Morgan Magazine 2008 Issue Vol. II

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MORGANM A G A Z I N EMORGANM A G A Z I N E

Morgan MILE & Warrior InstituteLighting the Torch in MaleLeadership Mentoring

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We’re proud to participate in education programs that help build brighter futures.

Leaders are everywhere.We found some at Morgan State University.

Alumni and Friends,

More than at any other time in recent memory, the United States of Americais, at one and the same time, displaying its enormous potential for progress,yet witnessing some of its most negative tendencies towards regression. Asalways, during such turbulent times in the nation, the troubles that it facesare magnified in our community.

While an historic presidential campaign has finally demonstrated the nation’scommitment to freedom and justice for all and has ended in the election ofthe nation’s first African-American president, our democracy continues to bethreatened by the racial, ethnic and religious intolerance that has made suchan election impossible in the past. Most Americans applaud this presiden-tial election as a monumental achievement and a positive sign of progress,but too few Americans know or appreciate the extent of black people’s strug-gles in this country. And too few understand the remarkable role of histori-cally black colleges and universities in reaching black students and makingthem successful in the American mainstream. This lack of awareness is man-ifested in daily news reports of hate crimes, in the shocking number of blackmen dropping out of our educational system into jails and prisons, and inthe accompanying political attacks on black institutions, which have the bestrecord of reaching black students and making them successful.

Since its founding 141 years ago, Morgan State University has had a unique,important and positive impact on the community that it serves, and it hasestablished a remarkable record of graduating students who went on tobecome local, national and international leaders like the President-elect. Italso has demonstrated a strong commitment to taking on responsibilitiesthat others have shunned. As you will see in this publication, its positivecontributions continue today in a number of ways. For example, Morgan hasbucked the national trend and risen to the challenge of retaining more malecollege students by establishing not one, but two nationally respected men-toring programs: the Morgan MILE and The Warrior Institute. In addition,Morgan students, alumni such as Mark Branch of NASA, and six talentedartists from Morgan’s EPOCH Exhibition have bolstered the University’s argu-ment against those who would insist that today’s potentially successful stu-dents be left to fend for themselves and have shown why HBCUs remain avital force today in assisting those students.

By now, most of you are aware that I will be leaving the presidency of MorganState University in December 2009. In the meantime, I will continue to workvery hard in the interest of our students and in the interest of Morgan’s mis-sion to provide educational opportunities to some of the nation’s brighteststudents and to many students who were historically denied the opportunity.

As we continue another promising academic year, I welcome you back to yourAlma Mater with this issue of Morgan Magazine.

Sincerely,

Earl S.Richardson, President

M O R G A N M A G A Z I N E

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Vice President forInstitutional Advancement

Cheryl Y. [email protected]

Director of Public Relations andCommunications

Clinton R. [email protected]

Morgan Magazine is published by the Division of Institutional Advancement of MSU foralumni, parents, faculty, students and prospective students. Morgan Magazine is designedand edited by the Office of Public Relations. Opinions expressed in Morgan Magazine arethose of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the University. Unsolicited manu-scripts and photographs are welcome but will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped,self-addressed envelope. Letters are also welcome.

Correspondence should be directed to:Morgan Magazine,Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Truth Hall, #109, Baltimore, MD 21251443-885-3022 office • 443-885-8297 fax • [email protected]

Morgan State UniversityMagazine

Volume II 2008

M O R G A N M A G A Z I N E S T A F F

T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s

MorganProfessors WinBoeingFellowshipsLearning, Teachingin CorporateAmerica

Dawn of a NewDayMSU Students Reflecton Obama's Victory

NASA Engineer,Hip Hop DJ:Mark Branch,’91Physics Grad Enjoys'Best of Both Worlds'

IRA RolloverExtendedVehicle for AlumniGiving

24 26 28 29

A Great Day forGolfAnnual TournamentRaises Money forScholarships

Morgan-TravelersPartnership

Creating NewScholarshipOpportunities

Artists’HomecomingEPOCH ExhibitionDisplays MSUAlumni Talent

Brighter, BetterThe New MSULibrary

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Letterfrom thePresidentEarl S. Richardson

History,PromiseConverge atCommencementTwo Anniversaries atMorgan's 132nd

BuildingSuccessfulBlack MenMorgan’s MILE andWarrior InstitutePrograms BoostRetention of Males

The ContinuingSignificance ofHBCUsMorgan’s DeansSpeak Out

PublicationsManager

Ferdinand [email protected]

Art Director(Magazine Design)David E. [email protected]

Sr. Graphic DesignerAndre Barnett

[email protected]

Photographer(Magazine Cover)

P. A. [email protected]

CommunicationsAssistant

Rachel [email protected]

ContributingPhotographer

Ferdinand Mehlinger

ContributingWriters

Rasheim T. Freeman

Wiley A. Hall 3rd

Christina Royster-Hemby

Jannette J. Witmyer

ContributingEditor

Eric Addison

Cover PhotoMorgan MILE participantsKyle Turman (center) and(left to right) Julius McNair,Marlon Young, MarvinCarr and Taylor Graham

On May 18, 2008, more than 1,200 candidatesmarched solemnly into an atmosphere ofrestrained celebration at W.A.C. Hughes Sta-dium, to receive doctorates, master’s degreesor undergraduate degrees, at Morgan StateUniversity’s 132nd annual commencement.The ceremony took place against a powerfulhistorical backdrop: 50 years earlier, MartinLuther King Jr. had delivered the commence-ment address to Morgan’s Class of 1958, 10years before his assassination.

Forty-three doctorates, 135 master’s degreesand 1,035 bachelor’s degrees were conferredduring the services, and three members ofMorgan’s extended family received honorarydoctor of laws degrees: civil rights warriorGloria Richardson, who was head of the Cam-bridge, Md., branch of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s;higher education expert James L. Fisher,Ph.D., former president of Towson University;and the commencement speaker, LoidaNicolas Lewis, who is chief executive officerof TLC Beatrice, LLC, chairman and CEO ofTLC Beatrice, Ltd. in China, and chairman andCEO of TLC Beatrice Foods in the Philip-pines. Mrs. Lewis, also a prominent motiva-tional speaker, best-selling author and socialand civic leader, is the widow of BaltimoreanReginald F. Lewis, who founded TLC Beatricein 1987. The company was then the largestblack-owned and black-managed business inthe U.S.

Among those who received special recogni-tion during commencement were officerscommissioned through Morgan’s ROTC pro-gram; the senior honor graduates; recipientsof class awards, prizes and special awards;and the Alumnus of the Year, Ella MoultrieHarris. The Morgan State University Band andMSU Choir both performed, and senior classpresident Deborah Gant gave the farewellremark, before her class was inducted intothe MSU National Alumni Association.

History, Promise Convergeat Commencement


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By Eric Addison 132nd

132nd Commencement speaker,Loida Nicolas Lewis

Civil rights warrior Gloria Richardson,receiving honorary doctor of laws degree

Educator James L. Fisher, Ph.D.,receiving honorary doctorate

MSU Alumnus of the YearElla Moultrie Harris

Morgan’s Class of ’58 was invited tojoin the processional into HughesStadium and was honored in printwith a special insert in the com-mencement program. It includedtheir class highlights and excerpts ofDr. King’s prophetic 1958 address.

“…Doors are opening today that werenot open yesterday. The challenge of thishour is to be ready for those doors whenthey open,” Dr. King said, beforeclosing with the rousing messageabout freedom that would get theworld’s attention in 1963:

“Freedom must ring from every moun-tainside… And when this happens, all menwill be able to stand together — black menand white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protes-tants and Catholics — and sing a newsong: ‘Free at last, free at last, Great GodAlmighty, we are free at last!’ ” �

MSU Class of 1958

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Building Successful Black


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MenBy Rasheim T. Freeman and Eric Addison


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During a university-wide retreat he convened in 2004,Morgan President Dr. Earl S. Richardson had the large taskof outlining MSU’s impressive capital projects — tangibleevidence of the University’s unprecedented physicalgrowth. Coupled with this encouraging news, however, wasthe disturbing announcement that retention and graduationrates of the school’s African-American male students werefalling alarmingly.

Dr. Richardson’s concern was not a complete surprise to hislisteners, and the problems he presented were hardlyunique to Morgan. Black males in this country are more thanthree times more likely to live in a prison cell than in a col-lege dormitory, according to a 2006 U.S. Census Bureaureport. Only about 35 percent of the black men who make itto college graduate, compared with a graduation rate of 43.6percent for black women, says the journal Retaining AfricanAmericans in Higher Education. Furthermore, data from the fed-eral government’s National Center for Education Statisticsshow that the ratio of black male to black female bachelor’sdegree recipients in the U.S. has been shrinking for the past20 years and that in 2005, nearly twice as many blackwomen as black men received bachelor’s degrees.

Dr. Richardson called on his faculty to improve Morgan’sretention rate for African-American males. But as dauntingas that challenge may seem, it was soon met by two facultymembers with impressive credentials: Dr. D. Jason DeSousa,then the director of Morgan’s Institute for Student Leader-ship, Character Development and Outcomes, and Dr. Ray-mond Winbush, director of the University’s Institute forUrban Research. Both became leaders of nationally knownmentoring programs that are based at Morgan and that haveseen significant success.

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MILE and Warrior Institute ProgramsBoost Retention of Male Students

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TThhee MMoorrggaann MMIILLEE

By the time he came to Morgan in 2002, Dr. D. JasonDeSousa had been director of Career Development atTuskegee University, vice president for Student Affairsat Savannah State University and president of the

National Association of Stu-dent Affairs Professionals. So,he knew well that retention ofblack males in higher educa-tion was a growing challenge.Upon hearing the latest statis-tics from Dr. Richardson in2004, he felt compelled torespond in a manner thatdrew upon his diverse experiences.

“I told Dr. Richardson that Ihad experience in writing forand attaining Title III grants atseveral of my previousschools,” says Dr. DeSousa.“The conversation started out

as a ‘What if?’ because…at that time, not manypeople were focusing on black males in particular,outside of the fraternities and the sports clubs.”

“What if” became reality later that year, whenMorgan’s Institute for Student Leadership, CharacterDevelopment and Outcomes launched the “Male Ini-tiative on Leadership and Excellence” (MILE) project.

“Integrated identity,” “identity andlearning” and “student engagement”became the theoretical anchors of theMorgan MILE: the concepts undergirdingthe mentors’ efforts to help studentsbecome intentional learners. The programsought to meet males where they were,intellectually and culturally. It aimed toengage them in dialogue and activity thatwould lead them to match their valuesand goals with their academic progress.Among the key elements of the innovativeprogram were leadership retreats, com-munity service projects completed duringspring break and recognition dinners thatacknowledged personal triumphs.

Derek Bolton, a May 2008 graduate ofMSU with a bachelor’s degree in mar-keting, was the first student invited intothe Morgan MILE.


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“The MILE allowed us to get some experiences that wemost likely would not have had otherwise. Many of theseexperiences were out of our comfort zone,” says Bolton,who now is working in Baltimore as a residential salesinspector and a marketing consultant and has plans toopen a marketing consultation firm of his own next year.He credits the program with helping him find his purposein life.

“As one of our first activities, we went to Western Mary-land on a ‘spirit quest,’ which is derived from the NativeAmerican tradition,” he recalls. “There were about eight ofus on this trip. We basically spent a night in the woodsabout a half a mile from each other, with the help of atour guide. We had a pocket knife, a journal, a tarp, a ropeand two bottles of water. And we basically had to just sitout there by ourselves and try to figure some things out.”

He succeeded, Bolton says.

“It was very quiet. One thing that I noticed after about anhour or two, staring into the distance, was that there wasa tremendous number of spider webs.... There are thingsconstantly falling in the woods – branches, trees, animalsrunning through – and these spider webs were being con-stantly damaged by falling things. And then the spider,who really couldn’t do much about it in defense, would, ifhe was able to survive this tree branch that crushed hisweb, pretty much start over and make another one.

“So the thing that I got out of it is things happen in lifethat you can’t control,” he concludes. “Sometimes you

just have to start back over andbuild your web. It taught me, I guess, a certain level of perseverance.”

The data show that Bolton wasn’tthe only MILE participant to learnthat lesson. From 2004 to 2006, stu-dents in the program earned pro-gressively higher grades and had agroup retention rate much higherthan for nonparticipants. Of theoriginal 20 students in the MorganMILE, 18 graduated with a 3.2 gradepoint average within four years. Inaddition to their academic improve-ments, the young men in the pro-gram participated in more campusactivities that encouraged leader-ship skill-building and allowed themto mentor younger students.

Dr. D. Jason DeSousa, Former Director, Morgan MILE

“So the thing that I got out ofit is things happen in life thatyou can’t control…. It taughtme, I guess, a certain levelof perseverance.”

— Derek Bolton, ’08, formerMorgan MILE participant

M A L E I N I T I A T I V E O N L E A D E R S H I P A N D E X C E L L E N C E

Because of its swift success, the MILE program hasbeen modeled and replicated at other colleges anduniversities, including St. Joseph’s University inPhiladelphia, Pa., and the College of William andMary in Williamsburg, Va. Finding funds for the pro-gram was difficult when it was in its infancy, but oncethe Morgan MILE was on its feet, its success was heralded.

“Never in my wildest imagina-tion did I think that this pro-gram would take off,” says Dr.DeSousa, who became provostand vice president for StudentAffairs at Huston-TillotsonUniversity in Austin, Texas, inJune.

The Morgan MILE continuesto fly. Douglas Gwynn,director of MSU’s Office ofResidence Life, has beennamed the mentoring pro-gram’s new interim director.Dr. DeSousa and Gwynn metin 2006, when the Office ofResidence Life and theMorgan MILE began workingtogether and sharing informa-tion about students’ progress.

Gwynn, with the support of Dr. Timothy Rainey, asso-ciate provost of Morgan and director of AcademicSupport Programs, completed the planning phase ofthe Morgan MILE, which Dr. DeSousa began by initi-ating research into the risk factors correlated withmale academic success and graduation rates.

“When I came to Morgan in 1998, one of the things Idid was look at the GPAs of the men in the residencehalls at Morgan. And it didn’t look good,” explainsGwynn. “We found that it wasn’t the students’ intelli-gence levels that were giving them difficulties in theirstudies; it was external socioeconomic factors thatwere major distractions.”

The cooperation between Gwynn and Dr. DeSousapaid off. This past spring, the Office of Residence Lifedeveloped a component of the MILE program formale students living in residence halls on campus.The component, named the Morgan MILE Academy,became part of the Office of Residence Life’s Living &Learning initiative. Through this program, in Fall


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2008, all of the first-year male stu-dents living in O’Connell Hall willautomatically become members of theMorgan MILE Academy and will beinvited to participate in yearlong activ-ities to enhance learning and aca-demic performance.

“The Morgan MILE will not only con-tinue into years to come but will con-tinue to grow as it becomes a staple ofstudent residence life and the campuscommunity as a whole,” says Gwynn.

The MILE definitely continues in him,says former program participantTaylor Graham: “When I see my MILEbrothers outside of Morgan or any-where else, it’s like,‘Remember the trip?Remember this?Remember that?’ ”

Graham is now a con-struction managementassistant with theWashington, D.C.Housing Authority. Hehad many leadershippositions at Morgan –including sophomoreclass president – andbegan with the MILE in2005. He finishedcoursework in Augustfor his bachelor’sdegree in marketing.

“The MILE bringspeople from all kinds ofbackgrounds together,”he says. “There are 4.0 (GPA) students.There’s somebody who may have aone point-something. There’s some-body from Africa. There’s somebodyfrom Jamaica. There may be a leader-ship student, like myself. But they’reall brought together through the MILE,and that gives them a commonground.”

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Douglas Gwynn, InterimProgram Director for theMorgan MILE

“The MILE brings peoplefrom all kinds of back-grounds together.”

— Taylor Graham, formerMorgan MILE participant

M A L E I N I T I A T I V E O N L E A D E R S H I P A N D E X C E L L E N C E


TThhee WWaarrrriioorr IInnssttiittuutteeWhile Dr. DeSousa was at SavannahState researching a project designed tosupport black boys — a program thatwould become the precursor to theMorgan MILE — Dr. Raymond Winbushwas 5,000 miles away in West Africa. Hiswork there was to research the PoroSociety, a secret society that has a 1,000-year-old tradition of “warriorizing” itsboys to prepare them for life in the bushand beyond.

Dr. Winbush thought this “warriorizing”was an ingenious strategy that could beutilized to stop young black men frombecoming “an endangered species” in theU.S. Later, back in the States, he decidedto write a book on the topic, which hetitled, “The Warrior Method: A Program forRearing Healthy Black Boys” (New York,Amistad/HarperCollins, 2001).

“…I prescribe a cultural vaccination forblack boys for the onslaught of society,”Dr. Winbush says, not to be warriors in aviolent sense but to practice the “warriormethod,” which is about preparing boysto be “cultural, economic, spiritual andpolitical leaders of the community.”

The book became a focus of his lecturesat Morgan’s Institute for Urban Research.One of the students inspired by this rad-ical method of rearing black boys wasKaren Banfield-Evans, who, unbeknownstto Dr. Winbush, was the aunt of actorJada Pinkett-Smith. Banfield-Evans toldher famous niece, who was then a newmom, about the widening appeal of “TheWarrior Method” in public schools andamong African-American families aroundthe nation, and Pinkett-Smith fell in lovewith the book, even telling friends, rela-tives and audiences about it.

“I was on a book tour with my secondbook, ‘Should America Pay? Slavery and theRaging Debate on Reparations’ (New York,Amistad/HarperCollins, 2003) and wasdoing a reading at Esowan Books, a blackbookstore in Los Angeles,” Dr. Winbushrelates. “Before the reading, I was flat-tered when the owner told me that theSmiths had come into his store and pur-chased books listed in the back of ‘TheWarrior Method’ that (I think) black par-ents and educators should read.”

When he returned from Los Angeles, Dr.Winbush saw Banfield-Evans, who con-firmed that she had told Mr. and Mrs.


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“…I prescribe a culturalvaccination for black boys forthe onslaught of society (to create) cultural, economic,spiritual and political leadersof the community.”— Dr. Raymond Winbush, Director of

The Warrior Institute at MSU

T H E W A R R I O R M E T H O D


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Smith about the book and that theywere indeed big fans.

In 2004, the Will & Jada Pinkett-SmithFamily Foundation donated $50,000to the Institute for Urban Research.This seed money helped establish TheWarrior Institute later that year. Theinstitute, now headquartered in Room216 of Morgan’s Montebello Complex,has catapulted Dr. Winbush, theMorgan State scholar-activist, to inter-national acclaim, with speakingengagements around the world forthose who want to know what “TheWarrior Method” is about.

Dr. Winbush says the method takescues from the African belief that ittakes a village, suffused with love andcommon sense, to raise a child. TheWarrior Method is a wholistic, African-centered curriculum that guidesyoung males through life’s maturityseasons: “spring” (birth–four years ofage), “summer” (ages five–12),“autumn” (ages 13–21) and “winter”(ages 22 and older). The method pro-motes total immersion in what it callsthe “Four C’s”: consciousness, com-mitment, cooperation and commu-

nity. For example, the curriculum callsfor the establishment of 10 principlesfor raising black boys, including theestablishment of “warrior circles.”Each circle is composed of seven setsof parents and their black male chil-dren. The parents monitor the boys’growth and development.

Students in The Warrior Institute haveshown promising growth. And sincethe success of “The Warrior Method,”Dr. Winbush has often been tapped asan expert on race, with appearanceson “The Oprah Winfrey Show” andother international programs. But heknows his work is far from done.

“…Right here in Baltimore, when 69percent of African-American malesdrop out of high school, and when Igo to middle schools and the kidsknow that the rapper 50 Cent’s realname is Curtis Jackson but don’t knowwho Malcolm X is, there still remainchallenges before us,” he says.

Dr. Winbush, Dr. DeSousa and Dou-glas Gwynn are anomalies in theworld of higher education. All areaccomplished black men who havefocused on running countercultureprograms to fight the high-schooldropout rates and change the behav-iors that have turned many urban highschools into gang factories. And theprograms of all three men havethrived — with help from the Univer-sity and from strong outside sup-porters such as the Pinkett-SmithFamily Foundation — despite a con-traction in federal financial aid forHBCUs.

The Morgan MILE program and TheWarrior Institute are now acceptingdonations and enlisting volunteersamong those interested in fighting fortheir cause, stopping the flood ofblack males falling through the cracksof our society. Call the University’sDivision of Institutional Advancementat (443) 885-3535 to find out how youcan be a part of this important move-ment for change. �

T H E W A R R I O R M E T H O D

The Institute for Urban Research (IUR) at Morgan is guided by a mandate to look at urban issues throughout Maryland. Many persistent and complex socialproblems, including injustice and poverty, affect the lives of people residing in cities. Research and advocacy, community workshops, lectures and a film seriesare some of the ways in which the IUR demonstrates its commitment to intervention and generating understanding.


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“I had always wanted toattend an HBCU (historicallyblack college or university)anyway,” says Miller, who isgraduating this fall with adegree in English. “My mominstilled in me the idea ofgiving back to the commu-nity, giving back to our own.But I really, really identifiedwith the students on ‘A Dif-ferent World.’“I just knew I was going to

be another Whitley,” Millersays, referring to one of theprincipal characters on theshow.In the idealized, fictional

campus on “A DifferentWorld,” HBCUs were nur-turing environments wherecaring faculty and staffinstilled in students anappreciation of their culture,their responsibility to theblack community and theimportance of their role asfuture leaders.Miller, 21, says she found

all of that on Morgan’s campus — and more.“The one thing that impresses me now was meeting so

many different kinds of black people; black people from allover the world with different histories; different tastes inthings like foods, clothes, music; different ways of thinkingand looking at things. Growing up in the suburbs, attendinga suburban high school, didn’t prepare me for the variety ofpeople I met here at Morgan,” says Miller, who grew up inOwings Mills, Md., a community north of Baltimore.Miller is the type of graduating student that universities

cherish: She’s bright and articulate and bound for biggerthings. She plans to apply to law schools this fall and is fairly

confident she has the grades andpreparation to get into the school ofher choice. Just as important fromMorgan’s point of view, Miller isenthusiastic about her college experi-ence and, as president of the Univer-sity’s Pre-Alumni Council, she’s eagerto talk about it.Year after year, Morgan produces

graduates such as Miller; yet yearafter year, the University finds itselffighting for survival, forced to justifyits mission and very existence.

UUnnsseeeenn SSuucccceessssIt sometimes seems to the Univer-

sity’s administrators that success sto-ries such as Tashawna Miller are invis-ible to the world at large.Morgan President Earl S.

Richardson, says he has seen “a risingtide” of negativity directed at HBCUsin recent months. It is fueled, he says,by ages-old prejudice and by thedetermination of historically whiteinstitutions to protect their turfagainst competition.“They seem to be reinterpreting the

intent of the civil rights movementand the laws that followed, suggesting that the goal was toeliminate black institutions rather than to enhance them tothe point of parity,” Dr. Richardson says. “It is not only verydisturbing; it could have profoundly tragic consequences forHBCUs and the students they serve.”The national furor was sparked in November by an

arguably offensive op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal byAbigail and Stephan Thernstrom that posited that blacksmay be happier on black campuses because there is less of amismatch between their lower abilities and the lower aca-demic standards of HBCUs. That argument was endorsed bya group of black conservatives and echoed in Maryland by a

IN HIGH SCHOOL, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SENIOR TASHAWNA MILLER GOT HER IMAGES OF WHATATTENDING A BLACK COLLEGE WOULD BE LIKE FROM “A DIFFERENT WORLD,” THE SITUATIONAL COMEDYABOUT LIFE ON A FICTITIOUS CAMPUS, WHICH RAN ON NBC FROM 1987 THROUGH 1993.

Continuing Significance of HBCUs

The ContinuingSignificance of HBCUsMorgan’s Deans Keep the Torch Lit for the Next Generation

By Wiley A. Hall 3rd

MSU senior, Tashawna Miller


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Baltimore Sun story in which academicsand politicians complained black col-leges have not been held accountablefor the higher failure rates of their stu-dents, despite a sizeable investment bythe state in their campuses in recentyears.Dr. Richardson says the critics deliber-

ately miscast the historic goal of thecivil rights movement — to remove thesocial, political and economic barriersthat denied equal opportunity for blacks— and the mission of HBCUs — to armblacks with the knowledge they need tosucceed in that quest.

RRiicchh HHiissttoorryyThe Higher Education Act of 1965

defined HBCUs as ”any historically blackcollege or university established before1964, whose primary mission was, andis, the education of black Americans.”Many were founded by newly freed

black men and women in the years afterthe Civil War, and most were founded inthe South, where the majority of blackslived at the time.There were 103 HBCUs in 2007,

according to the White House Initiativeon Historically Black Colleges and Uni-versities, including two- and four-yearcolleges, public and private. The tradeorganization for HBCUs, the NationalAssociation for Equal Opportunity inHigher Education, or NAFEO, lists 118members, including institutions in 25states, Washington, D.C., the VirginIslands and Brazil. The United NegroCollege Fund, perhaps best known forits motto, “A mind is a terrible thing towaste,” represents 39 private HBCUs.For most of their history, HBCUs pro-

duced the overwhelming majority of theeducated elite of black America. Eventoday, as HBCUs constitute only 3 per-

cent of American colleges and universi-ties, they are enrolling about 16 percentof black students, producing 30 percentof those with bachelor’s degrees andgraduating the majority of blackmaster’s and doctorate degree-holders.A recent study by the U.S. Department

of Education determined that HBCUsadded about $10.2 billion to thenational economy, including more than180,000 full- and part-time jobs. Somestudies suggest black graduates fromHBCUs have greater self-esteem and aremore likely to ascend to leadershippositions in their chosen fields.

MMoorrggaann’’ss MMiissssiioonnBut those successes tell only part of

the story, according to Morgan adminis-trators and professors. Founded 140years ago, primarily to train black menfor the ministry, Morgan today is opento the best and brightest students of allethnicities and those who are not eli-gible for a college education under tra-ditional standards. Morgan educatorsare particularly proud of their ability toreach out to students other institutionsreject.“We provide access and opportunity

for a population of studentsthat otherwise would nothave access and opportu-nity, and we turn them intosuccesses. That’s what wedo well. That’s what our his-tory has been,” says Mau-rice C. Taylor, J.D., Ph.D.,Interim Vice President forUniversity Operations. “Ourstudents rise up andbecome business leaders,doctors and lawyers.”Dr. Taylor notes that the

university suffers loss of

prestige for embracing this mission. Tra-ditionally, universities are esteemed fortheir selectivity. Morgan freshmenaverage a little more than 900 on theirSATs, more than 46 percent receive PellGrants, and about 90 percent are onsome form of financial aid.But in Dr. Taylor’s eyes, the loss of

prestige is a small price to pay, giventhe university’s mission.“There’s a difference between

choosing to serve others and havingothers serve you. HBCUs choose toserve,” Dr. Taylor says.Adds Patricia L. Welch, Ph.D., dean of

the School of Education and UrbanStudies, “Mainstream America just can’tunderstand how we do it. They can’tgrasp how we can take students withlow scores, who come from low-per-forming schools, and turn them aroundso that they come out and go to themost prestigious graduate institutionsin the country.”The focus on providing opportunity to

students with low scores and insuffi-cient funds leads some critics to com-plain that once proud institutions havebecome remedial schools, a perspectivethat makes Dr. Richardson bristle.

“The true measure ofan institution’s worth isnot what it takes in butwhat it produces,” hesays. “I would stack ourgraduates against thoseof any institutions inthe land.” �

“THE TRUE MEASURE OF AN INSTITUTION’SWORTH IS NOT WHAT IT TAKES IN BUT

WHAT IT PRODUCES.”— MSU President Dr. Earl S. Richardson

Maurice C. Taylor, J.D.,Ph.D., Interim Vice Presidentfor University Operations

LEADERSHIP:M O R G A N M A G A Z I N E

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“We are able toteach a body ofknowledge that isstandard, but teachit in an environ-ment that is openand honest forpeople of color.”— Dean Patricia

Welch, Ph.D,School of Edu-cation andUrban Studies

“Most other institutionsare very much about pro-ducing star architects,people who design fortheir reputations. AtMorgan, we emphasizesocial responsibility. Weare addressing the needsof people who are oftenleft out and ignored in thedesign process.”— Dean Mary Anne Akers,

Ph.D, School of Archi-tecture and Planning

Morgan’s Deans Speak Out

“Maryland’s history demonstrates that equal footingbetween historically black institutions and traditionallywhite institutions is not an objective. Morgan’s publichealth program has existed for 10 years and has gradu-ated 26 persons with doctoral degrees, thus far. It hasnot received a penny of state funding. The University ofMaryland at Baltimore received $2 million to develop acompeting program prior to enrolling a single student.”— Dean Allan Noonan, M.D., Ph.D, School of Commu-

nity Health and Policy

"In many ways, Morgan is the miracle atCold Spring, particularly in the transforma-tion it has made in the personal and pro-fessional lives of its graduate students."— Maurice C. Taylor, J.D., Ph.D, Interim

Vice President, University Operationsand Former Dean, School of GraduateStudies

Maurice C. Taylor, J.D., Ph.D.

Mary Anne Akers, Ph.D.Allan Noonan, M.D., Ph.D.

Patricia Welch, Ph.D.

Continuing Significance of HBCUs


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“The role of HBCUs really hasn’tchanged that much since the daysof segregation. We provide a sensi-tivity and nurturing that AfricanAmericans may not be getting fromother institutions, including theexperience to develop the leader-ship skills that are essential in thebusiness world. We understand thebackground of our students, andwe know enough to fill in the gapswhere needed.”— Dean Otis M. Thomas, Ph.D,

School of Business and Management

“From the standpoint of theproduction of adequate num-bers of African Americans inthe very important field ofengineering, HBCUs are anational treasure. If left toother institutions — whether itis by geography, mission, andcertainly by history — therewould be a serious deficit ofAfrican Americans in a profes-sion that’s at the very core ofour technologically basedsociety.” — Dean Eugene M. DeLoatch,

Ph.D, School of Engineering

“The liberal arts remain thecenterpiece of collegiate training,and it has been the centerpieceof the curriculum at Morgan StateUniversity for nearly a century.Since its foundation was laid inthe 1920s, under the leadershipof President John Oakley Spencerand with the approval of theMiddle State Association of Col-leges and Universities, which firstaccredited Morgan then, the lib-eral arts foundation at Morgan hasbeen one of its salient character-istics and values.” — Dean Burney Hollis, Ph.D,

School of Liberal Arts

”Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have had tremendoussuccess in the education of underrepresented minorities in the U.S., despite along and storied history of being underfunded, undervalued and underrated.Despite successes in education and training, HBCUs are often unfairly com-pared with majority institutions, which have largely denied access to individ-uals from the underserved urban sector of society, even though, in many cases,those same majority schools have received significant funding to addressdiversity or minority training.”

“HBCUs must continue to strive forimprovement and advancement even inspite of the grim economic outlook andgeneral lack of support. While being cog-nizant of their rich history, mission andtraditions, as well as their proud accom-plishments to date, these institutionsshould also recognize that resting ontheir laurels will not assure they will beperceived as comparable and competi-tive with white majority institutions.Despite obvious successes, HBCUs mustcontinue to find creative ways to dis-courage complacency, while promotingprogress on all levels to ensure a sus-tainable future.”

— Dean Joseph A. Whittaker, Ph.D,School of Computer, Mathematicaland Natural Sciences

Mary Anne Akers, Ph.D.

Eugene M. DeLoatch, Ph.D.

Joseph A.Whittaker,Ph.D.

Otis M.Thomas,Ph.D.

Burney Hollis, Ph.D.

A Great Day for GolfMSU’s Annual Tournament Raises Money for Scholarships By Eric Addison


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A May 12 thunderstormmeant a change of plans for theorganizers of Morgan State Uni-versity’s 19th Annual Golf Tour-nament, but the event’s deeproots helped ensure its successin June.

“A beautiful day,” reports JoeMcIver, assistant director ofExternal Operations for MSU’sAthletic Department. “We had afull course.”

The tournament, on June 10,brought 132 golfers to TurfValley Resort and ConferenceCenter in Ellicott City, Md., to enjoythe games, luncheon and prizes. Theannual event is a fundraiser put on bythe MSU Foundation to benefitMorgan’s athletic scholarship fund.

Among those on the course thisyear were Dallas R. Evans, chair ofMSU’s Board of Regents; MarylandState Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, MSU ’73and ’77; Maryland State DelegateNathaniel T. Oaks, MSU ’74; MSUHead Football Coach Donald Hill-Eley; MSU Head Basketball CoachTodd Bozeman; and surgeon MilesHarrison Jr., M.D., MSU ’76, author ofthe book “Ten Bears.” Past attendeeshave included Maryland Governorand former Baltimore City MayorMartin O’Malley; former MarylandGov. Robert Ehrlich and former Mary-land Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.

For the sixth year running, threelocal golf pros — Rodney “Binx” Watts(MSU ’67), Al Wilson (MSU ’70) and

Tim McCready, who attended Morganfor three years — lent their expertiseand energy to help make the tourna-ment a success. This year, the three— who won Morgan’s only CIAA GolfTournament in 1967 — introduced agolf clinic for new golfers at the tournament.

McIver says the organizers expectthe tournament to raise more moneythis year than it did in the last twoyears, combined.

“Mary Robinson, the former directorof development, brought this eventto Morgan State 19 years ago,” McIverrelates. “We honored her at the tour-nament this year. She’s no longer withus, but her husband and her grand-daughter were there.”

Two other members of Morgan’sextended family, Herb Brown andChuck Thomas, have played impor-tant roles in the event, as well, McIversays.

“This tournament is actu-ally 33 years old. It was HerbBrown’s tournament that Ms.Robinson brought toMorgan,” McIver explains.“He gave it to Morgan soMorgan could have afundraiser…. Chuck Thomaswas our original golf pro. Hedoes the scoring, and a lot ofthe work of putting the tour-nament together.”

Neither Brown nor Thomasis a Morgan alum, “but theyhave been involved with the

tournament from the beginning,McIver says. “Mr. Nicholas Mangione,who is the owner of Turf Valley, hasalso been a tremendous resource forthe University.”

Sponsors of the tournament thisyear included C.B. Richard Ellis, TurfValley Resort and Conference Center,UPS, PepsiCo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car,Grant Capital Management, CareFirstBlueCross BlueShield, Harbor Bank ofMaryland, Frederick P. Winner Ltd.and Paniaguas Management. �

“IT’S JUST BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE. THIS TOURNAMENT IS GROWING EVERY YEARAND IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.”

— Joe McIver, MSU Athletic Department

Tim McCready Rodney “Binx” Watts Al Wilson


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Risk management is a field that traditionally has seen fewpeople of color and, until recently, has remained ratherobscure and inaccessible as a career option in mostminority communities. Working together, Morgan State Uni-versity and Travelers insurance company of Saint Paul,Minn., are helping to change that situation.

“Statistically, minorities usually end upas either risk factors or victims but areseldom seen as professionals analyzingdata and facts for key decision-making inrisk management firms,” says Joseph A.Whittaker, Ph.D., dean of Morgan’sSchool of Computer, Mathematical andNatural Sciences (SCMNS). “Our goal isto increase the number of minority pro-fessionals in the actuarial sciences with

the Travelers Education Access Initiative.”

By building a pipeline to universities including Morgan, theTravelers Education Access Initiative (TEAI) is supportingcommunity- and school-based efforts to help studentsprogress from middle school to rigorous high school cur-ricula that will prepare them to enter college and competeon an equal level with their peers. Once enrolled in college,the students benefit from a broad range of supportive serv-ices, including scholarships provided by Travelers.

Morgan is one of 113 universities in the U.S. that offer actu-arial science as an undergraduate concentration. As part ofits Actuarial Science Program, the SCMNS offers instruction

in risk management. Through the Morgan-Travelers partner-ship, SCMNS and TEAI officials believe they can boost thesuccess rate of Morgan students in this expanding field.

“Underrepresented college students face a unique set ofobstacles that can interfere with their ability to completetheir course work,” says Marlene Ibsen, vice president ofcommunity relations for Travelers. “Research shows thesestudents are much more likely to achieve success if theyhave a broad range of supportive programs available. Trav-elers believes that TEAI provides the comprehensiveapproach that will be the formula for success for studentswho may not have a traditional support system.”

Actuaries are in great demand, but their careers aredemanding, explains Nicassia Williams, director of the Actu-arial Science Program at MSU.

“Actuaries not only have to foresee risk, they also have toassess it, as is the case with the occurrence of natural disas-ters such as Katrina,” says Williams. “An actuary uses his orher knowledge of statistics, finance and business to mini-mize risk for companies and financial institutions. Themajority of actuaries are found in the insurance industrybecause that industry is our society’s biggest tool to mon-itor risk.”

“We selected Morgan State as a TEAI partner because Trav-elers has an opportunity to positively impact the lives ofstudents here in a way that aligns with our business goals,”says Ibsen. �

By Ferdinand Mehlinger

Morgan-Travelers Partnership

“We have now attracted the interest of businessmajors entering the program, which has createdmore diversity in the classroom.”— NicassiaWilliams, Director, MSU Actuarial Science Program

TEAI/MSU sponsored students: (left to right) Jessica Robinson of Westhampton, N.J.;

Tiara Colbert of Annapolis, Md.; and Grace Nyambura of Baltimore, Md.

Creates New Scholarship Opportunities

Joseph A. Whittaker,Ph.D.

18M O R G A N M A G A Z I N E

V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 8

Artist Robert Reed

E P O C HThe Legacy & Influence of Six Morgan Alumni

Artists’ Homecoming


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The exhibition, presented byMorgan’s James E. Lewis Museum ofArt and members of the Pierians, Inc.,Baltimore Chapter, featured the cre-ative gifts of Dr. Randall J. Craig Sr., ’55;Reva Goodwin Lewie, ’56; Robert Reed,’58; Virginia Evans Smit, ’58; LawrenceSykes, ’55; and Jack White, ’58.

Over the years, as they have trav-eled, found parallel interests or hadtheir work shown in major collections,these artists have found ways to main-tain the common thread betweenthem, continuing to make art andexplore and grow in their creations.

Continued on page 20

SIX OF THE EARLIEST GRADUATES OF MORGAN’S FINEARTS DEPARTMENT RETURNED TO THE UNIVERSITY INFEBRUARY, EXCITED AND HONORED TO SHOW THEIRNEWEST WORK, ALONG WITH A FEW OLDER PIECES, ATTHE OPENING RECEPTION OF “EPOCH: THE LEGACY &INFLUENCE OF SIX MORGAN ALUMNI.”

EPOCH: The Legacy & Influence of Six Morgan Alumni featured the work of (l-r) Jack White, ‘58;Robert Reed, ‘58; Virginia Evans Smit, ‘58; Dr. Randall J. Craig Sr., ‘55; Reva Goodwin Lewie, ‘56;and Lawrence Sykes, ‘55.

The EPOCHExhibitionDisplays MSUAlumni TalentBy Jannette J. Witmyer

Professor James E. Lewis (Aug. 1, 1923 – Aug. 8, 1997)

Professor James E. Lewis was a Henry O. Tanner Scholar Emeritus at Morgan State University andformer director of the museum that now bears his name. He gained international renown for his workas a sculptor, archeologist and art historian. His untiring devotion to the museum has helped it gaininternational prominence and a permanent place as a Baltimore art institution.

RReevvaa GGooooddwwiinn LLeewwiiee ((’’5566))“We had sculpture

on the lower floor,and at the sametime, the musicpeople had singing.So, we were banging,and they were

singing,” Reva Lewie says laughingly, asshe describes working in tight quartersas a student in Morgan’s then newlydeveloping art department. “That wasin 1953, and the campus, of course, wasnothing like it is today.” “(Professor Charles) Stallings and

(Morgan museum and art departmentfounder) James Lewis really had animpact on my career and, I think, on allof the students’ careers,” says Lewie,who went on to earn a master’s degreeat New York University, return to Balti-more and become an educator. “JamesLewis was way ahead of his time. Hewas an excellent sculptor, and heinspired his students.” “When I retired from teaching, I built

a studio onto my home,” says the 1988National Education AssociationTeacher of the Year. “So, I’m able towork there. I like color and have beenworking with glass — sort of a mosaic-type thing where I take small pieces ofstained glass and work them intoabstract expressionist creations.”“I always exhibited some but never

really marketed my work. I did it morefor the joy of doing it,” she says. “Workhas sold by word of mouth, one persontelling another.”

VViirrggiinniiaa EEvvaannss SSmmiitt ((’’5588))“…There was this new

guy, Alberto Sangiamo,”Virginia Evans Smit recallsfrom her days as a studentat Morgan. “Mr. Lewis hadhired him from Yale. San-giamo had just gotten his

master’s, and he was new to teaching. He, inessence, gave us everything he had learned atYale, which was wonderful.” Evans Smit credits Sangiamo’s teachings

with preparing her to compete in the masterof fine arts program at the University of Penn-sylvania, where many of the other studentshad attended other Ivy League schools.“As far as painting, which was my major

there, I never felt inadequate in any way. Inever felt that I had missed something, and Iparticipated in the art shows at the univer-sity,” she relates. “One year, I won a first prize.The second year, I won the Thornton OakleyMedal for Achievement in Creative Art. So, Ifelt that my background at Morgan had servedme well.”After she completed her M.F.A., her plans to

teach on the college level were placed onhold when she married and moved to NewYork. She started print-making when she waspregnant with her first child. “To this day, I’m still pretty much a print-

maker, although a lot of my work has a ‘paint-edly’ quality to it. And, now, I do all kinds ofprints, not just woodcuts,” she says.“At this point in my life, I’m just enjoying

making art,” says Evans Smit, who is nowretired and spends five months a year in Bar-bados. “And, I am enjoying showing the stuff.”

RRoobbeerrtt RReeeedd ((’’5588))Robert Reed was

16 when he arrived atMorgan to studyunder Alberto San-giamo and JamesLewis. After gradu-ating, Reed con-

tinued his studies at the Yale School ofArt and received an additional bach-elor’s and a master’s in fine arts. Inlater years, his solo exhibitionsincluded shows at the Whitney andBayly Museums, the Washburn in NewYork and the McIntosh in Atlanta. Hiswork also became part of permanentcollections across the country,including the Hirshhorn, the Walkerand the Whitney.Reed’s portraits are distinct in their

geometric themes. His art is a study oftones and shapes that investigate theenergy and optical effects of form.Through paint, the artist creates com-plex canvases with layered textures thatadd to the portrait’s three-dimension-ality. Ideograms are visual documentsabout the artist’s past and the tech-niques he uses to move from past tofuture to present. This suggests, as withDr. Randall Craig, that Reed’s work is ajournal of memory, real and contrived.


V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 820


LLaawwrreennccee SSyykkeess ((’’5555))“You’re talking about a

kid coming out of theeast side of Baltimore,out of a non-art-special-ization program, comingto Morgan in 1950,” saysLawrence Sykes.

After pursuing other interests, and withonly three semesters to complete, Sykescommitted fully to Morgan’s Art Educationprogram, with the intention of getting intoa good graduate school. He set his sightson the Pratt Institute in New York and wasaccepted. He gives Morgan credit for get-ting him there.In grad school, Sykes began to freelance,

designing posters and drawing editorialcartoons for the NAACP. Then, in the late’60s, after completing grad school,teaching junior high in New York anddirecting Morgan’s Carl J. Murphy Fine ArtsCenter, he accepted a position at RhodeIsland College, where he started and devel-oped a photography program. “It gave me a new position and a new

outlook,” he says. “I started to have moretime to put my skills together, to paint andto do my political cartooning, my illustra-tions and book covers and so on.… I keptrunning into black artists and Africanartists and African writers and poets. Andthey were the people who kept mejumping, with their book jackets and thingsfor their books of poetry, using my art inthat way.”Through the ’70s, Sykes, who has always

been drawn to Africa, saw as much of thecontinent as he could. The influence isapparent in his work today. He spendsmuch of his time now doing artwork in hisbasement studio and exhibiting at a galleryin Providence, R.I.

JJaacckk WWhhiittee ((’’5588))When he arrived at

Morgan, an Air Forceveteran who had neverstudied art in schooland had not been in aformal classroom infour years, Jack White

began to wonder whether he had made ahuge mistake. He was now in class withpeople who had studied high school art.His concerns were short-lived.“I could always draw, and that was my

strong point,” he says. “When I got inthose drawing classes and those instruc-tors saw how I could handle a line, I raiseda few eyebrows right off the bat. In mysophomore year, I got the President’s Pur-chase Award. Dr. Martin Jenkins, who was(Morgan) president then, purchased oneof my drawings for his offices. That mademy year. And from that point on, I knewthat I could hang with these guys. I had noexperience, but I just had this raw talent.”However, he says, “No matter how much

talent you’ve got, it’s the drive that youhave to go with it that really makes theday.”So, after he completed his studies at

Morgan, during his time teaching juniorhigh school in Rome, N.Y., and during hisstudies at Syracuse University, he con-tinued to make art and grow as an artist.Right now, White’s work deals with hisAfrican heritage. “I always tell people that art makes art.

The more art I make, the more creative Ibecome and the more new stuff comesinto my mind,” he says. “I have one maininspiration: that’s my ability to use myancestors as fodder.”

DDrr.. RRaannddaallll JJ.. CCrraaiigg SSrr.. ((’’5555))In looking at the

figural work of Dr.Randall Craig,sculptor, one seessubtle influencesof James Lewis, theartist and teacher.

Craig’s “Professor James E. Lewis,” abust of resin that stands at morethan two feet, most resembles thetechnique of the artist’s formermentor. The likeness in styles andtechnique is part of Craig’s homageto his professor.Dr. Craig retired as professor and

coordinator of Arts Education at theUniversity of Maryland, College Park.A Baltimore native, Dr. Craig receivedhis master’s in painting and sculpturefrom the Tyler School of Art atTemple University and his doctoratein arts education from the Universityof Maryland. He completed addi-tional studies in African art, musicand literature at the University ofGhana and has taught at MorganState and Rutgers Universities.Dr. Craig’s work captures the man-

nerisms of personalities at their mosthuman and bare. This vulnerabilityreveals a strength through humility.�


V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 821

As a student in what she jokingly calls “theDark Ages of the ’60s,” Karen Robertson,’66, often had to do research in dungeon-like libraries, without much help from thestaff. So, in her own career as a referencelibrarian, and as Morgan State University’slibrary director since 1982, she has madehelpfulness toward clientele a top priority.And when patrons of MSU's Soper Librarywere asked for their comments about thebuilding, during the early planning for anew library facility, in 2001, she had a goodidea of what they would say.

“…In the beginning stages of the design ofthe new facility, we did what the architectsrefer to as a brown paper charrette,”Robertson relates. “In the main lobby of theold building we put up boards with piecesof brown paper and pictures of differentlibraries, different settings, interiors, exte-riors, to stimulate some interest and com-ments. The No. 1 comment we received:‘old library too dark, too dull.’

“That’s why you see in the new building alot of glass, a lot of openness, a lot of nat-ural light coming in,” she says.

And, a lot of space. The new Morgan StateUniversity Library, which opened on Feb.26, has four stories and 212,997 square feet,more than twice the square footage ofSoper, which stands next door awaiting ren-ovation as Morgan’s student support serv-ices building.

Among the many notable features withinthat new space:

• Showcases for themed exhibits

• Multimedia and audiovisual capabili-ties in meeting and study rooms

• The Beulah M. Davis Special Collec-tions Room for African-Americanbooks, manuscripts, artifacts and “Morganianna”

• The Benjamin A. Quarles Room forseminars and meetings

• The Parren J. Mitchell Room for meetings

• Study space for visiting and emeriti faculty

• An environmentally friendly “greenroof”

The book collection was in place at the newfacility on opening day, and the move to thenew Morgan State University Library is nowessentially complete, Robertson says.

Brighter,Better

The New MSULibrary

By Eric Addison


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V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 823

Her top priority after the move, Robertsonsays, was “to see that our major serviceswere all functioning. The computer labs forstudents were set up by September, and weare now completing installation of thepublic computers, which is a major priority.We are also working on the assignmentsfor the graduate/faculty study rooms. We’recreating a committee of graduate studentsand faculty to determine a method forhaving those rooms assigned and todevelop policies and procedures for theiruse.”

“The building has been well-received byusers,” Robertson reports. “They think it’s‘beautiful,’ ‘gorgeous,’ ‘so nice.’… The totalambience and feel of the new building isbetter,” she agrees.

The new, larger facility will need “decidedlymore staff,” including librarians and secu-rity personnel, Robertson says, to fulfill thelibrary’s broad mission.

“The library endeavors to support theresearch activities of all of Morgan’s degreeprograms,” the director says, “as well ascommunity service efforts and recreationalreading for the greater community.” �

“That’s why you see in thenew building a lot of glass,a lot of openness, a lot ofnatural light coming in.” — Karen A. Robertson, MSU Library Director

Morgan Professors Win Boeing Fellowships

Thanks to The Boeing Company, andMorgan State University’s constantdrive to improve educational oppor-tunities for its students and faculty,two professors of Morgan’s School ofEngineering spent eight weeks thissummer exchanging knowledge withsome of the best engineers, technol-ogists and corporate professionals inthe world, in Boeing’s Welliver Fac-ulty Fellowship Program.

S. Keith Hargrove, Ph.D., who ischair and associate professor ofIndustrial Engineering at MSU, andJumoke (“Kemi”) Ladeji-Osias, Ph.D.,assistant professor of Electrical andComputer Engineering at the Univer-sity, were among 10 engineering edu-cators from the U.S. and India whobecame Welliver Fellows this year.Professors in the Welliver programlook over the shoulders of Boeingemployees at various company loca-tions to learn from them. They alsocontribute to the company byworking on projects and suggestinghow Boeing can make improvements.

The prestigious, annual program hasas its goal to give academicians “anunderstanding of Boeing’s business,including its research needs, with animproved understanding of the prac-tical application of technical andbusiness skills,” the company says.The program is also designed to givethe professors “a network of contactswithin Boeing and among their fac-ulty peers that can form the basis oflong-term relationships.”

“This is a highly selective program….Boeing believes it’s important tomake this strategic investmentbecause these professors are edu-cating our future employees,” saysTrina Medley of Boeing UniversityRelations. “We’re giving theseselected professors access to ourtechnical and business programswith the intention of helping themeducate students, giving (the stu-dents) the skills they need to be suc-cessful in careers in engineering,business, manufacturing and technology.”

By Eric Addison

“I think (the Welliver program) is excellent.It…allows faculty to get industry experi-ence but also learn about business andengineering pratices.”

— Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, MSU School of Engineering

The Welliver Program

THE BOE ING COMPANY & MORGAN STATE UN I VERS I T YS. Keith Hargrove, Ph.D.


V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 824

“I’m very excited to be here,” said Dr. Ladeji-Osias, on thephone at Boeing’s Commercial Airlines Division in Seattle,Wash., during the first week of the fellowship. “I’m getting tosee so much about Boeing and the way they do business.And I’m getting to meet many managers and engineers….I’ll be learning about Boeing’s expectations of recent collegegrads, and I’ll be able to take real-world examples back tothe classroom, including realistic projects for my students.

“I expect to make some contacts during the program soMorgan graduate students can get internships and the Uni-versity will have research and funding opportunities in thefuture,” she continued. “I’ve been assigned a project to workon that will allow me to interact with the nine other faculty

members in the program.”

“I think (the Welliver pro-gram) is excellent,” saidDr. Hargrove. “It is prob-ably one of, if not the onlyprogram that has a struc-tured format that allowsfaculty to get industryexperience but also learnabout business and engi-neering practices. I’m justelated that a program likethis exists.

“This is an excellent initiative that Morgan is doing to pro-mote professional development for its faculty,” he added,“and it should encourage other faculty to do the same toenhance classroom learning and their research.” �

AAbboovvee:: (left, standing) Boeing program manager Trina Medley, Dr.Howard G. Pearlman of Drexel University; (back row, left to right)Dr. S. Keith Hargrove of Morgan State University, Dr. RaúlOrdóñez of the University of Dayton, Dr. Ruth C. King of the Uni-versity of North Carolina–Greensboro, Boeing mentor Bill Black;(second row, left to right) Dr. Cheryl L. Allen of Morehouse Col-lege, Masoud Rais-Rohani of Mississippi State University, Dr. Ik-Whan G. Kwon of St. Louis University; (seated, left to right) Dr.Jumoke “Kemi” Ladeji-Osias of Morgan State University, PremKumar Kalra of the Indian Institute of Technology and Dr. SheraliZeadally of the University of the District of Columbia

THE BOE ING COMPANY & MORGAN STATE UN I VERS I TY

MSU's S. Keith Hargrove,Ph.D. and Jumoke Ladeji-Osias, Ph.D., with otherWelliver Fellows atBoeing’s CommercialAirlines Division inSeattle, Wash.

Dr. Jumoke Ladeji-Osias

(l–r) Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch, Dean of MSU'sSchool of Engineering, with Welliver Fellows Dr.S. Keith Hargrove and Dr. Jumoke Ladeji-Osias


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By Atraue Brown

On Nov. 4, 2008, I wasmore than elated to hearthe announcement thatSen. Barack Obama waspresident-elect of theUnited States. In my dormroom, barely holding mycomposure, I watchedMSNBC in shock. It wasfinally over! The anticipa-tion about our next presi-dent had finally come toan end. Moments later,students ran through the

hallways of Morgan View shouting, “Victory!” Step-ping outside, I ran into one of the most positive cele-brations I have ever experienced.

I ran through the courtyard into Holmes Hall,joining the other students who were dancing to thesound of their own cheers: “O-bama, O-bama.” It wasnot quite midnight, but to us, a new day had alreadydawned. As we charged onto the main campus andstood in front of the statue of Frederick Douglass,many of us screamed, “Our president is black!” Thepolice showed up for crowd control, but they soon

MORGAN STUDENTS SEE DAWN OF A NEW DAY

Obama’08


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MSU Class of 2010Telecommunications MajorChicago, Ill.

learned they weren’t needed. It was a peaceful rally. Theyunderstood our exuberance and allowed us to continue.

Before the likeness of Frederick Douglass — which waswearing an Obama T-shirt by then — it was as if I couldfeel my ancestors’ many years of struggle and oppression.I recalled the March on Washington, when our peopledemonstrated for human rights and economic opportu-nity. And now this! I cried inside and shouted “Thankyou!” Thank you to every Martin Luther King Jr., everyZora Neale Hurston, every James Brown and every BenCarson who came before us, because through them, atthat moment, I understood what it meant for this day tofinally come. For students, the triumph of Sen. BarackObama over Sen. John McCain signified a change inAmerica. Many of us had voted for the first time in thiselection, so we felt at one with Obama’s victory and hisplace in history.

The next day, I found the atmosphere was still chargedwith excitement and deep reflection. I talked with myfriend Ashley Bunn, president of the Political ScienceAssociation at Morgan. Still overflowing with emotion, shewas able to put it all into perspective.

“Obama is an incredible candidate who has set out tohelp all types of Americans,” she said, “and I genuinelybelieve that Obama can help to change America.”

By Marvin Desmond Carr

“Fair Morgan, we love thee!”This has never been more trueto me than since Election Night2008. That night, as I walked tomy dormitory, I began to hearscreaming and yelling. When Iwalked into my room andturned to Fox News, the tickerread, “Obama Makes History!” Icould not contain the emotionsthat followed.

The loud voices moved out-side into the courtyard, whereabout 200 upperclassmen had

gathered. People — black and white, students and evenpolice officers — were crying and hugging each other. Forthat brief moment, we were all one.

The crowd migrated toward Holmes Hall, and I could notbelieve what was before my eyes. There were at least 400Morgan students crying, laughing and shouting at the top oftheir lungs, ”Obama…Obama…Obama.” I watched as stu-dents circled around the statue of Frederick Douglass

singing songs of joy, such as “We Shall Overcome” and “LiftEvery Voice and Sing.” Soon, more students began to showup, as the underclassmen filed in from South Campustoward the Morgan Commons. In a matter of minutes, thecampus burst open, as the students began to pour into thestreets. There were so many Morganites there that thepolice officers decided to shut Cold Spring Lane and allowus to celebrate. Young people were chanting and, yes,dancing at 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane until 2:00 a.m. I will

MORGAN STUDENTS SEE DAWN OF A NEW DAY

never forget how almost 700 black students cametogether to show their support for our nation’s first blackpresident, and that no one was hurt. There were nofights, no arguing, no agitation by police or Universityadministrators. There was only celebration.

After months of attacks on Morgan State Universityfrom mainstream media in Baltimore, being associatedwith and defending my school had been tough. Againand again, reporters had asked whether there was aneed for “black schools.” But on Election Night, all Icould think was, “This is why I came to an HBCU.” Thenext time the Baltimore Sun or state leaders ask about theneed for HBCUs, the answer should not be “BarackObama.” The answer should be the young people towhom Morgan State University has given chances whenno other institution would. The answer should be theDanielle Bartons, Marcus Neal-Wattses and Tie-Shé Mor-gans, students who have all sworn unswerving fidelity totheir “Fair Morgan.”

This night reminded me of the old Morgan that alumnialways tell me about, a Morgan where the student bodywas politically active and socially aware. On that warm

fall night, there were no “gangsters,” no scholars, noKappas or Deltas. No one felt that he was too cool or tooimportant to hug someone else.

I paused to take in the moment and was overwhelmed.There were so many universities I could have attended,but I chose a black school, an institution built by thosewho struggled and maintained for the sake of those likeme, who dream. God bless our president, God bless FairMorgan, and God bless the U.S.A.

Obama ... Obama ... Obama ...


V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 827

MSU Class of 2009Civil Engineering MajorBrooklyn, N.Y.

When Mark Branch was five years old, he broke a magnetand made a startling discovery: Opposite ends attract eachother. He fell in love with science.

Five years later, he was lying on the back seat of hismother’s car when he heard a song called “Rapper’s Delight”playing on the radio. He fell in love with hip hop.

The two loves he found early in lifehave led to two parallel universes forBranch, a 1991 physics graduate ofMorgan State University. He seems anenigma: the aerospace engineer andtechnical lead of NASA Goddard SpaceFlight Center’s Electromagnetic TestEngineering Group, who works on theHubble Space Telescope by day and asa Washington, D.C., hip hop DJ by night.But Branch says his dual acts are amatch so natural that he goes by thename “DJ Scientific” (a.k.a., “Markie B”). Recently, a thirdrole has emerged for him: media darling. He has been fea-tured in The Washington Post and on ABC’s “World News” and“Good Morning America” programs. He is also working onadding music producer to his list of identities.

As an engineer, Branch tests satellites and ensures their performance.

“Every satellite that comes to Goddard and gets built therecomes through my area,” he says.

His passion for his day and night jobs is matched by his pas-sion for mentoring. As he talks with youngsters at NASA andelsewhere, Branch often uses his hip hop life to draw themin and sneaks in a science lesson.

“I use hip hop as a conduit to reach them,” he says. “Talkingabout it brings me to their level and bridges a gap.” The

kids often wonder how he can answer theirquestions so well “as a real hip hop head,”Branch says. “What do you do at NASAagain?” they ask.

But science and hip hop aren’t the onlylessons Branch doles out. He also focusesyoung people on the value of education,telling them how, during his freshman yearat Morgan, he almost lost his scholarshipand flunked out of school because he wasDJ’ing too many parties. One thoughtscared him straight: facing his mother. So

he packed up his turntables for the next four years so hecould focus on school.

In his opinion, this is the lesson today’s kids really need tolearn: “I tell kids not to be afraid to be smart, because a lotof them get ridiculed for that,” says the man who wants toinspire the next generation of space explorers.

“I tell them that you can be smart and you can have thebest of both worlds.” �

NASA Engineer, Hip Hop DJMark Branch, ’91


V O L U M E I I 2 0 0 828

“I TELL KIDS NOTTO BE AFRAID TO BESMART, BECAUSE ALOT OF THEM GETRIDICULED FOR

THAT.”— Mark Branch, "DJ Scientific"

By Christina Royster-Hemby, ’93

Morgan physics grad enjoys ‘the best of both worlds’

President Bush recently signed the $700-billion economic bailout bill(H.R. 1424, The Financial Rescue Package), which includes a two-yearextension of the IRA Rollover provision.

The provision will be made retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008 and will apply togifts made from that date through Dec. 31, 2009. It exempts from taxableincome any funds transferred (“rolled over”) from an Individual Retire-ment Account (IRA) to a charitable organization. The following limita-tions apply:

• The donor must be age 70-1/2 or older.• The cap on annual IRA rollovers is $100,000.• The contribution must be a direct gift to a charity (no planned gifts).

IRA Rollover ExtendedThe provision, now extended, had expired at theend of 2007, and one of the fundraising industry’schief legislative goals has been to reinstate theprovision and make it permanent.

Several of our alumni took advantage of this char-itable option in 2007 and contributed to theMorgan State University Foundation.

For more information about this giving vehicle,please contact: Mrs. Erica Cryor, Director of Development, at(443) 885-3040 or [email protected].

giving

cover

ALUMNI DAY69th Annual Alumni Awards

and Class Reunion Luncheon

Friday, May 15, 2009All Classes Ending In “4” & “9”

“It’s all about the journey, and thefriends you make along the way.”

MSU National Alumni AssociationAlumni House, Morgan State University

1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251 443-885-3015

A higher goal. A better life. A gift of a lifetime.

g i v e o n - l i n e a t w w w . g i v e t o m o r g a n . c o m o r c a l l 4 4 3 - 8 8 5 - 3 0 4 0

Many deserving students want to continue an education at Morgan butremain financially challenged to complete their degree. With the help ofdonors like you, the dream of a better life can become an achievablegoal and a reality. Thank you for helping a deserving student receivea Morgan degree.

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #4995Baltimore, MD

1700 E. Cold Spring LaneBaltimore, MD 21251

Office of Public RelationsTruth Hall #109

443-885-3022 www.morgan.edu

Morgan Magazine 2008 Issue Vol. II

Documents

Transcript of Morgan Magazine 2008 Issue Vol. II