I am thankful for Hampton University

 I am thankful for Hampton University

I am thankful for Mary Peake who taught newly freed people under the Emancipation Oak.  

I am thankful for Sarah Collins Fernandis (Class of 1882), the writer of my Hampton University alma mater, for writing such powerful and meaningful words that I will never forget.

I am thankful for the Hampton Singers of Virginia Hall who sung up the now Virginia Cleveland Hall by touring the United States and Europe.

I am thankful for not crossing Ogden Circle and being able to graduate on time, no matter how tempting the perfectly cut green grass looks.

I am thankful for the Memorial Church on campus so that I have a place to worship and praise the Lord after a long week.

I am thankful for the famous “Fried Chicken Wednesday” that reminds me of my mother’s home cooked meals.

I am thankful for the 423 faculty members that are dedicated to helping me be successful.

I am thankful that I get to rock the Blue & White!

I am thankful for the generous alumni who give back to the university to support scholarships for deserving students.

I am thankful for the many grants Hampton has received for health research.

I am thankful for the beautiful campus that I wake up to and have the honor of walking around every day.

I am thankful for General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, because without his vision, there would be no Hampton University.

And, I am thankful for President Harvey for the many innovations that he has brought to my "Home by the Sea."

- Mechala Simpson '15

HU Professor says early identification is key to managing diabetes

Dr. David Ombengi

HU Professor says early identification is key to managing diabetes 

Hampton University School of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Dr. David Ombengi recently hosted a lecture on diabetes. The talk, “Stopping Diabetes Starts Now” was in line with the national observance of November as American Diabetes Month.

The purpose of the talk was to shed light on the disease and its manageability, said Ombengi, of his address to an audience of approximately 40 inside the Scripps Howard auditorium.

“I wanted to create awareness among the participants that people with diabetes can live a healthy and productive life if identified early, and effectively managed by lifestyle modifications and appropriate drug therapy,” he said.

Ombengi’s work at HU involves this type of healthcare delivery and economic analysis. Among other courses, Ombengi coordinates and teaches cardiovascular, pulmonary and endocrine portions of Drug and Disease Management, and Health Care Administration I and II. He also serves as Clinical Faculty and Preceptor for the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in Ambulatory Care at the Community Free Clinic of Newport News, where he also provides Medication Therapy Management (MTM) to patients at the clinic. His research interests include evaluating health outcomes of treatments used in cardio-pulmonary disorders, diabetes and other chronic disease with a focus on strategies to eliminate health disparities.

According to the American Diabetes Association website, nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, and compared to the general population, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes, with 4.9 million, or 18.7 percent of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diabetes.

The latter statistic makes HU a good environment to facilitate this type of work, Ombengi said.

“Considering that diabetes is more prevalent in the minority population, we at HU can take proactive steps to stop the devastating clinical, humanistic and economic impact due to complications of diabetes through health literacy campaigns one person at a time,” he said.

-Leha Byrd

HU Forensics and Debate Team Are Victorious Again

HU Forensics and Debate Team Are Victorious Again

Fairfax, Va.—HU award-winning Forensics and Debate team was victorious this past weekend at Lord Fairfax Community College in Fairfax, Va.

Schools that competed were Bloomsburg University, Brooklyn College, Cornell University, Fayetteville State University, Florida College, Randolph Macon College, West Virginia University - Parkersburg, and Wilkes Barre University.

Ivana Thomas, Bethany LaMarr, Antonio Dill-Word,
Julian Thornton, and Ras Cannady pose with their awards.

The HU team won in the following awards:

First Place, Parliamentary Debate, Antonio Dill-Word and Ivana Thomas

First Place, Poetry, Bethany LaMarr

First Place, Pentathlon Speaker, Ivana Thomas


Second Place, Poetry, Antonio Dill-Word

Second Place, Single Dramatic Interpretation, Julian Thornton

The team’s next competition will be next year on Feb. 23 at Fayetteville State University.

-Gianina Thompson

HU Welcomes Google Recruiter

HU Welcomes Google Recruiter

Hampton, Va. – Hampton University welcomed Chastity Wells, a Google recruiter, to speak with students of all majors about their internship programs.

“Google has a lot of great alum from HBCUs, so it just made sense to continue reaching out to HBCUs,” said Wells, who graduated from Spellman College.

Chastity Wells spoke about Google BOLD Immersion

Wells emphasized how students’ resumes should focus on “the impact they can bring to the company,” not just their major or experience.

Google BOLD Immersion invites all majors to apply because their interns are placed in teams across the entire business.

“Google values their interns and their ideas," added Wells, "We don’t treat our interns like little kids, but young adults."

HU student Candace Brown told her fellow students how interning at Google allowed her to grow and network with great minds.

The application for Google BOLD Immersion is currently open and ends Sunday, Nov. 24.

Click here to learn more about the internship or email students@google.com with your questions.

-Gianina Thompson

HU's Child Development Center Receives Storybooks and Games

HU's Child Development Center Receives Storybooks and Games

Hampton, Va. – The Hampton University Child Development Center received storybooks, games, and arts & crafts material from the Peninsula National Pan Hellenic Council on Monday, Nov. 4.

The council is comprised of representatives from each of the nine Black Greek-Letter Fraternities and Sororities.

Mrs. Joan Jenkins (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority) and HU’s School of Education and Human Development Assistant Dean Dr. Jerrold W. Roy (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity) presented the donation to the very appreciative preschoolers.

"The kids are very excited for the donation," said Constance Goode, Director of HU's Child Development Center.

Joan Jenkins, Constance Goode, and Dr. Jerrold W. Roy