President's Bison Beat January 2014

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 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

INSIDE ENGAGEMENT

2

EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD

3

On Thursday, Jan. 23, the University hosted a grand opening ceremony for the Health Sciences Simulation Center.

SERVICE AND LEARNING

4-5

L-R Leia Habour, president, College of Medicine Student Council; Dr. Rita Matory, wife of the late Professor of Surgery Dr.William Matory;Trustee Reed Tuckson; Interim PresidentWayne A.I. Frederick; Medical Director Dr. Debra Ford; Courtland Kouassiaman, first-year medical class president; and Administrative Director Tamara Owens.

Dear Howard University Community: Welcome to the first edition of Bison Beat for 2014! Best wishes for a year filled with remarkable opportunities.

The spring semester is off to an extraordinary start. One of our first formal events was a campus-wide tribute to President Nelson Mandela. Howard conferred an honorary degree on President Mandela in 1994, which intersected his long walk to freedom with the long walk here at Howard.We relished the opportunity to celebrate his legacy on the birthday of another Howard honorary degree recipient, Martin Luther King, Jr.What a remarkable pair! Their lives transcended the circumstances into which they were born, and their example expanded the possibilities for all of mankind. Our celebration will continue throughout this academic year as we will incorporate the virtues of these great men in several University activities.

Earlier this month, I joined President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other higher education leaders at the White House to discuss ways to increase college opportunity for low-income and underrepresented students.

Developing a pipeline of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is in the nation’s strategic interest.

Beginning Fall 2014, we will launch a program within the new Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) that will focus on in the ensuring the success of selected low-income students in the STEM fields.This partnership with the White House aligns well with Howard’s mission and commitment to provide students with access to an education regardless of their ability to pay.

As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2017, I thank you for your enduring support of Howard University.We remain true to our mission of providing an environment that allows young men and women from all backgrounds to realize the breadth of the human possibility.

I invite you to join us by participating in the many activities on campus. In this issue, we have highlighted opportunities where alumni and others can be engaged with our faculty and students.

You also could join us for Alternative Spring Break in a city near you, or assist in research activities and delivery of health care in Haiti, South Africa, Zambia or other countries. Learn more about these programs in this issue.

I have also enclosed details of our upcoming Charter Day Celebration. Please make plans to join us on March 7-8, as we mark 147 years of distinction.We look forward to welcoming you on campus.

In Truth and Service,

Wayne A.I. Frederick Interim President

ENGAGEMENT

Charter Day 2014

Charter Day is a time of celebration, reflection and recommitment. The time-honored tradition commemorates the audacious vision of our founders to establish a University following the Civil War for “the education of youth in the arts and science” and marks the day, March 2, 1862, when President Andrew Johnson signed legislation that converted the vision into Howard.

In a few weeks, during our 90th Charter Day Dinner, we will honor alumni exemplars who embody our values of leadership, excellence, truth and service. The annual gala, which also serves as Howard’s premiere fundraising event, is one of the most important public activities on the University’s calendar.

This year, the proceeds from the dinner will support the Bridging the Gap Student Aid Campaign and its efforts to directly address the gaps in financial aid for Howard students.

Howard allowed us to fulfill our hopes and dreams. Together, let us continue this tradition with a charitable gift specifically to the Charter Day Dinner.Your contribution will sustain the University’s proud legacy of recruiting and educating future leaders. We appreciate your loyalty and the ongoing support from our corporate partners who also help to underwrite our elegant affair. I encourage you to attend this year’s celebration. For more information visit, www.howard.edu/CharterDay.

Baltimore and Raleigh-Durham Alumni Receptions Left (top) Trustee Marian Johnson-Thompson, right, with alumni at the Raleigh-Durham reception. Left (bottom) Interim Provost and General Counsel Kurt L. Schmoke with alumni at Baltimore reception. Right - Dr. Frederick speaks with 95-year-old alumna Hortense McClinton (B.A. ’39) in North Carolina.

EXCELLENCE AT HOWARD GRAND OPENING OF SIMULATION CENTER

Howard University Health Sciences (HUHS) hosted a grand opening ceremony for the state-of-the-art multidisciplinary Simulation Center on Thursday, Jan. 23. The 6,000-square foot simulated hospital environment will be a training home to more than 800 health sciences students and post-graduate trainees across 20 programs, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and allied health sciences.

The Center will also facilitate continuing medical education for practicing health care professionals. The goal of the center is to promote interprofessional education and integrated, patient-centered care through simulation education.

The University has offered instruction using simulators for decades, but this cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary design is the first of its kind in the United States.

UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES ENDOWED CHAIR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This academic year, Howard University will launch the newly created John H. Johnson Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship.

The endowed chair will strengthen a culture of entrepreneurial activity across all academic programs among students, faculty, alumni and community entrepreneurs. The holder of the chair will collaborate with other University entities, such as the School of Communications’ Entrepreneurship Research and Resource Center, Small Business Development Center and faculty/staff members who have entrepreneurial research interests.

John H. Johnson, a pioneering entrepreneur, marketer, publicist and mentor, is best known for Ebony magazine, the Johnson Publishing Co. and Fashion Fair Cosmetics. The University worked with his daughter, Linda Johnson Rice, to establish the endowed chair.

BUSINESS STUDENTS STUDY ABROAD: OMAN, DUBAI AND INDIA

In December, 42 Howard University graduate and undergradute students completed two weeks of study in Sohar, Oman; Dubai; the United Arab Emirates and India as part of a global education initiative led by School of Business Dean Barron H. Harvey. The nine business teams included 14 Masters of Business Administration and 28 Bachelors of Business Administration students enrolled in the graduate Global Management Consulting and undergraduate Organizational Management courses, respectively.

All students were assigned real-life consulting projects, ranging from assessing the feasibility of shale gas production for the Taleef Industry in Sohar, Oman; procurement, sourcing and supply chain management issues for IBM; parameters driving industrial sales and barriers of entry for Rotomotive; to defining promotional and marketing strategies for Getlt Infomedia in Bangalore, India.

Students presented their research, recommendations as well as strategies and tactics for each company.

SMITHSONIAN AWARDS $275K TO FINE ARTS DIVISION Howard University’s Department of Theatre Arts has been awarded $275,000 for a new dance commission by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art as part of a multi-year series of programming, “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa.”

The dance commission’s celebration of the cross-cultural influences of Oman and East Africa will showcase the choreography of Ray Mercer, the esteemed principal dancer from Broadway’s “The Lion King.”

Howard University will host the world premiere of “Connecting the Gems of the Indian Ocean: From Oman to East Africa” at 7:30 p.m., April 11 – 12, 2014, in Cramton Auditorium. The event will be free and open to the public. More RSVP details will follow. The performance will feature Howard University students, faculty, alumni and professional dancers.

SOLOMON CARTER FULLER AWARD Alumnus William B. Lawson, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Howard University College of Medicine, was recently named the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Solomon Carter Fuller Award by the American Psychiatric Foundation.

The Solomon Carter Fuller Award for African-American Pioneers is given to a leader whose work has improved the quality of life for Black people.

Lawson has received several awards, including a Multicultural Workplace Award from the Veterans Administration for outstanding contributions to the advancement of diversity and multicultural understanding.

SERVICE & LEARNING Dean Lorraine Fleming, Ph.D., has set its sights on expanding with planned projects at universities in Ethiopia, Romania and Chile in 2014.

Alumni can help by identifying local contacts to facilitate cultural experiences for students as well as sharing corporate and other contacts in the respective countries for potential collaboration.

Alumni can also conduct pre-visit seminars on conducting research abroad. For more information, contact Dean Fleming at lfleming@ Howard.edu.

SCHOOL OF LAW’S SOUTH AFRICA PROGRAM For nearly two decades, students from the Howard University School of Law have had front row seats to witness the landmark legal and political changes in South Africa. Over the years, participants have often had the opportunity to hear addresses by South African presidents, including Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.

In 2013, Howard law students had the honor of meeting U.S. President Barack Obama when he visited the country as well. Students have described the courses in comparative law and international business transactions as “absolutely the most thought-provoking.”

The innovative law program is currently exploring ways for alumni to participate in the program, including facilitating meetings with prominent government, business and academic leaders in South Africa. For more information, contact Professor Ziyad Motala at zmotala@law.howard.edu.

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK EMBARKS ON TWO DECADES OF SERVICE Howard University’s pioneering and award-winning Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program marks its 20th anniversary this year.

Each year, more than 400 Howard students skip the beaches, parties, vacations and even trips home for spring break to tackle a variety of social problems-- from illiteracy to homelessness, to gang violence, gun control and HIV/AIDS prevention. In 2014, students will volunteer in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Haiti.

ASB is coordinated through the Office of the Dean of the Chapel with significant institutional support from the Office of the President. On March 2, Howard University Radio, WHUR 96.3 FM, will host a 12-hour “Helping Hands” radiothon to support Alternative Spring Break. To welcome students in your city or to provide ASB support, contact the Alternative Spring Break 2014 Steering Committee at hualternativespringbreak@gmail.com.

HOWARD STUDENTS GEAR-UP TO MAKE A GLOBAL DIFFERENCE National statistics show that very few African-American students have the opportunity to study and conduct research abroad. The National Science Foundation-funded Global Education, Awareness and Research Undergraduate Program at Howard (GEAR-UP) directly tackles this problem.

In 2013, student scientists traveled to Cameroon to study ways to collect seismic data through wireless networks. Others traveled to South Africa to test silicon nuclear detectors in physics labs. In Senegal, students used molecular biology to investigate HIV resistance to antiretroviral therapy. GEAR-UP expanded from six to eight countries last year. The program, directed by CEACS Interim

EWB-HU TRANSFORMS LIVES The Howard University chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-HU) is an interdisciplinary humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities to improve their quality of life via constructing sustainable systems and enhancing local, technical, managerial and entrepreneurial skills. For the last five years, they have focused on providing clean water in Africa.

The dedication has paid off for the people of Choimim, in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where access to clean water for many is no longer out of reach.

Howard student and faculty participants have built low-cost, biosand filters, expanded rainwater harvesting systems and installed large tanks capable of storing thousands of gallons of clean water. In May 2013, a team from Howard returned to test water samples, and the results were stunning: tests showed that the filters were eradicating almost 100 percent of the pathogens from the community’s water sources..

To extend its reach, EWB-HU is exploring similar projects in El Salvador and Cameroon. Over the last five years, alumni have served as professional mentors, and some have traveled with the EWB-HU team. To learn more about supporting the program, contact Dr. John Tharakan at jtharakan@Howard.edu.

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CONTINUES LEGACY OF SERVICE ABROAD For four consecutive years, Howard University Health Sciences has responded to the needs of post-earthquake Haiti. There are only a handful of physicians for thousands of residents who often cannot afford the cost of health care. Working 12- to 14-hour days, Howard students and faculty provided dental work and sexually transmitted disease training, distributed medications and conducted educational workshops for local physicians.

Left (top) GEAR UP researchers study wind energy in Senegal; Left (bottom) ; EWB-HU volunteer teaches Choimim, Kenya resident about bio-sand filters. Right - College of Dentistry volunteer provides dental care in Haiti.

A team from the College of Medicine, which included physicians, instructors, medical residents and students, began traveling to the country in 2010. Last year, the scope of the project expanded significantly with the inclusion of teams from the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, the College of Pharmacy and the College of Dentistry. Nearly 3,000 people were served in the city of Fort-Liberté and surrounding areas during the medical project.

the clinical pharmacology of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The International Clinical Rotation Program is an extension of the college’s commitment to global health with partnerships in seven countries. Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph., Dean of the College of Pharmacy, said six to 10 students are scheduled for international rotations this summer in Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, India and possibly Nigeria.

Alumni can engage in the program by assisting in fundraising projects by teaching and training students in Creole and collecting pharmaceutical and medical equipment. For more information and to participate, contact Dr. Shelly McDonald-Pinkett at smcdonald-pinkett@Howard.edu.

Pharmacy is enlisting alumni in those countries to serve as mentors to Howard students while they are traveling and on rotation.

Alumni can also become engaged by exposing students to the health-care systems in those countries and by providing opportunities for students to engage with the local communities. The cost of the rotations, including travel preparation, airfare, housing and meals, is $4,000-$5,000. Alumni can support students travel scholarships that help defray the costs. For more information, contact Dean Wutoh, awutoh@howard.edu.

SOCIAL WORK: CAPE TOWN SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM For the fifth year, the 24 students and eight faculty and alumni from the School of Social Work will participate in the Cape Town International Service Learning program during spring break. The program provides an opportunity for students and faculty to focus on global elements in social work education. Students and faculty have emphasized the value of the experiential course in understanding both the complexities and similarities of social welfare challenges rooted in social and political injustices. The project has sent more than 100 students to South Africa. To learn more, please contact Dr. Sandra Crewe, secrewe@Howard.edu.

PHARMACY BEGINS INTERNATIONAL ROTATIONS IN AFRICA Howard University College of Pharmacy students began international rotations in Ethiopia, Zambia and South Africa in 2013.

During the rotations, students focused on assisting clinical practitioners in public health promotion and disease prevention, as well as in conducting practice management research and improving patient care. The College of Pharmacy has a long history of providing international health care. It has emerged as a leader in

Alexia Ennis works with children at the Pinocchio Crèche in Cape Town as part of the School of SocialWork’s international service learning program.

Advancing the Dream education

The function of is to teach one to

think intensively and to think critically.

Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Top: President James Nabrit and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during 1957 commencement. Bottom (left) Interim President Joyce Ladner and President Nelson Mandela during his 1994 visit to Howard and Bottom (right) President MordecaiW. Johnson escorts His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, to a special convocation during which the Emperor receives the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, May 28, 1954

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 $ Name Title Company/Organization Address

If new address, please check

City/State/Zip Home Phone Office Phone

Mobile Phone E-mail Class Year College/Program Visa

Master Card

American Express

Discover

Account# Expiration Date Security Code Signature Date My and/or my spouse’s employer will match my/our gift.

For online giving, visit http://www.howard.edu/bridgingthegap/

Will You Answer the Call?