ALUMNI ON THE MOVE Former Bears defensive lineman Micale Allen, ’15, has received the Rising 25 Award from the social media management company Influencer (INFLCR). The award, now in its second year, honors young professionals in the sports industry who are “making an impact, advancing the industry and providing tangible results, all while being first-rate individuals.” Allen is a Player Services Coordinator with the NFL Players Association in Washington, D.C. He earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration at Morgan. Jeffrey L. Alston, Ed.D., ’12, has been named Director of University Career Services at East Tennessee State University. He had previously served as Associate Director of Employer Relations and Internships at The College at Brockport, State University of New York, since 2014. Alston is active in the leadership of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), serving on its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and as a NACE Ambassador. He earned his M.B.A. from Morgan. An autobiography of George J. Amonitti, M.D., ’54, “The Streets of Philly,” has been published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The book traces his life from his boyhood in Philadelphia, Pa., avoiding the pitfalls of drugs, crime and apathy toward education to achieve his lifelong dream of a medical career. Dr. Amonitti, an obstetrician-gynecologist, earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Morgan. He is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association and a member of the association’s South Atlantic Alumni Chapter. Terrence J. Artis, ’88, Assistant General Counsel for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, has received a 2018 Leadership in Law Award from The Daily Record. The award from the Maryland-based business, legal and government news publication is in its 18th year and recognizes members of the statewide legal community for their outstanding work. Artis, an attorney specializing in civil rights, has taken on numerous cases, among them a case involving two disabled condominium residents that opened the door to other rulings for special accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Artis also serves as a pro-bono attorney for low-income Baltimore residents and several churches in Cecil and Harford Counties. He earned his B.A. in political science at Morgan. Morgan graduate and former MSU employee Toya Corbett, Ph.D., ’05 and ’14, has been promoted to Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). She joined NCCU as Executive Director of Student Engagement and Leadership in February 2015 and became Dean of Students at the university in August of the next year. Dr. Corbett has earned two degrees at MSU: a master’s in African-American studies and a doctorate in history, and served her graduate alma mater as Coordinator for the Office of Student Activities from 2007 to 2015. The board of directors of Safe Kids Worldwide has chosen national child safety advocate Torine Creppy, ’90, to serve as the organization’s President, after a 13-month national search. She had served as President of Safe Kids in an interim capacity since January 2017. Safe Kids works with more than 400 coalitions in the U.S. and with partners in more than 33 countries to reduce injuries and deaths from car crashes, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. During her tenure, Creppy has excelled in a variety of leadership responsibilities, including Safe Kids Buckle Up, a comprehensive child passenger safety program that has played a significant role in reducing the number of deaths and injuries to children in car crashes by more than 50 percent. Creppy holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Morgan. The Law Offices of Addison-Darden, a firm founded and led by Evelyn O.A. (Olivia) Darden, Esq., ’68, celebrated its 30th Anniversary this past April. Darden rose from humble beginnings in a rural area of Annapolis, Md., to receive her bachelor’s degree in science education at Morgan and legal training at the University of Maryland School of Law and Harvard Law School. After
her first career as a science teacher in Baltimore City, she became a lawyer and was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association in 2003. Addison-Darden, the only African-American “mother and son” law firm in the U.S., had a six-year association with the late, renowned attorney Johnny Cochran. Darden now travels the world as a motivational and cultural awareness speaker through her new company, Olivia Darden – Pearls of Wisdom (Pow!). Myrtle E.B. Dorsey, Ph.D., ’74 and ’79, has been appointed as Director and Professor of the Community College Leadership Program here at Morgan State University. Dr. Dorsey previously served as the Chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College, in Baton Rouge, La., for 10 years, then served as the Chancellor of the St. Louis Community College District. Dr. Dorsey earned her Bachelor of Science in Spanish and her Master of Science in reading from Morgan and a Ph.D. in higher education administration with an emphasis on community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. The first installment of a children’s book series by Shawn Doyle, ’00, will be released this year. “10 Rules of Etiquette Every Kid Should Know,” part of “Etiquette Chronicles,” is a follow-up to her volume “Eat Right, Stay Active, and Have Fun,” an interactive wellness guide and activity book for children. Doyle is owner of Designer Discipline LLC, a wellness consulting company, and Designer Discipline Books, a new publishing house. A native of New York City, she relocated to the Maryland area three years ago after returning to New York after her graduation from Morgan with a Bachelor of Science in telecommunications. Doyle went on to obtain her Master of Science in public administration and rose in her career field of human resources. Her books are available for purchase at www.DesignerDiscipline.com. Tsanonda J. Edwards, ’04, Cofounder and Director of Community Engagement for the Baltimore-based mental health facility Above It All, has published his first book, titled, “The extraORDINARY Mr. Nobody.” The autobiographical story follows Edwards as he deals with his father’s suicide and overcomes tremendous challenges on his path through high school, college and life, having grown up in a strict religious home. The author seeks to provide readers with practical advice to bring about change in their lives. Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Morgan, where he was a volunteer with KUUMBA, a counselor with the Pre-College/Access Program and a recipient of the Outstanding Male Student Award. Jason Max Ferdinand, ’01, Director of Choral Activities at Oakwood University, in Huntsville, Ala., received the first-ever Gwobr Jane Davies Prize for Outstanding Conductor. He was presented the award during the 2017 Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod in Wales, where the Oakwood University choir he leads, the Aeolians, received the highest choral prize, the Choir of the World Pavarotti Trophy. Ferdinand completed Morgan’s Master of Arts program in choral conducting, with high honors, and was a member and assistant choral conductor with the MSU Choir. A book by Noreen J. Goodson, ’70 and ’78, and Donna Tyler Hollie, Ph.D., ’63, ’92 and ’00, has been published by Clearfield Company. “Through the Tax Assessor’s Eyes: Enslaved People, Free Blacks and Slaveholders in Early Nineteenth Century Baltimore,” Goodson provides important information for historical researchers, especially those seeking information about their African-American ancestors. Dr. Hollie earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a master’s degree and doctorate in history from MorHollie gan. After her retirement as an administrator from the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, she served as Professor of History and Chair of the Social Sciences Department at Sojourner-Douglass College. Goodson, a retired Baltimore City public school teacher, holds a bachelor’s degree and an M.S. in elementary education, both from Morgan State University.
Laquisha Hall, ’06, an English teacher at Carver Vocational Technical High School, has been named Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) Teacher of the Year for 2018. BCPS Chief Executive Officer Sonja Santelises, accompanied by members of Hall’s family, surprised her by visiting her classroom to announce the award in May. Hall faced major challenges in her childhood, she told the Baltimore Afro-American, and left home when she was 16. Turning her hardship into a path for others, she has led a mentoring program for young women, Queendom The Etiquette Academy (T.E.A.), Hall will represent Baltimore City in the Maryland Teacher of the Year competition. She earned her master’s degree in teaching from MSU. Jamal Harris, ’99 and ’05, has joined Morgan’s Office of Public Relations and Communications as the Web Content Specialist. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. at Morgan and is owner of Maché Designs, LLC, a graphic design company. He is now proud to utilize his talents as a graphic designer and web developer to contribute to his alma mater. Harris is a 1996 initiate of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Brenton E. (“Brent”) Howard, ’04, has been named CEO of the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce. He will lead a staff of three under the direction of the Chamber’s 25-member board. Howard previously worked for Toyota Financial Services, the Four Seasons Hotel, Skye Hospitality and the Washington Redskins. He is also president and CEO of the Baltimore County Small Business Resource Center and serves on the board of the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library and on Baltimore Gas and Electric Company’s community advisory panel. He was a telecommunications student at Morgan, where he earned his Bachelor of Science. The American Educational Research Association has presented its 2018 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award to Gloria J. Ladson-Billings, Ph.D., ’68. Dr. Ladson-Billings had a 27-year career in teaching at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she retired as Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education, and is the current president of the National Academy of Education. Dr. Ladson-Billings is one of the world’s leading authorities on culturally relevant pedagogy and critical race theory. She earned her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Morgan in 1968 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from MSU during the 2018 Spring Undergraduate Commencement Exercises. A 3-D ceramic tile mural created by Lt. Col. David F. Mack, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.), ’71, was exhibited during the Straz Armed Forces Day Celebration on the Riverwalk in Tampa, Fla., this past May. The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts commissioned the artwork, pro bono. It depicts Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Sgt. William Carney, the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor after the Civil War; and an image of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Lt. Col. Mack earned his Bachelor of Science in art education at Morgan and was a member of the Bears’ football team. Mervyn O. McCoy, ’57, delighted a group of children with his Black History Month Presentation at the Mt. Trashmore Family YMCA in Virginia Beach, Va., this past February. McCoy showed historic items, played music and shared biographies of some musicians, among other attractions for the youth in the YMCA’s Before & After-School Care program. McCoy is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in French from Morgan.
15 years, by providing them with network platforms and technical assistance. Mitchell earned her Bachelor of Science in physical education from Morgan and is a member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Alumni Chapter. Travis E. Mitchell, ’92, has been named Chief Content Officer of UNC-TV, North Carolina’s statewide public media network. In this role, he is a key member of UNC-TV’s senior leadership team, helping set organization-wide priorities and strategies and providing strategic leadership and editorial vision for all UNC-TV content, educational services, programming and production services. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Mitchell came to UNC-TV from Communities in Schools (CIS) of Wake County, where he had served as President since 2010. His extensive background in the media includes six years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of MBC Network. Mitchell earned a B.A. in broadcast journalism from Morgan, where he also played varsity basketball and edited The Spokesman. Mukuhi Wa (“Rose”) Mwangi, ’10, has authored the book, “Kikuyu Mystery Revealed.” In the volume, she digs deeply into the hidden mysteries of the Kikuyu people of Kenya, whom the author claims is one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, descendants of the tribe of Asher, exiled “… beyond the rivers of Ethiopia” (Zephaniah 3:10). The author expounds on the precolonial Kikuyu culture and traditions in light of the Scripture, and she relates the accounts of early Western Christian missionaries to Kenya, who were amazed at the parallels between the Mosaic and Levitical laws in the Old Testament and Kikuyu history, culture and traditions. Mwangi received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Morgan. Brittany Peterson, ’13, has joined Morgan’s Public Relations and Communications team as the Social Media Specialist. In her new post, she serves as the community manager and voice of MSU across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. She also collaborates with internal stakeholders and others to create, support and execute communications campaigns and initiatives, among numerous other responsibilities. Peterson is passionate about innovation and technology utilization in higher education and is owner of the marketing technology company Seduced by Tech. She earned her M.S. in telecommunications from Morgan, summa cum laude, in 2013. The YMCA of Central Maryland (Y in Central Maryland) has appointed Letta Simon, ’03, as Senior Vice President, Early Childhood Development. Simon brings broad experience in early childhood, education and youth development as well as strategic, operational and new business development experience to the Y, where she is responsible for the effectiveness and success of the association’s Head Start and Preschool strategy and operations. Simon, who earned her Bachelor of Arts in speech communication from Morgan, has previously served in various leadership positions, including President and COO of Brightside Academy, where she led the expansion and operations of Head Start into three states. Zaharah Valentine, ’07, Principal of the Baltimore Design School., was selected as a 2017 Heart of the School Awards Honoree. The awards recognized 10 outstanding Baltimore City Public Schools Principals for their exceptional leadership and innovation. Valentine’s award citation praised her for “instituting largescale, meaningful initiatives that have fundamentally changed the culture of her school.” Valentine earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science at Morgan. She is in her first year as head of the Baltimore Design School, which was established as a result of the advocacy of Catherine E. Pugh, ’73 and ’77, who is now Mayor of Baltimore.
JoAnne Mitchell, ’76, was awarded the 2018 Crown Women Rising Courage Award by the Crown Women Rising (CWR) organization, for her financial support and volunteer work in Kenya. CWR is a training, networking and empowerment organization that identifies, nurtures, launches and honors high-achieving women globally to promote business growth and community transformation. The organization has supported the success of more than 1,000 women in business for more than
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