(NSU NEWSROOM—Dec. 7, 2015)—Norfolk State University’s Office of Procurement Services recently won two Xcelerator Awards from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of General Services at the agency’s annual procurement forum in Richmond.
The department received group awards for collaboration and Eugene Anderson, NSU’s Director of Procurement Services, was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award. The collaboration award was a result of a project between Procurement Services and 13 graphic design students who helped create original artwork in a renovated office space.
According to the Department of General Services website, the Collaboration Xcelerator Award recognized a procurement team that successfully worked with another function from the same organization or with an external agency or supplier to deliver a successful project or initiative.
The students, from NSU’s Division of Fine Arts, created an original mural in the Procurement Services office, located inside Harrison B. Wilson Hall. The design features silhouettes of two heads facing each other with gears that appear to come out of both heads. On an adjacent wall, the word “PROCUREMENT” appears above and features several detailed gears and another silhouette along the wall.
Anderson said the idea for the project came from Cynthia Colvin, an office manager in procurement services at NSU. He said Colvin worked with faculty from the Division of Fine Arts and helped organize the project with students. Anderson said he and the procurement services staff are pleased with the design and they’ve had plenty of visitors from across campus who have come in to look at the display.
“This project allowed students and faculty an opportunity to create a concept, then convert the concept into reality,” Anderson said. “This gave our students on the job type training that will help better prepare them for corporate and governmental opportunities in the art field.”
The students who participated in the project included: Delonte Allen, Keon Baker, Fianna Bell, Kichara Davis, Floyd Garner, Quiana Hairston, Rebekah Lewis, Isaiah Lundy, Kenyonna McDaniel, Kemonte Shelton, Andrea Wilson, Johnell Green and Demetre Ferrell.
The students who participated in the project included: Delonte Allen, Keon Baker, Fianna Bell, Kichara Davis, Floyd Garner, Quiana Hairston, Rebekah Lewis, Isaiah Lundy, Kenyonna McDaniel, Kemonte Shelton, Andrea Wilson, Johnell Green and Demetre Ferrell.
While Anderson said he was humbled to receive the Career Achievement Award at the event, he said the true pleasure was working with Norfolk State students and helping to educate them about procurement.
“Our staff enjoyed meeting with the students and describing what we do,” Anderson said. “After all, procurement is not a subject that people talk about around the dinner table. But it is an area that supports all departments on campus.”
