BISON BEAT
A Monthly N e ws l e tte r f r o m the O f f i c e o f the P res i d en t JANUARY 2016
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1
INSIDE
2 EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD
3
AROUND CAMPUS
4-5 THE MAGIC HOUR
6
BISON ON THE MOVE
Dear Howard University Community: Despite the recent historic snowstorm impacting much of the North-East region of the United States, including the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the 2016 spring semester is underway! Most everyone is looking forward with excitement, anticipation, and high expectations for the New Year and what the future will bring. The beginning of the calendar year and new semester are opportunities to renew our focus on tasks and goals yet to be accomplished as well as reaffirm our commitment to excellence. While the weather can adversely affect our plans, we should never allow matters beyond our control to defer our dreams and aspirations. Any number of factors—including 24 inches of snow—can impede our personal and professional goals. However, we should take comfort in knowing that we are members of the Howard University Community for a reason. Everyone on our campus plays a vital role in ensuring our individual and collective success. Remembering to stay focused on our goals and objectives will help ensure that we finish the race together. As I look ahead, I am very excited about Charter Day in March and what the annual celebration means for our University. I am equally excited about Commencement in May and presenting the graduating class of 2016! Next year, 2017, marks the 150th anniversary of Howard University and promises to be an unforgettable milestone for every member of the Howard family in communities around the world. Thank you for being a part of Howard University. I am proud and honored to be on this journey with you. In this edition of the Bison Beat, you will see the latest in Howard University academic achievements, donor and alumni highlights, and more information about Charter Day. Please enjoy the January 2016 edition of Bison Beat. Best wishes for continued success and happiness in 2016! In Truth and Service,
Wayne A. I. Frederick President
EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD IEEE FELLOW NOMINATION Ahmed Rubaai, professor of electrical engineering at Howard University, has been named an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow by the leading professional association for advancing technology for humanity. IEEE Fellow is the highest grade of membership and is recognized by the technical community as a prestigious honor and an important career achievement. IEEE, the association for engineers, has 400,000 members in 60 nations. The organization is an authority on many subjects, from aerospace systems to computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering to electric power and consumer electronics. Professor Rubaai was honored for “Contributions to the Development of High-Performance Controls for Motor Drives.” Throughout his career, he has covered a variety of manufacturing and product applications. IEEE says he has demonstrated a rare ability to serve as a bridge between academic research and industrial applications. “The bridges Professor Rubaai has built between industry and academia represent a uniquely valuable contribution that can be matched by few others in the academic world today,” a statement issued by the organization said.
He is currently a Professor of Electrical Engineering and serving as the Chair of the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) Publications Department and member of the IEEE-IAS Executive Board. His work has benefited the development of control systems for hybrid electronic vehicles, solutions for aerospace electro-mechanical actuators, and improved accessibility to healthcare for people with mobile disabilities. His work has also influenced the railroad network security and control monitor systems domestically and internationally.
A Moment at the Casptone
On January 16, 2016, the Howard vs. Harvard rivalry continued with the men’s basketball game at Burr Gymnasium. The stadium was at capacity with an electric crowd of Howard and Harvard students and alumni. The well-matched game was won by Harvard, 61 to 69.
AROUND CAMPUS HOWARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NORRIS CAMPBELL FUND In memory of her late father, Norris Campbell, who was treated for esophageal cancer at Howard University Hospital, Camille Campbell, her mother Brenda Campbell, and uncle Mervyn Campbell, all from Trinidad and Tobago, have donated a $20,000 gift to Howard University to establish the Norris Campbell Fund. Additional donations have increased the fund to more than $50,000. Howard University president and renown cancer surgeon, Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, treated Norris for three months in 2012. Norris was a big believer in education, said Camille. “In these times, with an education, you can be wherever you want. We didn’t have a choice. To us, not getting an education was never really an option.” Camille said her father was very proud to see Dr, Frederick as a successful man who was also from Trinidad and Tobago. President Frederick expressed similar sentiments about Norris, whom he said was always very involved in the Trinidad & Tobago community, genuinely cared for and did quite a bit for others. “Mr. Campbell exhibited the excellence that I strive for,” said Frederick. Norris died in September 2012. “But, it wasn’t for a lack of them trying,” Camille noted. “My dad had the best care that Dr. Frederick could offer,” she said. Dr. Frederick invited the Campbell family to his inauguration in 2015, and after learning about different ways to give to Howard, the family decided that the fund would be a great way to honor their late father. “We all decided that, in honor of dad, who was so proud of Wayne, and into education, let’s see what we can do to give back to Howard University,” said Camille. The gift to the University will be a scholarship for students from Trinidad and Tobago studying Accounting (Norris’s chosen profession) Marketing, Law, and other related majors “I hope that we can help some students out there,” said Camille. “It’s a legacy of my dad. If we had to give Howard a thank you in some way, we think that he would appreciate us establishing the fund. I wish he was alive and this wasn’t the case…but it means education and opportunity for some students from Trinidad and Tobago.” To donate to Howard University, visit howard.edu/give.
CHARTER DAY 2016 Charter Day is a time of celebration! We celebrate because we are grateful for the March 2, 1867, approval of the University Charter by U.S. President Andrew Johnson for an institution dedicated to the betterment of humanity. We are grateful for Howardites - collectively and individually - who, through individual example and support of their alma mater, exhibit the very spirit that has marked Howard as one of the great romances in American education. The 2016 Charter Day Dinner, which will take place March 5, continues a 92-year-old tradition of honoring the founding of Howard University through a University-wide celebration. The annual gala, which also serves as Howard’s premier fundraising event, is one of the most important activities on the University’s calendar. This year, proceeds from the dinner will support the Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign to address the gaps that exist in financial aid for Howard students. We hope that you will join us at the 2016 Charter Day Dinner. Your financial support of the University, and in particular this event, is greatly appreciated and will aid us in ensuring that more deserving students can achieve their dreams of obtaining a Howard degree. For more information on how to purchase tickets, visit http://www.howard.edu/charterday/.
The Magic Hour
When many students are eating dinner or sleeping, student ambassadors for the Howard University Advancement TeleCenter are just beginning their pledge calls for financial support of Howard students, ringing alumni from coast to coast. Just like a cinematographer relies on the “magic hours” of dawn and dusk to capture the best-lit footage, students maximize a limited window to connect with alumni to inform and draw on the desire to give back. The things that I see today, alumni have had a hand in,” said senior, and Prince George’s County (Maryland) native, Oyindamola Aluko “Soliciting gifts over the phone is not easy,” said former TeleCenter Coordinator and current Advancement Services Senior Director, Jeremy Randall (B.A. ’00). “Yet, there were some students who raised in excess of $40,000 in a year.” The evening hours, 6-9 p.m., can also be challenging. But the difficulty has not stopped student ambassadors from trying to top Howard’s 2008 peak pledge year amount, $434,361, or the 2007 contribution of $236,241.
“What motivates me is trying to relieve some of the financial burden on my parents, because I live about 800 miles away and go back two or three times a year,” said Mobile, Alabama native and junior, Jenna Draughter. “I also have other expenses, like loans and dorm expenses,” Draughter added. Being a basketball player and resident advisor could leave junior, Crystal Arinze drained each time her head hits the pillow. Instead, she said, going to TeleCenter leaves her hopeful to hear about alumni experiences and the hometown that shaped her self-motivation. “Since I left Boston, I haven’t been back. So it’s always refreshing to hear what they have to say about how Boston is right now and how it’s developing,” said Arinze. “It’s amazing. You never know who you’re going to call,” said current TeleCenter Coordinator and Sierra Leonean, Lloyd Jenkins-Johnston (B.I.B. ‘10). “You never know who’s on the other side of that line. So I think that’s like the greatest side of that job, because every single alumni has their story, and together, it is what makes the experience and the Howard legacy real.” Despite changes in technology and social media, since the TeleCenter was established in 1998, Senior Director of Annual Giving, Keith Miles (B.A. ‘89; JD ‘92) said the critical component of human interaction will never become outdated or obsolete. “Speaking with a student can quickly remind alumni of the days they spent on the Hilltop,” said Miles. “Having the on-campus TeleCenter is a major asset.” “It’s someone calling you, being friendly and saying, we’re both children of Howard University. We’re both Bison. No matter where we are in the world,” added Aluko. “Because Howard is a smaller institution, we have a closer relationship with faculty and students, as well as alumni. So that provides for kind of a familial environment, as well as some place where you would be comfortable, like a home,” added Draughter.
BISON ON THE MOVE Judge Michele Hotten, J.D. 1979, was appointed to the Maryland Court of Appeals. Hotten has been a judge for 21 years, having served on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, and the District Court for Prince George’s County.
Bridging the Gap PLEDGE CARD A $25 MILLION STUDENT AID CAMPAIGN
I wish to make a: Campaign Gift Campaign Pledge I am pleased to make/pledge the following gift to the Howard University Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign. (Please make checks payable to Howard University.) Enclosed is my gift of $
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Makola M. Abdullah, Ph.D., B.S. 1990, was appointed as Virginia State University’s 14th president. Abdullah, who was reportedly selected from more than 200 applicants for the position, was provost of BethuneCookman University in Florida. Jewel Burks, B.B.A. 2010, recently made the 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Burks and Jason Crain cofounded Partpic, an Atlanta-based startup designed to streamline the purchase of maintenance and repair parts using computer vision technology. The team is named a standout in the Manufacturing and Industry category. In 2015, Partpic’s emerging technology caught the attention of AOL co-founder and investor Steve Case, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and President Barack Obama in the first-ever White House Demo Day.
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HOWARD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH WEEK 2016 Research Week 2016 is part of Howard University’s ongoing effort to foster the research mission and to celebrate the University’s research enterprise, which is comprised of external grants and contracts, distinguished scholarly projects and outstanding creative works. In this spirit, our students and faculty will exhibit poster and oral presentations in the Armour J. Blackburn Center on April 14. For more information, visit http://researchweek.howard.edu/.
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My and/or my spouse’s employer will match my/our gift. For online giving, visit http://www.howard.edu/bridgingthegap/ Division of Development & Alumni Relations Howard University 2225 Georgia Avenue NW, Room 901 Washington, DC 20059
Will You Answer the Call?