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LC to host ‘Shark Tank’ winner, kidney specialist for STEM programs

In News by KHarrington

You won’t find many college students who aren’t wearing lash extensions, but are they healthy for you? Dr. Anika Goodwin, an ophthalmologist from Greensboro, created a line that is – after suffering herself from thinning lashes due to glue-on lash extensions. Goodwin appeared on the ABC TV show “Shark Tank” last summer to pitch her company, OpulenceMd Beauty, a black-owned line of magnetic eyelashes focused on the health and safety of the eye – and walked away with a $100,000 deal from billionaire Kendra Scott. Next week, Goodwin will walk onto the stage at Livingstone’s Tubman Little Theater, where she will be the keynote speaker at the college’s Passport to Entrepreneurship, which begins at 11 a.m. on Feb. 9. The event is closed to the general public but will be livestreamed on Livingstone’s official YouTube channel. Passport to Entrepreneurship is one of two student-centered events hosted by Livingstone next week in preparation of the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of its state-of-the-art F. George Shipman Science Annex, which begins at 11 a.m. on Feb. 11. The other event, Passport to the Future, will be Livingstone’s first STEM White Coat Ceremony, featuring Dr. Opeyemi Olabisi as keynote speaker. It begins at 5 p.m. on Feb. 8 and will also be livestreamed. Olabisi is assistant professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, at Duke University School of Medicine. He is poised to make major contributions to the understanding of the molecular basis of kidney disease among African-Americans. Livingstone College has a renewed focus …

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STEMulating grand opening set for new annex

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

SALISBURY – Livingstone College is preparing to celebrate the grand opening of its state-of-the art F. George Shipman Science Annex, named after its sixth president. The event will be held on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. in front of the new science center on campus, followed by a reception and tour inside the building. Among special guests will be immediate and extended members of Dr. F. George Shipman’s family, including his only child, Rev. Sheldon Shipman, as well as former co-workers and local, state and national educators. The grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new science annex punctuates the college’s growing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program and focus on encouraging more African-American students to major in STEM areas of study. The new 16,000-square-foot science annex will feature dedicated laboratory/research spaces for microbiology, human anatomy/physiology, biochemistry and general chemistry, with smaller laboratory spaces for specialized research and a tissue culture lab. One of the significant highlights of the facility is its planetarium/immersion theater with SciDome IQ 2400 technology, where students have a virtual-reality experience in human anatomy, physics, astronomy and earth science In addition to the planetarium, the annex includes a SCALE-UP classroom that facilitates active and collaborative learning, and a hydroponic greenhouse. The new annex will allow Livingstone College the proper environment to implement a $2.24 million STEM grant it received in the fall from the National Science Foundation. The grant was the largest, single grant received in the history of the college and will fund a …

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In-person Winter Graduation is Friday under safety protocols

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

Livingstone College will hold an in-person winter Conferral of Degrees on Friday at 10 a.m. in Varick Auditorium, featuring retired District Court Judge Edward A. “Ed” Pone as guest speaker. The ceremony, which was held virtually last year due to the global pandemic, will be conducted under COVID-19 safety protocols. All guests must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 diagnostic PCR test within 72 hours of the program to attend. Proper mask wearing – covering the nose and mouth – will also be mandatory during the duration of the program. All guests must have a general entry ticket to attend. Each graduate will be given eight tickets to distribute. “Adhering to our COVID-19 protocols have proven effective during this academic semester,” said Dr. Anthony Davis, Livingstone’s COVID-19 Task Force chairman, senior vice president and chief operating officer. “We are attempting to manage our way through a global pandemic, which has been responsible for 260 million cases and 5.2 million deaths. Every protocol must be followed and executed fully to ensure the health and safety of the entire campus community, our graduates and their families as we head into the holiday season.” Pone, a lifetime resident of Cumberland County, will address the graduating seniors. In February 1996, he was appointed as a District Court Judge for the 12th Judicial District by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., and was elected by the citizens of Cumberland County in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and most recently in November 2020. In …

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Football player is teacher by day

In News by KHarrington

Melvin Stewart is somewhat of an anomaly. He’s a student, football player and a track athlete at Livingstone College. But by day, he is a teacher. Well, almost. Steward is an apprentice teacher at the Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elementary School in Salisbury – an African-American male teacher, who aspires to have his own fifth-grade classroom one day. According to state data, there is an underrepresentation of minority teachers relative to the proportion of minority students. In Rowan County, nine percent of Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ teachers are African-American compared to 18 percent African-American students. Nationwide, black teachers make up less than 7 percent of the teaching force, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Emerging evidence suggests that a diverse teaching force has the potential to help minority students attain greater educational success. Livingstone College is heeding the call to this local and national concern, which is why the HBCU recently launched an initiative offering every new student who chooses a major in a Teacher Education program a grant-in-aid, meaning their education will be free after federal financial aid is considered. The college is also taking its response a step further in its own back yard. The apprenticeship afforded to Stewart, who is a senior elementary education major from Columbia, SC, was made possible through a new partnership between the college and Rowan-Salisbury Schools. The program, called Accelerate Rowan Lab School (ARLS) at Elizabeth Duncan Koontz, is dedicated to addressing the needs of children from diverse backgrounds in a safe and …

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Two students win first-place awards at nationwide conference

In News by KHarrington

Livingstone College continues to be among the best in academia and student competitions as two students won first-place awards in a nationwide competition. Honors’ students participated in the 30th National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP) Conference, held virtually Oct. 20-24 and hosted by Alabama State University under the theme, “Embracing a Legacy of Love, Tolerance and Diversity.” Livingstone College senior and Student Government Association President, Justin E. Wade, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., competed in the oratorical competition that challenged students to discuss the triumphant strides of academic progress, economic gains and cultural dignity regarding the historical plight and current state of HBCUs, with a focus of why it is important to embrace an indefatigable spirit in America. The scholar’s 10-minute oration granted him first place in the competition and a monetary award. Livingstone College junior, Emile Dogbe-Gakpetor, a native of Ghana, West Africa, earned the first-place Pearl Award for his essay response to the conference theme with a focus on “Surviving the Pandemic.” Additionally, Dogbe-Gakpetor and teammates Juliet Makena, Varvara Papakonstantinou and Darion Graham competed in the quiz bowl competition. Faculty member, Dr. Da’Tarvia Parrish, presented on the National Endowment of the Arts and “The Big Read” grant application while the college’s library director, Laura Johnson, served as chair for the Model African Union. “We are Blue Bear proud of these students for demonstrating excellence on this national platform,” said Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. “To win an oratorical award and a writing award speaks …

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LC offers full ride to Liberian teen hero

In News by KHarrington

Liberian Ambassador to the United States to visit campus Wednesday Livingstone College is offering a full scholarship to a Liberian teenager, who became a national hero in his country after finding and returning $50,000 to its rightful owner. Emmanuel Tuloe, 18, was driving his motorcycle taxi in northeastern Nimba County on a highway when he saw a bunch of money wrapped in a plastic bag on the road. It contained $50,000 USD and $100,000 in Liberian money. News reports say the teenager took it home and gave it to his aunt to keep until he found out to whom it belonged. Later that day, the owner, businesswoman Musu Yancy, went on the radio appealing for the money to be returned, and he took it to her. Tuloe’s gesture has earned much-deserved public commendations including from the President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr. George Manneh Weah, with whom he met in person on Oct. 18. The President said he would present the teenager with one of the country’s highest Orders of Distinction in a future ceremony. Upon meeting the President, Tuloe was prepared to discuss one thing: his education. Like many teenagers in the country, Tuloe dropped out of school in the seventh grade to run a motorcycle taxi service to make money for his family. Tuloe told President Weah on Monday that his desire was to finish his education. He also asked him to encourage other young people to leave the taxi business and focus on going back to …

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$2.24M STEM grant largest in college history

In News by KHarrington

  Livingstone College has received $2.24 million from the National Science Foundation, the largest single grant received in the history of the college. The grant will fund a program called “Livingwell@Livingstone,” a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) innovation ecosystem to enhance persistence, retention and graduation rates in underrepresented minority students. “Livingwell@Livingstone” will create opportunities, as early as freshman year, for students to explore the commercial potential of research and how it addresses community challenges. The program will leverage partnerships with community science entrepreneurs to create a “Science Mastermind,” providing tools and resources to expand bench research into the entrepreneurial space. Using a convergent research design, the project advances the capability to meet current and future challenges of food production/accessibility, renewable energy and artificial intelligence, said Dawn McNair, dean of the Division of Mathematics and Science and principal investigator of the project. In addition, it will provide a collegial support structure to share wins, set goals, and solve peer challenges related to the STEM student experience. “We are excited about the opportunity to implement ‘Livingwell@Livingstone.’ This project will equip students with the needed skills to meet the STEM workforce demand and be valuable contributors to the future of scientific enterprise,” McNair said. The award comes just as Livingstone College is poised to occupy its new 16,000-square-foot F. George Shipman Science Annex. The annex will feature dedicated laboratory/research spaces for microbiology, human anatomy/physiology, biochemistry and general chemistry, with smaller laboratory spaces for specialized research and a tissue culture lab. One of …

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Livingstone hosts new ‘Fridays at the Stone’ series

In News, News & Events by KHarrington

Everyone looks forward to Fridays, and now Livingstone College wants you to reimagine Friday mornings. Livingstone College will host its first of a monthly series called “Fridays at the Stone,” beginning Friday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 a.m. at its School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, located at 530 Jake Alexander Blvd. South. The inaugural breakfast event series, to be held monthly in October, November, February, March and April, is sponsored by First Legacy, a division of Self-Help Credit Union. Each hour-long program will feature three elements/speakers: A Livingstone College program spotlight; a minority local business/nonprofit spotlight; and an alumni spotlight. Friday’s inaugural program will spotlight the college’s Evening and Weekend College with Dr. Curtis Dean, director, as speaker. Nicole Holmes Matangira of Holmes Iron and Metal will represent the minority local business; and Carmen W. Harper, director of alumni engagement and annual giving for Hood Theological Seminary, will be the featured alumni. “Fridays at the Stone” is an intentional effort by Livingstone College to network and engage more with the community and business leaders, to facilitate relationship building and community partnerships, and to provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about Livingstone College and its programs. The series is being spearheaded by Pete Teague, Livingstone College special assistant to the president for community development; the Office of Communications and Public Relations; and the Office of Alumni Affairs. “At Livingstone, we have a desire and goal to be an integral part of Salisbury and Rowan County,” Teague said. …

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Homecoming safety protocols announced

In Campus update - (COVID-19), News, News & Events by KHarrington

As the Blue Bears plan to come out of hibernation to celebrate homecoming 2021, Livingstone College administration has announced its safety protocols to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Homecoming will take place Oct. 2-9 with a myriad of activities under the theme, “The Awakening,” with the hashtag #hibernationszover. The Livingstone College COVID-19 Task Force proposed the following protocols that were approved by Livingstone President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins Sr.: All faculty, staff and students have received the COVID-19 vaccine as mandated for in-person instruction and employment for fall 2021. However, as the college seeks to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the entire campus footprint, Livingstone College will require a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of any homecoming event for all faculty, staff and students. To gain entrance onto the campus beginning Oct. 2, all campus guests must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test within the past 72 hours, accompanied with a photo ID. The college understands that some members of the community are vaccinated, however, although minimal, breakthrough transmission can occur among the vaccinated population. The test result can be a printed or digital copy. As an example, anyone planning to attend an event on Oct. 3, should take a COVID-19 PCR test no later than Sept. 30. Extra personnel and officers will be on hand to ensure this protocol is enforced. This protocol is also in effect for events at the college’s School of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts, located at 530 Jake …