South Carolina professor awarded Fulbright Scholar grant

(Orangeburg, S.C.) - Dr. Nathaniel Wallace, professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages at SC State University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and carry out research at the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway during the 2011-2012 academic years. During the fall term, Wallace will teach Norwegian citizens an introductory American studies course and a graduate course entitled: “American Prose, Poetry, and Visual Contexts.” In the spring term, Wallace will pursue a research project in cognitive aesthetics, which is a field of study combining abstract ideas about beauty with empirically-based studies of how the brain processes sensory data tied to configurations of form, color and movement.
The Fulbright Scholar Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the United States government. It is designed to increase communal understanding between the people of the U.S. and the citizens of other countries.  
Wallace has been a member of the SC State University campus community since 1991 and teaches a range of courses such as composition, world literature, Milton and the romantic movement.
Wallace is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Scholar Program in 2011-2012.

SC State University recognizes outstanding student achievement during 2011 Honors and Awards Convocation

Orangeburg, S.C. - SC State University’s annual spring Honors and Awards Convocation will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 3 p.m. in the Smith-Hammond-Middleton (SHM) Memorial Center. During the event, which carries the theme, “Embracing a Culture of Excellence,” student scholars who have achieved academic excellence throughout the 2010-2011 academic term will be formally recognized. This year’s convocation speaker is SC State alumnus and evangelist, RV Brown, ’79. Brown is the founder and president of Outreach to America’s Youth, Inc. (O.T.A.Y.), an organization whose primary goal is to liberate America’s youth through motivational speeches, workshops and visual presentations about drugs, alcohol and various other topics.
Brown, a SC State University alum, is the author of “Breaking The Chain,” a book used to teach students in small group settings. He regularly conducts “Breaking The Chain” school assemblies in middle and high schools. On Father’s Day weekend of 2005, Brown released “Step Up to the Plate Dad!”   This book is a powerful tool in which Brown exposes men to the spiritual weapons needed to fight Satan and defend their families.  The importance of mothers is also strongly emphasized.  

Dr. M. Evelyn Fields elected to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education

Orangeburg, S.C. - Dr. M. Evelyn Fields, an associate professor and president of the Faculty Senate at SC State University, was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE).
The AABHE pursues the educational and professional needs of Blacks in higher education with a focus on leadership, access and vital issues impacting students, faculty, staff and administrators. AABHE also facilitates and provides opportunities for collaborating and networking among individuals, institutions, groups and agencies in higher education in the United States and internationally.
“I am particularly honored to have been chosen by my colleagues from around the nation.  As a board member, I will support the chairperson in carrying out the vision of the organization and support initiatives that are aligned with our mission,” says Fields.  
The AABHE is an outgrowth of the Black Caucus, which was a component of the former American Association of Higher Education (AAHE). As such, AABHE has a rich history of representing blacks in higher education on a national level.  

SC State receives $100,000 donation from Shaw AREVA MOX Services for Nuclear Engineering program

(Orangburg, South Carolina) - South Carolina State University recently received a $100,000 donation from Shaw/AREVA MOX Services for the university’s Nuclear Engineering program.
The funds will be used to support the Summer Nuclear Science Institute, designed to expose high school students and guidance counselors to nuclear science and various fields of engineering.  Each year, the Summer Nuclear Science Institute, which is hosted on the campus of SC State University, attracts more than 60 participants.
The financial contribution serves as an excellent complement to MOX outreach programs.  It also allows SC State University’s NEP to continue to create a population of high achieving young students who will emerge as leaders and adopt an understanding and appreciation of the benefits of nuclear power and nuclear science.

SC State’s I. P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium Presents spring exhibit through July 1

(Orangeburg, S.C.) -  SC State’s I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium (The Stanback) is excited to present Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection, an exhibition of the works of some of the most interesting and exciting artists of the Twentieth Century.  The exhibit will be on display through Thursday, July 1, 2010.
This amazing collection includes works on paper by internationally renowned artists, to include Jacob Lawrence, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Romare Bearden, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, James Rosenquist, Alexander Calder, Elizabeth Catlett, Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, Joan Miro, Willem De Kooning, George Segal, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, Robert Rauchenberg, Camille Billops, John Biggers, Mildred Thompson and many others. 
This is the first time that the Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection is being exhibited in all of its diversity, without ethnic differentiation.  
The collection is the brain child of Wes and Missy Cochran. Wes will serve on the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium’s Advisory Board.  They are devoted art collectors with a passion for art rivaling artists and collectors. Wes learned about art from his avid art collector uncle, William May, referred to by Wes as “Sir William.” Wes is a stone mason by trade, and Missy is a retired school teacher. They reside in La Grange, Ga., where they opened an art gallery to assist with the La Grange Museum, located in La Grange, Ga., in an effort to continue to purchase art with all of their resources.
“Their friendship and support has enabled The Stanback to produce an exhibition of rare and extraordinary quality, usually seen only in major museums in large cities,” said Ellen Zisholtz, director and curator of The Stanback.
The accompanying planetarium show will be introduced by Wes Cochran who will share his experiences as an art collector. The planetarium show, In the Mind’s Eye: Illusion and Art, will highlight select works of art from Twentieth Century Masters from the Cochran Collection presented by Dr. Elizabeth Mayo, the Stanback’s planetarium manager. In the Mind’s Eye: Illusion and Art, will explore the use of illusion in artistic expression and imagery, and showcases artists who employ this amazing technique in their works. 
On Friday, Feb. 19, 2010, the Stanback also opened the accompanying exhibition, Remembering the Rosenwald Schools,  celebrating two additional Twentieth Century Masters - Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, and Booker T. Washington, a former enslaved American.  This exhibition is located in the Educators Resource Center and features images and artifacts from former Rosenwald schools in South Carolina.
For additional information about the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium’s Spring Exhibition Opening, contact Ellen Zisholtz at (803)536-7174, or Ingrid Owens, program manager, at (803)536-8329.

SC State students to travel to China during International Study Abroad Program - June 18

(Orangeburg, S.C.)-The Great Wall of China, The Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an, and The Forbidden City are just a few of the landmarks that 10 SC State students can expect to see when they travel to China on June 18, 2009 as part of an international study abroad program.
In fall 2008, SC State University’s Department of Business Administration was awarded a Business and International Education grant (BIE) by the U.S. Department of Education, which supports international study abroad opportunities for students. The BIE grant supports 90 percent of the travel costs to China.
Students were selected to travel to the international country based on the completion of a dead-line driven application process, grade point average (GPA), and a written essay on why they were interested in participating in the international study abroad program. 
“This trip to China is a great opportunity in which our students will be exposed to an environment which is different from ours,” said Dr. David Jamison, associate professor of Marketing, and International Business Minor advisor, who will be accompanying the students on their trip. “Things have developed so rapidly in China over the last decade.  It will be interesting for our students to see the businesses who have become major players in the economy and how they are evolving,” he continued.

During their trip, the students will tour five cities in China:  Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin, Yuangshou, and Shanghai.  They will meet business managers and entrepreneurs within each city to learn about business practices, major clientele, production processes, and marketing activities. They will also learn about the economic conditions in China and how they compare to the United States.

The students are scheduled to return on Monday, June 29, 2009.

Best-selling author Terry McMillian to speak at South Carolina’s spring commencement - May 8

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – This year’s Spring Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on the campus of SC State. Nearly 500 graduates are expected to receive degrees.

The keynote address will be given by international best-selling author, Terry McMillian.

“We are very excited that Terry McMillan will serve as our 2009 spring commencement speaker,” said Dr. George E. Cooper, president. “As evidenced by her work, she will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience during her address to the 2009 class.”
Since her breakout novel “Waiting to Exhale” surged onto The New York Times bestseller list, critics and readers alike have been captivated by her irreverent, often-hilarious take on the issues faced by contemporary African-American women. With several of her bestsellers, including Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Disappearing Acts made into hit movies, McMillian has made her mark on both the literary world and in Hollywood.
In 2002, McMillan won an NAACP Image Award and an Essence Award. She released her first non-fiction effort in 2006 under the title, “It’s Okay if You’re Clueless, and 23 More Tips for the College Bound”. Her most recent work of fiction is “The Interruption of Everything”. McMillan is currently at work on her next book and is also working on a signature household line.
For more information, call Erica S. Prioleau, director of University Relations and Marketing at (803) 533-3617 or esprioleau@scsu.edu.

CEO of Minerva Media and Publishing, Dana Tucker to speak at SC State - April 8

(Orangeburg, S.C.) - SC State will host executive speaker Dana Tucker, on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at noon in the Belcher Hall fourth floor auditorium. Tucker’s discussion topic will be “How to Gain National Markets for your Bank.” 
Tucker is president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Minerva Media & Publishing, Incorporated, parent company to How We Live Public Relations and How We Live Magazine where she acts as publisher and editor-in-chief.  
Tucker describes her publication as a melding of some of her favorite magazines where House Beautiful meets Ebony meets InStyle to form the sleek, enlightening and innovative, How We Live Magazine.
She created the publication to fill a need for the minority segment of the population largely overlooked in print by mainstream home, décor and style editors. Additionally, she created a magazine that showcases the inherent beauty, raw talent, positive images, and matchless style spread throughout the African-American community, while breaking down myths and stereotypes that seek to confine a culture and define “How We Live.” 
How We Live Magazine can be found nationwide at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Hastings and B. Dalton Booksellers, plus Publix, Food Lion, Ingles and Marty’s grocers, as well as Universal News Stands, 15 airports nationwide, the gift shops at Palmetto Health Richland and Baptist Hospitals, Columbia Newsstands, BJ’s Restaurant, J&J Interior Designs, and many other booksellers, newsstands, and salons across the country and in Canada.  
 For additional information about the Executive Speaker Series contact Dr. Ann S. Winstead, leadership and professional coordinator at 803-516-4864.
 

South Carolina State organization Changing the Perception to present the Sankofa Show - March 24

Orangeburg, S.C. - South Carolina State’s student organization Changing the Perception Inc. will present the Sankofa Show on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium at 7 p.m. on the campus of SC State. 
The mission of Changing the Perception Inc. is to transform the negative perceptions that are associated with certain aspects of Orangeburg, South Carolina’s community environment. Changing the Perception Inc. stimulates growth of positive youth based initiatives, the improvement of racial harmony, decreasing voter apathy, and improving the city’s health and environmental standards.  
Changing the Perception Inc. aims to implement change through community service projects that emphasize racial harmony and increases public awareness about health and environmental issues.   
The Sankofa Show’s symbol is the Sankofa. The icon is a bird with his body facing forward and his head looking back, it symbolizes the fact that in order to progress you have to know from whence you came. Sankofa is an Akan word that means, ‘we must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today.’ 
The Sankofa Show will also showcase various talents to include: singers, dancers, steppers, entertainers, and spoken word artists.
Proceeds from the Sankofa Show will be donated to the American Cancer Society. The event is funded through community grants from organizations, such as www.dosomething.org.
For more information about the Changing the Perception Inc. or the Sankofa Show contact Zachary Middleton at (803)378-2054.

Senior U.S. District Judge speaks at South Carolina State

(Orangeburg, S.C.) - The Department of Social Sciences at SC State will host guest speaker, The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court and SC State alumnus,‘48, during the Social Sciences Speaker’s Forum.
The event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. in the Barbara L. Vaughn Fine Arts Center. 
 The Social Sciences Speaker’s Forum is an initiative to bring distinguished personalities to SC State to discuss topical issues.
Judge Perry was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina by President Carter in 1979, making him the first African-American to serve on the court. He assumed senior status in October 1995.
For more information, call Dr. Benedict Jua at (803) 536-8969.