Monthly Highlights for April 2023

Department of Biological Sciences

  • The Department of Biological Sciences held a reception honoring its graduating seniors on April 20, 2023. The program was spearheaded by Dr. Monica Burr and Justin Nash. The blessing of refreshments was done by Dr. LaKesha Stewart, and remarks by Dr. Renardo Murray and Dr. Marta Piva.
  • The Department of Biological Sciences was honored with the Student Government Association (SGA) Braves Choice Award 2022-2023 Department of the Year.
  • McKelvie Maxwell, biology/ pre-professional graduating senior and the Department of Biology outstanding student was admitted to Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.
  • Mason Duke, sophomore biology major and a member of Alcorn’s baseball team, has been selected for 2023 Yale Summer Enrichment Program. The Yale Summer Enrichment Medical Academy (YSEMA) is a free, residential 6-week program open to undergraduate students (current freshmen or sophomores) from Connecticut Community Colleges, Hispanic- Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Historically Black College and University (HBCU) that are interested in pursuing medical school. Students will participate in a comprehensive science curriculum designed to improve success in upper-division science courses that are required for pre-med students.
  • Hanna Miller, a biology/pre-professional rising senior has been accepted to the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP). In 2007, the Mississippi Legislature authorized the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP), creating a unique longitudinal program that identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice medicine. Academic enrichment, faculty, and physician mentoring plus solid medical school financial support through the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program will enable capable young Mississippians to address the challenge of Mississippi’s healthcare crisis. Students can apply for the program as undergraduates or as admitted medical students.
  • Kaylan Richard and Ramona Williams, both biology majors, have been accepted to Alcorn’s Nursing Program beginning fall 2023.
  • Rosheka Tenner received White Coat from Mississippi State University Physician Assistant Studies Program, Meridian Campus on March 2, 2023.
  • Faith Wells admitted to Emory University Physical Therapy program enter Summer of 2023.
  • Alexander Johnson will receive Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mississippi College, May 5, 2023.
  • On April 14, 2023, Ms. Lori Smith, Dr. LaKeisha Stewart and two biology majors traveled to Northwest Rankin Middle School STEM Day. The Alcorn team showed the students how to use microscopes, demonstrated blood supply in live earth worms and goldfish. There was also a brief lesson given on epidemiology and the spread of viruses with a demonstration.
  • Dr. LaKeisha Stewart was nominated by students to receive the Impact Leader Award from The National Society of Leadership and Success Member. She received the award at the induction ceremony on April 20, 2023 during the Honorary Members and Excellence Award section of the program. This award was given due to her overall excellence in teaching, mentoring, and advising students.
  • Dr. Marta Piva and Kenneth Seals, a biology pre-professional senior were interviewed for the Diversity in Action magazine. Diversity in Action is a digital and print publication dedicated to supporting and promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. We foster new ideas through articles representing diversity of thought, experience and perspective. We highlight individuals who identify as persons of color, those with disabilities, veterans, active military personnel, women and members of the LGBTQ community. We also examine topics and profile people who bring a diverse array of views and who nurture innovation regardless of how they identify themselves.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson administered the Senior Biology Exit Exam on April 19th for students graduating in May and December of 2023.
  • Dr. Jackson, advisor of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, inducted four members into the Kappa Upsilon Chapter on April 26, 2023. New members include: Nakiya McFarland – Biology Pre- Physical Therapy, Loren Price- Clinical and Mental Health Counseling, Nichole Rambo- Biology Health Science; and Briana Reed- Biology Pre- Physical Therapy.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Elena Kostyleva hosted a recruiting session by the Associate Dean of Pre-Professional Sciences, Dr. Everett Roark, William Carey University’s School of Medicine. Roark presented information to aspiring medical, physical therapy, and dental school candidates on educational opportunities.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva, advisor of the International and Multicultural Student Organization (IMSO), in collaboration with the Office of Global Programs, spearheaded a Multicultural Social held in the Global Programs building on April 13. Attendees were exposed to arts, crafts, music, and cuisine from Jamaica, Russia, Tunisia, and Taiwan. Earlier that day, Kostyleva and IMSO members attended the Multicultural Perspectives on Literature Conference organized by the Department of English, Languages and Communication Department, School of Arts and Sciences.
  • Also, Kostyleva participated in the webinar hosted by Daniel Sherman, co-author of the book “Environmental Science and Sustainability.” During the webinar entitled, “How are environmental benefits and burdens distributed?” the author discussed how to incorporate environmental justice into the introductory environmental science course, and help our students think about its importance to the issues that affect them today.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • The Department Seminar Series is led by Dr. Stefan Cooper continues to broaden the students’ knowledge in research. During the month of April, the following speakers presented:
  • April 11, 2023: Dr. Amanda Patrick, Mississippi State University; Topic: Graduate School Recruitment/Summer Internship Opportunities.
  • April 18, 2023: Dr. Albert Edney, ‘88, Scientific Director, Baxter/Takeda Pharmaceutical; Topic: The Value of Networking.
  • April 26, 2023: Meghna Bajaj ’21: Cornell University: Topic: “My Career Journey/How ASU helped guide me”.

Student Achievement

  • Luster Harris (May 2023 Graduate) – Accepted into the Doctor of Chiropractic Program at Logan University.

Faculty Activities/Accomplishments

  • April 18, 2023: The Department participated in the University’s Admit Day.
  • April 21, 2023: Sonia Eley recognized for 30 years of Service by the Human Resources Management Division.
  • April 25, 2023: Dr. Stefan Cooper was recognized as a Tekeda Faculty Fellow during the Tekeda Scholars Induction Ceremony. He received funding for his student researchers.

Departmental/Student Service/Activities

  • April 11, 2023: Dinner with President Nave, the 2023 Seniors and representatives from the Chemistry Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Class.
  • April 14, 2023: Department Representatives (Shawnta Chatman, Sonia Eley, Alpha Chi Sigma members [Shandrea Jenkins, Kensey Eley, Kaitlyn Darensbourg and Raylynn Thompson]) and members from the Biology Department performed STEM activities with the 5th Graders from Northwest Rankin Elementary School, Flowood, MS. The theme for our presentation was Chemical Changes: The Magic of Chemistry. Approximately 92 students rotated between the Chemistry, Biology and the McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL.
  • April 25, 2023: Student Professional/Personal Development Session. Theme: “Can we ever conquer/overcome imposter syndrome?: Strategies toward navigating imposter syndrome in your career after Alcorn”. The Department sponsored an information session to help our majors to understand this overlooked phenomenon. Panel: Dr. Melanie McReynolds, Dr. JaLessa Wright, Dr. Kerry Belton, Dr. Archie Taylor, and Ph.D. Candidate Sophie Silvers.
  • April 28, 2023: Presented STEM (Chemistry & Physics) Demonstrations/Challenges at the STEM Like a Girl Event. Approximately 150 7th, 8th and 9th Graders from the middle schools in the Louisville, MS School Districts. Several Departments on campus donated items to give away during the event. Several demonstrations were presented: Genie in a Bottle, Gum & Chocolate Experiment, Bloody Finger, Walk Through Paper Challenge, and Animated Optical Illusions. This event gave us the opportunity to recruit and plant a seed in the minds of upcoming scholars

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Dr. J. Janice Coleman traveled to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, to assist in the rebuilding efforts of the Mississippi Delta town that was nearly obliterated by an EF4 tornado that touched down in the town on the night of March 24th. Dr. Coleman joined Kindred Spirits, a group that was handing out food bags and beverages to the affected residents and others in the area.
  • On Saturday, April 22, Dr. Coleman attended the unveiling of a historical marker honoring the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer at the C & S Center in Kilmichael, Mississippi. Kilmichael is the home of Hamer’s husband, Pap Hamer.
  • On Thursday, April 6, Dr. Coleman cohosted, along with Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, a read-in observing April as National Poetry Month. Sponsored by the School of Arts and Sciences, the event was held at 12: 30 in Dumas Hall 107, where nearly thirty faculty, staff, and students read poems by various authors.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey received Title III funds to attend the Annual College English Association (CEA) conference in San Antonio, Texas on March 30th-April 2nd.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey helped organize the First Annual English Undergraduate Conference, Multicultural Perspectives on Literature, Media, Music and Art.” The conference was held on April 13th and featured a roundtable and two panels. Both faculty and students from different disciplines in The School of Arts & Sciences participated!
  • Dr. Heather Bailey volunteered at Uproar Theatre Company’s latest production, Songs for a New World, held in Jackson on April 27th-April 29th.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld had three photographs published in the National Audubon Society’s Mushrooms of North America (Knopf, 2023). A recent review of the book can be found on the webpage Salon: https://www.salon.com/2023/04/30/the-10-weirdest-m… .
  • Mr. Jerome Myles travelled with WPRL 91.7 FM and broadcasted for events in the following locations: Mobile, Alabama: Mound Bayou, Mississippi: Port Gibson, Mississippi; Marks, Mississippi.
  • Mr. Brian Kehler attended
    the College English Association (CEA) Conference in San Antonio (March
    30th-Arpil 1st, 2023)
  • Mr. Brian Kehler spoke
    at Round table, “Fostering a Multi-Cultural Classroom”, for the
    English Department’s first undergraduate conference on April 13th,
    2023.
  • Mr. Brian Kehler sang in
    the chorus and acted in Opera Mississippi’s production of “Die
    Fledermaus” on April 22nd 2023 at Thalia Mara Hall, and in
    Natchez on April 29th.
  • Mr. Brian Kehler sang with
    the Millsaps College Singers on April 28th, a Choral music program
    called “The Music of the Spheres”. This was a benefit concert to
    support the needs of Rolling Fork’s residence, as they try to recover from a
    devastating tornado.
  • On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, a graduation ceremony was
    held for the Gray Media Training Program, and Mass Comm Senior D’Marius Jones
    and Graduating Senior Ladarrius Besst received their graduation certificates.
    In attendance at the ceremony were Mass Comm Program Coordinator Dr. Eric Dogini,
    Assistant Professor Judge Toni Terrett, and Interim Provost and Senior Vice
    President for Academic Affairs Dr. Joyce Buckner-Brown.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Computer Science Professors Dr. Lixin Yu and Dr. Ping Zhang attended Computer Science ABET Accreditation Workshops and Symposium from 17-19, April 2023 in Nashville. Dr. Babu Patlolla, the Dean of Arts and Sciences and Dr. Doris J. Ward, the Executive Director for Strategic Academic Initiatives, Academic Affairs, Alcorn State University also participated in ABET workshops on 17th, April 2023 in Nashville. The worldwide Computer Science accreditation rules, documentation preparation and accreditation application processes were introduced during the workshops and symposium. The knowledge and experiences required during the meeting are very helpful in preparing ASU Computer Science Accreditation

Department of Social Sciences

  • 2nd Annual Lunch and Learn/Child Abuse Prevention Month : Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023Speaker: Twanza Conner, MS Department of CPS Area Supervisor and Alumnae of the Department of Social Work, presented about child abuse and protective factors.
  • Annual Department of Social Work Advisory Board Meeting: Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
  • Graduating Seniors’ Portfolio Presentations: Date: April 24, 2023
  • Southern Poverty Law Center Presentation: Spoke with students about advocacy and possible internships. Speaker: Jarita Frazier-King
Monthly Highlights for March 2023

Department of Biological Sciences

Student activities

  • Undergraduate Biology students Maryah Lowe, Wayn-Kesha Rankin, Brianna Barnes, D’Asia Jones, Ismael Maya, and Kenneth Seals investigated a presence of mercury (a toxic metal ion) in canned cat food under the advisement of Dr. Marta Piva.
  • On March 3, 2023, five Biology Club scholars judged Franklin County Upper Elementary Science Fair projects. The students were joined by undergraduate and graduate students from the surrounding Mississippi institutions along with instructors and professors that accompanied them to assist in judging the science projects. See photo below of Alcorn representatives. L to R: Nyirah Barnes, Kristyn Wilson, Myla Standford, Micaiah Mayes, and Dr. LaKeisha Stewart. Not pictured: Rayiah Buie

Faculty activities

  • On March 23, Drs. Marta Piva, Justin Nash, Debarshi Roy, and Elena Kostyleva collected water samples from several sources in Claiborne County. Some were taken from the surface of the Little Bayou Pierre, Bayou Pierre, and the Big Black River. In addition, 10 and 20 feet-depth samples were obtained from the Big Black River. The samples will be analyzed for toxic pollutants (lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic) as a part of research for the grant by the Mississippi INBRE.
  • Dr. Monica Burr served as lead presenter of a workshop entitled, “Agriculture Undergraduate” March 24, 2023, at the 8th Life Discovery-Doing Science Biology Education Conference. The conference was hosted by Ecological Society of America on the campus of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva submitted an abstract entitled, “Monitoring and mapping biodiversity of honey plants in diverse landscapes of the state of Mississippi” to the 2023 International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy that will be held June 3-6, 2023 at Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Dr. Kostyleva’s abstract was accepted for publication in the conference journal.
  • Dr. Kostyleva also participated in the webinar entitled, “Alternative assessments in a Chat GPT Era” led by Dr. Jesse Stommel, award-winning instructor. He advocates for walking away from high-stakes exams that do not allow our students to fully demonstrate their knowledge and are not conducive to the learning process. He advocates for a more authentic assessment experience through alternative and self-assessment methods. This Higher Learning webinar was hosted by Top Hat, a dynamic software platform for educators. The webinar recording can be access here Watch the recording on-demand now. Or visit https://tophat.com/events/thank-you-higher-learnings-recordings/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=higher-learnings&utm_content=higher_learnings_grades_to_growth_followup_02_prospects&mkt_tok =NTY2LUpHSS04MjEAAAGKx4KB9-EY4a-zTs9UIkK5X0oDLv29C4UNYgqW8KvwWg ZAA4GNYFSWDfw1Wput091ejUC8kTZbBKu1lOVKTyEEEQK8syh5VJmW70qnsfPLTw9aKB4.
  • The Department of Biological Sciences participated in the second annual ERDC day on March 29th. Drs. Michelle Wynter and Jacob Berkowitz from the ERDC Environmental Laboratory presented their projects to the BI 326-Introduction to Pharmacology and BI 336-Anatomy & Physiology II classes. Ms. Jonna Boyda, research toxicologist, presented for the Combined – BI 482-Applied Physiology & BI 226- Embryology classes.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • The Department Seminar Series is led by Dr. Stefan Cooper continues to broaden the students’ knowledge in research. During the month of March, the following speakers presented:
  • March 7, 2023: Dr. Soumyajit Majumdar, College of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi; Topic: Graduate School opportunities/Summer Internship Opportunities.
  • March 21, 2023: Drs. Eden Tanner and Kensha Clark, Education Department of Chemistry, University of Mississippi; Topic: Their current Research/Recruitment/Summer Internships.
  • March 29, 2023: Alcorn State University participated in ERCD Day. The department had two classes to participate in the speaker series. Dr. Ondera’s Organic class heard presentations (how organic and engineering tie in to ERDC’s research) from Dr. Audie Thompson and Dr. Ashvin Fernando. Dr. Chatman’s Instrumental Analysis Class listen to presentations (how instrumentation and engineering tie into ERDC’s mission) from Dr. Audie Thompson, Dr. Christine Young, and Dr. Alan Katzenmeyer.

Student Achievement

  • Hali Peterson (May 2017 Graduate) – May/June 2023 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center participated in the UMMC 2023 Match Day. Hali will be doing her residency in Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
  • Robert Tatum, Jr. (May 2019 Graduate) – May/June 2023 graduate of the University of Mississippi Medical Center participated in the UMMC 2023 Match Day. Robert will be doing his residency in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Adora Norman (May 2023 Graduate) has been accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate Program.
  • The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma welcomed 11 new members on March 25, 2023. The District Counselor, Kathryn Cavanaugh visited the chapter also on this day.

Faculty Activities

  • March 9, 2023: Dr. Stefan Cooper presented a seminar at Mississippi State University in the Department of Chemistry entitled, “Pursuit into a “Photoswitching Auxiliary” for Aiding Organic Synthesis and use in Organic Materials – a journey in creating an undergraduate research group at a HBCU.
  • March 24, 2023: The Faculty & Staff participated in a Title XI “Refresher Course” conducted by the ASU Title XI Coordinator, Ms. Sharonda Porter.

Departmental/Student Services

  • March 30, 2023: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma hosted a STEM Fun Day at McLeod Elementary School, Jackson, MS. Approximately 120 4th & 5th Graders Rotated through four STEM Rooms. Room 1: STEM Challenge – Students were challenged to “Walk Through a Piece of Paper” (Changed the perimeter of the paper with precise cuts using sissors). Room 2: Chemistry – Students observed basic concepts of Chemistry (Silly Putty, Lava Lamp and Gum and Chocolate Experiment). Room 3: Physics – Students were able to see/perform pressure and light experiments (Can Crush, Boyles Law and Optical Illusions). Room 4: Biology: Students were presented Microscope and human anatomy activities. Auditorium: To end morning, the Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma presented a Chemistry “Magic Show” (Magic Cups, Disappearing Rainbow, Bloody Finger, Genie in a Bottle, Iodine Clock Reaction, Elephant Toothpaste, Oobleck (Walking of Fluids)).

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Tuesday, March 28, 2023, Dr. J. Janice Coleman received a plaque from the Department of Mass Communications for her participation in Media Day, which was sponsored, in part, by the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters.
  • Dr. Coleman has accepted an invitation to serve as an Advanced Placement Reader in Salt Lake City, Utah, from June 2-10, 2023, from the Educational Testing Service. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her affiliation with the College Board.
  • Dr. Coleman has received a 550-page hagiography from a researcher who is seeking information of the life of Alcorn A. & M. President John A. Martin, 1911-14. This collection of biographies has many other references to former Alcorn students, graduates, and faculty. The book will eventually be placed in the library’s Archives and Special Collections.
  • On March 4th Dr. Heather Bailey helped organize a musical cabaret fundraiser for Uproar Theatre Company. The event was held at the Pacesetter Art Gallery in Flowood, MS.
  • On March 30-April 2nd, Dr. Heather Bailey attended the 2023 College English Association (CEA) Conference in San Antonio, TX. Dr. Bailey received Title III Funding to attend panels focused on integrating new technology in the Composition classroom. She also presented a paper titled “Assembling the (Queer) Female Body: Narrative as Therapeutic Remedy in Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World.”
  • Graduating Senior Mikayla Shaughnessy was awarded admission to New Mexico State University’s Graduate English program where she was also awarded a full scholarship and Teaching assistantship. Shaughnessy will begin her graduate program in the Fall 2023 semester.
  • On March 28, 2023, the Mass Communication program held its annual Media Day program in the Dr. Clinton Bristow, Jr. Dining Hall Gold Room. The guest speakers were Ray Coleman, Sr. and Ray Coleman, Jr. At the ceremony, four members of Alpha Chi Alpha, the Alcorn State University Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, Mass Communication Honor society, were also inducted: Joy Thornton; Christeana Story-Davis; Charlie Bal; Dejah Burton.

Department of Social Work

  • Faculty, Staff, Students, and Social Work Friends participated into March into Social Work….Walked around campus with signs acknowledging March as Social Work Month
  • Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook and Student Danielle Phelps (Senior) attended the NASW-MS Conference March 23-24, 2023, Jackson, MS. Danielle Phelps was recognized by NASW-MS as Alcorn State University Student of the Year.
  • The Department of Social Work hosted a Social Work Day celebration on March 28, 2023. The celebration included the following included the following:
    • Welcome provided by Social Work Club President: Jalyn Jackson (student)
    • A Call to Action by the Department of Social Work Faculty: Lifelong Learning by Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook
  • Social Action and Volunteering by Dr. Antrina M. Bell Understanding Today’s Political Climate by Mr. Edward J. Brown
    • Social Work Day Proclamation by Victoria L. Brown (student)
    • Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society Induction Ceremony, Tau Chi Chapter. The following students were inducted: Tyesha Cole, Maliyah Ford, Siarra Gholston, Imani Green, A’Mya Johnson, Diamond McCullouch, Danielle Phelps, Challyn Rice, Gwendolyn Turner and Tonya Williams.
    • Recognition of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, Tau Chi Chapter Graduating Seniors
      • Tyesha Cole
      • Diamond McCullouch
      • Danielle Phelps
      • Challyn Rice
      • Ashlee Williams, Vice President
    • Presentation of Student Awards
      • Student of the Year: Danielle Phelps
      • Community Service Award: Lakin Echols
  • Social Work Club Cafe was held on March 30, 2023
  • Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook attended the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors Annual Meeting and Conference, March 29, 2023- April, 2, 2023, Burmingham, AL
  • On March 20, 2023, Dr. Tolliver-Cook presented Self-Care for Social Workers and Social Work Students. This presentation was presented to the Department of Social Work Spring 2023 graduating seniors. Each senior was provided a self-care packets.

Monthly Highlights for February 2023

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Congratulations to the Department of Biological Sciences recent graduate Laurent Hategekimana’22 for being accepted to 14 dental schools the United States. He thanks his advisor Dr. Marta Piva for her support and advice throughout his tenure at Alcorn and during the process of application to dental schools.
  • Biology student Semaj Parker was accepted to the UMMC School of Nursing to the Traditional BSN program beginning in the 2023-2024 Summer Ten Week term.
  • On February 9th, students and faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences participated in the 9th annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium (CRES) and won several awards for their presentations. Biology student Sierra Woodall was the first-place winner in the ‘Undergraduate Poster’ category for presentation on “Visualizing Human Enhancer Variant Activity Linked to Gliomas.” Her advisers are Dr. Justin Nash and Dr. Stepan Cooper.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva was awarded the first place in the ‘Professional Poster’ category for her presentation on “Average Dates and Duration of Flowering of the Key Honey Plants in Mississippi.“
  • Dr. Marta Piva won the second place for her poster presentation on “Processing of mitochondrial primary transcripts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.” Dr. Jon Moreno co-authored this research.
  • Another successful poster presentation was done by Ismael Maya, a biology student. It was titled, “Mitochondrial dysfunction dramatically increases the rate of alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.”
  • Ismael Maya, Dr. Marta Piva, and Dr. Elena Kostyleva also presented their research at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences held February 23-24, 2023, in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

  • The Department Seminar Series is led by Dr. Stefan Cooper continues to broaden the students’ knowledge in research. During the month of February, the following speakers presented:
  • February 7, 2023: Chipo Chapusha (ASU Alumnus), The University of Mississippi Medical Center; Topic: Graduate School Advise.
  • February 21, 2023: Dr. Christopher Copeland, Education Project Manager, Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education (ORISE); Topic: Recruitment.
  • February 28, 2023: Dr. Wynton Johnson, Louisiana State University; Topic: Recruitment and LS-PAC Models: “What Can a Ph.D. Do for You?”.
  • February 28, 2023: Departmental “Wellness Check” on the Chemistry Majors. Theme this Month: Let’s Taco ‘bout Mental Health. Dr. Barbara Martin, ASU Counseling and Testing, and her staff spoke with approximately 25 students (18 Chemistry Majors and 7 Biology Majors) about Stress, its signs and how to manage stress. Lunch consisted of “Walking Tacos”, Sodas and Water.

Student Achievement

  • Augustin Avouwadan (December 2022 Graduate) accepted a full-time position with Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Port Gibson, MS.
  • Kristy Smith (December 2022 Graduate) accepted a full-time position with PMC Biogenix (Specialty Chemical Manufacturer).
  • Bracey Darensbourg ‘22 accepted a full-time position with Mary Kay Cosmetics.
  • Aaron Winter ’20 presented at the UMMC Exploring Health Care Pathways Workshop hosted at Alcorn State University.
  • Shamarie King ’22 was nominated by the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department at Duke University for a Sloan Scholarship.
  • Adora Norman (May 2023 Graduate) has been accepted into the University of Mississippi Chemistry Graduate Program.

Faculty Activities

  • February 9, 2023: Dr. Stefan Cooper and Sonia Eley served as judges (Posters and Orals) at the 9th Annual ASU Center for Research Excellence Symposium.

Departmental/Student Services

  • February 1, 2023: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma and Khem Klub judged 5th and 6th grade Science Projects at Vicksburg Intermediate School, Vicksburg, MS. Approximately 100 projects were judged.
  • February 9, 2023: Alpha Chi Sigma Members Destiny Mayfield and Anita Reed participated in the undergraduate oral presentations at the 9th Annual ASU Center for Research Excellence Symposium.
  • February 20, 2023: ASC members Jasmine Banks and Tristan Calaway presented at the virtual ACS Seminar entitled: Planning your transfer to a four-year institution.
  • February 20-21, 2023: In celebration of Mardi Gras, Alpha Chi Sigma decorated the second floor with Mardi Gras decorations. On Monday, they passed out New Orleans Praline Candy. On Fat Tuesday, they served Traditional, Cream Cheese, Strawberry Cream Cheese and Praline King Cakes to everyone in the Math & Science Building that stopped by the displace.
  • February 25, 2023: Members of the Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma served as university ambassadors for the UMMC Exploring Health Care Pathways Seminar/Workshop.
  • February 27, 2023: The ACS Alcorn Chapter held an interest meeting to solicit new members.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman delivered a paper entitled “The Road to A Raisin in the Sun: The Link between the Hansberry Family of Gloster, Mississippi, and Alcorn A. & M. College” on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 6 P. M. Presented before the Natchez Historical Society, Dr. Coleman’s presentation included an exhibit that was uniquely centered on Alcorn’s history. The event was in observance of Black History Month.
  • On Saturday, February 25, 2023, Dr. Coleman attended a Zoom presentation in observance of the 129th birthday of Professor William Leo Hansberry, a former Alcorn A. and M. College student who went on to become the “Father of African Studies.”
  • Dr. Heather Bailey was named the 2023 William Winter Scholar. Junior English major Autumn Thompson was named the 2023 William Winter Student Scholar. Both were presented with the certificates at the Natchez Literary Film Festival on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
  • On Tuesday-Thursday, February 14-15, 2023, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended the Cengage Online Conference entitled Empowered Educator: Embracing a New College Classroom. The conference featured new ways of engaging students, fostering critical thinking, and using technology to enhance digital literacy.
  • On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, Senior Mass Communication major D’Marius Jones attended the HBCU Student Journalist Press Briefing hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and held in Washington, DC. Alcorn State University was one of 42 HBCU’s represented at the briefing. D’Marius Jones was later interviewed by NBC News Digital National Reporter, Deon J. Hampton, to share his experience at the event.

Department of Social Work

  • The Department of Social Work hosted a Virtual Advocacy Day Watch Party on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. The Virtual Advocacy Day was hosted by the National Association of Social Workers-MS Chapter. Students were afforded the opportunity to ask questions about advocacy and legislative policies. Approximately 20 social work students and 3 Social Work faculty and staff members and 1 Social Science faculty member attended and participated.
  • Social Work student Kristin J. Washington was selected for Alpha Kappa Alpha Leadership Fellows Program for summer 2023.
  • Prospective Spring 2023 Graduating Social Work student Danielle Phelps was selected by the Alcorn State University National Alumni Association to serve as a student ambassador at the March 2023 Mid-Winter Conference in Charlotte, NC.
  • Prospective Spring 2023 Graduating Social Work student Danielle Phelps was nominated for the National Association of Social Workers-MS Chapter BSW Social Work Student of the Year. All nominees will be recognized at the organization’s Annual Conference and Gala on March 24, 2023, in Jackson, MS.
  • Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, Department Chair and Associated Professor serves as a board member of the National Association of Social Workers-MS Chapter and was recently appointed to the NASW-MS Legislative Committee.
  • Senior Social Work student Acacia Sewart was recognized by the ASU Lady Braves during their Senior Recognition presentations.
  • Department of Social Work Alumni student Kyla Triplett was accepted to the University of Southern Mississippi MSW program.

Monthly Highlights for January 2023

Department of Biological Sciences

  • A recent graduate of the Department of Biological Science Chelcie Durell has taken advantage of the Ross University School of Medicine partnership and has gained admission and a scholarship to Ross SOM. Her advisor is Dr. Justin Nash. Partnership benefits include: Priority Interviews with Ross SOM Admissions (with admission to ROSS SOM); Partner institution scholarship ($5,000); Eligibility for additional scholarships up to $80,000; Paid travel to Barbados to visit Ross SOM; Paid flight to Ross SOM for the first semester; Housing Stipend for the First semester (Alternative admission); Medical Education Readiness Program (post-bach)-Tuition Refund if not successful-Online participation from home
  • Kenneth Seals, a biology/ pre-professional senior completed a winter internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory, in Upton, New York. Kenneth conducted data entry and analysis at this prestigious institution. The photo shows Kenneth with his teammates presenting their results in the symposium held at the end of the internship.
  • Ismael Maya, a biology /biology sophomore has submitted an abstract for poster presentation to the CRES 2023 and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting. His advisor is Dr. Marta Piva. The abstract is entitled “Mitochondrial dysfunction dramatically increases the rate of alcoholic fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.” His coauthors are Dr. Debarshi Roy and Dr. Marta Piva. Both conferences accepted the abstract.
  • Dr. Marta Piva, professor and interim chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, has submitted an abstract to the CRES 2023 and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting. The abstract is entitled “Processing of mitochondrial primary transcripts in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.” Both conferences accepted the abstract.
  • Mr. Kelsey Holland from Florida A&M University (FAMU) will visited the department on 01/31/2023. He introduced our students to the newly created Health Professions (HP) Program. Health Profession’s mission is to produce impactful leaders in the fields of health care to transcend industry and service communities with the wellness practices of tomorrow. The Health Professions (HP) Program at FAMU highlights fields in Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Pharmacy Programs.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva, assistant professor, has submitted an abstract to the CRES 2023 and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting. The abstract is entitled “Average Dates and Duration of Flowering of the Key Honey Plants in Mississippi.” Both conferences accepted the abstract. Kostyleva also participated in the Yale Summer Enrichment Medical Academy (YSEMA) zoom meeting on January 25. She is advising her student Nygel Davis, a freshman, biology major, to apply to this prestigious program designed to assist students of HBCUs who are interested in a career in medicine.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • The Department Seminar Series is led by Dr. Stefan Cooper continues to broaden the students’ knowledge in research. During the month of January, the following speakers presented:
  • January 24, 2023: Drs. Olga Mavrodi and Sermin Aras, Directors, MississippiINBRE; Topic: Recruitment.
  • January 31, 2023: Dr. Zhe Qiang, Material Science and Polymer Division, University of Southern Mississippi; Topic: Recruitment.
  • January 26, 2023: Departmental Ice Cream Social. “Wellness Check” on the Chemistry Majors. Checking to see if they had any questions or concerns and had some simple social conversations.

Student Achievement

  • Zariyae Moore (December 2022 Graduate) has been accepted in New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Jonesboro.
  • Jayla Holloway (December 2022 Graduate) has been accepted to the University of Mississippi Dental School.

Departmental/Student Service

  • January 28, 2023: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma attended the Alcorn State University Saturday STEM 22nd Annual Science & Engineering Fair. Each year the Chapter presents an ASU Saturday STEM Scholar with the Noland J. Boyd Excellence in Chemistry Award (The most outstanding project in the Chemistry (Biochemistry, Inorganic and Organic) Categories. A monetary prize and a certificate is presented to the recipient. This year the award was presented to MaKenzie Reynolds (6th Grade – Jefferson County Middle School).
  • January 31, 2023: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma hosted a STEM Day for the Susie B. West Elementary School, Natchez, MS. Approximately 98 4th and 5th graders participated in the event. Approximately 50 Alcorn STEM majors presented fun and exciting science activities to the young scientist. Approximately 10 West Elementary teachers/chaperones were also in attendance. Dr. Stefan Cooper, Jabreel Walker, Martha Piva, and Sonia Eley also participated. Organizations that presented were as follows: American Chemical Society (Silly Putty), Khem Klub (Purple Cabbage Indicator), Math & Computer Science Club (Coding/Programing), NOBCChE (Lemon Volcano), LSMAMP (Group Leaders), and Alpha Chi Sigma (Event Host). Alpha Chi Sigma closed the event by presenting a Chemistry “Magic Show”.
  • January 31, 2023: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma held its interest meeting at 5:00PM. During the meeting, several Alumni members expressed how Alpha Chi Sigma helped to mold them into the individuals they are today. Alumni member that were in attendance: Robert Tatum, Xavier Duncan, Zariyae Moore, Jayla Holloway, Armonie Archer, and Tyla Reed.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, Dr. J. Janice Coleman spoke from her patchwork art exhibit, “Quilts and Other Quadrilaterals,” to present “Bags, Sacks, and the Stories Within” at the Medgar and Angela Scott Foundation in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Before an audience of approximately twenty-five people, Dr. Coleman assured that the content of her presentation aligned with the mission of the foundation: to improve lives, uplift the community, and encourage service.
  • On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, the Natchez Historical Society announced the following upcoming event on its calendar in The Natchez Democrat and on its website: The Road to “A Raisin in the Sun”: The Link Between the Hansberry Family of Gloster, Mississippi, and Alcorn A & M College, February 28, 2023. The Natchez Historical Society will present J. Janice Coleman, professor of English at Alcorn State University, as she traces the critically acclaimed 1959 play, “A Raisin in the Sun,” to the influence of the cherished home library of Lorraine Hansberry’s grandfather, Elden Hays Hansberry, an 1891 Alcorn graduate, in Gloster, Amite County, Mississippi. For more information, visit https://www.natchezhistoricalsociety.org/1801.html.
  • On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, Mass Comm majors Ms. Dejona Sims, Ms. Delesha Banks and Ms. MeKiyla Brown, graduated from the Inagural Gray Media Television Training Internship, with Channel 3 WLBT TV. The graduation ceremony was held in Jackson with faculty and staff from the Mass Communication program in attendance. Graduating Seniors D’Marius Jones and Ladarrius Besst, will begin their own internship with Gray Media Television Training in Spring 2023. News anchor Maggie Wade was also in attendance at the ceremony.
  • WPRL 91.7 FM, led by Mr. Jerome Myles, Ms. Myrtle Hedrick, and Mr. Curtis Aaron, produced several live broadcasts covering various events from 2022 to early 2023. They have broadcasted in the following areas—local, regional, and out of state: Fayette MS., Vicksburg Ms., Mound Bayou Ms., Alcorn State University, Woodville, MS., Raleigh NC., Port Gibson MS., Jackson, MS.

Department of Fine Arts

  • January 31, 2023, Student Honors Recital, 6pm Little Theater. Honors Recital recipients; Nia Elbert-Alto Saxophone: Darrin Clark, Percussion; Azaria Darneaud, soprano; Aavriel Smith, soprano; Byron Morris, Tenor; Marquayvis Smith, Percussion; Cortez Toy, Trumpet; Kyra Watson Mezzo-soprano
  • ASU drum line performed for the NBA New Orleans Pelicans
  • Dr. Johnson attended the Sphinx Connect 2023 Conference and Sphinx LEAD internship held in Detroit, MI and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • Dr. Ryan Stransky Submitted an article, The Trumpet Section of “The Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite”, to be published in March 2023 in the International Trumpet Guild Journal. He was also elected to the board of directors of the Natchez Festival of Music.
  • Mr. Tony Gordon Accompanied students for the Second Annual Honors Recital January 31, 2023
  • Dr. Everson Martin led the ASU marching drum line to a half-time performance for the NBA Pelicans Basketball game.

Monthly Highlights for November 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Representatives from the Department of Biological Sciences at Alcorn State University attend the STEMposium 2022 at Co-Lin community college in Natchez, Miss. Faculty members and students from the Department of Biological Sciences participated in the STEMposium held at Copiah Lincoln Community College in Natchez, Miss. on November 8, 2022. Drs. Justin Nash and Debarshi Roy, Ms. Lori Smith, and students from the Biology Club – Cidney Harvey, Maryah Lowe, and WaynKesha Rankin – were present. Dr. Babu Patlolla, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, also attended this event. Dr. Nash (microbiology research), Dr. Roy (biomedical research), and Ms. Smith (biology exhibition) gave an overview of the biological research and educational experience at Alcorn State University to the attendees who came from five school districts. Alcorn students did a mini 10-minute review on the anatomy of the eye, basic skeletal muscle physiology, and an overview of the microscope for the attendees. The high school students had a chance to use microscope and look at some prepared slides and ask questions about academic experiences at Alcorn and Co-Lin. The attendees commented on their positive experiences at the STEMposium. They enjoyed interacting with Alcorn students and employees. There were approximately 300 students who attended the event.
  • Biology student and staff introduce microscope to the afterschool program at Jefferson County Upper Elementary and Junior High. Maryah Lowe, biology/pre-physical therapy student, and Ms. Lori Smith, laboratory coordinator in the Department of Biological Sciences, introduced the microscope to participants of the afterschool program at Jefferson County Upper Elementary and Junior High on November 15, 2022. Fifth through eighth graders observed the microscope, identified its parts and functions, and also learned about parasites, E. coli, and yeast. Lowe and Smith showcased a basil plant grown at the biology department, and the students observed the parts of a plant, and learned about the hydroponics method of growing plants with no soil present.
  • Biology student Kenneth Seals accepted to the 2023 Brookhaven National Laboratory DOE Mini Semester Program. Kenneth Seals, a biology/pre-professional senior, was accepted to the 2023 Brookhaven National Laboratory U.S. Department of Energy Mini Semester Program. The Mini-Semester program will run January 9-13, 2023. It aims to provide undergraduate students interested in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields the opportunity to interact with scientists and research in a real-world setting at Brookhaven National Laboratory located in Upton, New York. The goal of the Life Science program is to introduce the students to the research and applications at Brookhaven Lab User Facilities, the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), and the Center for Functional Materials. Through hands-on modules, lectures, and demonstrations, participants will learn about the techniques widely used at the facilities, methods of data collection, and analysis. Also, the students will learn how to access these state-of-the-art user facilities at Brookhaven National Laboratory and become the next NSLS-II and/or CFN user.
  • Antwoine Kitchen, a biology graduating senior hired as a full-time micro lab analyst by J. Leek Associates, Inc. Antwoine Kitchen, a graduating senior in the Department of Biological Sciences, was hired as a full-time micro lab analyst by J. Leek Associates, Inc. He will be based in the microbiology laboratory located in Albany, Georgia. J. Leek Associates, Inc. was formed in 1990 as a technical services organization providing strategic quality assurance systems in the food and beverage industry. Their experience in analyzing food products spans the global market. Their locations include Argentina, Brazil, and China.
  • Biology student accepted to the School of Nursing. Perlexius Foster, former biology students, was recently accepted to the Alcorn State University School of Nursing. Foster was an advisee of Dr. Marta Piva, interim chair of the Department of Biological Sciences.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Seminar Series

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of November, the following speakers presented:

  • November 2, 2022: Audie Thompson, Ph.D., ERDC. Topic: “ABCs to Academic Success” and recruitment for government internships at Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS.
  • November 9, 2022: Arthur Gates, Ph.D., Millipore Sigma. Topic: “My Journey” and spoke about his research and the Covid-19 vaccine.
  • November 16, 2022: Benjamin Onyeagucha, Ph.D., Mississippi University for Women. Topic: Cancer Biology Research and Research Partnership for Undergraduate Research Experiences Information and Recruitment.
  • November 29, 2022: Dr. Edgar Meyer and Dr. Hanna Broome, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Pre-Health Programs and Graduate School. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.

Department/Student Service

  • November 8, 2022: The Department along with the Department of Biological Sciences participated as speakers and presenters in the STEMPOSIUM hosted by Copiah Lincoln Community College, Natchez Campus. The department presented Physics activities in one room and Chemistry activities in the another room. Dr. Shawnta Chatman, Kalisha Durr, Zariyae Moore, Jayla Holloway and Vanessa Washington were the presenters in the Chemistry Room. Sonia Eley, Shandrea Jenkins, Marviyanna Ratliff and Dajanea Christmas were the presenters in the Physics room. Approximately 300 high school students from the Franklin County School District, Jefferson County School District and the Natchez-Adams County School District participated in this event.

Faculty Development

  • November 4, 2022: Faculty Safety Training. Mr. Daniel Walker, Adonai Environmental Services, conducted a chemical hygiene safety plan/procedures meeting. In this meeting, the chemical hygiene safety plan/procedures changes were discussed and reviewed. Also, different accident/lab scenarios were presented to test our knowledge on safety procedures.

Faculty Recognition

  • Dr. Stefan Cooper was recognized by the National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi Chapter, (IMPACT LEADER AWARD) for his valuable contribution to NSLS by exemplifying a commitment to excellence in developing student leaders on November 11, 2022.
  • Sonia Eley was recognized by the Faculty Athletic Ambassador Program on November 12, 2022 (Bethune-Cookman vs Alcorn Football game – Field Recognition) and November 29, 2022 (Luncheon). Recognized for her hard work this year and demonstrating the academic values and integrity essential to the success of Alcorn State University and their students. This outstanding performance led to student-athletes selecting her to be recognized for her dedication in the classroom.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On November 4, 2022, Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Professor of English, visited the Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) studio in Jackson to talk with Maria Zeringue, the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Director of Folk and Traditional Art. Their conversation centered on Dr. Coleman’s life as a native of Mound Bayou, as an artist who makes cotton sacks, quilts, and other works that tell stories, and her teaching at Alcorn State. The Arts Hour episode aired on November 13, 2022, on MPB Think Radio. You can catch it online at the MPB MS Arts Hour website: https://msartshour.mpbonline.org See more information at https://arts.ms.gov/tag/arts-hour https://msartshour.mpbonline.org/episodes/the-mississippi-arts-hour-dr-j-janice-coleman.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey (English), Ms. Sheri Wallace (English) and Mr. Larry Sanders (Mass Communication) were selected for the Fall 2022 Faculty Athletic Recognition Program. They were nominated by student-athletes for their dedication to helping these students achieve academic success. All three faculty members were recognized at the formal program held on November 29, 2022 in the Dr. Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility, Gold Room.
  • Dr. Timothy Dupree was named the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Director and will be attending the SACSCOC Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia from December 3rd – December 6th.
  • The following Mass Communication students received job/ internship offers: Ms. Dejona Sims accepted an offer: Technical Media Producer, WLOX Channel 13, Biloxi MS. Ms. Morgan Gills accepted an offer: Reporter Channel 12 Jackson, MS. Mr. D’Marius Jones and Mr. Ladarrius Besst accepted an Internship offer: Gray media Television Training Internship, Channel 3, WLBT TV. Ms. Dejona Sims, Ms. Delesha Banks and Ms. Mekiya Brown, Graduating Seniors: Gray Media Television Training Internship, Channel 3 WLBT TV
  • The 2023 ASU-National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Officers are as follows: President: Mekiyla Brown; Vice President: Dejah Burton; Secretary: Delesha Banks; Treasurer: Aerial Hoskins
  • The ASU-NABJ members traveled to the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters student conference at the Mississippi E-Center on November 10, 2022. Photos attached.
  • Representatives from the Disney College Program met with Mass Communications students and faculty. They discussed the HBCU initiative “Disney on the Yard,” as well as scholarships and internships. The visit was orchestrated by Ms. Jabreel Walker, Director of the Cargill Thrive Program.
  • On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, Dr. Eric Dogini visited the campus of Mississippi State University to tour the Mass Communication program. The meeting was coordinated by David Garraway, Director of the University Television center. During the visit, Dr. Dogini did a tour of the two television studios and the department. Dr. Dogini met with Garraway and Dr. Terrence Likes, Mass Communication department Chair, to discuss various set models for Alcorn State University’s ASU-TV13 set. This was in support of the Title III Grant, Improving Mass Communication, which was awarded Fall 2022.
  • On November 3rd, 2022, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended the webinar named: Working Advocacy into your Language Program: Examples and Possibilities. This webinar was sponsored by Vista Higher Learning.

Department of Fine Arts

Student accomplishments

  • Jimmia Exum Senior Voice Recital
  • Azaria Darneaud and Aavriel Smith attended the Regional District of the National Association of Teachers of Singing
  • Aavriel Smith, a Junior Vocal Performance Music Major placed 4th in her category
  • Azaria Darneaud, a Junior Vocal Performance Music Major was a semi-finalist.
  • As a Finalist Aavriel Smith automatically qualifies to represent the Southern Region (Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana) at the National Conference in San Diego, CA in July 2023

Faculty Accomplishments

  • Dr. Johnson attended the Regional District of the National Association of Teachers of Singing in the capacities of Secretary for both the regional division and State chapters. This is the first time that a person has held both positions at the same time.
  • Mr. Tony Gordon, Dr. Byron Johnson, Dr. Bingqing Xia and Dr. Ryan Stransky performed for the Lunch Hour recital at Port Gibson United Methodist Church (Port Gibson, MS)
  • Dr. Sean Daniels was invited to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a guest of the Benedict College Marching Tiger Band of Distinction. Dr. Daniels was the founding director of the Marching Tigers in 1998.
  • Dr. Sean Daniels represented Alcorn State University at the National Association of Schools of Music Annual Meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri
  • Dr. Sean Daniels Performed with Colour of Music Festival as principal timpanist with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra in Sacramento, California
  • Dr. Sean Daniels attended the Percussive Arts Society International Conference 2022 where he served on the Board of Advisors and the Diversity Alliance.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Department of Math and Computer Science had a student Quiz Bowl competition on November 9th, 2022 for student’s retention purpose. All students from Math, Math Education and Computer Science undergraduate programs and the Computer and Information Science graduates were invited to attend this event. All math and computer science faculty, officials from the dean’s office, the School of Arts and Sciences were invited. Dean Dr. Babu Patlolla, Associate Dean: Dr. Renardo Murray had welcome marks. They encouraged all students took full-time studies opportunity on campus to learn more from professors and classes; at the same time, to acquire a life-long learning skills. During guest speeches: Dr. Doris Ward, the Executive Director for Strategic Academic Initiatives and Mr. Courtney Smith, the Director of Admissions and Recruiting introduced scholarship, admission information and student retention requirements. They also answered students’ questions. Dr. Lixin Yu, Professor of Computer Science and student also showed how to enroll courses in sequence. Dr. Ping Zhang, the department chair, shared student’ internship and employment information to all students. Three students won Quiz Bowl gift card awards and the department had a luncheon with all students and faculty, staff.

Monthly Highlights for October 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Student Success: Myrical Crosby, a May 2021 graduate, got accepted into Drexel Physician Assistant (PA) Program. She would like to thank Drs. Marta Piva and Elena Kostyleva for mentoring her, writing her letters of recommendation, and keeping her uplifted throughout her journey throughout her undergraduate tenure at Alcorn, and during her preparation and applying to PA school. Antwoine Kitchen, a biology graduating senior, has been offered employment at JLA International. JLA International is a technical services organization providing strategic quality assurance systems in the food and beverage industry. Their experience spans the global market with locations in the US, Argentina, Brazil, and China.
  • Visitors to the Department: On October 21, 2022, Mr. Mackel Harris, a recruiter from Life University gave an informational session and recruitment for students interested in medical and professional schools. On October 26, 2022, Ms. Sue Barrosse, a recruiter from Ochsner Medical School visited the Department and spoke to the students.
  • Faculty Updates: Dr. Marta Piva, interim chairperson, participated in the Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence training workshop on October 13, offered by the Disney Institute. Dr. Marta Piva, interim chairperson, participated in the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) informational session “Engaging rural Communities: What Matters the Most in 2022 and Beyond”, on October 27. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Corey Wiggins, federal co-chairman, an Alcorn ’03 Biology graduate. Dr. Elena Kostyleva’s abstract was accepted to be presented at the 5th International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy. The conference will be hosted by the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research June 3-6, 2023. The abstract is titled, “Monitoring and mapping biodiversity of honey plants in diverse landscapes of the state of Mississippi.”

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Seminar Series :The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of October, the following speakers presented:

  • October 5, 2022: Anahita Zare, Ph.D., Brandeis University. Topic: Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Information about the STEM Writing Center.
  • October 12, 2022: University of California-Irvine. Topic: ACES (Accelerating Careers in Engineering and Science) Program Recruitment and Informational.
  • October 19, 2022: Nellone Reed, Ph.D., New Jersey Institute of Technology. Topic: Research Partnership for Undergraduate Research Experiences Information and Recruitment.
  • October 26, 2022: Takisha Mack, MPA, Education Specialist, University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Topic: Recruitment and Summer Opportunities.

Department Activities:

  • October 16 – 22, 2022: The student organizations in the Department of Chemistry & Physics participated in National Chemistry Week. This year’s theme was: Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fibers.
  • October 17, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma decorated an area of the 2nd floor lobby to commemorate the theme for the year (an old wash day scene was presented). This organization also, discussed how fabric is made from the spider and the silk worm. Goody bags were passed out. Also on this day, the Alcorn Chapter of the American Chemical Society presented “What is the best stain remover?” Dr. Patlolla and Ms. Eley placed of lab jackets and googles and were squirted with different food items. Different stain removers were used to see which remover was the best for that material/fabric.
  • October 18, 2022: The Alcorn Chapter of the American Chemical Society present a fabric string game (Pull a Fabric). The participant had to pull a string connected to other string in the middle of the table. They were able to win the prize connected to that string. Also, the Khem Klub hosted a Tie Dye Socks activity.
  • October 19, 2022: The Alcorn Chapter of the National Organization for Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers present a Career Dress (Project Runway: Business Attire). The ladies present the proper clothing one should wear to an interview by showcasing to wrong and correct way to present yourself.
  • October 20, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma present a Fashion Show. Members of the fraternity modeled clothes in four categories (Athletic Wear, Sleepwear, Fall attire, and Winter attire). In between sessions, Kalisha Durr, president of Alpha Chi Sigma, talked about the chemistry of the material they were wearing.
  • October 21, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma hosted the Alcorn Research Connection. This year’s theme was, “STEM IS LIT Glowing Up STEM”. Presenters: Dr. Tabitha Hardy, Assistant Dean, University Graduate School Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Dr. Jalessa Wright, Training Grants and Fellowship Developer, Penn State University; Dr. Melanie McReynolds, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Dr. Jacqueline McComb, College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, Southern University and A & M College; Dr. LaShunda Hodges, Assistant/Associate Research Plant and Soil Science Professor, Southern University and A & M College; Dr. Lillian Brady, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University; Dr. Kafond Wilder, Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity, Program Manager, Vanderbilt University; Dr. Reanna Roby, Research Practitioner and Assistant Director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center, Vanderbilt University; Kennedy Reed, Vanderbilt University; Shanilah Frierson, Mississippi College; Tatyanna Hollingbird, Alcorn State University; Allison Norman, University of Tennessee.
  • October 28-29, 2022: Sonia Eley and Kalani Washington attend the annual LSMAMP Retreat in Memphis, TN. They attended Professional Development Seminars, Community Service activities (Students), and a Grant Writing Planning Meeting (Resubmission of Pathways Grant).
  • October 31, 2022: Sonia Eley and Dr. Babu Patlolla attended a Site Visit and informational meeting at CF Industries, Yazoo, MS.

Student Activities

  • Coronation/Parade
  • Kalisha Durr (Miss Department of Chemistry & Physics) Trinity Black (Miss NOBCChE) and Vanessa Washington (Miss Khem Klub) the Department of Chemistry & Physics in the 2022 Miss Alcorn State University Coronation and the 2022 Homecoming Parade.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Professor of English, was honored as an ASU author during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the J. D. Boyd Library on Friday, October 21 and again on Saturday during an on-field pre-homecoming game event. A year ago, Dr. Coleman published an article entitled “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Reflections on the B. B. King Blues Cotton Sack” in the Mississippi Folklife Magazine. The article can be accessed at www.mississippifolklife.org/exhibits. According to Dr. Coleman, all of the ASU authors who were honored follow in the tradition of writing by nationally acclaimed authors who have been on or have close ties to the campus. Some of these include Lorraine Hansberry, whose grandfather, uncle, and father either graduated from or attended Alcorn for several years and whose life experiences provided Hansberry with the material for writing A Raisin in the Sun; Chester Himes, whose mother wrote “The Alcorn Ode” and homeschooled her young son on the campus, thus paving the way for him to write novels such as The Third Generation, several chapters of which are set on the Alcorn campus; and Alex Haley, whose father was once a professor at Alcorn and who, before he wrote Roots, had not attended any other college.
  • On October 13 and 14, Dr. Coleman attended the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi. A Delta native herself, she participated in several of the conversations about the people and places that inspired Williams as a writer.
  • On Tuesday, October 4, 2022, Alcorn’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Chapter hosted Eva Coleman, Region 3 NABJ Director for a Virtual Lunch and Learn. About eight students and three faculty/staff members attended. Ms. Coleman talked to the group about the importance of having experience and training in different forms of Media so as to increase one’s potential. She also spoke on the importance of writing in Journalism and reviewed upcoming conferences.
  • On Thursday, October 20, 2022, Alcorn’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Chapter held its second Lunch and Learn of the Fall semester. The speaker was Michael Anthony White, Jr., Director of Operations for Gray Broadcasting Company and the WLBT Media Training Center. He spoke about upcoming opportunities with the Gray Media Training Center. The event took place at IT 215.
  • Dr. Timothy Dupree is the advisor for a new student organization on campus called S.O.U.R.C.E. which stands for Serving Others by Using Resources to Cultivate the Environment. The mission is to provide a plethora of resources to cater to all the students of Alcorn. Some of those include, disease awareness walks, mental health seminars, and fundraisers/events. With all of the proper paper work in place, this is the first semester that the group is active.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey hosted a murder mystery play reading in affiliation with Uproar Theatre Company, Inc. The play was written by two local Jackson-based playwrights. The event was held on October 20th, 2022.
  • Dr. Wiedenfeld presented a paper entitled “Plotting and Unplotting the Self: Clarice Lispector’s Agua Viva and the (De)Construction of Being” at the South Central Modern Language Association’s annual conference, this year hosted in Memphis, on October 15, 2022.
  • On October 27, 2022, Dr. Wiedenfeld and Junior English major Autumn Thompson were panelists at the Mississippi Cultural Crossroad’s Hold That Thought Thursday. Their focus was on African American Horror Films. Ms. Thompson, who is an avid Theater scholar, had taken Dr. Wiedenfeld’s Introduction to Film as Literature course the previous semester. A link to the panel can be found on the Mississippi Cultural Crossroads Facebook page, where it was live streamed: https://www.facebook.com/mississippi.cultural.cros…
  • On October 29, 2022, Dr. Wiedenfeld gave an invited talk at Mississippi State University on foraging for wild edible and medicinal fungi in Mississippi as part of grant-funded program called “Foraging, Foodways, and Belonging in Mississippi.”
  • On October 13, 2022, Dr. Anne-Marie Obilade, along with other leadership faculty and staff at Alcorn State University, attended the Disney Institute Leadership Training entitled Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence. The one-day training featured different aspects of leadership and organizational skills.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Department of Math and Computer Science has a curriculum advisory committee zoom meeting on 10/26/2022. The constituencies of the Math and Computer Science Programs consist of students enrolling the programs, alumni graduated from the department programs, employers and faculty from the department. During the meeting, the computer science ABET accreditation, curricula of math, math concentration on data science, math education and computer and information graduate program are discussed and some improvement suggestions are given from the committee.

Department of Military Sciences

  • Cadet Destiny Hohoabu receives the BG Clara Adams-Ender Scholarship Award of $1500. The BG Clara Adams-Ender Academic Excellence Scholarship Awards are presented to students in all branches of service who are enrolled in ROTC at an HBCU.
  • Alcorn State University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ontario Wooden visits Cadets on Day of the Joint FTX prior to the start of day land navigation. The Fall 2022 JFTX consists of Alcorn, Jackson, Northwestern, Grambling State, and Southern University colleges performing day and night land navigation, STX lanes, and M4 weapon familiarization.

Monthly Highlights for September 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

Biology Fall Mixer

  • The Department of Biological Sciences held its fall 2022 Biology Mixer September 8, 2022. The departmental faculty, staff and the School of Arts and Sciences administrators met with students to share and exchange information and ideas. This year’s theme was “Carnival.” Students partook in games, contests, and enjoyed refreshments presented by the departmental faculty and staff. The mixer was facilitated by Dr. Shavonda Jackson, Mrs. Dawn Davis, Ms. Lori Smith, and Dr. Marta Piva.

High School Day

  • The Department of Biological Sciences was a success during the annual High School Day held September 24, 2022. Biology majors, including the Biology Club and Tri-Beta National Honor Society members, Drs. Marta Piva, Shavonda Jackson, Elena Kostyleva, Mrs. Dawn Davis, and Ms, Lori Smith represented the department and shared valuable information, the department memorabilia, and treats with interested high school students and their chaperons. The areas of a special interest were the showcasing of animal dissection and observing parasite slides under the microscope. The booth had 31 signing visitors who took advantage of the QR code provided by Mrs. Davis.

New Technologies

  • The Department of the Biological Sciences has implemented new technologies for its students to get more hands-on learning opportunities.

1. Carbon dioxide and oxygen probes

These probes measure the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere. Therefore, they test the plant leaves’ ability to consume environmental CO2 and produce O2 in a controlled, sealed chamber. It is ideal for determining what plant is the most efficient in reducing greenhouse gas levels.

Supplemental Instruction Training

  • On Sept 6, 2022, Micaiah Mayes, sophomore, biology major, Dr. Marta Piva, and Dr. Elena Kostyleva participated in the supplemental instruction (SI) training held by Dr. Doris J. Ward, Executive Director for Strategic Academic Initiatives in the Academic Affairs Department. This training is a part of the STEM Faculty Course Redesign project that the science departments in the School of Arts and Sciences are participating in. SI project is intended for the student leaders, under the supervision of their instructor, to design and hold activities for the students to help them grasp difficult concepts taught in class. Student leaders gain an invaluable experience that has a dual purpose: they help their fellow students learn, and at the same time, student leaders enhance their own learning and gain teaching experience.

Visitors to the Department

  • On September 22, 2022, the recruiter for our region with Ross University School of Medicine and American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine gave an informational session and recruitment for pre-medical students. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Justin Nash.

On September 29 North Dakota State University representative Neely Benton spoke to our students about graduate school and research opportunities at their school. The meeting was facilitated by Ms. Lori Smith and hosted by Dr. Elena Kostyleva.

On September 30 medical recruiter/medical representative for Medical Service Corps, US Navy, Mr. Adrian I. Evans, LCDR, visited the Department and spoke to the students. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Debarshi Roy.

Faculty Updates

  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson served as faculty evaluator for Courtney McGowan, a biology teaching graduating senior at Warren Central Jr. High School.

Dr. Debarshi Roy published a review article titled, “Anticancer Properties of Kaempferol on Cellular Signaling Pathways” in Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry journal. He served as a corresponding author. The article can be accessed at https://europepmc.org/article/med/36082856

  • Dr. Roy also completed the biomedical data science training program (BDS-TP) at Jackson State University through virtual and in-person training mode and received a certificate of completion.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Achievements

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of August, the following speakers presented:

  • September 7, 2022: Jabreel Walker, Director of the Cargill Thrive Program at Alcorn State University. Topic: Finding your “North Star”: Career Planning starts before graduation.
  • September 14, 2022: Brandon D. Lucas, MSE, Ph.D. (Director of Graduate Initiatives, Strategic Planning, and Experiential Learning) and John Foster, Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Topic: Graduate School recruitment and words of advice.
  • September 21, 2022: Shawnta Chatman, Ph.D. (Alcorn State University Department of Chemistry & Physics). Topic: Advice from a FORMER Chemistry major at ASU matriculating into Academia.
  • September 28, 2022: Rashad Hart, Plant Superintendent, CASC North America-Grain Exports Westwego Port Terminal. Spoke to Dr. Cooper’s 11:00 Organic Class about the opportunities for Chemist/Chemical Engineers at Cargill.
  • September 28, 2022: Michael Mallory, Pharm.D. at William Carey University. Topic: Recruitment and academic guidance.

Department Activities

  • September 24, 2022: Faculty and Students Volunteers represented the Department at the University’s Annual High School Day. (Faculty present: Shawnta Chatman, Herve Sanghapi, Stefan Cooper and Sonia Eley.)
  • September 29, 2022: The Department of Chemistry & Physics held its annual Departmental Meet & Greet/Mixer. The event was held in the Honors Hall Cafeteria. Introductions were held and the faculty/staff & students had a chance to mingle. Music was presented/played by “DJ Chemist” (Augustin Avouwadan, Senior Chemistry Major). A game of Plinko was played (Tickets were given to each student as they entered, to play the game, the tickets were pulled, giving the winning ticket holder to drop the plinko chip. Prizes given were: mugs, shirts, an Alcorn hat, a calculator, webcam, portable computer mouse and money.) The menu for the event: Grilled chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, grilled corn, potato salad, baked beans, pound cake, candy, sodas and water.

Student Achievement

  • September 7, 2022: Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Fraternity held its Interest Meeting in the Math & Science Building Room 206 at 5:00pm.
  • Dr. Melanie McReynolds invited the chemistry majors to apply for a slot to participate in the Penn State Graduate School STEM Open House (Oct. 13-16, 2022).
  • Kalisha Durr has been accepted to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s School of Pharmacy Program.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On September 23rd and 24th, 2022, Dr. Heather Bailey attended the virtual symposium, Genealogies: A RaceB4Race Symposium hosted by the Arizona State University Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
  • Dr. Wiedenfeld’s abstract was accepted for inclusion in a panel for the South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA) conference in Memphis scheduled for October 13-15. Dr. Wiedenfeld will be presenting a paper on plotting and the anti-narrative in Clarice Lispector’s Agua Viva.
  • Dr. Wiedenfeld gave a talk at the Crosby Arboretum, which is part of the Ag Extension Program at Mississippi State University on the fungal flora of the Gulf South and how humans have historically engaged with fungi in the South. This talk occurred on Sept 17, 2022.
  • On September 16th, 2022, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended a virtual conference on Critical Global Resources. This conference was sponsored by Dr. Raj Sashti and Reinhardt University.
  • On September 30, 2022, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended the Mississippi Community and Junior College Academic Officers Association Statewide Curriculum Alignment Conference: ENGLISH-(ENG), MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE (MFL) and READING (REA) hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She attended the Virtual Group Session on Spanish I,II,III,IV, Spanish Conversation I and II, Occupational Spanish.
  • On September 30, 2022, Dr. Anne-Marie Obilade attended the Mississippi Community and Junior College Academic Officers Association Statewide Curriculum Alignment Conference: ENGLISH-(ENG), MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE (MFL) and READING (REA) hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She attended the Virtual Group Session on Technical English, English Composition I and II and Traditional Grammar.
  • Mr. Jerome Myles, Gospel Music Director and radio broadcaster for
    Alcorn State University’s WPRL 91.7FM, had the following engagements in
    September 2022:

    1. Broadcasted the annual Small
      Farmers Conference in Hattiesburg, MS on Sept. 19.
    2. Broadcasted the Annual Field
      day in Mound Bayou, MS. Sept. 29.
    3. Broadcasted Alcorn State
      University’s High School day event on Sept. 24.
    4. Broadcasted the “Comfort My
      Soul” event in Port Gibson on Sept. 30, where he was also a panelist.

Department of Fine Arts

  • September 8, 2022, Careers in Music Panel Discussion I

Dr. Ryan Stransky, Dr. Bingqing Xia and Mr. Anthony Barrino panelist

Dr. Sean Daniels, Moderator- 1pm Little Theater, Joyce Bolden Fine Arts Building

  • September 15, 2022, Careers in Music Panel Discussion II

Dr. David Miller, Mr. Tony Gordon, and Dr. Alona Alexander panelist

Dr. Sean Daniels, Moderator- 1pm Little Theater, Joyce Bolden Fine Arts Building

  • September 22, 2022, Career s in Music Panel Discussion III

Dr. Byron Johnson, Dr. Everson Martin Panelist

Dr. Sean Daniels, Moderator- 1pm Little Theater, Joyce Bolden Fine Arts Building

  • September 27, 2022, Tuesday

Faculty Recital 6pm Little Theater, Joyce Bolden Fine Arts Building

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Computer Science faculty worked hard to have submitted Computer Science ABET Accreditation documents: Readiness by October 1st, 2022.

Monthly Highlights for August 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

Student Success

  • Taina Turner, a senior, biology major, participated in the ASCENDS summer research program at the University of Massachusetts during summer 2022. Taina Turner is mentored by Dr. Marta Piva.
  • Kiana Allen’22, who was the Top Student in the Department of Biological Sciences for spring 2022, got accepted into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center Postbaccalaureate research program. She will be conducting research in the Critical Care Medicine Department, working on topics involving COVID-19 and sepsis.
  • Malik Swafford ’21 has been accepted to Ross University School of Medicine for the Summer ’23 entering class. He is the first student to gain admission to Ross University since Alcorn State University has joined in partnership to get more of our students into medical school. Swafford is mentee of Dr. Justin Nash.
  • Shalisha King’21 was recently accepted to the MBA program with a concentration in healthcare management at Talladega College. King is mentee of Dr. Elena Kostyleva.

Faculty and Staff Achievements

  • The Department of Biological Sciences has been awarded a Mississippi INBRE Curriculum Grant for one year (06/01/22 to 05/31/23) in the amount of $35,000. The project title is “Curriculum development: Assessing the content of heavy metal ions in the water of southwest Mississippi.”
  • The Department of Biological Science faculty and staff successfully completed the Omega HHWT-14 photometer training to test lead in potable water. The training was held May 10 and 12, 2022.
  • Dr. Marta Piva was presented a plaque during May 2022 Commencement by the Mississippi Board of Trustees State Institutions of Higher Learning. She was awarded an IHL Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award in recognition of Black History Month for serving as a role model and strong advocate for the advancement of diversity at Alcorn State University and the State of Mississippi.
  • Dr. Debarshi Roy presented at the Nano-Bio and ImmunoEngineering Cosnortium (NIEC) Summer Symposium held at the University of Mississippi July 18-19, 2022. His invited talk was entitled, “Targeting Metabolic Signaling Pathways to Develop Therapy for Drug Resistant Ovarian Cancer.”
  • Dr. Roy has also presented at the Mississippi IDeA/EPSCoR Conference 2022 at the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS on July 28.
  • Dr. Roy attended an Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) annual meeting in Fort Worth, Texas August 1-3, 2022.
  • Dr. Roy was awarded a one-year pilot grant (starting from 08/23/22 to 08/14/23), titled “Public outreach education on AI/ML tools for chronic disease self-management.” This grant is a collaboration among the University of Rio Grande Valley, mySidewalk, and the University of Houston AIM AHEAD program.
  • Dr. Roy published an article, in collaboration with colleagues from Texas A&M University, in the journal Biology Open. The article titled, “Nuclear localization of histamine receptor 2 in primary human lymphatic endothelial cells”. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35776777/
  • Dr. Roy published an article, in collaboration with colleagues from Southeastern Louisiana University, in the journal Environmental Quality Management. The article titled, “Impact of environmental and socio-economic stressors leading to unequal distribution of COVID-19 incidences in the state of Louisiana.” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/tqem.21884
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva participated in the webinar titled, “Earn Your QM Teaching Online Certificate” held by the Quality Matters June 8, 2022.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Achievements

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of August, the following speakers presented:

  • August 31, 202: Topic: Summer Research Experiences and Internship RECAP (Biology and Chemistry Scholars presented a summary of their research experience.

Student Achievement

Student Scholars that presented at the 1st Department of Chemistry Seminar.

  • Sierra Woodall (University of California Irvine – ACES Program)
  • Shandrea Jenkins (University of Southern Mississippi – Mississippi IMBRE Program)
  • Kennedi Miller (University of California Irvine – ACES Program)
  • Vanessa Washington (University of California Irvine – ACES Program)
  • Kristyn Wilson (University of Texas at Houston – Summer Health Professions Education Program [SHPEP])
  • Taina Turner (University of Massachusetts – ASCENDS Program)
  • Raylynn Thompson (New Jersey Institute of Technology – Department of Biomedical Engineering)
  • Luster Harris (New Jersey Institute of Technology )
  • Adora Norman (University of Mississippi – Department of Chemistry – The Tanner Lab)
  • August 22, 2022: NOBCChE present welcome back test-tube snack to the students in the Math & Science Building.
  • August 24, 2022: NOBCChE, Khem Klub and Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity participated in the Annual University Organizational Fair.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Delesha Banks, Dejona Sims, and Mekiyla Brown are attending workshop (Internship) this semester ….. Gray Media Training Center program at WLBT 12, Jackson MS.
  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman attended the eighth annual
    Mississippi Book Festival in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday, August
    20, 2022.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld participated in panel called “Reading,
    Unearthing, and Eating Anthropocentrism with Cesar & Lois.” The paper was
    recently published in the journal Anthropology of Consciousness and Dr.
    Wiedenfeld’s contribution can be found on pp. 18-21 with a photograph appearing
    on p. 28. Dr. Wiedenfeld also led a mushroom foray, which was an event designed
    to supplement the panel discussion (among other topics, the panel was
    interested in what fungi can teach us about discourse, community, and
    consciousness). The interdisciplinary panel included two from English
    departments and other notable scholars in their respective fields.
  • In early June, Dr.
    Heather Bailey directed a Shakespeare play, The Merry Wives of Windsor,
    for Uproar Theatre Company, Inc. (a non-profit located in Jackson).
  • Mass Communication
    students Dejona Sims and MeKiyla Brown attended the National Association of
    Black Journalists (NABJNAHJ22) Convention and Career Fair in August 3-7, 2022,
    which took place in Las Vegas.
  • Three Mass
    Communication students – Dejona Sims, Delesha Banks and Mekiyla Brown are part
    of the inaugural group of students attending an internship/workshop this
    semester with the Gray Media Training Center program at WLBT, Jackson, MS.
    Curtis Aaron and Toni Terrett, Esq., faculty and staff advisors, had a chance
    to attend the kickoff luncheon with the student interns on June 28, 2022.
  • Jamilla Martin, a 2008
    English Graduate, received her Ed.D. She is currently the Assistant principal
    of Dutchtown High School in Hampton, Georgia.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • On August 30th, 2022, Alcorn State University and IBM Global University Programs Committee had a virtual meeting. Dr. Felecia Nave, President of ASU, Dr. Ontario Wooden, Senior VP for Academic Affairs and Dr. Babu Patlolla, Dean of Arts and Sciences joined the faculty members in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science to discuss with Ms. Valinda Scarbro Kennedy, IBM SkillsBuild and HBCU Strategist for the collaboration and partnership. During the meeting ASU and IBM achieved the agreement:
  • ASU and IBM will joint to set up an IBM HBCU Cyber Security Leadership Centers (Only 20 centers will be setup globally; ASU is only one center in Mississippi).
  • IBM will offer Alcorn State University Security Learning Academy Portal for faculty and students learning cybersecurity.
  • IBM Expert Lecture Series will begin on September.
  • IBM will offer more opportunities for STEM students for internship and employment.
  • As part of Google’s growing efforts to support academia, Math and Computer Science Department has been awarded an unrestricted gift of $10,000 to use this gift toward the department work related to TensorFlow college award for machine learning courses. This is the earning award for the second time in a row.
  • Ms. Elizabeth Udemgba and Ms. Tamaria Tinsley have participated in “High Impact Course Redesign” in August, 2022 organized by university academic affairs. College Algebra course will be redesigned for improving students learning outcomes.

Monthly Highlights for April 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

Student and faculty success

  • 1.Lauryn Martin, majoring in biology, received post-bac research opportunity on cancer biology at Johns Hopkins. 2.Jonathan Boyd, majoring in biology, got admission to master’s program in Environmental Engineering at the University of Oklahoma.3.Bolutyfe Oderinde, majoring in chemistry, got admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and University of California Irvine. She is choosing MD Anderson. 4.Praise Ola, majoring in chemistry, earned an opportunity to work as a research assistant at Mount Sinai Medical School beginning July 2022. 5.Favour Afolabi, majoring in chemistry, has been admitted to the PhD in Biomedical Engineering Program at Indiana University-Purdue University integrated PhD program.
  • Students mentioned above are involved in research at Dr. Debarshi Roy’s lab in the Department of Biological Sciences.
  • Another student involved in research at Dr. Roy’s lab, a graduate student majoring in biotechnology, Kaelin Travis, presented at the Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting held March 21-April1, 2022. Her presentation is titled, “Watercress extract targeting oncogenic signaling pathways in ovarian cancer.” Dr. Roy and Ms. Brenita Jenkins also presented at the meeting.
  • Several presentations were held at the 20th Research Symposium of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, Inc. (ARD):
  • Dr. Roy, Ms. Jenkins, Praise Ola, and Kaelin Travis also presented their work at the 20th Research Symposium of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, Inc. (ARD).
  • Dr. Roy presented on “Alterations in Metformin Mediated Metabolism in Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Cells.”
  • Ms. Jenkins presented on the “Effect of a combined drug system against ovarian cancer cells.”
  • Kaelin Travis presented on the “Watercress extract targeting oncogenic signaling pathways in ovarian cancer.”
  • Praise Ola received a third place in the Food safety, nutrition, health, and health disparities for undergraduate student competitive category for his oral presentation titled, “Curcumin triggers metabolic alterations and growth inhibition of ovarian cancer cells.”
  • Ms. Jenkins and Dr. Roy attended the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2022, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ms. Jenkins presented a poster titled, “Alterations in Metformin Mediated Metabolism in Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Cells.”
  • Jamesha Keithley, who is about to graduate with Master of Science in Biology, was admitted to the Pharmacy program at William Carey University.
  • Shundria Houston, a biology major, was admitted to the Alcorn State University School of Nursing for fall 2022.
  • Biology major Javon Moore has been accepted for an Environmental Laboratory- 2022 Summer Intern Program with U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Engineer Research and Development Center -Environmental Laboratory.
  • McKenzie Smith, a biology major, has been accepted into the Master of Public Health graduate program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for fall 2022. Her concentration will be health behavior.
  • Recent graduate student of the Biology Department Breunna McCann has been accepted into IU School of Optometry located in Indiana for fall 2022. She was among our Top 10 graduates.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby’s (co-advisor of Girl’s Coalition) student Zariyae Moore, President of Girl’s Coalition, has been accepted into the MS INBRE Mentor-UM program at the University of Mississippi located in Oxford, Miss. Her designated mentor is Dr. Gregg Roman, professor of pharmacology, director of the GlyCORE Imaging Core, and research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy. The program runs May 16 – July 29, 2022.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva participated in the University of the District of Columbia College of Arts and Sciences (UDC-CAS) Teaching-Learning Roundtable, a free virtual conference, April 22, 2022. It was a full-day conference dedicated to exploring the science and application of pedagogies that foster engaged learning.
  • Departmental Recognition-Academic Influence ranks Alcorn’s Master of Science in Biology among the best online programs. Our program is being lauded as one of the nation’s best virtual programs. The University’s online master’s program came in 8th on Academic Influence’s Best Online Master’s in Biology Programs list. In addition, Alcorn is the only Mississippi school and HBCU listed on the website’s top 10. The Academic Influence’s methodology uses artificial intelligence to review records of achievement in specific fields of study, scholarly and academic citations, and institutional influence, among many other data points.
  • Graduating Senior Reception-The Department of Biological Sciences recognized its graduating seniors during the graduating senior reception on Thursday, April 28. Tyriney Marshall was the Outstanding Student, and Kiana Allen was the Top Student in the Department of Biological Sciences for spring 2022. The departmental faculty and staff recognized academic successes of its seniors graduating Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Cum Laude, students graduating with honorable mention, and all its graduating seniors.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • The Department continued to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of April, the following speakers presented:
  • April 20, 2022: Dr. Eden Tanner and Dr. Davita Watkins, University of Mississippi, School of Liberal Arts. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.
  • April 26, 2022: Representatives from Eastman. Topic: Internships/Career Opportunities and Company Informational.
  • April 27, 2022: Syleste Porter, Ross University School of Medicine. Topic: Recruitment and Medical School Informational.
  • Student Achievement
  • Luster Harris secured a research internship at New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Department of Chemistry.
  • Praise Ola and Favour Afolabi presented at the ARD conference. Praise placed 3rd place during his oral presentation.
  • Members of NOBCChE and students from Dr. Stefan Cooper’s Research attended the Regional NOBCChE Meeting the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS.

Departmental/Organization Service

  • April 21, 2022: Alpha Chi Sigma, LSMAMP and Khem Klub members served as STEM presenters at Lester Elementary School (3rd – 5th Grade), Jackson, MS. Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity also performed a Chemistry “Magic Show” for the students, faculty and staff at the school.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communications

  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman served as the Responsible Research Supervisor (RRS) on the Educational Testing Service—Alcorn State University Collaborative Learning Study from March 28-31 in the James L. Bolden Student Union Ballroom. With eighty-six student-participants, the problem-solving project sought to measure the students’ collaborative skills in a face-to-face environment.
  • Dr. Coleman was also a participant on the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Folklife and the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi panel, which was held on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at 12:30 in 107 Dumas Hall. She delivered a presentation titled “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Reflections on the B. B. King Blues Cotton Sack.”
  • Dr. Heather Bailey attended the College English Association (CEA) conference in Birmingham, AL on April 1st-April 2nd.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey will be directing Uproar Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. She held auditions in the Jackson area on Aril 25th and rehearsals will begin the first week in May.
  • On April 27th Dr. Heather Bailey was interviewed by ASU radio station WPRL in conjunction with the ASU Authors Celebration. Dr. Bailey discussed her recent publications.
  • Mass Communication Graduating Senior Onyinyechukwu Chidi-Ogbolu gained admission into the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts to study Cinema and Media Studies (M.A.). She will begin in Fall 2022.
  • On Thursday, April 21, 2022, ASU’s National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) held its second Lunch and Learn of the semester. The speaker was Michael Anthony White, Jr., Director of Operations for Gray Broadcasting Company and the WLBT Media Training Center. The event took place at IT 215.
  • On April 5-6, 2022, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres participated in the Cengage conference “Seizing Success Through Balance: The Empowered Educator Online Conference.” She achieved a Certificate of Engagement for the conference.
  • On April 28th Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld discussed his article publications/research in a scheduled interview with WPRL. This was done in conjunction with Alcorn State University’s Sesquicentennial celebration and was included in a series dedicated to Alcorn authors.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld’s abstract was accepted for the upcoming South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA) Annual Conference. Dr. Wiedenfeld will be presenting on the limits of narrative in Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector’s _Agua Viva_ in a panel focusing on temporality and plot. The tentative title is “Unplotting Plot: Clarice Lispector’s _Agua Viva_ and the Limits of Narrative.” The conference will be in Oct 2022 in Memphis, TN.
  • Dasia Harris interviewed with Jerry Mitchell, the founder the Mississippi
    Center for Investigating Reporting. She just wrapped up an internship with the
    Center and received a very positive review from her supervisor.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • In coming commencement in May 2022, 25 computer science, math and math education graduating seniors and 3 graduate students in the computer and information science graduate programs will graduate. This is the highest numbers of graduates in the Math and Computer Science Department in recent 15 years.
  • Graduating seniors, faculty members and administrators from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Dean’s office of the School of Arts and Science had a celebration of end of year luncheon on April 28, 2022. Graduating seniors shared their thoughts on future and employment opportunities. Dean Dr. Patlolla advocated life-long learning for our graduating seniors.
  • Some graduating seniors’ job placements in May 2022 at the Department of Math and Computer Science: One student will work at Microsoft Corporation as Software Engineer; One student will work at Mata Platforms. Inc. (Facebook) as Software Engineer; Four students will work at Goldman Saches as Software Engineering Analyst;One student will work at Pacific Investment Management Company as Software Engineer; One student will work at Morgan Stanley as Software Engineer; One student will work at Prudential Financial Company as Software Engineer; One student will work at Amazon as Software Engineer; Two students will go to Apple as Software Engineers;One graduating senior in Computer Science will go to MIT graduate program major in Computer Science. Other graduating seniors also got job offers from MS companies, such as General Motor, C-Spire, etc.

Department of Social Sciences

  • Dr. Yulonda Sano-April 7: Signed an agreement with the University of Arkansas Press to be the co-editor of a series on books on Rural Black Studies.
  • Dr. Yulonda Sano-April 28: Interviewed on ASU radio station WPRL as a part of the ASU Authors Celebration. Discussed my research and published articles that appeared in the edited volume Arkansas Women: Their Lives and Times and the journal Agricultural History.

Monthly Highlights for March 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

  • The abstract of the paper co-authored by biology seniors Kierra S. Hayes and Taina N. Turner, and Dr. Elena Kostyleva, was accepted for publication in the Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, Volume 67, number 2. The paper is titled, “Perspective honey plants for beekeeping in the state of Mississippi.”
  • On March 1, Dr. Marta Piva, interim chairperson of the Department of Biological Sciences, was interviewed by the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL) for the research project entitled, “HBCU-UP Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership Study Sites: Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.”
  • On March 7, Dr. Piva and Dr. Jameka Grigsby attended a virtual meeting with USDA-ARS Research Leaders about Summer Internship and Collaborative Research Opportunities with USDA Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MS.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Jameka Grigsby welcomed newly elected officers for the 2022-2023 school year for Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society where they serve as co-advisors.
  • President- Alisha Adams; Vice-President- Irving Grayson; Secretary- Amari Shields; Treasurer- Ariyah King; Parliamentarian- Sydney Johnson.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of March, the following speakers presented:
  • March 2, 2022: Dr. Nellone Reid, New Jersey Institute of Technology. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.
  • March 9, 2022: Dr. Soumyajit Majumdar, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, School of Pharmacy – The University of Mississippi. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.
  • March 23, 2022: Dr. Herdeline Ardona, University of California Irvine. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.
  • March 31, 2022: STEM IS LIT: Alumni Panel with Inspiring Black Scientists. Each panelist gave their personal testimony about their journeys and how they chose their specific career path/profession, discussed imposter syndrome and how to navigate it, and gave some valuable advice to the Alcorn Students.Student Achievement
  • TyAnn McHenry has been accepted into the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at Virginia Commonwealth.
  • Tatyana Hollingbird has been accepted into Penn State University for a summer research internship under Dr. Melanie McReynolds.
  • Favour Afolabi has been accepted into the Purdue University Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program. Also she has been accepted into the Indiana University Biomedical Engineering Program.
  • Bracey Darensbourg has been offered a position at Quality Engineer Internship at Mary Kay
  • Kennedy Reed has been accepted into UT Health San Antonio, UAB, UT Southwestern and Vanderbilt PREP Programs.
  • March, 2022 – Dr. Shawnta Chatman inducted three new members into the Beta Kappa Chi National Scientific Honors Society.
  • March 26, 2022 – Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Chemistry Fraternity Inducted eight new members.

Departmental/Organization Service

  • March 25, 2022: Alpha Chi Sigma and Khem Klub members served as Science Fair Judges at Jefferson County Upper Elementary School and Jefferson County Junior High (5th – 8th Grade), Fayette, MS.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communications

  • Dr. Heather Bailey presented original research at the South Central Renaissance Conference hosted by the University of Alabama on March 3rd. The title of her presentation was “Till in thy bowels this corpse find a grave:” Flesh as Spectacle and Flesh as Meat in Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker’s The Bloody Banquet
  • Dr. Heather Bailey attended the virtual 65th Annual Renaissance Conference of Southern California on March 18th.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey volunteered her time to assist Uproar Theatre Company with their night of One Acts, which occurred on March 24th-26th in Jackson.
  • LaKenya Walker, Alcorn alumna and Computer Scientist for the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) along with Mr. Rob Wallace, Lead Technical Director of Information Technology Lab at Army Corp of Engineers, participated in Ms. Sheri Wallace’s Technical Writing class by performing mock job interviews. These interviews are regularly done in the class to prepare students for real world scenarios.
  • On Tuesday, March 1, ASU’s National Association of Black Journalists held its first Lunch and Learn of the semester. The speaker was Alcorn Alum ’12, Brandon Rook, Reporter, PR Manager and Entrepreneur. The event took place in person at IT 215 and via Zoom.
  • Graduating Senior and English major Iyunola Owoyemi received an employment offer from Threshold Giving, a non-profit organization, where she says she will take on a Human Rights Advocacy role “to create awareness about global issues.” Her position will also keep her on a Pre-law track. Ms. Owoyemi hopes to begin by June 1, 2022.
  • Dr. Ivan Ozherelev published an article titled “Language-Identity Blending among Minorities in Romance-Speaking Societies: Snowball Effect in the Power of Attraction of English in Québec and Russian in Moldova Based on Population Censuses” for the multilingual academic platform dubbed “Multiculturalism throught the Prism of Social and Political integration”/“Le multiculturalisme à travers le prisme de la cohésion sociale et politique”. The peer-review journal publication is a follow-up of the two presentations the said author made at the virtual International Forum “Linguistics and the Challenges of the Modern Paradigm of Social Relations: Interdisciplinary, Intercultural and Multilingual Interaction” (November 24-28, 2021) at Voronezh State University. The collection is published in partnership with the University of Lille (France), the University of Nantes (France), the Erasmus+ project, and the Voronezh Regional Branch of the Association for European Studies.
  • Dasia Harris, Graduating Senior and Mass Communication is participating in the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting (MCIR) Immersion Program. The program “immerses” students in the field of investigative reporting by having them participate in current news and ongoing investigations that can make a social difference. As noted in their recent newsletter, Dasia Harris is working with three Millsaps College students to investigate “those who have played a role in wrongful convictions.” Students from across the country are enrolled in the program.
  • On March 31st, 2022, Mass Communication held its annual Media Day with the theme “Why Content Still Matters: News in a Digital World.” The Guest Speaker was Mr. Marriel Hardy, Class of 2010 and Chief Communications Officer for Coahoma Community College. A seven man panel from the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters answered a host of questions from students and offered various internship and job opportunities. Journalism students from Hinds Community College, led by Mr. Timothy Crisler, also participated in the event.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Four professors: Dr. Thir Dangal, Dr. Qingwen Hu, Dr. Lixin Yu, Dr. Ping Zhang and five graduate students attended 86th Mississippi Academy of Science Annual Meeting in Biloxi, MS from March 30 to April 1, 2022. They submitted five research abstracts and did five oral presentations during the meeting. Dr. Dangal was selected as Vice Chairperson of Math, Statistics and Computer Science division and Dr. Zhang was promoted as Chairperson of the division in MAS organization.
  • Computer Science major student: Ronnie Davis will have internship at Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in summer 2022. Many students have internship opportunities in summer.
  • This year, more seniors will graduate from Computer Science, Mathematics and Math Teaching majors. Some students have employments in Apple, Amazon, Prudential Financial, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanly, Pacific Investment Management Company, Meta Platforms, Inc. and Microsoft.

Department of Social Work

  • Monday, March 21 through Friday, March 25, 2022 the Department of Social work celebrated National Social Work Month with a variety of student engagement activities. The national theme was “The Time is Right for Social Work.”
  • Monday, March 28, 2022 The Department of Social Work hosted the Mississippi Eta Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society Induction Ceremony, 10 students representing social science majors were inducted: Michaelynn S. Braswell; Tashuna M. Daniels; A’Niya Stefani ReNee Goodman; Russell De-Shawn Leon; Kayla M. Mayze; Danielle Phelps; Zakiya A. Smith; Ayanna Alexis Taylor; Shanique L. Strickland; Ashlee B. Williams. This event was facilitated by Dr. Antrina Bell and students, Shanique Strickland and Jasmine Dillon
  • Tuesday, March 29, 2022, the Department of Social Work hosted its Social Work Day Program. Ms. Krystal Hamlin, Outreach Coordinator for Haven House Family Shelter in Vicksburg, Mississippi, served as the event’s speaker. She was introduced by her ASU Social Work Intern Student, Ms. Kedreunna McGriggs. Ms. Hamlin is a 2012 graduate of ASU Social Work program. Inspirational Quotes for Social Workers was provided by Mr. Jacolby Coleman (student) and a Special Prayer for Social Workers and Social Work Students was provided by Ms. Ayanna Taylor (student). Aisha Powers (student) presented the ocassion for the Social Work Day Program. The Time is Right for Social Work: A Student’s Perspective were written and presented by the following social work students: Ms. Kristin Washington and Ms. Shanique Strickland.
  • Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society Induction-11 students were inducted: Jasmine Dillion; Tiawanya McKnight; Kennedy Hobson; Kadejahi Smith; Feish Jarrell; Shanique Strickland; Tiffany Johnson; Ayanna Taylor; Niya Lett; Kristin Washington; Ashlee Williams. The ceremony was facilitated by Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, Dr. Antrina Bell and Mr. Edward Brown.
  • During the Social Work Day Program , the department presented three students with the community service award: Aisha Myers, Niya Lett, Zakiya Smith. Shanique Strickland was presented with the Social Work Outstanding Student of the Year Award.
  • March 9, 2022 Dr. Antrina Bell, Social Work Club Advisor and members of the Social Work Club provided students with Midterm Motivation Bags to encourage students during midterm exams.
  • March 10, 2022, Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, Interim Chair and Associate Professor presented a virtual workshop entitled “The Usefulness of Reminisce Therapy: Helping Older Adults to Connect” at the G.V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center 2022 Social Work Symposium.
  • March 21, 2022, In recognition of National Social Work Month, Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, Interim Chair and Associate Professor presented “Self-Care for Social Workers and Social Work Students” to the graduating seniors in the Special Topics and Professional Development in Social Work course.
  • March 31, 2022, Dr. Antrina Bell, Instructor of Social Work/Acting Field Coordinator hosted an Orientation for Fall 2022 Prospective Intern Students.

Monthly Highlights for February 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Congratulations to Dr. Marta Piva for being named the 2022 Diversity Educator of the Year by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning during Black History Month Celebration February 17, 2022!
  • Dorothy McCoy, a senior biology/pre-professional major, has been accepted into the University of Southern Mississippi Medical Laboratory Science Program for the upcoming fall 2022 semester. McCoy is a native of Waynesboro, Mississippi.
  • CRES Symposium Students and faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences actively participated in the 8th Center for Research Excellence Symposium held February 3, 2022, at Alcorn State University. Antwoine Kitchen, a junior biology major, won the first place in the undergraduate poster presentation category for his research he co-authored with Dr. Marta Piva, “Growth Characteristics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with mitochondrial dysfunction.” McKelvie Maxwell, biology major, won the second place in the undergraduate poster presentation category for her research done under the guidance of Dr. Debarshi Roy and Dr. Justin Nash, “A Study to Access the Efficacy of Natural Compounds in the treatment of Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection.” Praise Ola, chemistry major, who works in Dr. Roy’s lab, won the second place in the undergraduate oral presentation category for his research on “Curcumin Mediated Metabolic Alterations of Ovarian Cancer Cells.” Two Dr. Roy’s graduate students held oral presentations of their research. Kalaedra Self presented on, “Repurposing of Metformin for Ovarian Cancer Therapy”, and Kaelin Travis presented on, “Watercress Extract Targeting Oncogenic Signaling Pathways in Ovarian Cancer.” Dr. Roy won the first place in the professional oral presentation category for his research, “Metformin Mediated Metabolic Alterations in Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Cells.” Dr. Elena Kostyleva orally presented on her research, “The Study of the Availability of Honey Plants for Beekeeping in the State of Mississippi” that she co-authored with her undergraduate student Taina Turner, senior biology major. Ms. Brenita Jenkins orally presented on, “Effect of a combined drug system against ovarian cancer cells.” Drs. Jameka Grigsby and Shavonda McDaniel-Jackson served as judges for student poster presentations.
  • Other activities and accomplishments: Students of the Department of Biological Science had a chance to learn about career and internship opportunities at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg during ERDC’s visit to Alcorn State University February 23, 2022.
  • Drs. Shavonda McDaniel-Jackson and Jameka Grigsby moderated Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society Upsilon Chapter of Alcorn State University’s first official meeting of the spring 2022 semester where they both serve as co-advisors for the national prestigious honor society. The meeting focused on the welcoming back of 52 inductees and discussing upcoming events within the chapter. McDaniel-Jackson and Grigsby also attended the National Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society Advisors, Directors, and E-Council meeting on February 21. Also, Grigsby and McDaniel-Jackson held its annual Valentine’s Day Raffle fundraiser for Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society where Aretrina Long (nursing major) was named the 2022 winner.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby attended a virtual meeting with the Wiley Non-Majors Biology team on February 8 where she was granted opportunity to give feedback on their mastery-based adaptive learning courseware designed to help students find success in the classroom.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby and Elena Kostyleva participated in the JSU-NSF Innovation in Graduate Education (IGE) Workshop held at Jackson State University February 17-18, 2022. The purpose of the workshop was to educate on the IGE program, which is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers.
  • Drs. Marta Piva and Jameka Grigsby participated in Departmental Seminar from Chicago State School of Pharmacy on February 9 sponsored by Dr. Stefan Cooper of the Department of Chemistry and Physics.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore announced that the soundtracks to two of the movies that he scored were available on iTunes and Amazon. One of the films, “Texas Red” can also be found at Walmart and other retailers. Several of the films can be seen on Amazon Prime or Tubi.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Activities

  • February 3, 2022: Dr. Herve Sanghapi and Sonia Eley volunteered as judges at the 8th Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium (CRES).
  • The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of February, the following speakers presented:
  • February 9, 2022: Dr. Lalita Prasad-Reddy, PharmD, Chicago State University, College of Pharmacy. Topic: Recruitment and Informational.
  • February 22, 2022: Dr. Kristin F. Nalls, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Inclusion/Lead Director of Admissions, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, School of Dentistry. Topic: Recruitment and Informational. Other presenters: Dr. Alexa Lampkin (Admissions), Dr. Anthony Newman [‘94] (Admissions Committee), students (Johntre’ Goudy, Teleshia Johnson and Aaron Winters [2020].
  • February 23, 2022: ERDC Day at Alcorn State University. Some of the students in the Department of Chemistry and Physics ERDC. Information about the facility, job/internship opportunities at ERDC and the path that they took to become a chemist and the career opportunities in chemistry was presented by Mr. David Henderson, Dr. Matt Glasscott , and Dr. Harley McAlexander.
  • February 28, 2022: LSMAMP Seminar (IDEAS Forum: Recruitment, Retention & Success: The Importance of Equity-Minded Initiatives.) – LSMAMP attended a Zoom Seminar featuring panelist – Dr. Donald Cole (Emeritus Faculty & Administrator, The University of Mississippi, Dr. Carla Cotwright-Williams (Technical Director for the Department of Defense) and Dr. Richard Doss (Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Depart of Veterans Affairs).
  • Student Achievement
  • Marveline Akinola has been accepted into nine Pharmacy Schools: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Campbell University College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of Florida College of Pharmacy (Orlando Campus), University of Southern California College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy (Rockford Campus) and Larkin University College of Pharmacy. She is waiting to hear from the University College of Pharmacy.
  • Fategbe Olamide has been accepted to the University of California, Irvine.
  • February 2, 2022 – Beta Kappa Chi National Scientific Honors Society Interest Meeting, led by Dr. Shawnta Chatman.
  • February 3, 2022 – Senior Chemistry majors Favour Afolabi and Praise Ola presented at the 8th Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium (CRES). Both placed in their categories (orals), Favour – 1st and Praise – 2nd.
  • February 10, 2022 – NOBCChE held their interest meeting.
  • February 16, 2022 – Men’s Coalition & Alpha Chi Sigma presented a seminar: Black Men in STEM. Dr. Archie Taylor was the speaker.
  • February 24, 2022 – Five chemistry major (TyAnn McHenry, Jayla Holloway, Zariyae Moore, De’Ja Montgomery, and Tatyana Hollingbird) were honored at the Cargill Thrive Recognition/Scholarship Program. This program provides financial support through scholarships and expands further to encourage long-term academic success through mentoring, development and career coaching.

Departmental/Organization Service

  • February 21 – 25, 2022: STEM Week
  • Monday, February 21, 2022: Alpha Chi Sigma – Slices of authentic King Cakes were passed out on the 2nd floor of the Math & Science Building to kick off the week with a Mardi Gras Theme, Let the Good Times Roll with STEM.
  • Also, Alpha Chi Sigma hosted the STEM Week Seminar featuring Dr. Archie Taylor. His talk included Henrietta Lacks and her Immortal Cells, how her cells impacted modern research, the future of his HeLa Center and his research. (Participants were in-person and on Zoom)
  • Tuesday, February 22, 2022: Biology Club – Hosted a “We Do It For the Culture: Black Scientist Kahoot Trivia Game” via Zoom.
  • Wednesday, February 23, 2022: The Khem Klub presented: “A Khem Klub Scavenger Hunt”. Different clues were given and the answers could be found in the Math & Science Building. The first five people that submitted their answers (Google form) were given a prize.
  • Thursday, February 24, 2022: NOBCChE – Hosted an “Ice Cream Social: Make your own Ice Cream”. All the ingredients were provided for everyone to make their own ice cream in a bag.
  • Friday, February 25, 2022: Alcorn Student Affiliates Chapter of the American Chemical Society – Presented a guessing game titled, “Guess that Element”. Riddles were given and any one with correct answers were given a candy prize.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Monday, February 28, 2022, Dr. J. Janice Coleman
    read a book titled Natalie’s Hair Was Wild by Laura Freeman to first
    graders at Sherman Elementary School in Vicksburg.
  • On Saturday, February 19, Dr. Coleman traveled to
    Crystal Springs to pick up several Alcorn annuals from the 1950s that are not
    in our library. After these yearbooks are copied, they will also be digitized
    for public use.
  • Allison Dawson, an Alcorn Alumni and English Literature graduate, received the Teacher of the Year award for Natchez High School.
  • The Alcorn State University Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) recently received clearance as an affiliate chapter during a recent audit. Newly elected officers are as follows: Dejona Sims – President,Dejah Burton – Vice President, Delesha Banks – Secretary, D’Anna King – Asst. Secretary, Mekilya Brown – Treasurer. Advisors are Toni Terrett and Curtis Aaron.
  • Advisors are Toni Terrett and Curtis Aaron. Dr. Eric Dogini, Associate Professor of Mass Communication,
    published an article entitled “The Influence of Mass Media on Adult Learner: A
    Focus on Adult Education in Nigeria” in the peer reviewed Journal of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JLAH); Vol.3; No. 1 January
    2022. A copy of the article can be found on the URL jlahnet.com: “The influence
    of mass media on adult learner: a focus on adult education in Nigeria by Eric
    U. Dogini jlahnet.com.”

Department of Fine Arts

Student Accomplishments

  • February 8, Student Honors Recital, 6pm Little Theater – Honors Recital recipients

I.Zedrick Coleman- Baritone
II.Nia Elbert-Alto Saxophone
III.Robert Estes- Trombone
IV..Jimmia Exum-Soprano
V.Ashley Gaye-Palmer- Soprano
VI.Jekilriya Lee-soprano
VII.Travis Mason- Flute
VIII.Antoin Marshall, Tenor
IX.Lea McClendon, soprano
X.Byron Morris, Tenor
XI.Marquayvis Smith, Percussion
XII.Cortez Toy, Trumpet
XIII.Kyra Watson Mezzo-soprano

  • February 10, Black History Spiritual Concert Featuring the Robert Lewis Magnet Middle School Maestros, and the Alcorn State University Concert Choir 1pm Joyce E. Bolden Little Theater
  • February 15, Faculty Black Composers Concert, 6pm Joyce E. Bolden Little Theater
  • February 17, Faculty Black Composers Concert 1pm Joyce E. Bolden Little Theater
  • February 28, Recruitment Performance at Raymond High School
  • February 10-Xavian Lewis and Trevor Griffin performed for the 34th Annual Governor’s Arts Award Ceremony in Jackson, Mississippi at the Civil Rights Museum.
  • February 22- Robert Lewis Magnet School’s Black History Program with featured performances by the ASU Concert Choir
  • February 28-Recruitment Performance at Raymond High School
    List of Students: Trinity Black, Kayla Bryant, Jimmia Exum, Trevor Griffin, Breanna Hall, MiKayla Haynes, Kelvin Jordan, Jekilriya Lee, Xavian Lewis, Antoin Marshall, Byron Morris, Gregory Richards, Jaylen Sanders, Denisha Scott, Isaiah Smith, Kristan Summers, Melik Taylor, andKyra Watson, and Tiyanna Powell
  • The 12th Annual Celebration of the Negro Spiritual at Nicholls State University on Feb. 4, 2022. Students: Ashley-Gaye Palmer, Antoin Marshall, Zedrick Coleman and Jimmia Exum participated at the event as soloists.
  • February 25-26, 2022, Mississippi National Association of Teacher of Singing conference student Zedrick Coleman, baritone, won 1st place in the Younger Student Adult Treble, Baritone and Bass category.
  • Senior vocal performance major, Antoin Marshall, was the student recipient of the William Winter Scholars Student award by the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, held on Feb. 25, 2022.
  • February 25, 2022 Fine Arts Students Ashley-Gaye Palmer, Darrin Clark, and Cortez Toy provided music for the Braves Battalion 50th Year Anniversary Celebration & Promotion Ceremony Alcorn ROTC

Faculty Accomplishments

  • Dr. Byron Johnson participated in The 12th Annual Celebration of the Negro Spiritual at Nicholls State University on Feb. 4, 2022.
  • Dr. Byron Johnson moderated a “Conversations with the President” virtual meeting between university president Dr. Felicia Nave, university provost Dr. Ontario Wooden and the faculty on Tuesday Feb. 15, 2022 to discuss two senate bills tabled before the Mississippi legislature.
  • Dr. Byron Johnson moderated a Faculty Townhall with University President, Dr. Felicia Nave and Dr. Ontario Wooden on Feb. 22, 2022.
  • As Vocal Area Head, Dr. Byron Johnson coordinated a Voice Masterclass for the Student Recital Hour with voice clinician Dr. J. Taylor Hightower, Associate Professor of Voice – The University of Southern Mississippi on Feb. 25, 2022.
  • Dr. Byron Johnson was voted in as Secretary for the Mississippi chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing for the term 2022 – 2024, at their conference held at the Mississippi University for Women on Feb. 25-26, 2022.
  • Dr. Johnson’s student, Zedrick Coleman, baritone, won 1st place in the Younger Student Adult Treble, Baritone and Bass category.
  • Dr. Byron Johnson was the recipient of the William Winter Scholar and Vance Fellow Award at the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, held on Feb. 25, 2022.
  • Dr. Alona Alexander Attended the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Southern Regional Conference held in Raleigh, NC on February 23-26.
  • Dr. David Miller received an Award for the Alcorn State University Jazz Festival from the 34th Annual Governor’s Arts Ward Ceremony in Jackson, Mississippi at the Civil Rights Museum.
  • Dr. Sean Daniels presented a Guest Artist recital for the Colour of Music Festival Chamber Concert series in Charleston, SC February 3-6, www.colourofmusic.org
  • Dr. Byron Johnson and Dr. Sean Daniels performed at the Natchez Musical Arts League on Monday Feb. 28, 2022.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • On February 16, Artificial Intelligence Scientist Dr. Josh Gordon from Google Machine Learning research team gave a lecture for computer Science students on Machine Learning and software implementation. This was a vivid lecture and the continuation of Google’s support of developing Machine Learning new course at Alcorn State University.
  • In February 2022, Math and Computer Science Department purchased textbook for all students in the Machine Learning class. The budget is the donation from Google company to ASU Foundation.
  • On February 23, 2022 (ERDC Day at ASU), four scientists from ERDC (Engineer Research and Development Center, one national research center in Vicksburg, MS) had four lectures to students in four classes (two Math classes and two computer science classes) at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Alcorn State University. Two of the presenters are Computer Science alumni. Ms. LaKenya Walker and Ms. Iyuanna Brown graduated from Computer Science program, Alcorn State University a few years ago. They introduced their research and achievements in the national center and encouraged STEM students participating in research work. In the Math lectures, Dr. Haley Dozier and Dr. Brianna Thompson introduced internship and job placement to our students and encouraged them to apply for it.


Monthly Highlights for January 2022

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Dr. Debarshi Roy published a research paper, “Multi-component redox system for selective and potent antineoplastic activity towards ovarian cancer cells” in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC). Ms. Brenita Jenkins and several other scientists co-authored the collaborative research paper. The publication can be accessed at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006291X22000158
  • Faculty and staff of the Department of Biological Sciences attended Upswing training January 25, 2022.
  • Dr. Marta Piva attended the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Environmental Justice Community Engagement January 25, 2022 and an EPA Grants Award Process Webinar January 26, 2022.
  • On January 27, Dr. Piva Hosted a U.S. Army Medicine Physician presentation via Zoom. Colonel Dr. Kuwong Mwamukonda served as presenter for the meeting. She is the Chief of Urology at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She is also the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for the hospital.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Achievements

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of January, the following speakers presented:

  • January 26, 2022: Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld, Alcorn State University Writing Center: Topic: Scientific Writing
  • January 27, 2022: Email notification from the American Chemical
  • Society stating that Alcorn State University’s Department of Chemistry & Physics has been approved for certification and will be added to the list of accredited programs/curriculums.

Student Achievement

  • Shamarie King has been accepted in Emory University (Physics Program), Duke University (Material Science & Engineering Program) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Material Science & Engineering Program).
  • Bolutyfe Oderinde has been accepted to the University of California, Irvine.
  • January 25, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma held its interest meeting.
  • January 27, 2022: The ASU Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society held its interest meeting.

Departmental Service

  • January 3, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma and the ASU Khem Klub volunteered five hours as judges at Vicksburg Intermediate School, Vicksburg, Mississippi. Approximately 100 5th and 6th grade projects were submitted for judging.
  • January 18, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma welcomed the students back to campus (Math & Science Building Lobby) by presenting them with goodie bags.
  • January 29, 2022: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma attended the Alcorn State University Saturday STEM 21st Annual Science & Engineering Fair. Each year the Chapter presents an ASU Saturday STEM Scholar with the Noland J. Boyd Excellence in Chemistry Award (The most outstanding project in the Chemistry (Biochemistry, Inorganic and Organic) Categories. A monetary prize and a certificate is presented to the recipient. This year the award was presented to Char’Queria Curtis (8th Grade – Port Gibson Middle School). This is the second year this award was presented to Miss Curtis.
  • Activities/Service
  • Alpha Chi Sigma and Khem Klub members judging science Fair projects at Vicksburg Intermediate School, Vicksburg, MS.
  • Alpha Chi Sigma and Khem Klub members judging science Fair projects at Vicksburg Intermediate School, Vicksburg, MS.Science Fair, Vicksburg Intermediate School. January 3, 2022.
  • Char’Queria Curtis, Recipient of the Noland J. Boyd Excellence in Chemistry Award.
  • Alpha Chi Sigma. Welcome Back Give-away.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • In recent months, Dr. J. Janice Coleman served as a reader for the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan.
  • On January 14, Dr. Coleman, along with Mr. Alfred Galtney and Dr. Blanche Sanders, met via Zoom with Ms. Cassandra Illidge for a final status update on the Getty Images Photo Archive Grant for HBCUs that the university applied for in September 2021. Ms. Illidge informed the group that though the grant was not awarded to Alcorn this time, but it was “not a full-door close.” She and GI will continue to play an advisory role in Alcorn’s effort to digitize its photo archive, and she has invited the university to reapply for the grant at the next opportunity.
  • Also on January 14, Dr. Coleman submitted a 20-page fact-finding report to the administration entitled “The Importance of Being Earnest McEwen Jr.” McEwen was slated to graduate in May of 1957, but six weeks before commencement his plans were derailed after he was accused of leading a student walkout. His family has requested that he receive a posthumous degree this year.
  • On January 12, Dr. Coleman participated in an author talk via Zoom with McEwen’s daughter, Dr. Gloria J. McEwen Burgess, and Gerald Purnell, the illustrator of her children’s book, Pass It On. This talk was hosted by the Library of Congress.
  • On January 6th-8th Dr. Heather Bailey
    attended the Modern Language Association (MLA) virtual conference, going to
    panels that included topics such as science and medicine in 17th century
    literature and contemporary black feminist theoretical trends.
  • Dr.
    Eric Dogini Assistant Professor of Mass Communication was awarded the Alcorn
    State University Humanities Teacher Award and presented his paper in the
    library auditorium on February 2, 2022. His paper was entitled: “The Sound:
    Analog vs. Digital Audio and How Microphones Work for Broadcast
    Journalist.”
  • English
    graduating senior Tra’Keyvion Hale was accepted into the University of Houston
    Law School.

Monthly Highlights for November 2021


Department of Biological Sciences

  • The Department of Biological Sciences took an active part in the University High School Day held November 13, 2021. The biology stand was visited by 100 students from more than 25 high schools from all over the state. Six student volunteers from the Biology club served as hosts and answered the guests’ questions. Faculty members and staff were also on hand: Ms. Monica Burr, Ms. Dawn Davis, Dr. Justin Nash, Dr. Marta Piva, Ms. Lori Smith, and Dr. LaKeisha Stewart.
  • Congratulations to biology students Mckelvie Maxwell, Skylar Norwood, and Antwoine Kitchen for receiving the NASA Scholarship Award for the 2021/2022 Academic Year. This $1000 reward is issued to outstanding students with the recommendation of their faculty and department chairperson.
  • Taina Turner, a senior, biology major, and Dr. Elena Kostyleva submitted an abstract to the 8th Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium that will be held at Alcorn State University February 3, 2022. The research work is titled, “The Study of the Availability of Honey Plants for Beekeeping in the State of Mississippi.”
  • Jillian Washington, who graduated in May 2021 with biology/pre-physical therapy degree, was accepted into the Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska.
  • Dr. Marta Piva attended the “Internships and Practicums” workshop November 18, 2021. The workshop was about rules and regulations that govern mandatory internships and practicums with third parties such as companies and schools.
  • Dr. Piva also hosted a Life University recruiting event November 4, via Zoom. Life University is a private school in Marietta, Georgia. It offers professional degrees in chiropraxis among other programs.
  • Elena Kostyleva, a co-advisor for the International and Multicultural Student Organization, also participated in the International Education Week held by the Office of Global Programs November 15-19, 2021. Together with Russian student Nataliia Vatolina, Kostyleva presented about Russian cuisine and provided samples of Russian food to the event participants.
  • Biology majors had an opportunity to attend presentation by Mr. Steven Carter with the Mississippi Rural Physicians/Dentists Scholarship Program November 9, 2021. Carter gave out recruitment materials and shared information for our students to apply to this pre-medical and pre-dental scholarship program. This event was facilitated by Dr. Justin Nash.
  • Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Jameka Grigsby held an Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society interest meeting November 2, 2021. Attendees included full-time status Juniors and Seniors with a 3.3 GPA or higher along with Graduate Students with a 3.7 GPA or higher who are deemed to be in the top 10 percentile of the university amongst all academic majors.
  • Alpha Kappa Mu advisors Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Jameka Grigsby, hosted the Fall 2021 Induction Ceremony for the Kappa Upsilon Chapter at Alcorn State University November 30, 2021. Newly inducted members included 21 biology majors, 3 social work, 4 business administration, 3 nurse practitioner, 1 technology management, 4 agribusiness, 2 workforce education leadership, 2 applied sciences, 1 criminal justice, 2 child development, 1 human sciences, 1 political science, 1 animal science, 1 homeland security management, and 6 clinical mental health majors.
  • Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society hosted its Annual Clothing Drive. Co-advisors Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Jameka Grigsby managed to collect over 1,000 items of clothing donated by ASU’s students, faculty, and staff. Clothing will be donated to respected charities.
  • Co-advisors Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Jameka Grigsby of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society also held an Annual Food Drive that provided over five dozen boxes of non-perishable items given by the Alcorn family. The items were donated to River City Rescue Mission located in Vicksburg, Mississippi November 23, 2021.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby hosted and moderated virtual informational session with Dr, Swatantra Kethireddy of Mississippi Valley State University’s Environmental Health Graduate Program regarding Alcorn State University’s Department of Biological Sciences’ students seeking a 100% online master’s degree November 4, 2021. A plethora of biology students attended and discussed advice on enrolling. This partnership was encouraged by students seeking furthering education while keeping pace with family and career paths.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda Jackson, and Debarshi Roy have finalized this semester’s training sponsored by Jackson State University’s Biomedical Data Science Training Program. The primary focus of the Program is to train the biomedical/public health faculty and research associates on the fundamental principles, basic concepts, and technical applications of data science with an emphasis on developing their knowledge and skills in data coding, programming, statistical analysis, and technical applications using biomedical big data. Hence, participants will gain knowledge of the fundamental principles and techniques of data science spanning algorithms, statistics, machine learning, visualization, and data systems in public health and health care.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson administered the Biology Senior Exit Exam on November 17th and 18th. Departmental Exit Examinations are given each fall and spring semester to graduating seniors.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson served on the Cargill Thrive Program Scholarship Selection Committee.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Achievements

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of November, the following speakers presented:

  • November 2, 2021: Emmanuella Nnuji-John (ASU ‘2021) and a recruiter from the laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Topic: Recruitment.
  • November 9, 2021: Dr. Rachael Hall, Emory University. Topic: NSF – Center for Selective Carbon-Hydrogen Bond Functionalization.
  • November 18, 2021: Dr. Alex Flynt, University of Southern Mississippi/Mississippi INBRE. Topic: Undergraduate Research Opportunities.
  • November 19, 2021: American Chemical Society Accreditation Virtual Site Visit.

Student Achievement

  • November 5, 2021: Student Safety Training with Mr. Daniel Walker. Students from the CH 399 class and Dr. Stefan Cooper’s Research Group completed the Chemical Storage and Hazardous Waste Training.
  • November 12, 2021: 12 new members were inducted into the Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Chemistry Fraternity.
  • November 12, 2021: Marlena Patrick Boren, South Central District Counselor, Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity, presented the Delta Beta Chapter with an Alpha Chi Sigma “Star Chapter” National Award. (The Grand Chapter presents the Star Chapter Awards to collegiate chapters for exemplary performance in several areas. The Star Chapter Awards are earned by collegiate chapters that participate and document a set number of professional, service, and alumni activities.)

Activities in Department

  • Free Chemistry Tutoring offered to the students taking General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The tutoring sessions are offered through the Department (funded by the NASA MSSGC Grant – Lead by Dr. Thomas Ondera). The tutoring sessions are located in room 226 of the Math & Science Building.
  • Free Chemistry Tutoring Sessions are offered to the students taking General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma conducts these sessions. The meetings occur every Monday at 5:00pm in Room 206 of the Math & Science Building.

Departmental Service

  • November 8, 2021: The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma present at the first annual Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez Branch STEM Symposium. This Symposium introduced high school students from Jefferson County High School, Natchez Early College and Franklin County High school to the STEM areas. Dr. Shawnta Chatman displayed information about Alcorn State University STEM majors.
  • Alpha Chi Sigma members presented the High school students with information about STEM and Chemistry as a Major. The group also answered questions about college life and gave the students some useful information/tips about applying to college. Some simple “magic” tricks were performed to entertain the students.
  • November 13, 2021: The Department of Chemistry & Physics participated in the University’s Annual High School Day. Some of the organizations from the Department assisted the faculty in recruiting students to attend the university as well as peaking the students’ interest in chemistry as a major.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • The ASU-NABJ Chapter hosted Keaundria Milloy (ASU class of 2020), a multimedia journalist with WTVA News in Tupelo for its Lunch and Learn series on November 9, 2021. Milloy talked to the students about her career and how her education has helped her adapt as she advances her career.
  • The Alcorn student chapter of the American Advertising Federation sponsored a virtual workshop on November 11 with Valerie Thompson, an environmental designer with Promedica, a mission-based, not-for-profit integrated healthcare organization serving communities in 30 states.
  • Emmanuel Ufio, a senior Mass Communication major, was a guest lecturer in the Mass Media and Minorities class taught by Professor Toni Terrett on November 11. Ufio, a native of Enugu, Nigeria, spoke of his perspectives on diversity as an African student attending an HBCU.
  • Curtis Aaron, Mass Communication specialist and adjunct instructor, won second place in the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi (CPRAM) for his entry of “A Brave Start Campaign” under the category of Public Relations Campaign-Senior Division. Mr. Aaron received recognition in this statewide media event.
  • Spanish Instructor Dr. Ivan Ozherelev made two research presentations (1 in English and 1 in French) at the international online foreign language conference hosted by Voronezh State University, Russia (Nov 24-29, 2021) where he represented Alcorn State. His presentation was titled “The Amalgam of Minority Language and Identity: The Snowball Effect and the Power of Attraction of English in Quebec and Russian in Moldova.” Dr. Ozherelev plans to publish his presentation in a peer review journal by March, 2022.
  • On November 5-6, 2021, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended the Virtual Mississippi Foreign Language Association Conference sponsored by Vista Higher Learning and the University of Southern Mississippi. This year’s conference theme was “New Ways of Approaching Language Teaching.” CEUs were available for all participants.
  • Mr. Brian Kehler, Instructor of English, was a Guest and Solo Artist for the Millsaps College Chamber Singers in their concert “A Time to Reflect” on November 11th. The choir performed Herbert Howell’s “Requiem.”
  • Sheri Wallace, Instructor of English, was selected to review papers entered into the Sigma Tau Delta Convention scheduled to be held in March 2022. She, also with Dr. Janice Coleman, represented the department in the High School Day ceremony at Alcorn State University.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld invited English majors Iyunola Owoyemi and Tra’Keyvion Hale to his University Life class to speak on Diversity and Inclusion. This was an initiative across campus per Global Programs’ International Education week.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • On Saturday, November 13, 2021, Math and Computer Science Department exhibited our department information at the Annual Fall High School, Community College, and Transfer Day held at the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex. About thirty flyers were handed out to students. Many students were interested in learning more about our curricula, scholarships and job futures.
  • For student recruitment purpose, Math and Computer Science Department prepared The department information flyer and distributed to local high schools and community colleges.

Department of Military Science

  • CADETS LEAD THE WAY AT ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY

Alcorn ROTC Cadets elected to key leadership positions. These Cadets represent the University, their class, and ROTC throughout the state of Mississippi: 1)MS400 Cadet Olecia James elected as the 95th Miss Alcorn State University2)MS400 Cadet Madison Gray, BN CDR, elected 1st VP of Alcorn State SGA. 3)MS200 Cadet Vanessa Washington elected Sophomore Class President of Alcorn State SGA.

  • 6th BDE COMMANDER VISITS BRAVES BN

Colonel Bennett visited the Braves BN in October. He met with Cadets from all years groups to provide guidance and lend an ear to their questions and comments. He also joined Cadre for lunch in the Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility and met with Staff/Faculty to counsel and ascertain BN needs from BDE.

  • Braves BN Football Games

Alcorn ROTC combined with Jackson State ROTC to conduct a joint Pushup Team and Color Guard on 20 NOV 2021. Braves Battalion recognizes Alumni at Veteran’s Day Football Game

  • RECRUITING EVENT WITH ARMY RESERVES:

The Natchez U.S Army Reserve Recruiting Station came to support Alcorn State University Army ROTC with their “Decide to Lead” exhibit.

Monthly Highlights for October 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

School of Arts and Sciences holds its first Annual Undergraduate Showcase –The School of Arts and Sciences held its first Annual Undergraduate Showcase October 19, 2021. The showcase consisted of eight undergraduate students’ oral presentations. It highlighted research performed during their summer internships at major research universities and served as a venue for the students to hone their public speaking abilities and scientific expertise. The event was well attended by administrators, faculty, and students. The event was spearheaded by the Department of Biological Sciences faculty Dr. Debarshi Roy, Dr. Justin Nash, and Mrs. Monica Burr. The students presented at the showcase include:

1. Favour Afolabi, chemistry major, interned at the University of Michigan. She presented her research paper, “FXTAS-NSP3 Project: Co-expressing NSP3 AND RIN-GFP.” 2. Kiana Allen, biology major, participated in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Health, National Institute of Aging, Translational Gerontology Branch. She presented her research titled, “The impact of sex-dependent differences in dietary and pharmacological interventions on longevity and health span.”3. Hannatu Ismail, chemistry major, conducted her research at the University of California Irvine. She presented her research findings titled, “Role of Non-Dopaminergic Systems in Parkinson’s Disease.”4. Olamide Fategbe, chemistry major, interned at the University of California Irvine. He presented his paper titled, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Techniques for Chronic Total Occlusion Treatment.”5. Bolutyfe Oderinde, chemistry major, conducted her research at the University of California Irvine. She presented on “Computational Study of Curriculum and Its Bioconjugates as Potential Cancer Therapies.” 6. Marveline Akinola, chemistry major, interned at the University of California Irvine. She presented her research “Development of Real-Time FRET-Based Biosensor.” 7. McKelvie Maxwell, biology major, conducted her research at The University of Mississippi Medical Center. She presented her paper titled, “The Impact of Diet on Androgen-Mediated Derangements in Gut Structure and Functions in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.” 8. Praise Ola, chemistry major, interned at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York. He presented his research “Development of Glutamatergic Projections Neurons in a Mouse Model of Intellectual Disability.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Events

  • On October 14, the Biology Club held an information session on breast cancer awareness at Clinton Bristow Dining Facility. They spoke to students, faculty, staff and visitors who entered the building, educating them on breast cancer early detection tips and preventative measures, and handed out small tokens of appreciation.
  • On October 27, the Department of Biological Sciences faculty, staff and students dressed in pink to commemorate the month of October as a month of the Breast Cancer Awareness. To raise awareness of this “silent killer,” the departmental staff and students held an information session, and gave out information leaflets, pink ribbons and popcorn.

Faculty, Staff, and Student Organization Activities

  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson administered the Senior Biology Exit Exam on October 19th and 20th. Departmental Exit Examinations are given each fall and spring session to graduating students.
  • Dr. Marta Piva held a zoom meeting during which Dr. Michael Malloy, Dean, William Carey University School of Pharmacy, shared information about their accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy Program. Dr. Elena Kostyleva participated in this iformation session held October 14.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda McDaniel-Jackson, Debarshi Roy, and Ms. Brenita Jenkins have been selected to participate in the Biomedical Data Science Training Program. The Biomedical Data Science Training Program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The program’s first training Module for fall 2021 began October 22. The primary focus of the program is to train the biomedical/public health faculty and research associates on the fundamental principles, basic concepts, and technical applications of data science with an emphasis on developing their knowledge and skills in data coding, programming, statistical analysis, and technical applications using biomedical big data. Hence, participants will gain knowledge of the fundamental principles and techniques of data science spanning algorithms, statistics, machine learning, visualization, and data systems in public health and health care.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby attended the Career Path Advice for Becoming a Medical Doctor virtual meeting Oct 12. Guest speaker, Tanya Anderson, M.D. gave valuable advice to students in attendance about the medical field, how to prepare for MCAT, and life after being accepted into medical school. Some students in attendance included Praise Ola, Queeneth Henshaw, Kylie Dorsy, Laureal Childress, Marcasia Jones, Ronnie Bernard, Semaj Parker and Shamarie King.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby and Debarshi Roy attended virtual “R” training workshop held by Ole Miss October 20. Participants were introduced to the basics of the R programming language, which is used for statistics and data analysis in many fields.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby spoke to Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld of English Department’s UL 101 course about majors and career opportunities within the field of biological sciences and within the Department of Biological Sciences at Alcorn. Biology major student speakers included Wendalyn Towner, Jahmai Williams, and Jaquerius Howard.
  • University organizations Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and Goal Coalition united to donate bags of candy to the ASU Child Development Learning Center on Friday, October 29. Dr. Jameka Grigsby, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and Goal Coalition Advisor, and Dr. Shavonda McDaniel-Jackson, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society Advisor, as well as student participants were dressed in Halloween outfits for event. Student participants included:
  • Lawford Domineck (Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, President);Essence Evans (Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Vice President); Desirea Lindsey (Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Member);Seghen Kinney (Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Member); Zariyae Moore (Goal Coalition, President); Dyniste Taylor (Goal Coalition, Member); Kambrail O’Quinn (Goal Coalition, Member); Akira Thompson (Goal Coalition, Member);Tatiana Myers (Goal Coalition, Member); Addison Gooden (Goal Coalition, Member); Rayven Jones (Goal Coalition, Member); Kayla Vaugh (Goal Coalition, Member); Janiya Cleveland(Goal Coalition, Member); Mikayla Leslie (Goal Coalition, Member); Heaven Thomas (Goal Coalition, Member);Kayla Dickerson (Goal Coalition, Member); Miranda Matthews (Goal Coalition, Member);Tania Gordon (Goal Coalition, Member); Adadriana Adams (Goal Coalition, Member); Keandria Franklin (Goal Coalition, Member); O’koya Barlow (Goal Coalition, Member); Dan’Sariana Ellis (Goal Coalition, Member); Zipporah Chapman (Goal Coalition, Member);Adriana Griffin (Goal Coalition, Member); Affala Atta (Goal Coalition, Member);Tiaira Martin (Goal Coalition, Member); Kenley Miles (Goal Coalition, Member)
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby held an information session for biology and chemistry students with Morehouse School of Medicine October 28. Dr. Garth, program manager of MSMS Program, spoke to students about Morehouse various programs, including MD/PhD, internships, grants, and more.

Department of Fine Arts

  • October 25 Dr. Byron Johnson performed for Natchez Musical Arts League Natchez Mississippi
  • October 21 the Fine Arts Faculty presented a Faculty Recital which featured : Dr. Alona Alexander, Dr. Everson Martin, Dr. Byron Johnson, Dr. David Miller, Dr. Renardo Murray, Mr. Melvin Harvey II, Mr. Dwayne Griffin, Mr. Tony Gordon, Ms. Jacinta Turner, and Dr. Sean Daniels in Concert.
  • October 28 Dr. Byron Johnson, Tenor and Guest Artist Karl Van Richards, Piano in A Lecture Recital on the Jamaican Art Songs of Peter Ashbourne
  • October 8, Dr. Sean Daniels received an Artist Endorsement from the Avedis Zildjian cymbal Company.

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Department Achievements

The Department continues to broaden the students’ knowledge with our Seminar Series lead by Dr. Stefan Cooper. During the month of October, the following speakers presented:

  • October 5, 2021: Dr. Anahita Zare, Brandeis University. Topic: Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates and BU’s STEM Writing Center.
  • October 12, 2021: Tanya Anderson, M.D. Topic: Career Path Advice for Becoming a Medical Doctor.
  • October 14, 2021: Joint Seminar with the Department of Biological Sciences. Speaker, Michael Mallory, PharmD., William Carey University. Topic: Admission to the School of Pharmacy.
  • October 19, 2021: Antonio Brathwaite, Ph.D., Emory University.
  • Topic: Emory-Alcorn REU Partnership.

Student Achievement

  • De’Ja Montgomery has been accepted to the University of Houston College of Optometry. She will start her matriculation in the college Fall 2022.
  • Mieyah Garret has been accepted to the University Of Mississippi School Of Pharmacy. She recently interviewed with the University Of Michigan College Of Pharmacy and the College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is waiting to hear back from them.

Activities in Department

  • Free Chemistry Tutoring offered to the students taking General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The tutoring sessions are offered through the Department (funded by the NASA MSSGC Grant – Lead by Dr. Thomas Ondera). The tutoring sessions are located in room 226 of the Math & Science Building.
  • Free Chemistry Tutoring Sessions are offered to the students taking General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma conducts these sessions. The meetings occur every Monday at 5:00pm in Room 206 of the Math & Science Building.
  • Celebrated National Chemistry 2021 (Theme: “Fast or Slow Chemistry Makes it Go”) with the following activities:
  • To kick-off the week, the ACS Student Affiliation passed out Popcorn to students as they walked through the 2nd floor lobby.
  • Monday night, the Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma started the week off with a service day. They helped clean the Biochemistry lab in preparation for the upcoming ACS Site visit.
  • Tuesday night, the ACS Student Affiliation participated in the National ACS Game Show – Chem Clash. Teams were formed on each campus nationwide and they competed for the National Title.
  • Wednesday, the Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma decorated the 2nd floor lobby of the Math & Science Building to commemorate the week. Treat Bags and Chemistry Week booklets were given to students passing through the lobby. In addition, odd Chemistry facts were posted around the 2nd floor.
  • Treat Bags were made and presented to the toddlers at the Alcorn State University Child Development Center during their Halloween Festivities.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Dr. J. Janice Coleman attended a presentation by the Mississippi Heritage Trust titled “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi.” Held at the Faulkner on Capitol Street in Jackson, this presentation featured Alcorn State’s Oakland Memorial Chapel and Oakland Cemetery as a paired endangered place.
  • On October 19, Dr. Coleman published an article titled “Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs: Reflections on the B. B. King Cotton Sack” in the Mississippi Folklife Magazine. To read the article, visit the “Folklife and Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi” exhibit at www.mississippifolklife.org/exhibits.
  • On October 15th and 16th, Dr. Coleman was a featured speaker at the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival which was held at the Cutrer Mansion in Clarksdale, Mississippi. On Friday afternoon, Dr. Coleman led a discussion on the concept of place in Williams’ works in which she focused on the Burrus House in Benoit, Mississippi, where a screenplay based on Williams’ story “Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton” was filmed. On Saturday afternoon, with her cotton sack exhibit, she delivered a presentation entitled “Before the Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton.”
  • On October 3-5, Dr. Coleman was a participant in the Alcorn State 2nd Annual Brave Art Exhibit which was held in Oakland Chapel as a part of the sesquicentennial celebration. Her exhibit featured Alcorn quilts, pillows, and the Alcorn Barbie.
  • On October 9, at the South Central Modern Language Association’s Annual Conference (SCMLA), Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld presented the paper entitled “‘The Voice of the People is the Voice of God’: Badiouian Ethics in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Devil on the Cross.”
  • At the same SCMLA conference, Dr. Wiedenfeld was elected secretary of the Literature and Politics panel, which is an annual panel offered at every conference.
  • Dr. Wiedenfeld was elected president of the Gulf States Mycological Society, which is a group of both professional and amateur mycologists and mycophiles that conducts scientific forays to help catalogue the fungal diversity of the gulf states. The group also serves local naturalist groups and non-profits by offering educational programming in mycology. This appointment is especially significant because in April 2021, Dr. Wiedenfeld received a $35,000 NEH Humanities Connection Planning Grant entitled “Teaching Scholarly and Popular Science Writing through Field Research in Mycology.”
  • On October 9th, Dr. Heather Bailey participated in the Homecoming parade in support of Shades, Alcorn’s LGBTQ+ student-led club. This was the first time the club participated in the parade.
  • Alcorn now has a student chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Student members of the charter group are Mass Communications majors Joshua Harvey, Tia Larkin, Aubriana Lowery, Morgan Bridgeman, Morgan Gill, Ayanna Samuels, Kyla Washington, Dejah Burton, Inesha Jackson, Shnika Smith, Jordan Lampley. Advisor is Assistant Professor Toni Terrett who is assisted by Curtis Aaron. The chapter is preparing to compete in the UM + HBCUs for Advertising (H4A) Pitch Competition. Alcorn will be one of four HBCUs represented in this first-ever event.
  • The Alcorn National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Chapter hosted Eva Coleman, Region 3 NABJ Director for a Lunch and Learn on Oct. 7. About five students and three faculty/staff members attended. Ms. Coleman talked to the group about the status of the campus chapter and gave updates about training and networking opportunities with the national organization.
  • Graduating Senior and English major Tra’Keyvion Hale has been accepted into the University of Notre Dame on a full scholarship. He also was Master of Ceremonies at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute. Hale is expected to graduate in Spring 2022.
  • Graduating Senior and Mass Communication major Emmanuel Ufio has accepted a full-time position with the Morgan Stanley Banking Investment Company, headquartered in New York. Ufio will begin working with the company upon graduation in Spring 2022.
  • The NAACP, led by President and English major Tra’Keyvion Hale, hosted a program to collect feminine products for female Mississippi inmates. Hale stressed the importance of the program, noting the limited availability of products to inmates in the state. The NAACP also worked with the ACLU on voter’s rights and helped register students to vote.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Dr. Qingwen Hu, Assistant Professor of Mathematics in the Math and Computer Science Department received $4,000.00 grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) into Math course.
  • The faculty members from Computer Science Program in the Department of math and Computer Science work with google to develop Machine Learning courses at HBCUs. Google plans to support Computer Science Program at Alcorn State an unrestricted financial gift of $10,000.00 to develop Machine Learning course.
  • Math and Computer Science Department has scheduled to set up a Math and Computer Science Student Club and Quiz Bowl Competition for student retention purpose.

Monthly Highlights for September 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

  • The Department of Biological Sciences held its fall 2021Biology Mixer September 16, 2021. The departmental faculty, staff and the School of Arts and Sciences administrators met with students to introduce freshmen to biology advisors, inform students on biology related organizations, specific majors, internships, and future field-related job opportunities, and to equip students for a successful matriculation internally and externally.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby attended the National Endowment (NEH) for Humanities project directors’ meeting along with Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld (English), Dr. Frank Mrema (Agriculture), and Dr. Murray Shugars (English). The NEH Project Directors’ Meeting was in association with recently received $35,000 NEH Humanities Connection Planning Grant entitled, “Teaching Scholarly and Popular Science Writing through Field Research in Mycology.” The interdisciplinary grant is partnered with Dr. Murray Shugars (English), Dr. Jameka Grigsby (Biology) and Dr. Frank Mrema (Agriculture). Grigsby also attended the fall 2021 Alpha Kappa Mu (a national general scholarship honor society) advisor meeting as a representative for Alcorn State University’s Kappa Upsilon Chapter.
  • Drs. Robert Sizemore and M.S. Zaman’s paper “Diverse Manifestations of COVID-19: Some Suggested Mechanisms” has been published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. To read, click the link below: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354680999_Diverse_Manifestations_of_COVID-19_Some_Suggested_Mechanisms
  • Dr. Debarshi Roy and his collaborators from UMMC participated in the online American Heart Association- Stroke Association-International Stroke Conference, with paper, “Characteristics Of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke And Covid-19 Who Required Intensive Care Unit Admission Versus Ward-only: The Mississippi Academic Center Experience.” Roy participated in the XXXIIIrd Annual Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference held September 16-17, 2021. He co-authored a paper, “An Empirical Study indicating Occupational Exposure Leading to Lung Related Diseases and COVID-19 Incidences in Louisiana Parishes.” Priyadarshini Dasgupta, Debarshi Roy and Jullian Perrone. Roy also took part in the “Advancing Mississippi 2021” virtual conference by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. The paper is titled, “Health disparities related to COVID-19 in the state of Mississippi.” Debarshi Roy, Sanjay Sarkar, Martha Ravola
  • In an effort to find new sources to diversify students’ laboratory experiences, Dr. Elena Kostyleva attended an information session with Labster, one of the major providers of the virtual science labs.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. Dianne Bunch, Professor of English, served as a peer reviewer for The Flannery O’Connor Bulletin, a peer-reviewed journal.
  • Henry Davis, Instructor of English, was selected to be a departmental representative for the Faculty Athletic Ambassador Program (FAAP)
  • On Friday, Sept. 10, WPRL’s Myrtle Hedrick and Jerome Myles visited Port Gibson, MS to participate in Claiborne County’s September 11 Observances. Hedrick and Myles represented Alcorn State University. They participated in a balloon release honoring first responders and also gave away door prizes.
  • On September 13, 2021, Assistant Professor Toni Terrett participated in a Public Speaking Workshop hosted by Student Engagement. She offered students tips on how to address different crowd-sizes effectively.
  • On Wednesday, September 29, Assistant Professor Toni Terrett hosted speaker Ann Marie Cunningham (via Zoom) in her Investigative Reporting Class CO 354. Cunningham is a fellow with the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting and spoke about her career and current projects. She also shared internship opportunities with students.
  • Graduating Senior and English major Tra’Keyvion Hale accepted an internship opportunity with the Ron Brown Scholars Program. He will work as a “Corporate Relations Marketing Intern.” Hale is expected to graduate in Spring 2022.
  • As part of both her Postcolonial Literature (EN 317) and Literary Theory and Criticism (EN 303) classes, Dr. Heather Bailey and her students attended a virtual roundtable hosted by the University of Toronto called “The Present and Future of Postcolonial Theory.” Several students asked questions!
  • Dr. Heather Bailey attended a virtual panel titled “Premodern Critical Race Studies: New Directions” hosted by Arizona State University’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
  • On Sept 10, Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld participated on a virtual panel at the Annual HBCU Week Conference (traditionally held in DC and put on by the federal government as part of a White House Initiative). The panel was called “Demystifying the Process: Best Practices for Applying for Federal Arts, Humanities and Culture Grants,” and Dr. Wiedenfeld was one of three recent grant recipients invited to participate along with representatives from the NEA, NEH, and other federal programs related to the humanities and/or arts.
  • On Sept 23, with Drs. Jameka Grigsby and Frank Mrema, from the Departments of Biology and Agriculture, respectively, Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld attended a Project Managers seminar for recipients of the Humanities Connections Grant.
  • Ms. Sheri Wallace, English Instructor and faculty advisor to the NAACP, and English major Tra’Keyvion Hale hosted a membership drive for the NAACP. They had over 50 students attend and discussed how they could focus on issues for college students and equality.
  • On September 25, Ms. Myrtle Hedrick participated in the Prostate/Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk sponsored by Alcorn State University Campus Alumni. The event took place in Port Gibson Mississippi at the Multipurpose Building, and Ms. Hedrick walked in representation of the WPRL staff and as an Alcorn Alumni.
  • Alcorn State University Mass Communication students were featured on the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) HBCU Initiative Roll Call. According to NABJ president, Dorothy Tucker, this is a newly formed initiative aimed at getting HBCU alumni to give back and to train future black journalists. The video can be found on the following Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/614611823?ref=em-share

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • On September 8, 2021, Math and Computer Science Department has an extra curriculum committee (extra advisory committee) meeting.
  • Scientists from US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (Vicksburg, MS), Computer Science Professor for the University of Southern Mississippi), Data Science Professor from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and our graduated alumni, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, faculty and staff with the Math and Computer Science Department attended this meeting. This meeting is the continuation of regular extra advisory meetings that persisted for many years. During the meeting, all undergraduate and graduate programs were reviewed and new improvements have been proposed.
  • On September 21, 2021, faculty and staff in the Department of Math and Computer Science joint with the Department of Advanced Technologies invited Dr. Jeff Hensley, Chief, Computational Analysis Branch, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Information Technology Laboratory giving a presentation on student internship opportunity and its requirements for students working at national laboratories. Computer Science and Mathematical Science Curriculum improvements also were discussed during the meeting.

Monthly Highlights for August 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

A number of students and faculty participated in the 85th annual meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS) held August 5-6, 2021 in Biloxi, Miss.

Dr. Babu Patlolla, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, won the Mississippi Academy of Sciences “Outstanding Contribution to Science” Award for 2021.

The Department of Biological Sciences was represented by two students McKelvie Maxwell and Kaelin Travis, and four faculty members Drs. Alexander Acholonu (emeritus), Elena Kostyleva, Debarshi Roy, and Ms. Brenita Jenkins. The following abstracts have been published in the MAS Journal: COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE WATER QUALITY OF GROUND WATER FROM ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY; (ASU) AND THE TREATED WATER FROM THE ASU WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY; Oral presentation. Alex Acholonu BIO-ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HONEY PLANTS IN MISSISSIPPI -Poster presentation. Elena N. Kostyleva Wildfire: Ecological and Health Effects- M.S. Zaman, Robert Sizemore, Suleyman Tufa, Max Carlos Reyes

A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF NATURAL COMPOUNDS IN THE TREATMENT OF DRUG- RESISTANT BACTERIAL INFECTION- Justin Nash, Debarshi Roy, McKelvie Maxwell, Amber Wilson, Brenita Jenkins

AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPARITIES AND NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY LEADING TO CHILD MALNUTRITION -Annyasha Mukherjee, Suhita Sinha, Rajarshi Ray, Debarshi Roy.

AN ANALYSIS OF COVID-19 INFECTION AND HEALTH DISPARITY IN MISSISSIPPI- Debarshi Roy, Sanjoy Sarkar, Martha Ravola

AN IN-VITRO STUDY ON EFFECTS OF ASTAXANTHIN ON OVARIAN CANCER GROWTH AND METABOLISM-Brenita Jenkins, Ananda Nanjundaswamy, Debarshi Roy. Oral presentation.

DRUG COMBINATION AND REPURPOSING OF METFORMIN FOR OVARIAN CANCER THERAPY-Debarshi Roy, Brenita Jenkins, Viji Shridhar. Oral presentation.

EFFECTS OF CURCUMIN ON OVARIAN CANCER METABOLISM-Praise Ola, Sofia Ievleva, Bolutyfe Oderinde, Bidisha Sengupta, Brenita Jenkins, Kalaedra Self, Debarshi Roy

  • Faculty and staff of the Department of Biological Sciences attended the Annual Hazardous Awareness on August 19th where each was certified to safely dispose of hazardous wastes.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore’s paper has been accepted for publication:
  • Zaman, M.S., Robert Sizemore, Suleyman Tufa, Max Carlos Reyes. 2021. Impacts of Wildfires on Human Health, Ecology, and Economy: An Overview. Adv. Sci. Tech. (In Press). His original play “Satchmo: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” was performed as part of the Natchez Festival of Music on June 11, 2021. Sizemore has been nominated for Best Score/Song for “The Adventures of Bandit and Wild Wes” at The Wild Bunch Film Festival that will take place later in 2021.Two other movies he scored, “Texas Red” and “A Guide to Gunfighters of the Wild West” are available to be seen on Amazon Prime. “Texas Red” is also available on TUBI.
  • Mrs. Monica Burr, instructor, participated in the virtual Mortar Board National Conference August 6-8. She led a virtual session on engaging advisers and taught a morning Zumba class. She also participated in the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) MSI/HBCU Roundtable Meeting August 27.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby, assistant professor, was elected co-advisor for ASU Girls Coalition Chapter for the 2021-2022 academic year. Mrs. Tasha Brown of Human Resources serves as an Advisor as well. Girls Coalition empowers, leads, and mentors to inspire and uplift collegiate women through mentorship and fellowship!

Girls Coalition E-Board 2021-2022 includes biology students below:

Zariyae Moore-President (Biochemistry)

Tyriney Marshall Parliamentarian (Biology Pre-Med Major)

Brekira Holmes -Secretary (Business Administration)

Jayla Ward -Event Coordinator Co-Chair (Accounting)

Kiana Nicholson-Co director media relations (Biology pre- physical therapy)

Kamya Moore-Vice President (Agricultural Economics)

Cierra Dennis-AAF Chair (Psychology)

Ta’Preikah Sutton-Fundraising Director (Mass Communications)

Michaela Thomas-Clearance form manger (Biology Pre-Physical therapy major)

Shekinah Douglas-Community Service Co-Director (Biology Pre-Physical Therapy)

Nya Nicholes -SGA rep (Elementary education)

Jasmin Graham -Director of Media Relations (Nursing BSN)

Ambria Handy-Treasurer (Computer Networking Info Tech)

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Friday, August 13, 2021, Dr. J. Janice Coleman received from the Library of Congress an electronic copy of nearly 400 pages of resolutions that were sent to the Booker T. Washington family or the Tuskegee Institute following Washington’s death on November 14, 1915. These pages, from all around the nation, show which officials represented Alcorn A. & M. College at Washington’s funeral. A copy of these resolutions will soon be available in the library.
  • On Tuesday, August 16, 2021, Dr. Coleman received a binder of information on the Hansberry legacy at Alcorn. This information shows that the grandfather and father of Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, were an integral part of the early history of Alcorn A. & M. College. A duplicate of the binder’s content will also be available in the library soon.
  • Dr. Murray Shugars, a field-grade officer in the Army Reserve, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. During the academic year 21-22 Dr. Murray Shugars will serve as a Reserve instructor and project officer with the West Point Writing Program, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.
  • By invitation from the NEH, Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld will participate on a panel involving federal grant writing. Along with other successful grant-writers, Dr. Wiedenfeld will share his writing experiences as the NEH participates in the White House Initiative on HBCU’s Annual (Virtual) Conference on Friday, September 10.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey, Assistant Professor of English, was the soundboard operator for Uproar Theatre’s production of The Sixth State of Grief, which was performed in Jackson on July 9th-11th.
  • Senior English Major Iyunola Owoyemi was selected to serve as one of two student ambassadors for Alcorn State University as the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities 2021 HBCU Scholars. Both students will hold this position for a year.
  • Jerome Myles (WPRL) won his fourth State-wide Gospel Announcer of the Year Award.


Monthly Highlights for April 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Alcorn State University has been ranked #7 on Study.com list Best Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology.
  • Over 40 million visitors per month use Study.com to research potential schools, degrees, and careers, and this list will help the users and potential students learn about Alcorn State University’s excellent offerings. To compile this list Study.com considered hundreds of universities across the country and selected Alcorn State University based on academic and career resources, the quality of education, faculty and more.
  • Study.come describes Alcorn State University as “Located in Lorman, Mississippi, Alcorn State University features a Bachelor of Science in Biology program with comprehensive specialization options including health science, physical therapy, molecular biology, and pre-nursing. Each concentration has a dedicated academic advisor who can help students plan their coursework and achieve their academic goals. Biology majors can qualify for the university’s renowned honors program, which provides a plethora of benefits including access to scholarships and internships, study abroad opportunities, and specialized courses to enhance the students’ learning experience.”To read full description, visit https://study.com/degrees/bachelors-degrees-in-biology.html
  • On April 29, 2021, Department of Biological Sciences held a reception honoring its seniors graduating in May 2021. Emmanuella Kyllians was recognized as the Outstanding Student for the 2021 academic year by the Department of Biological Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences.
  • To recognize their achievements during their tenure at Alcorn, all graduating seniors present received medallions; seniors graduating summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude also received certificates; and seniors graduating summa cum laude also received a gift.
  • School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences’ faculty and staff congratulated graduating seniors and wished them all the best in their future endeavors. Graduating seniors gave their sentiments and thanked the Department, the School and the University. The reception with refreshments followed the program.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva, assistant professor, submitted her abstract, “Bio-ecological characteristics of honey plants in Mississippi,” for the upcoming annual meeting of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences.
  • Mrs. Monica Burr, instructor, participated in several activities in April: April 1 – served as a committee member for the 2021 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award April 7- served as a guest speaker for National Library week discussing the topic of “Self-care and Exercise. April 8 – Facilitated student participation the Diversify MedEd for the seminar entitled: ‘Orthopedic Surgeon”. April 10 – Hosted a virtual “Masterclass” with alumni, Adrian Hall, Forensic Scientist, for the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory, Jackson, MS. April 12 – Facilitated the initiation of the new members for the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society. April 14 – Facilitated student participation for the Diversify MedEd seminar entitled: ‘Anatomy of a Competitive Applicant” April 15 – Participated in the 2021 Research, Action and Practice for Historically Black Colleges and Universities Townhall (#RAPfor HBCUs) hosted by Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network. April 16 – Participated in a Thinktank hosted by the QEM regarding opportunities to advance HBCU research during the Biden Administration April 22 – served as the Advisor for the 2020-2021 Senior Class Cabinet Bonfire on the plaza. April 27 – Participated in the Morehouse College Townhall: Success in Stem webinar. April 28 – Facilitated student participation for the Diversify MedEd seminar entitled: ‘Pharmicist.” March 1, 2021 certified as GRE Test Preparation Workshop presenter. March 2, 2021 participated in a virtual meeting with ERDC personnel, Mr. David May and Tulane professor, Dr. Barbara Kleiss regarding developing a mentoring opportunities for future environmental science students. March 24 and 29, 2021, Tapping and Orientation of candidates for the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society. March 26, 2021, participation in the Taking the Pentagon to the People-Howard University virtual summit. March 30, participated in a virtual meeting with Dr. Jasmine Weiss, MD, FAAP, National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine regarding student participation in the pilot Diversifi MedED project.
  • Dr. Voletta Williams and Ms. Lori Smith have been inducted in Alpa Chi Sigma fraternity.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva attended JoVe virtual training March 29, 2021. JoVe is a video journal that publishes peer-reviewed scientific video protocols to accelerate biological, medical, chemical and physical research.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore composed the musical score for the movie “Texas Red” which is now available to be viewed on Amazon. The film was made in Mississippi and is a true story that took place in this area. He is currently working on the scores for two more movies. He can also be seen as a local reporter in the film “Breaking News in Yuba County” starring Awkwafina, Allison Janney, Mila Kunis and Regina Hall.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On Tuesday, April 13, 2001, Dr. J. Janice Coleman served as a judge in the Friends of the J. D. Boyd Library Open Mic Poetry Slam. On April 7, she participated in a Zoom forum titled “The Campus Library” that was presented by the Chronicle of Higher Education to share creative ways to improve library products and services as campuses fully reopen in person after the pandemic. On Tuesday, April 6, she co-hosted the National Poetry Month Reading which was held at 12:30 in the James L. Bolden Student Union Ballroom.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld received a $35,000 NEH Humanities Connection Planning Grant entitled “Teaching Scholarly and Popular Science Writing through Field Research in Mycology.” The interdisciplinary grant is partnered with Dr. Murray Shugars (English), Dr. Jameka Grigsby (Biology) and Dr. Frank Mrema (Agriculture). The goal is to create a science-writing curriculum connecting Humanities and Science Writing Courses.
  • Mr. Brian Kehler performed the roles of Don John, Balthazar, and the Sexton in Uproar Theatre’s staging of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, in Jackson on April 30th-May 2nd.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey presented research on April 14th at the Renaissance Society of America’s annual international conference. Her paper was titled “Your veins are full of accidental heat”: Distorted Blood in Tamburlaine.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey co-directed a production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing for Uproar Theatre on April 30th-May 2nd in Jackson.
  • Dr. Timothy Dupree completed the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course Cohort 3. The micro-credential course is entitled “Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment.”
  • As part of ongoing virtual professional development during COVID, Ms. Ana Torres attended the following webinars: – Tech and Ethics of Teaching Online (Cengage); April 20, 2-3p.m. ET – Teaching of Culture and Literature in Advanced Spanish (Vista Higher Learning); April 20, 4:30-5:30p.m. ET. Students in Ms. Torres’s SP 111/112/213/214 classes celebrated a virtual Hispanic and Latino Festival from April 15 to April 23.
  • Tyanna A. Liggett, a 2019 Mass Communications graduate, spoke to National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) students on Thursday, April 29, via Zoom about her work as a radio personality at 95.1 FM in Chicago.
  • Ms. Olecia James, Senior Mass Communications Major, was elected Miss Alcorn 2021/2022.
  • Sherman Bell, a prospective Spring 21 English graduate, is planning to attend the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Fall 2021. He was also accepted into The University of Memphis School of Law as well as The University Of Mississippi School Of Law.
  • Junior English major Iyunola Owoyemi was admitted into the TRIALS program–a Law School recruitment initiative that partners with Harvard Law School and New York University Law School to train and prepare future candidates. Ms. Owoyemi will attend the program from late June through late July and will be trained in taking Law school tests and the admission process. She will also be networking with students and former deans of these institutions.
  • The following students were inducted into the Mass Communication Honor Society Lambda Pi Eta: Morgan C. Bridgeman; Majesty R. Ferguson; Iesha Jackson; Aubrianna Lowery; Nicee O. Olayinkascott; Laura C. Reed; Emmanuel C. Ufio; Kyla Washington. The Virtual Induction Ceremony took place on April 19.
  • Amber Pittman, a prospective Spring 21 English
    Education graduate has been accepted into Memphis Teaching Residency (MTR)
    program. The program will pay for her Master’s Degree in Urban Education
    while also providing her a stipend, housing and an educational coach through
    her first three years of teaching. After her first year of teaching, Ms.
    Pittman will be placed in her own classroom in Shelby County with a full time
    salary.
  • English graduate Zy’Miria Thompson was accepted into The University of Southern California’s accelerated PhD program to study English (she was awarded a three-year fellowship, two year assistantship and $30,000 stipend). She was also accepted into Vanderbilt University’s PhD in English program with the same financial plan. Finally, she was accepted into the Master’s in English program at The University of Alabama. Ms. Thompson has chosen Vanderbilt University’s PhD in English program. Ms. Thompson is a first generation college student along with her sister who graduated from Alcorn in Fall 2019. However, Ms. Thompson is the first in her family to pursue a graduate degree/ PhD.

Monthly Highlights for March 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Top ten graduating seniors in the Department of Biological Sciences are: Candi M. Ware with 4.0 GPA; Ashanti R. Darensbourg with 3.99 GPA; Sofia Ievleva with 3.97 GPA; Emmanuella C. Kyllians with 3.97 GPA; Teona L. Bowles with 3.96 GPA; Jordan A. Hart with 3.96 GPA; Kaitlan M. Jackson with 3.95 GPA; Cambria A. Rogers with 3.95GPA; Carmen A. Rogers with 3.95 GPA; and Dyniste Taylor with 3.93 GPA.
  • Emmanuella Killyans, by departmental faculty majority vote is the 2021 Outstanding Senior for the Department of Biological Sciences.
  • Biology pre-professional majors Breunna McCann and Kamara Allen have been offered Project Finish Line awards by the Western Union Foundation, Western Union’s Black Advisory Council and the Institute of International Education.
  • Jordan Hart, a senior biology pre-professional major, has been accepted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center medical program.
  • Several students involved in research under Dr. Debarshi Roy’s guidance have recently received summer internships or Ph.D. program admissions for summer/fall 2021:Praise Ola, a chemistry major, secured an internship opportunity at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
  • Queeneth Henshaw, a chemistry major, secured an internship opportunity at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
  • Ruth Nwego, a chemistry major, secured an internship at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
  • Bolutyfe Oderinde, a chemistry major, received an internship at UC Irvine.
  • Sofia Ievleva, biology major, was admitted to Ph.D. and master’s programs at Van Andale Institute, and Mount Sinai medical school.
  • McKelvie Maxwell, a sophomore, biology major, secured an internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC.)
  • Dr. Roy’s students presented several research papers: “The effects of kaempferol on growth and functions of ovarian cancer cell lines” paper was presented at CRES symposium by biotechnology graduate student Kaelin Travis, who won second place for graduate oral presentation. “Effects of Curcumin on Ovarian Cancer Metabolism” work was presented at CRES symposium by undergraduate research student Praise Ola. Biology major Sofia Ievleva co-authored this research. Praise won the second prize in undergraduate poster presentation.“ An In-vitro Study on Effects of Astaxanthin on Ovarian Cancer growth and Metabolism” paper was presented at CRES symposium by Ms. Brenita Jenkins, who is currently doing research in Dr. Roy’s laboratory.
  • Dr. Roy was awarded the second place in the professional presentation category at the virtual 7th Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium hosted by the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences March 18, 2021. He presented his paper titled, “Health disparity and COVID-19- a retrospective analysis.”
  • Dr. Roy has also co-authored the paper, “Trend in Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Related Lung Diseases in Different Louisiana Parishes: A Systematic Analysis” with Dr. Priyadarshini Dasgupta (Southeastern Louisiana University) and presented it at the Louisiana Academy of Science 2021 Virtual Conference.
  • Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society held its virtual Spring 2021 Induction Ceremony on March 1st at 12:00 noon and lasted to approximately 1:00 pm. Co-Advisors Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Jameka Grigsby inducted 19 new members. New inductees were: Lawford Domineck – Criminal Justice; Essence Evans – Elementary Education; Jada Gilmore – Agriculture; Gianna Hobson- Biology/ Health Science;Tierney Holmes- Biology/ Nursing;Alexandrea Johnson – Biology;Jalesa Jones – Agribusiness Management;Seghen Kinney – Biology/ Nursing;Desirea Lindsey – Criminal Justice;Patresa Myles – Biology;Kameran Proby – Nursing;Laura Reed – Mass Communications;Hailey Shelton – Biology;Ryia Steps – Psychology;Carman Thornton – English Literature;Jillian Washington – Biology;Patrice Wilson – Public Health;Portia Wilson – Biology;Benjamin Youngblood – Computer Science
  • AKMu elected officers are as follows: President- Lawford Domineck;Vice- President- Essence Evans;Secretary- Portia Wilson;Treasurer- Ryia Steps
  • Advisors Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Jameka Grigsby of Alpha Kappa Mu along with student members, attended the 66th Annual National Convention “MASK UP: Leadership, Scholarship & Service in a Pandemic” on March 25 and 26. Several students participated in various sessions. Sessions ranged from undergraduate discussion panels, research essays, and face-mask design. Jillian Washington of Biology and Essence Evans of Education presented research papers. Essence Evans also participated in an undergraduate discussion panel. Ryia Steps of Psychology participated in a face-mask contest and won 3rd place. All undergraduate students represented the university well.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda Jackson, Debarshi Roy, along with Ms. Lori Smith of Biological Sciences enrolled in The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course called ACUE Micro Credential: Designing Student-Centered Course: Cohort B, Spring 2021 session. The course launched March 11. The course is facilitated by Dr. Keith McGee (Associate Provost for Research, Innovation, and Graduate Education) as well as Dr. Melissa Mason here at Alcorn State University. ACUE prepares and credentials faculty to teach with the practices proven to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. ACUE’s mission is student success through quality instruction.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby hosted and moderated a virtual Informational Session with Jackson State University’s School of Public Health (Department of Health Sciences) regarding Alcorn State University’s Department of Biological Sciences students seeking an MPH or DrPH terminal degree on March 22, 2021.
  • Biology Department faculty attended the virtual 7th Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium hosted by the “Alcorn School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences” and the “School of Arts and Sciences” on March 18, 2021. Amongst Biology faculty that attended and served as oral presentation Judges were Drs. Shavonda Jackson, and Dr. Justin Nash. Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda McDaniel-Jackson, and Debarshi Roy served as undergraduate poster presentation judges and Ms. Brenita Jenkins served as a graduate poster presentation judge.
  • Dr. Shavonda Jackson also administered the Senior Biology Exit Exam on March 8 and 9. Departmental exit examinations are given each fall and spring session to graduating students.
  • Monica Burr participated in several activities in March: March 1, 2021 certified as GRE Test Preparation Workshop presenter. March 2, 2021 participated in a virtual meeting with ERDC personnel, Mr. David May and Tulane professor, Dr. Barbara Kleiss regarding developing a mentoring opportunities for future environmental science students. March 24 and 29, 2021, Tapping and Orientation of candidates for the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor SocietyMarch 26, 2021, participation in the Taking the Pentagon to the People-Howard University virtual summit. March 30, participated in a virtual meeting with Dr. Jasmine Weiss, MD, FAAP, National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine regarding student participation in the pilot Diversifi MedED project.
  • Dr. Voletta Williams and Ms. Lori Smith have been inducted in Alpa Chi Sigma fraternity.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva attended JoVe virtual training March 29, 2021. JoVe is a video journal that publishes peer-reviewed scientific video protocols to accelerate biological, medical, chemical and physical research.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore composed the musical score for the movie “Texas Red” which is now available to be viewed on Amazon. The film was made in Mississippi and is a true story that took place in this area. He is currently working on the scores for two more movies. He can also be seen as a local reporter in the film “Breaking News in Yuba County” starring Awkwafina, Allison Janney, Mila Kunis and Regina Hall.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld was appointed the Director of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) on the topic “Alcorn Success Network.”
  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman recently acquired a copy of the 1930 Alcorn A. & M. College annual. Called The Centennial, this yearbook is an invaluable acquisition for two main reasons:
  1. It is the second of a two-volume set (the library already has the first) that commemorates the centennial of Alcorn A. and M. College, counting from the 1928-30 establishment of Oakland College.
  2. The year 1930 was the class of J. D. Boyd, after whom the library is named, and William “Bill” Foster, after whom the baseball field is named. Both men are featured in the book several times. The yearbook will be donated to the library’s Archives and Special Collections.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey presented research at the annual Renaissance Conference of Southern California (RCSC) on March 20th. The title of her paper was: Fletcher’s Schoolroom: Actio as Humanist Pedagogy in The Two Noble Kinsmen”
  • Dr. Heather Bailey presented research at the annual South Central Renaissance Conference (SCRC) on March 26th. The title of her paper was: “Let burnt sack be the issue”: Immigrants as Threat and Remedy in William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor
  • Ms. Sheri Wallace was appointed to work with the Andrew Goodman Foundation.
  • The Technical Writing students in Ms. Wallace’s EN 351 class hosted a member of the ILT Board of Directors from ERDC to conduct mock job interviews.
  • Dr. Timothy Dupree is currently enrolled in the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course Cohort 3. The micro-credential course is entitled “Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment.”
  • On March 25th from 4:00 PM-5:00 PM EDT, Ms. Ana Torres attended the webinar called “High-Leverage Teaching Practices: What are they and why are they important?” The webinar was sponsor by Vista Higher Learning, and Ms. Torres received a certificate of completion.
  • On Monday, March 1, Public relations professional and reality TV cast member Melanie Sanders spoke to students enrolled in Asst Professor Toni Terrett’s CO 241 Public Relations class about how to enter and succeed in the field.
  • On Wednesday, March 3, The Department hosted “MAB Day” with members of the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters holding a panel discussion and Q&A session with students. About 50 students and guests attended. The members accepted resumes and portfolios from students and scheduled interviews for vacant positions at their stations.
  • The English, Film and Media Club joined forces with NAACP and raised $1000 and supplies for the local food bank.
  • The English, Film and Media Club presented its inaugural Film Night on March 25. The event was hosted by English graduating senior Malik Camp and the film was entitled The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021).
  • Jacoby Gilmore, a prospective Spring 21 English graduate, was accepted into the University Of Mississippi School Of Law. He had also been accepted into the Mississippi College School of Law.

Department of Fine Arts

  • Dr. Byron Johnson was recognized for years of service at the 11th Annual “A Festival of Negro Spirituals”, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana.
  • Dr. Sean Daniels was featured as a Guest Artist in Recital for the Colour of Music Festival Virtual Concert Hall, February 3-7, 2021 recorded in Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee
  • Mississippi National
    Association of Teachers of Singing Conference and Student Competition
    (March 2021).     All
    of the students who competed from Alcorn State University placed: Category
    12A. Junior TBB thru 23 – 1st Place – Antoin Marshall; Category
    16. Avocational Treble and TBB 22+, non- college – – 1st Place –
    Llettesha Sylvester (Class of ‘19): Category
    17. Younger Student Adult Treble and TBB 21+, 1-4 semesters – 2nd
    place David Gilzene; Category
    18. Older Student Adult Treble and TBB 24+, 5-10 semesters (undergrad) – 1st
    place Christine Powell-Thomas; Category
    18. Older Student Adult Treble and TBB 24+, 5-10 semesters (undergrad) – 2nd
    place Ashley-Gaye Palmer

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Opportunity Placement: In Spring 2021, Computer Science undergraduate students have job offers from: Two students from Microsoft Corporation as Software Engineers, Two students from Goldman Saches as Software Engineering Analysts, One student from Uber technologies Inc. as software Engineer and one graduate student got a job offer from Morgan Stanley as software engineer, New York.
  • Two Computer and Information Science graduate students receive the 2020 IBM Master’s Fellowship Award. Each recipient will receive $16,000 scholarship for future studies.
  • Five faculty from Math and Computer Science Department have attended and got certificates from IBM Academy training courses in IoT and Data Sciences. The contents of training courses will be immersed into Math and Computer Science curricula and course syllabi.
  • One student got job offer from National lab.
  • One student is admitted by Columbia University in the Data Science
    graduate program.

Department of Social Sciences

  • Alexsis Ramirez, Criminal Justice major was admitted to Thomas Jefferson School of Law
  • Katera Jenkins, Criminal Justice major was admitted into the Southern University Law Center Law Program.
  • Adjunct Instructor Jennifer Riley Collins was selected and participate in the Congressional Black Caucus Institutes Advocacy and Campaign Training (ACT) program which targets future leaders who are passionate about civic engagement and advocacy, and those interested in education policy and improving access to high quality educational opportunities for all Americans.
  • Ms. Riley Collins will participate as a panelist for the event “Diversity in the Law 101: Is the Legal Profession for Me?” happening Monday, April 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom video conference which is a collaboration between the ASU Pre-Law Society and the Mississippi Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Monthly Highlights for February 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Sofia Ievleva, senior, biology major, was accepted to the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cellular Biology with full scholarship. VARI scientists study the epigenetic, genetic, cellular and structural basis of cancer and Parkinson’s disease as well as osteoarthritis, neurofibromatosis type 1, Alzheimer’s disease, prion diseases, Ewing sarcoma and other conditions, with the goal of developing new treatments. VARI was named to The Scientist’s Best Places to Work for Postdocs in 2009 and 2011 and to The Scientist’s Best Places to Work in Academia in 2010.Sofia has been involved in research with Dr. Deparshi Roy, and advised by Dr. Elena Kostyleva.
  • Emmanuella Kyllians, senior, biology major, won Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society 2021 annual Valentine’s Day Raffle hosted by co-advisors Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Jameka Grigsby.
  • Alumnus of the Department of Biological Sciences, Chavez Carter’06 ’08 is the first person to be named the director of Medical Relations for L’Oreal’s La Roche-Posay USA Division.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda Jackson, Debarshi Roy along with Ms. Lori Smith of Biological Sciences successfully completed The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course called Promoting Active Learning: Cohort B, Spring 2021 session on February 28th. The course is facilitated by Dr. Keith McGee (Associate Provost for Research, Innovation, and Graduate Education) as well as Dr. Melissa Mason here at Alcorn State University. ACUE prepares and credentials faculty to teach with the practices proven to improve student achievement and close equity gaps. ACUE’s mission is student success through quality instruction.
  • Monica Burr, instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences, participated in a number of activities and events during February 2021. Participated in the American Association of Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS) Updates webinar, entitled “Applicant Work and Extracurricular Activity Experiences, and Preparing 2021 Cycle.” Choose Your Medical School Tool Webinar, Feb. 9, 2021. As an advisor to the Mortar Board Acorn State University Epignosis Chapter, Burr organized National Mortar Board Events: Feb. 9 “Self Love” (virtual) event featuring Tonja Murphy, published.Feb 10 Positive Vibes Only (Pass out hearts with positive quotes)Feb. 11 Virtual movie night “American Skin”. Feb. 13 Pre-professional Virtual Master Class series, which featured Dr. Barb Kleiss, research professor Tulane University. Feb. 16. Founders meeting Medlife Chapter (virtual), new organization geared towards service learning and volunteering opportunities outside campus. Feb. 16 Ronald McNair Scholars application submitted to University of Mississippi Representative. Feb. 25 Saint Louis University School of Medicine Professional Developments for HBCU Pre-Health Counselors and Advisors.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • In her role as archivist for Alcorn State’s sesquicentennial, Dr. J. Janice Coleman traveled to Greenville, Mississippi, on Saturday, February 27, 2021, to pick up a copy of The Forum, the 1927 Alcorn annual, which she will donate to the library’s archives and special collections. Featuring Henrine Louise Simpkins of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, as the first Miss Alcorn, this yearbook will be a significant contribution to Alcorn’s library because it predates all other annuals in the library.
  • Dr. Coleman served as a panelist on a virtual discussion on the history of her hometown, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, on Thursday, February 25, 2021, from 7 to 8:30 P. M. Streamed live on Facebook, the event was coordinated by Dr. Floyd Stokes, Founder and Chair of the African American Memorial Fund and the American Literacy Corporation and moderated by Ms. Tanya Carter, anchor and reporter for WTVA News in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Ms. Calmetta Coleman, Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Programs for the Chicago Urban League.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld and Ms. Zy’Miria Thompson were named the 2021 William Winter Scholar and Student, respectively. Both are expected to attend the annual conference virtually.
  • Tra’Keyvion Hale, English Literature Senior, was accepted into the Ronald E. McNair Summer Program at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS.
  • Zy’Miria Thompson, a prospective Spring 21 English graduate, was accepted into the University of Southern California’s accelerated PhD program to study English. She was also awarded a three-year fellowship, two-year Assistantship, and $30,000 stipend. Thompson was also accepted into Vanderbilt University’s PhD English program, with the same financial plan, and into the English M.A. Program at the University of Alabama.
  • In response to the recent winter storm, the Alcorn State University NAACP is joining with the English Club to restock the Pantry on campus for students in need. Over $500 has been raised so far.

Monthly Highlights for January 2021

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Toni-Ann Nelson, a 2020 graduate of the Department of Biological Sciences, was accepted into the Driskell Graduate Program in Life Sciences at Northwestern University.
  • Alanna Bass’20 was accepted into Northeastern University and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in physical therapy program. She will be attending Uni. of Mary Hardin in Belton, Texas.
  • Jamarius Brown, another December 2020 graduate of the Department of Biological Sciences, has been accepted and admitted into Jackson State University’s School of Public Health (Department of Health Sciences) graduate program and is on track to receive a MPH degree.
  • Dr. Debarshi Roy has co-authored the article titled, “Transepithelial Anti-Neuroblastoma Response to Kale Among Four Vegetable Juices Using in vitro Model Co-culture System.” This work was published in the journal “Nutrients”. The research work has been conducted simultaneously in Alcorn State University, Mississippi College, Tugaloo College and Stephen F. Austin State University. The link is https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/488.
  • The movie “Texas Red” with musical score by Dr. Robert Sizemore, will have its world premiere at a theatre in Pearl, Miss Feb. 5 and 6th.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore portrays a local reporter in the movie “Breaking News in Yuba County” that will premiere around the country in theatres and via streaming on Feb. 12th.
  • Drs. Jameka Grigsby, Shavonda Jackson, Debarshi Roy, and Ms. Lori Smith of Biological Sciences enrolled in The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Course called Promoting Active Learning: Cohort B, spring 2021 session.
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby also attended two webinars: McGrawHill Connect Proctorio Integration Webinar on January 28, and a webinar hosted by Labster.
  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva attended McGrawHill Connect virtual lab training January 15, 2021, and McMillan webinar titled, “A Conversation about Course-based Undergraduate Research” January 28.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Professor of English, has received a $500 Rapid Response Mini-Grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission to assist in establishing a digital museum of the works in her art exhibit entitled “Quilts and Other Quadrilaterals.” Also, on Friday, January 8 and Friday, January 15, Dr. Coleman attended the virtual National Endowment for the Arts HBCU Workshop. She has since volunteered to serve as a panelist.
  • WPRL 91.7 FM had another successful Christmas Toy Drive in December of last year and would like to give a Big Thank You to everyone who supported them again.
  • Dr. Allison Olivier, Associate Professor of English, attended the Annual SACSCOC meeting in December 2020.
  • Ms. Ana Torres, Instructor of Spanish, attended the Mississippi Foreign Languages Association Conference (virtual) on Dec. 1-5, 2020, hosted by the University of Mississippi. This year’s theme was “The Power of Languages.” The conference focused on teaching languages using digital tools to enhance remote student learning. Topics covered included the following: How to use popular series, authentic media, Spanish digital libraries, and the IPAs and PBLs to Teach Iconic Hispanic Cultural Topics, Linguistics and Spanish Grammar. After attending the conference, Ms. Torres earned a CEU awarded by the University of Mississippi.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey, Assistant Professor of English, has a chapter entry in the forthcoming edited book collection entitled, None a Stranger There: England and/in Europe on the Early Modern Stage, edited by Dr. Scott Oldenburg (Tulane University) and Dr. Matteo Pangallo (Virginia Commonwealth University). Dr. Bailey’s chapter is called “Let burnt sack be the issue:” Immigrants as Threat and Remedy in William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.
  • Dr. Bailey attended the virtual MLA conference from January 7th-9th, attending panels related to early modern literature and a panel about online teaching during COVID-19.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey and Dr. Tim Dupree began participating in the ACUE micro-credential on Promoting Active Learning (offered by Alcorn).
  • Dr. Bailey helped organize Uproar Theatre’s virtual production of the play, Rosa and Leo, written by award-winning Australian playwright Adam Szudrich. Uproar Theatre is an all-women’s progressive theater located in the Jackson area that challenges representation and is committed to diversity.
  • Jacoby Gilmore, a prospective Spring 21 English graduate, was accepted into the Mississippi College School of Law.
  • Carman Thornton, a prospective Spring 21 English graduate, was accepted into North Carolina A&T State University Graduate Program to study English and African American Studies.
  • Yakeidra Belle, a 2018 English-Education graduate, was named the 2020-21 Jefferson County School District Teacher of the Year. An article appeared on the district’s Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/458387218276554/posts/830516581063614/?sfnsn=mo .
  • Dr. Timothy Dupree, Instructor of English, completed the ACUE
    micro course on Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environment:
    Cohort A, Fall 2020.

Department of Military Sciences

  • On 13 JAN, Mr. Trotnic (ROO) and I conducted a virtual Cadet Development Session with the Port Gibson High School JROTC Cadets. We resumed classes on 19 JAN. Announced our new Cadet Staff and the five Cadets who were awarded Summer Internships to the Battalion during lab on 21 JAN.
  • On 21 JAN 21, three Cadets (CDTs Diamond Moore, Olecia James, and Natasha Stamps) were contracted during the first lab of the semester.

Department of Social Work

  • Dr. Dorothy Idleburg attended and completed the Social Work Site Visitor Training on January 22, 2021, sponsored by the Council on Social Work Education
  • Dr.
    Olga Osby presented a webinar for the Center on Financial Social Work on
    “The High Cost of COVID Sickness and Death”. There were 400 recorded
    participants on the webinar. The Director of the Center asked that I
    collaborate with her to develop an eBook on the topic that we hope will be made
    available in April, and I will do another webinar as a follow-up to the
    December presentation.

Monthly Highlights for November 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Toni-Ann Nelson is Fall 2020 Outstanding Student for the Department of Biological Sciences. She has a 4.0 GPA and her concentration is molecular biology. Toni-Ann is applying to graduate schools to pursue Ph.D. in cancer biology. While at Alcorn, she gained experience in molecular biology research, and completed internship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as Gould Fellow recipient summer 2020. “I am thankful for the training and support I received at Alcorn State University,” said Nelson when she received her Outstanding Student Certificate.
  • An article titled, “A day in the life of a scientific regulatory affairs manager” featuring Adrian Land, biology alumnus and member of the Departmental Advisory Board, was published in the Science magazine Nov. 4, 2020. Land’s current job as a global senior regulatory manager at consumer goods company Procter & Gamble. To read the article, visit https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2020/11/day-life-scientific-regulatory-affairs-manager
  • Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society hosted its Annual Clothing Drive. Students and co-advisors Dr. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Jameka Grigsby managed to collect over 1,000 items of clothing donated by ASU students, faculty, and staff. Clothing will be donated to respected charities.
  • Alpha
    Kappa Mu Honor Society also held an Annual Food Drive that provided over three
    dozen boxes of non-perishable items given by the Alcorn family. Co-advisors
    Jackson and Grigsby facilitated the pickup of the items by the River City
    Rescue Mission of Vicksburg, Miss., on November 20, 2020.
  • Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Elena Kostyleva were chosen to be a part of the virtual Employee Appreciation program on November 11, 2020 to celebrate their service at Alcorn State University, five and 15 years of service, respectfully.

  • Dr. Jackson also administered the Senior Biology Exit Exam on
    November 16th, 18th, and 19th of November 2020. Departmental exit examinations
    are given each fall and spring session to graduating students.

  • Dr. Elena Kostyleva, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, helped international student Sofia Ievleva (senior, biology major) to get to and from the Prometric Testing Center in Flowood, Miss., to take her GRE exam. Dr. Kostyleva has been mentoring Sofia, a 4.0 GPA student, throughout her tenure at Alcorn.
  • Kostyleva
    also participated in the McGraw Hill Virtual Lab event, where she had an
    opportunity to share her experiences in online instruction and to learn about
    the latest in digital learning from product teams and other instructors from
    around the country.

  • Drs. Shavonda Jackson and Dr. Jameka Grigsby held an Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society interest meeting on November 2, 2020. Attendees included full-time status juniors and seniors with a 3.3 GPA or higher along with graduate students with a 3.7 GPA or higher who are deemed to be in the top 10 percentile of the university amongst all academic majors.

  • Dr.
    Jameka Grigsby hosted and moderated first virtual Informational Session with
    Jackson State University’s School of Public Health (Department of Health Sciences)
    regarding Alcorn State University’s Department of Biological Sciences students
    seeking a MPH or DrPH terminal degree on November 4, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

  • Also, Grigsby attended a virtual training seminar focused on the CANVAS APP on November 12, 2020. Canvas is the learning platform that makes teaching and learning more effective. It creates a proficient access to useful resources that enhances teaching and learning experiences while promoting student success.
  • Additionally,
    Grigsby attended two virtual webinars hosted by HindsCC’s Center for Teaching
    and Excellence on “Understanding Honorlock Proctoring & Analyzing Student
    Results” and “Presenting with Peer Deck,” and a virtual panel discussion, where
    President Felecia M. Nave spoke on Change Summer’s. Change Summer, the leading
    nonprofit for year-round, social-emotional development and enrichment for youth
    from under-resourced communities, is the organization sponsoring the three-part
    panel series entitled “Real Conversations, Real Impact.” The discussion is designed to catalyze
    sector-wide change.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. Heather Bailey’s newest publication, “Thou Shalt be Dido’s Son”: Surrogate Motherhood in Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage, is now out in print in the winter 20.1 issue of The Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies.
  • Dr. Bailey was named Co-Director for an upcoming Uproar Theatre production of The Taming of the Shrew, which will occur in April 2021. The Uproar Theatre is a non-profit theatre company located in the Jackson area.
  • Alcorn Writing Center During the month of October, the Alcorn Writing Center held nine workshops (both face-to-face and virtually), with a total of 176 attendees. The topics of the workshops were Paraphrasing Sources, Plagiarism, Summarizing Texts, Analyzing Texts, and Writing Effective Introductions and Conclusions. The Writing Center tutors also conducted 195 tutorials using WCONLINE, and 27 students visited the Writing Center to use the computers, printers, and other resources. Thus far in the month of November, the Writing Center has held three workshops on Writing Effective Conclusions and Eliminating Wordiness. The center also held virtual in-class workshops–at the request of the instructor–to inform students about Writing Center operations and the various resources and tools the Writing Center has to offer. The total number of attendees for these workshops was 76. The tutors have also conducted 97 online consultations so far this month, and we have had 17 visits for computers and other Writing Center resources.
  • On November 5, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) students met with Walter Evans, Vice President of Advertising Sales and Marketing for TVOne, via Zoom. Mr. Evans spoke to the group about his personal journey and gave students pointers on how to be successful in the media field.
  • On November 20th, Dr. Bailey participated in mock interviews for seniors at Warren Central High School.
  • On November 22nd, Dr. Bailey attended the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) biannual virtual meeting.
  • On
    November 5, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) students met
    with Walter Evans, Vice President of Advertising Sales and Marketing for TVOne,
    via Zoom. Mr. Evans spoke to the group about his personal journey and gave
    students pointers on how to be successful in the media field.
  • On November 20th, Dr. Bailey participated in mock interviews for seniors at Warren Central High School.

  • On November 22nd,
    Dr. Bailey attended the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
    biannual virtual meeting.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Dr. Lixin Yu and Dr. Sardar Haque attended a two-week IBM faculty training course: IoT (Internet of Thing) and awarded the certificate. The new knowledge introduced in the training courses will be immersed into teaching courses in Spring 2021.
  • Dr. Ramesh Maddali, Dr. QingwenHu and Dr. Thir Dangal will attend
    a two-week IBM training course: Data Science from November 2020.

Monthly Highlights for October 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Jordan Hart, a senior majoring in biology/pre-physical therapy, gave a brief talk about her work titled, “Hydration Status as it Relates to Player Performance” during the University of Mississippi Ronald McNair Program held October 22, 2020. Hart’s paper was published in The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program Journal, Volume 24, Summer 2020 edition. https://olemiss.edu/programs/McNair/page_alumni_2020.html
  • Dr. Voletta Williams, professor and chair, Department of Biological Sciences, was selected to work with the Jackson Heart Study Graduate Training and Education Center (JHS GTEC) as the Coordinator for Training and Education at Alcorn State University. The JHS GTEC is funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In this capacity, Dr. Williams will serve as a member of the collaborative to support and help to promote the Daniel Hale Williams Scholars Program (DHWSP) at Jackson State University. This role also will support and promote the JHS GTEC DHWSP at Jackson State University and recruit students in the post-graduate programs to apply and participate as scholars in the DHWSP. Scholars are recruited on an annual basis to begin in the program in August of each year. The students are trained in cardiovascular epidemiology utilizing the JHS data. Students selected in the program will engage in writing peer-reviewed manuscripts.
  • Dr. Voletta Williams held a training workshop on the virtual labs for the Jefferson County High School on 27, 28, and 29 of October, after hours. Ms. Lori Smith assisted her during the workshop.
  • Biology faculty – Drs. Voletta Williams, Robert Sizemore, Elena Kostyleva, Jameka Grigsby, LaKeisha Stewart, and Ms. Lori Smith – received training on the teaching microscopes October 27, 2020.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Dr. M.S. Zaman, (professor of biology at South Texas College, and former professor of biology at Alcorn) published an article entitled, “Potential Biological and Health Effects of Nanoplastics” in the Advances in Science and Technologies, Vol. 14, No 1 & 2, September / October 2020, pp 1 – 7 https://advanscitech.com/14%20zaman.pdf https://advanscitech.com/volume%2014%20number%201.html
  • Dr. Jameka Grigsby, assistant professor, Department of Biological Sciences, has officially become co-advisor of the Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society. The organization is a national honor society that promotes high scholarship, encourages sincere and zealous endeavor in all fields of knowledge and service, and cultivates a high order of personal living to develop an appreciation for scholarship and scholarly endeavors in others. Dr. Shavonda Jackson serves as primary advisor here at Alcorn State University. Grigsby has also formed a partnership with Jackson State University’s School of Public Health (Department of Health Sciences) and Alcorn State University’s Department of Biological Sciences to form a Bridge Program regarding students seeking a MPH or DrPH terminal degree. Both program prepares students to be outstanding leaders and practitioners in professional careers in public health.
  • Mrs. Monica Burr, instructor, Department of Biological Sciences, has many accomplishments completed in October, namely:

– Selected to be Senior Class cabinet advisor (2020-2021), October 4

-Facilitated Senior Cabinet and Ms. Alcorn Breast Cancer event (Zumba class), October 19

– Moderated the “Virtual Meet with Morehouse School of Medicine,” October 21

– Hosted the liaison for the University of Mississippi Ronald McNair Program,
October 22

– Held an Autumn Xstravaganza as an advisor for the Mortar Board National College
Senior Honor Society, Oct. 26, and Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, October 28

– Served as guest speaker at the Installation of the Blue and White Tassel Chapter of
Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Oct. 3

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld, in collaboration with faculty from the Departments of Biology, Dr. Jameka Grigsby; Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Dr. Frank Mrema; and English, Dr. Murray Shugars, submitted an NEH Humanities Connections Planning Grant entitled “The Book of Nature: Teaching Scholarly and Popular Science Writing Through Field Research in Mycology.” The cross-disciplinary grant aims to equip Alcorn students through experiential field learning, writing in their scientific discipline and promoting outreach to the local community in regard to current research developments.
  • Dr. J. Janice Coleman has completed the editing of the 480-page Alcorn A. & M. College Faculty Record, 1921-21 and added an introduction and appendixes. Copies of the book will play an integral role in the observance of the university’s sesquicentennial event. On October 6, Dr. Coleman traveled to Indianola, Mississippi, to attend the unveiling of a historical marker on what would have been the 103rd birthday of Fannie Lou Hamer, a noted voting and civil rights activist. She also traveled to Ruleville to visit the Hamer Memorial Garden, which is a part of the Mississippi Freedom Trail.
  • The ASU National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Chapter met with Region 3 Director Rod Carter on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. Mr. Carter is an award winning anchor with WFLA in Tampa, Florida. He discussed media career opportunities and upcoming training conferences. Five of the Mass Communication students present were given free registrations to the upcoming fall conference.
  • Students from Toni Terrett, Esq.’s CO 103 class Introduction to Social Media created blog posts on Buzzfeed.com. For this class, students are required to write, publish and promote an article on Buzzfeed.com. Blog posts include, “How to Save Money in the Easiest Way Possible” by Stadford Anderson, “10 Ways to Get Rid of a Bad Habit” by Ja’Zohrea Leverette, and “Top Ten Reasons to Attend an HBCU” by Tiffani Thompson.
  • Dr. Ivan Ozherlev was appointed by the Hispanic Heritage Association to preside over the creation of a representative mural that will be placed in the Campus Union. Fellow Instructor of Spanish Ms. Ana Torres will also serve on the panel.
  • Students from Ms. Ana Torres’ SP 111 and SP 213 classes celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month online and face-to-face with a PowerPoint presentation about the history, percentage, growth and contributions of the Hispanic Community in the United States of America. In addition, students had the opportunity to watch Latino singers such as Camila Cabello, Maluma, Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias.
  • On October 23, 2020, Mass Communication hosted its Fall 2020 Induction Ceremony in which six majors–Destyni Bowie, De’shane Frye, Trevin Day, Heather Almekdad, Dontraneece Gordon, and Olecia James—were inducted into Alpha Chi Alpha, the ASU Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the Official Honor Society of the National Communication Association. Dr. Eric Dogini presided over the event. Attorney Kimberly Nailor was the keynote speaker. President Felicia Nave, Provost Ontario Wooden and Dean Babu Patlolla also attended the virtual event.
  • The Department of English launched a new Facebook page “Alcorn State University Department of English” and Social Media Initiative as a form of outreach and recruitment. Dr. Heather Bailey, Chair of the Social Media Committee, oversaw the venture. Future plans include a Twitter and Instagram page.
  • On October 22, 2020 a Voter Kickoff was held by NAACP and SGA. Sheri Peterson Wallace is the faculty mentor for both organizations. One of the speakers was Calvert White, English major and president of the student chapter of NAACP. The activity included sample ballots and information on where ASU students can vote on November 3.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Two Faculty (Dr. Lixin Yu and Dr. Sadar Haque) attended the three week IBM Internet of Training Skills Academy, earning the first IBM Digital Badge — Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner.
  • Two students were recommended for the IBM Fellowship: Tanzia Tuie and Kyle Atkins
  • Five students have been recommended to attend the virtual November meeting of the Next Frontier Initiative (NFI) Membership Grant Award to be held November 10 – 11, 2020.
  • The 2019 NASA Scholarship has been awarded to the following students: Kimyia Youngblood, Computer Science Senior, Kristen Botts, Math Education Junior and Franklin Ransom, Mathematics Senior

Monthly Highlights for September 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Six students majoring in biology Baylee Holt, Cambria Rogers, Carmen Rogers, Rosheka Tenner, Candi Ware and Veronica Williamson, as well as Ariyana Davis (accounting), and Jamya Griffin (elementary education) were initiated into Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, a national honor society. Dr. Shavonda Jackson, instructor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the society’s advisor, presented students of with certificates, membership cards and pens. Candi Ware was elected chapter president and Ariyana Davis was elected chapter secretary.
  • Dr. Jackson finalized an Excellence in Research proposal on “A Comparison of Educational Outcomes at Institutions of Higher Education for submittal to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Also, Jackson finalized a collaborative research proposal on “The Impact of Summer Institutes on Student Teaching and Student Achievement” for submittal to NSF.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • English Literature major Tra’Keyvion Hale attended a 12-week virtual internship with Fortune 500 Company, Ally Financial. Hale had attended the 19th Annual Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. on October 16-20, 2019, where he received the internship opportunity.
  • Dr. Heather Bailey organized and attended two virtual readings of the play Pygmalion as a Board Member for Uproar Theatre (a non-profit theatre company located in the Jackson area).
  • Dr. Heather Bailey attended a virtual workshop hosted by the Renaissance Society of America titled “Teaching in the Age of COVID” and two virtual webinars on NEH grant writing.
  • Dr. Chiquita Apollos traveled to Jefferson County High School and successfully observed Classie Childress, an English Secondary Education student teacher who was assigned to Jefferson County High School to complete round one of her student teaching requirements in preparation to become a high school English teacher. Classie will be advancing to her next student teaching assignment at a middle school in the area. Congratulations, Classie Childress!
  • On September 21, 2020, Dr. J. Janice Coleman, Ms. Myrtle Hedrick, and Dr. Anne-Marie Obilade spoke in the University Life class of Ms. Addie Davis, a university college advisor and university life instructor. The presenters shared information with the students about the Alcorn Writing Center and the opportunities afforded the English and the Mass Communications majors. While presenting her Alcorn quilt, Dr. Coleman shared information about the history of the university, especially as it relates to the upcoming sesquicentennial.
  • On September 18, 2020 J. Janice Coleman was named the University Archivist for Alcorn State University’s 2020 Sesquicentennial Celebration.
  • On September 5, 2020, Dr. Murray Shugars participated in a Virtual Poetry Buffet, an Online Poetry Reading event hosted Gina Ferera from New Orleans. He along with four other writers read selections from their published works.
  • On August 27-28, 2020, Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld attended the Grant Training Center’s Professional Grant Development Online Workshop hosted by Dr. Mathilda Harris.
  • At the beginning of the AY 20-21 School year, Ms. Sheri Wallace, Instructor of English, served as a Writing Center liaison to the Vicksburg Public School System, giving an Alcorn Writing Center lecture on plagiarism.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Computer Science senior student: Miss Zewelanji Chimponda has been appointed as Developer Student Club at Alcorn State University from September 2020. The Developer Student Club is a university based community group for students interested in Google developer technologies. Google Developer club is for all undergraduate or graduate students with an interest in growing as a developer. This student club will have an insight into internships at Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, NASA and Amazon. The club has held two zoom meetings on Sept 22nd and 29th of September 2020.
  • Mathematics major student: Mr. Michael Olufade has been recommended as Alcorn State University’s Hawkes Ambassador from Fall 2020. The role of the appointment is to make a bridge between Mathematical Software and teaching ware cooperation and Math faculty for better service to our students.
  • This year, three academically excellent students in Math, Math Education and Computer Science major students: Miss Kimyia Youngblood, Miss Kristen Botts and Mr. Franklin Ransom have been recommended by Math and Computer Science Department to receive NASA scholarship for 2020. All awardees are US Citizens.

Department of Social Work

  • Dr. Olga Olga conducted a Virtual Presentation to the AJFC Head Start & Early Head Start Program, “Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)”. September 3, 2020.
  • Virtual Presentation for CHOZEN Consulting of Washington, D.C. for their Women Like Us Boot camp on Mental Health. Repeat of Presentation on “Stress. Trauma and Coping in the Time of COVID” September 10, 2020
  • Dr. Dorothy Idleburg participated in the Virtual Presentation to the AJFC Head Start & Early Head Start Program, “Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)”. September 3, 2020
  • Social Work faculty participated in the Upswing Advising Training on September 25, 2020
  • Dr. Dorothy Idleburg participated in the One Loud Voice Conference, September 2-4, 2020
  • Mrs. Sandra Davis placed 8 social work majors in field agencies.


Monthly Highlights for August 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Mickala T. Johnson (Biology-Health Science’ 20) was recently accepted into the Ph. D. Biomedical Sciences program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She has completed her first two weeks of classes and participated in the lab coat ceremony.
  • Jalyn Thomas (Biology – Biology’ 20) was accepted into Belmont University School of Pharmacy on an academic scholarship, where she has completed her first full week.
  • Dontaerius Weakley, a biology/pre-medicine major from Jackson, Mississippi, was the first student selected for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA) Cooperative Education (CO-OP) Program. The new three-week program began Monday, July 27, and ended Thursday, Aug. 13.The JMAA CO-OP Program provides interns with an opportunity to shadow various airport professionals in their respective departments to boost their interest in a career at JMAA.
  • A number of biology majors have recently completed internships. -Marcasia Jones competed three internships: Meharry Medical College-BS/MD Program, Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (MS INBRE) Service Scholars: My Brother’s Keeper; and University of Michigan: Developing Future Biologists program.-Jamarius Brown competed MSINBRE in Ridgeland, MS;-Jillian Washington completed MSINBRE at Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS;-Braxton Spells completed MSINBRE in Ridgeland, MS;-Shalyn Wilson completed MSINBRE at Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS;-McKelvie Maxwell completed BS/MD Program at Meharry Medical College;-Alyshia Moore completed BS/MD Program at Meharry Medical College; and-Toni-Ann-Nelson completed Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program in Biology (MSRP-Bio).
  • Drs. Debarshi Roy’s and Archi Taylor’s work was featured in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education article “Minority Research Scientists Hunt for a COVID-19 Cure.”https://diverseeducation.com/article/185037/.Dr. Debarshi Roy received second year renewal of Mississippi INBRE Developmental Research Grant. Title of the project is, “Decreased AMPK promotes chemo resistance by altered lipid mediated inflammation.” Roy is also a recipient of a collaborative grant funded by 1890 COE USDA with Dr. Martha Ravola and other collaborators from Langston University. Title of the grant is, “Enhancing Student Recruitment and Workforce Development through Partnerships and Engagements.”
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Dr. M.S. Zaman, (professor of biology at South Texas College, and former professor of biology at Alcorn) published an article on COVID-19, entitled, “Ebola Virus and SARS-Cov-2: Similarities and Differences” appeared in the Journal of Health and Social Development.
    Also, Sizemore was named editor for Advances in Science and Technology. Additionally, Sizemore wrote the script for a show entitled, “Satchmo: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” that was performed as part of Mississippi Opera earlier this year, and currently, he is composing the musical score for two movies (“Texas Red” and “The Adventures of Bandit and Wild Wes”.)

  • Mrs. Monica Burr participated in the White House Initiative on HBCU in collaboration with the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau teleconference on The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program. PMF is the Federal government’s flagship leadership development program for advanced degree candidates. She has also attended the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society Virtual 2020 National Convention August 7-9, 2020.
  • Biology faculty (Drs. Voletta Williams, Archie Taylor, Elena Kostyleva, Justin Nash, Shavonda Jackson, and Ms. Brenita Jenkins) received training on using teaching microscopes by Clearview Optical representative August 20, 2020. The training took place at the Roy/Taylor microbiology lab.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • On June 30, 2020, the ASU Giving Day, Dr. J. Janice Coleman raised funds for the J. Janice Coleman Scholarship Fund, which now exceeds $10,000.

  • During May 2020, Dr. Murray Shugars, a field-grade officer in the Army Reserve, served as the command historian of the Army Reserve’s 412th Theater Engineer Command, headquartered in Vicksburg, MS. He oversaw the production of the unit’s 2019 annual command historical report by collecting, vetting, and revising submissions from action officers of four brigades, five smaller direct reporting units, and more than two dozen primary and special general staff sections. He also wrote key portions of the 463-page final product, including the overall executive summary.
  • During June and July 2020, Dr. Murray Shugars also served as a Reserve instructor and project officer with the West Point Writing Program, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.
  • In lieu of attending conferences during Covid-19, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended and received certificates of completion for seven online webinars in June and July sponsored by Avant MORE Learning and the University of Mississippi: Global Seal: A Three-Step Proficiency Pathway, June 19th, 2020. Implementing the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy, June 22,2020. Getting them Talking: Engaging and Empowering Novice Learners, June 23rd, 2020. Practical Ways to Keep Proficiency-Based Teaching Sustainable and Purposeful, June 24th, 2020. Understanding Assessment and Proficiency, June 25th, 2020. Bringing the World to your Schools and Communities, June 26th, 2020. Fostering Biliteracy for all Students: Strategies for Including Heritage and Native Speakers, June 29th, 2020

  • Mass Communication graduate RaShunda Veals (‘20) received a full scholarship to Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communication. She will also be working with the LSU Athletics Shaquille O’Neal Life Skills Program. English Literature major Zy’Miria Thompson participated in the Ronald E. McNair Summer Program at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. English Literature graduate Miranda Bell (‘17) was accepted into the Mississippi College School of Law and was awarded a Merit Scholarship. A feature article “Miranda Bell Balances Life as a Mom and MC Law Student” appeared in the Mississippi College University News, August 25, 2020.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Fifteen (15) students in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department finished their internships at grand companies during summer 2020. Among these students, three students did their internships at Microsoft, one student in Apple, two students in Goldman Sachs, two students in Uber Technologies Inc., one in Morgan Stanley, New York, and other students in Deloitte, Comcast, Fidelity Investments, MetroNet, Credit Suisse, Dorian Holmes. The internship enriched students’ working experiences in industry and team working ethics.
  • One graduate student in Computer Science has received offer from Morgan Stanley, New York; one graduate student received Ph. D. offer from Jackson State University; and two recently graduated seniors have been accepted into the Master programs at Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University.

Department of Social Work

  • Dr. Dorothy Idleburg participated in CAST Planning Meeting.
  • Dr. Olga Osby and Dr. Dorothy finalized workshop proposal on AJFC Trauma Training for submittal to Dr. Patlolla.
  • Department of Social Work held monthly faculty meeting.
  • Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver Cook and Sandra Davis attended the Social Welfare conference.

Monthly Highlights for April 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • The Department of Biological Sciences is proud if its 78 graduating seniors members of the 2020 class and its top ten graduating seniors:

Tytiana D Smith 3.99

Rosheka D Tenner 3.96

Veronica N Williamson 3.93

Tyler J Wilson 3.91

Kirdis L Clark 3.88

Makayla N Wiley 3.87 (Outstanding Student for Biology)

Tierra Grayson 3.83

Ashley N Jones 3.78

Rhanna Wilson 3.71

Ke’Erricka M. Braxton 3.70

  • Dr. Robert Sizemore, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Dr. M.S. Zaman, (professor of biology at South Texas College, and former professor of biology at Alcorn) have published an article on COVID-19. The review article entitled “Ebola Virus and SARS-Cov-2: Similarities and Differences” will appear in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Health and Social Development. The article notes that although both are zoonotic pathogens probably originating in bats, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) resulted in asymptomatic or a mild disease in the majority of cases which, in part made it difficult to contain.
  • Monica N. Burr, biology Instructor and special projects
    coordinator, OPHCP, served as co-chair for the Ad-Hoc Committee for the
    Outstanding Graduating Senior 2020. She also assisted with selection and
    application preparation for Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF)/ETS
    scholarship; assisted with Office of Pre-professional and Honors Curriculum Programs
    SACSCOS; and served as co-advisor for the induction of new members of the
    Epignosis Chapter of Mortar Board College Senior Honor Society.

Monthly Highlights for March 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Ms. MaKayla Wiley, a graduating senior, has received communication of acceptance to pursue a degree in veterinarian medicine from Purdue University, Mississippi State Univeristy, Auburn University, and Tuskegee University. She has decided to attend Mississippi State University as a Bradsley Scholar from the Tri-State Foundation with all tuition, room and board free of charge. MaKayla is a Molecular Biology/Pre-Veterinarian Scholar.
  • Mr. Johnny Kimble, a graduating senior, has been accepted to the University of Tennessee, School of Allied Health, Pharmacy Program. He is a Biology Pre-professional Scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences.
  • The Department of Biological Sciences is proud to report that its online Master of Science in Biology program has been ranked # 2 among 2020 Most Affordable Online Master’s Biology Degrees by Online U. Their rankings are based on a combination of manually researched tuition and accreditation.
  • Dr. Robert Sizemore, professor, co-authored two research papers that were recently published in the international journal Advances in Science and Technology. The papers are titled, “Plastic Pollution of the Oceans: A Review of Marine Plastic Pollution and Its Environmental Impacts” and “Microplastics in the Environment: Ecological Interactions and Consequences.”
  • Drs. Marta Piva and J. Ignacio Moreno, along with graduate students Classie Johnson and Dominique Green, and the visiting undergraduate student (MS-INBRE scholar) Ineshia Coleman, published the article titled, “Ccm1p is a 15S rRNA primary transcript processing factor as elucidated by a novel in vivo system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” in the international, peer-reviewed journal Current Genetics. The reported research was carried out in its entirety in the Department of Biological Sciences of Alcorn State University. More information can be found at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00294-020-01064-0
  • Aralyne Johnson has been accepted to the National Institute of Health, Cancer Research.
  • Toni Ann Nelson has been accepted to MIT Summer
    Research Program.

Department of Social
Work

  • Dr. Antrina M. Bell
    attended and presented at The Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists,
    Inc. 85th Annual Conference held in
    Atlanta, Georgia March 4-7, 2020. Guided by the theme The Last 100 Years:
    Political Agendas, Economic Policies, and Societal Issues, Dr. Bell’s
    presentation Social Work Education: From Classroom to Practice, highlights
    social work programs in higher education process of preparing students to
    provide effective and efficient services to the general population encompassing
    areas such as child protection services, mental health, public school systems,
    and alcohol and substance abuse. When facilitating change, a bachelor’s level
    social worker must possess fundamental knowledge, skills, and values, which is
    addressed through a rigorous curriculum preparing them for generalist social
    work practice. Critical to practicing
    social work is ensuring students have the ability to transfer the skill set
    learned in the classroom to the field. This presentation embeds the mission of
    social work curriculum on future social work practice in addressing societal
    issues.
  • Dr.
    Dorothy A. Idleburg attended and presented at The Association of Social and
    Behavioral Scientists, Inc. 85th Annual
    Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia March 4-7, 2020. The theme was entitled “The Last 100 Years:
    Political Agendas, Economic Policies, and Societal Issues. Dr. Dorothy Idleburg organized, facilitated
    and presented in three sessions at the ASBS conference focusing on Health care and
    Aging: The Vulnerable Elderly and Issues of Abuse, Mental Health Needs of the
    Elderly and Revisiting Gerontology and the Role of HBCUs. Along with co-organizers, Dr. Idleburg
    participated in a special session giving tribute to Dr. Thomas Calhoun and his
    contributions to the field of Sociology.
    In keeping with the theme of the conference, Ms. Aundrea Jones, Sociology major at Alcorn
    State University submitted a paper which was read at the conference. Dr. Idleburg co-organized a Thematic
    Panel/Round table/Mini –Info drama/Video on Aging, Health and Intergenerational
    Research/Service: co-sponsored by the Association for Gerontology and Human
    Development(HBCUs).
  • Dr. Idleburg collaborated with faculty
    members from Grambling State University, Southern University and Alcorn State
    University to field test a survey on “Fear”.

    nn Nelson has been accepted to MIT Summer Research Program.


  • Monthly Highlights for February 2020

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

  • Three faculty members (Dr. Thir Dangal, Dr. Qingwen Hu and Dr. Ping Zhang) and Mr. Worlanyo Adom (a graduate student in the graduate program of Computer and Information Science) with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science did oral presentations at 6th Alcorn State University Excellence Symposium on February 6th, 2020. Mr. Adom was awarded second place for graduate student oral presentation.
  • On February 20 to 21, 2020, four faculty members (Dr. Thir Dangal, Dr. Sadar Haque, Dr. Lixin Yu and Dr. Ping Zhang) led four graduate students (Mr. Worlanyo Adom, Mr. Antonio Austin, Mr. Bhargav Manoharan and Ms. Tanzia Rouf Tuie) and two undergraduate students (Mr. Ayush Baral and Mr. Milan Ghimire) attended Mississippi Academy of Sciences meeting. All participants did oral presentations. Ms. Tuie’s poster presentation was awarded third place in the graduate student poster competition.
  • On February 26, 2020, Six faculty members attend Alcorn State University STEM day.

Department of Social Sciences

  • Miss Ernestine Lee from Social Sciences is the recipient of the 2020 Mississippi Humanities Teacher Award.

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Timilehin N. Ogunwole, a sophomore biology major, was selected to participate in the NIIMBL eXperience program, 2020. The NIIMBL eXperience is a “hands on week long expenses-paid program” meant majorly for freshmen and sophomores. It is also targeted at students who attend an HBCUs. It provides an opportunity for students to gain firsthand experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. This includes research, manufacturing and federal agency regulation of biopharmaceuticals. It will be held from June 1st to June 5th 2020. Selected students also receive a $1,000 stipend. https://niimbl.force.com/s/niimbl-experience
  • Daniel Azubuike, undergraduate biology/pre-nursing major; and Jabari Thompson, graduate student, presented at the 84th Mississippi Academy of Sciences.
  • Several faculty members represented Alcorn State University at the 84th Mississippi Academy of Sciences in Biloxi Mississippi: Dr. Voletta Williams, professor emeritus Dr. Alexander Acholonu, Dr. Debarshi Roy, Mrs. Shavonda Jackson, and Dr. Elena Kostyleva.
    Dr. Williams serves a judge for undergraduate and graduate student oral and poster presentations. Mrs. Jackson served as a judge for student oral presentations.
  • The department hosted 3-rd graders of the West Elementary Middle School on February 6, 2020.
  • Shavonda Jackson, biology instructor, has successful completed her dissertation defense for Doctor of Philosophy in Biology Education at The University of Southern Mississippi. The Commencement Ceremony for the Hattiesburg Campus will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at the Reed Green Coliseum.
    Jackson also holds the new advisor position of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Kappa Upsilon Chapter at ASU. An interest meeting was held on Monday, February 24, 2020 for junior and senior students holding a GPA of 3.3 or higher.
  • Dr. Voletta Williams and Mrs. Shavonda Jackson received certifications in TIAI training and Disposition Training for supervisors and leaders.
  • Monica Burr, Biology Instructor and Special Projects Coordinator, served as advisor for Florida A&M Law School visit Feb. 5, 2020. Served as a judge for the ASU Center for Research Excellence Symposium, Feb. 6, 2020. Assisted with the Ronald McNair Scholarship. Served as advisor and judge at the Mississippi Undergraduate Honors Conference, Biloxi, MS Feb. 7-8, 2020. Served as faculty representative for the Thurgood Marshal College Fund Faculty Informational Session, Feb. 17, 2020. And she served as a guest speaker for the Woman in Higher Education Meeting (WHEM) in Vicksburg, MS, Feb. 20, 2020.

Monthly Highlights for January 2020

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Dr. Debarshi Roy, assistant professor, served as a corresponding author for the article titled, “Nanoscale structural alterations in cancer cells to assess anti-cancerous drug effectiveness in ovarian cancer treatment using TEM imaging,” published in the Journal of Physical Biology. He also received an award from The University of Mississippi, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, for a proposal to integrate Open Educational Resources. Dr. Roy also served as an invited speaker at the UMC Cancer center. He spoke on “Targeting Metabolic Signaling Pathways to Develop Therapy for Drug Resistant Ovarian Cancer.”
  • The Quality Science Curriculum in the Department of Biological Science has started a pilot course in the Global Regulatory and Legal Requirements of Quality. There are 12 biology students enrolled in the course along with Dr. Justin Nash, visiting professor. Dr. Nash and the group are working with Pathway for Patient Health to deliver this industry developed curriculum to our students. Dr. Babu Patlolla, dean, has also forwarded documents requesting to rename the current health science concentration to include Quality Science curriculum options for students at Alcorn. This is a promising start to this new curriculum for our students.

Department of Fine Art

  • Dr. David Miller attended the 11th Annual Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, LA- January 7-January 11, 2020.
  • ASU Jazz Combo
    performance at Career Services program in the Gold Room on January
    21, 2020.

Department of Social Work

  • The Department of Social Work sponsored its Spring 2020 Mandatory Social Work Major Student Meeting on January 23, 2020. Faculty and staff members of the department provided students with an overview of the Social Work program, student expectations, admission requirements, degree plans and curriculum requirements, community involvement and advisement. Approximately thirty-five social work majors were in attendance. Refreshments was provided.
  • Mrs. Sandra confirms that she has met the requirements to be recognized as a Clinically Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Specialist.

Monthly Highlights for November 2019

Department of Biological Sciences

  • Jada Hargrove is the Outstanding Student in the Department of Biological Sciences for the fall 2019 Commencement. She has a 3.89 GPA and is a physical therapy scholar.
  • Dr. Debarshi Roy, assistant professor, attended an “IACUC 101” conference organized by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with assistance from Rice University. The conference was held from 11/5/2019 to 11/09/2019 in Houston, Texas. Dr. Roy got certified in the following categories: IACUC 101, IACUC 201 and IACUC 301, and selected as a committee member of the proposed IACUC committee at Alcorn State University. This conference was part of an educational program designed to provide IACUC members, administrators, veterinarians, animal care staff, researchers, regulatory personnel, and compliance officers information about the role and responsibilities of the IACUC, including an understanding of federal policies and regulations governing laboratory animal welfare.
  • Dr.
    Voletta Williams, chair, was recognized for her contributions in accelerating
    the academic success for our student-athletes. On behalf of the Office of
    Academic Affairs and the Department of Athletics, she was selected as “Academic
    Coach of the Game.” Her recognition took place during the Homecoming game.
  • Dr.
    Marta Piva, assistant professor of biology, was recognized for her
    contributions in accelerating the academic success for our student-athletes. On
    behalf of the Office of Academic Affairs and the Department of Athletics, she
    was selected as “Academic Coach of the Game.” Her recognition took place
    on November 16, 2019 at the end of the first quarter of the Alcorn State
    University vs Alabama A&M.
  • Biology
    faculty were trained to use teaching microscopes by Clearview Optical
    representative. The department receives three high-tech teaching microscopes.
  • Monica
    Burr, instructor, and Voletta Williams were honored by the National Society of
    Leadership and Success. They received certificates in recognition of their
    accomplishments from the organization’s representative on November 15, 2019.
  • Monica
    Burr also served as the advisor for the induction of 25 new members to the
    Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society on November 14, 2019. She
    was also the honor advisor for a group of honors students attending the
    National Association of African-American Honors Program in New Orleans,
    Louisiana November 6-9, 2019.
  • Dr. Archi Taylor, assistant professor, have been named a Diverse:
    Issues In Higher Education     Emerging Scholar for 2020. He will be one of 15
    Emerging Scholars for 2020 profiled in the January 23, 2020 edition of Diverse.
  • Dr. Archi Taylor, assistant professor, have been named a Diverse: Issues In Higher Education Emerging Scholar for 2020. He will be one of 15 Emerging Scholars for 2020 profiled in the January 23, 2020 edition of Diverse.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

  • English major Tra’Keyvion Hale attended the 19th Annual Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. on October 16-20, 2019.
  • Tra’Keyvion Hale was also offered a Diversity and
    Inclusion Internship with the Ally Financial Corporate Citizenship office in
    Charlotte, NC.
  • In November, the Writing Center hosted 2 workshops on
    Contextualizing Evidence and Revision Strategies, with 67 students and 6
    faculty attending. In addition, Writing Center consultants completed 222
    face-to-face and 24 online consultations with student writers across campus.
  • On November 7th, the ASU Nov. 7, ASU NABJ Chapter
    sponsored a Lunch and Learn featuring Mississippi Link publisher Jackie
    Hampton and editor Othor Cain. They talked about the history of the black
    press, careers in media and identifying the main idea of news stories.
  • On November 8-9, Spanish Instructor Ana Torres attended the
    Mississippi Foreign Language Association Conference in Starkville, MS. This
    year’s conference theme was “Building a World Language Community.”
  • English major Iyunola Owoyemi, along with other Alcorn
    students, competed in the National Association of African American Honors
    Program held in New Orleans from Nov. 6-9. Iyunola represented Liberia on the
    Committee on Social Matters, where she debated issues affecting women and youth
    in Liberia. At the end of the two-day competition, the Alcorn State delegations
    representing Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire won Best Delegation and Iyunola won Best
    Supporting Officer. (picture attached. The names from left to right are Anjola
    Tope-Babalola, Ifeoma Mba-Madubuike, Itunu Williams, Iyunola Owoyemi, Timilehin
    Ogunwole, Adeola Olowokudejo, Tobyloba Oderinde, and Hannatu Ismail.)
  • English major Victoria Montgomery competed along with other
    Alcorn students at the National Association of African American Honors Programs
    Quiz Bowl in New Orleans on November 6-9, 2019.
  • Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society and the English Club
    hosted a Poetry Slam on Thursday, November 7, 2019, with over 30 students in
    attendance. Working either individually or in groups, students completed in 3
    rounds, for each of which they had 7 minutes to prepare their performance. The
    overall winner, who won a $20 gift card, was Mass Comm major Jordan Lampley.
  • Dr. Logan Wiedenfeld, Assistant Professor of English,
    published “Salvaging the Subject: Restoring Voice in Writing Pedagogy” in the
    Winter/Spring 2019 edition of The CEA (College English Association) Forum
    (www.cea-web.org).
  • Calvert White, a sophomore majoring in English Education,
    hosted a Walk to Vote activity on November 5, 2019. Registered voters from
    Alcorn were encouraged to meet outside the cafeteria and walk together to
    Whitney to vote. The initiative was to increase the number of students to
    participate in voting.
  • NAACP hosted a Job Expo on November 11, 2019 at the old
    gymnasium. Alcorn Alumni who owned their own businesses were invited to set up
    booths to discuss future opportunities for Alcorn Students. English Instructor
    Sheri Wallace is an advisor for the ASU NAACP chapter.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Sciences

  • On 11/12/2019, Math and Computer Science Department has Graduation Celebration Lunch for Graduating Seniors. Graduating seniors (undergraduate and graduate) are invited to join faculty and staff to share celebration moment. Department tries to make networks with alumni.
  • Computer Science junior Mr. Joseph Maxwellson will do internship at Microsoft corporation.

Department of Military Sciences

  • The Braves Battalion Ranger Challenge Team competed at the State Ranger Challenge Competition at Camp McCain. 12 Cadets competed and placed third.
  • The week of Veterans Day, the Braves Battalion
    hosted its inaugural Leadership Summit 12-16 November. All services came
    to Alcorn to share the benefits of serving and emphasizing: “there’s no wrong
    way to serve” to the students and community of Alcorn.
  • On 12 November, I spoke to the SROTC and JROTC Cadets
    about the value of self-leadership and the difference between aggressive and
    assertive communication. After the interactive discussion, three JROTC
    teams competed in the “Magnolia Challenge.” The series of events included:
    physical fitness test (push-ups, sit-ups, 1-mile run) and a citizenship
    test. The day concluded with the U.S. Coast Guard from Coast Guard Air
    Station New Orleans landing a rescue helicopter on Alcorn State’s campus for
    the Cadets to observe.
  • On 13 November, CSM O’Dell conducted PT with the
    Cadets and spoke to them about the importance of the NCOs on their teams and
    shared about his leadership path throughout his career. He tag-teamed
    with MG Donna Martin, CG, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence of FT Leonard
    Wood, MO during a great Q&A session during breakfast with the MS III and MS
    IV. They focused on what is expected of a 2LT and how to maintain healthy
    relationships and home life based on one of the questions asked from the audience.
    MG Martin concluded her visit with a presentation on “Bathsheba
    Syndrome” and the importance of leaders with a strong character. The
    University Provost, Dr. John Igwebuike, said the presentation was personally
    impactful for him and that he appreciated the Military Science Department’s
    efforts in bringing great leaders to the campus. We continued on Day 2, with a presentation on professional etiquette by Mr. Marcus James, WJTV- local news anchor, and an Alumni Panel discussion with five field grade officers from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. The day concluded with the Braves Battalion hosting a speech competition open for all Alcorn State students. The intent was to break the stigma that you can’t have fun when you’re in ROTC or in the military. During Half-time of the Military Appreciation Game on 16 NOV, I presented two awards: Leader of the Year Award to Mr. Tommie Green of the Marketing and Communication for outstanding leadership attributes and contributions to the Alcorn State University and the surrounding community; and the Senior Veteran award to MSG(R) Bennie LeFlore, Army Reserve Ammunition Inspector who served 25 years.
  • On 21 November, we held our annual “Ranksgiving” during our final lab for the fall semester to share the Army traditions and build camaraderie among the Cadets. This was also an opportunity for Cadets to “bring a buddy to lab” so they can experience the atmosphere and the “behind the scenes” of ROTC. The lab began with the Contracting Presentation where I presented 2LT bars to each Cadet who contracted in the fall semester. Each Cadet’s name is on the box of gold bars and the boxes are displayed in a trophy case until they commission. The lab concluded with the cadre serving a Thanksgiving dinner to each cadet.
  • Cadets Katelyn Bolden, Madison Gray, Keyshonda
    Ison, and Shamar Johnson visited Alcorn State’s Natchez campus to meet with
    officials from the university’s nursing program.


Monthly Highlights for October 2019

Department of Biological Sciences

  • The Department of Biological Sciences commends its 91 Presidents’ List and 181 Dean’s List Scholars as they were celebrated at Alcorn’s 80th Biannual Honor’s Convocation October 24, 2019..Jakhia Gray made the Department of Biological Sciences proud as she was crowned as the 93rd Miss Alcorn October 10. Gray is a biology pre-physical therapy major.
  • Jessica Hinton-Hawkins, former Miss Alcorn State University 2009-2010, and the Department of Biological Sciences alumna, spoke at the J.D. Boyd Library Archives Week 2019 celebration. She was introduced by Dr. Voletta Williams, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, during the Archives Week premier event on October 2.
  • The Department of Biological Sciences has launched a pilot course to allow student certification in the field of Quality Science and direct access to internship and employment opportunities post-graduation. The program is facilitated by Dr. Justin M. Nash, M.D, visiting/assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. This opportunity was introduced to the department by an alumnus, Mr. Adrian Land with Proctor and Gamble. The department is working in conjunction with Dr. Marla Phillips of Pathway for Patient Health consortium and her team to implement this new curriculum program. The pilot course will begin in January of 2020 and registration is open to all science majors interested in careers in the scientific industries, particularly pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
  • Monica Burr, biology instructor and special projects coordinator for Office of Pre-professional and Honors Curriculum, facilitated the following visits to Alcorn State University: Morehouse school of Medicine (October 1, 2019); and the University of Mississippi Biomedical Graduate program (October 31, 2019). Representative from the above schools came to campus to recruit students to participate in the professional and graduate programs. Burr also assisted with the 80th Biannual Honors Convocation, and chaperoned pre-law students to the LSAC Diversity Inclusion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Department of Military Sciences

* On October 9, 2019 LTC. Newton celebrated her promotion to LTC with friends, family, faculty and Cadets at the Oakland Chapel on campus. Her mentor and former APMS from the University of South Alabama, MAJ(R) Roosevelt Pitts, Jr., officiated the ceremony.

* October 6-9, 2019 Cadet Kaitlan Jackson (MS III) was one of six cadets in 6th Brigade selected to attend the National Conference on Ethics in America at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. Each year, over 220 cadets representing more than 100 academic institutions from across the country participate in the conference. Cadet Jackson’s says the experience was “eye-opening! To think that my peers are speaking about real ‘adult’ issues instead of immature happenings in the culture was inspiring. Thank you for the opportunity! I wouldn’t have imagined such experience for myself.”

* October 17-18, 2019 the Braves Battalion conducted their Fall Campus FTX at Alcorn State University. MS III’s conducted both Squad and Platoon-level STX lanes. MS V Cadet Key (pictured left) gave cadets a class on the proper way to pack their rucks, while MS II Cadets Jefferson, Stamps, Demerritt and Domineck (pictured center) serve as OPFOR in Platoon STX lane. MS III Cadet Smith (pictured right) assesses an EPW during Platoon STX lane.

* October 19, 2019 several cadets from the Braves Battalion helped clean up the park in Port Gibson, MS. The cadets painted benches and trash cans as well as cleaned the street. The cadets spent time at the local YMCA and showed the Port Gibson youth how to set up sleeping bags and roasted marshmallows with them.

* October 24-27, 2019 the Braves Battalion participated the State FTX at Camp McCain, MS with Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi. MS III Cadets conducted M4 Zero/Qualification, Land Navigation, Squad STX Lanes and Ruck March. MS I and II’s trained on Land Navigation and a Hand Grenade Assault Course and also played the role of OPFOR for Squad STX lanes.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

*Dr. Eric Dogini and two Mass Comm majors, Amari Ferguson and Aerial Robinson, attended the Lens Collective Annual Multi-Media Reporting Workshop on October 23-26 at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media. Other participating institutions included the University of Mississippi, Ohio University, Ball State University, Hampton University, Middle Tennessee State University and Penn State University. Entitled “The Land Through Our Lens,” the workshop allowed students to travel to pursue a story in various Mississippi Delta towns.

*Six English majors were inducted into the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta: Sherman Bell, Malik Camp, Crenisha Hayes, Victoria Montgomery, Na’Keia Stewart, and Zy’Miria Thompson.

*This month Sigma Tau Delta continued their support of pediatric cancer in their Tabs for Tots collection. They set up flyers all over campus. In addition, they set up stations for collection of the tabs in each of the dorms.

*The Alcorn chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists sponsored a Lunch & Learn activity for Mass Comm majors on October 22nd. The guest speaker was Felecia Pittman, ASU Director of Career Services, who talked about how to build resumes and apply for internships and jobs.

*The Junior Class held an “End the Silence: Discussion Panel” on October 17, 2019 in the J.D. Boyd Library with Junior Class Advisor Sheri Wallace participating as a panel facilitator. The topics included domestic violence, date rape, sexual harassment and how to stay safe in college. There were over 100 students who attended the activity.

*Spanish Instructor Ivan Ozherelev completed a 70-page research paper for a language research grant sponsored by UK- based Colman & Associates Ltd. The research paper is entitled “English Teaching Outcomes and Long-Term Language Learning Objectives within Kazakhstan’s Policy of Official Trilingualism.”

*In October, the Writing Center hosted 7 workshops. Three of these were “traveling tutor” workshops, in which AWC consultants discussed with students in their classes the services offered by the Writing Center and WCONLINE. The other four were Wednesday Workshops on various topics, including Evidence-Centered Writing, Finding & Writing About a Source’s Thesis Statement, How to Summarize an Argument, How to Analyze a Text, and Eliminating Wordiness. Ninety- one students and twelve faculty attended these workshops. In addition, Writing Center consultants completed 188 face-to-face and 8 online consultations with student writers across campus.

*Dr. J. Janice Coleman displayed works from her quilt exhibit in “Brave Art: A Homecoming Exhibition” on October 6-7, 2019, in the Oakland Memorial Chapel at Alcorn State.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Sciences

  • On October 10, 2019, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science had a town hall meeting. During the meeting, there was a Quiz Bowl Computation that covered subjects from the histories of U.S., Mississippi, Alcorn State university to questions regarding to Mathematics and Computer Science. It was an interest event to increase students’ engagement and retention. In addition, graduate application procedure and requirements were introduced.
  • Recently, Math and Computer Science Department website was redesigned, which included Scholarship Opportunities, Internship Opportunities and News section.
  • In month of December, 12 of our mathematics and computer science seniors will graduate from Alcorn State University. Out of these graduates, a good number of these students have been offered an after college position to work in the industry across the country. As an example, Ms. Collett Chariton was an intern for the corporation: Apple and got an offer from Apple. Mr. Ivan Matas, another computer science senior, has been offered a position to work in Washington, D.C. In most recent years, Ms. Alicia Graves and others graduates have been working at IBM and Microsoft as well. With these success stories, the job market for computer science majors seem to be very prosperous career for future years to come.
  • Math and Computer Science Department will be offering an easy-to-learn, in-demand, and popular programming language, Python, for ASU students enrolling in the “Basic Programming” course for spring semester of 2020. This course will be used to build more student interest within our program, and for those seeking more useful tools to add on their resume so they can be more marketable post-graduation.
  • Recently, this was a conference hosted by CitiBank in New York. Computer Science undergraduate students: Adeboye Aladekoba and Emmanuel Arthur had the privilege to have been one of the 85 students selected across the nation to represent Alcorn State University and the computer science department. In addition to that, in the conference, they were able to meet with senior CitiBanks’ leaders, get an insider view on leadership and culture, in depth workshops and so many more; making this an amazing experience for them.

Monthly Highlights for September 2019

Department of Biological Sciences

    • The Department of Biological Sciences was a hit during the annual High School Day held September 21, 2019. Biology majors, including the Biology Club and Tri-Beta National Honor Society members, Drs. Voletta Williams, Archie Taylor, Elena Kostyleva, Justin Nash, Jameka Grigsby, and Ms. Brenita Jenkins represented the department and shared valuable information with interested high school students and their chaperons.
    • The Department of Biological Sciences held its Fall Mixer September 10 where the students, faculty, staff and administrators had a chance to meet and exchange information and ideas.
    • Coranisha Warren’19 received the white coat as the first-year scholar of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at William Carey University.
    • Dr. Voletta Williams, chair, attended the Women RISE Conference aimed at increasing minority women participation in STEM. Several of our students presented poster presentations at this event held September 12, 2019, at Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond, Mississippi.
    • A sophomore majoring in biology/pre-professional program, Sofia Ievleva, had a great exposure to hands-on research with Drs. Debarshi Roy, assistant professor of biology, and Martha Ravola, interim chair and associate professor for the Department of Human Sciences. They co-authored a research paper titled, “Health Disparity, Increased Obesity and Cancer-Triggering Concerns for Mississippi”, which was presented at the fourth annual Advancing Mississippi conference September 6, 2019 at the Mississippi Public Broadcasting auditorium in Jackson. Ravola and Roy also presented findings from another research titled, “A Systematic Analysis of the Economic Impact of Childhood Obesity.”
    • Roy has also co-authored and published the following papers:“PFKFB3 inhibition reprograms malignant pleural mesothelioma to nutrient stress-induced macropinocytosis and ER stress as independent binary adaptive responses” published in the Nature Publication Group Journal;“Genes associated with bowel metastases in ovarian cancer” published in the Gynecologic Oncology Journal.
    • Shavonda Jackson, instructor of biology, was recognized for her contributions in accelerating the academic success for our student-athletes. On behalf of the Office of Academic Affairs and the Department of Athletics, she was selected as “Academic Coach of the Game.” Her recognition took place on September 28, 2019 at the end of the first quarter of the ASU vs Valley football game.

Department of Social Sciences

    • Friday, September 13, 2019, Dr. Yulonda Sano attended a board meeting of the Asylum Hill Research Consortium at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
    • Tuesday, September 17, 2019: Drs. Yulonda Sano and Sheren G. Sanders attended the 3rd Quarterly Community Relations Meeting at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. The guest speaker was civil rights veteran Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.

Department of Mathematics & Computer Sciences

*According to IHL recommendations, two new Quantitative Reasoning Math courses MA123/MA124 were proposed for non-STEM freshmen for substituting College Algebra course in order to increase students’ retention.

*One new concentration: Data Science in the B.S. Program of Mathematics is implemented. Six new Data Science courses are proposed and approved by university curriculum committee. Math and Computer Science Department will offer Python Programming, Data Mining and Machine Learning, Database for Data Analysis and Data Analysis, etc. six new courses for Data Science concentration.

*A new graduate course: Software Development Security was proposed and approved by university curriculum committee. According to HBCU-M (Master Program Grant of Department of Education) six-year grant requirements, this course is first course of cybersecurity concentration in the Master Program of Science in Computer and Information Science.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication

-In appreciation for his contributions to their academic success, Henry L. Davis, II was chosen by student-athletes to be honored as the Academic Coach of the Game at the home football game on Saturday, 9/21/19.

-On September 10, 2019, Dr. Ivan Ozherelev served as a guest speaker at Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s open-door seminar entitled “Graduate School: Essentials of Transition and Successful Outcomes.” The seminar was hosted by the University Library in the Medgar Evers Auditorium.

-Ke’Shunta Drake, an English Literature major, was selected to participate in the 2019 MUSE Scholars Program at Michigan State University, which will take place October 16-19, 2019.

-Iyunola Owoyemi, an English Literature major, completed a law internship over the summer at the University of Houston Law Center.

-On September 24, 2019, Dr. J. Janice Coleman became a speaker on the Mississippi Humanities Council Speakers Bureau when her topic, “Quilts and Other Quadrilaterals from the Scraps of My Life in the Mississippi Delta,” was accepted for inclusion on the council’s topic list.

-Former student Kimber Thomas has been named an inaugural postdoctoral fellow for data curation in African American and African studies at the University Libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her focus will be data curation for African American collections. Dr. Thomas recently completed her Ph.D. in American studies from UNC at Chapel Hill. She received her M.A. in African American studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in English from Alcorn State University.

-In September, the Writing Center hosted 4 Wednesday workshops on Plagiarism, APA Style Writing, and Evidence-Centered Writing, with 108 students and 6 faculty attending. In addition, Writing Center consultants completed 328 face-to-face and 6 online consultations with student writers across campus.

-The National Association of Black Journalists hosted a Lunch and Learn presentation on September 25 with Ms. Beunkka Davis as the speaker. Ms. Davis is the Director of Marketing & Communications in the Office of Land-Grant Communications at Alcorn.

Monthly Highlights for August 2019

Department of Biological Sciences:

  • Dr. Babu Patlolla, Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, and Dr. Voletta P. Williams, Chairperson, Department of Biological Sciences, and members of the Mississippi INBRE Steering Committee attended the IDeA Conference at the Jackson Hilton, in Jackson, Miss. August 3, 2019. Dr. Debarshi Roy, a 2019 INBRE Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Alcorn State, was also in attendance. Several Alcorn State University students from the Departments of Biology and Chemistry attended the conference and presented posters from their summer INBRE research projects from state institutions and government agencies.Our representations and successes at the conference included: Ms. SharKeisha Jackson (Biology), won first place for her poster presentation (Mississippi State University, Research Institution); Mr. Marcus Cannon (Biology), My Brother’s Keeper, INBRE-Jackson, MS; Kimberly Travis (Biochemistry), Open Arms health Care Clinic, Jackson, Mississippi; Jervia Powell (Biochemistry), University of Mississippi; Chelsea Cheatman (Biology) Mental Health Center for Community-Based Programs; Kalin Travis (Biology) Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Mississippi; DeTavion Barnes (Biology) Alcohol and Opioid Prevention; DeQuarius Barnes (Biology) Adolescence and Sexual Behavior, Jackson, Mississippi; J’Mone McClenty (Biology), Jackson State University; and Gabril Gardner (Biochemistry) Neuroscience, University of Southern Mississippi.
  • Drs. Patlolla, Williams, and Roy served as faculty mentors during the listening and sharing with the INBRE research scholars.
  • Kaziah
    Robinson, a junior, biology, pre-medicine major, participated in the
    Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program, which opens the gateway to
    her future as a pediatrician.
  • Sophomore biology, pre-nursing major Daniel Azubuike completed his summer research internship within SURE Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Upon his return to Alcorn, he presented about his internship and research work at Dr. Elena Kostyleva’s class. Azubuike shared about his studies of preeclampsia and various drugs that can be used to cure it while also taking into consideration the effects of those drugs on the fetus and postpartum.

  • Several students in the Department of Biological Sciences attended the Meharry Medical School Preparation facilitated by the Office of Honors and Pre-Professional Programs.
  • Erica
    Nelson, a senior radiology technology major, and Monica Burr, instructor in the
    Department of Biological Sciences, attended the 2019 Mortar Board Conference
    August 1-4, 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Burr participated in the Leadership
    Excellence and Advisor     Development
    advisor certification and enrichment program. She has officially earned the
    credential of Certified Organization Advisor (COA).

  • Drs. Debarshi Roy, Archie Taylor and Justin Nash organized monthly Biology Journal Club. The club aims at engaging students in scientific discussions, practice public speaking, informing of internship opportunities, and assisting in resume preparation.
  • Dr. Marta Piva, associate professor, completed a a Quality Matters (QM) workshop (Applying the QMRubric).

  • Dr.
    Robert Sizemore, professor, published a manuscript titled, “Are Squalene-containing
    Vaccines Potentially Harmful?
    Sizemore, Robert and M. S. Zaman. 2019. Are Squalene-containing Vaccines
    Potentially Harmful? Adv. Sci. Tech. 12 (1&2): 8-11.     He has
    also submitted another manuscript for publication: M. S.
    Zaman, Rakeen Zaman, and Robert C. Sizemore. 2019. Plastic Pollution of
    the Oceans: A Review of Marine Plastic Pollution and Its Environmental Impacts. Sizemore’s
    creative endeavors include: Serving
    on the Board of Directors for the Natchez Festival of Music. He has written the
    scripts for several productions for the Festival, most recently “Woodstock:
    50th Anniversary” which was performed in May, 2019.     He wrote
    “Satchmo: Louis Armstrong Tribute” which will be performed as part of
    Mississippi Opera in September at Dulling Hall in Jackson, Miss. Sizemore
    also co-authored the script for the Mississippi Bicentennial Show that was
    performed throughout the state and was aired on MPBS. He
    recently wrote part of the musical score for an independent film entitled, “If
    These Porches Could Talk.”     Sizemore
    will be appearing in the film, “Breaking News in Yuba County” where he plays a
    local news reporter. He filmed several scenes with Allison Janney, Mila
    Kunis, Regina Hall, and Juliette Lewis.

Department of English, Languages, and Mass Communication:

* While serving as an Army Reserve instructor in the West Point Writing Program (WPWP), United Sates Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY, Dr. Murray Shugars – Led 2019 piloting of summer programming for the Mounger Writing Center (MWC), conducting consultations with cadets and faculty-Served as an external assessor for the USMA Communications Goal Team, evaluating fifty essays completed by Class of 2018 graduates to help establish a baseline for writing performance in the ‘old’ curriculum-Prepared seven articles for Fall 2019 publication (in the USMA newspaper Pointer View), describing the teaching techniques specified in the WPWP’s “Pedagogical Model”-Readied the Developmental and Professional Writing course syllabus for inaugural use in summer 2020-Assisted the WPWP’s Associate Director at 2019 New Faculty Orientations for the following academic departments: History, English and Philosophy, Geography and Environmental Engineering, Systems Engineering-Conducted two public speaking workshops for Cadet Writing Fellows-Developed three comprehensive (100+ slides) and interactive pedagogical tools for faculty assessing and teaching writing in multiple disciplinary contexts (Chemistry and Life Science as well as Psychology)-Advised the Associate Director on a range of topics, such as the Postgraduate Writing Fellows’ standing compendium.

* Mass Communication seniors Ren-Nessa Maulseed and Rashunda Veal represented the Alcorn Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists at the national conference in Miami, Florida.

* Mass Communication students completing media-related summer internships include: Morganne Bailey – online magazines The Divah Filez & HBCU Pulse. Jalyn Chapman – Administrative Intern for the Dekalb County Superior Court, Decatur, GA. Trevin Day – KLFY News 10 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Jazmin Green –City of Vicksburg TV23, Vicksburg, Miss. Fred Jackson – KAJM-FM AND KNRJ-FM in Phoenix. ArizonaJaByron McGloster – WJTV Channel 12, Jackson, Miss. Keaundria Milloy – WDAM Channel 7 in Hattiesburg, Miss. Keturah Moody – Public Relations internships with Better Futures Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ariel Robinson – Fulton County Department of Communications and TV station, Atlanta, GA. Gabrielle Terrett – National Park Service media department, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Travis Williams – Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

* Dr. Eric Dogini published “Niger Delta Migration: The Trials and Triumphs of Rivers Folks in Diaspora” in the peer-reviewed Journal of Social and Political Sciences, Vol.2 No.3. The abstract for this article can be found at Niger Delta Migration: The Trials and Triumph of Rivers Folks in Diaspora by Dr. Eric U. Dogini :: SSRN.

* English Literature major Victoria Montgomery attended ROTC Basic Camp at Fort Knox, KY.

* English Literature majors Ke’Shunta Drake and Consuela Jones participated in the Ronald E. McNair Summer Program at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS.

* Jacoby Gilmore, an English Literature major, completed the Brown Prep Program Foundations at St. John’s University School of Law in Queens, New York.

* Dr. Heather Bailey has a publication forthcoming in the 19.3 volume of the Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies (University of Pennsylvania Press). The title of the article is: “’Thou Shalt be Dido’s Son:’ Surrogate Motherhood in Christopher Marlowe’s Dido, Queen of Carthage

Department of Social Work:

* The Department of Social Work sponsored a Mandatory Social Work Major Student Meeting on August 22, 2019. Faculty and staff of the department provided students with an overview of the program, expectations, admission requirements, degree plans and curriculum requirements, community involvement and advisement. Approximately thirty-five social work majors were in attendance. Lunch was provided.

* APPRECIATION- Faculty-Staff Institute & 2nd Alcorn All-Stars Recognition was held on August 13, 2019. Faculty and Staff were recognized for exceptional performance working as a team providing educational guidance and assistance to students to convey that they are working towards their pathway to academic success. Dr. Idleburg, Chair and Professor of the Department of Social Work graciously nominated Mrs. Sandra M. Dembly-Davis (faculty/advisor) to be recognized for her multi-disciplinary efforts in guiding/ assisting students with planning their schedules and choosing the recommended courses to support their pathway to academic success. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities mentoring and advising students well. Mrs. Davis’ goal is to continue working in concert with her colleagues in accordance with the University’s mission to “prepare graduates to be well-rounded future leaders of high character and to be successful in the global marketplace of the 2pt century.”

* MS. RURAL SERVICES ADVOCACY FORENSIC/FAITH ENHANCED RESPONSE PROJECT–The Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault provided a “Faith-Based Initiative Certification Training” on August 19-August 20, 2019 in Vicksburg, MS to social service providers in an effort to help build the capacity to address the whole survivor from an emotional, mental and therapeutic focus from a spiritual aspect of healing in enhancing response to sexual assault and providing services to underserved communities. Mrs. Sandra M. Dembly- Davis, Certified Clinical Forensic Counselor attended the training to identify and address gaps in responding to sexual assault response. As Mrs. Davis reported, “I have a special interest in working with survivors of sexual violence and by obtaining additional training, I can apply various theoretical approach to assist survivors on their journey to heal.”

Monthly Highlights for April 2019

Department of Biological Sciences:

* The Department of Biological Sciences’ online master’s degree program is recognized by the SR Education Group as number three in the 2019 Most Affordable Online Master’s Biology Degrees. Our program is featured in the SR Education Group 2019 national online college rankings, which use a combination of manually researched tuition and accreditation.

* Sharkiesha Jackson, a senior, biology major, received acceptance into the MS INBRE Research Scholars Program for 2019. She will conduct her research at Mississippi State University with Dr. Nick Fitzkee at the Chemistry Department.

* Daniel Azubuike, freshman, biology pre-nursing major, got accepted to the Discovery U Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program with the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences (SGSHS) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC).

* Dr. Elena Kostyleva and her students from Survey of Biological Sciences class participated in the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Earth Day celebration held in Vicksburg, Miss. April 23, 2019. The students enjoyed the tour of the facility, learned about some of ERDC’s environmentally important research, and made contacts with ERDC’s employees for future internships and employment opportunities.

* The department has 77 graduating seniors, out of which 11 scholars earned a GPA above 3.70, eight – above 3.50, and 27 – above 3.0. Ms. Coranisha Warren was awarded an outstanding senior with a 3.97 GPA.

* The department received the Outstanding Department of the Year Award by the Student Government Association Choice Award.

* The Kappa Omega Chapter of Tri Beta National Biological Honor Society inducted 14 new members.

Department of Chemistry & Physics:

* The Department of Chemistry and Physics held its Senior Reception on Friday, April 26, 2019 to recognize its May 2019 graduates and recognize its outstanding students. May 2019 graduates include Robert Tatum, Jr., Klavdija Bukovec, Ashley Smith, Tia Givens, Myshawn Smith, Dewania Summers, Aironese James, and Patrice Rivers. Robert Tatum, Jr. was recognized as the Outstanding graduate. Robert, Klavdija, Ashley, Tia, and Dewania were recognized for having an overall GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

* Faculty (nine) and Students (eight) from the Department of Chemistry & Physics attended the American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting in Orlando Florida held March 30-April 3, 2019: Dr. Sandra Barnes, Dr. Terrance Burks, Dr. Stefan Cooper, Dr. Shawnta Woods-Chatman, Ms. Sonia Eley, Dr. Yolanda Jones, Dr. Thomas Ondera, Dr. Herve Sanghapi, and Dr. Anant Singh. Eight students attended: Tia Givens, Robert Tatum, Jr. Myshawn Smith, Asha Lewis, Ashley Smith, Klavdija Bukovec, Ryki Vance, and Meghna Bajaj. Ashley, Klavdija, Ryki, and Meghna presented posters of research work performed in the department. Faculty and students received professional development, information regarding graduate programs, and internship and networking opportunities. The department also received information regarding setting up a local ACS chapter, which will be advised by Dr. Stefan Cooper, Assistant Professor of Chemistry.

* Robert Tatum, Jr., Biochemistry Scholar and May 2019 graduate, was accepted into seven medical school programs. Robert will be attending The University of Mississippi Medical Center after graduation.

* Sixteen Alcorn faculty and students from the School of Arts and Sciences visited the Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce Metrology Laboratory located on the Campus of Alcorn State University on April 23, 2019. Mel Lasigi, Metrology Lab director, and William Bell, Metrologist and former Alcorn student, welcomed the faculty and students and provided a tour of the facilities and explained the nature of the work that the facility does for the state and surrounding states. Discussions of future collaborations are underway.

* The Instrumental Methods of Analysis Laboratory (CH 322 L) students presented the results of their Spring 2019 class research project to faculty and students on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in the Math and Science Building second floor lobby. The students worked in teams, utilizing the HPLC and IR instruments to solve an analytical problem centered around detection of water contaminants. Students were engaged in the entire scientific inquiry process, beginning with literature searches and culminating with the public research project poster presentation. The class was instructed by Dr. Sandra Barnes.

* Local high school students visited the Department of Chemistry and Physics, along with the Department of Biological Sciences, on March 26, 2019. Students observed science experimentation and received information about careers in chemistry. The ASU Khem Club and Delta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma worked with the students. These organizations are advised by Ms. Sonia Eley, instructor of Chemistry.

* Dr. Sandra Barnes attended the HBCU-UP/CREST meeting in Washington, D.C. on April 20-21, 2019. She presented a poster describing the results of the NSF Targeted Infusion Project “Infusing Evidence-based Instructional Practices into the STEM Curriculum at Alcorn State University.”

* Alcorn students and faculty attended the 2019 Teen Summit held in Natchez, MS on April 6, 2019. They spoke to teens, tweens, and their parents and guardians about the importance of STEM in society and careers in STEM. Alcorn students discussed their career goals while attending Alcorn State University and encouraged students to consider a career in the STEM field.

Department of Social Sciences:

On behalf of Phi Alpha Theta, Alpha-Omicron-Omega Chapter at Alcorn State University, I would like to invite you to our initiation ceremony at 12:30pm on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Room 107 Dumas Hall.

Social Sciences held its Graduation Annual Social for Juniors and Seniors Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 2:00pm-4:00pm, Room #107-Dumas Hall.

Department of Social Work:

  • The Department of Social Work held its bi-annual ASU Social Work Advisory Board Meeting on Friday, April 5, 2019. The meeting was held on the campus of Alcorn State University in Dumas Hall Conference Room. The meeting was also hosted via conference call for members afar.
  • The
    Department of Social Work hosted it CAST/FORECAST Child Maltreatment and Child
    Advocacy Training on Friday, April 12, 2019 on the campus of Alcorn State
    University in Lorman, MS. The training
    was titled “Assessment and Intervention of Child Abuse and Neglect”, with Dr.
    Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook as the facilitator.
    Approximately 50 community partners, faculty, staff and students were in
    attendance. Attendees received Continue
    Education Units for participation and attendance.
  • In collaboration with the Department of Social Sciences, faculty/staff attended the Mississippi Eta Chapter of Pi Gamma Mu inductions ceremony held on April 15, 2019. Five social work majors were inducted as new members of the organization. Additionally, seven social work majors were recognized as graduating scholars of Pi Gamma Mu.
  • Dr.
    Dorothy Idleburg attend the CAST/FORECAST 6th Annual One Loud Voice
    conference in Biloxi, MS held April 15, 2019-April 17, 2019. The information presented from the conference
    will used in curriculum development to update modules on child advocacy and
    maltreatment, in planning and developing workshops and classrooms lectures and
    to assist students working on service learning projects and presentations for
    professional conferences.
  • The Department of Social Work Spring
    2019 Field Practice Seminar class hosted their Spring 2019 Senior Portfolio
    Presentation on Monday, April 22, 2019.
    The     senior
    portfolio presentation is a final project and reflects the knowledge and
    skills the students learned during their social work field practicum
    experience    .

Monthly Highlights for February 2019

Department of Biological Sciences:

* Several faculty from the School of Arts and Sciences attended the Mississippi of Sciences which was held February 20-22 in Hattiesburg, MS. Faculty from the School included: Dr. Babu Patlolla, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ping Zhang, Dr. Anant Singh, Dr. Stefan Cooper, Dr. Debarshi Ray, Dr. Qingwen Hu, Dr. Sardar Anisul Haque, Dr. Sajjal Neupane, Dr. Thir Dangal, Dr. Thomas Ondera, Dr. Yolanda Jones, Dr. Elena Kostyleva, Dr. Archie Taylor, Dr. Lixin Yu, Dr. Alexander Acholonu (Professor Emeritus), and Mr. Steven Love.

* Several students presented poster presentations and research papers, among them were: Tia Givens, Kiera Bridges, Makayla Wiley, Sharkiesha Jackson, Ashley Bonds, Nikolay Dobrynin, and Jemeria Bonds.

* Sharkiesha Jackson, a senior, biology major, won a first place for her oral presentation “Distribution of Pollutants in the Mississippi River Near Grand Gulf Military Park, Port Gibson, MS, During the Summer 2017” in the Zoology and Entomology section at the Mississippi Academy of Science Annual Meeting held February 21-22, 2019.

* Coranisha Warren, a senior biology major and Dr. Robert Sizemore, a professor of biological sciences, were the recipients of the Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) award. They were honored at the 32nd annual HEADWAE Program held Feb. 26 at the Jackson Marriott Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. Warren and Sizemore were accompanied by Dr. Voletta Williams, department chair, at the awards ceremony.

* Dr. Voletta Williams attended Purple and Gold day at the State Capitol representing the School of Arts and Sciences.

* Dr. Debarshi Roy, assistant professor, presented at the 5th Annual Center for Research Symposium held February 7, 2019 at Alcorn State University. The title of his presentation was “Repurposing of Quinacrine as an Anticancer Therapy.”

* Dr. Elena Kostyleva, assistant professor, presented a paper “Honey Plants of Mississippi” at the Mississippi Academy of Science Annual Meeting held February 21-22, 2019.

* Mrs. Monica Burr, instructor, and two students attended the Mississippi State Honors Conference held at East Mississippi Community College – Golden Triangle Campus. The conference was held February 9, 2019. While in attendance, Burr served as a judge for posters submitted by students from several of Mississippi’s two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Department of Chemistry & Physics:

* Instructor,Mrs. Sonia Eley and three students attended the Robert Louis Elementary School Science Fair where they served as judges. The science fair was held in Natchez, MS on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

Department of English, Languages & Mass Communication:

* The School of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with the Department of English, Languages, and Mass Communication celebrated with the African American Read-In. This event was held on February 21, 2019 at 12:30 in the Math and Science building, Auditorium. Approximately 78 persons were in attendance and more than 30 presenters including student, faculty, and staff. Dr. J Janice Coleman and Dr. Valtrease Tolliver-Cook coordinates this event each year.

* Dr. Cynthia Scurria was selected as the recipient of the 2019 IHL Excellence in diversity and Inclusion Award. The presentation of this award will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019.

* Phi Alpha Theta and the History Club presented, A Celebration of Black History Month, Monday, February 25, 2019 through March 1, 2019.

* Mrs. Ana Torres started on February 19th, a Festival of Spaniard and Latin American cinema for the students. (The purpose of the festival was to familiarize the students with the different Spanish accents. It took place at Eunice Powell Hall, classroom 12.

* On Thursday, February 7, 2019, Dr. J. Janice Coleman set up an exhibit of my quilted cotton sacks at ASU’s 5TH Annual Center for Research Excellence Symposium (CRES). This symposium was sponsored by the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences and the School of Arts and Sciences.

* On Saturday, February 16, 2019, Dr. J. Janice Coleman set up an exhibit of my cotton sacks and other farm-related memorabilia at the Black History Month Commemoration Breakfast which was held at 7:30 A.M. at the Richard M. Coleman Recreational Center in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. The event was organized by Super Reader Floyd Stokes of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and former ABC Anchor Ron Claiborne was the guest speaker. On Monday, February 20, my exhibit was featured on Greenville’s WXV T Morning News. Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/thedeltanews/videos/555557844950287

* On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, Dr. J. Janice Coleman served as one of the co-hosts at the African American Read-In which was held at 12:30 P. M. in room 109 of the Math and Science Building. Fifty faculty, staff, and students participated in the reading.

Department of Social Work:

* Mrs. Sandra Demby-Davis, Coordinator of Field Education and Instructor of Social Work was the recipient of the 2019 Humanities Teacher Award. Davis presented her Lecture entitled: “Global Perspective on Social Work Practice” in the J. D. Boyd Library, Medgar Evers Auditorium on Thursday, February 14, 2019. She also received a certificate and a monetary donation as part of the award. This award is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Department of Social Sciences:

* Alcorn State University to Compete for Championship Title at 30th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) in Los Angeles, April 13-17 –National Competition Celebrates HBCU Academic Excellence

Lorman, MS, Feb. 22, 2019 – After winning a series of regional competitions, Alcorn State University is one of 48 schools that will vie for the championship title at the 30th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), America’s premier academic competition for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The HCASC National Championship Tournament will be held April 13-17, 2019 on the American Honda campus in Torrance, California. Alcorn State University has the opportunity to win the HCASC top prize – a $75,000 institutional grant from Honda.

Issac James Burton, a senior majoring in criminal justice from Meridian, Mississippi, Krystal Dunlap, a sophomore majoring in biology from Country Club Hills, Illinois, Inaya Freeman, a freshman majoring in nursing from Brandon, Mississippi, and Emmanuella C.E. Kyllians, a sophomore majoring in pre-medicine from Nigeria will represent Alcorn State University. Dr. Sheren G. Sanders will coach the team.

* On Thursday, February 28, 2019, Dr. J. Janice Coleman participated in the African American Read-In that was sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta and the ASU History Club. This event was held in 107 Dumas Hall from 2-3:15.

* NABJ of Mass Communications hosted a Lunch and Learn with Producer/Director Dreka Shevon as the guest speaker. Dreka Shevon is an award-winning storyteller who grew up in Mississippi where she received her B.A degree in Film from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dreka has worked in the Broadcast and Film Industry for over 15 years. In 2013, she launched and headed the Commercial Production Dept. at an NBC Affiliate in Memphis, TN where she trained employees on proper production techniques and oversaw production. After resigning to devote her energies full time to the development of Prime Stone Media, LLC, Dreka has since developed several platforms and PSAs to bring awareness to a variety of socially significant subjects such as Women Issues and Child Abuse.

Monthly Highlights for January 2019

Department of Social Work:

FIELD INSTRUCTOR TRAINING WORKSHOP

* The Department of Social Work has hosted its Annual Field Instructor Training Workshop on January 25, 2019, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Dumas Hall conference room on the campus of Alcorn State University. Attending were all field supervisors who direct, coordinate, enhance, educate and evaluate student’s performance during their placement at your agency. This training was an essential part of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Accreditation process and the accomplishment of field education program goals.

The trainer for this workshop was Mrs. Roshonna Edwards, LCSW, Social Worker at the Jackson VA Medical Center located in Jackson, MS. The workshop focused on the CSWE EPAS Standards for Field Education, exploring the roles of the University, Field Instructors and students, understanding the ethical relationships of field and social work practice and exploring opportunities to build collateral support for student success as it relates to the core competencies and outcome measures for field education internship which is our signature pedagogy. In addition, the training provided a dialogue for questions and concerns of field supervisors. Also, attending the workshop were ASU Social Work Advisory Board Members.