the a publication for alumni and friends echoof Delaware State University Fall 2014 Senior sensory scientist EARLY COLLEGE Carol BoNey ’73 helps products achieve HIGH SCHOOL their perfect flavor students ‘dream BIG dreams’ AS ECHS@DSU OPENS, alumni share memories of the former campus Laboratory High School Letter from the president the DSU EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION It’s an exciting time to show Harry L. Williams Fall 2014 EdD, president echo your support for Delaware State Alton Thompson PhD, provost and vice Dear DSU alumni and friends, president for Academic Affairs t is with great excitement that Carolyn S. Curry we have launched into the 2014- vice president for Institutional Advancement, 2015 academic year, full of high chief of staff I expectations that Delaware State THE BUZZ University will experience new and Teresa Hardee 6 Grant-funded projects will aid wonderful developments in its ongoing EdD, vice president of Finance sickle cell and Alzheimer’s disease, success over the next 12 months. Noureddine Melikechi neuroscience research and much more An impressive new structure is rising DPhil, vice president up on campus with the construction of for Research, Innovation and Phase I of the Optical Science Center for Economic Development, dean Applied Research (OSCAR) Building. As of Thomas P. Preston, Esq. Laboratory High School memories this summer, the project was progressing general counsel on schedule toward being completed by 24 Alumni share their experiences at the first campus high school, which operated from 1921-1952 the spring of 2015. The new facility will be Candy E. Young 20 Full Homecoming 2014 event schedule: a tremendous enhancement for the DSU Athletics director — Fall into Jazz festival will feature research portfolio. Carol BoNey 14 Roy Ayers and Javon Jackson ’73 works Another point of pride is the DSU BOARD to ensure establishment of the Early College High OF TRUSTEES products School at DSU, which welcomed its first appeal to the IN EVERY ISSUE class of about 130 ninth-graders in late Claibourne D. Smith senses The Buzz 4 Giving to DSU 28 August. This is the first such high school PhD, chairman charter in the state of Delaware to access Alumni 14 Athletics 34 Dr. Harry Lee Williams David G. Turner Maggy the resources of a University and offer 17 vice chairman François Chapter Notes 26 Class Notes 38 a high school curriculum with strong ’94 has a emphasis in the science, technology, to support this campaign to complete the John J. Allen Jr. multifaceted engineering and mathematics disciplines. I $9.7 million needed to reach the goal. Robert E. Buccini career in On the cover: Science teacher Nancey Cannon am particularly proud that it is DSU leading The OSCAR Building, the Early College Michael N. Castle the fashion talks with Early College High School students. the way in this secondary school endeavor. industry Douglas Gibson ’50 is a waterfowl carver High School and the Greater Than One José F. Echeverri 22 Photo by Carlos Holmes campaign will position DSU greatly to The University has also launched its Barry M. Granger biggest-ever fundraising initiative — the address the needs of our students. But we Lois M. Hobbs Greater Than One: Campaign for Students cannot do it without you. Please join with the University in transforming the lives of The Echo is a publication of the Division of Institutional Advancement at Delaware State University. Alumni news for future — that is critically necessary to support Charles S. McDowell, Esq. editions may be sent to Dr. Lisa Dunning, assistant vice president for Alumni Relations, at [email protected]. our students and thereby building a mass our students’ aspirations to become the Wesley E. Perkins the echo She can also be contacted at 302.857.6050. professionals and leaders of the future. The of new legacies that will make their marks fundraising goal is bold but very attainable indelibly on the world. Bennie L. Smith Editor Contributors Photographers — $20 million. Through its own efforts, the James W. Stewart III Jennifer Rickard Carlos Holmes, director of News Services Vita Pickrum, senior associate vice president Carlos Holmes Campus photo University has already raised $10 million, Leroy A. Tice, Esq. associate director for Development and Alumni Relations Peter Howard coordinator: and now it is looking to our alumni, donors Dr. Lisa Dunning, assistant vice president of Integrated Blake Saunders Tracy Channel and friends to keep the momentum going Mark A. Turner for Alumni Relations Lorene Robinson, director of donor relations Marketing Charity Shockley, grants manager Devona E. Williams, PhD Dennis Jones, assistant director of Athletic Media Relations 2 The Echo www.desu.edu Fall 2014 Fall 2014 www.desu.edu The Echo 3 Construction is under way on Delaware State University’s state-of-the art optics research facility that will serve as the new site of the Optical Buzz OPTICS Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR), housing laboratories, offices, meeting space and space dedicated to be hubs of innovation FACILITY for collaboration with industry. Slated for completion in spring 2015, the facility — located next to the Village Café — will present many The new cutting-edge opportunities for students and will serve as an TAKES SHAPE entrepreneurial, intellectual think tank in the pursuit of new learning. Students work in a laboratory classroom at Delaware State University’s new Early College High School. Early College High School welcomes inaugural class elaware State University with the administrators and faculty of launched its Early College Delaware State University; I don’t know REMEMBERING High School on Aug. 25 with of any other high school in the state that THE FIRST CAMPUS D its first class of 132 ninth- has such strong access to the resources HIGH SCHOOL grade students. of an institution of higher education,” The mission of the ECHS@ Coffield said. “This high school is With the opening of DSU is to provide highly motivated providing a wonderful opportunity for the ECHS@DSU, it Delaware students with a curriculum Delaware youths.” is the second time concentrating on science, technology, The school is beginning with a in DSU’s history that engineering and mathematics (STEM) class of ninth grade students for the a high school has that is integrated with the relevant 2014-2015 school year. It will add one operated on campus. curriculum at DSU. grade each year until reaching its The then-State Students will graduate from high capacity of 100 students per grade level, College for Colored Students/Delaware school with 30 to 60 college credit grades 9-12. State College ran hours, which will enable them to While the University will eventually a Laboratory High graduate from college in only 2-3 establish a permanent location on the School from 1921 years once enrolled in an institution main campus, the inaugural school year to 1952. of higher education. of ECHS@DSU classes is being held in The ECHS@DSU is the first-ever the Living and Learning Commons, a Read about the DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY UNVEILS ITS PRIDE 2020 Strategic PLAN Early College High School in the state former hotel a half mile north of the Laboratory High The Strategic Plan for Delaware State University | PRIDE 2020: Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence of Delaware. Dr. Judi Coffield, ECHS campus that DSU acquired in 2013. School and the outlines six strategic goals that are the high-level, key areas of focus necessary to achieve DSU’s vision of director, said she is excited about this experiences of three academic excellence, producing and placing outstanding graduates, and effectively serving the citizens of historic secondary school opening. of its former students Delaware and beyond as we move toward the next decade. “What makes the ECHS@DSU To learn more about the ECHS@DSU, on Page 24. unique is the strong collaboration visit echs.desu.edu. Learn about the plan’s six goals, objectives, strategies for achieving each and metrics at desu.edu/strategicplan. 4 The Echo www.desu.edu Fall 2014 Fall 2014 www.desu.edu The Echo 5 The Buzz From left, Drs. Andrew Lloyd, Sabrina McGary, Leonard Davis, Michael Boone and Rebecca Fox-Lykens $400K GRANT | NSF funding will facilitate STEM cyber learning Dr. Cherese Winstead and Dr. Dula Man A group of faculty members led by Dr. Andrew Lloyd of the Department of Biological Sciences has GRANTS Students Lennea Davis, left, and Brandon Davis, been awarded a National Science Foundation grant that is expected to put the University in the forefront right, with Dr. Mukti Rana, assistant professor $1.78M NIH GRANT of higher education institutions by implementing “cyber learning” strategies to improve STEM (science, of physics and engineering, will get hands-on & research technology, engineering and mathematics) instruction and increase student achievement and retention. experience in electrical power supply analysis. DSU, Nemours to partner The three-year grant totalling $399,908 will enable DSU to invest in information technology resources to expand distance learning infrastructure. Cyber learning technologies will be used to implement an DSU ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO BENEFIT inverted or “flipped” classroom model in the core courses for students majoring in the biological sciences. on Comprehensive FROM Software Donation In a flipped classroom, learning activities normally carried out inside the classroom, such as lecturing and Sickle Cell Research Center PowerPoint presentations, take place outside of class, and learning activities normally completed at home, The Department of Physics and Engineering such as applying the course concepts in homework assignments, become the focus of in-class work. has received an in-kind donation of computer Delaware State University has received a Grant co-principal investigators are Dr. Leonard Davis, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences; software valued at $430,750 from Operation five-year, $1,783,188 grant to partner with the Dr.