MITCHELSON'S MEMO

There will be no return to the old normal—it’s just not in the cards. States will continue to divest from public higher education. According to a recent American Council of Education (ACE) report, state funding will collapse to nearly zero over the next 40 years. It’s about at that level of (un)support already in many states. North Carolina is a bit different. While we have seen substantial budget cuts over the past decade (within Academic Affairs alone the total permanent cuts amount to just under $40 million since 2008), we have been hesitant to compensate with increased tuition. In fact, ECU has seen no increase in tuition for three years and all incoming first-year students are guaranteed a constant 4-year tuition.

Despite our good efforts to limit tuition costs, the total cost of attendance (including fees, books, etc.) at all UNC schools, including ECU, continues to climb and the average ECU student graduates with debt that exceeds $24,000. So, an important part of the new normal is for most students (and their families) to think of higher education as a private good. They are educational consumers shopping for the best value—a gateway to a successful career at a low cost. I have always thought of ECU as a great value. Most of the national rankings that measure the social mobility of graduates bear this out. We are consistently in the top 20 to 25 percent of such national (mobility) rankings. Our own “First Destination” survey suggests that the vast majority of graduates (87%) have gained work within six months or are going on to graduate/professional school.

Unfortunately, these facts do not match with some of the perceptions that are revealed in the College Board’s survey of ECU’s admitted students (2018). While we admitted over 14,000 applicants, only 4,175 first year (first time) students enrolled at ECU in fall 2018. The fall cohort was well under our target, we also enrolled fewer new transfer students and fewer new graduate students, and we are now paying the price (about $5 million). Compared to the 2017 cohort, we lost disproportionately more first year students to ASU, UNCC, NCSU, UNCW, and UNCCH. In fact, we lost about 4500 admitted students to other UNC schools. We especially lost prospective students to these schools within the large urban markets (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, etc.). The admitted student “survey says” that perceived career preparation and the quality of majors were among the key decision factors in explaining why students decided to enroll at one of those competitors instead of ECU. If you are like me, this misperception gets my dander up. It is simply not true that these schools do a better job of getting students ready for the world of work than we do. I am not buying it.

There is no going back to the old normal. I wish we could all be curious and learn for the sake of learning, but the private investment now being made is just too large for that ideal, and, so, my call to action is a simple one: I want this University to illustrate its career value for students to the entire world, or at least the urbanized areas of North Carolina. I know that ECU’s centralized communications and marketing have gotten this message. I know that we now have permanent recruiters in Mecklenburg and Wake Counties (home to nearly half of the state’s economic and population growth) who get the message. I know that campus visits will be redesigned to emphasize these key career-oriented points. But, each academic program can/should participate in meaningful ways. Unit web sites should clearly proclaim the preparation provided for future careers. The fantastic opportunities for student engagement (leadership, undergraduate research, entrepreneurship, study abroad, internships, etc.) are part-and-parcel of this preparation. Proclaim these opportunities loudly! Degree maps should include a sequence of career-oriented activities. If you need help with career information, please seek out our colleagues in Career Services. Our new leader in that office, Dr. Tom Halasz, and his team will be glad to assist. Together, we will defeat this important misconception.

And while you’re at it, let them know that Greenville is a wonderful college town. They don’t seem to know that either.

Regards,

RonM

EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES

Students told College STAR that they appreciate the way some ECU faculty provide multiple means of engagement to increase student opportunities for learning. Check out the comment submitted by a former student of Dr. Seth Ketron in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management.

"Dr. Ketron provides a competitive test review game in the class period before every test, using a modified version of The Weakest Link. We are split up into groups and try to answer the review questions. Each round a team is eliminated until the final round when two teams compete in a "lightening round" where the team that scores the most wins. During this review game we accumulate extra credit points as a class, with the winning team receiving 5 additional extra credit points. I feel this was effective as it keeps the class engaged and wanting to learn the material. It is a unique way to make sure we are prepared for our tests, ensuring we actually have to work to learn the answer rather than just memorize it, increasing the likelihood that we will remember what we learn in this class, long after having taken it.”

GLOBAL AFFAIRS

The Second Annual International Award Ceremony was held at the Murphy Center on November 15th. At the ceremony, three faculty members and one staff member received awards for their contributions to campus internationalization. The recognized individuals are:

• Dr. Carl Haisch, from the Brody School of Medicine, who received the Award for Achievement in International Teaching for his work training African physicians and creating surgical training curricula and competencies in African universities and medical schools.
• Dr. Stephen Culver, from the Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences, who received the Award for Achievement in International Research and Creative Activity for his collaborations with Malaysian researchers to study the geological record of climate change and sea level rise in the South China Sea.
• Dr. Kim Larson, from the College of Nursing, who received the Award for Achievement in International Service and Engagement for her work developing a service learning study abroad course in Guatemala and working with students and local leaders to instruct, install and distribute water filters to families in need.
• Nichelle Shuck, Associate Director of the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, who received the Staff Award for Achievement in International Service for her work in developing and co-directing an alternative spring break service learning program on conflict resolution in Northern Ireland.

At the award ceremony, held during International Education Week, twenty-three students received $2,000 study abroad scholarships through the Thomas W. Rivers Foreign Exchange Scholarship Fund and the Harold H. Bate Study Abroad Scholarship Fund. In total, $122,000 has been awarded to date to 111 students for the 2019 calendar year. Applications for a smaller, second round of funding are due January 20th. Contributions to the Rivers Foreign Exchange Scholarship Fund can be made through the Global Affairs Advancement portal.

Two international students received scholarships for their academic accomplishments and their commitment to serve the Eastern North Carolina region. The International Graduate Student Award went to Farisal Bagsit, who in addition to making progress on her Ph.D. in Coastal Resource Management, volunteered to assist victims of Hurricane Florence. Marina Hobday, a junior sociology and urban and regional planning major, has maintained superior academic marks while leading the I Exist Activism Group and ECU’s International Student Association. Contributions to the International Student Scholarship Fund can be made through the Global Affairs Advancement portal.

INNOVATION EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL

It has been 3 months since the Innovation Early College High School (IECHS) opened the doors to 54 students from Pitt County high schools. These students were selected from over 100 applicants last year to have the opportunity to receive up to 60 hours of university credit and a high school diploma. It has been an extremely busy year so far.

They are off to a great start by taking their high school accelerated class and COAD 1000 in the fall of 2018. In spring 2019, the students will take KINE 1000, and have other cohort classes scheduled for the 2019-2020 year. The students will begin to enroll in campus ECU classes and be placed in semester long courses along with other ECU students, upon evaluation of their readiness for additional college work. They will be side-by-side with students from varying ages and abilities. These students are looking forward to the challenge, already thinking about their intended majors and future career paths.

The IECHS students and staff have been enjoying the many advantages of being on a university campus. In October, they attended the ECU Career Fair held at the Convention Center. They had an opportunity to professionally dress for success, speak with business leaders in the community, and discover new opportunities for employment in today’s business and industry world. The excursion also included the use of ECU transit, which was an adventure for 9th grade high school students and part of ensuring the students learn about the college environment.

Recruitment for students for the 2019-2010 year has begun with presentations at all the area Pitt County middle schools. The students are recruited in 8th grade so they can enter IECHS their freshman year of high school. The students will be selected in March 2019 after individual application scoring, counselor recommendations, and interviews. The process is designed to select determined, committed, focused students who are ready to work hard academically and also become leaders.

Although the students do not take part in the sports and clubs in the local PCS high schools, they can establish their own clubs. They currently have several clubs, and the students are learning about leadership by making recommended changes to the school environment, establishing some new policies, and paving the way for future IECHS students. They also selected their own mascot, the Kracken, which is to be revealed in the next First Monday newsletter!

If you would like to be involved in the IECHS, see a way your college/department can help us be successful, or would like more information, please contact Dr. Sharon Kibbe.

STATE AUTHORIZATION AND COMPLIANCE

The National Council of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) has reviewed ECU’s application and approved ECU for renewal as a participating institution in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) for the 2018 – 2019 year. Participation in SARA provides ECU the opportunity to offer educational experiences in the 49 SARA member states and three territories without seeking authorization from each state. Thousands of ECU students participate in these experiences which range from learning at a distance to practice based experiential learning activities. ECU students can enroll in our programs with confidence knowing that we are ensuring access to quality educational offerings regardless of their location. SARA does not provide reciprocity for state professional licensing requirements.

To learn more about how state reciprocity and SARA affect your students, please contact Charlene Lee in the Office of State Authorization Compliance.

DIVISION OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT

The Office of Community Research and Engagement has announced that associate professor Alleah Crawford will take over the director’s position for the office’s Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy. Crawford currently teaches in the School of Hospitality and Leadership in ECU’s College of Business. Crawford joined the ECU faculty in 2008 and earned her doctorate from Auburn University in Hotel and Restaurant Management that same year. She also earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Auburn. Crawford’s research interests include entrepreneurship, soft skill development, and leadership.

Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor Baohong Zhang’s contributions to plant science were recently recognized by his peers. Zhang was named a fellow to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which includes well-known scientific leaders such as Thomas Edison, James Allison, Margaret Mead and Carl Sagan. Zhang’s research focuses on microRNAs and their role in gene regulation and expression, specifically in cotton plants.

The East Carolina Undaunted relief drive has officially wrapped up, collecting nearly 58,000 pounds of food, water and household goods. Combined with other relief drives held by the university, ECU in total donated 80,366 pounds of goods to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina with major donations from the University of Houston’s athletic department, Old Dominion University, Gaston College and nonprofit Clean the World, which donated 20,000 hygiene kits to those affected by the storm. Through November, 604 volunteer signups and 5,473 volunteer hours have been recorded through the site. More than $370,131 in financial and in-kind donations have been raised for Hurricane Florence relief. Volunteer opportunities are still available through ECU’s Hurricane Florence Recovery website.

REDE has officially announced the creation of two new offices to help grow ECU’s economic and engagement endeavors. The Office of Innovation and New Ventures and Office of National Security and Industry Initiatives have been established to help support cultures of creativity, design, entrepreneurship and innovation at ECU. Mark Wdowik will serve as the executive director for the Office of Innovation and New Ventures, while Retired Navy Captain Keith Wheeler was named to the same position with the Office of National Security and Industry Initiatives. Faculty with innovative and entrepreneurial ambitions are encouraged to reach out to both offices for help with research projects.

The Office of Undergraduate Research named a pair of winners at its 2018 Capture 180 Challenge. The Capture 180 Research Challenge invites undergraduates who are carrying out research with mentors from all academic programs to participate in a competition based on the popular 3-minute thesis competition. The objective of the challenge is to describe your work to a lay audience in 2-3 minutes using one static slide or prop. Students are judged on comprehension, content, engagement and communication. Taylor Malachowski earned the title of Grand Champion for her presentation “ACSL6 is Required for Spermataogenesis” and was mentored by Chris Geyer and Ben Hale. Jocelyn Bayles was named the People’s Choice winner for her research presentation “More PEAS Please: Can Food-Based Learning Improve Preschoolers Vegetable Intake?” and was mentored by Virginia Stage and Archana Hegde. Congrats to our winners and their mentors for their hard work!

A team featuring Magus Pereira, an ECU alumnus, was named IBM’s Call for Code Challenge champion at a global event held by the multinational information technology company. Magus Pereira’s ClusterDuck Hardware, a piece of his team’s overall product called Project OWL, creates a mesh network in flooded areas that allows communication devices to talk to one another and first responders during natural disasters. The computer science graduate and Miller School of Entrepreneurship certificate recipient was assisted by ECU’s Office of Innovation and New Ventures, Miller School of Entrepreneurship, and the Innovation and Design Lab during product development.

The Office of Undergraduate Research announced its fall 2018 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award recipients. The awards provide funds to support faculty-mentored research and creative projects undertaken by undergraduate students in the fields of biomedical sciences, STEM, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Congrats to all of the fall semester awardees and their mentors! All 38 award winners and their projects can be found HERE.

OFFICE FOR EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

East Carolina University has received the HEED award seven years in a row. This award is bestowed upon institutions who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion through various programs and initiatives. This recognition speaks volumes about the continuing efforts and successes of our collective work around these priorities.

Throughout the year, the Office for Equity and Diversity provides leadership and support for efforts that promote a diverse, respectful and inclusive environment for the university community.

The most recent event conducted by the Office for Equity and Diversity was “Experience ECU”, held on November 13th. This event brought in several postdoctoral scholars and doctoral students from UNC Chapel Hill to learn more about ECU and the Greenville area. They met with several administrators and faculty members with whom they discussed ECU’s strategic directions, mission and vision, research priorities, and faculty life at ECU. The event is designed to diversify faculty pipelines with emphasis on groups underrepresented in their fields of study. We hope to hold similar events for emerging scholars from other institutions in the near future. For more information about the Experience ECU event, click HERE.

An upcoming event that is also aimed at supporting recruitment of diverse faculty is the Emerging Scholars Symposium, which is to take place March 12-14. Participants in this event will be able to engage with ECU leaders, learn about faculty life at ECU, and showcase their research. To learn more about the Emerging Scholars Symposium, click HERE.

COLLEGE UPDATES

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Jamie Kruse, Director of the Center for Natural Hazards Research, was one of forty invited participants in the November 9, 2018 Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center Conference in Philadelphia. The aim of the conference is to identify the most pressing applied research needs along four main topic areas: (1) Assessing Flood-Related Risk (2) Perceiving and Communicating the Risk; (3) Disaster Financing for Resilience; and (4) Innovations in Risk Management. The conference was attended by a variety of institutions, including universities, government organizations, and private organizations. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush provided opening remarks.

An ECU spin-off company, RFPi, LLC, has developed a biomedical imaging device for measuring real-time blood flow that recently received preliminary FDA approval for clinical uses. RFPi’s innovative devices were first developed in the Biomedical Laser Laboratory of Dr. Xin-Hua Hu in the Department of Physics. Graduates of Hu’s research group have served leading roles in the research and development of the device at RFPi. With support from RFPi and other funding sources, Hu’s group continuously improves and expands their light scattering imaging research into life science applications.

Dr. Nikki Caswell, professor of English, received the Recent Alumni award and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at her alma mater, Kent State University. The award recognizes alumni who have achieved extraordinary distinction in a career rooted in education, health, and human services.

The first THATCamp: Community Building in Digital Humanities at ECU was a success. The event, organized by the Departments of Foreign Languages and Literatures and English brought together faculty, librarians, ECU graduate students, and guest speakers from UNC Chapel Hill. The exciting and inspiring presentations of Digital Humanities projects, discussion of resources on campus, and analysis of digital resources used as tools to increase student engagement was held October 26 in Joyner Library.

Kristen J. Alston (alumni of the Clinical Health Psychology Concentration of the Health Psychology PhD program) was selected as president elect of the Mississippi Psychological Association. She is the first African American psychologist to hold this office.

ECU’s Model United Nations Club (Political Science) competed in the National Model United Nations conference in Washington, D.C. from November 9-11. Students Kaitlyn Rose, Dustin Younts (MUN Club Vice President), Morgan Musumeci, Suramie Jlay, Molefi Henderson, Paula Acevedo, Menna Abdel-Salam, and Aji Njie (MUN Club President) represented the country of Saudi Arabia. They collaborated with other student delegations from around the world to draft and pass resolutions dealing with issues of international importance, including climate change and food security, expanding protections for victims of gender-based violence, and the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Two Foreign Languages and Literatures and Russian Studies students were awarded scholarships to participate in ECU’s summer study abroad program to St. Petersburg, Russia. Patricia Parke, a student from the lifelong learning program, was awarded the Harold H. Bate Scholarship for Study Abroad. Aurora Venegas, a sophomore studying Russian and Security Studies, was awarded the Thomas Rivers Scholarship for Study Abroad.

The Society of Behavioral Medicine is composed of various special interest groups that represent the research of its society members. Matthew Whited (Psychology) played a major role in proposing a new special interest group focused on cardiovascular disease. The new group will be formally incorporated into the society in a year. Whited has been elected chair of the cardiovascular disease special interest group in order to shepherd it through the approval process and grow membership.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Thanks to a $25,000 restricted endowment from Hyster-Yale, the College of Business will be able to offer a marketing scholarship via the Hyster-Yale Scholarship Endowment in Marketing Fund. The fund will provide scholarship support to undergraduate students interested in sales and will highlight various career opportunities in the technical sales industry.

Management Information Systems Associate Professor April Reed recently graduated from Bridges 2018. Bridges is an inclusive professional development program for women in higher education who seek to gain or strengthen their academic leadership capabilities. It is designed to help women identify, understand, and build their leadership roles in the academy. Participants are from higher education in private and public schools across North Carolina.

Seven student-led teams will compete in the final round of the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge. The finalists were chosen from 13 teams that competed in the second round of the challenge, which was held November 15 at the ECU Heart Institute. The final round of the challenge is February 21 from 6-8 p.m. at Harvey Hall in ECU’s Murphy Center. More than $75,000 in cash prizes and in-kind services will be awarded.

The Journal of Small Business Strategy, which Dr. Michael Harris serves as co-editor-in-chief, recently released its Fall 2018 (Vol. 28, No. 3) issue. This issue contains five high impact articles on topics such as crowdinvesting, family firm performance, and the importance of diversity in small business success. The Journal of Small Business Strategy is an applied research journal that accepts both conceptual and empirically-based articles, particularly with a focus on strategic issues.

Rising senior Rachel Pleasants was one of 10, nationally selected students to participate in Munich Re’s Summer Leadership Development Program. As part of the program, Rachel will have the opportunity to combine real-life work experience with classroom and technical training out of the company’s Princeton, New Jersey office. According to Kurt Fickling, teaching instructor with the College of Business, Rachel’s internship is a first for the College’s RMI program. Fickling says, “With students like Rachel representing our program, ECU is rapidly gaining national recognition in Risk Management and Insurance studies.”

The Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) Beta Theta Chapter was recently recognized with the 2017-18 Well-rounded Chapter Award. Chapter Awards are given based on information submitted on monthly chapter reports, and communication between the chapters and the Grand Chapter. Gamma Iota Sigma is the only international business fraternity for students of insurance, risk management and actuarial science.

The Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) Beta Theta Chapter also sent a delegation of 19 students to the WSIA Insurance Symposium, which was held in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Hyatt Regency. Funding for this trip was made possible by a gift from the IIANC Foundation. Students enjoyed a career fair, along with seminars on careers in the excess and surplus lines insurance industry. The trip was led by Dr. Brenda Wells, ECU RMI Program Director.

The Fall 2018 Induction Ceremony for Eta Sigma Delta (ESD), the International Hospitality Honor Society, was held November 1, 2018, at the Darden Dining Room of the School of Hospitality Leadership. Thirteen new members took the ESD Oath and were welcomed into the society.

Dr. George G. Fenich from the College's School of Hospitality Leadership recently participated in the Global Event Education and Training Haikou Forum (GEETHF) in Haikou, China. During the event, Dr. Fenich presented two workshops on the Meetings and Business Events Competency Standards. While there, he also promoted the online master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality, which is offered through the School of Hospitality Leadership.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

The 4th Annual ENED/HIED (English Education and History Education) Engagement Retreat was held at Ironwood Country Club on November 16th. With the support of the Department of Literacy Studies, English & History Education (LEHE), nearly 40 internship I teacher candidates participated in the day-long retreat facilitated by Allen Guidry, Todd Finley, and Rock Morgan. The goal: for future educators to learn the science of engagement and gamification mechanics. The facilitators also wanted the teacher candidates to feel how engagement enhances critical thinking so they can know its power in their own classrooms. This year, the retreat was preceded by improv training facilitated by Patch Clark and Jake Weddle from ECU's theater program.

Dr. Guili Zhang, Professor and Chair of the Department of Special Education, Foundations and Research, delivered a keynote speech at China’s Annual Academic Conference on Family Education as an invited guest speaker in Suzhou, China, on October 27, 2018. The conference was organized by the Chinese Society of Education. The title of Dr. Zhang’s speech was, "Parent-child communication in the U.S., China, Japan, and Korea in the internet age: Challenges and opportunities." Dr. Zhang shared the findings from a collaborative multiple-national study of over 10,000 adolescents from the U.S., China, Japan and Korea, pointing out the unique characteristics and challenges of parent-child communication in the internet age, and recommended ways to improve parent-child communication to achieve more effective family education in the digital era.

Dr. Jane Manner and Dr. H. Carol Greene were named 2018 Fall Best Paper Award Winners for their paper “Poverty 101: Rehabbing Curriculum for Educators in Low-Income Schools,” by the International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research (IOSSBR). The IOSSBR is an international society of scholars, academicians, and practitioners who exchange ideas and collaborate in a conference setting. IOSSBR has a wide range of participation from various countries. In the last decade, the organization has had participants from 35 different countries around the world.

Dr. Patrick Miller was named North Carolina’s 2019 A Craig Phillips Superintendent of the year. Dr. Miller is a Master of School Administration and Principal Fellow Graduate as well as an EdD Graduate of Department of Educational Leadership. He is the superintendent of Greene County Schools.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Two graduate students, Tolulope Awojana and Nicholas Hempenius, of MS Network Technology in the Department of Technology Systems attended the 2018 Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering’s annual conference to compete in the student poster competition. The poster titles of Awojana and Hempenius were “Web Applications Attack and Defense In Game Based Learning Systems” and “Cybersecurity Competitive Labs as a Service (CLaaS): A Game-Based Interactive Learning System,” respectively. Both researches were supervised by Dr. Te-Shun Chou and based upon work supported by the Secure & Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) Program of the National Science Foundation. Awojana won first prize and Hempenius won second place.

Amy Frank, director of community college and military outreach for the Department of Technology Systems, was awarded the ATMAE Excellence for Women in Technology, Management and Applied Engineering Award at the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering’s annual conference. The award, created in 2011, recognizes women who have achieved 10-plus years of significant accomplishments in industry or academia in the field.

The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association, partnering with the Material Handling Institute, hosted the second annual Women in Industry conference on November 7-8 in Chicago, Illinois. MHEDA CEO Liz Richards extended a special invitation to Industrial Distribution and Logistics (IDIS) senior Caroline Harris and provided $1,750 to help cover her registration and travel costs to attend the conference. Harris is the president of the IDIS student organization.

Jeanne-Marie Lawrence, teaching instructor in the Department of Technology Systems, was awarded the Rudsill Award at the 2018 Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering’s annual conference and was inducted into Epsilon Pi Tau International Honor Society for Technology.

Dr. David Batts of the Department of Technology Systems, was inducted into the ECU College of Education’s Educators Hall of Fame. Batts was nominated by Gail and David Englert. “We nominated Dr. Batts for the Educators Hall of Fame because he agreed to take on the role of faculty advisor to Phi Sigma Pi, because he exhibits and lives by the tenets of scholarship, leadership and fellowship in his university life each day, and because we treasure his friendship,” said David Englert.

The College of Engineering and Technology, along with regional partners including the Innovation Early College High School, has been awarded Rural Development funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase video conferencing kits for two community colleges and eight high schools in three eastern North Carolina counties. The equipment will be used to deliver online courses with participating high schools and community colleges, professional development, and parent education/information sessions in an effort to expand workforce development and develop a STEM education network.

The ECU ATMAE Robotics team earned First Place in the Electrical Category at the annual conference of the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering. The robot, named the Black Pearl, was designed to locate a target inside a maze autonomously, and then the operators would cut a wire using telepresence. In a second act, the robot participated in a round of robot tag, where all the robots sought to “capture the flag” from their rivals. Participating students included Ricky Biggs, Sean Wear and Spencer Lee from the Department of Technology Systems; Joe Williams from the Department of Computer Science; and Mason Caroon from the Department of Engineering.

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION

The School of Art and Design unveiled a new home for the Ceramics Teaching Collections, one of the most comprehensive of its kind held by a domestic university. Seo Eo (ceramics) and colleagues staged the unveiling to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dwight M. Holland’s first gift of work to ECU.

“Ponder,” a new outdoor performance piece for four-part brass choir by Travis Alford (composition), was performed on the campus mall and at Laupus Lake in November. Approximately 30 students and professors participated in the performances.

Emanuel Gruber (cello) was a VCU Department of Music Guest Artist on November 12. He offered an enthusiastically-received masterclass and performed Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5, BWV 1011.

Dirk Lumbard (dance) received two 2018 Broadway World nominations. For the Central New York Area, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his work in “La Cage Aux Folles” (which also earned him a SALT [Syracuse Area Live Theatre] Award nod). In the Detroit area, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his work in “The Producers.”

Students in Craig Malmrose’s (printmaking) ART 3200 class presented graphic designs to brewery owners at Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount. The organizers intend to replicate the project annually, as well as use their favorite designs commercially.

Lisa Beth Robinson (foundations) has work in “Sharper Edges: Women Working on the Edge of Glass,” an exhibition at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, Wisconsin. The exhibition considers female artists speaking with distinct viewpoints on social issues of politics, gender biases, stereotypes and environmental concerns. The exhibition runs through February 17.

Eleven members of the Art Education Guild (School of Art and Design) attended the North Carolina Art Education Association Annual Conference in early November. Borim Song (art education) and BFA candidate Eva Nolan co-presented a session entitled “Art and Math: Exemplary Lessons.” Additional art education professors presenting at the conference included Alice Arnold (The Firebird: Integrating Story, Art, and Ballet), Robert Quinn (The Heroic in Art & My Korean Vacation), Cynthia Bickley-Green (Multi-Age Inclusive Class: Motor Skills & Sourcing Abstract Form) and Nanyoung Kim (Three Ancient Calligraphic Traditions of the World & Teaching Design Principles with Color Schemes & Chinese Calligraphy). Song presented a solo session entitled Exemplary Lessons for Art/Writing Integration and organized a round table discussion for art education students. Art education faculty and students transported art supplies gathered by NCAEA members during the conference to White Oak High School in Onslow County to help the art teachers get back on their feet after their classroom supplies were destroyed by Hurricane Florence. Quinn and Bickley-Green exhibited their artwork in the NCAEA Members' Exhibition as a part of the convenings.

School of Theatre and Dance students Connor Gerney and Taylor Reed are recipients of URCA Awards. Gerney (Theatre for Youth, Professional Acting) will develop an original script, “Twilight Boy.” The work will explore philosophical ideas and conversation on the sharing of differing opinions and worldviews. Reed will present original work based on her experiences in Poland with black light theatre and the legend of the warrior mermaid of Warsaw.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Drs. Bernice Dodor and Natalia Sira won the 2018 Outstanding Paper Award from the Religion, Spirituality, and Family Section of the National Council on Family Relations for their paper entitled: "Exploring the Relationships among Authoritative Parenting, Religiosity, and Adolescent Internalizing Behaviors."

Dr. Andy Brimhall was named outstanding reviewer for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.

Jordan Pylant, a master’s of social work student, presented an electronic poster to the Council of Social Work Education’s Annual Program Meeting on November 11th in Orlando, Florida. The poster was based on Pylant’s work as a graduate assistant to Dr. Paige Averett, professor and director of graduate programs in the School of Social Work. The research was also accepted for publication in the Journal of Women & Aging.

In addition, two MSW alumni, Katelyn Craft and Imani Ricks, are also authors on the paper titled “I Would Do It Again: Past and Present Experiences of Older Lesbians.” The study was based on the experiences of a nationally representative sample of 221 lesbians over the age of 55. As part of the survey, participants were asked if there was anything they wanted to specifically share and the responses demonstrated the importance of the women’s movement and coming out as well as the role of discrimination in the lives of older lesbians. Underlying each of these was the importance of social connection and for some the increasing experience of disconnection. Implications for gerontology practice, policy and future research was included.

Six ECU faculty members have collaborated on a new book, titled, Environmental Public Health: The Practitioner’s Guide, which focuses on the theory and science behind environmental health as well as real world issues faced by practitioners. The book has been a collaboration between the ECU Brody School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health and the College of Health and Human Performance’s Department of Health Education and Promotion, where the bachelor and master’s programs in environmental health are located. Dr. Greg Kearney and Dr. Paul Knechtges, along with Dr. Beth Resnick from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, are co-editors of book. ECU faculty members Dr. Jo Anne Balanay, Dr. Charles Humphrey, Dr. Stephanie Richards and Dr. Tim Kelley are chapter contributors. They recently donated copies of the book to Joyner and Laupus libraries. The guide is expected to be available and distributed to county and state health departments nationwide.

HONORS COLLEGE

Two innovative Honors College programs, Makers and Honors curricula based in Design Thinking, were highlighted at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) convention in Boston this November. McKenzie Shelton and Dr. David White presented on Makers, a year-long Honors College arts residency program that provides financial and artistic support to selected student artists. The residency culminates in community outreach and a curated show.

Honors College faculty fellows Tim Christensen (biology), Wayne Godwin (fine arts), and Gerald Weckesser (fine arts) hosted a session highlighting the development of Honors curriculum based on the use of design thinking in tackling “wicked” world problems. This represents one of the first large-scale efforts in Honors education in the world to incorporate design thinking into a curriculum. Design thinking is quickly becoming the standard paradigm for cutting edge commercial and non-profit ventures to conceptualize problems and identify viable solutions.

This November, EC Scholars Dana Shefet and Josh Gurganus also presented innovative practices relevant to the EC Scholars program. Dana and Josh presented “Leading Scholar Driven Initiatives” Undergraduate Scholars Program Administrators Association Scholar Summit (USPAA) at Ohio University on November 16-18, 2018. Dr. Diane Majewski, Director of Programming and Special Projects in the Honors College, also represented ECU at the annual summit, which gathers top merit scholars from universities across the country to share best practices for enhancing their scholar programs.

INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS

Drs. O’Driscoll (Coastal Studies), Peralta (Biology), and Humphrey (Environmental Health Sciences) have been working on an Environmental Enhancement Grant in partnership with the City of Greenville and ECU Facilities Services. The project focused on reducing flood risk and improving water quality along Town Creek, an impaired urban stream on campus adjacent to the Willis Building. With the grant, John Gill and Gene Stano (Facilities Services) selected and purchased a variety of trees (100) and a group planted them on November 28 to reforest the land adjacent to the stream. This riparian buffer will help reduce stormwater runoff and associated sediment, nutrient, and bacteria inputs to Town Creek. The riparian forest and green stormwater infrastructure that is being installed associated with this project will contribute to the outdoor learning environments on campus.

Integrated Coastal Programs and the Department of Coastal Studies initiated the Coastal Scholars Opportunity to allow faculty to devote time for the development of coastal-related research proposals that bridge knowledge across disciplinary boundaries and spend time engaging faculty and staff on the Outer Banks Campus. Dr. Erin Field (Biology) and Dr. April Blakeslee (Biology) have been selected as the 2018-2019 scholars.

Drs. Kimberly Null (Coastal Studies Institute) and Reide Corbett (Dean, ICP) recently published a new paper in the journal Polar Research focused on data collected along the Western Antarctic Peninsula during the 2012-2014 field season. The study suggests that a large proportion of the melting glacier may be infiltrating into the bedrock and being discharged to coastal waters along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Meltwater infiltrating as groundwater at glacier termini is an important solute delivery mechanism to the nearshore environment that can influence biological productivity. More importantly, quantifying this meltwater pathway may be worthy of attention when predicting future impacts of climate change on the retreat of these glaciers.

Americorps service member, Erin Rexin, joined the Coastal Studies Institute in September as leader of the Roanoke Island Trails Project, an initiative of environmental education and community outreach for local residents. Starting this month, Rexin will recruit and lead a group of community volunteers in the identification and development of Roanoke Island walking and biking trails, and create interpretive and wayfinding material to display throughout the trail system. The team will also develop and publish a map to showcase the entire trail network. Interpretive content will highlight unique cultural, historic, and ecological features of the area and will be designed by Rexin and community volunteers. A segment of the ECU Outer Banks Campus will be developed as well, highlighting the research and academic activities of the university.

Casey Nolan successfully defended his dissertation on “Salt Marsh Mosquito Ditch Filling: Ecological Impacts and Perspectives in Decision Making”.

Farisal Bagsit was recently awarded the 2018 International Graduate Student Award. Ms. Bagsit came to ECU from the Philippines as a Fulbright Scholar in 2016.

ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES

Thirty-six faculty were honored during the 2018 Joyner Library/Academic Affairs Faculty Author Book Awards ceremony. The event celebrated the accomplishments of Division of Academic Affairs faculty who contributed to the scholarship of higher education by authoring, co-authoring or editing scholarly monographs published between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018.

GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

October 2018

Award Title: Monitor secretive marsh birds, focusing on two Species at Risk including McGillivary Seaside Sparrow and Black Rails on 21 coastal National Wildlife Refuges between North Carolina and Florida

Principal Investigator: Susan McRae, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor: DOI US Fish and Wildlife Service

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Award Title: Comparing the effectiveness of alternative substrates (Oyster catcher vs. Oyster shell bags) at promoting oyster reef development and preventing saltmarsh erosion (matching funds)

Principal Investigator: Rachel Gittman, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor: North Carolina Policy Collaboratory

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Award Title: RAPID: Effect of Hurricane Florence on homeowner willingness to engage in flood risk mitigation and buyout contracts.

Principal Investigator: Jamie Kruse, Economics, College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

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Award Title: RAPID - Impacts of Hurricane Florence on Coastal and Inner Shelf Environments: Onslow Bay, North Carolina

Principal Investigator: David Mallinson, Geology, College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

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Award Title: 2018 Hurricane Season: RAPID: Hurricane Florence-Associated Microbial Influx and Priming of Carbon in the Gulf Stream

Principal Investigator: Siddhartha Mitra, Geology, College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

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Award Title: Building Global Understanding in Business, Education, Environment and Health through International Virtual Exchange

Principal Investigator: Jami Leibowitz, Office of Global Affairs, Academic Affairs

Sponsor: US Department of Education (DOED)

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Award Title: Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Analysis of Brain Functioning while Distracted

Principal Investigator: Brian Sylcott, Engineering, College of Engineering & Technology

Sponsor: North Carolina Space Grant Consortium (NC Space Grant)

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Award Title: CITE # 484 - Arc Flash Safety Training Pitt Community College

Principal Investigator: Jimmy Linn, Technology Systems, College of Engineering & Technology

Sponsor: Pitt Community College

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Award Title: CITE # 485, Arc Flash Safety Training for DSM

Principal Investigator: Jimmy Linn, Technology Systems, College of Engineering & Technology

Sponsor: DSM Pharmaceutical Products

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Award Title: CITE # 480, BSH, Electrical Training

Principal Investigator: Jimmy Linn, Technology Systems, College of Engineering & Technology

Sponsor: Craven Community College

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Award Title: Upgrade and Save Continuation Grant

Principal Investigator: Leslie Pagliari, Technology Systems, College of Engineering & Technology

Sponsor: North Carolina State Energy Office

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Award Title: Training to Increase School Safety

Principal Investigator: Margaret Cuthrell, Elementary and Middle Grades Education, College of Education

Sponsor: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)

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Award Title: Discoveries in Earth Science for Middle and High School Students with Blindness or Visual Impairments

Principal Investigator: Rhea Miles, Math, Sciences, and Instructional Technology, College of Education

Sponsor: Burroughs Wellcome Fund

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Award Title: Center for the Study of Tobacco Products

Principal Investigator: Eric Soule, Health Education and Promotion, College of Health & Human Performance

Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

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Award Title: Project REACH for Adolescents 2018-2019

Principal Investigator: Michele Wallen, Health Education and Promotion, College of Health & Human Performance

Sponsor: NCDHHS Division of Public Health (DPH)

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Award Title: Drug-Free Communities Support Program 2017.

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Matthews, Health Education and Promotion, College of Health & Human Performance

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

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Award Title: NC Fetal Alcohol Prevention Program 2018-2019

Principal Investigator: Susan Montgomery, Health Education and Promotion, College of Health & Human Performance

Sponsor: Mission Hospital

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Award Title: Beyond Bricks & Mortar: Urban Renewal & the African American Community in Greenville, NC.

Principal Investigator: Heather White, Joyner Library, Academic Library Services

Sponsor: North Carolina Humanities Council