HORNET
HIGHLIGHTS E-newsletter from the Office of the President | AUGUST 2015
In September, DSU will celebrate a major technological milestone with the grand opening of our Optical Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR) Building.
New year, new achievements We were excited in recent days to welcome the Class of 2019 to begin the first round of their journey at Delaware State University. Over the last few years, the University has been blessed to receive some of the brightest, most gifted students within the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. These students have accepted DSU as the place to incubate their goals and to give birth to their dreams. Just as they have accepted our invitation to begin the journey, they must accept our expectation that they will be diligent in the pursuit of higher education and graduate within four years. DSU is committed to delivering the curricula, training and ancillary experiences that will enable our students to achieve success on a global level. The University is giving careful stewardship to all the key elements that prepare students for success. The support of faculty, staff, alumni, our corporate partners, friends in the community and the students themselves places Delaware State on an upward trajectory to greatness. We are steadily and consistently moving in a positive direction. In September, on the heels of receiving a new class of scholars, we also will celebrate a major technological milestone with the grand opening of our Optical Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR) Building. The months-long wait will be over and DSU will usher in a new era of mentoring and learning for our students and dedicated faculty, further evidence that we are on the right path.
As we begin our academic year with the annual President’s Prayer Breakfast on September 11, we will synergize our efforts by bringing the DSU community together in an atmosphere of peace and grace. Hornets football will begin September 5 when DSU will face Liberty College. The first home game will take place September 19 at Alumni Stadium. Come out and support the players. We also will celebrate the newest inductees to the DSU Athletic Hall of Fame and our donors. Later this year, on December 12, we will host the annual President’s Scholarship Ball at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, where we will welcome a capacity crowd of supporters amid fine dining and excellent entertainment. All net proceeds provide student scholarships. We hope you will plan to join us for one or all of these events. We look forward to greeting you and thank you for your past, present and future good wishes. With Hornet Pride,
President Harry L. Williams
Alumni annual giving reaches record 10% The 2014-2015 annual giving period that ended June 30 was a historic one for Delaware State University. With the support of a greater number of graduates giving more than ever before, DSU exceeded our alumni participation goal of 10%!
Thank you to the 1,145 alumni who contributed to this milestone! We’re forever grateful for the generosity of our alumni toward your alma mater. On behalf of our students and the entire DSU family, thank you! desu.edu/greaterthanone
From left are grant co-investigators Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai and Dr. Daniela R. Radu and principal investigator Dr. Cherese Winstead.
Presenting the Class of 1965 gift to President Harry L. Williams: Evalynn Young Brunswick, Tina Strong, Carolyn Golden Hebsgaard, Jimmie Strong, Sharon Dixon Drew (representing her husband Dr. Martin Drew), Maurice Pritchett and Delores Cirwithian Harris.
Chemistry scientists awarded $1 million research grant
Class of 1965 presents record gift
The three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will expand the research capacity of the Department of Chemistry’s doctoral program into the materials chemistry arena. Full story
$450,000 NCAA grant will provide academic support for athletes The Department of Athletics has received a $450,000 NCAA grant to support its academic programs that are designed to help its student-athletes. The grant was part of more than $4 million that the NCAA recently awarded to nine Division I schools to help them improve the academic success of their student-athletes. Full story
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Members of the Delaware State College Class of 1965 not only celebrated their 50th anniversary by their presence at the 2015 May Commencement, but they also used the occasion to show their love for their alma mater by presenting a donation of $104,000, the largest gift ever presented to DSU by an alumni class. The Class of 1965 made the presentation during a reception hosted by DSU President Harry L. Williams and his wife Dr. Robin Williams at their residence. While hoping that other alumni will follow their lead, the Class of 1965 is not done. Members of the class have pledged to set aside $25 per month to add to the historic amount they have already raised. Read the complete story on the DSU website
University, SAP SE join for partnership Delaware State University announced this summer that it is working together with SAP SE, a market leader in enterprise application software, as well as the Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG) to become a Center of Excellence in critical enterprise technological advancements, to be shared with students from DSU and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) around the country. A critical step in becoming a Center of Excellence -- where faculty from other HBCUs are trained on the advanced technologies of SAP SE -- was completed when the College of Business hosted a two-week training period for DSU faculty who will later conduct training sessions on campus for their academic counterparts from the other HBCUs. In addition to the training, meetings were held to explain the SAP/DSU partnership to University administrators, Board of Trustees members, and community leaders and elected officials. SAP officials also visited with students in the Early College High School to expand those youths’ horizons on the career possibilities in connection with SAP technologies. SAP officials note that DSU’s work as a Center of Excellence will help to develop a capable workforce that will be skilled in SAP advanced
College of Business Dean Donna Covington, left, discusses Project Propel Empowered by SAP alongside two May 2015 graduates working on the initiative — Julian Vanderhost, a product specialist, and Leah Williams, a product specialist intern. technologies and available for hire in the SAP ecosystem – by companies and others that use its technologies – immediately after college graduation. Learn more about Project Propel Empowered by SAP
2015 Commencement
Early College High School begins second year With the successful completion of its inaugural ninth grade class, the Early College High School at Delaware State University (ECHS@DSU) has welcomed a new class of freshmen that have joined the 10th grade class in the novel secondary school.
More than 500 graduates celebrated the completion of their degrees during the May 2015 Commencement Ceremony. Full story and photo slideshow
DSU, university in China celebrate 1st joint graduation Delaware State University celebrated the fruits of one of its international partnerships in June with the completion of a group of graduates from a joint academic program. President Harry L. Williams traveled to China to join Dr. Lyu Zhongda, president of Ningbo University of Technology (NBUT), to participate in the Commencement Ceremony of the first graduating cohort of the joint DSUNBUT Accounting Program. Seventy-five NBUT students earned degrees from both their home institution as well as from DSU. Eleven of those graduates have been admitted into top accounting graduate programs in the United States and in Great Britain. Read more
With retirement of former director Dr. Judi Coffield, the ECHS@DSU is now under the leadership of Dr. Evelyn Edney, the former principal of Dover High School. Edney hit the ground running this summer by establishing a five-week program for the students to give them an opportunity to earn some credit hours – including college credit. The mission of the ECHS@DSU is to provide highly motivated Delaware students with a curriculum concentrating on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that is integrated with the relevant curriculum at DSU. Students will graduate with 30 to 60 college credit hours, which will enable them to finish college in only 2-3 years once enrolled in an institution of higher education. echs.desu.edu
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Upcoming Events
Greater Than One: Campaign for Students The Greater Than One: Campaign for Students is currently at $16.3 million in contributions toward a $20 million goal.
5th Annual President’s Prayer Breakfast Friday, September 11 | 7-9 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center Parlors Tickets: $25 desu.edu/prayerbreakfast
Home Football Kickoff Saturday, September 19 | 2 p.m. Alumni Stadium vs. Chowan
Homecoming
Saturday, October 24 | 2 p.m. Alumni Stadium vs. South Carolina State Full schedule: dsuhornets.com
Saturday, December 12 Cocktail Reception: 6-7 p.m. Dinner and Dance: 7-11 p.m.
OSCAR Building Gala SAVE THE DATE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015
Friday, September 25 | 5-8 p.m. OSCAR BUILDING GALA CELEBRATING DSU’S NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART Tickets:OPTICAL $100 SCIENCE CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH
Rollins Center Ballroom, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino Tickets: $200 premier seating $150 regular seating desu.edu/psb
MORE DEGREES EARNED. MORE POTENTIAL REALIZED. MORE FUTURES TRANSFORMED.
DONATE TODAY. desu.edu/GreaterThanOne
DR. NOUREDDINE MELIKECHI desu.edu/OSCARgala Director, OSCAR and Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development
For more information, please call the Division of Institutional Advancement at 302.857.6055.