MITCHELSON'S MEMO
Good day, Pirates.
The events of the last few weeks have at least been disturbing to all and probably saddening or maddening for others. I can honestly say that I have been both disturbed and saddened. Some might feel betrayed and angry. There is a full range of emotions right now among the Pirate faithful.
Regardless of the exact nature of emotions, I think we are all a bit shaken and could use a little reassurance and some comfort right now. If I can provide even an ounce of that, then at least I’d be a bit happier.
These days, I find myself saying all too frequently, we have each other and we always have our mission. Mission brought me to ECU and most of you are here for the same reason. I believe that our commitment to students and region are unmatched in all of higher education. Regardless of circumstances, this University is steadfast in its promises to serve our students and the East.
It's a good time to remind ourselves that during this past year, we graduated a record number of students (over 7,300), we secured a record value of external grants and contracts (over $70 million) in support of the mission, and we are now included in the Princeton Review of Best Colleges for the very first time in our history. And, we accomplished all of this despite considerable uncertainty and distraction during the past year. And so, I am confident that we’ll do our collective best to cope with disappointing circumstances and unsettled feelings once again. That’s what Pirates do.
My own commitments to you as individuals and this institution at large are unaltered. I simply promise to serve you and this institution to the very best of my ability. If that promise provides even a modicum of comfort and reassurance, then it’s a good thing. Our mission together is far too important to leave unattended even for a minute.
I love Pirate culture unlike any University I have ever been part of. We are simultaneously a passionate and compassionate lot. And, we are mission driven. We are loud and we are proud and we are resilient. So, I ask that we put our distractions aside and get to work. “They” are waiting for us.
In case you need a few more ounces of remedy, faculty and staff are invited to stop by The Office for Faculty Excellence (Joyner Library 1001, 1st floor) from 9:00 - 11:30 AM on Wednesday, November 6. Students are invited to come by between the hours of 1:00 - 3:15 PM on Wednesday, November 6 at the SGA Office (223 Main Campus Student Center, 2nd floor).
Regards to all,
RonM
PIRATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER (PASC)
Calling 1,700 first time freshmen is no small undertaking, but for the Pirate Academic Success Center (PASC) it is essential to student success. Recently appearing in an article on the ECU homepage, the Connect for Success Call Center makes student engagement a priority. “It’s about personalizing the support options students have and increasing peer to peer engagement at ECU,” remarked Amber Arnold, PASC Assistant Director for Student Success.
Connecting students to academic resources presents a challenge for collegiate support services. Traditional methods of communication like email and flyers are not effective in communicating with today’s undergraduates. The Pirate Academic Success Center began the Connect for Success Call Center with reaching out to 800 students in Fall 2018. Academic Year 2019-20 boasts a 53% increase to 1,700 students reached in the fall.
Twelve students, called Success Navigators, comprise the PASC call center staff. Each semester there are four primary touchpoints and success navigators are provided scripts with questions to guide their calls. Conversations center on class/school balance, course difficulties, and general well-being. Success navigators provide needed referrals to campus resources, make tutoring and study skills appointments, and assign study groups at the point of contact.
Call Center Results for AY 18-19 were promising:
- 23% of call center students made PASC service appointments
- 6% of Call Center students had Starfish warning course flags
- 32.3% of Call Center students reported already using PASC services
To learn more about the PASC Connect for Success Call Center contact Dr. Elizabeth Coghill, PASC director.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Last Month, Global Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Equity and Diversity and the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center, hosted speaker Deidre Mathis, author of “Wanderlust for the Young, Broke Professional” and owner of Wanderstay Hotels, as part of our Diversity Abroad Series. Over 50 students and staff were in attendance to hear Ms. Mathis share her experiences of traveling to over 40 countries and learn how study abroad shaped her personal and professional life.
A record 811 students participated in education-related activities abroad during the 2018/2019 academic year, a 9% increase from the previous year. ECU’s overall education abroad participation rate – measured as the ratio of international activities to undergraduate degrees conferred – reached 16%.
As part of the Global Affairs’ Global Engagement Series, a group of faculty from colleges across the university participated in a workshop to discuss their teaching research, and engagement activities in Africa or with African institutions. The result of the discussions was the creation of an Africa Faculty Interest Group. If you are interested in learning more about possible activities, contact Jarvis Hargrove or Jason Mose.
ECU celebrates International Education Week November 18-22. There are a host of activities on campus for students, faculty and staff throughout the week. A few highlights:
- Open House / Moroccan Tea: Learn more about how Global Affairs can assist you in your international endeavors while enjoying a traditional Moroccan Tea ceremony.
- Global Conversation Stations: Learn basic conversational skills in French, German, Chinese and Italian while enjoying traditional cuisine. Open to faculty, staff, and students.
- Building Cultural Competence in the Classroom: Learn how you can help students build the cultural intelligence necessary to thrive in today's global knowledge economy.
OFFICE FOR ACADEMIC OUTREACH, CONTINUING & DISTANCE EDUCATION
In partnership with the NC Department of Public Instruction, Continuing Professional Education administered a hybrid course for 275 Career and Technical Education teachers. These lateral entry teachers completed a five-week online module in Blackboard beginning in late August, and a one-day face-to-face program on October 14 at the Embassy Suites in Cary, NC. This is the first of three modules needed to clear their provisional license. Continuing Professional Education will continue to support the additional two modules needed for these teachers throughout the year. CPE provided Blackboard assistance to the Department of Public Instruction content creators and students in the program as well as full service logistical support for the on-site program. For more information about how Continuing Professional Education can support your educational programming needs, please contact Danielle Rivenbark or visit cpe.ecu.edu.
On October 6-7, 2019 Continuing Professional Education, in partnership with the ECU College of Education, coordinated the NC New Teacher Support Program at the Winston-Salem Marriot. There were 108 beginning teachers in attendance and over 55 instructional coaches, regional coordinators, speakers, and guests. Continuing Professional Education provided support in the form of registration, contract management, hotel and catering logistics, and conference app management for attendees.
September and October offered exciting educational trips, of which 85 of our Lifelong Learning Program members took advantage. The trips started with a private food tour of restaurants in downtown Raleigh, where attendees met with chef’s and owners of each of the establishments, learning about cooking styles and how the restaurant started. Additional trips throughout the months offered members opportunities to have guided tours of the CSS Neuse Museum, Mother Earth Brewing, Grady White Boats, and the GlasStation in Farmville for a thrilling glass blowing demonstration.
On October 5th, over 60 members and guests attended the Lifelong Learning Program’s “Taste of Greece” event. With special support and collaboration from the Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Winterville, attendees dined on Greek Salad, Grape Leaves, Spanakopita, Pistachio, Lemon Chicken, Pasta Flora and Baklava. Members of the Greek Church discussed Greek culture, displayed traditional artifacts and decorative items, and demonstrated traditional Greek dance. For more information about the Lifelong Learning Program, please contact Andrew Ross or visit llp.ecu.edu.
OFFICE FOR EQUITY & DIVERSITY
The Office for Equity and Diversity is pleased to announce that will be hosting our second Emerging Scholars Symposium on November 12-14, 2019. The Emerging Scholars Symposium is a 3-day event for advanced doctoral or terminal degree students and post-doctoral scholars who are underrepresented in their discipline. Our November Symposium will welcome 17 scholars representing a range of disciplines from the Colleges of Business, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health and Human Performance, Engineering and Technology, Allied Health Sciences, as well as Arts and Sciences and the School of Dental Medicine. The campus community is invited to join us on November 13, 2019 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. as we showcase our scholars through their research/clinical presentations. Scholar presentations will be held on both campuses, based on discipline, in the Main Campus Student Center (rooms 249 and 253) and Health Sciences Student Center (Grand Room 202). Faculty, staff, and students are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, contact the Office for Equity and Diversity at (252) 328-6804 or oed@ecu.edu.
The Office for Equity and Diversity hosted a Diversity Seminar on “Engaging in Difficult Dialogues for an Inclusive Campus” on October 24, 2019. The purpose of the seminar was to equip attendees with the skills to have courageous conversations on complex social topics. The ability to have civil dialogue across difference can aid in creating an inclusive climate. The speakers were Dr. Roger L. Worthington, Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, and Jyotsna Vanapalli, an independent HR consultant based out of Atlanta, GA. Dr. Worthington presented the keynote on “Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education: Talking and Listening across Differences that Matter” and a workshop on “Facilitating Difficult Dialogues: A Workshop for Higher Education Professionals.” Ms. Vanapalli presented a workshop on “The Possibility of Thoughtful Conversations in Provoking Times.”
RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
On October 16, a bus filled with faculty and administrative leaders from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rolled into Greenville to meet with ECU community members as part of the Tar Heel Bus Tour. Tour members, including UNC Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, had dinner with ECU administrators, faculty and staff at Starlight Café, exploring potential research partnerships and learning how the two universities impact their service areas. ECU hosted its own Purple and Golden Bus Tour over the past two years, with plans for a third tour this spring. The tour introduces faculty members to eastern North Carolina communities in hopes of creating research opportunities.
ECU’s new electronic research administration system, eTRACS, has been implemented. The system replaced RAMSeS on November 1. eTRACS provides a single portal through which researchers and administrators facilitate communication, collaboration and improved customer service by consolidating in-house databases and spreadsheets into one supported platform. The system includes populated profiles created through Banner; direct submissions to Grants.gov for federal proposals; and online budget creation tools. Learn more about the system by visiting the eTRACS website and FAQ page.
Undergraduate research leadership met with students October 23 at Wright Plaza for donuts, a T-shirt giveaway, and an information session on how to get started as a student researcher. More than 150 students attended the event. The office has committed to having the most students in the UNC System participate in undergraduate research and applied learning activities. Talk to your undergraduate students about participating in on-campus opportunities!
ECU is celebrating Corporate Compliance and Ethics Week! The annual initiative is led by the Health Care Compliance Association and is observed the week of November 3-9. The Office of Research Integrity and Compliance (ORIC) is planning a number of activities in recognition of the event. ORIC staff will be at the Main Campus Student Center for the Capture 180 Research Challenge and Three Minute Thesis events on November 6 to promote compliance and research ethics. Stop by and spin the prize wheel! ORIC believes it takes the entire campus community to have an effective compliance program by developing awareness and reinforcing standards of ethical behavior, recognizing others for their compliance initiatives and efforts, and demonstrating that all levels of the organization support a culture of compliance. Visit ORIC to learn more.
COLLEGE UPDATES
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Faculty and students in ECU’s Community and Regional Planning program recently received North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association awards in three categories. James Rhodes, Planner-in-residence and the Pitt County Director, received the Robert Reiman Professional Achievement Award for his dedicated contributions to the Planning profession. Jennifer Basil (senior student), received the Diversity Fellowship, which requires working with a local government, a private, or non-profit organization within the state of North Carolina for an internship in a planning related field. Nick Musarra, (’19 alumnus), received the Outstanding Student Project award with his planning practicum project, “Movement Murfreesboro.”
Scott Curtis (Geography, Planning and Environment), Jamie Kruse (Economics), Anuradha Mukherji (Geography, Planning and Environment), and Ausmita Ghosh (Economics) were awarded a two-year NOAA grant under the Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications (COCA) and Sectoral Applications Research Program. Their project is “Preparing for, Responding to, and Mitigating Compound Water Hazards for Resilient Rural Communities.” The team has already engaged in meetings with council of governments in eastern North Carolina to discuss flooding issues and help identify stakeholders, namely emergency managers and planners, who would be willing to help generate flood, health, and economic data on past events (Hurricanes Matthew and Florence) to then co-produce web-based tools for future storm management. Curtis attended a Community of Practice workshop at NOAA Headquarters on October 10-11 to share ideas and practices related to water resource management along the coast.
Five Clinical Health Psychology doctoral students attended the Annual American Psychological Association Conference in August. Jessica Ford (Psychology) and students, Ashley Griffith, Juinell Williams, and Taylor Zurlinden’s poster on military sexual trauma and mental health stigma was selected as an Honor Poster by the APA Division 19, The Society for Military Psychology. Griffith, Williams, and Zurlinden also were awarded travel grants. In addition, Williams was awarded a travel award from Division 44, Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Reid Hlavka competed in the inaugural year of the Division 19 Leadership Program designed to develop and mentor future leaders in military psychology. He presented his capstone project at the conference.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Nicholas Fair, a senior in the School of Hospitality Leadership and President of the Club Manager Association of America ECU-SHL chapter, has received a CMAA World Conference student scholarship through the Carolinas chapter of CMAA. Dr. Cynthia Deale is the chapter faculty advisor. The scholarship was granted based on recommendations made by the Carolinas Club Foundation Scholarship Committee and approved by the Carolinas Club Foundation Board of Directors.
The School of Hospitality Leadership’s Club Manager Association of America (CMAA) student chapter was awarded a Student Chapter Grant for $1,000 by the Carolinas Club Foundation! The Carolinas Club Foundation (CCF), a non-profit charitable organization, was established by the Carolinas Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) in 2005 to raise funds to financially support the professional development of club managers through education, training and research initiatives. The purpose of this award is to provide full registration to any student seeking a managerial career in the private club industry and who is attending a Carolinas Affiliated Student Chapter and who would like to attend the CMAA World Conference.
Dr. Brenda Wells recently has been sharing her thought leadership on Marijuana legalization. On October 17, she kicked off the 2019 Insuring Cannabis Summit. And, the week of October 21, Dr. Wells presented at the Retail and Dispensary Expo in Portland, Oregon. She and the rest of the Risk Management and Insurance team will now set their sights on celebrating 10 years of the RMI program at the COB.
Dean Paul Schwager recently met with other AACSB accredited NC Business Deans at the McColl School of Business at Queens University. Dean discussions covered a variety of topics related to business education, but primarily focused on sustainability and the impact both business and business schools can have on our local communities.
Twelve student-led entrepreneurship teams moved on to the second round of the third annual Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge after nearly 3,000 votes were cast in the opening round of East Carolina University and the Miller School of Entrepreneurship’s signature business pitch competition. This year’s challenge marks a new high in total teams – 123 across more than 50 departments – and prize money totaling $100,000 in cash and in-kind services, making it one of the richest entrepreneurship challenges in the southeast United States. Click HERE for more information.
Almost 30 Miller School of Entrepreneurship students took their quest for entrepreneurial knowledge to Wilmington on October 17. While there, they met with (and learned from) CEOs and business leaders from CastleBranch, N2 Publishing, MegaCorp Logistics and Untappd. COB alumnus Scott Diggs helped organize the activities.
Recently, Food Management Magazine announced the 67 Readers' Choice Best Sandwiches selections for sandwich submissions received from all across the nation. Our own ECU- Aramark team submitted the ROMOH, a sandwich they developed with input from Professor Bob O’Halloran of the ECU School of Hospitality Leadership. Aramark’s Chef Mike Obrochta and Dr. O’Halloran sat down to discuss Bob’s favorite burger(s) - and came up with the ROMOH, a lamb burger that was previously a burger-of-the-week feature at the new 1907 restaurant in the ECU Student Center and well-liked by restaurant patrons.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The College of Education Diversity Committee invited Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock to East Carolina University as part of their Speaker Series. Dr. Bullock’s talk, titled “Race Based Conversations with Kids Matter: Integrating Anti-Racist Curricula in Classrooms,” invited participants to consider ways to expand schooling spaces and curricula to include and uplift all children.
The Department of Mathematics, Science, and Instructional Technology Education sponsored a vision research symposium on September 12. The “Visions of High-Quality Instruction as a Lens for Teacher Learning” symposium invited three presenters to discuss their research into vision in the educational field. Read more HERE.
On September 12 and 13, 2019, teachers from Lenoir and Wilson counties joined East Carolina University special education students in Greenville for a professional development workshop for the Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP). The HillRAP curriculum provides teachers with a research-based, individualized, multisensory, and direct instruction reading program for teaching students with disabilities. Read more HERE.
Five faculty members and four graduate students from Hiroshima University in Japan visited East Carolina University in September. Colleagues from Hiroshima University visit ECU every year as part of the two universities’ global partnership. While in Pitt County, the visiting faculty and students visited schools in Pitt County, including Elmhurst Elementary School, Eppes Middle School, and Wahl-Coates Elementary School. One of the faculty members, Professor Tomoyuki Kobara, taught students about what young people in Japan went through in Hiroshima during the atomic bombing in 1945. Read more HERE.
The College of Education's Dr. Kevin Currie-Knight spoke to Forbes about self-directed education and alternative learning models. Read the article HERE.
Dr. Allison Crowe was awarded the 2019 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling/MECD Patricia B. Elmore Award for Outstanding Research in Measurement and Evaluation. She and Dr. Patrick Mullen (William & Mary) received the award for their article, A Psychometric Investigation of the Short Grit Scale With a Sample of School Counselors.
The College of Education recently hosted 2019 Margaret Blount Harvey Literacy Institute for literacy leaders and educators at the Holiday Inn in Greenville, NC. The group was welcomed by Dr. Kristin Gehsmann, chair of the Department of Literacy Studies, English Education and History Education. Following this event, the Margaret Blount Harvey Literacy Institute also hosted a review session for ECU students preparing for the Foundations of Reading Test, one of the required tests that make up the certification process to become a teacher in the state of North Carolina.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
Representatives from 27 North Carolina community colleges learned about the opportunities East Carolina University’s Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (BSIT) Transfer Program provides to students during a day-long conference on campus October 11. BSIT Transfer Day is designed to showcase the program to community college faculty and advisors as a collaborative effort to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow in North Carolina. More than 100 people attended the event. “Being here reinforces that we are all invested in this great state of ours. We’re invested in growing the workforce of North Carolina,” said Dr. Tijjani (TJ) Mohammed, chair of the Department of Technology Systems at ECU.
Red Hat, a multinational software company based in Raleigh, has named East Carolina University as its 2019 Red Hat Academy of the Year. This is the second award for ECU, which offers Red Hat Academy (RHA) curriculum through the Department of Technology Systems in the College of Engineering and Technology. Red Hat also recognized Lee Toderick, a teaching instructor in the Department of Technology Systems, as its Innovator of the Year for 2019. Toderick was also named Red Hat’s Instructor of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
Two students, Maria Alexandra Ortiz and Tiffany Nguyen, won honors at HackNC 2019 October 12-13 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their mobile application, RxTranslate, is designed to support the health of non-English speaking residents. A picture of a prescription bottle label is taken, and the text is extracted and translated to a specified language, while also providing information on possible side effects and interactions with other medications that can be harmful. RxTranslate won three prizes at the event — best health hack, best hack empowering minorities and second place overall. Ortiz and Nguyen were among 14 students representing the ECU chapters of Women in Computer Science (WiCS) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) at HackNC.
The College of Engineering and Technology hosted Academic Day on October 10. The college welcomed potential Pirates from area high schools and their parents as well as potential transfer students from area community colleges. Students were treated to campus tours and informational sessions, and later got a close-up look at some of the college’s labs inside the Science and Technology Building.
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION
A graphic design by undergraduate Lexie Malpass is in production on the Tarboro Brewing Company’s limited edition “Oktarborofest” seasonal lager. Malpass and her classmates designed labels for an assignment in printmaker Craig Malmrose’s class last fall and presented them to the Rocky Mount Mills brewery. “Octarborofest” is being produced in quantity for the regional market.
At the Engagement Scholarship National Consortium Conference, October 7-9, Robbie Quinn (art education) presented “The Transformative Nature of Community Engagement in the Arts.” Art education can be an excellent vehicle to transform communities. A mixed methods study was described to highlight aspects of community engagement in an afterschool art program for at-risk youth. Implications for practice were provided to explain the role of art education in the transformative nature of the intervention. Kate Bukoski (School of Art and Design director) and Kate Harcourt-Medina (Department of Family and Consumer Sciences) presented “smART Kinston.” smART is a community-university partnership aimed at empowering formerly incarcerated and other hard-to-employ individuals through family life education and apprenticeships in ceramics. The goal is to create an arts-based economic development strategy anchored in rural creative placemaking.
At the Imagining America National Gathering (October 18-20) Angela Wells (photography) and Mark Rasdorf (Peele LGBTQ Center) presented “Celebrating the LGBTQ community through campus collaboration.” Cat Normoyle (graphic design) presented “Citizen Makers in Community Design Intervention + Action.” Both presentations relate to True Colors, an on-going project between East Carolina University’s Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center and the School of Art and Design that engages students in a collaboration to produce a photo exhibition with educational components in celebration of our LGBTQ community. The session included a small group exercise to identify how a visual storytelling event might benefit session attendees’ own communities; the logistics of interdisciplinary collaboration; funding; and a pop-up photo booth with discussion of utilizing resources available. This collaborative and interactive workshop introduces participants to a citizen-inclusive design process that applies an open, participatory model for community engagement in design intervention and action projects. The workshop is a tool for teaching this particular process that emphasizes the community's ability and responsibility to actively contribute to the implementation phase of the design intervention and action projects that are planned for their communities.
2019 Grammy Award-winner Karim Sulayman served in residence in early October, hosted by voice professor Nicole Franklin in support of the Fletcher Recital Series. Sulayman worked directly with School of Music students during a three-day period in coaching and masterclass sessions, and concluded his visit with a recital featuring faculty members Franklin, John O’Brien and Eric Stellrecht.
Dean Christopher Buddo presented Joshua Graham (BS ‘15) with the School of Communication Outstanding Young Alumni Award on October 9. Graham served as the keynote speaker at the 12th annual High School Media Workshop, hosted by the School of Communication with the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association. The event served more than 200 regional high school students.
COLLEGE OF HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Preschool and PreK students at the Child Development Center participated in a “trike-a-thon” on October 25 to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
The College of Health and Human Performance launched its Design4Disability initiative with an event featuring alumna Judy Byrd and students at Wintergreen Intermediate on September 30. On October 30, in partnership with the Eastern Carolina Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, D4D hosted a conversation with leading spinal cord injury researcher – and ECU alumnus – Dr. Reggie Edgerton ’62. Dr. Edgerton and his team at UCLA are at the forefront of research focused on helping people with spinal cord injuries regain function. Upcoming events include a documentary film festival (February 20–22) and a universal access summit and celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ADA on April 17. Read more about the kickball kickoff HERE.
Graduates of HHP’s fashion merchandising program returned to campus on October 25 to do more than celebrate Homecoming weekend; they shared their experiences and advice with current students at a panel discussion hosted by the Apparel and Interiors Merchandising Organization (AIMO). Panelists included Chelsea Kay, Daniel Lee, Mallory Slade and Charnae Brown.
HONORS COLLEGE
Dr. Todd Fraley, associate dean of the Honors College, recently presented at Play the Game 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His presentation was titled “#Morethananathlete, Kaepernick, and sports as (activist) community.” Dr. Stacy Warner, a professor who teaches Honors College courses, also presented at this conference. Her presentation was on “Sport as medicine: Addressing delivery failures.” While in Colorado, Fraley and Warner visited Emma O’Brien, an EC Scholar who is currently interning with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Intern Program.
Several Honors College faculty presented at the Engagement Scholarship Consortium in Denver, Colorado on October 8, 2019. Their presentation was titled “Enhancing Community-Engagement among Honors College Students: An Interdisciplinary Approach.” The faculty listed as presenters were Katherine Ford, Department of Foreign Languages & Literature; Todd Fraley, associate dean of the Honors College; Alleah Crawford, School of Hospitality Leadership; Tim Christensen, Department of Biology; Wayne Godwin, School of Art and Design; Gerald Weckesser, School of Art and Design; and Beth Chaney, Department of Health Education and Promotion. The research focuses on the two course freshman colloquia series required for Honors College students. The interdisciplinary team of faculty members developed an educational intervention to enhance the knowledge, skills, resiliency, and self-efficacy of incoming ECU Honors College students by using design thinking and human centered design to address community problems.
Sophomore EC Scholars spent their fall break in Washington, D.C. for their sophomore impact trip. While there, they volunteered with the DC Central Kitchen, visited JPMorgan Chase & Co. Institute, connected with DC-based alumni, and toured important historical sites and museums.
Freshman EC Scholar Dymon Blango was accepted into the summer 2020 Research Experience for Undergraduates at Harvard. Dymon will also work in a lab on campus this fall and spring to get basic bioinformatics training before her Harvard REU.
Jennifer McMains, a senior Honors College student, recently presented her Signature Honors Project research at Triangle Global Health Consortium in Durham, N.C. Her work was on "A Multi year Mixed Methods Public Health Needs Assessment in Rural Honduras."
More than 60 Honors College students spent part of their fall breaks visiting their old high schools and talking to former classmates about ECU and the Honors College as part of fall break recruitment. They were able to share their experiences with the Honors College and why they chose ECU.
INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS
Dr. Michael O’Driscoll (Dept. of Coastal Studies), member of the North Carolina Nutrient Criteria Development Plan (NCDP) Scientific Advisory Council, contributed a lake water quality and water clarity section to the draft report “Chlorophyll-a Criteria for High Rock Lake.” This report will provide scientific guidance for nutrient criteria development for lakes in North Carolina, as part of an interdisciplinary effort led by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The objective of the North Carolina Nutrient Criteria Development Plan (NCDP) Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) is to provide advice and recommendations to the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) on site-specific nutrient criteria based solely on data and scientific judgments about pollutant concentrations and their effects. After developing recommendations for lakes, the group will provide scientific support for nutrient criteria development for North Carolina’s estuaries and rivers.
Dr. Rachel Gittman (Coastal Studies Institute; Biology) was recently awarded two year ($171,986) research grant, entitled, “Evaluating the current productivity and suitability of North Carolina's designated estuarine nursery areas.” The North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License Program has awarded the grant. The project will generate fishery productivity estimates of currently designated Primary and Secondary Nursery Areas in North Carolina; create habitat suitability models for multiple recreationally valuable fish species, and provide guidance on nursery area sampling designs for fisheries managers. Estuarine and shallow, nearshore habitats, particularly structured habitats including seagrass, salt marshes, and oyster reefs, are frequently identified as nurseries because juvenile finfish and crustaceans often occur at elevated densities compared to other marine habitats. As such, these habitats are thought to contribute disproportionately to fisheries production, but studies quantifying and verifying these habitat-productivity linkages are lacking. This project will address the lack of critical information for better management of NC fisheries.
Meet Dr. David Lagomasino, Assistant Professor in the Department of Coastal Studies at East Carolina University and a specialist in remote sensing. Lagomasino's work utilizes airborne platforms such as drones, planes, and satellites outfitted with a range of sensors (thermal infrared, hyperspectral etc.), to measure a variety of characteristics including land cover, structural details, height, elevation, and spatial as well as thermal properties. “The captured imagery illustrates on a large scale how fast the world is changing, particularly along the highly dynamic coastline,” says David. “It puts things in perspective by presenting evidence of the interaction between natural systems and human and urban systems.”
Upcoming events and opportunities:
- Science on the Sound Lecture Series, November 21, 2019 - Join us Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. for an evening presentation with Dr. Becky Harrison, Wildlife Biologist for Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges for "Exploring National Wildlife Refuges in northeastern North Carolina." During the program, Dr. Harrison will highlight the research and education programs that take place in these unique refuges. The program will also be live-streamed HERE.
- ICP/CSI will be hosting the regional competition for the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, the Blue Heron Bowl, on February 1st. High school teams will compete in an ocean science knowledge competition for a chance to move on to the national competition. We are looking for volunteers, so consider signing up HERE. Please email David Sybert or call 252-475-5451 for more information.
- The North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge, March 21, 2020 - ECU Integrated Coastal Programs and the Coastal Studies Institute are proud to host the 2020 North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge at the ECU Outer Banks Campus on March 21, 2020. Are you interested in renewable energy and engineering? Put together a student team to design, build and compete in wind, wave, current and solar categories in the North Carolina Renewable Energy Challenge. Click HERE for more information and to register.
ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES
Katy Webb, head of research and instructional services at Joyner, has received a Fulbright specialist grant and will travel to the Netherlands to work with the Universiteit Leiden. For her Fulbright project, Webb will collaborate with faculty at Leiden’s Centre for Digital Scholarship to explore opportunities for expanding the center’s activities and offerings, including developing a lab for digital scholars and collaborating with the university’s Centre for Digital Humanities. The project dovetails with the subject of Webb’s book, “Development of Creative Spaces in Academic Libraries: A Decisionmaker’s Guide,” published in February 2018.
Several Joyner faculty and staff presented at the recent NCLA conference. Joyner director Jan Lewis co-facilitated a session for academic library deans/directors and participated in a panel with fellow UNC System library leaders on the UNC University Library Council model. Alan Bailey co-presented two sessions: “What makes this a good book?” on evaluating youth literature and “Representations Matter: Celebrating 50 Years of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. Patricia Dragon co-presented on linked data experiments in North Carolina libraries. William Gee and Lucas Berrini presented on access services trends, issues and engagements. Jeanne Hoover co-presented a session on open educational resources. Jennifer Daugherty co-led a session on “Building the Toolbox: Creating a Successful Pathway for Finding African American Ancestors in North Carolina and Beyond.” She also moderated a community archiving panel discussion; Heather White served as a panelist.
Join us on November 13, at 5 p.m. at the Faculty Author Book Awards, as we recognize and celebrate ECU faculty who have published scholarly books during the last academic year.
The 12th annual Joyner Library School of Art and Design Graduate Student art exhibition will be on view in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery beginning November 8. The exhibit runs through February 7, 2020.