NORMAL INDEX
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY
FALL 2016
Former Miss AAMU, Physicist Lauded for Innovative Cancer Research
Farmer Honored by USDA, White House
Alumni On The Move
NORMAL INDEX
FALL 2016
PUBLISHER Andrew Hugine, Jr., Ph.D. President ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Archie Tucker, Interim Vice President for Marketing, Communication & Advancement EDITOR Jerome Saintjones
FROM THE EDITOR Fellow Normalites: Assembling content for a magazine highlighting Normalites is always a daunting task. First, there is the abundance of subjects—the plethora of men and women throughout the globe who are doing phenomenal things in their communities and professions. Second, there is the mandate to pare down the awesome list into a manageable document that will attract and hold—through content and design—the reader’s undivided attention. Third, there is the challenge of summoning the courage to say, enough! A debt of gratitude is owed to Sandra Stubbs, AAMU’s director of alumni affairs, and Archie Tucker, interim vice president for the Office of Marketing, Communication and Advancement, for keeping alive the flame which ultimately became the finished product you see before you. Much is also owed to Susan Eason, Alumni Affairs office, for her gift of conceptualization and execution when it comes to first-rate layout and design. The Normal Index is indeed an institution within an institution, and it is an honor to play some small role in its continuance and evolvement as a tool to document AAMU’s tradition of service, academic excellence, quality research and visionary leadership. We look forward to telling the story as The Hill slowly moves toward its 150th year. Go, Bulldogs … wherever you are!
ALUMNI EDITOR Sandra S. Stubbs GRAPHIC DESIGNER Susan Eason ON THE COVER: Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green COVER PHOTO: Eric and Jamie Gay of Eric & Jamie Photography
Visit us at: www.aamu.edu
The Normal Index is published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations in cooperation with the Office of Alumni Affairs. Correspondence and Inquiries to: Alabama A&M University/MPR 309 Patton Building Normal, AL 35762 (256) 372.5607
Jerome Saintjones, Ed.S. ‘11 Editor-in-Chief
Send items for consideration to the aforementioned address or e-mail public.relations@aamu.edu
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CONTENTS Association Under New Management
New Residence Hall to Open Fall 2017
AAMU Alum Known Throughout Nation
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9
28
2016 Founder’s Day Weekend
Cover Story: Physicist Lauded for Innovative Cancer Research
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Meet the 66th Miss Alabama A&M University
23
Bulldog Football Schedule
39
16
PRESIDENT HUGINE HIGHLIGHTS UNIVERSITY’S TOP 10 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AAMU President Andrew Hugine, Jr., has released an impressive list of the University’s Top 10 accomplishments, encompassing every aspect of the noble mission: teaching, research and service. 1) NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS In addition to sought-after online degree programs in Management, Educational Leadership, Liberal Studies and Computer Science, AAMU has added new degree programs in Systems Material Engineering, Construction Management, Cultural Studies, General Music, Entrepreneurship, Sports Management, Communication Specialist, Plant Biotechnology, Animal Bio-Health Technology, Kinesiology and concentrations/minors in undergraduate Biomedical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering and Plant Biotechnology. 2) UNIVERSITY DESIGNATIONS—“MILITARY FRIENDLY SCHOOL” AND “BEST VALUE COLLEGE” AAMU is among the elite schools competing for military students. The “Military Friendly Schools” list honors the top colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace the nation’s military personnel. Also, AAMU is one of 15 universities in Alabama to be designated as a “Best Value College” based upon its affordability, graduation rates, acceptance rate and return on investment. 3) NOBEL LAUREATES Thanks to its popular annual Putcha Venkateswarlu Memorial Lecture, AAMU
is the only university in the nation to have hosted a Nobel Laureate each year for almost 20 consecutive years. The lecture is always open to the public. 4) KEY RESEARCH AWARD The Association of Public and LandGrant Universities (APLU) recognized AAMU as the recipient of the 1890 Research Award because it achieved the largest increase in federal research funding and research dollar acquisition. The amount awarded in FY 2014 was $31,252,971, a 9.13% increase over FY 2013’s $28,639,291.19. 5) CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AAMU is home to one of only 107 Confucius Institutes at a college or university in the nation—as well as one of only four sites at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and one of only three such institutes in Alabama. 6) ECONOMIC IMPACT AND PUBLIC SERVICE With an operating budget of $155 million, AAMU has an economic impact of over $350 million statewide and $228 million in the region. With more than 800 employees, AAMU is among the Top 20 employers in North Alabama. It is also proud to be opening the Virginia Caples Lifelong Learning Institution—joining the ranks of sister institution Hampton University to become the second HBCU (and first 1890 land-grant institution) to advance the quality of life for one of our richest resources, Alabama’s older adult population.
7) FINANCE As a result of methodical fiscal management and conservative projections, AAMU is in its best financial condition in more than a decade. A measure of an organization’s fiscal health is its composite financial index, with an index of 3.0 denoting a healthy financial picture. AAMU’s composite financial index is 3.2. 8) FINANCING PACKAGE The University secured a $96 million financial package, the largest in the U.S. Department of Education’s history, which will refinance existing debt, save about $400,000 per year, and provide $30 million to construct a new 600–bed residence hall. 9) CAPITAL CAMPAIGN The “Imagine the Future Capital Campaign” has received over $20 million in philanthropic support, surpassing its original goal of $16.25 million. A new goal has been set for the amount of $22,187,500. 10) DEGREE PRODUCTION RANKINGS Between 2013-15, AAMU ranked in the Top 10 in producing minority graduates in Mathematics and Statistics, Communications Technologies, Engineering, Agriculture, Biology and Physical Sciences. Education ranked No. 3 in the nation in the production of black male teachers.
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2016 POINTS OF PRIDE AAMU produces leaders for higher education. Two A&M alumni, Dr. Carl Harris Marbury and Dr. Jack Thomas, former English major and AAMU track star, served as presidents of Alabama A&M University and Western Illinois University, respectively. Dr. Nathan Essex serves as president of Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Norman Cephus was president at C. A. Fredd Technical College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. AAMU produces governmental leaders: Kenneth Gulley, Mayor of Bessemer, Ala., and former Bessemer Mayor Edward May; Jay Roberson, Birmingham City Council; Senator Linda Coleman and Representatives Laura Hall, Mary Moore and Anthony Daniels of the Alabama Legislature; James Perkins, former Mayor of Selma, Ala.; Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin State Assembly; and Chris Carter and Michael Butler, Missouri General Assembly. Other local governmental leaders include Bob Harrison, Madison County Commission (Ala.); Richard Showers, Huntsville City Council; and Wil Culver, Huntsville City Council. AAMU produces leaders in public education, among them current and former superintendents of schools: Dr. Eugene White, Indianapolis, Ind., Public Schools; Dr. Arlester McBride, Wilcox County, Ala., Schools; Dee O. Fowler, Madison County, Ala., Schools; Dr. Fred Primm, Jr., Bessemer City, Ala., Schools; Woodie E. Pugh, Jr., Clarke County, Ala., Schools; Elam Ray Swaim, Madison County, Ala., Schools; Robert Brown, Greene County, Ala., Schools; and Bernadeia Johnson, superintendent of Minneapolis, Minn., Schools (featured on CNN’s “Black in America” series). Julian “Juels” Pierrot interned a summer before the launching of the tenth year of the noted Brooklyn Hip-hop Festival, which has attracted performances by Kanye West and, most recently, Jay-Z. Now Pierrot, an AAMU alum, is listed as the current contact for the festival’s marketing and communications efforts. William E. Cox is president of Cox Mathews & Associates, publisher of the nationally distributed higher education publication DIVERSE magazine. Dr. Henry Panion III is widely known for his work as a conductor and arranger for superstar Stevie Wonder. Dr. Philip C. Cleveland, deputy state superintendent for career and technical education/workforce development, has been named interim state superintendent for Alabama following the retirement of Superintendent Tommy Bice in March. Cleveland received his AA certification from AAMU in agribusiness education. Julian Green has joined the Chicago Cubs operation as vice president of communications and community affairs, following a stint as the spokesperson for Miller Coors. He was also a communications specialist for then Senator Barack Obama.
Dr. Marquita Furniss Davis served as the first female finance director for the State of Alabama. Paul Pinyan is executive director of the Alabama Farmers Federation and general manager of ALFA Services, Inc. Singer Mitty Collier of Chess Records at Fame Studio, who popularized “I Had a Talk with My Man Last Night,” still influences the next generation of vocalists through her role as a pastor in Chicago. Late alumnus Booker T. Whatley was noted internationally for developing a process of yearround farming for a 100-acre family. The plan attracted the attention of the Wall Street Journal and the founder of Domino’s Pizza. Rose Crumb Johnson is a senior adviser for PanAmerican Risk Management, LLC. She pioneered new methods of service delivery in the health care arena and was noted for her innovation in implementing new initiatives. John O. Hudson, III, is senior vice president of Marketing and Business Development for Alabama Power.
Carolyn Caldwell is president and CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo. She has also been elected to the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees. Dr. Alease S. Sims was a co-defendant in the long-running Knight & Sims vs. Alabama higher education desegregation lawsuit, first launched in 1981. W. Clyde Marsh has achieved the highest rank of any graduate of the AAMU ROTC. He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral and is currently serving as the director of veterans affairs for the State of Alabama and as president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. Adrienne Pope-Kelly Washington is the first black female to earn the permanent grade of GS-15 in the history of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, first black female to hold the position of Director of Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD) and first black female to serve as the Division Chief of Air and Missile Defense Systems in SAMD. She has also headed the South Eastern Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Sadie Britt was elected the first black female president of the League of Municipalities for the State of Alabama. Also, Mrs. Britt is currently serving in her 22nd year as an elected City Council member for the City of Lincoln, Alabama.
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ASSOCIATION: SERVICE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT D
uring the summer of 2016, the Alabama A&M University Alumni Association, Inc., installed a new management team led by Albert Benifield, Jr.. Benifield takes over the leadership reins from alumnus Timothy McCanelley. While acknowledging the hard work and dedication of the 2014-16 team, the 1978 mathematics graduate is proud to accept the baton and is excited about carrying on the legacy of William Hooper Councill, AAMU’s remarkable founder. Benifield is lead quality assurance engineer with BMC Software, based in the Houston, Tex., area, where he is actively involved in several community organizations. Among these are the American Diabetes Association, Alzheimer’s Walk, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, the United Negro College Fund and others. He has chaired the Ronald E. McNair Omega Scholarship Fund, is a life member of both Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and the AAMU Alumni Association, Inc., and he has served as a group leader at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Benifield’s involvement with the Association is extensive and encompasses his two terms as regional vice president for
Region IV, which received the Thomas M. Elmore Award; president of the Houston Alumni Chapter; leader of effort to gain the Association approval to become a part of the Combined Federal Campaign. “As we continue supporting our Alma Mater, Alabama A&M University,” said Benifield to his fellow Normalites gathered for the 2016 Biennial Conference in Charlotte, N.C., “we must always remember that we can only grow as an organization by uplifting others.” Benifield’s emphasis will be on building membership, increasing the Association’s scholarship effort and enhancing relationship building. “I will work with alums to provide a medium through which alumni and friends can work to advance the growth and development of the University,” stated Benifield.
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2016-2017 ALUMNI A S SOCIATION OFFICER S
President, Albert Benifield, Jr.; Vice President, Joe Arrington; Recording-Secretary, Karen Epps; Financial-Secretary, Karen Howze-Samuels; Treasurer, Chiquita Goodloe Suggs; Parliamentarian, Clarene Teague-Johnson; Chaplain, Carol Watkins; Council of Presidents Rep, Jamal Ali; Immediate Past President, Tim McCanelley; Executive Secretary, Shelbia King; Alabama (Region I), Terrence Vickerstaff; Southern (Region II), Brandon Brown; Western (Region III), Annie White; South Central (Region IV), Judy C. Smith, Midwestern (Region V), Stephanie George-Lewis; North Eastern (Region VI), Leticia Drakeford; Member At Large, Perry Caudle; Member At Large, Sanyvette Williams-Foy; Member At Large, Joyce Harris; Member At Large, Johnny B. Kirk; Member At Large, Bernice C. Richardson; Member At Large, Cynthia Wright-Toles and Member At Large, Richetta A. Wilkerson
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Out of the Box
A LESSON FROM AGRICULTURE: You reap what you sow. How do you grow the next generation of agricultural scientists? Certainly not by waiting for them to eventually visit one’s campus. Enter AAMU’s College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences, coupled with forward-thinking teachers and administrators at A&M and Meridianville Middle School. The end result is FEAST, an acronym that stands for “Fostering Environmental and Agricultural Scientists for Tomorrow.” The aim is to rekindle the mission of 1890 land-grant institutions like AAMU by boosting agricultural awareness throughout the community.
USDE VISIT: John B. King, Secretary of the U.S. Department SELFIE: Dr. Ivory Toldson of the White House Initiative on of Education, visited Alabama A&M University as part of a HBCUs captured a selfie while seated in “Super Lucy,” a race national tour to showcase schools that are attracting students car designed and built by AAMU students. in the STEM disciplines.
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HILL HAPPENINGS
New Residence Hall to Open Fall 2017
If you’re one of those Normalites who haven’t visited the Alabama A&M University campus in a while, then you’ll likely notice a sense of “bustle” from the top to the bottom of The Hill, activity that will continue into 2017.
AAMU broke ground in mid-August 2016 on a much-anticipated new residence hall, which will house 580 students at its Meridian Street site adjacent to the
Student Health and Wellness Center. The $30 million state-of-the-art structure will feature a complete building automation system that monitors occupancy through motion sensors, reducing the amount of energy used through the HVAC system when rooms are not occupied. Additionally the residence hall will have motion sensors in hallways and rooms, enabling both to dim when there is no activity. Thus, lighting in rooms will automatically cut off when the rooms are not in use. The residence hall should be complete in fall 2017. In addition to the demolishment of Gravitt Apartments to make way for the new residential facility, the University also leveled the Old Police Building adjacent to Hopkins Hall, as well as the Old Pump House located in the rear of the Normal Post
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AAMU, SBA Sign Agreement A
labama A&M University and U.S. Small Business Administration officials formalized an agreement in 2016 that will significantly expand the two entities’ outreach efforts to the Tennessee Valley area’s small business sector. AAMU President Andrew Hugine, Jr., signed a two-year Strategic Alliance Memorandum aimed at assisting the start, maintenance and expansion of small businesses in Alabama. Hugine was joined in the signing by Thomas A. Todt, district director of the Alabama District Office of SBA, in addition to several other local business partners. Cassius F. Butts, SBA Region IV administrator, underscored that the Alliance would help to ensure that entrepreneurs receive the resources to succeed. He added that the formalization was yet another step toward allowing all markets a chance to work with the government.
Butts added that going forward “A&M will be one of the shining stars” as both the University and the SBA work together to achieve their objectives for the business community. Todt stressed that the memorandum will enable SBA to “grow our own” at the neighborhood level. The signing also was attended by Dr. Del Smith, dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs; and Dr. Teresa Merriweather Orok, executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development (CEIED) in AAMU’s College of Business and Public Affairs; campus officials; several representatives of local business advocacy groups and organizations, as well as the federal sector. The AAMU-SBA working
relationship aims to facilitate the strengthening of small business through the strategic sharing and provision of access to resources, publications, training materials, workshops, speakers and referrals. For additional information about the partnership and future activities, contact Dr. Teresa M. Orok at (256) 3725603.
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Alabama A&M U N I V E R S I T Y
Undergraduate & Graduate Studies
APPLY TODAY
w w w. a a m u . e d u
Start Here...Go
anywhere!
Farmer Honored by USDA, White House Photo Credit: Courtesy of Decatur Daily/John Godbey
A
n Alabama A&M University alumnus and noted farmer joined 15 “Champions of Change” recognized by the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently. Billy B. Bridgeforth, a 1980 soil science AAMU graduate, was distinguished as a trendsetter during a program recognizing leaders from throughout the U.S. who are making significant positive impacts on the next generation of farming and ranching. Bridgeforth is a fourth-generation farmer in Tanner, Ala., whose Darden Bridgeforth & Sons operation grows cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans, and canola using a variety of cutting-edge agronomic techniques and land conservation practices. As Chairman of the National Black Growers Council (NBGC), Bridgeforth advocates on behalf of Black farmers in the United States and abroad. The program featured USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, who discussed efforts to ensure that beginning farmers and the growing ranks of agriculture—women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, returning veterans and retirees—have access to the programs and support they need. The event included a discussion about how to continue growing and supporting the next generation of America’s farmers and ranchers. Bridgeforth and his operation have long
been held up as a model for future farmers to emulate. A few years ago, Darden Bridgeforth & Sons Farms hosted a free “Model Farm” tour and field day demonstration. The farm was chosen by the NBGC to take part in the tour, which included six other farms. Farmers had an opportunity to tour his farm, as well as to see the results of the implementation of USDA programs and to get expert advice from agriculture representatives involved with the programs. The tour further focused on several key agricultural programs, including precision agriculture, irrigation, grain storage, biotechnology and variety trials. The more recent Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals, businesses, and organizations doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program and nominate a Champion, visit www.whitehouse.gov/ champions. For more information on opportunities to support new and beginning farmers, visit www.usda.gov/newfarmers. Normal Index | 12
Research and Scholarly Endeavor
Scientists Research Detection of Explosive Materials
Two Alabama A&M University professors have been awarded $400,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to enter the second phase of their research aimed at detection and identification of explosive materials. The principal investigator for the project is Dr. Aschalew Kassu, an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering, Construction Management and Industrial Technology in the College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences. Dr. Anup Sharma, professor of physics, is the project’s CoPI. The project also will provide an opportunity for AAMU to procure equipment and supplies necessary to advance existing research capabilities, as well as involve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate students in research. The professors noted the DHS grant will boost “current efforts in mentoring, educating, building a well-rounded research capability,” as well as provide scholarships for up to 10 STEM students.
Building Veterans’ Interest in Farming Opportunities Alabama A&M University’s Small Farms Research Center (SFRC) in the College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences has received over $180,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide training and technical assistance to Alabama’s veterans and socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers. The project aims to recruit veterans and increase their awareness of and participation in farming opportunities; assist producers in owning and operating successful farm businesses, and in accessing capital, markets and other resources; provide need-based assistance and education in a wide-range of need areas; foster communication between farmers/ranchers, mentors, and those entities designed to support them; and develop, assemble and distribute appropriate training material. According to SFRC, most veterans starting businesses are not able to develop or use a business plan, suggesting the urgent need for education and training. Returning servicemen and women in Alabama have often expressed interest in farming opportunities.
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The Normal Legacy Society
The Normal Legacy Society was established at Alabama A&M University in 2010 by President Andrew Hugine, Jr., to recognize individuals, organizations and companies that demonstrate significant lifetime financial contributions to the institutions amounting to $100,000 or more. The members of the Normal Legacy Society publicly acknowledge their partnership with AAMU to protect and advance its mission of teaching, research and service. Owing to their sustained contributions, members are identified and invited into the Society through public acknowledgment at Founder’s Day, where inductees receive a special pin and other honors. Inaugural members into the Normal Legacy Society during 2010 included the following: Dr. Henry and Mrs. Nell Bradford of Huntsville, Ala.; Ms. Bertha M. Jones of Tuskegee, Ala.; Dr. Ernest and Mrs. Marion Knight of New York City; Mrs. Ella Byrd McCain of Birmingham, Ala.; Rev. Lucien Randolph of Tuskegee, Ala.; the Tom Joyner Foundation; Ms. Velma Walker of Detroit, Mich.; and Mrs. Geneva S. Wright of Huntsville, Ala. The 2011 inductees were Judge W. Troy and Sue Massey of Montgomery, Ala. In 2013, Ron and Patricia McIntosh of Huntsville, Ala., were added to the distinguished group. Dr. Belvie and Mrs. Dorothy Brice of Pell City, Ala., joined the society in 2015.
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William Hooper Councill:
The Struggle for Education - An Excerpt by Eddie E. Davis
T
he end of the Civil War led to Abe Lincoln’s liberation of four million penniless slaves of African descent. Emancipated Negroes were now free from the physical chains of slavery. But free to go where? Free to do what? Many understood, however, a country could not remain half-free and half-bond. Therefore, in 1865, the Republican Party brought forth the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill as a legislative approach, and education had now become a reality for former slaves including William Hooper Councill. Prevailing over the woes of slavery, the young Councill displayed a keen desire for knowledge while
learning his alphabets at the age of sixteen in 1864. Later, he attended a Freedmen school near Stevenson, Alabama known as Averyville, and was noted the best student of the school. After three years, Councill became an assistant teacher in Jackson County, Alabama, but threats and violence caused him to return to Madison County and establish the first county school for African Americans, known as Lincoln School in March of 1869. For Councill, education was a necessity. Even when times became more difficult, the young scholar sacrificed and worked whatever jobs he could find to obtain his goal. Having only the
basic necessities, Councill could not afford a kerosene lamp, but would study at night by cedar wood fire, which he later called, “Cedar College.” Councill wrote of his challenging educational experiences: “I have slept in a cotton pen a whole winter because I had no better place. I have washed an only shirt and then sat in the shade of a tree while it dried. I wore a pair of Yankee drawers for pants for a whole winter. I wore low cut shoes in winter without socks. When a boy, I never had an undershirt nor dreamed of an overcoat. I plowed, once, three days for an old Greenleaf’s Arithmetic. I only had a split cedar for light for three years. Later I walked three miles, three times a week, for lessons
“I have slept in a cotton pen a whole winter because I had no better place.” a week in Physics and Chemistry and paid a learned professor fifty cents for each lesson. God forbid that anybody, white or black, should ever be forced to battle against such odds.” For more information go to www.presh4wordpublishing. com or amazon.com to order William Hooper Councill: The Greatest Negro the Race Ever Produced. Eddie Eugene Davis, Jr., is a native of Birmingham, Ala., who earned his undergraduate degree in environmental science (chemistry minor) from AAMU in 2002. He earned the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree in 2004. He is currently a senior soil scientist with the USDA-NRCS and began writing the Councill book in 2009, spurred by the inspiration he received from Rev. Dr. Homer McCall, who taught a humanities class Davis attended a decade earlier.
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2016
Founder's WEEKEND MAY 5 - 8
You Gave. You Took Action.
Thank You
for participating in the Tom Joyner School of the Month held in November 2015.
$65,335.02
Together we raised which will go towards making a difference to those who followed your path at Alabama A&M University. Long Live Thy Fame!
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Paving the Way! The Normalite Walkway Pavers Project--a major campus beautification project aimed at fostering community-wide pride in the historic institution--is an integral part of long-running construction and renovation to The Quad in the center of the AAMU campus. Because the AAMU family was successful in garnering assistance from thousands of individuals to participate in a previous Home Depot HBCU “Retool Your School” contest targeting beautification efforts, the pavers project benefitted from plans to upgrade the busy Quadrangle. Wide walkways, lined with brick pavers, now intersect at a huge AAMU logo. AAMU family and friends can still participate in 2016 and beyond making themselves and other loved ones a permanent part of the Normalite Walkway by purchasing a paver that can be engraved with name, graduation date, class, or the name of a loved one or some other important but space-limited information. Project coordinators have called the project an opportunity “to support the University” and to become an integral part of the Universi-
ty’s history by having names permanently engraved in the walkway. Contributions made to purchase the pavers are tax-deductible, and the proceeds from the sale of the pavers will be used for scholarships for deserving students. The Bulldog Pride Committee was established in 2009 under the leadership of First Lady Abbiegail Hugine as an additional mechanism through which faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni and friends of the university, nationwide, could support Alabama A&M University.
The primary aim of the Committee is to encourage and enhance pride in the University from all of its constituent groups. Dr. Barbara Cady and Clarene Johnson serves as cochairs of AAMU’s Normalite Walkway Pavers Project. The pavers project group is rounded out by First Lady Abbiegail Hugine; and alums Diann Greer, and Eugene Tasie. For additional information, contact Sandra Stubbs, director of alumni affairs, at (256) 372-5286.
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Cover Story
Hadiyah Former Miss AAMU, Physicist Lauded for Innovative Cancer Research
I
n spring 2016, the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) welcomed Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green as assistant professor in its department of physiology. In addition to her faculty role, Green will continue work that developed from patent-pending technologies, including a 3-in-1 system for early detection, targeting a selective treatment of malignant tumors, and a nanoparticle-enabled 10-minute laser treatment that induces 100 percent tumor regression. Dr. Green was awarded a $1.1 million HBCU-Research Scientist Training Program Career Development Award from the Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Service of the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. “Dr. Green’s ground-breaking
research is developing revolutionary technologies that could result in life-saving alternatives for people fighting cancer,” said Dr. Sandra Harris-Hooker, vice president and executive dean of
research and academic administration. “We welcome her diversity of thought to not only help in the education of the next generation of providers, but to partner with our community of researchers in the advancement of health equity.” Prior to joining the MSM faculty, Green taught at Tuskegee University, where she served as an assistant professor in the department of physics with adjunct appointments in the departments of biological sciences and materials science engineering. Green is a multi-disciplinary physicist who specializes in nanobiophotonics and targeted cancer therapeutics, using lasers, nanoparticles, and antibodies to develop biomarker-specific platforms to target, image, and treat malignant tumors including head and neck, prostate and women’s cancers. Green completed the Bache-
lor of Science degree in physics with a concentration in optics and a minor in mathematics from Alabama A&M University in 1999. She received a master’s in physics with a concentration in nanobiophotonics in 2009 and the Ph.D. in physics in 2012 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). As a student, she received $300,000 in scholarships and fellowships, including the National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship, National Science Foundation Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship, David and Lucille Packard Foundation Fellowship and AAMU Presidential Scholarship. Sources: AAMU, MSM
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Photo Credit: Eric and Jamie Gay of Eric & Jamie Photography Normal Index | 21
AAMU Student News
NASA, A&M Students Partner in Tech Transfer Graduate and undergraduate students who were enrolled in two entrepreneurship courses at Alabama A&M University had a chance to partner with NASA‘s Office of Technology Transfer to look into ways to make NASA employee inventions commercial through alternative uses. For instance, Andrew Schnell of the Advanced Concepts Office of NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center presented his invention, the Rigidized Inflatable Structures, to AAMU business students. After the presentation, Schnell stated, “I enjoyed presenting my technology to the students, and I’m looking forward to hearing the students’ ideas for rigidized inflatable structures.” Schnell said he heard “several good ideas” from the students within minutes after talking to them.”
Diversity Builds Unique Experience The AAMU student ranges from the first-generation college student to one who can easily boast about being representative of the fifth generation. Students hail from throughout and beyond the contiguous United States, the western hemisphere and other points around the globe. The many backgrounds create a base for greater understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and experiences. Yet, all of these exciting differences merge into one Bulldog team spirit and love for the Maroon and White.
Meet Tara Crawford
2016-2017 Executive President of the Student Government Association
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mpactful, compassionate, loving, and hardworking. These are all words to describe Tara Crawford. The Sacramento, California native believes that persistence, coupled with faith, will enable great success. She has forged a path of excellence by managing her academics while simultaneously empowering her fellow colleagues. As a college enthusiast and a member of several on-campus organizations, she is noted for establishing the University’s first on-campus food pantry. In recent news, she has been named the 7th woman to become Executive President of the Student Government Association, and she plans
to continue the legacy by executing her platform—”No Handouts, All Hands In.” She will complete studies toward the baccalaureate degree in Communications Media in May 2017. Normal Index | 22
AAMU Student News
Meet Carmen Wright 66th Miss Alabama A&M University
C
armen Catrice Wright is a graduate of Minor High School in the Jefferson County (Ala.) School System. While attending Minor, Carmen received recognition for outstanding achievements in her fashion class, and she was involved in many activities, including the marching band (manager); concert band (secretary); yearbook staff; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc. (FCCLA); office assistant; and
Corky Bell Dance Studio. She was also a vice president and step master for Alpha Kappa Omega Hearts High School Sorority, which was established under the principles of service and sisterhood. Carmen also participated with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Academy and Gems mentoring program with their Birmingham Alumnae Chapter. During her senior year, she decided to continue in her parents’ footsteps by attending Alabama
A&M University. During her freshman year at AAMU, Carmen received recognition for all of her accomplishments when she was nominated for the Foot Solider Award by the Birmingham Chapter of the NAACP. As a student at AAMU, she continues her community service goals by volunteering with the operations of the Marching Maroon and White Band program and the Lady Bulldogs Basketball team. In May 2015, she was again recognized for all of her hard work and dedication by being listed on the Dean’s List. During fall 2015, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Mu Chapter, following in the footsteps of her Godmother Katrina Gunn Hale. Carmen is an active member of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where she participates in the Youth Choir and Liturgical Dance Team. Strongly committed to serving her community, she has volunteered for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk, Sickle Cell Walk, Elks Lodge Thanksgiving Day Feed the Homeless Project, 16th Street Walk by Faith Marathon, 16th Street Feed the Homeless and Soup and Sock Drive, and Jessie’s Place. During the summer, she volunteers with the Fairfield City Schools Summer Enrichment program as an assistant for the Exceptional Education Department. It was during this period that Carmen decided to become a social work major in order to provide a voice and advocacy for students with special needs.
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Alumni on the Move
Everybody LOVES
TRENT
It’s hard to beat Trent’s giving. Trent Griffin is employed by the Marshall Space Flight Center as a physicist. He works within the Engineering Directorate, Space Systems Department, as a part of the Electrical Electromechanical and Electronics Parts Team, where he develops programmatic requirements for space flight vehicles, payloads and experiments. He also serves as the Safety Supervisor for the Space Systems Department.
youth motivation and “Read Across America,” he was recognized nationally for his outreach efforts on the ABC television program “Good Morning America,” where he was awarded the “Above and Beyond Award.” At the workplace, he is known as “Mr. Griffin”, but within the schools and area neighborhoods he is fondly known as “Mr. Trent.”
Griffin is engaged in community outreach for NASA as part of the Marshall Speakers Bureau and in the form of a program that he created called “Simple Science.” The program creates interest in S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education for youths. He captivates the students by performing and relating science experiments with items found in every home. He has presented this program for over 12 years at several schools within Huntsville and Madison.
Griffin is a member of several professional, civic and community organizations. He is affiliated with the Huntsville City Citizens Board on Transportation, The Juvenile Conference Committee, and is currently the President of the North West Huntsville Neighborhood Association. Most recently, he was the Activities Chairperson for the North Huntsville Back To School Parade. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and embodies its simple motto: “Culture for service and service for humanity.”
He is an accomplished mentor, motivational speaker and poet. Moreover, he has dedicated his life to working with and for others, especially young people. A frequently requested visitor at local schools and churches for holidays, Black History Month,
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Alumni on the Move
The Franchise AAMU alum Robert Mathis is more than an American football outside linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts. He is a franchise player and the cornerstone of the team. Drafted by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, Mathis was a four-year starter for the AAMU Bulldogs football team, setting an NCAA I-AA record with 20 sacks for his final season and establishing himself as a formidable force in NCAA I-AA history. In the summer of 2010, Mathis graduated with a degree in
exercise science with a minor in physical education, and is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Nu Epsilon chapter. The Atlanta native’s impressive honors include Super Bowl champion (XLI); 6× Pro Bowl (2008–2013); First-team All-Pro (2013); Second-team AllPro (2009); AFC Defensive Player of the Year (2013) and NFL sacks leader (2013). Among his career stats are: 506 total tackles, 118 sacks, 49 forced fumbles, 15 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and one defensive touchdown.
But behind the Goliath stats is a more human side, born of childhood memories, of playing days at McNair High School, and seasons as a Bulldog on “The Hill.” A diverse group of young men from around the Tennessee Valley and beyond got a chance to see the evolving legend in person as part of a football camp in Louis Crews Stadium. Son, husband, father, alumnus. These are all roles that spur a mammoth athlete like Mathis to steadily give back.
Alumni on the Move
For the Children A
ttorney Whiquitta Tobar joined the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, Pa., in September 2015 as the fourteenth Sol and Helen Zubrow Fellow in Children’s Law. As a Fellow, Tobar supports all aspects of the Juvenile Law Center’s work in the child welfare and juvenile justice arena. Tobar was born and reared in Blythville, Ark., as the youngest of four in a single-parent household in the Arkansas Delta. There, she received her elementary and secondary education, supported by a mother who worked in a local restaurant while simultaneously taking care of Tobar’s paralyzed brother. Tobar graduated magna cum laude from Alabama A&M University in 2012 with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in philosophy. While at AAMU, she participated in the FulbrightHays study abroad program in Africa. Tobar also captained the university’s Division I women’s basketball team, was the team’s third leading scorer of all time, and was named the player of the year for the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Tobar went on to graduate from Georgetown University School of Law in May 2015. She was one of the nine law students selected as a Public Interest Law Scholar, which included a scholarship, and was selected for the Dean’s List. During law school, she served on the Pro Bono Board and was a member of the Black Law Students Association and
Photo: commondreams.org
Outlaw, Georgetown’s LGBTQ Association. Tobar also was one of 13 students chosen to participate in Abbe Smith’s year long criminal defense and prisoner advocacy clinic. Tobar interned at Bread for the City, a civil direct services organization. She also worked for the Public Defender Service of Washington, D.C., in the juvenile and adult criminal trial divisions as well as the Orleans Parish Public Defender’s office in New Orleans, La. While still attending law school, she became the guardian of her nephew which intensified her interest in children and family law.
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Alumni Update
AAMU Alum Known Throughout Nation as “Father of Environmental Justice”
D
r. Robert Bullard is known as one of the forerunners of the environmental justice movement. The influential Sierra Club bestowed upon Bullard its highly prestigious John Muir award. The award, records DIVERSE magazine, “is considered to be one of the most significant for individuals who have attained achievement in national or international conservation causes.” Throughout the years, Bullard, who serves as dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, helped draw attention to environmental hazards. By 2014, the Sierra
Club extended its recognition of the Houston-area scholar’s work by forming the Robert Bullard Environmental Justice Award. It presented its first such award at an affair in San Francisco. Last fall, Bullard led a group of HBCU students to Paris for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for a 13-day climate change initiative. The group included AAMU’s environmental science major Antoinette Fowlkes. Bullard earned a master’s degree at Atlanta University and a Ph.D. in sociology from Iowa State University. Photos: www.drrobertbullard.com
S I GN U P F OR T H E MO N T H LY ALUM N I E-N E W SLE T T ER W W W. A A M U.ED U/ ALUM N I N E W SLE T T ER If you are an alum of Alabama A&M University, please e-mail Sandra.Stubbs@aamu.edu to update your address information. - Correct inaccurate information about you, - Help us find ‘lost’ members, and - Enable us to contact you about alumni gatherings and news concerning AAMU Normal Index | 28
CLASS NOTES Alum Hopes to Inspire Youth with Story of AAMU Physicist The director of the local non-profit 4SIGHT is on a mission to build up the interest and confidence of minority junior high school students when it comes to the field of physics. Dr. Cydale Smith believes he can accomplish this by sharing the inspirational story of Howard J. Foster (above), a long-time Alabama A&M University physicist, at the Howard J. Foster Physics and Mathematics Education Symposium with local Huntsville junior high school students. Although Smith never met Dr. Foster, as a graduate of AAMU’s physics program, he believes he is definitely a beneficiary of the program founder’s great work. “I started to hear about how he was forward-thinking, talented and committed to education for the ‘underrepresented’ students, as the term is applied today,” said Dr. Smith. “The more research I conducted on Dr. Foster, the more I realized this story had to be told.”
Alum New Admissions Director in Florida An AAMU alumna and former staffer in the AAMU Admissions Office is the new director of admissions at a prominent Florida HBCU. Manicia (better known as “Monica”) Finch is director of admissions at Bethune-Cookman University, a 3,400-student historically black college in Daytona Beach, Fla.
AdColor Awarded Presented to Adu Justin Adu was among a distinguished list of 11 honorees at the AdColor Awards in New York City. The activity recognizes “the best and brightest” in advertising, marketing and public relations, as well as those who simultaneously “go out of their way to help others and make an impact
on their peers.” Alum Justin Adu, creative lead of Open Channels Group PR, received AdColor’s “Rising Star” award, which is presented to a young professional who stands out among his or her peers as a person who raises the bar of excellence while advancing career.
Artist’s Work Appears at WSCC The “Rendevous” exhibit began in September, at the Evelyn Burrow Museum located on the campus of Wallace State Community College and will run through late October. The work of an AAMU civil engineer, NovOntos, is an artist and design engineer from Cullman, whose work includes abstract graphic designs, architectural plans and models, ceramic sculptures and more. An Alabama native, NovOntos holds undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Civil Engineering from Alabama A&M, Architecture from Auburn University, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in Sculpture from Yale. He has taught in the Architecture Department of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and at several colleges in Alabama, and spent much of his professional life with a number of Architectural and Engineering firms in Alabama.
Colonel Heads Fort Leonard Wood An Anniston, Ala., native was recently placed in command of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Army Col. Tracy Lanier, appointed garrison commander of Fort Leonard Wood, said he was grateful to receive the advancement. Lanier is responsible for the quality of life, security and infrastructure of Fort Leonard Wood. In July 1993, Lanier graduated from Alabama A&M University’s ROTC program, and afterward joined the Army, he said. The 1988 Walter Wellborn High School graduate said the last time he lived in Anniston was when he attended high school.
Detroiter Noted for Making a Difference
Ronald Norwood was honored as a young person that The Huffington Post says is making a difference in a metropolitan city desperately in need of his spirit and innovation. Norwood (3rd, 2nd row) was listed among nearly a dozen Millennials who are making a positive impact on the city of Detroit and who are working feverishly to assist in its revitalization efforts. Norwood was noted for his work in facilitating programs under the Neighborhood Service Organization’s youth initiatives project, which empowers young people to take stands against bullying and gang violence.
Brig. General Leads Picatinny Brigadier General Patrick W. Burden is the Deputy Program Executive Officer Ammunition and Senior Commander Picatinny Arsenal, leading the mission to develop and procure conventional and leap-ahead munitions to increase the Warfighter’s combat power. Prior to his arrival to Picatinny, BG Burden served as the Deputy to the Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Pentagon. The general previously served as the Project Manager for the General Fund
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CLASS NOTES Enterprise Business System, Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems at Fort Belvoir. He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from AAMU and a Master of Science in management information systems from Florida Institute of Technology. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, the Advanced Program Management Course at the Defense Systems Management College, and the U.S. Army Senior Service College Fellowship Program at the University of Texas-Austin. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and several other awards and decorations including the Parachutist Badge and Army Staff Badge.
‘Raising Men’ Through Lawn Care Rodney Smith, Jr., decided to start a free lawn mowing service as a way to improve other people’s lives. With more than 500 lawns mowed for free so far, the project has achieved that. Smith got the idea when he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn in his hometown of Huntsville, Ala. The goal is to provide free lawn care to the elderly, the disabled, single mothers and veterans using local volunteers and providing young boys with positive role models and an emphasis on charitable service. The rapid growth of the organization has inspired him to pursue a master’s degree in social work at AAMU.
Grad Named Teacher of the Year Biology graduate Thomasena Garner was named Teacher of the Year at Liberty Middle School in Madison,
Ala. Garner teaches seventh grade life science. She counts among her mentors Dr. Ruby Jewel in the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.
Youth Advocate Making Inroads in West Virginia If you asked Obi Henderson a few years ago if he would ever find himself in a small town in West Virginia, he would have probably doubted it seriously. But that would have been then. Now, the 30-year-old Chicago native is on the rebound after hitting a rough spot in the road of life. An active participant in the Americorp Vista program, which he refers to as a domestic version of the Peace Corps, Henderson has spent over four years in Charleston, working to help troubled youth. Although the 2009 marketing major remembers the exact day he found himself homeless (April 1, 2012) in a state-funded men’s shelter in West Virginia, he said his passion drove him to continue to try to help young people despite his own condition. Within a year, however, Henderson said his fortune began to change. As part of his Americorps experience, Henderson leads the Dreams Community Development Corporation, designed to help young men and women realize the importance of education, and to place them on the road to success through the Brains & Brawn fitness and literacy program. The DREAMS acronym stands for Developing Resourceful Entrepreneurs through Academics, Mentoring, and Scholastics--what Henderson refers to as key stages to entrepreneurship. “Whatever is wrong in our community, African-American males are the solutions,” said Henderson.
Rural Scholar Wins UASOM Award Dr. Dana Todd, a physician from Greensboro, Ala., received the University of Alabama School of Medicine (UASOM) Young Alumni Award.
Since she was an 11th grader in the University of Alabama’s Rural Health Scholars Program, she has known that she would go back to complete her medical degree and return to the Black Belt. Todd was also a Rural Minority Health Scholar at the University of Alabama for three summers while attending Alabama A&M University. Todd completed family medicine residency in Tuscaloosa and was highlighted in a Washington Post article about young physicians from Alabama’s Black Belt.
Teacher Receiving Life Lessons in New Orleans Cadarris Rucker is a 2010 alum of AAMU and Teach For America-Alabama. He currently teaches at KIPP Believe Primary in Greater New Orleans. “Powerful, poignant revelations ... are the reason I joined Teach For America and the reason I teach,” said Rucker. “Despite the educational opportunity and the many institutional prejudices that I experienced growing up as an African American in Alabama, several excellent educators supported me, along with my family and community. As a teacher, I get to pay that forward, serving as an example of what’s possible with faith, consistency, hard work, and a solid education.”
Alumni Active in Local Preservation Efforts Members of the Normal Historic Preservation District Association (NHPDA) were on hand at the Depot in downtown Huntsville Tuesday, May 10, as Mayor Tommy Battle proclaimed May 2016 as National Historic Preservation Month in the city of Huntsville. During the brief press conference,
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CLASS NOTES Battle highlighted the projects throughout Huntsville, while Jessica White-Blatter, historic preservation consultant for
the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission, discussed the heritage development plan for AAMU. The more than 30-member NHPDA held its last meeting on May 18 at the Edmonton Heights Family Center. Above: Mayor Battle (center) is pictured with NHPDA members Dr. Chinella Henderson, Dr. Bernice Richardson, Mrs. Patricia Bullard and preservation consultant Jessica White-Blatter.
Houston Alums Partner with Area Energy Company The AAMU Houston Alumni Chapter has partnered with Ambit Energy to assist in its scholarship fundraising initiatives and other activities. The program will achieve optimum success as members select Ambit as their respective electricity provider and recruit friends and acquaintances to do the same. The Chapter receives monthly revenue from subscribers paying their electrical bills.
vice president of communications and community affairs to direct non-baseball communications. Green brought to the Cubs over 15 years of experience in communications including serving as director of media relations for MillerCoors, where he was chief spokesperson for the company’s operations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Green also served as Illinois press secretary to then-United States Senator Barack Obama (2005-07) and as campaign press secretary from May to November 2004. He served as director of communications and marketing for the Chicago Park District from July 2003 to May 2004. He once told the Huntsville Times that his affiliation with his Alma Mater can be traced to his high school principal, who arranged for him to receive a fouryear music scholarship and mentoring by Dr. Henry and Mrs. Nell Lane Bradford. Green received his bachelor’s degree from AAMU in mass communication, specializing in radio and television broadcast. He and his wife Antris reside in Chicago with their three children.
Alabamian Named ‘Legislator of the Year’ Anthony Daniels’ interest in politics is not a new development. Its origin, in fact, stems back to an earlier stint in
the nation’s capital when he served as an influential elected officer for the National Education Association and had worked on education initiatives with the late Senator Ted Kennedy and former President George W. Bush. That seminal opportunity helped the Alabama state representative to realize without a doubt that the way to change the world was through policy. Additionally, owing to his humble beginnings in Midway, Ala., he learned to appreciate the value of hard work and faith. “I’ve been faced with so many obstacles and even poverty,” recalls Daniels. “I credit Alabama A&M for being a home away from home. It wasn’t just the teachers who make up the entire education department. It was the support staff, people like Coach Andrew Lee and Mr. Alfred Baker—people from all over the institution, even cafeteria and dorm staff. They gave me good, sound advice because I would listen.” “Those who are interested in public service must find out their best fit and be able to relate to others,” Daniels explains, drawing from a simple, pastoral past. “In
Chapter Annual Gathering The AAMU Metro-Atlanta Alumni Chapter will hold its annual Holiday Party on Sunday, December 11, in Smyrna, Ga. For additional information, contact info@aamuatl.org.
Bulldog, Chicagoan Speaks for Cubs About five years ago, the Chicago Cubs announced the appointment of Julian Green to a newly-created position of
HIGHLIGHT! Entertainer and former American Idol winner Ruben Studdard has called receiving an honorary master’s from his Alma Mater one of the highlights of his life. Here, Studdard is hooded by President Andrew Hugine, Jr., and Trustee Velma Tribue.
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CLASS NOTES other words, they have to bring the hay low enough for the cows to eat.”
Banking and Insurance; Constitution, Ethics and Elections; Governmental Affairs; Health and Human Services; Judiciary; Jefferson County Legislation; and Transportation and Energy.
The Hill Launches a Voice of Grad Heads Logistics Firm Southern Hip-Hop From the musical independence of “Father of the Blues” W.C. Handy, who once served as AAMU band director to the methodic Carlton J. Wright and prolific Horace Carney, over the years A&M has given birth to leaders in a variety of musical genres. A case in point it Michael Crooms, well known by his stage name ‘Mr. Collipark’ or even ‘DJ Smurf.’ Croom has found success as a hip-hop producer and as head of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Music, which began seven years ago. Crooms derived ‘Collipark’ from the city of College Park, Ga. He is given credit for his key part in the career of the Ying Yang Twins, Soulja Boy, Taurus, Hurricane Chris, V.I.C., and Vistoso Bosses. In 2007, Mr. Collipark won BMI’s “Songwriter of the Year” award. The Orlando, Fla., native was also nominated for a 2008 Grammy for his work with Soulja Boy.
Seasoned Senator Continues Impact An AAMU alumna is continuing a long legacy of political impact in the Birmingham area. Linda Coleman is a Democratic member of the Alabama State Senate, representing District 20. She was first elected in 2006. Coleman served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 2003 through 2006 and on the Birmingham City Council from 1985 to 1997. She received a B.S. degree in education from AAMU and a master’s degree from the University of Alabama. Her committee assignments have been many and varied. Among them have been committees on
Clarence Newby is president and CEO of Precision Logistics International (PLI). He studied business management at AAMU and also studied business administration at Lincoln University in Missouri. The veteran and Virginia resident’s productive career is punctuated by service as a squadron commander, commander and deputy chief of staff/ executive officer for the U.S. Army Materiel Command. Newby also served in key positions for defense contractors before launching PLI in March 2010. PLI is a small, minority and service-disabled, veteran-owned business that provides supply management and warehouse support, facilities maintenance and operations support, engineering support services and program management to both federal government and commercial clients. Newby’s operation teams with experienced, seasoned government contractors, who collectively bring over 60 years of experience and successful past performance to the federal government.
Huntsvillian Rises to Tuskegee VP Post A former AAMU staffer currently serves as vice president for student affairs at historic Tuskegee University. Regina Jamar Burden served as an assistant vice president for student affairs at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tenn., prior to assuming the post at Tuskegee. Burden, a 2001 AAMU graduate, was affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Regents.
DJ Plows Place in Atlanta Urban Music Scene A native of Lansing, Mich., a 15-yearold Calvin “DJ Infamous” Donald started working live at the college radio station based at Michigan State University. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at AAMU and was hired on as music coordinator for the Huntsville Flight, a team of the National Basketball Development League. He earned his degree in 2004. Infamous soon became a mix-show DJ and radio personality on Power 93.3 FM, then a new radio station in Huntsville, Ala. There he hosted the popular 5 o’clock rush hour mix as well as his own radio show on Sundays. Following Power 93.3FM, Infamous secured an internship in the programming department at Atlanta’s #1 urban radio station, V-103 FM. In 2005, he graduated to having his own weekly mix-show, making him the youngest DJ to mix on a major radio station in Atlanta. In 2009, he lost everything in the rampant floods that hit Atlanta in September. By 2011, however, he had already signed on as the newest promotional DJ with Ciroc Premium Vodka and as Island Def Jam recording artist Ludacris’s official tour DJ.
Grad Named Interim State Superintendent Dr. Philip C. Cleveland is the Deputy State Superintendent for Career and Technical Education/Workforce Development. In this role, he manages the Alabama State Department of Education, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Section, Guidance and Counseling program, and other initiatives focused on preparing students for a lifetime of success after high school graduation. He is a key liaison between secondary and postsecondary education and works closely with
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CLASS NOTES Alabama’s Workforce and Economic Development sectors. His postsecondary experiences range from serving as the vice president for learning and dean of applied technologies at Wallace State Community College, to the position of interim community college president of Chattahoochee Valley State Community College. Dr. Cleveland holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in agriculture business and economics, a master’s degree from Auburn in agriculture education, an A.A. from Alabama A&M University in agribusiness education, and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Alum Gets New Education Leadership Role Travis Fanning, the former principal at Cypress Springs High School in the Houston, Tex., area, has been named the assistant superintendent of second-school administration. Fanning has served in public education for 15 years. He previously worked as a principal at Normandy Crossing Elementary School and the North Shore ninth-grade campus in Galena Park ISD from 2010-2012. Prior to that, he was an assistant principal of curriculum and instruction (2007-2010), a GEAR UP advisor (2004-2007) and a mathematics teacher (2000-2004). Fanning was named Secondary Principal of the Year in 2013-2014. He received his Bachelor of Science in mathematics education from AAMU in 2000.
Husband-Wife Duo Maintain Duties in School System It’s been some six years, but a Bulldog couple have maintained their distinction as husband and wife principals within the Jefferson County (Ala.) school system. Since 2010, Angela Watkins has
switched her school then to become principal at Hueytown Elementary School, while her husband Jarvis (right) remains principal at Pleasant Grove Middle School.
The two met while students at AAMU. (2010 Photo: AL.com)
Home-Grown Musical Genius: The Wooten Effect Alabama-reared Kelvin Wooten is consistently considered by those who know the music industry as the man who can do it all and do it well. Sporting an eternally youthful visage, he is an instrumentalist, arranger and producer who has been the behindthe-scenes talent and often a force behind such names as Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind & Fire, Macy Gray, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott and many others, according to EURWeb.com. When not in the studio or on the road as a music director playing keyboards, guitar or bass, Wooten works out of his studio in the Huntsville area. In 2011, Wooten’s production on the Jill Scott & Anthony Hamilton duet “So In Love” made history, as the single remained #1 on the Urban Adult Contemporary chart for 18 weeks straight. Wooten has traced the beginning of his professional musical journey to a single call he received his sophomore year at AAMU in 1995, when he played in the band on a tuba scholarship. Source: EURWeb.com
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Inducted into 2016 Army ROTC Hall of Fame Rear Admiral (Ret.) W. Clyde Marsh has been inducted into the 2016 Inaugural Class of the U.S. Army ROTC National Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held in Fort Knox, Ky. Hall of Fame inductions are awarded to alumni whose character and distinguished service epitomize the qualities Army ROTC embodies. “Rear Admiral Marsh’s achievements exemplify leadership excellence and meritorious contributions to the United States, and a permanent record of his service and accomplishments will be added to a prestigious assembly of Hall of Fame inductees,” said Major General Peggy C. Combs. The induction ceremony coincided with the Army ROTC’s Centennial Commemoration Ceremony, where the organization celebrated its 100th anniversary. “It was a distinct honor and very uplifting to be selected to the Army ROTC Hall of Fame,” commented Marsh, who is now the Commissioner for the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. “Army ROTC was my introduction to the United States Military Service, and I received my first exposure to military service through the Army ROTC Program.” Marsh said his desire “for leadership excellence and service above self ” was ignited during basic Cadet training at Fort Knox, Ky., and Advanced Cadet training at Fort Bragg, S.C. “ROTC provided a solid foundation that allowed me to build the pillars of Honor, Integrity, Courage and Commitment that sustained a 30year career in the U. S. Navy.” The Alabama A&M University alumnus added that confidence and leadership were instilled in him during Army ROTC training, and he continued to hone those skills throughout his three decades of military service in the United States Navy.
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ALUMNI CHAPTER DIRECTORY ANNISTON AREA CHAPTER Mary F. Williams ‘57 P. O. Box 186 Ohatchee, AL 36271 (256) 343-2722 jmktmj@aol.com BLACKBELT CHAPTER Angenell G. Jones ‘80 P. O. Box 815 Demopolis, AL 36732 Angenell_jones@yahoo.com (334) 289-3409 BIRMINGHAM JEFFERSON CHAPTER Carol Watkins ‘70 P. O. Box 550395 Birmingham, AL 35255 (205) 746-1397 Watk4848@bellsout.net CENTRAL FLORIDA Jones 927 Almond Tree Circle Orlando, FL 32835 407-455-4067 majjones0@bellsouth.net CHAMBERS COUNTY CHAPTER Janice Cumberlander ‘75 3275 County Road 212 Lanett, AL 36863 (344) 644-1201 3275janice@gmail.com CHARLOTTE QUEEN CITY CHAPTER Perry Caudle, Jr. ‘78 P. O. Box 49104 Charlotte, NC 28277 (310) 946-5645 Thecaudlegroup01@gmail.com CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY CHAPTER Laurie Caulton Parker ‘82 P. O. Box 3947 Phenix City, AL 36869 l.caulton@yahoo.com (706) 573-3977 CHICAGO CHAPTER Jamal M. Ali ‘81 7142 S. Paxton Chicago, IL 60649 (312) 369-9140 Jamalali919@gmail.com CLEVELAND CHAPTER Earnest Bizzell ‘66 20604 Alameda Parkway Highland Heights, OH 44128 (216) 752-1454 CSRA –AUGUSTA CHAPTER Nicole Moore Bright ‘94 521 Ridgewood Drive Augusta, GA 30909 (706) 860-7662 Ndmoor72@hotmail.com DALLAS FORT WORTH CHAPTER Anita G. Ballard-Murrell ‘84 5520 Chimney Rock Road Fort Worth, TX 76112 (817) 451-7715 Dfwaamu@yahoo.com DAYTON OH CHAPTER Stephanie George Lewis ‘01 P.O. Box 341451 Beavercreek, OH 45431 (937) 545-7867 Georg1sg@yahoo.com
DECATUR/MORGAN COUNTY CHAPTER Taylor Byrd ‘63 3502 Sienna Drive Decatur, AL 35603 (256) 340-0378 tbyrdjr@bellsouth.net DETROIT CHAPTER Patrick Bynum ‘11 2226 Oakman Blvd. Detroit MI 48238 (313) 834-4658 Patrick.bynum@yahoo.com GADSDEN/ETOWAH CHAPTER Eloise O. Turk ‘58 912 E. Tomahawk Trail East Gadsden, AL 35903 (256) 543-2035 Eturk63979@aol.com GREATER INDIANAPOLIS CHAPTER Raymond Young, Jr. 82 10705 Club Chase Fishers, IN 46037 (317) 915-7532 rayyoungjr@msn.com HOUSTON CHAPTER Felix Weston ‘78 P. O. Box 421702 Houston, TX 77242 (218) 455-2964 Impex7@yahoo.com HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAPTER Clarene Teague Johnson ‘69 P. O. Box 568 Normal, AL 35762 (256) 694-2038 4timegrad69@gmail.com HUNTSVILLE PROGRESSIVE CHAPTER Carla Clift ‘87 P. O. Box 330 Normal, AL 35762 (256) 520-8992 Carla.clift@drakestate.edu JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA CHAPTER Maxine Collins ‘82 13939 Sea Prairie Lane Jacksonville, FL 332224 (904) 527-3037 Collinsmaxine537@yahoo.com LEE COUNTY CHAPTER Jeffrey Webb ‘90 5317 Lee Road 188 Auburn, AL 36822 Jeffwebb1990@msn.com (334) 887-s1-28 LOUISIANA CHAPTER Tara Walker 219 S Acadian Thruway #2 Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 247-7106 tarabeesmiling@gmail.com METRO ATLANTA CHAPTER Keshia Appkins ‘91 P. O. Box 91314 Atlanta, GA 30364-1314 (404) 349-8989 kappkins@gmail.com MIDDLE GEORGIA CHAPTER Jacqueline Sapp ‘85 P. O. Box 6686
Warner Robins, GA 31095 (478) 396-1325 Golddiva62@gmail.com MISSISSIPPI CHAPTER Sharon B. Langford-Jones ‘79 324 Red Cedar Drive Brandon, MS 39047 (601) 479-2817 Sharon2@comcast.net MOBILE CHAPTER Edna Rivers’56 2358 Crestwood circle Mobile, AL 36617 (251) 452-9692 Ehri27215 @aol.com MONTGOMERY CHAPTER Don Clemons ‘75 3440 Woodpark Drive Montgomery, AL 36116 (334) 328-9180 Dclemons75@gmail.com PASADENA CHAPTER Elizabeth Russell ‘68 7525 8th Avenue Los Angeles, Ca 90043 (310) 431-6919 elizabethrussell@sbcglobal.com SOUTHEAST AL AREA CHAPTER Betty Smith ‘61 1015 County Road 25 Abbeville, AL 36310 (334) 585-5322 Henrysmith02@centurylink.net TALLA-COOSA CHAPTER Howard Harrell ‘87 2008 North Central Avenue Kellyton, AL 35089 (256) 234-0348 howardharrell@bellsouth.net TALLADEGA COUNTY CHAPTER Dorothy P. Brice’ 69 390 Mays Bend Lane Pell City, AL 35128 (205) 884-0554 Akabrice08@yahoo.com TUSCALOOSA CHAPTER Albert Wilson ‘62 P. O. Box 72151 Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 (205) 799-8194 albertdwilson@att.net TUSKEGEE/MACON CHAPTER Erskine McKinnon ‘70 108 Union Springs Road Tuskegee, AL 36083 (334) 727-9393 erskinemckinnon@yahoo.com WASHINGTON METRO CHAPTER Anetra Withers ‘96 P. O. Box 1187 Bowie, MD (301) 412-5801 1netediva@gmail.com
If you want to start a chapter in your area or an infinity group, please feel free to contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at (256) 372-5287 or email at alumniaffairs@bulldogs.aamu.edu
Normalite Memorial
1940s
civil rights advocate.
Daniel William Littlefield ‘55 - Educator, businessman, and community advocate in the Gadsden vicinity. He was also a member of the AAMU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Oscar O. Simmons ‘41 - Birmingham-based Normalite of true spirit, undeniable style, respectability and purpose. Mildred Harris Seay ‘43 - Educator, Madison County School System. Altonette Tarver Burks ‘47 An active alumna and retired educator at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Dan Tibbs ‘48 - Served diligently as an educator, voter registration advocate, community activist Pierce J. Cody ‘49 - The Tuscaloosa native was a retiree and former dean of students at Harry E. Wood High School and John Marshall High School of Indianapolis Public Schools.
Nathaniel Sellers - A native of Coffeeville,
Dave M. McGlathery - Councill Training High grad who integrated the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1963. He was a Navy veteran and 45-year civil servant at Marshall Space Flight Center. Faye Sanders - Former First Lady of St. Roberts, Mo., during her husband George’s term as mayor.
AAMU Loses One of Its Oldest Alumni Alabama A&M University Family mourned the death in Birmingham, Ala., of one of its oldest alumni. The 102-year-old Ida Lee Perry Hubbard was a native of Decatur, Ala., who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from AAMU. She soon began her 34-year teaching career in the Lawrence County School System in 1945. She retired from the Tarrant City School System in 1980. Hubbard was an active member of the Forty-Fifth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham and enjoyed her role as an usher and as president of the church’s Senior Women’s Circle.
1950s B.N. Cephus ‘50 - “Mr. A&M” - Longtime public school administrator in Birmingham, Ala. Ardent supporter in the long-running higher education desegregation lawsuit. Robert A. Bell - AAMU Athletic Hall of Fame member and youth advocate. Mercy D. Stevenson Burns ‘52 - Among the last to complete both high school and college on the AAMU campus. Robert T. Hughes ‘53 - Served a 42-year
affiliation with the Lauderdale County Extension Office, culminating with his position as County Extension Coordinator.
Dr. Willie Mingo Clark ‘54 - Native of Troy, Ala.; loyal son and educator, Councill High School. Dr. Sonnie Wellington Hereford III ‘55 - A noted local professor, physician and
Ala., he spent most of his adult years in Long Beach, Calif., where he worked for Long Beach Naval Shipyard.
1960s Dr. Lucy Green Parker ‘60 - A teacher and administrator at various schools within the Mobile County School System. She retired as principal of Craighead Elementary School. Elijah Walker - After becoming one of Atlanta’s first black golf pros in the 1970s, Walker launched the first city-owned junior golf program in the nation to expose inner-city children to the game. Agnes Baugh Hayden ‘62 - educator in the Morgan County (Ala.) School System at the elementary level for some 30 years. Willie O. “Bubba” Powe ‘63 - Lifelong resident of Mobile, long-time Kimberly-Clark employee; Athletic Hall of Famer.
Dr. Jerry R. Shipman ‘63 Mathematician and former dean of AAMU’s School of Arts and Sciences. Mable Jones McCall - Retired educator and former First Lady of St. John AME Church, Huntsville. Dr. Shirley Tait King ‘66 - Former AAMU education professor and department head.
Barbara Brown Massey ‘69 Loyally and effectively served as an elementary school teacher in the Georgia public school system of Griffin-Spalding County. Jewel Joiner, former grants specialist, AAMU Office of Research and Development.
1970s Oliver Washington III, of Theodore, Ala. - Former AAMU trustee and owner of the successful Shore Acre Plant Farm. Dr. Olivia Harris Sanders ‘72 - AAMU professor and director of the AAMUUAH Regional In-Service Education Center. Hezekiah Wagstaff ‘73 - Activist and former assistant press secretary for Governor George C. Wallace. Geraldine Downing Williams ‘75 Active alumna and community advocate; U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command as a Contracting Officer/Team Lead for the Apache Sensors Division,
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U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal. Shelia Renee Foster - A longtime Decatur, Ala. resident, her career included teaching and directing AAMU’s Child Development Center. Alvin B. Bolden ‘77 - Loyal member of the Metro Atlanta Chapter and a trusted Life Member of the Alumni Association. Harden “Bill” Randolph Wesley, former fire fighter, educator, business owner, and employee at Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville, Ala.) Wanda H. McGuire, retired administrative assistant in AAMU College of Business and Public Affairs (Huntsville, Ala.)
1980s Brenda Denise Gordon Gray ‘82 Served with distinction as a Global Marketing Manager for Shaw Industries for 29 years, ably facilitating training for domestic and international markets. Earl C. Johnson ‘82 - Contract specialist, Huntsville. McAuthor Johnson ‘82 - A native of Lower Peachtree, Ala., he donated considerable time to improving the lives of young men and women.
for more than 20 years with the Onan Corporation and served as a substitute instructor for Madison City and Madison County Schools.
2000s Brian J. Baldwin ‘02- A consummate technologist, producer, event planner and keeper of the William Hooper Councill Legacy.
Faculty/Staff Gary Bush, former head of the Learning Resources Center (Gadsden, Ala.) Willie Mae Pearson Butler, former physical education professor (Huntsville, Ala.) Wallace Dooley, former sports information director (Nashville, Tenn.)
Robin C. Bodrick, staffer, AAMU Child Development Center (Huntsville, Ala.)
Joel T. Gilliam, former interim Chief of Police (Decatur, Ala.)
Patrick Xavier Javier Thompson ‘04 Energetic and loved faculty member for AAMU’s Telecommunications major.
Dr. Robert Lehman, professor of plant and soil science and former dean of the School of Graduate Studies (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
Ronald G. Childress, Jr. ‘07 - A positive spirit with a God-given talent for engaging everyone with whom he came into contact and for brightening the day of every man, woman and child who crossed his path.
Virgie Mae McCrary, long-time staffer in Physical Facilities (Huntsville, Ala.) JoAnn Morris, retired English professor (Shreveport, La.)
2010s
Martha D. Mullins, long-time staffer in the College of Engineering, Technology and Physical Sciences (Huntsville, Ala.)
Stanford Chance Wilson - Local businessman and former outstanding kicker on the Bulldog football squad.
Dr. Ruby Nell Cummings Nicholson, retired education professor (Scottsboro, Ala.)
Danny K. Johnson - Much-loved and revered Bulldog, consummate student, talented athlete and friend.
Guerry Dwight Parks, former AAMU electrician (Huntsville, Ala.)
John Darren Gill, Jr. - Mobile native and true Normalite and golf enthusiast.
Lavanya Abburi - Ph.D. agriculture student and native of India.
Gari “GiGi” Mitchell ’87 - Daughter of noted Bulldog loyalist Gary Mitchell and longtime guidance counselor at George Washington Carver High School, Birmingham.
Najee Jamaal Shakeel - Shakeel was a mechanical engineering major. Kaylan Kamonta Perry - Died from injuries sustained from motorcycle accident in Birmingham, Ala.
Anne Geneva Rutledge, retired English professor and poet (Huntsville, Ala.) Lt. William Andre Schumake, Public Safety officer (Huntsville, Ala.) Waylon Sims, beloved athletic/academic enhancement/compliance officer (Mobile, Ala.) Dr. Douglas Tyrone Tate, retired professor (Huntsville, Ala.)
1990s Peter Horace Wade ‘99 - He worked
James Uundra Wright, former assistant men’s basketball coach (Birmingham, Ala.) Edmond Wyche, Jr., former football coach (Dover, Del.)
In Loving Memory of You... Normal Index | 37
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Alabama A&M University
Bulldog Football Schedule 2016 September 3 September 10
6 p.m. 4 p.m. SWAC
Middle Tennessee State Mississippi Valley State
Murfreesboro, Tenn. Itta Bena, MS
Louis Crews Classic September 17 6 p.m. SWAC September 24 6 p.m. SWAC October 1 7 p.m. SWAC
Prairie View A&M Southern Texas Southern
Huntsville, Ala. Huntsville, Ala. Houston, TX
Homecoming October 8 October 15
Alcorn State U. of Ark.-Pine Bluff
Huntsville, Ala. Pine Bluff, Ark.
Alabama State Grambling State Jackson State Auburn
Birmingham, Ala. Huntsville, Ala. Jackson, Miss. Auburn, Ala.
2 p.m. SWAC 2:30 p.m. SWAC
Magic City Classic October 29 TBA SWAC November 5 2 p.m. SWAC November 12 TBA SWAC November 19 TBA
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Normal Index
Marketing and Public Relations Office of Marketing, Communications and Advancement Alabama A&M University 309 Patton Building Normal, AL 35762
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142ND FOUNDER’S DAY OBSERVANCE & CLASS REUNION CELEBRATION
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May 4 - 7, 2017 www.aamu.edu/alumni