UNCP students serve Indigenous communities in Baltimore during Alternative Spring Break
More than a dozen UNC Pembroke students immersed themselves in service projects and leadership-building activities as part of an alternative spring break experience in Baltimore March 6-10. Students and staff partnered with several community-based organizations, spending a week volunteering at the Baltimore American Indian Center, Native American LifeLines, Breath of Life Lutheran Church and Baltimore Safe Haven. Baltimore is home to many Lumbee tribal members who migrated north after World War II seeking jobs.
UNCP celebrates 136 years of history on Founders’ Day
UNC Pembroke marked Founders’ Day with a ceremony celebrating its remarkable history, sharing stories of the institution’s founders and their commitment to providing access to education.
Grad Student Kaitlan Smith Reflects on Lumbee Heritage While Embarking on Curiosity-driven Science
From UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom: "Pharmacology graduate student Kaitlan Smith [UNCP alumna] was recently awarded a diversity supplement from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to study the effects of aging and necroptosis. She shares her resilient journey into scientific research while reflecting on her Lumbee roots."
UNCP celebrates opening of The Curt and Catherine Locklear American Indian Heritage Center
Kaloni Walton felt a sense of belonging after meeting with the American Indian Heritage Center at UNC Pembroke as a high school senior two years ago. It was this unique connection that impacted her decision to enroll. Walton was among the guest speakers during the grand opening of The Curt and Catherine Locklear American Indian Heritage Center before an overflow crowd in front of the steps of Old Main on Tuesday. Walton, now a sophomore, shared how the center has impacted her academic journey.
UNCP alumnus, FAEL participant appointed director of federal programs
Philip Oxendine, 2021 First Americans’ Educational Leadership (FAEL) cohort alumnus, was recently appointed as the director of federal programs with the Public Schools of Robeson County. In his role, Oxendine will be responsible for making recommendations for assisting schools within the district to develop federal programs and services for continuous improvement. Additionally, he will help to provide school leaders with developments in curriculum, research-based instructional strategies and professional development. Oxendine is a two-time graduate of UNCP.
UNCP Theatre Program deeply rooted in Strike at the Wind!'s success
The collaboration between the outdoor drama Strike at the Wind! and UNC Pembroke's theatre program stretches 40-plus years. Strike at the Wind! often leaned on the theatre program's students and staff for actors, stagehands and providing technical support. The longstanding relationship continues this week as the iconic drama returns to the Adolph Dial Amphitheater at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center.
American Indian Heritage Center at UNCP named in honor of Curt and Catherine Locklear
The American Indian Heritage Center at UNC Pembroke will bear the name of Curt and Catherine Locklear, a couple with ties to the university that date back to the 1930s. As a young girl living at the Odum Home, Catherine would ride her bicycle to campus to deliver fresh milk to faculty and staff members. Curt played quarterback as a member of the school's first football team in the 1940s. While working his way through college, one of Curt Sr.’s jobs was planting the now historic oak trees along Old Main Drive with Grounds Superintendent Walter Pinchbeck.
UNCP names inaugural Spirit of Old Main scholars
The American Indian Heritage Center has announced the recipients of the newly established Spirit of Old Main Scholarship at UNC Pembroke. The 2022-2023 recipients are Sydney Brooks, Asa Locklear, Faith Jacobs and Rakyah Jacobs. Brooks and Locklear graduated earlier this month from Purnell Swett High, while Faith Jacobs and Rakyah Jacobs are members of the 2022 graduating class at East Columbus High School.
UNCP places third in First Nations national rocket competition
UNC Pembroke placed third in the Mars Challenge at the 13th annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition in Wisconsin April on 22-24 in Wisconsin. The competition is open to students attending a tribal college or university, a Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI), or members of an active American Indian Science and Engineering Society collegiate chapter. Students designed, built and flew a high-powered rocket launched at the Richard Bong State Recreational Area.
UNCP alumna Keyla Bell breaking barriers in law enforcement
With her recent promotion, Maj. Keyla Bell is the highest-ranking female in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The UNC Pembroke graduate is only the fourth female to rise to major since the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was founded in 1929. Bell is also the first American Indian to wear the gold oak leaf cluster shoulder patch.