Destroyer Named for Vuu Alum
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WINT ER 2011 / U NIV ERSITY NEWS Claude G. Perkins, Ph.d. HOMECOMING DESTROYER NAMED DR. PERKINS CELEBRATION! FOR VUU ALUM INAUGURATION P AGE 4 P AGE 6 P AGE 10 VUUFrom The President Dear Alumni and Friends of Virginia Union University: 2010 was a year of great achievement for Virginia Union University. At the December 2010 meeting of the Southern Association WINTER 2011 / UNIVERSITY NEWS of Colleges and Schools, the University was reaffirmed for re- accreditation for the next 10 years, with no stipulations. The reaffirmation process is a rigorous, intensive program TABLE OF CONT ENTS designed to ensure that schools are adhering to a set of well- defined educational standards and that they are committed to CAMPUS NEWS institutional improvement. The overall reaffirmation process VUU Receives Grants 2 requires an institution to demonstrate its compliance with core Alpha Kappa Mu Revitalized 3 requirements, comprehensive standards and federal regulations. Homecoming 4 What that means is that Virginia Union University has successfully VUU Goes To Austria 7 lived up to our mission of providing quality academic programs, Campus Activities 8 while maintaining the university’s financial viability. Further, it is a guarantee to our students that the education they are receiving COVER ST ORY here is a sound and worthy investment. Inauguration 10 This accomplishment would not have been possible without ATHLET ICS the disciplined work of our faculty and staff; and the dedicated The Forgotten Champion 16 support of our alumni and friends. However, as we celebrate this Athletic Schedules 19 success, we cannot be content to rest on our laurels. Virginia Union must continue to recruit and retain quality students and UNIONITE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FACULT Y/ST AFF NEWS faculty. We must continue to engage alumni, corporate, and SEMI-ANNUALLY BY THE OFFICE OF Faculty Profiles 20 PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR ALUMNI AND foundation support. We must continue to build a “student- FRIENDS OF VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY. Dr. Gerard McShepard 21 centered” environment, where we all understand and embrace VIR GINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 1500 North Lombardy Street Margaret Duckworth 22 the notion that the success of our students is directly connected Richmond, VA 23220 Ronald A. Shelton 23 and interrelated to those measures that serve as indicators to 804.257.5860 www.vuu.edu Dr. Carleitta Paige 24 judge our own accomplishments within the academy. Faculty and Staff Updates 25 Claude G. Perkins, Ph.D. Virginia Union’s path is well-lit. The future is promising. Our faith President strengthens our actions. We focus on possibility thinking, not ALUMNI NEWS Editor restrictive analysis. We choose to invest our very best in planting Shena L. Crittendon ’92 Samuel Gravely Dedication 6 Assistant to the President/Director of Public Relations seeds of greatness in the lives of our students. Why I Give 26 Design College Company In Memoriam 28 The pages of this magazine will give you a brief glimpse into the Contributing Writers Alumni Updates 29 life and work of this institution. Enjoy the articles. Come to visit. Shena L. Crittendon ’92 Mary DePillars, ’74 Tell the VUU story. We are more than what we have been, but not Charmica Epps ’08 Jim Junot yet all that we will be! Kristie N. Swink Photography Sincerely, Rudolph Powell COVER: Richmond Center Ayasha N. Sledge Stage was the venue for the Claude G. Perkins, Ph.D. Send Questions or Comments about Unionite Magazine to: inauguration of Dr. Claude G. Shena L. Crittendon Perkins on September 10, 2010 [email protected] President PHOTOS THIS PAGE: Beautiful table Send Alumni News and Chapter Updates to: arrangements at the President’s Charmica Epps Inauguration dinner. [email protected] VUUHonors VUU – T HE PROMISE OF A LIMITL ESS F UTURE© VUU Awarded Grants ALPHA KAPPA MU Back on Campus ON O CTOBER 28, 2010, IN FRONT OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, ALUMNI AND The Dominion Foundation, the G UESTS, 24 VIRG INIA U NION U NIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE IND UCTED INTO T HE philanthropic arm of Dominion REVIT ALIZED, KAPPA ETA CHAPT ER OF A LPHA K APPA M U . Resources (NYSE: D), has awarded Virginia Union University a Alpha Kappa Mu is a general scholarship honor society open to junior and senior men and women in all academic areas. It has $40,000 grant. been inactive at Virginia Union University for more than five years, The grant will be used to teach juniors and but has recently reactivated its status as a registered organization seniors the Six Sigma business management on campus. Its purpose will be to promote high scholarship, strategy to enhance their business training encourage sincere and zealous endeavors in all fields of and to improve the likelihood of becoming knowledge and service; to cultivate a high order of personal living; credentialed. The course will include an and develop an appreciation for scholarly work and scholarly introduction to Six Sigma levels, a Green endeavor in others. Belt credential, and team projects to define The revitalization of this scholastic organization brings excitement problems, collect and analyze data and to academics. Students are charged to continue their pursuit of submit solutions. knowledge. “They are excited about this, being recognized for Dominion is one of the nation’s largest their academic achievement”, says Dr. Linda Schlichting, Dean of producers and transporters of energy, with a Humanities and Social Science. “They see themselves as leaders for portfolio of approximately 27,600 megawatts other students.” of generation. Dominion operates the nation’s From left, Dr. Adelaja Odutola, Dean Sydney Lewis School of Business; Linda The history of Alpha Kappa Mu dates back to 1937 at Tennessee largest natural gas storage system and serves Jackson, Director of Sponsored Programs; Ken Barker, a Dominion vice State University in Nashville. Inductees must be in their junior retail energy customers in 12 states. president; and Penni Sweetenburg-Lee, Director of Career Services year with at least a 3.3 grade point average on the 4.0 scale. They should be ranked in the upper 10 percent of the class and exemplify good character, the potential for leadership, and service. There are a total of 64 active chapters and more than 91,000 The Mead Westvaco (MWV) Foundation Board of Directors approved a $200,000 gift to Virginia members nationally. Union to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiatives. The grant will be used to cover the cost of the STEM Summer Institute, led by Dr. Phillip Archer, Dean of the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, and will also provide financial assistance to STEM students. According to Dr. Archer, “With corporate and other external support, VUU can further assist in reducing the shortage of under- represented students in STEM professions by attracting more students to VUU science and technology-related programs with corporate based internship opportunities and academic scholarships earmarked for top performing undergraduate STEM majors.” The Mead Westvaco foundation strives to strengthen and enrich the communities where MWV has major operations, and where MWV employees and their families live and work. VUU NEEDS YOUR COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT. TO MAKE AN ONGOING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS, CONTACT THE DIVISION OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AT 804.342.3938 OR USE THE ENVELOPE ENCLOSED IN THIS ISSUE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. 2 VIRGINIA UNION UNIV ERSITY UNIONITE VIRGINIA UNION UNIV ERSITY WINTER 2011 3 VUUFeatures HOMECOMING 2010 VUU – T HE PROMISE OF A LIMITL ESS F UTURE© Rejuvenated, Reinvigorated, ReUNIONited …and it feels so good! 4 VIRGINIA UNION UNIV ERSITY UNIONITE VIRGINIA UNION UNIV ERSITY WINTER 2011 5 15 austria trip 1/2 page 14-15 samuel graveley dedication 1.5 pages VUUHonors VUU – T HE PROMISE OF A LIMITL ESS F UTURE© VIC E ADMIRAL SAMUEL GRAVELY GRADUATED FROM Reprinted with permission of Navy Times. VIRGINIA UNION UNIV ERSITY IN 1948. Editor’s Note - Vice Admiral Samuel Gravely graduated from Virginia Union University in 1948. He was a former president of the National Alumni Association and the Samuel Destroyer Named for Pioneer Gravely L. Gravely Capital Beltway Alumni Chapter is Sixty-eight degree “internationalize named in his honor. weather, snow the General capped mountains, Education and a beautiful Curriculum.” The Joins Fleet radiant sunset is implementation of how Patricia Murray, this proposal will BY SAM FELLMAN Assistant Professor include exposing in the Sydney VUU students to WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Navy’s newest Lewis School of the fundamentals Business at Virginia of global citizenship destroyer was commissioned in a ceremony Union University, which is defined that recalled the extraordinary career of remembers the as the functioning the ship’s namesake, an officer who sights of Salzburg, Austria. Ms. Murray, Dr. W. awareness of culture, economic and socio- Franklin Evans, Vice President of Academic political characteristics of other countries shattered the Navy’s color barrier more Affairs, and Dr. David Adewuyi, Director of outside of one’s own domestic frame of than six decades ago. the Center for International Studies, traveled reference. This process commences with from Richmond, Virginia to fellowship with the freshman year and continues through The 57th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is leaders from near and far as they focused the student’s graduation. With the timeline on the benefits and the implementation of in place and the seven member committee named for Vice Adm. Samuel Gravely, who Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., center, globalization among their campuses during at work, the plan will be implemented by overcame entrenched discrimination to Vice Adm. Robert P. Coogan, right, and the Salzburg Global Seminar, held October August 2011. Now that VUU is a part of achieve a string of firsts in a 38-year naval an unidentified commander, left, salute 30, 2010 through November 6, 2010.