Three international students will make history Saturday, May 7 as the first graduates of ASU’s microbiology Ph.D. program.

Alabama State University will award its first doctorate degrees in microbiology during its 283rd Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 7.

International students Praseetha Subbarayan (Chennai Tamilnadu, India), Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum (Istanbul, Turkey) and Murtada Taha (Elgeniena, Sudan) completed requirements to receive a Ph.D. in microbiology. They conducted original scientific research under the supervision of the program’s faculty, developed strong experimental design and scientific writing skills, and built a “contemporary microbiological studies knowledge base” that has prepared them to compete across the microbiology fields.

“These three talented new scientists have been rigorously prepared and highly trained through the execution of their original research studies at ASU,” said Dr. Karyn Scissum Gunn, chair, Department of Biological Sciences and graduate program officer/coordinator of the College of Science, Mathematics and Technology graduate programs. “They have tested new vaccine systems, examined ways to use new nanomaterials to deliver drug molecules within the body, and applied cutting-edge technology toward reducing childhood respiratory viruses.”

After receiving their degree, the graduates will continue their research and education, as well as work in the community. Barnum, who has been featured in several prominent ASU advertisements, has accepted an appointment at Emory University as a postdoctoral research fellow. Subbarayan will continue her research on vaccine development against respiratory viruses in collaboration with Dr. Shree Singh and his ASU research team. Murtada is pursuing his interest to serve as a state public health scientist.

“We have been most richly fortunate to have had the opportunity to help prepare them for their futures,” Gunn said.

In the fall of 2008, ASU began offering the Ph.D. program in microbiology. It serves as the University’s first science-based research doctoral program. The ultimate vision of the program is to make essential scientific and societal advancements for the benefit of the state of Alabama, southeast region, nation and global science arena through the operation of a unique new doctoral research and training program. Through the courageous efforts of the plaintiffs in the now landmark Knight v. Alabama decision, ASU was awarded the rightful opportunity to develop high-level academic programs like the Ph.D. in microbiology, the Ed.D. in educational leadership, policy and law, and the clinical doctorate in physical therapy.

Gunn said the doctoral program in microbiology will serve as an important step in the evolution of the University as it thrusts forward as a globally competitive graduate education and research institution of higher learning.

“Every commencement, ASU advances its mission by producing graduates prepared to make meaningful professional contributions within their fields of study,” Gunn said. “On Saturday, May 7, 2011, we will witness a powerful example of the transformation of Alabama State University – this is indeed a great time to be a Hornet.”

An enthusiastic crowd gathered on the Campus Plaza at Alcorn State University on April 28, 2011, at 12 noon to launch the Always Alcorn Annual Fund Campaign. This year’s campaign marks the start of new expectations for students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University.

Alcorn State University 18th President M. Christopher Brown II reiterated the importance of financially supporting the University. “We {Alcorn State University} are engaging possibilities and pursuing excellence. Philanthropy must be an institutional priority. At the start of this academic semester, 78 students could not pay their final tuition balance– every Alcorn student deserves to graduate. Giving to the annual fund helps us seize educational opportunities and achieve excellence.”

President Brown has set the overall campaign goal at $1.1 million. Last fiscal year, which ended June 30, the annual fund closed with $1,090,836, a record-breaking increase of 18.3 percent over the previous year. SGA President Corey Cooper understands that the campaign provides the chance for all to contribute to Alcorn at any giving level. “I only have $5 in my pocket and today, I proudly give it to my University. Every dollar makes a real difference in the life of a student.”

Dr. Alpha L. Morris, honorary chairperson says, “I came to Alcorn with my late husband, Dr. Jesse Morris and graduated in 1952. I have worked as an assistant and associate professor and now serve as the chair of the Department of Social Sciences. This is not about me – it is about Alcorn. Every graduate must give back to the University that has given us so much. Let us stand behind our young and energetic, new president – give today.”

Public gifts and pledges were made during the kickoff with several attendees giving $1000, including the Always Alcorn Annual Fund General Chairperson Ms. Exie T. Griggs Williamson ’55, Rev. Edgar Lewis ’09, Judge Cedric Bush ’03, and Dr. Cassandra Vaughn ’84 who encouraged fellow employees to use her method of giving to the University through payroll deductions, “Have your gift deducted from your check monthly!”

Roman Caple said he went to get his information packet for graduation on Wednesday and was told by school officials that he would not be allowed to attend Sunday’s ceremony due to something he wrote on Facebook in the days following the April 16 tornadoes.

The university reopened three days after the storms amid the hum of chainsaws and the roar of heavy machinery.

Some students balked at the quick turnaround, saying trees, power lines and broken glass still littered the campus, and some dormitories were without power. School leaders said power had been restored to all campus buildings.

College spokeswoman LaToya Sutton said in a press release Friday that Caple made comments on the school’s Facebook page in an effort to disrupt a meeting on campus where Progress Energy representatives planned to speak with students. The college also planned to discuss storm recovery details at the meeting.

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Fire breaks out on Bowie States Campus at 3pm on the 1st floor of resident building Christa McAuliffe Residential Community. Students were asked to evacuate the resident building by  alarm. Thanks to the Residents staff at (CMRC) informing students of the fire, no students were hurt, although there were privious fire drills in the past which raised questions of it being an actual fire or a fire drill.

No news on how the fire started but Its be explained that the fire started on the first floor of one of the resident halls close to the lobby.

By HBCUBuzz Staff

(Bowie, Md.)-Bowie State University’s Henry Wise Wellness Center will coordinate with the organization, Every Girl Can, in holding the 4th Annual “Smart Image” Conference: Healthy Body, Healthy Image Saturday, May 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Center for Learning and Technology on campus. The conference, a pre-Mother’s Day event, will include inspirational and motivational presentations from experienced professionals in the fields of psychology, education, personal image, etiquette, civility, social work, nutrition, wellness and fitness. The keynote address will be delivered by Prince George’s County District Court Judge, DaNeeka V. Cotton.

Workshop topics include cooking easy healthy meals, fitness and health, skin and hair care, civility (table etiquette, etc.), holistic weight management, and mother daughter walk and talk. In addition, one workshop will involve making dresses for girls in Haiti and Jamaica by using pillow cases and trimmings. Panel discussions will address areas such as raising girls to have a healthy body image and helping daughters build strong character, civility, kindness and respect.

Following the workshops offered before lunch, the girls and women accompanying them will be treated to an afternoon of high-spirited fun with health and fitness coach, Adrienne Corder from Corder, Pounders Youth and Family Wellness. A special highlight of the conference will be the surprise appearance of a Sony Music, Columbia Records, teen girl recording artist who is scheduled to bring a special message to the girls about the importance of a healthy body image.

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A group of students are developing a “biology cannon” that will take aim at the question of whether x-rays are more harmful to human DNA in the zero gravity of outer space than they are when exposure takes place on earth.

The Rad-Panther team picked for the NASA Minority Innovation Challenges Institute (MICI) Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program will travel to Johnson Space Center at Clear Lake in June for pre-flight examinations and evaluations. From there, they will move to nearby Ellington Air Force Base to assemble their experiment aboard NASA’s Weightless Wonder, a highly modified Boeing 727, and prepare for a series of roller coaster-like flights over the Gulf of Mexico that simulate zero gravity.

Dr. Brad Gersey, lead researcher with the NASA Center for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) at PVAMU, said the focus of the experiment is to develop, build, test and fly a device capable of performing radiation biology exposures to human cell cultures during atmospheric or space flight missions.

The five-member flight team will load their prototype cannon with both biological samples and an ultraviolet-C radioactive source into a sealed metal tube affixed with a shutter system to allow precise-time irradiation of samples only during the period when the flight parabolas are in a microgravity-producing trajectory. Another device called a Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) will be flown alongside the cannon in order to quantify the ambient radiation dose and ensure such radiation is not large enough to confound experimental results.

Undergraduate flight team members for the June 16-25 experiment are junior Jordan Fuchs, team lead, electrical engineering; senior Camille Smith, co-lead, chemical engineering; junior Melanie Price, electrical engineering; junior Demarcus Briers, biology; and junior Christopher St. Julian, electrical engineering.

PVAMU is one of just 14 minority serving institutions and community colleges nationwide participating in the MICI reduced gravity project. CRESSE, a NASA University Research Center, is home to some of the nation’s leading radiation scientists.

SC State University’s police chief, Michael Bartley, was recently the recipient of the SC Criminal Justice Award. Bartley, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, received the award recently at the South Carolina Victims Assistant Network’s conference in Columbia. The award is bestowed upon a member of the criminal justice system who has exemplified true advocacy on behalf of crime victims. Bartley was the only law enforcement officer in the state to receive this year’s honor.

“This is truly a blessing,” says Bartley. “This is the culmination of not solely my hard work but of the efforts of the SC State University Police Department staff as well.”

Bartley’s qualifications for this prominent award are evident. A graduate of Grambling State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice, he was promoted to chief of the SC State University Police Department in October 2010. His previous experiences in law enforcement run the gamut from line deputy and special services deputy, to narcotics investigator and a member of the bloodhound tracking team with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in Columbia, S.C. Bartley also worked with the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office as captain of Uniform Patrol/Community Services and commander of the SWAT Team. He also served as a member of the Orangeburg County Homeland Security Task Force. This is also not Bartley’s first stint at SC State. In 1996, he worked as lieutenant of Operations/Administration for the University. He later served as major and then as interim chief of police.

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