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President’s Letter Alumni and Friends, Four years ago, as I considered becoming a candidate for president of Morgan, one of the many things that impressed me most about this great university was the breadth and depth of its positive influence. The two years I have spent as a member of the Morgan family have only enhanced that original impression. And the articles in this magazine demonstrate the above-mentioned influence clearly.
In Corporate America, Morgan has produced stars such as William R. Roberts, now a Morgan regent, who rose from humble beginnings on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to become president of three Verizon regions. In government, Maryland State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, another former Morgan cheerleader, has long been one of Baltimore’s most effective boosters.
Look at the many areas in which Morgan alumni have made and are making their mark. Writer/producer Doreen SpicerDannelly — protégé of playwright and Morgan alumnus Samm Art-Williams — has beaten very long odds to become a popular success in Hollywood. But she is also carrying Morgan’s torch of social activism by fighting for greater ethnic diversity in the offerings of the TV broadcast and film industries. As Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders, Will S., Keishawna G. and NaShanta E. are using their athleticism and showmanship to support an institution that binds the Baltimore community and brings joy to many. But in these jobs, as well as in their professional careers, they also use the intellect, self-confidence and social poise that they developed as Morgan students. Lonnie Liston Smith, a musical icon associated with names such as Pharoah Sanders, Art Blakey and Miles Davis, maintains his youth with the habits of lifelong learning and teaching that he gained in Morgan’s music education program. Another Morgan artist, Iantha L. Tucker, Ed.D., has made the University’s Modern Dance Ensemble an institution that encourages lifelong success in its participants.
And it’s not just our alumni who are making an impact. Professor MBare N’Gom, Ph.D., acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts, is leading Morgan’s initiative to internationalize its programs and prepare students and faculty for global citizenship. Biology professors Gloria E. Hoffman, Ph.D. and Michael Koban, Ph.D., are performing cutting-edge research in reproductive neuroscience and, in the process, helping a new generation of students learn to lead the world with their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math. In this era of great change, the challenges facing Morgan students are growing, and Morgan must continue to grow in kind. For this reason, you will read about the expansion of the Office of Development and about the many campus and off-campus improvements that are being made. To the furtherance of all of these good works of the University, Morgan alumni are critical. And I thank you for your continued support as I present this issue of Morgan Magazine. Sincerely,
David Wilson President MORGAN MAGAZINE VOLUME I 2012
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