Thursday, March 31, 2011

HU's Adventures in Engineering

HU Host Adventures in Engineering for Local Youth

Local youth are invited to Hampton University to explore future careers in Engineering. The Hampton University Society of Women Engineers along with the Region E Members at Large section will host Adventures in Engineering on Saturday, April 16, from 9a.m. to 2p.m. in Hampton University’s McGrew Towers Conference Center.

The event has been designed as a career guidance project, for children in grades 4-8. The main goal of the conference is to introduce students to engineering.

The conference will feature various engineering demonstrations and experiments explaining the laws of physics. A panel of professional engineers and academics will be available to answer questions from students and parents, discussing the field of engineering, offering tips for education and highlighting learning opportunities in the field. The conference will include information about careers in engineering and how students can prepare academically for an education in engineering.

"There are enormous opportunities in engineering careers for young people in the next millennium," stated Dr. Jale Akyurtlu, HU chemical engineering professor.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all the participants. Students will also have the opportunity to win door prizes. Registration is open until April 4. Registration is $1 and there are 75 slots available. For registration forms or to volunteer please email Sharon Hollins at Sharon.hollins@ngc.com.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Principal Deputy Director of NIH meets with HU researchers



Principal Deputy Director of NIH meets with HU researchers

Principal Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak met with 20 Hampton University researchers on March 23. Tabak also toured the research facilities on campus and visited the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI).

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Tabak our campus and present to him some of the significant research projects underway at Hampton University,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey. “We look forward to partnering with the National Institutes of Health on more of our science-driven projects.”

Tabak heard presentations from researchers and discussed opportunities and partnerships that are available at the National Institutes of Health. Several researchers including, Dr. Meena Katdare, scientific director of the Hampton University Skin of Color Institute (HUSCI), told Tabak about the ongoing research programs at HU. Currently, there is a scarcity of research that specifically addresses the structural and functional differences as well as the disparities in disease incidence and prevalence amongst individuals from various ethnic/racial groups. It is this lack of hard research data that the HUSCRI is addressing.

Tabak asked the researchers pointed questions about their research projects and discussed different funding avenues at NIH. He also commended the HU researchers for their quantitative research efforts.

Dr. Cynthia Keppel, scientific and technical director of HUPTI, spoke to Tabak about the basic and clinical cancer research being conducted at the Institute. HUPTI will host sustained forefront scientific initiatives in cancer research at many levels – including comparative trails in prostate cancer, pioneering initiatives in breast cancer, radiation biology integration, health disparities research, instrumentation and modeling and simulation. Tabak ended his Hampton University visit with a tour of HUPTI, the largest free-standing proton therapy institute in the world.

“With continued support from the NIH, Hampton University researchers will continue to make great strides in conducting scientific research and developing technologies that address major global heath issues,” Harvey said.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Hampton Alum to Receive NAACP’s Highest Honor

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Board of Directors announced that attorney and Hampton Alumnus Frankie Muse Freeman ’37 will be honored with the Association's Spingarn Medal, the NAACP's highest honor. Freeman will become the 96th recipient of the award, and she will be honored during the NAACP National Convention in Los Angeles July 28 at the annual Spingarn Dinner.

After graduating Hampton Institute and Howard University Law School, Freeman began her career serving the state of Missouri and the city of St. Louis. She continued as a practicing attorney in state and federal courts for more than 60 years. During this time she helped the NAACP in the case of Brewton v. Board of Education of St. Louis, and later represented the NAACP in the landmark case Davis et al v. the St. Louis Housing Authority, which ended legal racial discrimination in public housing.

“Frankie Muse Freeman has dedicated her life’s work to the civil rights movement,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “She broke down barriers as a member of the NAACP’s brain trust during the 1950s and as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Her determination to end racial discrimination in American society for more than half a century serves as an inspiration to us all.

The Spingarn Medal, instituted in 1914 by then-NAACP Chairman Joel E. Spingarn, is awarded for outstanding and noble achievement by an American of African descent during the preceding years.

“We are honored to give Frankie Muse Freeman the highest award that our 102-year old organization can bestow," stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “As a premiere advocate for African Americans over the past six decades, Freeman embodies the NAACP’s core values. Her record of success is a testament to her competence and resolve.”

“I have been a member and engaged with the NAACP for more than 60 years,” said Freeman. “It is with a great sense of pride and humility that I accept the 96th NAACP Spingarn Award to be presented on July 28, 2011, during the 102nd Annual NAACP Convention in Los Angeles, California.”

In March 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Freeman as the first woman to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a federal body that investigates complaints alleging discrimination. Freeman served on the commission for sixteen years, subsequently reappointed by Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter, until July 1980. She also served as Inspector General of the Community Services Administration during the Carter Administration. In 2003, Freeman published a memoir, A Song of Faith and Hope: The Life of Frankie Muse Freeman.

“This year’s Spingarn Medalist, Mrs. Frankie Muse Freeman, who was a practicing attorney for more than sixty years, has had a career of singular accomplishment from her appointment by the late president Lyndon B. Johnson as the first woman to serve on the United States Civil Rights Commission, a post she held for sixteen years, to successfully representing the NAACP in landmark cases re segregation in education and housing,” added Jesse Turner Jr., Treasurer of the NAACP Board of Directors and Chairman of the NAACP Spingarn Committee. “Throughout her career she has been a devoted NAACP civil rights leader and acclaimed for her continuing outstanding community service. The 96th NAACP Spingarn Award is a richly deserved tribute, which we are proud to bestow upon her.”

Freeman has received numerous accolades for her life’s work, including a number of honorary degrees and induction into the National Bar Association’s Hall of Fame and the international Civil Rights Walk of Fame. She has a distinguished history of volunteer service. She is past chair of the Board of Directors of the National Council on the Aging, Inc. and serves on the executive committee of the St. Louis City NAACP, and many other organizations.

To date, 95 Spingarn Medals have been awarded, recognizing achievements in a range of fields. Medalists include Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), former U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, media personality Oprah Winfrey, baseball hall of famer Henry "Hank" Aaron, Vernon Jordan, U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), William H. Cosby, Jr., Maya Angelou, Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Percy E. Sutton, Gordon Parks, John Hope Franklin, the late Judge Leon Higginbotham Jr., Carl Rowan, NAACP Chairman Emeriti Julian Bond and Myrlie Evers-Williams, businessman and publisher Earl G. Graves, Sr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., artist Jacob Lawrence, Rosa Parks, opera singer Leontyne Price, Judge Constance Baker Motley, Judge Robert L. Carter, and the late Oliver W. Hill, Sr.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

HU Players & Co. Featured on Fox43 "Hampton Roads Show"

HU Players & Co. Featured on Fox43 "Hampton Roads Show"

Members of the Hampton University Players & Co. were featured this morning on Fox 43's "Hampton Roads Show" to promote their upcoming production of "Dreamgirls." Watch the clip here:


For tickets, please contact the HU Box Office at (757) 727-5236 or (757) 727-5402.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Bill Cosby to address Hampton University Class of 2011


Bill Cosby to address Hampton University Class of 2011

Hampton, VA - Hampton University welcomes actor/comedian Dr. William “Bill” Cosby Jr., one of the most influential performers of our time, as the speaker for the 141st Annual Commencement on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Commencement will be held at Armstrong Stadium at 10 a.m. The Convocation Center, Student Center and Holland Hall will serve as the rain sites.

Cosby previously addressed the HU Class of 2003 and received an honorary degree from HU that same year. A long-time HU advocate, in 2004 Cosby provided full scholarships to HU for four young men from Springfield, Mass.

“We are proud to welcome Dr. Cosby back to our ‘Home by the Sea’,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey. “With his passion for education and personal responsibility, I know he will inspire our graduates.”

Over the past century, few entertainers have achieved the legendary status of Cosby. His successes span five decades and virtually all media, remarkable accomplishments for a kid who emerged from humble beginnings in a Philly project.

In the 1960s, his stand-up act was a coast-to-coast sensation, spawning a string of hilarious, best-selling comedy albums, which went on to win eight Gold Records, five Platinum records and five Grammy Awards. His role on TV’s I Spy made him the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking television’s racial barrier and winning three Emmy Awards. In the 1980s, he again rocked the television world with the The Cosby Show, a gentle, whimsical and hugely successful series that single-handedly revived the family sitcom.

Cosby obtained a bachelors degree from Temple University, with the goal of becoming a physical education teacher, a master's in 1972 and a doctorate in education in 1977, both from the University of Massachusetts.

With hit movies like Uptown Saturday Night and best-selling books like Fatherhood, Cosby is a national treasure with the unique ability to touch people’s hearts.

For more information about HU Commencement visit
commencement.hamptonu.edu.

Friday, March 18, 2011


Student Recruitment Team (SRT) members are ready to welcome you to High School Day!


Get Connected with Hampton University @ High School Day


All high school students are invited to be part of the Hampton University experience for a day. HU is hosting its 33rd annual High School Day April 1 on the university campus. The event gives a preview of what HU offers academically and culturally, by having representatives from various areas on-hand to answer questions and provide prospective students with information.

This year’s event theme is “Get Connected with Hampton University @ High School Day.” Melinda N. Gainer, assistant director of undergraduate admission and coordinator of campus visitation/special events, said High School Day offers a well-rounded glimpse of the university that students and parents will appreciate.

“We’re using every available social avenue like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, as well as regular mailings to encourage this year’s high school day audience to get connected with Hampton University,” Gainer said. “We’re evolving along with our prospective student body, and want them and their families to feel especially welcomed and informed at what might become their Home by the Sea.”

On campus activities that day include an outdoor soundstage and vendor bazaar, performances by the HU Terpsichorean Dance Troupe and the Hampton University Choirs. There’s also an academic fair where prospective students can speak to faculty and staff from various academic departments.

Under HU President Dr. William R. Harvey, HU had several milestones in 2010 including hosting President Barack Obama as the university’s 140th commencement speaker and the grand opening of The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI), the largest of its kind in the world and the eighth proton facility in the U.S.

Academically, HU continues to excel. It is listed in the top 10 ranking in the Research Category of the 2010 Washington Monthly College Guide, and is ranked fourth in the 2011 edition of the U.S. News and World Report Historically Black Colleges and Universities rankings. Also, the school remains ranked among the top 10 schools to graduate blacks with biology, communications, journalism and psychology degrees, by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

For more information or to register online for High School Day, visit www.hamptonu.edu/highschoolday or call the HU Office of Admission at 757.727.5329. Registration materials, including a schedule for the day, a map of the campus, and departmental phone numbers and locations, will be mailed. Attendees can also register on-site event day, starting at 7:30 a.m. in the HU Convocation Center. Follow @_HSD2011 on twitter to receive live event updates and visit the Hampton University High School Day 2011 Facebook Page.

March Madness is Hampton University Madness

Hampton Lady Pirates, 2011 MEAC Champions

Hampton Pirates, 2011 MEAC Champions



The Hampton University campus was a buzz this week, celebrating the Pirates and Lady Pirates trips to the NCAA tournaments. For the first time in University history both basketball teams are MEAC champions in the same year and both are going dancing.

March 13 kicked off the celebration week with the men’s basketball team selection party. The Pirates were chosen to be the 16th seed and they will take on Duke today at 3:15 p.m.

“Being from North Carolina college basketball has always had a special place in my heart. I’ve never been so proud of our basketball program or so excited for the NCAA tournament,” said junior Raven Powers.

Many other students have been tweeting their congratulations to the teams.

“Congratulations to my Hampton Pirates, whether they win or lose they are still winners in my book!” said freshman Chazz Scott.

During the pep rally sponsored by the SGA on March 15 the players were excited about their victory and to celebrate with their fellow Hamptonians.

“All of the hard work paid off. It was a total team effort from everybody. Friday we expect that we do not have anything to lose. They are no different form us besides the name on their jersey. Anything is possible,” said junior forward Bakari Taylor.

“We worked real hard during and after the season and all of the hard work accumulated to that one moment. We need to just go out there and have faith in one another and also have faith in our abilities that we can go out there and get the victory,” said junior forward Wesley Dunning.

Later on that evening the women’s basketball team announces their seat during their selection party. They were excited to be seeded 13th and playing against Kentucky on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Albuquerque, N.M.

Senior Laura Lewis expects “for [them] to go out and play hard and to just keep doing what have been doing. “

Junior Jericka Jenkins said, “I expect us to come out playing hard and actually win the game because we all believe that we can win.”

The manager of the men’s basketball team junior Rob Nicholson said, “I’m very excited about this upcoming weekend for men’s and women’s HU basketball. Both teams have put in tremendous work to get here and if they play smart and to the best of their abilities I expect them to shock the world.”

The teams left for Charlotte and Albuquerque Wednesday morning. The games will begin this Friday. The men’s game will air today on TruTV at 3:15 pm EST and the women’s game will air Saturday on ESPN2 at 6:30pm EST.

-- Carla Gibson

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

HU Annual Read-In Welcomes Author Daniel Black

HU Annual Read-In Welcomes Author Daniel Black

Join Hampton University's Department of English as it celebrates the 2011 Annual Read-In. This year's selected book is Daniel Black's novel “They Tell Me of a Home.” The Annual Read-In welcomes the author to campus for a number of free events held March 30-31.

“They Tell Me of a Home” centers around protagonist Tommy Lee “T.L.” Tyson’s return to his family home in rural Swamp Creek, Ark., after a 10-year absence. Having fled a life of emotional abuse for academia, fate and a Ph.D. in black studies forces him back to his rural origins as he seeks to understand himself and the community that made him. Discovering his baby sister's death, he struggles to unravel the mysteries of her passing and come to terms with is past.

This year’s Annual Read-In events include:

“There’s a Train A Comin’: The Future of African American Literature”
Read-In Lecture featuring author Daniel Black
March 30, 7 p.m.
McGrew Towers
Free and open to the public.

“Once Roots … Now Branches: Reclaiming Home”
Read-In Conference
March 31, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
McGrew Towers
Free and open to the public.

Master Class on Fiction Writing with Daniel Black
March 31, 12:30 p.m.
McGrew Towers
Free and open to the public, Reservations required, please RSVP to
paula.barnes@hamptonu.edu

Each year, the Department of English’s Annual Read-In encourages reading for pleasure by selecting one fictional book that discusses items relevant to issues students confront in their everyday lives. The selected book is integrated into English classes and all HU students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the reading.

Daniel Black is a native of Kansas City, Kan., yet spent the majority of his childhood years in Blackwell, Ark. He currently serves as an associate professor of English at his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University.

- Alison L. Phillips

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cox Communications Leader Speaks to HU Public Relations Students


Cox Communications Leader Speaks to HU Public Relations Students


Gary T. McCollum, senior vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, spoke to public relations students in Hampton University’s Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications on March 3. The visit was to Professor Mavis Carr's public relations class.

McCollum offered the students career advice and his tips towards being successful:
G - growth means change
R - Respect
E - Engagement
A - Acknowledge reality
T - Teamwork (through mentorship and helping others)

He encouraged students to not be afraid to volunteer themselves for duties. "There's always a reward on the other side of raising your hand," he said.

A graduate of James Madison University with an MBA from the University of Connecticut, McCollum was the first in his family to attend college. He is currently a lifetime member of the NAACP and board member of the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, and ACCESS College Foundation, among other community organizations.

-Alison L. Phillips