PURSUE
The Comprehensive Campaign for East Carolina University
REPORT
FROM THE chancellor
In 2021, East Carolina University launched the public phase of Pursue Gold with an ambitious goal: to raise $500 million to strengthen the university’s endowment and fund academic and athletic programs, research initiatives, facility upgrades and more. Members of Pirate Nation took action by investing in our students and faculty, upgrading and expanding our campus spaces, and supporting countless programs and initiatives that enhance our region, our state and beyond.
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we met our goal more than five months ahead of schedule. And I’m pleased to share that the ECU community rallied together to raise more than $526 million to support our mission of student success, public service and regional transformation.
The university also accomplished many historic milestones during fiscal year 2023. We raised more than $95 million to push our mission forward. This number represents the largest single-year total in philanthropic giving in ECU history and includes the largest contribution in university history — a gift from Robert and Amy Brinkley and Pat and Lynn Lane supporting the ECU Honors College Brinkley-Lane Scholars program — and the largest one-time philanthropic gift in ECU Athletics and Pirate Club history — a gift from Van and Jennifer Isley. Additionally, the strategic alignment in January 2023 of the former ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation with the legacy Vidant Foundation to create the ECU Health Foundation sets a path for exponential growth in our health care and health sciences fundraising for years to come.
These remarkable achievements are the result of outstanding talent, passion and persistence in the ECU community.
In the pages ahead, you’ll find stories of what we have accomplished thanks to your involvement in Pursue Gold. Your generosity has helped the university advance academics, fund groundbreaking research, discover solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and prepare future generations for meaningful careers and lives dedicated to service. I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you who has helped to make a difference at this institution. Thanks to you, we’ve pursued gold for ECU.
As we celebrate these achievements, we also continue to look ahead — recognizing that while we have accomplished so much, there is still work to be done.
In the fall of 2023, the university released our new strategic plan, Future focused. Innovation driven. This five-year plan serves as a road map with mission strategies that continue our commitments to student success, public service and regional transformation. It also articulates a set of vision priorities for our campus — centered on social and economic mobility, workforce success, and rural health and well-being. It’s a plan we are incredibly proud of — as it builds on our history while charting a course for an even more prosperous future for ECU.
ECU remains steadfast in our commitment to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation. I look forward to working with each of you as we achieve these goals together.
Thank you for all you do for Pirate Nation!
Dr. Philip G. Rogers Chancellor
ECU BY NUMBERS the
TOTAL ENROLLMENT
26,785 (FALL 2023)
TOTAL STUDENT BODY ENROLLED IN STEM/ HEALTH CARE
8,937 UNDERGRADUATE
2,738 GRADUATE
ECU STUDENTS REPRESENT
ALL 100 NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES
46 STATES PLUS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
70 COUNTRIES
AFFORDABILITY
$ 18,452
TOTAL PRICE FOR IN-STATE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS (2023–2024)
59 %
OF FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS RECEIVE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (2021–2022)
ECU MEDICAL STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH AN AVERAGE OF 33% LESS DEBT THAN THEIR PEERS NATIONWIDE. (FALL 2021)
BACHELOR’S DEGREES
BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATES
PROGRAMS APPROVED FOR ONLINE DELIVERY 85 16 69 68 13 13 2 6 272 152
POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATES
MASTER’S DEGREES
POST-MASTER’S CERTIFICATES
DOCTORAL DEGREES
POST-DOCTORAL CERTIFICATES
PROFESSIONAL DEGREES
TOTAL DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES
Undergraduate (Fall 2023)
Nursing (BSN)
Management (BSBA)
Biology (BS)
Marketing (BSBA)
Psychology (BA)
Communication (BS)
Construction Management (BS)
Criminal Justice (BS)
Exercise Physiology (BS)
Elementary Education (BS)
50010001500
Number of Students Enrolled 2000
Graduate (Fall 2023)
Business Administration (MBA)
Nursing (MSN plus DNP) Medicine (MD)
Library Science (MLS)
Dental Medicine (DMD)
Social Work (MSW)
Counselor Education (MS)
Public Health (MPH)
School Administration (MSA)
Educational Leadership (EdD)
100200300400500600700800
Number of Students Enrolled
NCAA DIVISION I AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
RANKINGS AND RECOGNITIONS
ECU ACHIEVES HIGH RANKINGS AND RECOGNITIONS FROM A VARIETY OF REPUTABLE PUBLICATIONS, WEBSITES AND ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
NEWSWEEK
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
WASHINGTON MONTHLY THE PRINCETON REVIEW
MILITARY TIMES
Such acknowledgments align with our mission to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation. For details — including information about the university’s rankings philosophy — please visit go.ecu.edu/recognitions online.
PURSUE GOLD BY NUMBERS
TOTAL
$ 526.9 MILLION
$ 248.9 MILLION
MAIN CAMPUS
TOTAL BY AREA FOUNDATIONS SUPPORT
$ 162.4 MILLION ATHLETICS $ 114 MILLION
HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS
$ 1.6 MILLION ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2017, THE FOUNDATIONS AT ECU HAVE PROVIDED SUPPORT
TOTALING $161 MILLION — AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $23 MILLION PER YEAR.
DOLLARS
$ 209.3 MILLION TOTAL FUNDING FOR ENDOWMENTS † 54% 31% 15% OUTRIGHT GIFTS AND COMMITMENTS $ 285,276,640 PLANNED GIFTS AND COMMITMENTS $ 163,986,280 PHILANTHROPIC GRANTS * $ 77,614,259
*Philanthropic grants directed to the university, outside of any particular foundation, for initiatives and programs
$ 184 MILLION TOTAL FUNDING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
200,000 + TOTAL TRANSACTIONS 30,000 + UNIQUE DONORS 2,250 + UNIQUE FUNDS SUPPORTED 34% merit 24% need 42% other TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS FUNDED
†Endowments support various efforts on campus, such as scholarships, research, professorships and program enhancements.
FROM THEvice chancellor
FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT
As I look back on the Pursue Gold campaign, I feel extraordinarily grateful for the continued and unwavering support of Pirate Nation. When we embarked on this campaign seven years ago, we did so to meet the needs of students, faculty and staff, and to position the university as a leader in higher education for generations to come.
I am proud to say that we have achieved that — and so much more.
We began with an ambitious goal of $500 million to fund scholarships, programming, research and capital improvements that support our mission of student success, public service and regional transformation. And, thanks to the overwhelming support that we have received, we have exceeded that goal — together. With more than $526 million raised across all priorities, investments in East Carolina University span the depth and breadth of our university. Pirate Nation has made a golden impact on ECU, from naming our most prestigious scholarship program to fostering innovation in health care delivery and supporting futurefocused facility enhancements.
These are incredible examples of what can happen when we focus our time, energy and resources on the goals we’ve defined. When we prioritize driving value around our mission, good things happen here at ECU.
Throughout this report, you’ll read several inspiring stories from the campaign showcasing how our campus community continues to build momentum around ECU’s mission — as well as the significant role that our students, faculty and staff play in transforming our region, our state and our world. You’ll also see the impact of philanthropy on advancing the university through commitments to programs, scholarships, facility improvements and much more.
It is an exciting time to be a Pirate, and I am grateful to have been a part of this chapter in the university’s history. But none of these developments would be possible without the support and generosity of donors, alumni and friends like you. So, thank you — for your support, your financial contributions, your time and your ongoing commitment to ECU. It is truly because of you that we have found our gold.
With gratitude,
Christopher M. Dyba Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and President of the ECU Foundation
MAKING HEADLINES
SCHOLARS PROGRAM RENAMING HONORS MILESTONE INVESTMENT
In a milestone moment for East Carolina University, Chancellor Philip Rogers in May 2023 announced a combined $30 million commitment to the institution from Robert Gentry Brinkley ’78 and Amy Woods Brinkley and Lewis Patrick Lane III ’67 and Lynn Lewis Lane. The EC Scholars program will now be known as the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program to honor their investment.
“Robert and Amy Brinkley and Pat and Lynn Lane have sustained ECU with unwavering devotion and today they have joined together in a commitment, which will be the cornerstone of the university’s continued success and standard of excellence,” Rogers said. “We are humbled by their dedication to ECU and overwhelmed by their generosity. It is our honor to recognize their historic support by renaming the EC Scholars program the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program.”
The families have made the largest combined commitment in the university’s history. Brinkley and Lane also join a distinguished list of names renowned for the top academic scholarships in higher education around the nation.
“These families are advancing a bold and mission-aligned commitment to drive student success and academic excellence at ECU,” Rogers said. “Each year, Brinkley-Lane Scholars will arrive at ECU and have an immediate impact on campus as they learn, serve and become exceptional leaders. Brinkley-Lane Scholars will be known in the region and beyond as these Pirates lead in their fields for decades to come.”
The Brinkley-Lane Scholars program is the hallmark of the Honors College and the most prestigious undergraduate award program offered at ECU. EC Scholars was established in 1998 as a merit scholarship program for high-ability
students who have the promise and capability to become scholars and leaders in eastern North Carolina and beyond.
The impact of the Brinkley and Lane families’ lifetime commitment will be felt immediately in the Honors College.
“This is a significant milestone for the scholars program, the Honors College and all of ECU,” said Todd Fraley, dean of the Honors College. “The word we have been using around the office is transformative. We want to thank the Brinkley and Lane families for their tremendous generosity and demonstrated commitment to the success of our students. They have been steadfast champions of this program since the inception of the Honors College, and it is an absolute pleasure to rename the EC Scholars the Brinkley-Lane Scholars as a gesture of our gratitude.”
Rogers added that the Brinkleys’ and the Lanes’ investment has also made history for the university’s Pursue Gold campaign.
STEADFAST CHAMPIONS
Robert Brinkley received a bachelor’s degree from the College of Business and was a four-year letter winner on the Pirate baseball team. He earned a law degree from Wake Forest University, has practiced law in North Carolina for more than 35 years and is a partner in the Charlotte office of Womble Bond Dickinson.
He has served on the ECU Board of Trustees, including two years as chair; the ECU Foundation Board of Directors; the ECU Board of Visitors; and the ECU Real Estate Foundation. He served on the steering committee for the Campaign for ECU Scholars and the ECU baseball stadium steering committee, and he currently serves on the Honors College Advancement Council.
Amy Brinkley had a three-decades-long career at Bank of America. Over the course of her career, she served as the company’s marketing executive, as president of consumer products and as the company’s chief risk officer. She was named to Fortune magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for nine consecutive years and cited by Forbes and The Wall Street Journal as one of the leading women in business.
“The EC Scholars program is critical to the continued success and growth of the ECU Honors College,” Robert Brinkley said. “When I was on the Board of Trustees and helped to envision the Honors College, the idea was to make sure that ECU is and will continue to be an attractive place for high-achieving young people who are seeking to be challenged academically.
“These students raise the level of academic rigor and reputation at whatever university they choose to attend, and we certainly don’t want to lose them to other
institutions because our academic support does not match the support that is available at other schools.”
The Brinkleys have been avid champions of ECU, supporting the EC Scholars program, the Honors College, the Access Scholarship program and athletics.
“I received an outstanding education at ECU and feel like it prepared me extremely well for life,” Brinkley said.
“The university is also a very good steward of its public and private funding. Amy and I firmly believe that ECU deserves our support.”
Pat Lane is a College of Business accounting graduate and earned an MBA from UNC Greensboro. He is a retired CPA. He has served on the College of Education advisory board, the alumni association board of directors, the L.T. Walker Human Performance Center advisory board, the music advancement council and the Pirate Club executive committee, and he served as a Pirate Club Circle of Excellence executive director.
From left, Robert Brinkley, Amy Woods Brinkley, Chancellor Philip Rogers, Lynn Lewis Lane and Lewis Patrick Lane III
Lynn Lane has served as chair of the ECU Foundation Board of Directors and is currently chair of the Honors College Advancement Council. She is also a 2001 ECU Honorary Alumni Award recipient.
“Higher education is our top priority for giving back to society,” Pat Lane said. “Specifically, we believe that the Honors College and its scholars program in particular serve to attract and develop students who will become professionally successful and whose success will significantly shine a bright light on the impact that ECU has on society as it fulfills its mission.”
experience, enabling them to focus on the true treasure that is being an East Carolina Pirate.”
“The transition to a full cost of attendance scholarship cements the scholars program as one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the UNC System. ... Even more importantly, it allows scholars to completely immerse themselves in their educational experience.”
The Lanes have been steadfast proponents of ECU, supporting the EC Scholars program, the Honors College, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the medical and health sciences, the Pirate Club and the alumni association. They are both in the Educators Hall of Fame.
STUDENT IMPACT
Lily Faulconer ’17 ’18
Current scholars, like Tierney Reardon and Christine Chan, said the funding will provide more opportunities for students to realize their dreams and attract incredible students to ECU.
“Being a scholar has opened doors for me at ECU that I could never have imagined,” Chan said. “Beyond studying abroad, research opportunities and networking, being a scholar has supplied me with so much confidence in myself, knowing that everyone in such a prestigious program supports me wholeheartedly.”
For current scholar Rebekah Arensman, the Brinkley and Lane families’ support is proof that the donors are dedicated to watching ECU students thrive.
The investment from the Brinkleys and the Lanes will immediately increase the award for each scholar from $64,000 to more than $75,000. The Brinkley-Lane Scholars program is offered to the top students in the entering freshman class and is granted for a total of eight continuous semesters. The program ensures full cost of attendance for all scholars, which will be competitive among the best scholarships across the state and allows ECU to recruit out-of-state students as well.
Lily Faulconer ’17 ’18 said the EC Scholars’ focus on community within a rigorous academic setting prepared her well for graduate school and to be a Chancellor’s Scholar at the University of North Carolina School of Law, as well as for her career as an attorney. She said increasing the award will be transformational for the current and new Brinkley-Lane Scholars.
“The transition to a full cost of attendance scholarship cements the scholars program as one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the UNC System,” Faulconer said. “Even more importantly, it allows scholars to completely immerse themselves in their educational
“Based on what we have experienced with the scholars, increasing their scholarships to the full cost of attendance is a compelling opportunity for us to help move the scholars program forward to be even more competitive with its peer universities,” Lynn Lane said. “Pat and I have been donors to the Honors College from the start. Over the years, we have had many opportunities to spend time with the scholars and Honors College students, mentoring them and getting to know them. We quickly realized that they will be future leaders and accomplish great things.”
Fraley, who was appointed dean of the Honors College in April 2023, has witnessed the impact of the scholars program as interim dean and a member of the Honors College faculty. He said there are more than 500 scholar program alumni across the country. They’ve gone on to be artists, doctors, teachers, professors, coaches, nurses and more. Scholar alumni have represented ECU in graduate and professional schools, including the Brody School of Medicine, Vanderbilt, Columbia, Wake Forest, UNCChapel Hill and the University of California, Berkeley.
Fraley said the lifetime investment from the Brinkleys and Lanes ensures that ECU will continue to attract and support impressive and inspiring young people who excel in the classroom and have a positive impact on their communities.
HISTORIC GIFT BOOSTS PIRATES UNITE CAMPAIGN
Van and Jennifer Isley of Raleigh made the largest onetime philanthropic gift in ECU Athletics and Pirate Club history with a $5 million investment to the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence, Pirate Club Executive Director Ryan Robinson announced in April 2023. The unprecedented donation is the largest in the 61-year history of the Pirate Club.
“We are exceedingly grateful for Jennifer and Van Isley’s extraordinary generosity and commitment to ECU Athletics and our student-athletes,” ECU Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said. “This is a transformational investment that will have a lasting impact on our studentathletes and coaches as we continue to build a culture of success here.”
Van Isley ‘85, an ECU alumnus and current ECU trustee, earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from East Carolina. A native of Burlington, North Carolina, he founded Professional Builders Supply in 2003, a company that was named 11 times by the Triangle Business Journal to its annual list of 50 fastest-growing companies, including a number one ranking in 2013. Van and Jennifer have two sons, Jake and Johnny.
The Isleys have a long history of philanthropic giving to East Carolina University, ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club. The Isleys’ gift will help fund the proposed multipurpose indoor facility and the expansion of the current baseball building.
“We are blessed to be able to give back to a place that has created so many memories for our family and impacted our lives,” Van Isley said. “Jennifer and I care about ECU, and athletics plays such a significant role for our great university. I have always believed that you invest in people, and these facilities will provide the tools and resources necessary for the student-athletes to have success.”
The generosity of the Isleys made possible the Van and Jennifer Isley Innovation Hub that opened in 2022
on the ECU campus. The space is utilized by business, engineering, technology and art students to collaborate on product innovation and entrepreneurship. The Miller School of Entrepreneurship, the Crisp Small Business Resource Center and the Air Force Leadership Center are also housed in the Isley Hub. The Isleys have participated in numerous Pirate Club campaigns and are season-ticket holders for all Pirates ticketed events.
“This is a historic day for the Pirate Club,” Robinson said. “Van and Jennifer are genuine people that care about the future of ECU Athletics and ensuring our student-athletes have the best resources available to have success. Everything they have done for ECU has been about providing opportunities and giving young people the opportunity to be successful. It is not just words for them; it is important to them we lead the next generation. We are forging a new era of ECU Athletics and the Pirate Club, and the possibilities are endless with the support from our donors.”
Jennifer and Van Isley have a long history of philanthropic giving to ECU.
Launched in May 2022, the $60 million Pirates Unite Campaign is the most ambitious fundraising effort in Pirate Club history, with critical funds being used to ensure a bright future for the Pirates by investing in the longterm health of the department. The collective impact of the ECU community, alumni, students and friends have helped raise more than $27 million for the campaign as of December 2023, with several projects getting underway.
“It’s been overwhelming to see the response to the Pirates Unite Campaign over the past year,” Gilbert said. “We know these investments by individuals are going to help us attract and retain top-tier student-athletes, upgrade our facilities and enhance the student-athlete experience.”
The Isleys’ investment comes on the heels of tremendous momentum within ECU Athletics.
“There should be great excitement about the Pirates and the direction the athletics department is headed under Jon Gilbert’s leadership,” Van Isley said. “We want to be a part of the momentum to keep pushing forward and support the coaches and student-athletes by giving them the best experience possible. The opportunities here are endless. We hope this can create a ripple effect where others think about the role they can play in the success of our programs.”
Gifts to the Pirate Club provide critical support to ECU’s student-athletes.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT CREATES ECU HEALTH FOUNDATION
An agreement between the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and the Vidant Health Foundation has created the ECU Health Foundation. The two entities are aligned and now operate as one philanthropic arm supporting ECU Health and ECU’s health sciences. The alignment follows the joint operating agreement between East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine and then-Vidant Health, enabling the organizations to create ECU Health and work together to improve health care delivery to the 1.4 million residents of eastern North Carolina.
Under the agreement, the two foundations remain separate legal entities but integrate under a new, shared brand known as ECU Health Foundation. As part of the agreement, Scott Senatore became chief philanthropy officer for the ECU Health Foundation, overseeing the work of both entities. He will also serve as president of the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation, as well as continue in his role as president of the Vidant Health Foundation where he has served since 2018. Prior to his work with the foundation, Senatore was the president of the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce.
“This agreement marks an important and exciting chapter for health care and health sciences philanthropy in eastern North Carolina,” said Senatore. “I’m grateful for our board chairs, Spence Cosby and Jordy Whichard, and our respective boards for their leadership throughout this process. This partnership will help increase fundraising for both clinical and academic needs on our campuses.”
“During the last year (2023), we have seen great efforts to partner and collaborate between our two organizations,” said Chancellor Philip Rogers. “When this happens, the people of eastern North Carolina benefit tremendously. Just as with our clinical integration, our philanthropic
alignment is another important step toward advancing our shared mission and driving value for this vital partnership.”
The ECU Health Foundation was created to align the fundraising and stewardship operations of the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and the Vidant Health Foundation in order to boost philanthropic support for ECU Health, the ECU schools and colleges of the health sciences, and Laupus Library.
“Coordinating our philanthropic initiatives, as outlined in the original joint operating agreement, continues to build upon the rich history of the two organizations, preserving the legacy and vision we have shared for nearly 50 years, and advancing the tremendous progress made with the creation of ECU Health,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine.
SALES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AIMS TO DRIVE STUDENT SUCCESS
Richard Twilley ’89 is sold on his belief in East Carolina University and the potential for the university to become a national leader in sales education.
Through a $4.5 million commitment, Twilley is leading the way to bring his vision to fruition. His investment will establish the Richard G. Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership in the College of Business (COB). Twilley’s gift was a capstone of the university’s Pursue Gold campaign, which exceeded its $500 million goal ahead of schedule.
“We are grateful for the support of alumni like Richard Twilley who are motivated by our efforts to prioritize transformational experiences for all learners,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “Through his investment and innovative leadership, Mr. Twilley is supporting ECU’s efforts to drive economic mobility and workforce success for our students.”
Twilley has worked in the sales profession for 35 years, spending the last 25 years as an executive sales leader with Fortune 100 companies in a high-growth, competitive business-to-business marketplace. He aims to leverage his expertise and serve as an advisor in developing the new academy.
“I’ve prepared my whole life to help the university do this and didn’t even know I was,” Twilley said. “It’s a place that changed my life. I will be very engaged for as long as the university will take my input.”
Since 2015, Twilley has served as group vice president for vertical sales at Spectrum Enterprise, a division of Charter Communications. He is responsible for vertical sales across the country. With his vertical sales group, Twilley leads the generation of new revenue for the company across health care, hospitality, state and local
government, K–12 public and private school systems, and higher education market segments.
Twilley graduated from ECU with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in marketing and completed Harvard Business School’s executive management program. He is experienced in the development and execution of dynamic sales distribution plans, methodologies and emerging technologies to accelerate revenue growth while aligning and contributing to organizational business priorities.
PHILANTHROPY
As part of his overall gift, Twilley has established a charitable trust that will provide annual funds for the benefit of the academy, creating resources for scholarships, research, technology, marketing and travel for professionals or students. The remaining funds will come to ECU through pledged planned gifts and a bequest from his estate.
“There is a great deal of positive momentum in the College of Business, and our donors are seeing a strong return on investment for their gifts,” said Mike Harris, interim dean of the COB. “We’re using these opportunities to create high-impact learning experiences, and the Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership is a great example of a strategic investment that can enhance critical skills for our students and better prepare them to be successful early in their careers.”
ECU’s leadership, its mission to be a national model for student success, public service and regional transformation, and the refreshed strategic plan — Future focused. Innovation driven. — has inspired Twilley to give back to ECU in such a significant way.
“I’ve spent the last 35 years of my career training for this moment to be able to advise and participate in creating and launching a vision that all began in a discussion with Chancellor Rogers,” Twilley said. “That’s really what got me excited about the unlimited potential of such a needed resource for our university and region.”
Twilley sees himself as a catalyst for recruiting other people in the community to put their money and expertise behind the program.
ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership, which will be formally dedicated in Twilley’s honor later this year, is focused on advancing world-class sales education and cutting-edge research, providing executive educational programs, and fostering beneficial corporate partnerships.
“This investment in sales leadership through the Office of Expert Services will significantly enhance the region’s
professional development and business growth,” said John Chapman, Twilley Academy director. “By establishing an executive education program in our state-of-the-art Twilley Academy of Sales Leadership, we will educate and empower the region’s current and future sales leaders with skills and strategic insights.”
The Twilley Academy is housed in the college’s Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. It serves COB students and its industry partners by developing a new generation of sales professionals based on academic excellence, experiential learning and executive education.
Twilley hopes to leverage cornerstone pieces already in place in the academy. Chapman offers four classes built for a sales certificate with more than 100 students enrolled. With additional courses, Twilley believes the academy can grow in relevance for sales professionals and students.
Richard Twilley speaks with students in a College of Business sales leadership class.
“Sales is what I do, and I love it,” Twilley said. “It is not what we teach in college, but we have to innovate as ECU is committed to offering academic excellence and regional transformation. It’s so crucial to ECU.
“No matter what your training, eventually you’ll need to be able to understand that sales is a science and follows a disciplined system approach for optimal outcome. I am confident through the academy we can provide the foundation to give students the opportunity to become influential professional sales leaders.”
RAISING ECU’S PROFILE
“We are grateful for the support of alumni like Richard Twilley who are motivated by our efforts to prioritize transformational experiences for all learners. ... Through his investment and innovative leadership, Mr. Twilley is supporting ECU’s efforts to drive economic mobility and workforce success for our students.”
Chancellor Philip Rogers
Ultimately, Twilley’s goal is to support ECU in elevating the academy to best in class in North Carolina in five years and competing at a top level on the national stage in that same time frame.
He is eager to serve as an advisor and will play a critical role in developing the academy’s long-range plan, vision and mission. Future ideas include the creation of a sales executive in residence program, enabling Twilley and other leaders to coach and mentor students and business professionals enrolled in sales training programs.
Twilley believes the short-term goal is to develop a comprehensive sales curriculum that includes a certificate (open to all majors) and a concentration. Sales training and professional development programs could be a revenue producer for ECU.
The most important goal for Chapman is graduating topnotch professional sales students. The Twilley Academy provides students the ability to compete in national sales competitions and meet and network with global companies at these events.
According to Chapman, a more robust sales academy will create additional opportunities for competition, attract more national companies wanting to get involved as sponsors, and lead to student job opportunities. The increase in career opportunities will attract students wishing to participate in the Pirate Sales Club and compete in sales competitions, growing the academy.
The academy’s goals align with Twilley’s focus on educational excellence. In addition to improved infrastructure and space within the COB, advanced learning resources and expanded research opportunities are on the horizon.
“The investment will attract top-tier thought leaders and students, elevating the academy’s reputation,” Chapman said. “I also envision scholarships to outstanding sales student leaders.”
TRAINING STUDENTS TO BECOME SALES LEADERS
Students like Olivia Grubb, a senior majoring in business marketing with a certificate in professional selling, are already preparing for careers in sales with the support of the academy.
“The (Twilley) Academy of Sales Leadership at ECU has helped me pursue my professional goals by providing access to hands-on training as well as several networking opportunities,” Grubb said. “I have been able to form connections with many successful sales industries and professionals. Along with this, participating in sales competitions has allowed me to strengthen my skills and confidence by engaging in real-world scenarios. I would like to thank John Chapman for believing in me and encouraging me to join the academy because it has truly changed my life.”
Rodney Bonilla, a senior majoring in supply chain management and marketing with a professional sales certificate, said it is motivating and inspirational to have access to ECU alumni and proves to him that Pirates can and will reach the highest positions of the business world.
“Having access to alumni like Richard Twilley is humbling because I know that for him to be at the level that he is at, he has a lot of people that try to talk to him and taking up his time,” Bonilla said. “For him to want to be around us and want to teach us the lessons he has learned throughout his amazing experiences is humbling and great for students.”
ECU, MRBEAST CREATE EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP
East Carolina University and MrBeast have announced an exclusive partnership aimed at developing a credentialing program to help solve the creator industry’s growing demand for a skilled workforce pipeline.
Valued by Fast Company at $104 billion annually, the content creator industry is seen as an emerging leader of the global economy. MrBeast’s brand alone is the largest on the YouTube platform, with five channels, 111 million subscribers on just the main channel and a collective 20 billion views. In addition, the brand also owns MrBeast Burger, Feastables and a 501(c)(3) charity (Beast Philanthropy). This program will not focus on finding the next YouTube star, but instead will provide training and credentialing for employees who work for creator companies that produce content.
The creator industry includes more than 50 million amateurs and 2 million professionals, more than 1 million of whom earn a living on YouTube alone. The need for highly qualified staff drives the creation of this program. The microcredential courses will be delivered fully online and prepare enrollees for entry-level positions in camera work, editing, analytics and other needed creator industry skills. The program will not require applicants to be
currently enrolled as traditional four-year students at ECU and is expected to launch in six to 12 months.
“ECU has always stepped up to support our key partners in innovative ways, and this new learner-centered strategy is designed to meet the educational needs of the creator economy at a critical moment in the evolution of this growing industry,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said.
The creator industry is advancing rapidly. As it grows, its need for a professionalized workforce grows, too. Finding employees with the right combination of perseverance, aptitude and technical knowledge is challenging. The risk of hiring someone with limited capacity in any of these areas decreases operational efficiency and, ultimately, company success.
“This program is focused on addressing these challenges headon,” Rogers said. “In this program, industry insiders collaborate directly with academic experts to connect cutting-edge techniques with the knowledge creation engine of a university.”
ECU is a nationally recognized leader for its innovation, educational leadership and strong ability to deliver courses online. The university and the creator industry will
work together to build a curriculum that addresses the workforce needs and meets rigorous academic standards.
“The goal of this program is to educate a well-prepared workforce for immediate employment across the creator economy globally,” said Dr. Robin Coger, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our partner, MrBeast, is the leader in this rapidly growing industry. The collaboration is innovative because it couples the expertise of ECU faculty and industry leaders to create new, flexible and responsive strategies to support a fastpaced global economic engine.”
A native of Greenville, Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, earned the top spot on the Forbes list of 2022 Top Creators. When he was 13, Donaldson began making and posting videos. That has developed into a creator business, headquartered in Greenville, that today has 125 full-time plus approximately 125 contract employees. MrBeast has built its brand on four pillars: spectacles, philanthropy, general good and in-real-life comedy of family-friendly content.
The idea for the program developed as Donaldson and members of his team spoke with Rogers and the ECU team. For large content creators like his company, Donaldson explained it’s difficult to find and retain skilled talent able to join a team and have the knowledge and
competencies needed for their specific type of filming, editing and strategy.
“Genuinely, I hope this is as beneficial for you as it’s going to be for a lot of creators like us,” Donaldson said. “I can see this completely changing the industry. I’m excited!”
For ECU, this partnership continues a tradition of working with regional businesses and members of the community to address a defined need. As a true publicprivate partnership, the curriculum will be collaboratively developed and delivered by university academicians and industry leaders, including experts from MrBeast. This ensures that students learn the most relevant skills, up-todate techniques and exposure to insider knowledge to ensure they are ready — at the conclusion of the program — to be fully employed by a creator company.
The program will be part of ECU’s research, economic development and engagement strategies, led by Dr. Sharon Paynter, acting chief research and engagement officer.
“This innovative program expands ECU’s offerings to meet demand from today’s adult learners,” Paynter said. “It gives the university a way to provide alternative pathways for career preparation and allows ECU to meet students where they are in the workforce landscape.”
Chancellor Philip Rogers introduces the ECU-MrBeast collaboration to the community.
ECU, FOOD LION FEEDS LAUNCH TEACHING KITCHEN
When East Carolina University’s new Farm 2 Clinic (F2C) mobile teaching kitchen and pantry hits the road, it will deliver more than nutrition to underserved people in the region. The 28-foot trailer, wrapped in bold purple, with imagery of colorful produce and program logos, also carries the university’s values.
“I am struck by how this is a mobile billboard for ECU’s mission of student success, public service and regional transformation,” said Christopher Dyba, vice chancellor for university advancement. “I cannot help but have a bit of awe seeing this and want to take a moment to say how impressive and beautiful this is.”
The mobile teaching kitchen and pantry launched in November 2023 at a ribbon-cutting and celebration at the College of Allied Health Sciences. Through its hunger-
relief platform, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion invested $150,000 in ECU’s innovative F2C initiative to make the trailer possible.
“Today’s event celebrates a longtime and meaningful corporate partnership with Food Lion,” Dyba said at the ceremony. “Together, we share an important commitment to ending hunger and addressing health disparities in our local communities.”
Dyba also recognized The Duke Endowment, which provided programmatic support for the Department of Nutrition Science to manage F2C’s Fresh Start program, and Camping World and Signsmith for their efforts to outfit and design the trailer.
Through the Food Lion partnership, the mobile teaching kitchen and pantry is equipped with two commercial refrigerators, shelving, sinks, spaces for food preparation and cooking, and extensive storage for educational supplies. The trailer also was loaded with hundreds of pounds of fresh produce donated by Food Lion for distribution to patients at the Pitt County Care Clinic, run by Dr. Tom Irons, and the Hope Clinic in Bayboro.
The mobile teaching kitchen and pantry is designed to improve access to healthy food and support improved nutrition and health for uninsured, low-income diabetes patients in rural eastern North Carolina. The program provides nutrition science students experience as they guide patient participants to learn food skills while enabling them to provide fresh, local produce to patients directly.
ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY
David Garris, director of operations with Food Lion, said the company supports ECU’s Farm 2 Clinic initiative because of its transformative approach to addressing food insecurity.
“We applaud ECU and the work you’re doing. We’re honored to be a part of and support your mobile teaching kitchen and pantry,” Garris said. “Now more than ever, unique approaches and collaborative partnerships, like the one we have with East Carolina University, are needed to address food insecurity. Together, we are meeting our community’s needs by increasing access to fresh and nutritious food and addressing the root causes of hunger.”
The partnership with ECU carries a personal element of pride for Garris, who describes himself as loyal and bold, purple and gold.
“To say that I am proud of East Carolina might be an understatement,” Garris said. “I am incredibly proud to support their efforts. As a former student of East Carolina University, where I studied music education, I was a proud Marching Pirate and have always felt a sense of belonging. We love this university, and even more so,
we love what this university means and does for eastern North Carolina.”
Dr. Michael Wheeler, chair of the nutrition science department, described the new mobile kitchen as a celebration of three Ps — the right people, project and partnership.
The idea of a program to take nutrition science into the field was discussed for years within the department. He said it became reality when Dr. Lauren Sastre, assistant professor and founder and director of the F2C initiative, created the project. Sastre and F2C graduate students recruited more student volunteers to implement the program. By establishing partnerships in the community, more people became involved and supported the initiative.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
At Hope Clinic in rural Pamlico County, Executive Director Yolanda Cristiani and staff provide primary health care to low-income, uninsured adults. Cristiani heard a presentation on ECU’s Fresh Start program and applied to participate.
“From the health coaching to the diabetes education and exercise, and the nutrition aspect, this program exceeded
Nutrition science graduate student Cari Jones, at right, gives a tour of the F2C unit.
my expectations,” she said. “One (program graduate) lost a considerable amount of weight, gained confidence, got a job, and now we see him outside the grocery store he now works in, swinging a kettlebell on his breaks. This has really changed his life in a lot of ways.”
Cristiani said she sees many positive results of the Fresh Start program in her community. Patients have included their family members and shared the lifestyle changes and nutrition lessons at home. She said the addition of a mobile teaching kitchen and pantry will significantly boost their support of marginalized communities.
HANDS-ON LEARNING
“To say that I am proud of East Carolina might be an understatement. As a former student of East Carolina University, ... I was a proud Marching Pirate and have always felt a sense of belonging. We love this university, and even more so, we love what this university means and does for eastern North Carolina.”
David
Garris, director of operations, Food Lion
Brandon Stroud ’21 ’23, F2C’s assistant director, is completing his dietetic internship with ECU and plans to be a registered dietitian. His career path has been influenced by working in the community with Fresh Start and watching F2C grow.
“This program was my first exposure to communityengaged nutrition research and programming and changed my career trajectory as I want to continue to find innovative ways to work in and serve eastern North Carolina,” Stroud said. “One highlight for me was a patient whose blood sugar was so high it had started to affect his vision, and he told us that after the program he was able to see better.”
Stroud said much of the program’s success was generated by the involvement of more than 200 students who contributed 200,000 volunteer hours, participated in 23 student research projects, and assisted in developing 14 national peer-reviewed scientific presentations and publishing five peer-reviewed manuscripts.
“We are not only serving eastern North Carolina; we are showing the rest of the United States how to do food and nutrition programming in novel ways,” Stroud said.
Brooke Gillespie ’23, F2C coordinator and a nutrition science graduate student, began as a volunteer with the Fresh Start program in her junior year.
“At that time, I was so beyond excited to get my foot in the door with a program that represented ECU and the eastern North Carolina community,” Gillespie said. “Little did I know, I was stepping into a world that would completely change my life.”
During her earlier involvement in Fresh Start, Gillespie said Sastre took her under her wing and trusted Gillespie with food preparation and recipe development, vital components that keep the program running. Thanks to Food Lion, she said, program components will be managed with ease using the mobile kitchen.
“I can tell you that our impact is far beyond what numbers can represent,” Gillespie said. “I have been able to watch students go from shy, nervous and unsure of their abilities into being some of the most self-assured, confident and driven future health care professionals. I have listened to patients who have told me how this program has helped them face barriers they never thought they would overcome. I even had a patient tell me how when she started the Fresh Start program she thought that diabetes had control over her life, but now she knows that she has control over her diabetes.”
The F2C program takes nutrition science into the community.
PIRATE NATION GIVES PROVIDES LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES
Pirate Nation Gives is about everything East Carolina — students, research, arts, health care, athletics and more — and combining one person’s philanthropy with that of others to create limitless possibilities. The day of giving is held annually on the third Wednesday in March. Last year’s event was the final Pirate Nation Gives of the Pursue Gold campaign and continued the steady course of the university’s ambitious effort to raise $500 million.
“ECU has already provided me with so many opportunities and such a great overall experience; I wanted to be able to give back in some way, even if my contribution was small.”
Sarah Maisto, Brinkley-Lane Scholar
The seventh day of giving, March 22, 2023, surpassed expectations and raised more than $11.8 million in support of university priorities, including student scholarships, health care initiatives, athletics, and faculty and program support. Donations came from campus and across oceans as more than 2,300 Pirates answered the call to support ECU.
“Thank you, Pirate Nation, for being part of an outstanding day of giving at ECU. We asked for you to be all hands on deck for the university, and you rose to every challenge,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “Your gifts and enthusiastic support of ECU allow the university to fearlessly pursue our mission. Because of you, ECU will provide more access to a top-tier education and continue providing innovative initiatives to transform and uplift the region we call home.”
The generous support shown by all of Pirate Nation was led by Pat ’67 and Lynn Lane, annual supporters of Pirate Nation Gives. Their leadership gift will support the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program and the Honors College. The Lanes have cared for ECU like family, and their generosity has ensured the university and its students can thrive. Over the years, the Lanes have supported
academics and athletics and have established scholarships in the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Education and the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program.
“We are especially appreciative of the enduring leadership of Pat and Lynn Lane, who support ECU during Pirate Nation Gives annually and have stepped up to be lead donors in this year’s effort,” Rogers said. “Their dedication to the university is unwavering.”
Pirate Nation Gives Champions, like the Lanes, answered the call by establishing numerous challenges for donors, which, when fulfilled, unlocked additional gifts supporting scholarships and programs across all disciplines. The challenges influenced other Pirate gifts, which helped unlock nearly 50 challenge donations throughout the day.
Notable gifts this year include the following:
Keith Beatty ’73 has endowed access and athletics scholarships with a gift of more than $980,000.
ECU trustee Cassie Burt and husband Travis have committed to a professorship.
Todd Ervin ’94 gave $25,000 toward the Todd & Elizabeth Ervin College of Business ROTC Scholarship Endowment.
Cheryl and John Oliver provided a Pirate Nation Gives challenge gift of $25,000 in addition to a bequest and planned gift in support of the Coastal Studies Institute.
Darrell Roberts, a technology systems student, donated $5,000 to start a scholarship in the Bachelor of Science in industrial technology program.
Nicholas Steward ’07 ’11 established a scholarship endowment in the College of Nursing in memory of his wife, Christina Hill Steward ’07.
ECU donors could specify where and how they would like their funds to be used, designating support to scholarships, research, innovative programs and more.
CAMPUS SPIRIT
Students, faculty and staff participated in Pirate Nation Gives through a variety of on-campus initiatives aimed at building engagement. Students who donated to Name a Squirrel supported Students’ Treasure Chest, and philanthropy honor cords were available for a $20.23 donation for graduating seniors.
Students accounted for 20% of the day’s donors. Hundreds visited tables at the campus student centers and the College of Business Student Technology Center to share social media posts, snap up philanthropy cords, thank donors and support the cause.
Brinkley-Lane Scholar Sarah Maisto watched the clock and gave the final online donation of the 24-hour period, earning a $4,000 bonus for the Brinkley-Lane Scholars Priority Fund. Alumnus Montique Warren made the second-latest gift, earning $2,000 in bonus money for the Department of Finance.
“ECU has already provided me with so many opportunities and such a great overall experience; I wanted to be able to give back in some way, even if my contribution was small,” Maisto said. “I wouldn’t trade being a Brinkley-Lane Scholar for the world, and attempting to make the last donation of Pirate Nation Gives this year was just a small expression of my gratitude for this program.”
Maisto knew she wanted to contribute to the Honors College and studied the challenges that could unlock further gifts. The potential bonus money of the day’s last gift inspired her efforts. She set several alarms as reminders, found a clock online that counted the time down to the second, and just when she was sure there was no time to spare, she hit submit.
PEEDEE GOES GLOBAL
The search for pint-sized PeeDee was a mission accepted by the campus community and pursued in earnest by
BONUS LEADERS
Throughout the day, leaderboards on the Pirate Nation Gives website tracked support for areas of campus and encouraged giving with a competitive spirit. Numerous social media challenges gave participants the opportunity to win bonus money for their favorite ECU area or fund. Serious competition began at midnight as donors vied to make the event’s first website gift. It was down to the millisecond to determine that alumnus Eric Rivenbark captured first place and selected the ECU Alumni Association Priority Fund to earn $4,000 in bonus money. ECU employee Mark Rasdorf made the second gift and earned $2,000 for the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center Priority Fund.
Athletics spent the late hours of the day encouraging support on social media. More than 900 unique donors chose to support an athletics program. Women’s lacrosse won the day and the bonus, raising more than $17,000.
the Office of Global Affairs. Staff and students wanted to generate excitement for the program, which participated in Pirate Nation Gives for the first time. The team mobilized, followed the clues, and brought in five of the seven PeeDee plush toys hidden across the university.
“They have a lot of school spirit, and they did this together,” said Jon Rezek, assistant vice chancellor for global affairs. “This was a great team-building exercise. The staff really believe in what they do and have an affinity for the students these funds will impact.”
The Office of Global Affairs will receive $5,000 in bonus money for their program. The funds will be used for study abroad opportunities and scholarships for international students.
“This challenge and the other gifts received through Pirate Nation Gives is exciting for our office,” Rezek said. “It lets others know we’re here and providing value for students.”
The Coastal Studies Institute and the Access Scholarship program each received $1,000 from the PeeDee challenge.
The Office of Global Affairs celebrates
Pirate Nation Gives.
Students accounted for 20% of the day’s donors.
GRANT EXPANDS NC-STEP WITH FOCUS ON YOUTH
Children and adolescents with mental health care needs will benefit from a $3.2 million partnership between East Carolina University and the United Health Foundation.
The grant will expand the North Carolina Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) within the ECU Center for Telepsychiatry and e-Behavioral Health. The investment is part of the United Health Foundation’s ongoing commitment to working with ECU to address mental health challenges in North Carolina — this time with youth.
In joining leaders to announce the three-year partnership, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper highlighted the critical needs surrounding children’s mental health in the state.
“Not only do we need to pay attention to our health, but our mental health as well, and we’re recognizing that more than ever,” Cooper said. “That’s why I am so excited that the United Health Foundation, Dr. Sy Saeed and ECU have
come together to try to get mental health treatment to young people in a more efficient and better way.”
Cooper said the NC-STeP partnership between ECU and the United Health Foundation helps advance his mission for the state — for people to be able to live healthier lives with opportunities of purpose and abundance. Cooper said residents of rural North Carolina know how hard it is to get access to health care. Telemedicine will help bring experts to people wherever they are throughout North Carolina.
“I’m excited about this project,” Cooper said. “There are going to be people’s lives improved and people’s lives saved because of it.”
Through this expanded program, NC-STeP will provide access to mental health services for children in their established pediatric or primary care setting, removing the stigma sometimes associated with mental health care, said Saeed, director of the ECU Center for Telepsychiatry
Gov. Roy Cooper, at right, joins leaders to announce the three-year partnership.
and founding executive director of NC-STeP. Through telemedicine, the program will offer expert consultation support for clinicians.
“In North Carolina, children experience significant challenges accessing the care needed to address their mental health. More than 70% of children in North Carolina with a mental health disorder do not receive treatment, and 92 out of 100 counties in the state are designated as mental health professional shortage areas,” Saeed said. “A growing body of literature suggests that the use of telepsychiatry to provide mental health care has the potential to mitigate the workforce shortage that directly affects access to care, especially in remote and underserved areas.”
NC-STeP was established in 2013. It has completed more than 56,000 psychiatry assessments in hospital emergency departments and has served more than 14,000 patients in its 23-community primary care settings. The expansion will provide mental health care services to underserved children and adolescents in six community-based pediatric and primary care clinics in rural and underserved parts of the state.
U.S. Reps. Greg Murphy and Don Davis, who helped guide NC-STeP in the General Assembly, have continued to support the initiative in Congress.
“It’s the people with boots on the ground, the people who are actually taking care of patients, who deserve most of the praise,” Murphy said. “Sy has been a lifesaver for many individuals.”
Murphy thanked the United Health Foundation for funding the initiative that will help address the unique challenges of patients in rural areas.
Davis emphasized the focus on children’s mental health as an important step in the effort to “provide every child a fighting chance to realize the American dream in eastern North Carolina.”
“Dr. Sy has been a fearless voice in this effort,” Davis said.
“We’re honored and excited to partner with East Carolina University to address key health challenges our young people are facing,” said Anita Bachmann, CEO of UnitedHealthcare
Kody Kinsley, NCDHHS secretary
Community Plan of North Carolina, part of UnitedHealth Group. “By working together and creating an interconnected system of clinical and social services, we can continue to produce better health outcomes for North Carolinians.”
The United Health Foundation and ECU also partnered in 2020 through a $1.25 million grant to expand telepsychiatry services to address the mental health needs of expectant and new mothers. Through the Maternal Outreach Using Telehealth for Rural Sites (MOTHeRs) project, ECU developed and deployed a new obstetric care model for high-risk patients and addressed food insecurity among pregnant women.
North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley touted the importance of access to health care — particularly mental health care services — in rural North Carolina.
“There is no health without mental health,” Kinsley said. “In particular, I think we know that mental health needs for children are more acute than ever.”
Kinsley said the investment is a “win-win-win.” The project is being built on a program that has led statewide in expanded access to care. “Truly it has been ECU driving access to telepsychiatry far before it was a fashionable thing,” Kinsley said. Innovation
is at the center of ECU’s initiatives fostering regional transformation in health care.
Chancellor Philip Rogers said the partnership with the university and the United Health Foundation allows many disciplines across campus to address the disparities in health care.
Rogers said the initiative would not be possible without the steadfast dedication and hard work of leaders at ECU, beginning with Saeed, who leads the team responsible for the operational aspects of the program.
“This transformative grant builds on our leadership in leveraging technology to provide care in the region and across the state,” Rogers said. “Our partnership with the United Health Foundation runs quite deep. This partnership has already made a significant impact as we prepare students to address the critical shortage of mental health professionals in our state.”
“Lucky” Xue, Robert D. Teer Distinguished Professor, Department of Management Information Systems, and students in the ECU College of Business are responsible for two components of the project — a virtual reality video game (AI) and a knowledge management system (KM). Xue said the project would have a profound impact on her research, teaching and community engagement.
“The objective of the AI-KM component is to strengthen the collaboration among mental health care professionals, family members and community partners across eastern North Carolina, and to optimize the utilization of existing mental health knowledge while uncovering innovative practices,” Xue said. “The students from the Department of Management Information Systems in the College of Business will be given the unique opportunity to participate in the system development process. This will serve as a practical application of the knowledge they have gained through their coursework and an opportunity to make a positive impact on society. It’s an excellent chance for them to hone their skills and contribute to a meaningful cause.”
REGIONAL DISPARITIES
In North Carolina, children experience significant challenges accessing the care needed to address their mental health. This partnership will help connect youth with mental health services in areas with provider shortages, according to Goldsboro pediatrician Dave Tayloe Jr.
“We have a significant shortage of mental health professionals, and often these key members of our health care workforce are not paid enough to cover their expenses when they provide mental health services for at-risk children. Most communities do not have even one child psychiatrist to help primary care providers care for the children who have the most serious mental health problems,” Tayloe said.
“We have seen great benefit from providing mental health educational courses for primary care health professionals, having mental health professionals who work in the schools, the primary care practice, and the community, and having access to telepsychiatry services for the children most at risk for adverse mental health outcomes,” he added.
The new grant program will take about six months to prepare. Saeed said that through NC-STeP, ECU is serving others as the university’s mission calls it to do.
“Mental health — including psychological, emotional and social well-being — is a vital part of our overall health,” he said. “This is especially true for children when we consider that for many adults with mental disorders, symptoms were present, but often not recognized or addressed, in childhood or adolescence. The good news is that we live in times when the care for mental disorders has never been more effective.”
Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Sy Saeed
FRATERNITY BROTHERS, FRIENDS ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF ECU
As great friends often do, Paul Adkison ’91 and Scott Diggs ’89 draw energy from one another, laugh at shared memories, occasionally answer in unison and grow more dynamic the longer they work together.
The East Carolina University College of Business graduates, both successful entrepreneurs, propelled their passion for building businesses and their friendship into building one merged family office company structure, Co-X Holdings. They describe the corporation as a conglomerate-kind of organization that is opportunistic with a blend of a heavy equipment rental business, parking management, and multifamily and hotel development.
“I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without ECU. ... With some education at the right place with the right people who can influence you, you can do anything.”
Paul Adkison ’91
“We started out as fraternity brothers and have been friends for a very long time,” Diggs said. “We’ve both been very entrepreneurial and complement each other well. Nine years ago, we partnered in our first business venture together, which has gone very well, so we decided to combine all of our business activities together in Co-X Holdings.”
Adkison added that he and Diggs work well together because of a shared core foundation. Both men seek to keep a sphere of influence of people with high integrity, trust and honesty in their personal and work lives.
Meeting with the Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers and Co-X founders is part business venture, part entrepreneurial thrill
ride as discussion pivots between driving stakeholder value, merged office structures, target ventures and leveraging opportunities. They fill their days chasing their joy for aviation, flying to business appointments throughout the Southeast, and taking calls or attending virtual meetings in between to keep tabs on ongoing projects.
PAYING IT FORWARD
Most days, support and work for ECU is at the top of their mutual project lists. Adkison and Diggs are active members of the ECU Foundation Board of Directors, having begun their second terms last year. Both also serve on the College of Business Advisory Council and within the Miller School of Entrepreneurship.
Adkison and Diggs said they are devoted to ECU because of the positive impact the university has had on their lives. They believe stewardship goes with that devotion, and they have a need to pay it forward through gifts and telling others about the university.
“ECU shaped me for the man I am today and us for the men we are and where we are in our communities,” Diggs said.
“I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without ECU,” Adkison said. “I’m nobody special, but with some education at the right place with the right people who can influence you, you can do anything.”
Adkison and Diggs have committed $125,000 to establish the Adkison and Diggs Access Scholarship Endowment. Their scholarship is targeted for a student majoring in entrepreneurship or any business discipline offered by the College of Business.
“Where it really hit me was — after a couple of years of supporting Access Scholarships — we got to know the students, we’ve had lunches with our students, our students write us letters, and they have testified to us that they would not be where they are — they would not be in college — had it not been for the Access Scholarship,” Diggs said. “I get chills just thinking about the impact we are making in the lives of these students. We are changing lives and impacting people that we don’t even know.”
Members of the ECU Foundation board are encouraged to make annual gifts such as those to support Access Scholarships. The program provides grants to students who demonstrate academic potential and financial need. The $5,000 renewable annual award assists with tuition, fees and books. Since its beginning 16 years ago, the program has provided scholarships to 290 students and awarded approximately $5.5 million.
Deciding to take their support a step further and committing to the endowment is fueled by their passion for ECU and their efforts to find and help students who want to go to college and do not have the ability to afford it.
“We are paying it forward. We participate in students’ lives, allowing them the opportunity to attend college, which is one heck of an opportunity,” Diggs said. “We feel like it’s an opportunity for us to make a statement and help others and benefit the university at the same time. This is huge for me.”
They believe investing in ECU is good business. Adkison and Diggs have made their gift as part of Pirate Nation Gives — ECU’s annual day of giving — in an effort to encourage others to do the same. Just as Adkison and Diggs have, participants can support ECU student scholarships and specific programs through their donations.
Scott Diggs and Paul Adkison have established an endowment to support Access Scholarships.
FOUNDATION AND FUTURE
Both men believe in building a solid future for Pirate Nation, and they hope to see their scholars go on to do great things in life and come back and pay it forward the way Adkison and Diggs are now.
“People don’t realize this — unless you’re a Pirate — there are a lot of very successful Pirates across the United States. We need to engage and light up the Pirate Nation,” Adkison said. “So now where there is not only Scott and Paul, there’s Scott and Paul times 10,000. And that’s something we’re passionate about, engaging with the students and engaging with the alumni population to make this community what it should be.”
“I get chills just thinking about the impact we are making in the lives of these students. We are changing lives and impacting people that we don’t even know.”
Scott Diggs ’89
It all comes back to foundation — good people, a solid education and the right place, he said. Adkison and Diggs credit their parents for their values and ECU for allowing them the opportunities to find their paths.
Adkison originally came to ECU with a plan to play sports. After an injury, he had to find another path and make a new plan. He figured out what ECU could be for him, engaged fully in all the university had to offer, and began to get involved in his fraternity and student government.
Diggs had found his place as well. “ECU was right where I needed to be,” he said. “My parents dropped me off and rarely saw me for four years.”
The College of Business was the epicenter of their entrepreneurial pursuits. Both knew they wanted to own and run their own business. For Diggs, it was taking Financial Analysis II his senior year. Diggs was in his element and loved the mergers and acquisitions projects thrown at him.
“We had to prepare in teams each week,” Diggs said. “We were presented with different companies each week where we presented and prepared a merger and acquisition strategy on the buy side and sell side. I really enjoyed this class as it was very real-world business for me.”
Adkison’s eagerness for business was launched when he met Dr. Jim Westmoreland his freshman year. Westmoreland advised him on what courses he should take and what he needed to do to get a job.
“He spent time — telling me everything I needed — and I would periodically come back and check in to tell him how I was doing,” Adkison said. “That relationship started in 1986 and continues to this day. I just got a text message from him maybe three weeks ago. It’s amazing.”
“You cannot go into an interview like this without thinking of Dr. James Westmoreland,” Diggs added. “Jim, for us, is a friend and has had a huge impact on our lives and is the man that stands out in the business school for me.”
The lifelong friendships and influential faculty have kept Adkison and Diggs engaged with ECU. They are excited about what the university provided them and proud of what they see in the university today.
In their view, ECU is keeping up with customer expectations. The recent credentialing partnership with MrBeast is one example they share of the university pivoting to the market to ensure students have access to the skills they need and an environment to test that skill set.
“We have a phenomenal community here,” Adkison said. “We will be using our influence and voice to make sure we help the university remain relevant.”
Paul Adkison and Scott Diggs, at right, credit ECU’s impact.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
golden
At ECU, our students are our gold. By investing in merit, need-based and athletic scholarships, we’re working to ensure that every student can further their education and better their future.
From tuition assistance and housing support to books and supplies, scholarship contributions provide educational opportunities for students who need it most.
Through this pillar, students from all backgrounds have the chance to attend ECU — building a talented and inclusive campus community for years to come.
Student Designates First BSIT Scholarship
Darrell Roberts knew East Carolina University was something special the moment he was accepted and heard from his advisor.
“Allison Winters has been overly helpful, and then when I got here officially, every professor, every advisor — everybody everywhere — has been the same,” said Roberts, a junior in the Bachelor of Science in industrial technology (BSIT) program.
That’s just one of the reasons Roberts decided to support the university with a $5,000 scholarship donation through Pirate Nation Gives.
“This isn’t just a place where people come to work and go to school,” he said. “People love it here, and I feel like if I have an opportunity to offer some sort of assistance to incoming students and the next generation, why wouldn’t I? It just made sense.”
Roberts is a distance education student living in Garner. He works as a senior system administrator for PBS North Carolina. He came to ECU as a BSIT student with a concentration in information and computer technology. He’s also part of the accelerated master’s program, so he’ll leave ECU with a pair of degrees. His donation will support a scholarship designated for a BSIT student, the first such scholarship in the BSIT program.
“With the growth of the program and the direction it’s going, it needs all the support it can get from existing and former students,” Roberts said. “It needs more light. It’s like any plant. It needs to be nurtured. The support staff and everyone involved are definitely doing that, but it also needs more from the students, from the community, to help it grow into what it’s meant to be.”
Visit cet.ecu.edu/2023/03/20/one-of-a-kind-2 to learn more.
Darrell Roberts gives to grow the Bachelor of Science in industrial technology program.
Donations Support Growth of Scholars Program
Burney Warren ’70 grew up in the friendly shadow of East Carolina University’s football stadium. The east endzone was two doors down from his house in Greenville, putting him in the university’s orbit very early. It was easy to predict that he would become passionate about ECU.
Warren is a lifelong champion of ECU. And, thanks to a significant gift from Warren and his wife, Judy Christiansen Warren ’69, ECU will continue to grow and succeed for future generations.
“We have had a very successful and enjoyable life in Greenville and with ECU — and now are pleased to share that success with ECU and help it grow,” Warren said.
If that growth were a tree, Warren doesn’t expect to enjoy its shade. Instead, his significant planned gift to ECU will provide a protective shadow for future generations.
The donation — a $1 million planned gift for the Burney and Judy Warren Brinkley-Lane Scholars Endowment and an additional eight-figure, long-term estate gift — will support the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program. As part of the Honors College, the Brinkley-Lane Scholars program is the university’s most prestigious undergraduate award program, providing significant scholarship and high-impact learning opportunities for a select group of students each year.
“Burney and Judy Warren’s planned gifts are crucial to ECU’s future success,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “They are loyal Pirates and truly embrace the spirit of service that is so important to our culture and mission. The Scholars program brings exceptional students to this university and prepares them to make a mark on the world, which wouldn’t be possible without the sustained support from generous donors.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/01/18/record-gift to learn more.
Alumnae Honor Sisterhood With Scholarship Endowment
The bonds of sisterhood are a powerful influence for those who seek out a sorority to join in college. A group of Chi Omega sisters, led by Stephanie Bond ’02, are relying on their strong sisterhood to create East Carolina University’s first Panhellenic sorority-specific scholarship endowment.
“ECU and Chi Omega highly impacted the trajectory of my life,” Bond said. “These institutions provided confidence to excel in the real world. My college experience was defined by academic success, a sense of belonging and active involvement in the sorority.”
Members of the Chi Omega sorority celebrated 2023 homecoming festivities at their Fifth Street sorority house.
Burney, pictured, and Judy Christiansen Warren support multiple scholarships at ECU.
In Chi Omega, Bond found her closest friends. The sorority provided her a space where she felt authentic, with sisters whom she related to immediately. Bond lived at the house her junior year and served as house manager, planning menus every week. Her passion for food, even back then, led her to organize girls’ nights out to enjoy nice meals together.
Bond said the ECU Rho Zeta Chi Omega Scholarship Endowment is a tribute to the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and an unyielding pursuit of academic excellence. A high GPA was one of the things that drew her to join the Rho Zeta chapter of Chi Omega.
Six sorority sisters have joined Bond as founding donors of the endowment. Donna Dees Aldredge ’00, Julie Marco Finn ’03, Leanna Fundora Mangum ’02, Leah Fundora Holder ’02, Lori Brantley Stockdale ’02 and Emily Nelson Weaver ’04 each have pledged to give a portion of the $25,000 to establish the core endowment.
They also have established a $5,000 supplemental fund, allowing for immediate scholarship support while the endowment grows.
“The group of remarkable sisters who united to establish this trailblazing scholarship holds a special place in my heart,” Bond said. “Their commitment, resilience and shared vision to uplift and transform lives through education stand as a testament to the profound power of sisterhood and collective action. Together, we are shaping futures and fostering opportunities that will resonate through generations.” Visit
to learn more.
ECU alumnae, from left, Julie Marco Finn, Leah Fundora Holder, Lori Brantley Stockdale, Leanna Fundora Mangum and Stephanie Bond — along with Chi Omega sisters Donna Dees Aldredge and Emily Nelson Weaver, not pictured — have created ECU’s first sorority-specific scholarship endowment.
CHAMPIONING RESEARCH
As eastern North Carolina’s hub for innovation, ECU is shaping future generations.
Our groundbreaking research discovers cures and creates progress across our state and around the nation, and by utilizing the region as our lab, ECU students and faculty have the opportunity to see the impact of their efforts each and every day.
This pillar strengthens our efforts to attract leading faculty, increases funding for publications and grants, advances seminars and student-led projects, and takes our interdisciplinary research further than ever before.
Grant Advances Brain Health Research
Dr. Alessandro Didonna, an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Dr. Tonya Zeczycki, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, were selected as the 2022 recipients of the Wooten Family Initiative for Brain Health Research Grant.
Awarded for his research on “Exploring the Role of Centaurin Alpha-1 in Multiple Sclerosis (MS),” Didonna says that while there are many treatments to control the initial inflammatory bursts, the current ability to tackle the neurodegenerative stages of MS is limited due to partial knowledge of the molecular mechanisms’ underlying disease conversion.
“We have a good understanding of the molecules and cellular processes governing the autoimmune response in MS,” Didonna said. “In contrast, the full picture of the physiological mechanisms adopted by the nervous system to cope with neuroinflammation is still missing. This project will help, shedding light on a possible new factor regulating neuronal loss in MS progression.”
Zeczycki was awarded for her research on “Preventing the Formation of Toxic Alpha-Synuclein Oligomers: An Alternative Therapeutic Strategy for Slowing the Onset of Parkinson’s Disease,” which examines the link between gut-brain-neuroinflammation and the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
“We are at the infancy of understanding how brain health impacts every other aspect of a person’s well-being, and vice versa, and how other aspects of a person’s well-being (e.g., gut health) impacts their brain health,” Zeczycki said.
Dr. Tonya Zeczycki works in a lab at the Brody School of Medicine.
“From a data gathering perspective, we are at the point where we can no longer look at things in isolation or do our research in ‘silos,’” Zeczycki said.
She added, “To really understand brain health research, we need to take in the whole picture — from the gene level to the protein level, to the cell and tissue level and then all the way up to the clinics. But it doesn’t stop there. It needs to go back the other way. We need communication with data and results. Having funding for brain health research allows us to build the teams we need to pursue these goals on this scale.”
Previously known as the Wooten Lab for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research, the Wooten Family Initiative for Brain Health Research was established in 2008 by Dr. Harriet Wooten in memory of her husband, Dr. John L. Wooten — an orthopedic surgeon who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 2004.
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/08/05/brody-schoolof-medicine-researchers-advancing-brain-healthknowledge to learn more.
Immersion Program Builds Research Connections
In summer 2023, 12 students found their footing in research and scientific discovery and learned more about pathways to graduate studies at ECU during the STEM Summer Immersion Program. Funded by a $1.3 million North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grant, the program is designed to build connections between ECU and students
Dr. Robin Coger, ECU provost; and Martina Van Etten,
from the state’s minority-serving institutions, with a goal of establishing pathways to public health graduate education.
The student interns — selected from 44 applicants — were matched with mentors in ECU labs, conducted fieldwork on various research projects, participated in professional development, shadowed mentors and more. Their projects in the College of Health and Human Performance and the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences advanced research on diverse topics, including heat stress
Dr. Alessandro Didonna
From left, Dr. Kat Dale, ECU postdoctoral research scholar;
UNC Pembroke junior
exposure, the secrets of bacterial biofilms, climate impacts on fisheries, and the molecular evolution of spider venom.
Program organizers from ECU and Fayetteville State University see the first summer as an unequivocal success. Based on their metrics, the summer session offered handson experience and collaborative learning and fostered a vibrant and inclusive learning community.
“Partnerships and investments that foster shared exchange, collaboration on cutting-edge problems, and produce valued outcomes are essential to a future focused, innovation driven university,” said Dr. Robin Coger, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “I am grateful to the N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation for investing in this program, and thankful for all of the team members whose dedication has made the program a success.”
Coger added, “By building mutually beneficial partnerships with other universities, ECU is ensuring that we are actively engaged in important collaborations with excellent colleagues while simultaneously involving students from multiple institutions in the research of East Carolina University.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2023/08/30/building-researchconnections to learn more.
Family Gifts Ensure an Enduring Legacy of Supporting ECU
Shirley and Marvin Slaughter were proud ECU alumni, and — thanks to their incredible generosity — their legacy of supporting ECU will live on for decades to come.
Planned gifts by Shirley Slaughter, who passed away in spring 2022, have provided $25,000 for the creation of the Shirley Byrd Slaughter Scholarship in the ECU Alumni Association, as well as $25,000 for research in the ECU Diabetes and Obesity Institute in memory of her husband, who died from complications of diabetes in 1987.
“That was our mother’s reason to support diabetes and obesity research,” said their daughter, Marion Mitchell ’84.
“Our mother and father were very involved and proud alumni of East Carolina, so this is the other reason my mom wanted to have a scholarship in her name, as dad had one, too.”
Planned gifts help fund life-changing research.
These gifts build upon the Slaughters’ past support of the university, including the E. Marvin Slaughter Alumni Honors Scholarship — which was established in 1988 — and contributions to the purchase of ECU’s Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center, which is named in Marvin’s honor.
Prior to their passing, the couple was active in the Southeastern Virginia Chapter of the ECU Alumni Association, where Shirley was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in 1993. Shirley also contributed financially and supported the committee of the E. Marvin Slaughter and James A. Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament from 1996 until 2013.
“They were both educators in their early careers and extremely valued education,” Mitchell said. “As a family, we wanted our parents’ legacy to be providing financial support for ECU students with their educational journey.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/10/13/gifts-fund-researchstudent-scholarship-at-ecu to learn more.
SUSTAINING VALUE our
A strong endowment means a strong university — and, as all Pirates know, an investment in ECU is rare gold.
The growth of our endowment allows us to make progress on our rural initiatives, create scholarships and fellowships for students, sponsor faculty research and bring thought leadership programming to our campus.
This pillar sustains our vision that brings value to the world and directly improves quality of life in our region for generations to come.
Investment Helps University
Chart New Paths for
Business
ECU’s Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business is charting the course for future Pirate leaders in business — starting in Room 1200 of the Bate Building — thanks to the incredible generosity of Tom Arthur ’71. From this space, the College of Business officially dedicated its second named school in a ceremony on Nov. 18, 2022.
In 2021, Arthur gave a transformational $5 million gift to the College of Business that is attracting more students, strengthening the school’s graduate-level education, and supporting student veterans and military personnel in the program through leadership, travel, internship experiences and financial incentives to make enrollment affordable and appealing to military-affiliated students.
The donation — a $2.5 million cash commitment paired with a $2.5 million planned gift — has been made in addition to a previous $1 million gift to establish the Thomas D. Arthur Distinguished Professorship in Leadership in 2010. Arthur’s cumulative giving is the largest of any donor to the college, and his investment deepens the College of Business’ ability to serve future generations of graduate students.
“Transformative work has happened in this space for years, and the Arthur School will ensure this continues to happen,” said Mike Harris, interim dean of the College of Business. “We are excited about the future. This investment allows us to take this program to new heights.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/11/22/transformationalimpact to learn more.
New Professorship Aims To Increase Child Literacy
Thanks to a generous $2 million gift from the C.D. Spangler Foundation, ECU has created the Spangler Distinguished Professorship of Early Child Literacy in the College of Education. With an overarching goal of increasing children’s literacy levels across the state, the distinguished professor will teach and provide leadership on training new teachers, conduct research in early literacy, and collaborate with educator preparation programs and school districts throughout North Carolina.
Funds from the foundation will support the professor’s salary, travel and research expenses, stipends for research assistants, special equipment, library books and programmatic support. ECU received $667,000 in matching funds from the N.C. Board of Governors’ Distinguished Professorship Endowment Trust Fund.
“We are grateful for the Spangler Foundation’s commitment to early childhood literacy through teacher preparation and the promotion of effective practices,” Chancellor Philip Rogers said. “Since our founding, we have prepared teachers to serve the state of North Carolina, and today ECU’s College of Education remains a top producer of education professionals in the state. As a leader in this space, we are excited to advance our mission through the Spangler Distinguished Professorship of Early Child Literacy.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/02/15/2m-donation-willcreate-new-professorship-in-early-child-literacy to learn more.
Thomas D. Arthur
The Service League of Greenville helps provide scholarship support to ECU’s health sciences students.
Scholarship Endowment Supports Students in ECU’s Health Sciences Programs
The Service League of Greenville has spent 83 years doing big things for the community. Since their founding in 1938, the all-volunteer service organization — composed of approximately 150 women — has donated both time and talent for the benefit of their eastern North Carolina community, including East Carolina University.
In 2018, the Service League — in partnership with the ECU Health Foundation (health sciences) — established the Service League of Greenville Scholarship Endowment to provide scholarship support to students enrolled in colleges and schools in the health sciences.
In the first four years, the scholarship endowment — totaling more than $244,000 — has funded $83,000 in scholarships to students in the Brody School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, the College of Allied Health Sciences and the College of Nursing. Eight students were awarded scholarships for the 2022–2023 academic year, totaling $62,300.
“As a native of Greenville, it has always been my goal to study at the Brody School of Medicine, and I am forever thankful that the Service League of Greenville has made this possible for me by supporting my dream to become a physician,” said Olivia Nieto Rickenbach, third-year Brody student and two-time Service League scholarship recipient.
Visit news.ecu.edu/2023/02/09/commitment-toservice to learn more.
BUILDING FUTURE our
At ECU, our academic facilities foster and inspire new ideas. Our world-class health care clinics are safe spaces to heal communities. And our athletic facilities inspire determination to reach the next level of competition.
But as we chart our course forward, we must enhance facilities and campus spaces — supporting our mission of building a campus that matches our passion for transformation, innovation, and academic and athletic excellence.
This pillar ensures that our facilities foster learning, encourage collaboration and give us a competitive advantage on and off the field.
Chancellor Philip Rogers, ECU Board of Trustees members and other dignitaries officially open the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building.
Facility Opens Doors to Opportunity, Discovery
As a hub for research and academics, the new, state-ofthe-art Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building is so much more than a building. For ECU, it represents the future. The $90 million structure, funded through the Connect NC bond, gives students and graduates limitless opportunities to impact lives, drive innovation and boost entrepreneurial impact. Located on the corner of 10th and Evans streets, the four-story building is the new home of ECU’s Department of Biology, which instructs 17,000 students each academic year.
The building will also be the home of the new Eastern Region Pharma Center, which will expand ECU’s trailblazing pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce training program through a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
“Researchers in this facility will make new discoveries in the sciences and better train our students, and most of them will be a vital part of the workforce for this region in areas of health sciences, biotechnology and the environment,” said Dr. Allison Danell, professor of chemistry and dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. “We really are creating something here that will have benefits for years to come.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2021/11/11/a-grand-opening to learn more.
Campus Hub Provides Space for Innovation
On Sept. 15, 2022, Chancellor Philip Rogers and members of the ECU Board of Trustees came together for a ribboncutting to officially open the Isley Innovation Hub. Made possible by a $2 million College of Business gift from Van and Jennifer Isley, the hub is a place for all ECU students to meet, collaborate and create ideas for future businesses.
The Isley Innovation Hub has transformed the former university bookstore in the Wright Building into a multiuse, 15,000-square-foot area for entrepreneurialminded students, faculty and staff. In addition to open space, the hub offers a One Button Studio to record high-quality videos, a technology lab with software for design and testing, the Wornom Makerspace, 3D printers and scanners, an automated cutting machine, power and hand tools, and a sewing machine for handson idea experimentation.
“At Isley, we’re about action,” said Mike Harris, interim dean of the College of Business. “In here, we want you to be loud. Any student, any faculty, any staff — this space was created for the entire campus. If you have an idea, if you have a problem you want to solve, we want Isley to be your first stop.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2022/09/16/create-andcollaborate to learn more.
Family Shares a Passion for ECU
For nearly five decades, members of the Ward family have held ECU close to their hearts. As passionate alumni, donors and friends, the family has shown incredible generosity to the university and the Greenville community — making an impact today and for generations to come.
Most recently, during the Pursue Gold campaign, Jim ’74 and Katie Ward — along with their children, James, Bryant and Mary Kate — made four gifts to the university totaling $400,000 to support priorities connected to the family.
Jim and Katie’s $100,000 gift to the men’s golf program provides capital support for major practice facility renovations at Ironwood Country Club — enhancing the
university’s facilities and resources that allow studentathletes to perform at their best.
James and Lorraine Ward, who work in the entertainment industry in Burbank, California, selected the School of Theatre and Dance for a $100,000 gift.
Bryant and Anna Ward ’03, who met at ECU, have given $100,000 toward an expansion project at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
Mary Kate Ward Harris ’07 ’09 and husband Brandon ’05 ’07 are double Pirates from the College of Business (COB) and have made a $100,000 gift to support the COB.
“These were the things that were close to our hearts at ECU,” Jim Ward said, “and we wanted to do this for ECU, which has done so much for us.”
Visit news.ecu.edu/2023/11/17/ward-family-holdsecu-close-at-heart to learn more.
The Ward family’s support continues to have an impact at ECU, from academics to athletics facilities.
of $26 million in support of the university and its programs during fiscal year 2023. This support funded scholarships, programs and facility enhancements.
ECU’S FOUNDATIONS
ECU Foundation
The ECU Foundation Inc. is a dynamic, forwardlooking 501(c)(3) nonprofit that plays a critical role in advancing our university. This organization garners support through annual gifts, capital campaigns and planned giving. It prudently manages and distributes these resources to the benefit of academic programs, research, faculty and students.
ECU Health Foundation (Health Sciences)
Previously known as the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation and the Vidant Health Foundation, the two entities came together to create the ECU Health Foundation integrated under a new, shared brand to support ECU Health, the ECU schools and colleges of the health sciences and Laupus Library.
$ 5,884,000 IN PROGRAMS
$ 3,688,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS
$ 3,017,000 IN PROGRAMS
$ 1,297,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS
$ 26,065,000
ECU Educational Foundation
The ECU Educational Foundation, better known as the Pirate Club, is the backbone of financial support for ECU Athletics. The mission of the Pirate Club is to be the friendraising and fundraising arm of ECU’s Division I athletics program, representing the highest principles of honesty and integrity.
ECU Alumni Association
The mission of the ECU Alumni Association (ECUAA) is to inform, involve and serve members of the East Carolina family throughout their lifelong relationship with the university. The ECUAA brings alumni and friends together, strengthening the common bond and sense of community among Pirates. While the ECU Alumni Association was dissolved as a separate legal entity during fiscal year 2024, the association and its alumni relations programs continue to operate within the ECU Foundation.
$ 1,605,000 IN PROGRAMS
$ 3,801,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS $ 751,000 IN PROGRAMS $ 57,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS $ 5,965,000 IN FACILITIES
FISCAL YEAR 2023 SUPPORT
FISCAL YEAR 2023 SUPPORT
GIVING SOCIETIES
Circle of Gold
As the university’s premier leadership society, the Circle of Gold recognizes ECU’s most generous lifetime donors, including individuals, businesses and foundations who have made cumulative gifts or irrevocable planned gifts of $1 million or more to the university.
Recognition in the Circle of Gold is based on combined gift totals to the ECU Foundation, the ECU Health Foundation, and the ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club).
The Circle of Gold was established in 2022, during the Pursue Gold campaign. Symbolizing infinity with its timeless form, the circle embodies a boundless commitment to the university’s mission. Circle of Gold members have established a philanthropic relationship with ECU that is truly worth its weight in gold.
Order of the Cupola
The Order of the Cupola is a distinguished society that recognizes ECU’s major lifetime donors, including individuals, businesses and foundations, who have made cumulative gifts or irrevocable planned gifts of $100,000 to $999,999 to the university.
Membership in the society is based on combined gift totals to the ECU Foundation, the ECU Health Foundation, and the ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club).
Its name is taken from the campus’ most historic landmark, the Old Austin Cupola. In 1996, a replica of the cupola was erected in the center of Main Campus as a symbol of the university’s commitment to its traditions and to future progress.
Leo W. Jenkins Society
The role Leo W. Jenkins played was pivotal in the history of ECU, and his legacy has remained critical to the growth the university has since experienced.
The Leo W. Jenkins Society recognizes donors whose generosity through various forms of planned gifts displays solidarity with Chancellor Jenkins’ legacy.
Membership in the society is bestowed upon individuals or households who have included ECU, the ECU Foundation, the ECU Health Foundation, and/or the ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club) in their estate plans through a bequest provision in their will or living trust, or by naming the university as a beneficiary of a plannedgiving arrangement, life insurance policy or pension plan.
Chancellor’s Society
The Chancellor’s Society recognizes the generosity of donors who make annual gifts of $1,000 or more to support ECU’s academic programs.
Membership in the society is based on annual gifts from individuals, businesses and foundations during ECU’s fiscal year — July 1 to June 30 — to the ECU Foundation and the ECU Health Foundation.
Chancellor’s Society-level gifts are essential to producing an exceptional education and go a long way to enhance the student experience and provide the tools our faculty need.
Doubloon Circle
As the university’s annual giving loyalty recognition society, the Doubloon Circle honors the generosity of donors who provide consistent support for ECU’s academic programs.
Membership in the society is based on annual gifts from individuals during ECU’s fiscal year — July 1 to June 30.
Recognition in the society begins in members’ second year of giving for consistency in annual gifts to the ECU Foundation and the ECU Health Foundation.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Division of University Advancement
Greenville Centre, Suite 1500
Mail Stop 301 East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-328-9550
ECU Foundation
Greenville Centre, Suite 1500
Mail Stop 301 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-328-9578
ECU Health Foundation
690 Medical Drive PO Box 8489
Greenville, NC 27835-8489
252-847-5626
ECU Educational Foundation (Pirate Club)
Ward Sports Medicine Building
Mail Stop 158 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-737-4540
ECU Alumni Association
Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center
901 E. Fifth St. Mail Stop 305
East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-ECU-GRAD
Division of University Advancement
Greenville Centre, Suite 1500
Mail Stop 301 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353
