Norfolk State University Making Waves April 2014

the Lyman Beecher Brooks Library at Norfolk State University has

received a top environmental certification from the U.S. Green Building

Counci l . The l ibrary was awarded the Leadership in Energy

& Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certificate.dfdfdfdfadfdfadfafafafa.

LEED is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-

class strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building

projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels

of certification. The 135,000 square-foot building opened in 2012.

NSu turns Green into Gold

Commonwealth’s Secretary to AddressSpring Graduates

Levar Stoney, the Secretary of the Commonwealth,

will present the keynote address at Norfolk State

University’s spring 2014 commencement, Saturday,

May 10, at the Norfolk Scope Arena. The processional

begins at 9:30 a.m., with the ceremony following at

10 a.m. Approximately 775 graduates will receive

their degrees.

Stoney, a Yorktown native, served as the deputy

director of the McAuliffe Gubernatorial Transition and

was the deputy campaign manager of McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign for

governor. In 2008 when Stoney served as executive director of the

Democratic Party of Virginia, he was one of the youngest state Democratic

Party executive directors in the United States.

He received his undergraduate degree from James Madison University in

2004 and completed the Virginia Commonwealth University Minority

Political Leadership Institute’s leadership development program in 2006.

Integrity is of the utmost importance for Felton Blow, a 21-year-old computer

technology major. Blow, a resident advisor in Charles Smith Hall, discovered an

envelope that was accidentally left at the front desk. When he opened it, he

found $600 divided between cash and a check. Upon his discovery, he

immediately handed the envelope over to Residence Hall Director

Tariq Smith.

Based on the name on the check, the two were able to track down

the student who lost the money, which was slated for schooling.

For this act of honesty, Blow, a Suffolk, Va. native, was recently

recognized by the Division of Student Affairs as the first

“Ideal Spartan.”

“Felton received the ‘Ideal Spartan’ award because of his character

and integrity,” said Tracci K. Johnson, NSU dean of students. “He

did the right thing when no one was watching. Impressive!”

NORFOLK StAte uNIVeRSIty®

A Newsletter for Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends of Norfolk State university Dr. Margaret Knight, early childhood education,

elementary education and special education

department chair, recently received notification of a

new sub-award grant titled the “Virginia Consortium

for Teacher Preparation in Severe Disabilities” for

$61,567, and another sub-award grant titled the

“Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation” for

$25,421 from George Mason University.

e. Arnold Modlin Jr., instructor of geography,

has published a co-authored article with Derek H.

Alderman in “The Historical Geography of Racialized

Landscapes” in North American Odyssey: Historical

Geographies for the Twenty-first Century.

Dr. Kianga thomas, assistant professor of early

childhood education, elementary education, and

special education, recently published an article in

the Journal of Mathematics and Science, Collab-

orative Explorations titled “Infusing Problem-Based

Learning (PBL) into Science Methods Courses

Across Virginia.”

Dr. Messaoud J. Bahoura, asso-

ciate professor of engineering,

organized the 2014 NanoDays, a

unique, nanotechnology educa-

tional outreach event held at the

Children’s Museum of Virginia in

Portsmouth. The event included

hands-on activities for children.

Dr. Charles Ford, NSU professor and history

department head, and Dr. Jeffrey Littlejohn of

Sam Houston State University, were featured in a

10-minute segment on the NPR radio show “With

Good Reason.” They discussed their research

project on Camp Huntsville– the first World War II

prisoner of war camp in Texas. Their book, “The

Enemy Within Never Did Without”: German and

Japanese Prisoners of War at Camp Huntsville,

Texas, 1942-1945, will be released next year by

the peer-reviewed Texas Review Press.

Six NSU Honors College students presented their

work at the Virginia Collegiate Honors Council

conference at Virginia State University. The

presenting students were Albarou Sabi, Nyra

Rodgers, yasmeen Burnell, tokia Wright,

Brittney Parker and Delnecia James.

FACuLty, StAFF AND StuDeNtS ARe PRIDe OF NSu WAVESMAKING

Act of HonestyLeads to ‘Ideal Spartan’ Recognition

www.nsu.edu

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Dr. Charles Ford (center)