HU Military Alumni Continue Great Works

HU Alumni Darrell Keith Williams Promoted to Major General

Hamptonians gather and celebrate promotion of Darrell Keith Williams.

Darrell Keith Williams '83, a West Palm Beach, Fla., native and former Hampton senior class president, was promoted to Major General at the Redstone Arsenal base, in Huntsville, Ala.

Ten visiting Hamptonians, as well as his wife and Hampton Institute sweetheart of 25 years, the former Miss Myra Richardson,'83- were present at the promotion ceremony.

Currently Williams, the Army's 121st two-star general of its 82,000 servicemen, serves as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

-Tim Alston, '77

HU Alumni Col. James George Returns to HU School of Business 

HU Alumni Col. James George is joined by HU MBA students

The HU School of Business hosted retired Col. James George, the CEO of Management Support Technology Inc (MSTI), located in Fairfax, VA. for a Leadership Application Program seminar on March 25.  George is a 1958 graduate of Hampton Institute where he majored in biology and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant.

During his hour-long presentation, George centered around differences between large and small companies, leadership, networking and many other interesting topics.  George also shared information about his extensive military training and experience.

LAP students presented George with a gift at the conclusion of his presentation.

-Lt. Col. Claude Vann, III, '77

HU Professors Capture and Explain the PanSTARRS Comet Seen Over Hampton Roads

HU Professors Capture and Explain the PanSTARRS Comet Seen Over Hampton Roads

The PanSTARRS Comet has been in the news recently due to its proximity to Earth’s moon, making it visible to many stargazers and comet lovers in North America and Europe.

On the evenings of March 12 and March 13, Dr. Kunio Sayanagi, HU assistant professor of atmospheric science, was able to take a few pictures of the comet as it blazed across the Hampton Roads skies.

While the comet has been available to observers since the weekend, it has been hard to capture a picture because of the comet’s low position above the horizon.

Dr. WilliamMoore, associate professor of atmospheric and planetary science, researches comets and was able to share information about the PanSTARRS Comet:

“It is called PAN-STARRS after the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, a robotically controlled telescope in Hawaii which first spotted the comet in June 2011.  It is a visitor from the outermost reaches of the solar system, a region known as the Oort cloud.  It takes over 100,000 years to go around the sun, and spends almost all of that time very far away, much further than Pluto.  

When it is out beyond Mars, it is a solid chunk of ices, frozen substances including water, methane, ammonia and dust. When it comes close to the Sun, like it is now, those ices turn into vapors and expand away from the surface of the comet, taking little chunks of ice and dust with them.

The chunks reflect sunlight, like a cloud, that makes the comet look hazy or fluffy. The vapor and dust get blown by the solar wind making the distinctive tail. Comets don't last forever. They lose mass every time they come near the sun, but since PAN-STARRS doesn't do that very often, it should last a long time.”

Sayanagi’s pictures were taken behind the HU Dining Hall. The images capture the comet and it’s tail as it glides across the skies of Hampton Roads. Click on the images to enlarge the picture.

The PanSTARR comet is circled in the image above to the left. The crescent moon is to the right. Picture taken March 12.

The PanSTARRS Comet is circled in the image above. The crescent moon is high above. Picture taken March 13.

The PanSTARRS Comet is circled in the image above, just above the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Downtown Hampton.

HU Child Development Center Welcomed Student Athletes for Read Across America Day

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” –Dr. Seuss

HU Student Athletes joined faculty and students at the HU Child Development Center (CDC) to celebrate the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America program. 

“Dr. Seuss has been instrumental in all of our lives and it really starts with the basics… reading,” said Alexis Robertson, assistant director of athletics for student services and senior women administrator. “Our students are students first and athletes second so what better way to get out in the community and promote literacy than starting right here at the HU Child Development Center.”

Launched in 1998, Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. NEA’s Read Across America, which falls on beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss’s birthday, expects more than 45 million readers, both young and old, to pick up a book and read. With research showing that children who are motivated to read perform better in school, this annual reading motivation and awareness program aims to bring reading excitement to children of all ages.

“Read Across America Day became a very special occasion for the children of the HU Child Development Center thanks to an outreach from the Athletic Department and the volunteer HU student athletes,” said Constance Goode, director of CDC.

The track team and women’s basketball team read to small groups during the visit at HU’s CDC. Later that day, volunteers from the football, tennis and volleyball teams joined the group at other schools throughout Hampton Roads.

To view more images from the day click here!