contributing members of our community and nation. We invite you to Invest in the Vision at NCCU so that North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student scholars will continue to reap the many benefits that so many of us have worked hard to obtain and maintain. Merit and Need-Based Scholarships $15 million
Global Opportunities $10 million
Attracting Quality Faculty $15 million College Readiness and Outreach $10 million
March 2009