WWW.TNSTATE.EDU THINK SERVE WORK March 28, 2017 Dear Honors Students and Faculty: Congratulations to each of you for your outstanding achievements in academic excellence. We salute you in our Honors Convocation today for your hard work, dedication and determination to continue the legacy of excellence at Tennessee State University. We are very proud of the record number of Dean’s List students (3,044) and President’s List students (284) who are being recognized today for their outstanding academic acheivements. We are also honored to have one of our renowned and distinguished Honors graduates from Tennessee State University, Mr. Obie McKenzie. This year’s theme is “Promoting Academic Excellence, Scholarship, and Leadership: Preparing Scholars for the Workplace.” As President of Tennessee State University, and like you a former student in our University Honors College, I commend you for maintaining a high Grade Point Average and for serving as role models to your peers. Your leadership is distinctive and your commitment is unparalleled. I wish all of the honorees continued learning as you succeed in your careers. May your path be blessed and prosperous. Sincerely, Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover 8th President of Tennessee State University 2017 Honors Convocation 1 Obie McKenzie Keynote Speaker Obie McKenzie is a Managing Director at BlackRock, the largest institutional asset management firm in the United States with $4 trillion of assets under management. McKenzie graduated from Tennessee State University in 1967 and received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School in 1972. He has experienced significant success over the last 30 years as an institutional asset management marketing executive where he has been instrumental in gathering over $50 billion in institutional assets for several firms. As a senior relationship manager at BlackRock, McKenzie is responsible for managing relationships with some of the largest pension funds in the United States to include the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, New York City Employees’ Retirement System, and the Federal Reserve Employee Benefits System to name a few. In 2010, McKenzie received the “AIMSE Richard A. Lothrop Outstanding Achievement Award” as recognition for his accomplishments in the investment management industry and his community. In 2011, he was named by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street.” In 2013, he was named “Public Fund Marketer of the Year” by Money Management Intelligence. During his career, he has held positions as Managing Director at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (1990- 2006), Executive Director at UBS Asset Management and Managing Director at Chase Investors (1987 to 1990). From 1984 to 1987, McKenzie was President and Founder of McKenzie & Company, a NASD registered broker dealer. During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, McKenzie held positions at Citibank, Chemical Bank and Freedom National Bank as a commercial banker. McKenzie was also Manager of Banking and Pensions at the New York Times in 1975 and began his career as a Corporate Finance Associate for Morgan Stanley in 1972. McKenzie has served as President of the Association of Investment Management Sales Executives (AIMSE); founding Board member of the TOIGO Foundation and Associate Advisor to the Texas Association of Public Employees Retirement Systems (TEXPERS). He was also a founding Board member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), where he received the “Wall Street Hall of Fame Award” in 2001. He was also a recipient of the “Wall Street Award for Service to Children” from the New York Mission Society in 2006. McKenzie is an accomplished public speaker and vocalist and has been an expository Bible teacher for over 30 years. He was a senior Bible teacher at Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem, New York for over 20 years before joining Community Baptist Church in Englewood, New Jersey, where he is a layman. He is currently writing a book entitled “Bible Economics – Things I Wish I Had Known” in which he writes about his experiences in understanding money from his 42 years on Wall Street and his spiritual revelations as to what the Bible says about money, which he has developed from his 30-plus years of studying and teaching the Bible. McKenzie resides in Englewood, New Jersey with his wife Natalie Bowen-McKenzie. He is the proud father of one daughter, Keisha McKenzie-Pagden, and grandfather to Samuel McKenzie-Pagden. 2 2017 Honors Convocation About the University Honors College In 1963, Dr. Walter S. Davis, who was the second President of Tennessee State University (TSU), appointed a committee that was charged with the responsibility of studying honors programs and determining the feasibility of establishing one at the University. After completing the investigation, the committee recommended that TSU keep pace with many other universities throughout the country. As a result, an Honors Program for freshman students started in the fall semester of 1964. Sophomore through Senior level course work was added annually throughout 1968, thus marking the year of the first student to graduate with “University Honors,” a distinction that is reserved for students who have successfully completed the requirements of the University Honors College (UHC). Dr. McDonald Williams became director of the Honors Program at TSU in 1966 and held that position until his retirement in 1988. Additionally, he gave 30 years of distinguished service as an English professor at TSU. The University Honors Center, which is now located in the Harold M. Love, Sr. Student Success Center, was named the McDonald Williams Honors Center on October 31, 1995. Dr. Joan Elliot served as interim director from 1988- 1990, Dr. Mayibuye Monanabela served as director from 1990 – 1992 and Dr. Sandra Holt from 1992 – 2013. The current dean, Dr. Coreen Jackson, was appointed by Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, 8th President of Tennessee State University in 2013. It was the desire of President Glover and administrators to implement the goal of the Academic Master Plan 2008- 2028 that enhanced the Honors Program and transitioned it into an Honors College. In January 2016, the Honors Program was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to be elevated from an Honors Program to an Honors College. The Honors College currently consists of over 400 multi-disciplinary students who maintain an overall GPA of 3.25 or above. It is our honor to be celebrating the TSU Honors College with this observation of academic excellence and a commitment to higher education during the 2017 Honors Convocation. 2017 Honors Convocation 3 Order of Ceremony Master and Mistress of Ceremony Mr. Ramon Guitierrez-Martinez, Mr. Honors (2016-2017) and Miss Lexis Stewart, Miss Honors (2016-2017) Processional ....................................................Platform Guests & Faculty Mediation .........................................................Mr. Jaquantey Bowens Senior, Biology, 4.0 GPA, University Honors College “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Audience stands) ...............................Francis Scott Key “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”...........................................James Weldon Johnson Dr. Reginald McDonald, Conductor, Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble Greetings ...................................................... Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover President, Tennessee State University “Let’s Have a Union”--Spiritual ........................................ arr. by Dave Ragland Dr. Susan Kelly, Director, Tennessee State University Choir Introduction of Guest Speaker .............................................Mr. Dexter Hooks SGA Vice President, Graduating Senior, Business Keynote Speaker ..................................................... Mr. Obie McKenzie Managing Partner, Black Rock Inc. Presentation of the Dr. McDonald Williams Scholarship . .Dr. Coreen Jackson Interim Dean, University Honors College Presentation of Outstanding Student Leader Academic Achievement Awards ..........Dr. Tracey Ford Vice President of Student Affairs, Tennessee State University Presentation of Athletic Scholars............................................Dr. Johnie Smith Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services, Tennessee State University Presentation of University-Wide Honor Societies..............................Dr. Tyrone Miller Interim Associate Director, University Honors College Presentation of College & School Honor Societies ............................. Deans of College Presentation of Dean’s List Scholars .......................................Dr. Keith Hargrove Dean, College of Engineering Presentation of Honors College Graduating Scholars .........Dr. Coreen Jackson & Dr. Tyrone Miller Presentation of President’s List Scholars & Top Graduating Senior(s)................Dr. Mark Hardy Vice President of Academic Affairs, Tennessee State University Closing Remarks . Dr. Coreen Jackson “Alma Mater” (Audience stands).....................Laura M. Averitte & Clarence Hayden Wilson Recessional ....................................................Platform Guests & Faculty 4 2017 Honors Convocation University-Wide National Honor Societies Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society Dr. Jame’l Hodges, Chapter Advisor Founded at Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College (now Tennessee State University) on November 26, 1937 by Dr. George W. Gore as the only national honor society for African-Americans, Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society now has more