Inside…

• 01Front Page
• 02Student Spotlight
• 03Faculty Q&A
• 04Featured Organization
• 05Major / Minor News
• 06Hot Events!

major/minor news

What's Happening in Your Department?

School of Business

In a recent report, Dr. Sid H. Credle, dean of the HU School of Business, along with Dr. Sharad Maheshwari, associate professor and Janelle Pridgen-Davenport, instructor, raised questions about the traditional methodology of the existing college rankings. The results of the report found that the best method to rank colleges and universities was to base the ranking on influential alumni.

According to the research, 38 percent of the 411 influential African Americans on the list attended a HBCU. Howard University and Morehouse College were the top schools represented. Harvard was next on the list.

College of Education and Continuing Studies

Hampton University's College of Education and Continuing Studies has been named the state site for the Virginia Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). Sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington, D.C., the program is a 10-month professional development program for emerging leaders in education and related fields. The goal for Virginia's EPFP is to develop strategic, executive leaders in public and private organizations who have the capacity to create and implement sound public policy to improve educational outcomes for children, youth and adults.

"This program is to help train and advance individuals into key roles," stated Dr. Cassandra Herring, dean of the College of Education and Continuing Studies. "These really are the people that will shape education policy."

Virginia's EPFP is one of 19 sites across the United States. Dr. Maurice Berube, eminent scholar emeritus of educational leadership and counseling for Old Dominion University, is the site's coordinator.

Fellows include mid-career professionals with experience or interest in education or educational policy. They will remain in their full-time positions and will use their work environments as the context for examining important leadership and policy issues both in Virginia and at the national level. To learn more, visit www.virginiaEPFP.org

School of Engineering and Technology

Department of Architecture

Hampton University architecture students take their studies abroad every year to meet the requirements of their curriculum. This year, students had an opportunity to choose between Italy and Panama. Seventeen students accompanied Shannon Chance, assistant professor, to Italy while another 20 went to Panama with assistant professor David Peronnet.

While in Panama, students observed older cities that had developed with little Western influence and others that were highly influenced by Western culture. In Panama City, the group observed major condominium developments and met with a major developer who is currently working in a suburban city.

School of Liberal Arts

Department of Fine and Performing Arts

On July 29, the Hampton Family YMCA dedicated a mural created by three Hampton University students – Christina Hopewell, a pharmacy major from Hampton, Va.; Daranie Henderson, a senior art major from New York; and Dion Strickland, a business major who graduated in May. The mural features the organization's slogan "We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities" and depicts the various activities provided at the YMCA. It began as an assignment from Solomon Isekeije, assistant professor in the HU Department of Fine and Performing Arts, when he asked them to select an organization close to their hearts.

"We are so proud of the mural that the Hampton students painted.  It was such an honor for them to think of the YMCA when picking their project," said Angie Miller, branch executive director of the Hampton Family YMCA.

Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications

A group of Hampton University broadcast journalism students have produced two audio documentaries to be included in the National Black Programming Consortium's (NBPC) "The Masculinity Project." The documentaries, which address the critical topic of masculinity in the African-American community, will be featured alongside works submitted by long-time documentary veterans.

"The whole series addresses a particular issue in the black community and then highlights stories that are inspirational. So it's not about identifying problems and perpetuating them. It's about the folks that are doing what society thinks are not being done," stated Williams.

The project is a national partnership of the NBPC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS). VanDora Williams, assistant professor in the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, and her broadcast news writing students received two $3,000 grants to produce the documentaries. One documentary aims to debunk the myth that there are no first-rate, single black fathers. The second examines the correlation between author Jawanza Kunjufu's "Fourth Grade Failure Syndrome" theory and the likelihood of black males to become incarcerated.

For most of the students, this was their first time working on a documentary. They learned how to properly research, find statistical data, and interview individuals. They also learned how to overcome such roadblocks as convincing people to speak on camera and obtaining permission to film at certain locations. "The Masculinity Project" will be available for listening this fall at http://www.blackpublicmedia.org/catalog/channel/masculinity.

School of Science

Department of Computer Science

Faculty members from the Department of Computer Science have revitalized the curriculum, a change that will affect students in every major. As a part of a $249,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the department is improving the quality and quantity of information assurance and computer security curriculum materials available to all students who will enroll in computer science and computer information systems courses.