meet the nation's historically black colleges and universities hbcu spells success

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Meet the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. By Martha-Page Althaus

HBCU Spells Success

A statue of Dr. James E. Shepard, founder of North Carolina Central University

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AT YOUR SERVICENHBCUAA

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The country’s 106 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) run

the educational gamut — ranging from two-year schools to medical universities. And the National HBCU Alumni Associations (NHBCUAA), composed of alumni leaders and associates, supports every last one of them.

Partnering with federal, state, and local govern-ments, plus a host of other organizations (non-profi ts, civic groups, churches), NHBCUAA assists and advocates for HBCUs and their alumni.

The organization focuses its support on fi ve areas of expertise: marketing and fundraising, networking and capacity building, community development, international development, and program development and evaluation. NHBCUAA services range from grant writing and fi nancial planning to organizing community networking events.

A Legacy of LearningSince the fi rst HBCU was founded in the mid-1800s, these schools have gained a reputation for fostering groundbreaking research and high-quality graduates.

The list of HBCU alumni claim some of the greatest American minds and achievers. Here’s just a sampling: Booker T. Washington graduated from Hampton University in 1875 and he later founded what is now known as Tuskegee University. In the late 1890s, Washington invited Dr. George Wash-ington Carver to head Tuskegee’s agricultural department, where Carver conducted his famous peanut research. St. Elmo Brady received his undergrad degree from Fisk University and later became the fi rst African American to obtain a PhD in chemistry. Thurgood Marshall, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, received his law education at Howard University. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from Morehouse College. Space Shuttle Challenger astronaut Ronald Mc-Nair studied engineering physics at North Caro-lina A&T State University; today, the school’s College of Engineering is ranked one of the best by U.S. News and World Report. The list goes on.

A Bright FutureToday, HBCUs across the country are offering more resources than ever to cultivate their top-notch graduates.

In Nashville, Fisk University is earning top marks for its innovative Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program, which has produced six PhD graduates since 2011 in the physical sciences. The school is also one of the country’s top ten institutions awarding master’s in physics degrees to U.S. citizens of any ethnic background.

Continuing the higher learning trend, last fall, North Carolina Central University intro-duced a PhD program in integrated biosciences, which refl ects the school’s growing research capacity. This ambitious program aims to combat diseases affecting underrepresented populations.

In undergrad news, Georgia’s Savannah State University will launch a new Bachelor of Business Administration degree program in global logistics and international business. The program begins this fall, and is the fi rst of its kind in the state.

Kentucky State University just purchased its fi rst fl oating science laboratory, the “Kentucky River Thorobred,” which will cruise the river and be used to teach students about the water front and water ecology.

With so much happening, it’s easy to see the importance of a support sys-tem such as the National HBCU Alumni Associations.

“These colleges and universi-ties are national treasures,” says Ty Couey, NHBCUAA president. “They are well-kept secrets, and they must be maintained and supported.”

National HBCU Alumni Associations 1846 Bryant StreetWashington, DC 301.537.3917 nhbcuaa.org

The NHBCUAA team is ready to serve.

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Historically Black colleges & Universities

Founded in 1881, Tuske-gee University routinely

ranks among the top HBCUs in the region and nation, and its list of firsts and singular achieve-ments grows longer every year. In 2012 alone, Tuskegee ranked No. 3 in Washington Monthly maga-zine’s top baccalaureate colleges in the country, Princeton Review named the Alabama school one of the Southeast’s best universi-ties, and U.S. News & World Report listed Tuskegee among the top ten HBCUs nationwide.

Its academic programs also get high marks. Tuskegee is the only independent HBCU with four nationally accredited engi-neering programs; the only HBCU with a fully accredited College of Veterinary Medicine, offering a doctoral degree and graduating more than 75 percent of the nation’s African American veterinarians; and the only HBCU with an aerospace science engineering program. Tuskegee consistently ranks among the top ten producers of African American engineers nationwide, and is No. 1 for graduating female African American engineers and awarding PhDs to African Americans in Materials Science and Engineering.

But these achievements come as no surprise to a university founded by Booker T. Washington,

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one of the nation’s foremost African American leaders in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Wash-ington held his first class in a one-room shanty in Tuskegee. Today, his vision spans a 5,000-acre campus with more than 100 buildings. The school’s history is preserved as the first black col-lege to be designated a Registered National His-toric Landmark and the only college of its kind to receive National Historic Site status.

Another Tuskegee point of distinction includes the George Washington Carver Museum, honor-ing the life and inventions of this pioneering

Tuskegee University’s legacy of academic vision and leadership prepares students for success. By Wes Isley

Standard of Excellence

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Clockwise from left: veterinary medicine; andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information science; a winning football program; nursing students

African American scientist and Tuskegee educator. A few of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first

African American World War II fighter pilots, also studied at the university. Following in that tradi-tion of military service, Tuskegee’s ROTC program today produces more African American Flag Officers than any other institution, including the service academies.

As preparation for futures marked by such

distinction, Tuskegee’s approximately 3,000 students must master a core of liberal arts courses. Academic programs are organized into seven colleges: agriculture, environment, and nutrition sciences; architecture and construction science; arts and sciences; business and information sci-ence; education; engineering; and veterinary medicine, nursing, and allied health. Six of these schools offer graduate instruction leading to a ➺

52 AUGUST 2013 usairwaysmag.com


master’s degree and PhD. Tuskegee features nearly 20 nationally recog-

nized centers of excellence, including the Nation-al Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care, which addresses issues of ethics and public policy in health care. As an example of Tuskegee’s

global outreach, its Center for Plant Biotechnology Research trains scientists and students from China and numerous African nations. Current enrollment features students from 30 countries worldwide.

Tuskegee students fi nd numerous learning opportunities that also serve Alabama communi-ties. The National Science Foundation recently awarded Tuskegee $9.9 million to enhance science education for secondary schools located in Ala-bama’s central Black Belt region. “This grant is truly historic and groundbreaking,” says Tuskegee President Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon. “STEM educa-tion and research at Tuskegee has been catapulted to a new plateau.”

The university also teams up with private in-dustry and government agencies. Together, they foster research for improving quality of life and business opportunities throughout the state. Tuskegee collaborates in the Lockheed Martin Innovation Marketplace in Hunstville and works

with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to examine how climate change and other factors affect Alabama commu-nities. “We’re looking at how cutting-edge environmental technologies can allow us to engage with our local and regional communities to en-hance economic development,” says Rochon.

But Tuskegee isn’t all work and no play. The Golden Tigers football program is the only such HBCU program to exceed a 611-win career record, including four consecutive Southern Intercolle-giate Athletic Conference championships.

To preserve its mission of empowering students to compete successfully in any environment, Tuskegee recently established a research founda-tion for raising funds and promoting innovation, and also launched the largest capital campaign in its history. Known as Programmed for Excellence, the campaign seeks to raise $250 million for im-proving facilities, enhancing academic programs, and funding scholarships.

Rochon says the campaign is key to ensuring Tuskegee continues “helping our students unveil the greatness within them.” Setting such high standards is simply part of the Tuskegee tradition, he adds. “Tuskegee University’s illustrious history and distinguished contemporary accomplish-ments deserve a continued and accelerated upward trajectory toward a globally preeminent academic future.”

The National Science Founda-tion recently awarded Tuskegee $9.9 million to enhance science education for secondary schools located in Alabama’s central Black Belt region.

1200 West Montgomery RoadTuskegee, AL334.727.8011tuskegee.edu

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From top: Tuskegee Univer-sity’s White Hall, Army ROTC


The Council of 1890 Universities com-prises HBCUs that are members of the

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), a research and advocacy organization. Participating schools produce talented students, innovative research, and state-of-the-art practices in agriculture and STEM disciplines geared to-ward improving life in rural and high-risk commu-nities. The council supports institutions founded under the Morrill Act of 1890, which extended access to higher education through endowments for the establishment of land-grant universities for blacks — commonly known as 1890 institutions.

The mission of member schools focuses on achieving a safe and plentiful supply of food, fi ber, and water, and the sustainable management of resources and businesses. Collaborative projects include alternative energy, obesity prevention, recapitalizing rural America’s strengths, plus the Minority Male STEM initiative, which provides resources for graduating minority men in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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With an annual economic impact of more than $6.2 billion, Council of 1890 Universities participating institutions produce more than 10,000 bachelor’s degrees, 3,000 master’s degrees, and 600 doctoral and professional degrees each year — many to fi rst-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.

The Council of 1890 Universities advances learning, research, and innovation.

Putting the Land First

History LessonThe APLU Council of 1890 Universities is made up of 20 historically black land-grant institutions located in 17 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit aplu.org.

Alabama A&M University (AL)Alcorn State University (MS)Delaware State University (DE)Florida A&M University (FL)Fort Valley State University (GA)Kentucky State University (KY)Langston University (OK)Lincoln University (MO)North Carolina A&T State University (NC)Prairie View A&M University (TX)South Carolina State University (SC)Southern University System (LA)Tennessee State University (TN)Tuskegee University (AL)University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (AR)University of Maryland Eastern Shore (MD)University of the District of Columbia (DC)* University of the Virgin Islands (VI)*Virginia State University (VA)West Virginia State University (WV)

*Established under the 1862 Morrill Act and recognized as associate members of the Council of 1890 Universities



Since it was established in 1947, Denmark Technical College (DTC) has put the

needs of its students and community first. Located in Denmark, South Carolina, DTC offers a broad range of programs and services from two-year associate degrees to diploma and certificate programs that enable students to find employment quickly.

Under president Joann Boyd-Scotland’s guid-ance, DTC has grown significantly without losing its small campus feel. This open-door institution provides an affordable education to citizens from

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diverse educational and socioeconomic back-grounds. The college has an enrollment of roughly 2,000 credit seeking and continuing education students, and this past spring it saw the largest graduation class in the school’s history with a total of 492 graduates.

According to Boyd-Scotland, the college’s success can be credited to a curriculum that’s designed to meet the needs of local businesses. That way, students can go on to work right in the community. For those seeking professional skills, DTC offers occupational programs ranging from

nursing to computer technology. Students can also pursue a transfer-able associate degree in arts or science as a stepping-stone to a four-year institution.

Denmark also stands out for its student services, which include daily transportation in the surrounding three-county area, and a comprehen-sive food service system. It’s also the only technical college in South Carolina with on-campus residential dormitories.

But education isn’t limited to DTC’s campus. Not only does the school offer distance-learning, it also has a mobile training unit — a mov-ing classroom in a truck. Stephen Mason, associate vice president for the Economic and Workforce Devel-opment program, takes the mobile unit to area schools and businesses

Denmark Technical College: where great things are happening

Community Spirit

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Clockwise from far left: graduates of the practical nursing program; a local high school student in the summer Robot Institute; a student in welding class; DtC’s Carroll Lebby Learning Resources and technology Center



to do on-site training and demonstrations, allow-ing students and workers to get hands-on learning experience without ever walking into a classroom.

Another community outreach effort is Project Lead the Way, DTC’s Dual Enrollment STEM program. Local students attend college and high

school simultaneously, earning credit toward a degree, diploma, or certifi cate. The program has helped students gain useful skills — in the most recent commencement ceremony, high school students from the program obtained welding certifi cates and are well on their way to high-paying careers.

In the summer, middle and high school students have the opportunity to spend two weeks building, programming, and competing with robots. Dr. Ambrish Lavania, dean of the Industrial Related Technologies programs, donates his time, building, and staff to run the Robotics Institute. This program has been so popular that DTC added two new summer programs: the Math Institute and the Science Institute, both aimed at helping children learn about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The hope is that these summer programs will help motivate and inspire young adults to learn more about science and technology.

On the college level, Dr. Lavania’s Electro-mechanical Engineering students have gone on to four-year colleges to pursue engineering degrees, landed internships with NASA, and found local technical jobs.

While career preparation and community outreach are natural for a school like DTC, it has some other, more surprising points of pride as well. One of Den-mark’s best-kept secrets is the

school’s choir. Under the direction of Dr. Yvette McDaniel, the singers perform annually to local, state, and national acclaim. In the past 13 years, the choir has toured the Southeast, Washington, DC, and Jamaica, and performed for notable lead-ers such as South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and president Bill Clinton.

The college also boasts winning basketball teams. As a member of the National Junior Col-lege Athletic Association (NJCAA), the Panthers and the Lady Panthers compete against 36 regional schools. Both teams have performed outstandingly well in their divisions — under head coach Javon Gilliard, the Lady Panthers have recently won back-to-back Conference Championships.

It all goes to show that size isn’t everything. At Denmark Technical College, success means helping individuals achieve their goals inside and outside of the classroom.

The college’s success can be credited to a curriculum that’s designed to meet the needs of local businesses. That way, students can go on to work right in the community.

Denmark Technical College1126 Soloman Blatt BoulevardDenmark, SC803.793.5176denmarktech.edu

The Lady Panthers


There’s a renaissance underway at Ala-bama State University (ASU), one that

is transforming the institution both physically and academically. It’s part of a bold vision for building on ASU’s 146-year history and for ensur-ing continued excellence in teaching, research, and public service.

Two programs — prosthetics and orthotics, and nanobiotechnology — recently joined the roster of degree programs offered through ASU’s eight colleges. ASU is the only university in Alabama to award a master’s of science degree in prosthetics and orthotics, preparing graduates to effectively serve patients through an applied clinical and research curriculum.

A research and exchange program with Chi-na’s Yangzhou University continues to expand thanks to ASU’s leadership in the STEM fi elds. “ASU is a pioneer in nanobiotechnology,” says Dr. Xinan Jao, president of Yangzhou University, adding that the benefi ts of the partnership may

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Clockwise from left: ASU gateway, Professor of Biology Dr. Kenedy Wekesa, new Hornets football stadium

also enhance business collaborations between Alabama and China.

Another partnership between ASU’s Center for NanoBiotechnology Research (CNBR) and the UK’s Aston University will focus on nanotechnol-ogy applications in drug delivery and vaccine development.

Meanwhile, new buildings worth $125 million have transformed the 172-acre campus in the heart of Montgomery, the state capital and birthplace of the modern Civil Rights movement. Projects in-clude the ASU football stadium, boasting 26,500 seats, 20 skyboxes, and a giant, high-defi nition LED display that has Hornets fans swarm-ing to support their team.

With new facilities and new programs, ASU remains committed to providing its more than 5,500 diverse students with a premier institution of higher education. As the school proclaims, “When we teach class, the world takes note.”

With new programs and facilities, Alabama State University aims higher. By Wes Isley

Vision of Excellence

915 S. Jackson StreetMontgomery, AL334.229.4100alasu.edu

They say location is everything. For Bowie State University, a location just

outside of Washington, DC, in Bowie, Maryland, places it in the hub of the nation’s fi ght against cyber-terrorisim, a prime position for students in its top-notch computer science and computer technology programs.

“We are a fi rst-rate, comprehensive university with outstanding programs,” says the university’s president Mickey L. Burnim. “No matter what interests students may have, they can come to Bowie State and succeed.”

Student-Centric Founded in 1865, Bowie State is the oldest histori-cally black university in Maryland.

Today students hail from 36 states and 26 countries. This diverse student body of 5,400 can choose from 23 undergraduate majors and 35 master’s, doctoral, and advanced certifi cation programs.

In addition to computer technology, they are drawn to programs like nursing, bioinformatics, sports management, and digital media arts.

“Our campus strives to be student-centered, focusing on their success,” Burnim says. “Students have great ambitions and here they receive the assistance they need to achieve those goals.”

Cyber StudiesWith so many news headlines about computer hacking and other security breaches, it’s clear that demand is high for workers with degrees in computer science and computer technology. Bowie State is working to meet that demand. The university houses advanced teaching and research facilities



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including a FlexPod, one of the latest computing innovations that has the capabilities of a super-computer in a box the size of two student desks. It’s no wonder that students interested in computer science fl ock to Bowie.

“Through our curriculum, students are trained to build out, manage, and maintain this powerful device,” says Dr. Lethia Jackson, chair of the com-puter science department. “In our Bowie Satellite Operations and Control Center, they get hands-on experience managing satellite data and are ready for internships after their fi rst year of study.”

Bowie State has also been named a national center for academic excellence in information assurance education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

Bowie State expands impact of innovation in computer science and technology.

The Leading EdgeBy Hilary Burns

14000 Jericho Park RoadBowie, MD301.860.4000bowiestate.edu

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Hands-On ExperienceThis year, the university launched a new Educa-tion Innovation Initiative (EI2) aimed at inspiring young people’s interest in science (and in possibly becoming future Bowie students).

To accomplish this, Bowie State is partnering with industry leader Lockheed Martin and the Prince George’s County school district.

The alliance’s lead coordinator, alumnus Traviss Green, graduated in 2001 with a com-puter technology degree from Bowie State and now works as chief technology transition officer at Lockheed Martin.

He credits his alma mater for sparking his interest in computer technology.

“We want to build the future leaders of tomor-

row and we want them to advance the field, not just get the job,” Green says. He adds that students learn best from hands-on experience in the industry.

With this new project, area high school students and Bowie students will work directly with industry leaders to learn about science, tech-nology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. “This is a model we think will be emu-lated across the country,” Burnim says.

the torch of truth stands at the center of Bowie state’s 300-acre campus.

Christa Mcauliffe Residential Community

Though it’s the second-oldest publicinstitution in North Carolina, Fayetteville

State University (FSU) is charting new territory for the 21st century.

Established in 1867 as the Howard School,the university originally trained African American teachers. FSU has grown to include 43 under-graduate degrees, 23 masters degrees, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership. It also offers full-degree programs online and concurrent enrollment to first- and second-year students at Fayetteville Technical Community College. FSU tailors its program to the times — and to its U.S. Army neighbor, Fort Bragg.

FSU is a pioneer in entrepreneurship training for returning veterans. “Wounded warriors need extra support to meld back into society,” says Chancellor James A. Anderson. FSU goes to great lengths to teach its military or former military students how to develop a business idea, write a business plan, and begin to acquire capital.

Spouses can attend, too, thanks to the Entre-preneurship Boot Camp. If establishing a business is a family enterprise, a returning vet doesn’t have to start from square one. A vet’s spouse can enroll in the program to get a head start on the business.

Veterans also benefit from FSU’s nursing pro-gram, where students are not only acing exams with pass rates of 100 percent, they’re also learning alternative therapies such as acupuncture. These therapies figure prominently into the brand-new Collaborative Institute for Interprofessional Educa-tion and Practice, or CI-PEP. Funded with a $1.2



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million grant, the program fo-cuses on vets with psychological, social, or family stressors, includ-ing post-traumatic stress disorder. CI-PEP incorporates acupunc-ture, massage, counseling, and community outreach to help assuage the scars of combat.

Before CI-PEP’s launch in January, FSU was “flooded with calls” about the program, Ander-son says. Today, program demand is so high that the university is considering an expansion.

Bigger and better is the name of the game at FSU. “We have emerged as one of the premier universities in the UNC system,” Anderson says. “We have many unique offerings that reflect popularity among students and where we’re headed in career demand.”

FSU’s School of Business and Economics ranks third in North Carolina, and it’s easy to see why. With a rare accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, FSU attracts the best and the brightest to its faculty. Among them is Edward Stringham, PhD, FSU’s endowed chair for Capitalism and Free Enterprise, and editor of the Journal of Private Enterprise. “He could have gone anywhere,” Anderson says. “But he chose FSU because of the things we’re doing

Ahead of the Class

Fayetteville State University is gaining notice for its unique curriculum. By Nancy Oakley

61usairwaysmag.com AUGUST 2013 61

Clockwise from top left: a student hardat work; researchers focus in the labora-tory; robotics research; entrepre-neurship programs equip returning veterans withjob skills

with entrepreneurship.” FSU’s Department of Intelligence Studies

meets another timely job-market demand.“We’re one of the few schools that has a degree program,” Anderson says. The intelligenceprogram covers everything from cyber security and cyber hacking, to drug traffi cking and emer-gency management. Students also receive a rigor-ous ethics training. “It’s critical,” explains Ander-son. “Decision-making must be ethical and evidence-based.”

Looking to the future, Anderson expects that FSU will continue to build on the successes of these new programs. And the university is literally put-ting money on it. The theme of its fi ve-year Capital Campaign, which culminates in 2017 on FSU’s 150th anniversary, couldn’t be more fi tting: “From a proud legacy to a great, emerging, 21st-century university.”

1200 Murchison RoadFayetteville, NC910.672.1111uncfsu.edu

The bell tower that tops Jubilee Hall isn’t just the focal point of the Fisk University

campus; it’s also a symbol of national progress. When completed in 1876, it became the fi rst per-manent building constructed in the South for the education of African Americans.

Today, this liberal arts school in Nashville continues to ring in the superlatives. Fisk is now the top producer of African American master’s degrees in physics, astrophysics, and astronomy. Alumni earn more PhDs in the physical sciences than African American graduates of any other institution. And for the 20th consecutive year — yes, two straight decades — the Princeton Reviewnamed Fisk in its list of the Best Southeastern Colleges.

The school’s graduates enjoy individual suc-cesses, too. Many alumni have become scholars and leaders in their fi elds. And the university has produced a heaping share of the nation’s most successful authors, politicians, business leaders, and artists. Notable alumni include W. E. B. DuBois, the social critic and cofounder of the NAACP; Dr. David L. Lewis, two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning author; and U.S. representative and Civil Rights leader John Lewis, among others.

That legacy of excellence continues in Fisk’s innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments. In 2010, Fisk won the prestigious R&D 100 — an award often referred to as “the Oscars of innovation” — for its

development of hypersensitive crystals used to detect radiation. It’s the only HBCU to receive the award — and it’s their third win.

It’s clear that despite Fisk’s size (with an enrollment of about 700), the university is an educational powerhouse. In fact, the school credits much of its students’ success



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Clockwise from top: students enjoy one-on-one instruction; research in the lab; Jubilee Hall; the Fisk Jubilee Singers®

to the small environment. More than 80 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-teacher ratio stands at about 9 to 1. That means students receive plenty of one-on-one time with professors, an important resource for young people planning for career paths or for grad school.

More than half of Fisk students will enter a graduate school or professional degree program within a year of graduation — 61 percent com-pared to the 23 percent national average. Fisk’s own grad school partners with Vanderbilt Univer-sity in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program, a joint program in astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science. The program is on track to graduate fi ve PhD recipients each year — ten times the national average for physical science PhD programs.

Life at Fisk isn’t all work and no play. Student

Fisk University celebrates its trailblazing students.

Ringing in SuccessBy Hannah Sherk

1000 17th Avenue North Nashville, TN615.329.8500fi sk.edu


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athletes and fans enjoy an array of sports teams. And campus culture is made a bit richer by the University Choir, Greek life, on-campus art mu-seums, and the celebrated Fisk Jubilee Singers®. The Grammy-nominated a cappella singers were awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2008, the highest recognition for artistic excellence given by the United States government. Recipients are selected for their support of the arts in the U.S.

For visual art, the Carl Van Vechten Gallery features a rotating installation of The Alfred Stieglitz Collection of Modern American and European Art, including works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Demuth, and Arthur Dove.

That’s the legacy of Fisk University: The school offers the inspiration, and the students take it from there.

More Than a First-Class Education



Hampton University, located in southeast-ern Virginia, is a sight to behold with its

waterfront campus and historic buildings. Founded after the Civil War as a haven for freed slaves, its legacy is one of offering a pathway to opportunity and equality.

Today, that path has led to a special niche — an elite private university with more than just a strong liberal arts core. Hampton offers schools of business, pharmacy, nursing, and engineering. But world-class scientifi c research sets it apart. Few other midsize universities offer comparable

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research facilities, research partnerships, and faculty-initiated research projects.

Professors are testing novel ways to treat cancer, developing a fi ber-optic nerve system for artifi cial limbs, and are seen as leaders in particle and nu-clear physics. At the Center for Atmospheric Sci-ences, faculty and students are part of a team that is launching satellites to study global warming and hurricanes. “Hampton University has made great strides in conducting scientifi c research and devel-oping technologies that address major health and global issues,” says Dr. William R. Harvey, the university’s president since 1978.

An astute businessman, Harvey has balanced the school’s budget every one of his 35 years in charge. Enrollment has more than doubled under his leadership to 6,300, and more than 70 academ-ic programs have been introduced, including a host of PhD disciplines. And 26 new buildings have gone up on campus.

Such progress has not been overlooked. Hamp-ton placed among the top Southern universities in the 2013 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

Hampton University blends a supportive environment with exciting research opportunities.

Clockwise from top left:students in an architecture class; conducting lab research; the school’s waterfront setting


When Stan Jackson, an attorney in Aiken, South Carolina, was diagnosed with pros-

tate cancer in 2012, he confronted the problem all new patients face: choosing the right treatment.

“After complications with IMRT [intensity mod-ulated radiation therapy], I decided that proton therapy was the best choice for me,” Jackson says. “Nearly ten months after treatment, I am doing excellent.”

This is the kind of good news that HU President Dr. William R. Harvey foresaw when he pushed to open the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute. In 2010, it opened as the largest freestand-ing proton facility in the world. The institute, which can treat 1,500 patients annually, now serves pa-tients with prostate, breast, lung, brain, head and neck, pediatric, and other cancers.

Proton therapy uses a sharp beam

Bottom: gantry treatment room at the Proton Therapy Institute

Inset: Stan Jackson, the institute’s 400th patient

to pinpoint cancer cells anywhere in the body. The radiation is delivered with such precision that sur-rounding healthy cells are virtually unscathed.

“Published literature is trying to claim that proton therapy is equal to IMRT,” Jackson says. “In my case, it is not. Proton therapy is much superior. They do have equal cure rates but they do not have equal complication rates.”

“When you don’t irradiate the sensitive sur-rounding tissues, you drive down the side effects,” says Dr. Christopher Sinesi, the institute’s medical director. “The prospect of higher cure rates with fewer side effects — that’s what all the excitement is about.”

For Jackson, the excitement is about returning home. “I love to fl y planes and play racquetball on a regular basis, and I’ve even been bicycling frequent-ly,” he says. Thanks to Hampton Uni-versity Proton Therapy Institute, Jack-son can continue doing what he loves.

100 East Queen StreetHampton, VA757.727.5000www.hamptonu.edu

Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute 40 Enterprise ParkwayHampton, VA757.251.6800hamptonproton.org

Targeting Cancer With Protons

Hampton University has one of only ten proton centers in the U.S.

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Howard University, a leader in teaching, service, and research.

A Global Reach

In Haiti, Howard univer-sity students provide dental screenings.

This page: Founders Library. Far right: according to the National science Foundation, Howard university is the leading producer of african american undergraduates who go on to earn doctorates in science and engineering fields.


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Howard University occupies a preeminent place in the landscape of our nation’s lead-

ing universities. Few institutions of higher learning in the U.S. have played such an integral role in the shaping of our nation’s history; championing social change; preserving and advancing African Ameri-can culture; and producing trailblazers in public service, civil rights, science, performing arts, medi-cine, education, and more.

Setting the PaceThe list of alumni includes some of the world’s great minds, such as former Supreme Court Jus-tice Thurgood Marshall, Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Toni Morrison, and the fi rst president of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, in addition to mayors, NASA engineers, television broadcast-ers, U.S. ambassadors, and other leaders in count-less fi elds of endeavor.

Howard has played a major role in shapingthe nation’s post-Civil War history. In the early 20th century, the university fed the renaissance that re-defi ned the African American cultural identity. Decades later, it bolstered the legalframework for the Civil Rights movement ofthe 1960s.

Today, the university extends its reach around the world, while remaining committed to its core values of leadership, excellence, truth, and service. Howard plays an integral role in providing life-saving health care in countries across Africa.

Outreach Through ResearchHoward’s world-class faculty and students areconducting cutting-edge research in the sciences, arts, humanities, education, and communications. Through undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, Howard faculty practice three elements: teaching, service, and research. That formula has transformed students into research scholars, industry-leading professionals, ground-breaking engineers, visionary political leaders,medical pioneers, and award-winning artists.

Howard researchers are at the forefront of their fi elds. Their work addresses today’s most challeng-ing questions about climate, air quality, and envi-ronmental literacy. Their studies also focus on immigration, new media, the ethics of cyber secu-rity, and bringing water to remote desert locations.

They are examining the wonders of medical and biological nanotechnology and searching for

answers about common health disorders.This year, Howard began construction on

a new interdisciplinary facility where researchin engineering, biomedical, and computational sciences will be emphasized. But the heart of the research lies not in the buildings, but in the scholars and students who are hardat work.

For Howard University, service and lead-ership in research are compatible goals that support the school’s historic mission. They are natural partners whose intersection offers untold possibilities and reminds usof our potential as global citizens to shape our world.

2400 Sixth Street NW, Washington, DC202.806.6100howard.edu

Howard researchers are atthe forefront of their fi elds.Their work addresses today’s most challenging questions about climate, air quality, andenvironmental literacy.



Few universities can promise iPads to all incoming freshmen or offer an on-campus

Apple retail store — but Jackson State University (JSU) can and does.

Progressive initiatives like these fuel the school’s record enrollment of nearly 9,000 students. They’re also an example of JSU’s commitment to educating and empowering students of all ages, races, and backgrounds.

To make the iPads available, the school part-ners with the nonprofi t Mississippi e-Center Foundation. JSU integrates the devices into its curriculum and tracks student performance through an intensive two-year study. This iPad initiative is believed to be the largest study of its kind in the U.S., and research shows that using the device does indeed accelerate learning.

While the iPads are for students only, the cam-pus Apple store serves the wider Jackson, Missis-sippi, community. In fact, community service lies at the heart of JSU’s mission to challenge minds and change lives. To cast a wider net, the school boasts fi ve satellite locations in the metro area, plus a new campus in nearby, fast-growing Madi-son that opened in May.

At the school’s ribbon-cutting, Mark Frye, vice president of sales and marketing for Venture Technologies, welcomed JSU to Madison — a move that will allow employees improved access to information technology courses. “This is a great opportunity for our employees to get training,”

Frye says. “We have quite a few who take night classes. This location will be more convenient.”

This type of expansion is yet another way that JSU addresses the educational needs of surrounding communities, particularly for non-traditional students.

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Meanwhile, JSU will soon add a sixth satellite in downtown Jackson, not far from its 200-acre main campus, where $300 million in construc-tion projects include a conference center and new student housing.

These new facilities are built on a competitive academic foundation that includes fi ve colleges offering 43 bachelor’s programs, 36 master’s pro-grams, three specialist-in-education programs, and 11 doctoral programs. JSU’s computational sciences program is top-ranked nationally, and the school is a leading collaborator in the Jackson Heart Study, the world’s most comprehensive re-search project for studying cardiovascular disease in African Americans.

Today’s student body is international and di-verse, with non-black enrollment at 9.6 percent

Jackson State University reaches students through technological innovation. By Wes Isley

Academic Frontiers

Jackson State University1400 John R. Lynch St.Jackson, MS601.979.2121

H. T. Sampson Library


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— making it the most diverse public HBCU in the state. The university has fl ourished since its founding in 1877 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. Set up as a private church school in Natchez, Mississippi, the semi-nary educated newly freed African Americans as ministers and teachers. That commitment to training teachers continued as the school later moved to Jackson and eventually became a state university.

While JSU’s academic programs have expand-ed over the past 136 years, one constant is the school’s nurturing environment, which prepares students to change lives no matter where their dreams carry them. The tools may change — from paper to iPads — but the outcome forever remains the same.

Atrium in theCollege of Business



The liberal-arts school that was founded in Frankfort in 1886 consistently earns

high marks from the Princeton Review, which ranked Kentucky State University (KSU) one of the best schools in the Southeast, and U.S. News & World Report, which places it in the top third among HBCUs.

“For a small school, we come as a surprise to people,” says president Mary Evans Sias. “We do a lot of things.” Among them is a revised approach to student affairs called Student Success. The program features one-stop help with any challenge: It en-sures students have an advocate when problems arise; allows them to see their advisors at least twice a semester; and it offers Internet-connected buses to help traveling student athletes keep up with assign-ments. “Our students are our number one priority,” Sias says.

� KSU has added an MBA program to its curricu-lum and is the only university in Kentucky to offer a fully online Master of Arts in Special Education. The school’s online presence is growing, especially in areas such as agriculture and its internationally renowned Division of Aquaculture. “If I’m traveling anywhere in the world — China, Japan, Ethiopia — they want to talk about aquaculture,” Sias says.

The division is a natural fi t for KSU, which is located near where the Kentucky River runs through Frankfort. “It dates to the early 1980s as aquaculture as an industry began to develop in the South,” says division chair James Tidwell, PhD. KSU became a resource for local farmers, and by 1992 began offering undergraduate courses that now cover a variety of subjects including reproduc-tion, nutrition, water quality, economics and marketing, and fi sh disease.

Small classes, high rankings, and pioneering studies in aquaculture set Kentucky State University apart.

By Nancy Oakley

Big Dreams,Big Results


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Clockwise from left:KSU campus; the school’s concert band; aquaculture; KSU president Mary Evans Sias; statue of civil rights leader and alumnus Whitney M. Young Jr. on campus

“We go from the egg to the plate,” Tidwell jokes. A master’s program followed in 1999. Now the online courses have reached almost 500 stu-dents, and there will be more students coming aboard ... literally. The Kentucky River Thorobred(named after the school’s athletic team) is a new fl oating science lab that will accommodate every-thing from a graduate research project on freshwater mussels to undergraduate classes incorporating Frankfort’s history as a river port. “When you teach history in the context of ecology and agriculture, students see the big picture,” Tidwell says.

And they won’t be the only ones. The Thorobred will be open to school groups, as will the Kentucky River Interpretive Center, opening in 2014. Both boat and center are part of the city’s Riverfront Development Plan, and for Sias, they’re another way of working with the community.

On the horizon at KSU: a doctoral program in nursing with an emphasis on gerontology; the LEED–certifi ed Rosenwald Center for Families and Children that will incorporate nutrition,

confl ict management, communication, and arts programs for children of students and faculty; and an aquaponics program to breed fi sh sustainably.

And more growth will come, thanks to a $12.5 million Capital Campaign that has already raised $4.9 million. President Sias hopes to attract more international students and offer study-abroad opportunities. “When we get students engaged in the community — any community — they become better engaged citizens,” she says. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Offi ce of Admissions400 East Main StreetFrankfort, KY502.597.6318kysu.edu



This private liberal arts college in Atlanta imparts a lifelong love of learning to African American men. By sarah Fauser

The Morehouse Mystique


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Martin Luther King Jr. led the country through one of its most transforming civic

movements. Maynard H. Jackson served as the fi rst African American mayor of Atlanta. Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General, brought national attention to health care disparities. And Shelton “Spike” Lee uses his critically acclaimed fi lms to challenge views of culture. All have helped change the world. All are Morehouse men.

As one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges for African American men, Morehouse College’s rigorous academics and unwavering commitment to community service have led to recognition from U.S. News and World Report, the Huffi ngton Post, and Forbes. The Wall Street Journal rated it a top institution for sending its graduates to the best law, medical, and graduate school programs.

“Surprise is a common reaction when I tell people that 30 percent of Morehouse students major in science and math, particularly consider-ing that the national average is 15 percent,” says J. K. Haynes, David Packard Professor and Dean of Science and Mathematics. “That response is most often followed by the obvious question, ‘Why?’ The answer is equally obvious. Our science and math students relish the liberal arts energy that defi nes a Morehouse education — super-creative thinking skills, problem-solving skills, communica-tion skills, and the recognition that learning is a lifetime joy.”

For the past fi ve years, the college has received $20 million per year from the National Science Foundation, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense for its continued research and education in STEM disciplines. The purpose and goal of the programs are to increase the number of African American men who pursue bachelor’s and advanced degrees in biology, physics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, and psychology.

Luke Yancy, a computer science major who graduated summa cum laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 2011, is one of the many Morehouse success stories. “I currently attend Stanford Uni-versity where I’m pursuing a PhD in biomedical informatics. My studies here are directly infl u-enced by the undergraduate research work I did at Morehouse,” Yancy says. “It was an opportunity that helped me discover and defi ne my concentra-tion on the study of diseases that adversely affect minority populations including diabetes, high

cholesterol, and heart disease. My ultimate goal is to fi gure out why black people and other minori-ties suffer so much more severely in these areas versus majority populations.”

In addition to the Hopps Research Scholars Program — 55 students have graduated from the program — the school’s STEM programs have given rise to the College Cyber Village. This virtual society allows students access to STEM tools and resources; the Public Health Sciences Institute, which partners with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase the knowledge of minority students in the health fi eld; and the Morehouse Nuclear, Materials, Space Sciences Summer Program, which gives Atlanta-based rising eighth through 11th graders a thrilling four-week experience immersed in science.

Morehouse College830 Westview DriveAtlanta, GA404.681.2800morehouse.edu

Above: a sunny day on campus

Opposite page, clockwise from top:Morehouse president John Silvanus Wilson Jr. greets students; a lab class; students continue a discus-sion outside the classroom


North Carolina A&T State University meets the challenges of the 21st century through research and creative scholarship.

Cutting-Edge


Times have changed since North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

(N.C. A&T) was founded in 1891, but the school’s commitment to excellence has never wavered.

A public, land-grant, doctoral-research univer-sity located in Greensboro, N.C. A&T cultivates academic achievement, innovative research, and civic engagement. The university also boasts a strong civil rights legacy as the home of the Greensboro Four — a group of N.C. A&T stu-dents who staged the fi rst sit-in at a Woolworth lunch counter in 1960 — and an innovative, student-centered curriculum.

Students choose from 168 major concentra-tions within 95 baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degree programs spread across nine schools and colleges. Even though the university enrolls more than 10,000, the student-to-faculty ratio is 18 to 1.

Over the years, N.C. A&T has adapted its curriculum and teaching to ensure that students receive an education that keeps them competitive in a changing world. For example, students have the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking research projects in areas such as bioengineering and nanotechnology. The university also encour-ages creative connections with its interdisciplinary programs in sectors as varied as agricultural research, environmental technology, human-machine studies, entrepreneurship and e-business, and more.

N.C. A&T’s long-term mission is to be the institution of choice for high-achieving students, inspired by the university’s outstanding teaching, transformative research, and applied scholarship. At N.C. A&T, the social, economic and global challenges facing higher education are simply opportunities for a 21st-century renaissance.

Points of Pride N.C. A&T has ranked third in research funding

among the University of North Carolina system’s 17 member institutions since 2005. N.C. A&T is the home of the National Science

Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Revolutionizing Biometallic Materials, an $18-million project that’s developing advances in cardiovascular, orthopedic, and craniofacial medicine. N.C. A&T is the leader of this consor-tium, which includes the University of Pittsburgh, University of Cincinnati, and Hannover Medical

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Above: N.C. A&T offers many extracurricular activites. Opposite, clockwise from top left: construction management student; Proctor Hall and Academic Classroom Building; students in a Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering lab; commence-ment; and a greenhouse in the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

School in Germany. The university’s spin-off company, Advaero

Technologies, is a full-function composites com-pany that specializes in engineering, design, mate-rials testing, mold development, and prototyping. Its initial customers are in the aerospace industry.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the College of Engineering in the top third of the Best Engineering Programs and Best Engineering Schools at the graduate level. The college also graduates the nation’s largest number of African American engineers, including the highest num-ber of African American female engineers. The School of Agriculture and Environmental

Sciences is the largest school of agriculture among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It also administers the Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, making N.C. A&T a major partner in a $1-billion biotechnology hub near Charlotte. The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengi-

neering — a collaboration between N.C. A&T and the University of North Carolina at Greens-boro — offers master’s and doctoral degrees and has expanded its research focus areas to include computational nanotechnology. All of the programs in the School of Business

and Economics bear the hallmark of excellence designated by AACSB International, the nation’s premier accrediting agency for business and accounting programs. The school’s Department of Accounting is one of the top producers of African American Certifi ed Public Accountants in the nation.

producers of African American 1601 East Market StreetGreensboro, NC336.334.7500ncat.edu

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A private college with a public missionStillman College

By Lauren Eberle

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usairwaysmag.com AUGUST 2013 77

Located walking distance from downtown Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the Stillman College

campus blends century-old magnolias and Corinthian-capped columns with leading-edge laboratories and NCAA sports facilities.

It is this marriage of old and new — of reverence for tradition and commitment to growth — that attracts Stillman’s vibrant student body and highly credentialed faculty, earning the school lofty rankings among Southern colleges.

Lauded as one of the “most wired” campuses in the nation, Stillman has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a Presbyterian training school for black ministers. But 137 years since its founding, the school’s original mission rings true: to prepare a diverse population for a successful future.

Student enrollment averages 1,000, which means small classes and personalized instruction. This family-like atmosphere boasts a 15 to 1 student-faculty ratio, ensuring that all incoming freshmen receive one-on-one mentoring and curriculums customized to students’ unique learning styles.

And students receive this individual attention from elite professors — 92 percent of the faculty holds a PhD or the highest degree in their fi eld of study. The college offers 17 liberal-arts majors, with standout programs in biological sciences, music and teacher education, and a special emphasis on pre-professional programs in law, medicine, and ministry. Students are strongly encouraged to attend graduate school. In fact, Stillman guarantees that students who successfully complete the requirements of their academic disciplines will qualify and enter their next-level professional school.

But it’s not all about academics at Stillman. Beyond the classroom, the college fosters involve-ment in sports, religion, and the arts. Thanks to a comprehensive NCAA Division II sports program, championship baseball, cheerleading, and dance teams are all popular extra curriculars (and so is rooting on the Tigers and Lady Tigers). Social opportunities include an active Greek-life program, professional clubs, and weekly chapel services.

Most importantly, Stillman strives to make its private, high-quality education fi nancially accessible. The college employs a number of expense-relief efforts, including a textbook rental

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Clockwise from left:Stillman President Dr. Ernest McNealey meets with a group of students; drum majors in the Blue Pride Marching Band; graduates proudly don their blue and gold.

program and easy access to affordable health insurance. The college also guides students through its exceptional fi nancial aid program, which awards more than $10 million in federal assistance and scholarships annually.

Many of Stillman’s recent successes have come about under the visionary leadership of Dr. Ernest McNealey, the college’s fi fth president. He has passionately employed a trio of watchwords — tradition, excellence, and vision — that make up The Stillman Way, encouraging a continuous focus on the intellectual and social potential of its students.

Since taking the helm in 1997, McNealey has also worked to create a “sense of place” for students and faculty, emphasizing cohesiveness of the architecture on campus, the reno-vation of historic buildings, and the quality of facilities and landscaping.

Much like the college’s founders who saw this tract of Tuscaloosa land and envisioned an institution of higher learning, it is this unyielding pursuit of excellence that will continue to spur Stillman into its next successful chapter.

Stillman College3601 Stillman Boulevard Tuscaloosa, AL800.841.5722stillman.edu



Savannah State University prepares tomorrow’s leaders through unique international programs.

A Global Perspective

By Lauren Eberle


Founded in 1890 in a port city rich with history, Savannah State

University (SSU) is known for its striking setting. Spanish moss-draped oaks, an expansive marsh, and historic archi-tecture highlight the lush 201-acre campus. But don’t let the tranquil atmosphere fool you — SSU is also known as a bustling hotbed for international business and innovative research.

“Aside from the breathtaking cam-pus, Savannah State offers market-relevant degree programs that give our students a competitive advantage in the global marketplace,” says Dr. Cheryl Davenport Dozier, SSU’s 13th president.

Highly regarded throughout Georgia’s university system, Dozier’s background in diversity and academia make her committed to advancing the educational goals of the school’s 4,500 students and building on SSU’s legacy. Students select from 26 under-graduate majors and fi ve graduate degree programs in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration, and Sciences and Technology, plus the newly formed School of Teacher Education.

Distinctive programs anchor each of thecolleges. This fall, SSU will launch a newBachelor of Business Administration degree program in global logistics and international business. The fi rst of its kind in the state, this interdisciplinary program will emphasize the impact of globalization on the Savannah region.

In the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, SSU became the fi rst HBCU in the nation — and the fi rst institution in Georgia — to offer a degree major in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, equipping future responders for natural and man-made disasters.

Taking advantage of the university’s natural setting, the College of Sciences and Technology’s prestigious marine sciences program features direct campus access to the marsh, ocean, and wetland areas, as well as a variety of laboratories and boats.

And for students who wish to complement their college degrees with a future in national service, the university has earned consistent honors on the Military Friendly Schools list, thanks to its

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Clockwise from far left: historic Hill Hall, President Cheryl Dozier with students Sanchez Waller and Anthony Hobbs, biology program, 2012 Olympianand SSU graduate Amara Jones

exceptional Naval and Army ROTC programs. Of course, research also takes top priority at

SSU, where grants like the $4 million Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions award enable the university to create state-of-the-art laboratories, develop additional courses, and offer students exceptional research opportunities.

It’s this focus on the pulse of tomorrow that Dozier says will continue to inspire the future of SSU: “We are transforming into a truly global institution. From our diverse international faculty to the more than 50 countries represented by the student body, we are preparing all of our students for the global stage. I always share with students my expectation for them to have a passport before they graduate so they will be ready to take part in our growing study abroad, summer exchange, and internship options.”

This international drive benefi ts not only SSU students, but the broader Savannah community as well. Adds Dozier: “Being located in a port city, we are ready for more global engagement, which will mean more economic development for the region.”

3219 College StreetSavannah, GA912.358.4778savannahstate.edu



It’s a huge advantage in a competitive job market for students to get practical experi-

ence in their chosen fi elds before graduation. At the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), those experiences are the foundation of many of its academic programs.

Founded in 1886, UMES is the state’s histori-cally black land-grant institution. Its mission is to prepare a diverse student body to meet the demands of the American economy via programs ranging from agriculture and mechanical arts to biology and engineering. While the university provides a high-quality education across the board, three areas of study stand out for their unique approach to training the next generation of graduates.

The Taste of SuccessThe Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at UMES exemplifi es

� the term “hands-on.” In addition to time spent in the classroom,

students prepare and serve a weekly, three-course lunch to campus visitors each spring; design business and marketing plans for local hospitality establishments; and annually produce a smorgas-bord and intermission dessert buffet for a three-day dinner theater performance — and that’s just the beginning. Students also arrange an annual scholarship banquet for 500 guests, which attracts big-name celebrities from stage, screen, music, and sports.

“Our objective is to graduate professional man-agers in food service, lodging, or broader areas of tourism and related supportive hospitality ser-vices,” says program chairman Ernest Boger. And it works — UMES alumni work for companies such as Marriott, Hyatt, Red Lobster, and the Walt Disney Co.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore helps students gain real-world experience. By Ivy Lamb

Beyond the Classroom


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Clockwise from left:UMES campus; the Physician Assistant program; Hotel and Restaurant Management; Aviation Sciences

Flying High The university’s Aviation Sciences program offers Maryland’s only bachelor’s degree in the fi eld and preps its students to be pilots and managers, as well as training them in specialties such as electronics and software.

State-of-the-art technology exposes students to experiences they can anticipate on the job. For example, the program’s FAA-approved Modular Flight Deck simulates fl ying more than a dozen types of aircraft. The program also places students in internships with industry partners, giving them even more practical experience and making them attractive to potential employers.

“In addition to the coursework, the various internships prepared me to enter the workforce with a competitive edge,” says alumnus Api Ajavon. “As an airport management offi cer at BWI Marshall Airport, I’ve been working with many state, local, and federal entities to address transportation and emergency-management challenges within the state of Maryland.”

Clinic Ready A physician assistant (PA) is a health care profes-sional licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a doctor. PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel patients on preventative health care, assist in surgery, and can write pre-scriptions in most states.

Acting program chairman Peter M. Stanford summarizes the UMES Physician Assistant Department motto in two words: “clinic ready.” The program’s Clinical Clerkship consists of nine rotations in outpatient and inpatient settings. This full year of experiential training introduces students to what is expected of them when collaborating with other professionals and helps them develop critical decision-making skills.

By the time they graduate, UMES students will have a Master in Medical Science degree that has prepared them to deliver primary health care services to a wide range of patients in rural and urban settings.

Princess Anne, MD410.651.2200umes.edu

Alcorn State University



Alcorn State University is the oldest public historically black land-grant institution in

the United States. From its humble start in 1871 with just 179 students and eight professors, the university has grown to enroll nearly 3,300 undergrads, supported by more than 800 faculty members.

For more than a century, this Lorman, Missis-sippi, institution has educated leaders in the fi elds of agriculture, the arts, business, education, politi-cal science, research, medicine, and nursing.

Alcorn’s 18th president, M. Chris-topher Brown II, has a clear vision for the university’s future. “Our goal is to be known not only as a great HBCU, but as a great university,” Brown says.

That vision is becoming a reality. Today Alcorn is attracting more students than ever.

In 2012, the university celebrated

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Launching Alcorn State as a national model for diversity and inclusion, ESPN profi led the school as the fi rst HBCU in the Southwestern Athletic Conference to hire a non-black head football coach.

the graduation of its largest and most diverse class to date, with more than 833 degree applications. As more students join the Alcorn family, the university continues to update and expand its programs. Recently the school added a master of science in applied science and technology program, where students can earn a master’s level technical degree in a condensed fi ve-year period.

On the athletic front, the Soul Bowl has returned to the Lorman campus. This rich football tradition brought 40,000 fans to campus in Novem-ber 2012 to enjoy the spirited intrastate rivalry between Alcorn and Jackson State.

Above all, Alcorn boasts a distinct identity. On June 13, hundreds came together on campus to dedicate a hero-sized statue to Civil Rights activist and Alcorn alumnus Medgar Wiley Evers (’52).

It is this combination of tradition and commu-nity that helps defi ne Alcorn as a premier univer-sity with a storied past.

You’ll find a great university beneaththe shade of giant trees. By Hilary Burns

Alcorn State University1000 ASU DriveLorman, MS800.222.6790alcorn.edu

Head football coach,Jay Hopson


Founded in 1869 by Methodist missionar-ies from Massachusetts, Clafl in University

envisions being recognized as one of the world’s premier teaching and research universities that prepares visionary leaders with global perspectives. Located in Orangeburg, Clafl in is the oldest HBCU in South Carolina and the state’s fi rst to welcome all students regardless of race or gender.

The school, with some 2,000 students, offers a broad-based education in liberal arts and sciences. Clafl in combines its curriculum with practical internships and other career-focused programs to produce well-rounded students. The faculty’s em-phasis is simultaneously teaching and research.

Such rigor pays off. In recent years, 100 percent of graduates from the School of Education earned state certifi cation and teaching jobs, while 85 percent of School of Business students are em-ployed within three months of graduation. And Clafl in graduates seeking advanced degrees earn their way into prestigious Ivy League programs at

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Clockwise from left:Students and faculty conduct research in cancer, biotechnol-ogy, and other areas; Clafl in’s eighth president, Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, with students; studiesin the Department of Art include com-puter animation and digital fi ne arts.

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown, as well as Duke and Georgetown.

“Students are met with exciting and challeng-ing opportunities at the undergraduate and gradu-ate levels,” says Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, now in his 20th year as the school’s president. “Our nationally accredited programs, dynamic faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities infuse our campus with a unique intellectual character that is unparalleled.”

Character is built outside the classroom, too. Three out of four students participate in commu-nity service and service-learning initiatives, offering more than 54,000 hours of volunteer work to 50 local and regional non-profi t agencies and school districts.

“The 21st century emerges with increasing technological and social demands that will test our students,” Tisdale says. “It is paramount that we prepare them to be global citi-zens, equipped to compete.”

Claflin University produces visionary global leaders with character by engaging them in and out of the classroom.

Real-World Ready

400 Magnolia Street Orangeburg, SC 803.535.5000clafl in.edu



Don’t think for a second that Florida A&M University (FAMU) is limited to its

namesake studies: agriculture and mechanics. While the Tallahassee university has long pioneered those fi elds — along with teacher education — it now offers more than 50 bachelor’s and 40 graduate degrees, including architecture, science and technology, journalism, law, and more.

But what’s quantity without quality? FAMU has that covered, too. The university consistently tops academic rankings. Forbes named it among the nation’s best colleges in 2011, and U.S. News & World Report called the school the No. 1 public HBCU in 2012.

High rankings can be expected from a university that produces 20 percent of African American doctorates in the environmental sciences, as well as the most African American pharmacists and doctorates in pharmaceutical

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Left to right:the Tallahassee campus invites students at all degree levels; the school fosters a rigor-ous research community

sciences. What’s unexpected is the price tag: FAMU is ranked nationally for pairing affordable education with a strong earning potential.

Of course, FAMU’s students are more than a number — they’re world changers. The university is a true pioneer among public research universities, with advancements in renewable energy, nano-medicine, plasma physics, and more. In the last ten years, FAMU faculty and students have developed eight new patents for drugs that fi ght cancer, Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses. And, the Center for Plasma Science and Technology is working to develop solar power through a campus-built reactor — a machine that might one day power entire cities.

That’s the infl uence of a school like Florida A&M University: When students are fostered by a culture of innovation, there are no limits.

Florida A&M University creates student pioneers in research, education, and in their own lives.

Culture of DiscoveryBy Hannah Sherk

1700 Lee Hall DriveTallahassee, FL 850.599.3000famu.edu


Known for its strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathe-

matics, Delaware State University (DSU), ahistorically black university, has become a major player in the national research arena. Increasingly,students are choosing DSU as the educationdestination that will mold them into the nextgeneration of scientists.

With the support of federal grants, DSU has established cutting-edge research centers forneuroscience, optics, mathematics, and chemistry. The new centers give students critical hands-on experience.

For example, optics faculty members and grad-uate students are now assisting NASA with data analysis from its Mars mission. In addition, the state of Delaware has allocated $10 million to help build an optics research building on campus.

Other ongoing research projects representa diversity of fi elds. A DSU-based biotechnology company is developing innovative medicine to combat sickle cell disease. Meanwhile, scientists

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From left: DSU offers hands-on research in key STEM fi elds.

with the College of Agriculture and Related Sciences are working on a revolutionary soilalternative to help conserve the habitat of the endangered sand tiger shark.

Thanks to innovative projects like these and the visionary leadership of President Harry L. Williams, DSU has shattered enrollment records for three consecutive years.

On a global scale, the university’s outreach includes a robust student-exchange program with China and the establishment of an MBA program in Vietnam. Its College of Business is internationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and is one of only 650 business schools worldwide with this distinction.

DSU’s growing success as a premier historically black university will continue to excite current students and inspire others to make it a place where they can fulfi ll their dreams.

Enrollment is up at Delaware State University,thanks to innovative science programs.

Research Magnet

1200 North DuPont HighwayDover, DE302.857.6060desu.edu



A public university founded in 1950 in the Mississippi Delta town of Itta Bena,

Mississippi Valley State University is the nation’s youngest HBCU. Its academic programs and activities are geared to develop future leaders, especially in areas such as environmental health, bioinformatics, automated identifi cation systems, and pre-law, where the school excels.

Mississippi Valley’s 2,500 students are spread among 28 undergraduate programs and nine

graduate programs in education, arts and sciences, and professional studies. Begin-ning this summer, the school has enacted an out-of-state tuition waiver policy that offers a single, fl at-rate tuition for all resident and non-resident students.

“We strive to create a ‘home away from home’ environment and offer the best education possible,” says Dr. Alfred Rankins, acting president. “Our students

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Clockwise from top left: Rice-Totten Stadium, named after alum and former NFL star Jerry Rice; SWAC softball champions; B.B. King in the Recording Studio; students on campus

come from diverse backgrounds and from all over the world, but they have a common goal: a thirst for knowledge and fulfi lling their dreams.”

To help make that happen, and to serve as a catalyst for revitalization in the Delta region, the university received its highest one-year bond allocation in 2011 to launch an aggressive capital improvements campaign. The library, recreation complex, classroom spaces, residence halls, and student union have all been the benefi ciaries.

A member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Mississippi Valley is particularly proud of its sports programs, where it excelsin men’s and women’s basketball and women’s softball. And taking full advantage of its cultural history, the school is home to the B.B. King Recording Studio, the mission of which is to archive recordings of as many Delta musicians as possible and offer state-of-the-art facilities for musicians to develop and record.

In just a few decades since its founding, Mississippi Valley State University has made a name for itself in academics and athletics.

Mississippi Valley State University14000 Highway 82 WestItta Bena, MS1.800.GO2MVSUmvsu.edu

Hope. Dream. Believe.


Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) has a distinct niche in providing academically

rigorous programs with a global perspective grounded in servant leadership.

Founded in 1867, this private institution isa nurturing oasis in the rapidly growing Queen City. With an undergraduate class of about 1,600 and a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1, studentsare guaranteed one-on-one class time in an envi-ronment where they can grow intellectually, cul-turally, and spiritually.

Recently, the university broke ground on a 62,000-square-foot Science Center to prepare students for fi elds in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The new center will expand areas of study such as renewable en-ergy, medical informatics, electronics and cyber security, robotics, analytics, and bioinformatics.

Just last year, Diverse Issues in Higher Educa-tion magazine ranked JCSU’s STEM program 18th in the U.S. for graduating African Americans in computer and information sciences, and 21st in mathematics and statistics.

Rankings aside, these days the university has

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From left:JCSU offers a vibrant campus experience and intellectual rigor.

a lot to brag about: JCSU’s Innovo Laboratory was represented

at the White House Summit on Entrepreneurship. This small business incubator/think tank brings together Charlotte’s business and civic leadersto lend expertise to the city’s most promisingentrepreneurs.

Campus improvements include MosaicVillage, a $25 million development on WestTrade Street. About 300 students enjoy the latest in apartment living amid 7,200 square feet ofretail space.

The Golden Bulls football team has clinched two consecutive winning seasons — a feat not matched since 1972–73.

Students volunteer more than 20,000 hours of community service annually, earning the school a slot on the President’s Higher Education Com-munity Service Honor Roll for the past four years.

Students who experience “The Smith Way” develop the desire to live and learn at their growing edge for a lifetime.

Johnson C. Smith University combines cutting-edge technology with community engagement.

Leading Innovation

100 Beatties Ford RoadCharlotte, NC 704.378.1000jcsu.edu



Morgan State University in Baltimore isall about diversity. Its nearly 8,000 students

hail from every U.S. state and many foreign countries. Its schools and colleges cover the gamut of curricula through business, engineering, and the arts and sciences. It grants degrees from the baccalaureate level to the doctorate.

Founded in 1867, Morgan State is a high-profi le HBCU. It awards more bachelor’s degrees

in engineering to African Americans than any other campus in Maryland. And it regularly ranks among the top 20 schools nationally for awarding graduate degrees to students of color.

Still, diversity reigns as this HBCU strives to serve students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. “About 16 percent of our students at Morgan are non-black,” according to university president

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Clockwise from left:historic Banneker Hall, home to the School of Education; producing smiles (and leaders) every May; among the nation’s leaders in producing young scientists of color

Dr. David Wilson. “The demographics are shifting nationally and internationally, and it’s important for all of our students to be in an environment where they are interacting on a daily basis with students who are different than they are.”

And when Morgan State isn’t bringing diversity to its campus and nurturing it, the university is sending its students and faculty into the world to experience it.

“We have taken the national lead with our historically black college White House initiative with Brazil,” Wilson says. “We have exchange programs with China, Africa, and Australia. And so we understand here at Morgan — as some ofmy colleagues do across HBCUs — that our students must be prepared today to be globally competitive and to understand other histories and other cultures. And we feel that our campus is refl ecting that.”

Morgan State University teaches students the value of varied cultures.

1700 East Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 443.885.3333morgan.edu

Driving Diversity


“North Carolina Central University (NCCU) is the crown jewel in the North

Carolina system of public higher education,” says Chancellor Debra Saunders-White, who took the helm of the 103-year old liberal arts institution this year. A key factor that attracted her to her new post is NCCU’s expertise in turning students into lead-ers in their fi elds, careers, and lives.

Many leaders emerge from the university’s biosciences area. NCCU’s proximity to the Research Triangle has given rise to two centers: the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE) prepares students for biotechnology jobs with experiential learning; the Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) explores the mechanisms of disease and health disparities among minorities.

A fi rst choice for many students is NCCU’s nationally ranked law school, one of a handful among HBCUs and one of only a few between Washington, DC and Atlanta to offer a part-time curriculum. Recently the school expanded its broadband infrastructure through a unique teleconferencing system that better enables law professors and students to interact with other legal

� From left: NCCU’s annual Jazz Festival; the nursing program; a football star runs a play

professionals as if they are in the same room. The system also allows NCCU to offer coursework to other North Carolina HBCUs and provide legal services to underserved communities.

This kind of outreach is fundamental to NCCU’s motto: “Truth and Service.” Students must complete 120 hours of community service by graduation. Last year, students performed more than 200,000 hours. “That translates to $3 million for Durham,” Saunders-White says. Local elemen-tary schools benefi t from the America Reads tutoring program, while would-be homeowners will see permanent housing, thanks to NCCU’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Durham. With the addition of a campus community garden, an advisory board for home-less youth, and starting this fall, a food pantry, the school has garnered a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Equally important, says Saunders-White, community service “teaches us our humanity.”

That explains why this jewel in the crown shines so brightly.

Compassionate service at North Carolina Central UniversityHearts

and Sciences By Nancy Oakley

food pantry, the school has garnered

1801 Fayetteville StreetDurham, NC919.530.6100nccu.edu

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Want to get noticed? Win a big game. Virginia’s Norfolk State University did

just that during March Madness 2012, when the Spartans, in their fi rst-ever appearance in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, beat Mis-souri, 86-84. It was only the fi fth time in history that a No. 15 seed defeated a No. 2.

But standing out is nothing new to Dr. Frances Williams, an associate professor of engineering. She was recognized with one of Virginia’s Out-standing Faculty Awards in 2013 , one year after the

higher education magazine Diversenamed her an Emerging Scholar.

Such are the expectations of Norfolk State University, with its 78 years of his-tory advancing education opportunities in the Hampton Roads region. The univer-sity has taken a leadership role in the area, creating a steady succession of stu-dent scholars, engaged faculty members,

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From left: The university provides research opportuni-ties in cutting-edge fi elds; the recently built library offers a technology-rich study environment; students love the warm and friendly campus.

and community partnerships. For example, the university’s fi fth president, Dr. Tony Atwater, instituted the Spartan Crusade for Academic Success, an educational initiative aimed at prepar-ing elementary, middle, and high school students for college through academic achievement.

On its own 134-acre campus, Norfolk State serves some 7,100 students. Just over a third of the student body is enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts, with nearly as many in the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology. The university, which is a member of the Virginia High-Tech Partnership, also has schools in busi-ness, education, social work, extended learning, and an Honors College.

The pride of the campus is the new Lyman Beecher-Brooks Library that opened in 2012 and features computer labs, multimedia projects and virtual conference rooms, an African art gallery, and an Internet cafe.

Norfolk State University boasts success on and off the court.

700 Park Avenue Norfolk, VA 757.823.8600nsu.edu

A Winning Approach


For more than 135 years, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has served as

the educational foundation for some of the nation’s best and brightest.

Established in 1876 as a land-grant institution, PVAMU is the second-oldest public university in Texas. Today, the school is still committed to its mission of achieving excellence in teaching,research, and service.

The university enjoys a reputation for produc-ing engineers, corporate leaders, nurses, and educators. Its eight colleges and schools boast degree programs in a number of disciplines, such as engineering, natural sciences, and architecture, to name a few. Master’s degree programs are also numerous, including business, education, and engineering. Even doctoral programs exist ineducation, engineering, and juvenile justice.

PVAMU’s dedication to excellence extends beyond the classroom. In addition to the football team’s Southwestern Athletic Conference win in

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Clockwise from left:Cheerleaders rooting for the PVAMU Panthers; president Dr. George C. Wright answers student questions after his U.S. History class lecture; the Marching Storm band performs during halftime at a football game.

2009, the school’s athletic program holds champi-onship titles in women’s basketball, bowling, base-ball, and men’s tennis.

That same demand for excellence reaches beyond the campus into nearby Houston. The state-of-the-art College of Nursing resides in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, where students learn the latest nursing procedures in simulation labs. At the university’s Northwest Houston Center, students enjoy the convenience of a central location combined with offerings in education, nursing, and community development.

“The things that I learned while at Prairie View serve me every day,” says Phyllis Darden-Caldwell, paralegal at law fi rm Vinson & Elkins, and corporate secre-tary and trustee of the PVAM Founda-tion. “I was exposed to new people, learned my craft from accomplished faculty, and gained the confi dence and knowledge I needed to succeed.”

Rich tradition meets bright futures at Prairie View A&M University.

Where Success Is Born

FM 1098 Road & University DrivePrairie View, TX936.261.3311pvamu.edu



What began in San Antonio, Texas, in 1898 as a sewing class for six recently freed

African American girls has transformed into St. Philip’s College, one of the most diverse community colleges in the nation.

Under the dedicated leadership of Artemisia Bowden, the daughter of a former slave who served as lead school administrator for 52 years, St. Philip’s grew from a co-educational grammar school into a high school, and eventually into a fully accredited

junior college. The enrollment is now over 11,000 credit-seeking students and 9,000 non-credit seeking students. Today, St. Philip’s is a comprehensive, multi-campus institution affi liated with The Alamo Colleges, a fi ve-member community college district serving San Antonio. It’s also the only institution in the country designated as

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From left: St. Philip’s entranceway; the library offers students a comfort-able learning environment; the department of tourism, hospitality, and culinary arts prepares students for careers in hospitality

a Historically Black College and a Hispanic Serving Institution.

St. Philip’s offers vocational training in everything from aircraft manufacturing and nursing to culinary arts and occupational therapy, including more than 130 distance-learning courses. Students can choose from more than 85 transfer degrees, including liberal arts, and more than 82 workforce certifi cates. And thanks to the open admissions policy, everyone with a dream has an opportunity to pursue higher education.

As part of its “giving back” mission, St. Philip’s is generous with scholarships — 77 percent of students receive fi nancial aid — with the majority of funding raised through the annual St. Philip’s College Scholarship Golf Tournament.

So whether you’re planning a writing career or dream of managing a political campaign, St. Philip’s is the place to pursue your passion.

Diverse courses and vocational training set St. Philip’s College apart.

Making Dreams Possible

By Hilary Burns

1801 Martin Luther King DriveSan Antonio, TX210.486.2000alamo.edu/SPC


Virginia Union University (VUU) takes pride in its 148-year history of producing

some of America’s outstanding leaders in law, education, religion, and medicine.

“From day one, the Virginia Union brand has stood for stellar preparation of individuals who make a difference in American society,” says VUU president Dr. Claude G. Perkins.

The institution that held its fi rst classes in a former jail for runaway slaves in Richmond, Virginia, has produced numerous trailblazing graduates who would contend for a spot on any “Who’s Who in America” list. Alumni include Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr., founder and pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem; Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, chief of staff to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and the Honorable L. Douglas Wilder, the fi rst elected African American gover-nor in the United States.

The university still embraces the same values and mission today, cultivating outstanding leaders that serve the nation with a Christian foundation. Recent distinguished alumni include Roslyn Brock, the youngest person ever elected chairper-son of the NAACP; Dr. Cora Marrett, deputy director of the National Science Foundation; and Dr. Yvonne Maddox, a deputy director of the National Institutes of Health.

Virginia Union also counts 23 college presi-dents among its graduates. The university has received four presidential citations for its commu-nity service and U.S. News & World Report recently named VUU one of the Best Regional Colleges.

Impressive accomplishments for a school with modest beginnings, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise — today, VUU has transformed into a comprehensive institution that attracts a diverse and international student body.

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Virginia Union University students combine academic excellence and leadership skills to serve their community.

Legacy of Leadership

Virginia Union University1500 North Lombardy StreetRichmond, VA804.257.5600VUU.edu

Virginia Union’s historic, 84-acre campus is a landmark in Richmond, Virginia where (below) VUU students enjoy small classes and a wide variety of majors.



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On November 20, 1865, two former slaves, William Savery and Thomas Tarrant,

made a promise to fi ght for the education of all future generations of African Americans. They felt passionately that education was the only way to guarantee the liberties and privileges that all peo-ple deserved. And because of their determination, a one-room schoolhouse that would later become Talladega College was born.

With a beginning as signifi cant as this, it is no wonder that the college is home to the world-

famous Amistad Murals. These paintings by Hale A. Woodruff depict the heroic resistance to slavery with the fi rst three murals as well as historical moments at the college in the second three. For nearly 75 years, these works of art have hung proudly in Savery

�Clockwise from top:Opening Day at Talladega College panel from the Amistad Murals; top-ranked in science; Tornadoes marching band; President Dr. Billy C. Hawkins with students

Library on the beautiful oak-lined campus, attracting both art enthusiasts and visitors from around the world to the historic district of Talladega, Alabama (amistadmurals.com).

The Amistad Murals stand as a testament to Talladega’s history and progress. Today a private, four-year institution, Talladega provides its 1,200 students with global opportunities in a supportive learning environment. The college has come a long way from its one-room schoolhouse days and was named one of the “Top Colleges for Science” by Peterson’s College Guide. Beyond the sciences, students can choose from 17 majors all grounded in Talladega’s strong liberal arts program.

As Talladega College continues to grow and progress, students and faculty will always revere the institution’s profound history as the fi rst col-lege in Alabama to admit all races and genders through its doors.

Honoring history through the Amistad Murals at Talladega College By Sarah Fauser

627 W. Battle St.Talladega, AL256.362.0206talladega.edu

A Powerful Past


In 1897, in spite of violent threats andarson, 23-year-old Elizabeth Evelyn Wright

opened an industrial school for black students in Denmark, South Carolina.

Less than a century later, that rural high school has evolved into Voorhees College, the fi rst black college in the state to receive full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. But Wright’s pioneering legacy continues to infl u-ence the school’s mission. Voorhees has also been affi liated with the national Episcopal church for more than 80 years.

“My inspiration and vision comes from the founder Elizabeth Wright, and we use this asmotivation to give students an opportunity tomature and learn,” says president Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. “Family-oriented is my choice of words. We provide a community.” Located on a lush, 342-acre campus 50 miles south of Columbia, Voorhees’ enrollment is less than 1,000 students.

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Clockwise from left:founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Menafee; Elizabeth Wright Culture Club’s “Women’s empowerment march”; president Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. with 2012-2013 SGA president Darrius Snow; 2013-2014 student government association leaders

President Sellers says that the small school envi-ronment and individual attention from faculty help students grow and learn. Academic support systems and mentoring programs help students who come from underprivileged high schools.

“We ask our faculty and staff to be dedicated to creating a premiere liberal arts college for those who may need more support,” Sellers says.

Thanks to the school’s liberal arts program with a focus on career preparation, students choose from 16 areas of study, including a training program in cyber security education. In addition, the institution’s emergency management program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is the fi rst at an HBCU in South Carolina. This is further proof that Voor-hees lives up to its motto, “Changing minds. Changing lives.”

Voorhees College’s groundbreaking past translates into a bright future. By Hilary Burns

Cultivating Excellence

481 Porter DriveDenmark, SC803.780.1234voorhees.edu