Nobel Prize Winner in Physics to Visit FAMU

Nobel laureate Jerome Friedman, Ph.D. will keynote a series of lectures for the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Department of Physics on Thursday, February 21, at 4 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium.

Friedman is also scheduled to tour the facilities at the Humphries Science Research Center located on Martin Luther King Blvd.

“Dr. Friedman has generously offered his time to come and speak with us at FAMU,” said Ray H. O’Neal, an associate professor of physics at FAMU and the faculty member that invited Friedman to speak on campus. “His work from which he was awarded the Nobel Prize was a significant step in the foundation of the modern theory of the structure of matter, also known as the standard model.”

O’Neal, a former student of Friedman, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where Friedman was his undergraduate thesis advisor. According to O’Neal, the National Science Foundation Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) Center for Astrophysical Sciences and Technology (CAST) grant is sponsoring Friedman’s trip to FAMU.

About Jerome Friedman
A Chicago, Ill. native, Friedman developed a strong interest in physics after having read Relativity, by Einstein when he was only in high school. Friedman attended the University of Chicago on full-scholarship, where he obtained his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. After receiving his Ph.D., Friedman continued working as a post-doctorate at the University of Chicago nuclear emulsion laboratory, which was then led by Valentine Telegdi.

In 1980, Friedman became director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science at MIT and then served as head of the Department of Physics from 1983 to 1988. During that time, he held several administrative positions and he managed to maintain a foothold in research, which greatly eased his transition back to full-time teaching and research in 1988.

In 1990, Friedman, along with collaborators Henry W. Wendell and Richard E. Taylor, was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his pioneering investigations concerning deep inelastic scattering of electrons on protons and bound neutrons, which have been of essential importance for the development of the quark model in particle physics.

Friedman was a member of the Board of the University Research Association for six years, serving as vice president for three years. He is currently a member of the High Energy Advisory Panel for the Department of Energy and also chairman of the Scientific Policy Committee of the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory.

Friedman is married to Tania Letetsky-Baranovsky, and has four adult children, Ellena, Joel, Martin, and Sandra.

Norton Museum of Art Unveils Rarely Seen Artistic and Historical Treasures of FAMU Alumni Bernard and Shirley Kinsey

On April 19, 2008, the Norton Museum of Art will open an extensive exhibition drawn from the artistic and historical treasures collected by California residents and Florida A&M University alumni, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey. In the Hands of African American Collectors: The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey presents the journey of the Kinseys as they embrace and acquire art and artifacts. From rarely seen slave owners’ documents and brilliant expressions in paint, to glimpses into private eighteenth and nineteenth-century lives, the Kinsey Collection reflects a rich cultural and historical heritage which they hope to preserve for future generations.

The exhibition will remain at the Norton Museum of Art located at 1451 S. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, Fla. through July 20, 2008.

“Art is precious, but historical documents are rare,” said Bernard Kinsey.

Personal Treasures includes works of art by important African-American artists such as Henry O. Tanner, William H. Johnson, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett and Sam Gilliam; as well as historical documents and artifacts of Phillis Wheatley, Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Alain Locke and Malcolm X. When viewed as a whole, the 90 plus objects reveal important aspects of American history and culture.

“To have members of our own community develop and share with us their outstanding collection of African-American art and historical pieces is extraordinary,” said Christina Orr-Cahall, director of the Norton Museum of Art. “We are most grateful to Bernard and Shirley Kinsey for letting us learn through seeing some of the incredible achievements of African Americans in the last four centuries. Each and every one of us of us should make certain that we take advantage of this experience.”

Graphic Communication Division Recommended for Reaccreditation

Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Division of Graphic Communication has been recommended for reaccreditation by a site team for the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc. (ACCGC).

“This is great news and quite an honor,” said James Hawkins, dean of the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC). The ACCGC is the “platinum standard” for collegiate graphic communication programs and only three programs have been accredited nationally.”

In addition to FAMU, Ferris State University and Cal Poly State University are the other universities that have met the rigorous standards.

Arvid Mukes, SJGC associate dean and director of the division of graphic communication, said the positive recommendation “indicates we’re providing the type of program that serves the graphic communication and printing industry well.”

Mukes also serves on the board of directors for the ACCGC.

The FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication was founded in 1982. Its Division of Journalism was the first journalism program at a historically black university to be nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. It offers four journalism sequences: newspaper, magazine production, broadcast (television and radio) and public relations. The Accrediting Council on Collegiate Graphic Communication accredited the Division of Graphic Communication in 2002. It offers four major tracks: graphic design, printing production, printing management and photography.

School of Nursing Secures $150,000 SUCCEED Grant

Delores Lawson, associate professor and coordinator of undergraduate programs at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) School of Nursing, has, with the help of Ruena Norman associate professor in the School of Nursing, secured the $150,000 SUCCEED grant for a second year.

Last year’s grant, totaling $300,000, was secured by Norman and had a significant positive impact on the School of Nursing undergraduate program. According to Lawson, the grant will help to expand the nursing program at FAMU and address the need for Florida to produce more minority nurses.

“With SUCCEED project funds, the School of Nursing is able to admit 20 additional undergraduate students without negatively impacting the current program, through the use of clinical simulations, web-enhanced instructional delivery and a comprehensive multifaceted retention/remediation program,” Lawson said. “The project will assist to produce more baccalaureate prepared registered nurses.”

An initiative sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, the SUCCEED grant has a primary purpose to increase the capacity of undergraduate programs at public and private postsecondary educational institutions in order to produce more nurses to enter the workforce in Florida.

According to Lawson, national projections predict a need for more than 1.2 million new and replacement registered nurses within the next six years.

“The need to increase the workforce in Florida is acute and poses a direct threat to the quality of services provided in its medical or healthcare systems.” said Lawson.

Ngozi Ugochukwu Receives 2007 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award

Ngozi Ugochukwu, who is an associate professor of chemistry in the Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Arts & Sciences and the 2006-2007 Advanced Teacher of the Year Awardee, is the recipient of the 2007 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award for her “outstanding contributions to the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program.”

“I am highly honored to have this award which represents the collaborative efforts of my graduate and undergraduate students and I working mutually on our research projects on diabetes, obesity and congestive heart failure,” said Ugochukwu. “Moreover, I am elated by the recognition that this brings to the Department of Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences and Florida A&M University. I thank Florida A&M University for the opportunity to promote my discipline through teaching, research and public service.”

The William R. Jones Awards Committee awarded Ugochukwu the Outstanding Mentor Award after reviewing one of her student’s nomination application.

“Dr. U., as we all affectionately call her, can be characterized by three little words: passion, commitment and excellence,” said Cynthia L. Figgers, who has known Ugochukwu for five years. “Ugochukwu illustrates a superior quality of excellence. She is a very caring, diligent, thorough and demanding professor who pushes her students to work hard to reach their highest potential. She not only pushes them to work hard, she leads by example.”

Established in 1984, the Florida Education Fund's McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program has increased the number of African Americans who have been awarded the Ph.D. in historically underrepresented, crucial disciplines and fields of study where African Americans have not historically enrolled and completed degree programs.

CEO and “Apprentice” Winner to Speak at FAMU Workshop

Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) will feature Randal D. Pinkett, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners and season four winner of NBC's "The Apprentice" with Donald Trump, as the keynote speaker at the “Inventure to Venture” Technology and Entrepreneurship Workshop scheduled for Friday, February 29, 2008. The workshop is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. until 4:15 p.m.

The daylong "technology bootcamp" is designed to empower the academic community with the knowledge and resources of how to commercialize their innovations, while connecting them to the local technology business community.

“The School of Business and Industry is excited to take the lead in establishing multidisciplinary partnerships to create a campus-wide environment at FAMU that supports entrepreneurship and innovation and encourages creativity, experimentation and cross-functional collaboration,” said SBI Dean Lydia McKinley-Floyd.

There is a registration fee of $10 for students; $20 for faculty, staff and alumni; and $40 those in the business community any others interested in attending. The fee will cover the participant guide, lunch and a continental breakfast. Interested individuals may register at www.invention2venture.org.

Sponsors for the event include FAMU’s School of Business and Industry, Office of Technology Transfer and Small Business Development Center; Economic Development Council of Tallahassee/Leon County; and the Leon County Economic Development Council.

“There are over 2000 universities in the United States with entrepreneurial programs; however, very few are offered at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs),” McKinley-Floyd said. “It is our ardent desire to facilitate the development and sustainability of viable new business enterprises that transform our communities and bring wealth accumulation and economic viability to Tallahassee and the Big Bend area.”

About Pinkett
Randal Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and community servant. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a multimillion dollar, management, technology and policy consulting services firm based in Newark, NJ, that works with corporations, government agencies and philanthropic organizations. BCT Partners is a minority-owned and operated company and one of the leading firms in the country with expertise in the following industries: housing and community development, economic development, healthcare, human services and education.

Pinkett was also named the winner of NBC’s hit reality television show, The Apprentice, with Donald Trump. He was selected as one of 18 candidates chosen from among 1 million applicants to compete for the opportunity to run one of Donald Trump’s companies. During his first year, he was responsible overseeing both renovation and information technology projects for Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ. Since then, Pinkett has maintained a role with the Trump Organization as a boardroom advisor on The Apprentice, national spokesperson for the Trump Institute and faculty member for Trump University.

Prior to founding BCT Partners, Pinkett gained corporate experience as a member of Technical Staff at General Electric, AT&T Bell Laboratories, and Lucent Technologies. He holds five degrees: a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Rutgers University; a master of science in computer science from the University of Oxford in England; a master of science in electrical engineering; a MBA; and a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Pinkett has received numerous awards: the National Society of Black Engineers’ National Member of the Year, NCAA Academic All-American, and has been recognized by USA TODAY newspaper as one of the top 20 scholars in the country. Also, he has been featured on nationally televised programs such as The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, Nightline and Larry King Live. He is a brand ambassador for Verizon Communications and Outback Steakhouse, and a spokesperson for Autism Speaks; National Black MBA Association; Miller Urban Entrepreneurs Series; New Jersey Reads; and Junior Achievement of New York. Most notably, Pinkett is a Rhodes Scholar, and was the first and only African-American ever to receive this prestigious award at Rutgers University.

He is the author of Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur’s Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business and No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash. His forthcoming book, Black Faces in White Places, chronicles his experiences as well the experiences of his college roommate, Jeffrey Robinson, as African Americans who have successfully navigated predominantly white institutions.

He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., as well as a member of the board of directors for the New Jersey Public Policy Research Institute (NJPPRI), the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (N-TEN), and the Institute for Innovation in Government Technology (IIGT), and the board of advisors for the Community Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet).

Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Pinkett attends First Baptist Church in Somerset, NJ, where he resides. He is happily married to his wife, Zahara, and they are both proud parents of their daughter, Amira. He firmly believes that “to whom much is given, much is expected,” so throughout his endeavors, he places great emphasis on his desire to give back to the community.

Charles Ervin Appointed to Board of Directors for the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers

Governor Charlie Crist recently appointed Charles P. Ervin, Jr., chair of the Department of Secondary Education, to a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc. (FFMT). The FFMT board is appointed by Florida's Governor and commissioned to oversee the administration and management of the multimillion dollar Florida Minority Teacher Education Scholarship (FMTES) program.

"It is an extreme pleasure to assist in advocating and helping to eliminate the approximately 22,000 shortage of teachers in Florida, and more importantly to increase diversity and quality of the teachers in public education in the state of Florida, through the FMTES program,” said Ervin.

There are currently 35 FAMU teacher education students who receive $2,000 per semester under this scholarship program. The program funds approximately 635 scholarships at colleges and universities statewide.

Ervin was also reappointed to a three-year term of membership to the Board of Directors of the Big Bend Homeless Coalition to help eliminate homelessness and enhance the education of homeless children and families in the Big Bend Community.

FAMU Students Call the Shots at PRodigy PR Firm

In the Florida A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) on any Monday night, one may find 40 to 50 public relations majors crowded into room 1003 where they handle the business of the PRodigy Public Relations Firm.

“The weekly business meeting begins promptly at 7 p.m.,” said Professor Gina Kinchlow, a visiting assistant professor in public relations and faculty advisor for the PR firm. “I call each meeting to order and the first thing I like to say to students is that PRodigy is not a club.”

Kinchlow says the business of public relations is tough, competitive work and students need to be regularly reminded that joining PRodigy means doing the work that PR professionals do.

The student-run, campus-based, all-volunteer company’s mission is to provide real-life, hands-on training and experience for students who are full-time public relations majors by allowing them to manage the company and provide a menu of services to clients.

First created in the late 1990s, PRodigy’s associates worked with clients such as Florida’s anti-tobacco campaign and the Artists in Bloom Festival. With the departure of the group’s faculty advisor in 2003, the company shut down and remained dormant until the spring of 2006 when Kinchlow, at the request of then Division Director Kim Godwin, assumed advisor duties.

“We held a meeting one evening during the spring 2006 semester just to see if anyone was interested,” says Kinchlow. “There was standing room only with more than 75 students showing up, a definite sign that the PR majors were ready to rev up the business again.”

“From the moment I stepped foot in the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication I began hearing from alumni how the Prodigy PR firm helped mold their public relations skills and how those skills gave them a competitive edge in their professional career,” said Kristin Taylor, a senior public relations student from Chicago, Ill. “Professor Kinchlow has done an outstanding job of guiding her associates as they apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to successfully developing and implementing strategic communication initiatives that solve their clients’ communication needs.”

By August of 2007, the PRodigy associates had taken on their first customer, the Florida Citrus Sports, the non-profit membership organization that handled the marketing of the 2007 Florida Classic football game between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman University. That same semester the company also designed and managed the publicity and promotional work for the Gordon Parks “Crossroads” Exhibit and opening reception. Additionally, they promoted the Student Documentary Night, an event that showcases the film work of senior broadcast students at FAMU.

On February 18, 2008, the student associates, who run the PRodigy Public Relations Firm, will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. in the SJGC Gallery where they will unveil their new branding and announce their newest clients and initiatives. Other activities for that week will include a fundraiser and a service project with one of the middle schools or high schools in Tallahassee’s south side community.

For more information about PRodigy and the company’s services, please call faculty advisor Gina Kinchlow at (850) 412-5389.

Office of Black Diasporan Culture Sponsors African Caribbean Concert

The New York based Ase (as-shay) Dance Theatre brings the music, song, and dance of the African Diasporan experience to Florida A&M University’s Lee Hall Auditorium on February 15, at 8 p.m.

Led by award- winning choreographer Adia Whitaker, Ase is the featured guest artist for the Annual African Caribbean Concert produced by FAMU’s Office of Black Diasporan Culture and co-sponsored by FAMU’s Office of Student Activities and the 37th FAMU Student Senate.

Ase Dance Theatre is a professional neo-folkloric performance ensemble that is made up of freestyle dancers/spoken word artists, and musicians. Since 2000, ASE has presented work that links modern dance, original vernacular movement, and traditional dance theater from the African Diaspora to conceptual ideas in the human experience.

The concert will also feature poet Saddi Khali and the FAMU Rhythm Rushers, a Bahamian Junkanoo Group. Khali has appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and has performed across the world for the last 15 years.

Tickets for the concert may be purchased at the FAMU Ticket Box Office located on the Set the night of the show. The show is free for FAMU students and children under 12; $8 for general admission; and $5 for senior citizens and non-FAMU students. Group and advance tickets may be purchased through the Office of Black Diasporan Culture by calling (850) 412-7525.

For more information contact La Toya Davis-Craig at (850) 412-7525 or via email at toyadavis@aol.com.

Bishop Eddie Long and Attorney Willie Gary are the Keynote Speakers for the 2008 Spring Commencement

Florida A&M University has scheduled the 2008 Spring Commencement for April 27, 2008. The Schools and Colleges graduating at 9 a.m., where Bishop Eddie Long will be the keynote speaker, are:

- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of Education
- School of Architecture
- School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC)
- Environmental Sciences Institute

The line of march will commence at 8:40 a.m. and doors will open for the public at 8 a.m.

The Schools and Colleges graduating at 2 p.m., where Attorney Willie Gary will be the speaker include:

- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (COPPS)
- FAMU/FSU College of Engineering
- College of Law
- College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture (CESTA)
- School of Business & Industry (SBI)
- School of Allied Health Sciences
- School of Nursing

The line of march will commence at 1:40 p.m. and doors will open for the public at 1 p.m.

About Bishop Eddie Long

A native of North Carolina, Bishop Eddie L. Long received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Carolina Central University and a master’s of divinity degree from Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center. Additionally, Long received honorary doctorates from North Carolina Central University, Beulah Heights Bible College of Atlanta and the Morehouse School of Religion. Bishop Long earned a Ph.D. in pastoral ministry from the International College of Excellence, an affiliate of Life Christian University in Tampa, Fla.

The visionary and leader for New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Bishop Long first served as pastor in 1987 for a congregation consisting of just more than 300 members. Since his installation, New Birth’s membership has quickly multiplied to well over 25,000.

Bishop Long is revered locally, nationally and internationally as a dynamic man of vision, leadership, integrity and compassion. In addition to his commitment to New Birth Missionary Baptist Church as senior pastor, Bishop Long also serves on an array of boards including: vice chair of the Morehouse School of Religion Board of Directors, former member of Board of Visitors for Emory University, member of Board of Trustees for North Carolina Central University, member of Board of Trustees for Young Life, member of Board of Trustees for Fort Valley State University, member of Board of Directors for Safehouse Outreach Ministries, and honorary member of 100 Black Men of America. In 2006, he was honored to be unanimously appointed to serve as co-chair for the DeKalb Police Alliance—a non-profit organization that enhances the lives and families of men and women serving as licensed officers. In 2006, Bishop Long was unanimously appointed as vice chair for the Board of Trustees for Beulah Heights Bible College. In 2007, he was appointed as chairman of the Board of Trustees for Beulah Heights, which would obtain university status that same year.

About Attorney Willie Gary

Once a migrant worker, Gary has overcome a lifetime of obstacles to become one of the most successful trial attorneys in the nation. In addition, he is the chairman of the Black Family Channel, the nation’s only African American owned and operated 24-hour cable TV network. Gary, who is best known in legal circles as “The Giant Killer,” is noted for taking on some of America’s most powerful corporate giants and winning billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients.

One of 11 children of Turner and Mary Gary, he was born July 12, 1947, in Eastman, Ga., and raised in migrant farming communities in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. His unwavering desire to earn a college education ultimately led him to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Gary went to North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina where he earned a juris doctorate in 1974.

Gary is known as a businessman, churchman, humanitarian and philanthropist who is deeply involved in charity and civic work. He is committed to enhancing the lives of young people through education and drug prevention. Gary is a member of numerous business associations including the National Bar Association, the American Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers Association, Martin and St. Lucie County Bar Associations and the Million Dollar Verdict Club.

In 1994, he and his wife, Gloria Gary, founded The Gary Foundation, which provides college scholarships, direction and resources to students so they may realize their dreams of achieving a higher education. The Gary’s have donated millions of dollars to help historically black colleges and universities – including $10 million to his alma mater Shaw University.

President James H. Ammons will Host the President’s Forum

New anchors selected for FAMU TV-20’s Live at Five Newscast

Four new anchors and an alternate have been selected for Florida A&M University TV-20’s Live at Five Newscast. The news anchors are Ashley Carnegie, a senior broadcast journalism student from Bradenton, Fla., and Brittney Terrell, a senior broadcast journalism student from Atlanta, Ga.

The live newscast will air at 5 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and “Week in Review” featuring students in the advanced TV news class will air on FAMU-TV 20 at
7 p.m. on Fridays.

“My position as one of the main news anchors is important to me because it gives me a chance to challenge myself, be creative, and report news that will be beneficial to people,” said Terrell. “I know that if I do the work I love and it completes me, the rest will come.”

Oldine Monestine, a senior broadcast journalism student from Miami, was selected as an alternate anchor.

“This symbolizes the start of my journey to success,” Monestine said. “Television has power as many people are influenced by what they see and hear. If I can utilize that power to make people care about important issues, real issues, factual issues, then my purpose in life will be fulfilled. My ultimate dream is to be the face of Caribbean television where I can help people of Caribbean descent, especially Haitians, receive pertinent news that is relevant to them.”

Senita McRae, a senior broadcast student from Atlanta, will be the weather anchor. Alexis Blackwell, a senior broadcast student from Fayetteville, Ga., will serve as the sports anchor.

Broadcast journalism students this semester also will debut a news magazine show entitled “Paradigm” under the direction of Kenneth Jones, an associate professor and award-winning filmmaker.

“It’s a more in-depth, investigative show about news issues including the Florida Presidential Primary on January 29,” said Jones.

The show’s producer is Brent Hatchett, a broadcast journalism student from Detroit. FAMU student anchors for the show will be Driadonna Roland, a broadcast journalism student from Detroit, Maya Franklin, a broadcast journalism student from Denver, CO., Maria Osler, a broadcast journalism student from Ypislanti,
MI, and Monique Mitchell, a broadcast journalism student from Miami.

FAMU-TV 20 is an educational access channel operated by FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. It reaches more than 80,000 households via Comcast.

Florida A&M University Participates in Focus the Nation Teach-In

On Thursday, January 31, Florida A&M University (FAMU) will participate in Focus the Nation 2008, a national teach-in engaging students with political leaders, decision makers, community members and faculty to talk about global warming solutions. FAMU President James H. Ammons and Mayor John Marks will open the program with a welcome at 8:30 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom.

Hosted by FAMU’s Environmental Sciences Student Organization and the FAMU Green Coalition, Focus the Nation is free and the general public is invited to attend.

To kick off Focus the Nation, a webcast, “The 2% Solution,” is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30, from 7:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. in the New College of Pharmacy Bldg., Blue Cross and Blue Shield Auditorium. This national webcast will feature Stanford climate scientist Stephen Schneider, green jobs pioneer Van Jones, sustainability expert Hunter Lovins, and actor and clean-energy advocate Edward Norton.

“We are excited to be a part of this initiative,” said Ammons. “It represents the enormous power that young people have when they use their education to create positive change in the world.”

“Today’s college students are truly the greatest generation,” said Lewis & Clark Professor of Economics Eban Goodstein, author and project director for Focus the Nation. “No other generation has ever had to face this kind of civilizational challenge. And we as educators would be failing if we did not prepare them to meet this challenge.”

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., more than 25 seminars are scheduled. Some of the seminars include: Global Warming: What’s It All About?; Public Health Implications of Global Warming; The “Greening” of Florida; Food and the Future; Water Matters; Global Warming: A Human Rights and Environmental Ethics Issue ; and Solar, Wind and Other Energy Options.

Other highlights include video presentations Kilowatt Ours, a 38-minute documentary that traces our energy use from the coal mines of West Virginia to the light switches in our homes; An Inconvenient Truth, the Academy Award-winning documentary on global warming; and a taped video of Jerome Ringo, chair of the National Wildlife Federation and President of Apollo Alliance.

Various government officials, community members and educators participating in the seminars included: Andrew Gillum, city commissioner; Cliff Thaell, county commissioner; Mike Rogers, president of Rogers Development; Will Sheftall, Leon County Extension Agent; Steve Urse, Big Bend Climate Action Team; Daniel Parker, M.S.P., assistant director, Division of Environmental Health, Florida Department of Health; several members of FAMU’s faculty; and many more.

Sponsors for Focus the Nation include the FAMU Environmental Sciences Institute, the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, the Office of Sponsored Research, the Office of Student Activities, Rogers Developments, the Phoenix Environmental Group, Environment Florida, the City of Tallahassee Utilities, the Student Conservation Association and the Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship.

FAMU’s Environmental Sciences Student Organization plans to reach out to student leaders and organizations with its first healthy environment competition titled Green Games, which is fashioned after the television show “The Amazing Race.” The games are centered on environmentally friendly initiatives such as park cleanups, recycling, beautifying the campus, etc. Student teams will “race” for points by completing activities that are designed to educate them on global warming and climate change and to get them involved in outdoor activities that will increase their campus involvement while having fun. The competition will begin on January 28 and continue for the remainder of the spring semester. The student organization with the most points will receive $5,000.

For more information regarding the Focus the Nation initiative, visit www.focusthenation.org or contact the FAMU Focus the Nation program coordinators Jacqueline Hightower at (850) 561-2128 or LaRae Donnellan at (850) 561-2765.

FAMU Black Infant Health Alliance to Develop an Action Plan for Florida

The Florida A&M University Black Infant Health Alliance will host a one-day summit and community forum on black infant mortality on Saturday, January 26, 2008 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The meeting will bring together child advocates, local leaders and national experts including Dr. Jack Turman, the founder and director of the Center for Premature Infant Health and Development at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.

Presentations and discussion will cover the challenges to addressing black infant mortality will offer and promising approaches used by California to address the issue. The purpose of the meeting is to develop a plan of action for Leon County and the surrounding area.

Moderators will be Cynthia Hughes Harris, FAMU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Dr. Joseph Webster, president for the Institute of African-American Health, Inc.

The meeting will begin following a continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will also be served. This meeting is free and open to the public; however, pre-registration is requested. Please register online at www.ounce.org/register.html.

What: Meeting on Black Infant Mortality

Who: Child advocates and leaders in minority infant health including

When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2008

Where: Florida A&M University New College of Pharmacy Building
1415 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Tallahassee, Florida

RW News: FAMU College of Pharmacy Receives $250,000 in Scholarships from Walgreens

Walgreens, one of the fastest growing, chain drug store retailers in the United States, presented Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (COPPS) with a gift of $250,000 to be applied toward the College’s scholarship programs.

“We are extremely pleased to receive this donation,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “It will assist us in our effort to continue to recruit the best and brightest students to the pharmacy program. Increasing the number of scholarships for our students is one of my key priorities and I would like to thank Dr. Lewis and Walgreens for supporting us in this area and making this donation a reality.”

Representatives from Walgreens making the presentation were Manuel Littlefield, pharmacy supervisor, Tallahassee, Fla. (FAMU ‘87); Jeff Roland, pharmacy supervisor, Pensacola, Fla. (FAMU ‘98); Dr. Elbonie Moore, pharmacy manager, Tallahassee, Fla. (FAMU ’02); and Jay Johnson, district manager, Tallahassee, Fla.

“We are happy to support FAMU with this donation and we look forward to bringing new students into the pharmacy profession,” said Littlefield.

“Walgreens pharmacy has been a long time friend, supporter of the college’s varies programs, and one of the leading employers of our students graduating from COPPS,” said Henry Lewis III, dean of the college of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. “It is through this type of assistance that we can achieve our vision of academic and research excellence.”

Walgreens operates 6,149 stores in the United States. Seven hundred and forty two stores are located in Florida.

Photo caption:

Left to right: Dr. Elbonie Moore, pharmacy manager, Tallahassee, Fla. (FAMU ’02); Manuel Littlefield, pharmacy supervisor, Tallahassee, Fla. (FAMU ‘87); FAMU President James H. Ammons; Dean Henry Lewis, III, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Jay Johnson, district manager, Tallahassee, Fla.; Jeff Roland, pharmacy supervisor, Pensacola, Fla. (FAMU ‘98); and Tia Reynolds, recruiter for Walgreens, display the $250,000 check presentation from Walgreens to FAMU.