UNC Pembroke names new Provost, Chief of Staff
UNC Pembroke Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings, M.D., announced appointments to two key leadership positions with the university following extensive national searches. Dr. Diane Prusank will serve as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Jess Boersma will serve as chief of staff and vice chancellor of Strategic Initiatives.
UNCP launches cybersecurity pathway with Southeastern Community College
UNC Pembroke recently signed an articulation agreement with Southeastern Community College (SCC) to provide a seamless pathway for information technology students seeking to further their education in the cybersecurity field. The new partnership will increase the pipeline of cybersecurity professionals across the region. Cybersecurity is among the most in-demand professions and fastest-growing career areas nationally. The partnership with SCC will address the national workforce shortage.
Biology students win awards at NC-LSAMP conference
Three UNCP Biology students won competitive research awards during the annual conference of the North Carolina - Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (NC-LSAMP). Nia Brown won 1st place in the Agricultural, Biological, Chemical Sciences division for her presentation, “Bee Conservation,” and Kinsley Adams won 2nd place for her presentation, “How to Safely Remove Honeydew Insects using Histo-Clear Prior to DNA Amplifications.” Graduate student James Locklear won 2nd place in the Biological Sciences & STEM Education division.
Bull Fertility Research in the Biology Department at UNCP
The early Friday morning found us this time at Mr. Arrin Baker and son Aaron’s farm in Robeson County. The objective was to castrate a group of four-month-old bull calves as part of a series of research projects on beef bull fertility. The projects, led by Dr.
UNCP senior refuses to give up dream of becoming an archaeologist
Harlen Chavis always wanted to pursue a college degree, but like many in his family, he chose to enter the workforce. He perfected his skills as a welder for more than 20 years, but the idea of earning a bachelor’s degree still lingered in the back of his mind. In 2018, Chavis hung up his torch to pursue his true passion––archaeology. A self-taught archaeologist and member of the Lumbee Tribe, Chavis has always been fascinated with ancient American Indian sites and artifacts left behind. Discovering the untold history of his Lumbee ancestors excites him.
UNCP undergraduate student wins NC Academy of Science research award
Gretchen Gillenwater received the John Bowley Derleux Research Award during the 119th North Carolina Academy of Science meeting held April 14-15. The event was held on the campus of East Carolina University. Gillenwater’s poster “Hurricane Induced Tornadoes” earned her first-place honors in the ecology, botany and zoology category. Gillenwater was among several UNCP’s COMPASS program members who participated in the conference. Gillenwater, a sophomore geo-environmental studies major, is a UNCP women’s swim team member and the Swim Club president.
UNCP senior Hannah Irving accepted to 13 law schools
Getting into law school is highly competitive. And the chances of getting accepted to a prestigious law school is nearly impossible. But Hannah Irving has beat all the odds. The UNC Pembroke senior has been admitted to 13 law schools––including one of the top law schools in the country––and received more than $1.4 million in scholarship offers.
Dr. Jane Haladay wins 2023 Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Jane Haladay’s impact on former UNCP student Zack Young extends well beyond the classroom. A staple in the American Indian Studies department for nearly two decades, Haladay displayed an interest in Young’s growth not only as a student, but also as a person––a trait that resonates with many of Haladay’s former students. “As my mentor, a lot of times, our meetings were not about research at all,” Young said. “She was someone I could lean on for support in times of need. Dr. Haladay was not only my professor and mentor––she was a friend.”
Dr. Scott Hicks selected for Summer Institute on Reading, Writing
Dr. Scott Hicks, director of the Teaching & Learning Center and professor of English at UNC Pembroke, has been selected to attend the 2023 Modern Language Association Institute on Reading and Writing Pedagogy in June. Hosted by George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, the weeklong institute will provide Hicks with a better understanding of the needs and circumstances of students at access-oriented institutions like UNCP, students who are primarily first-generation college students, Pell Grant recipients and students of color.
UNCP Faculty Member Selected for Summer Institute to Support Student Success in Reading & Writing
PEMBROKE—Scott Hicks, PhD, director of the Teaching & Learning Center and professor of English, has been selected to attend the 2023 Modern Language Association Institute on Reading and Writing Pedagogy in June. Hosted by George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, the weeklong institute will provide Hicks with a better understanding of the needs and circumstances of students at access-oriented institutions like UNCP, students who are primarily first-generation college students, Pell Grant recipients, and students of color.