WCU NAMES NEW DEAN OF HEALTH SCIENCES A former associate vice chancellor and provost of North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, N.C., has been named dean of WCU’s College of Health Sciences. Linda Adams, who holds degrees in public health and nursing, replaces Donald Barr, who retired after 15 years with the University. “Dr. Adams brings years of successful leadership in academia, as well as impressive experience here and abroad teaching and conducting research,” notes Provost Linda Lamwers. “We are delighted that she has accepted the position.” Prior to her tenure at North Carolina A & T State University where she served as provost and as associate vice chancellor for University Outreach, Professional Development and Distance Education, Adams served as dean and professor at Oakland University’s School of Nursing. She also held leadership positions at the University of Maryland, Coppin State University, and Hampton University. A graduate of Wayne State University where she received her undergraduate and a master’s degree in nursing in 1974 and 1978, respectively, Adams went on to earn a master’s and doctorate in public health at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. From 1989 to 1993, Adams served on the cabinet of Mayor Schmoke as the Director of Occupational Medicine and Safety, and from 1995 to 1999 under Governor Glendenning as Special Secretary of Children, Youth & Families for the State of Maryland. As such, she was the governor’s chief policy advisor on all matters related to children and youth, managing an interagency budget of over $100 million. Adams has spent the majority of her career promoting policies and programs to improve the quality of life for children and youth both here and abroad. More than 20 years ago, she was one of the first nurses to assess the characteristics of incarcerated youth, risk factors for delinquent behavior, and the importance of collaborative partnerships to promote healthy behaviors. This research led to the development of a national policy requiring mental health assessments of all detained and adjudicated youth. Adams also has been an integral part of policy development for children and youth through her advisory and consulting roles in China, India, Korea, Brazil and the Caribbean. A member of the National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health and the National Advisory Council of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Nurse Faculty Scholars Program, Adams has served on numerous boards, including the National Initiative on Children’s Healthcare Quality, the Urban League, and the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. She also has served on the government affairs committee of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Magnet Hospital Recognition Board of the Department of Veteran Affairs, and the American Medical Association’s advisory panel on improving health providers’ cultural competence. S U M M E R 2 013
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BOB WOODWARD AT WCU, NOV. 1 This fall, the University is inaugurating the President’s Speakers Series with the Nov.1 appearance of Bob Woodward, associate editor of The Washington Post and one of America’s preeminent investigative reporters and non-fiction authors. While a young reporter for The Post, Woodward was teamed up with Carl Bernstein. The two did much, but not all, of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal that led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon. Gene Roberts, former managing editor of The New York Times, has called their work “maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time.” In the last 36 years, Woodward has authored or coauthored 16 national bestsellers in non-fiction, 12 of which have been #1 national non-fiction bestsellers. Woodward’s most recent book, Presidential Leadership and The Price of Politics, will be the subject of his talk. The second talk in the President’s Speakers Series takes place on March 7, with Cokie Roberts, ABC News political commentator and Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio. The recipient of countless awards, including three Emmys, Roberts is a member of the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. Both talks are taking place at 8 p.m. on their respective dates in the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall.
STUDENTS ATTEND WRITING CONFERENCE This May, several WCU English majors interested in creative writing attended Boldface, a conference for emerging writers under the auspices of the University of Houston’s Honors College. The five-day program had an intense studio focus and included daily workshops, craft talks and readings by visiting artists, off-site events, and a day of panels on professionalism. The students Eva Greenholt, Dan Coyle, Gregory Skutches, Angie Romans, Chloe Montgomery, Evan Schafer and Alex Loutsenko were able to participate in small, threehour workshops over four days of the conference choosing a genre of writing they wished to develop. S U M M ER 2 013
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