EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY NEWS

JOINING FORCES: ECU part of national project to treat traumatic brain injury and PTSD in troops (Click Here to View) The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is one of more than 100 medical schools nationwide working with First Lady Michelle Obama's Joining Forces project to better diagnose and treat post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury in service members and veterans.

 

OTHER EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY NEWS

LIVING WELL: Students teach second-graders about good nutrition
Squeals and laughter erupted from the East End Elementary School gym Thursday as second-graders learned about healthy foods from East Carolina University students.


IN PHASE TWO: Committee unveils potential cost savings for academic reorganization
East Carolina University could save up to $3.8 million annually by reorganizing its academic structure.


REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE: Marketing students compete for national exposure
Students at East Carolina University are used to seeing the occasional costumed person cavorting across campus. A gorilla, in particular, has appeared multiple times this semester.


RENEWING RESOURCES: ECU Storybook Theatre promotes nature through arts
Children seeing the East Carolina University Storybook Theatre's production of "The Secret Garden" on Friday will take away more than just a memory of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic story come to life on stage.


EXCELLENCE AND ORIGINALITY: Faculty recognized for efforts in research, creative activity
Four East Carolina University faculty members received Achievement for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity awards this month. The awards recognize originality and excellence in research and creative activities as evidenced by sustained high quality work at the university.


'THE RIGHT THING TO DO': With service, practice makes perfect
The Ronald McDonald House in Greenville provides a comfortable room, meals and moral support for families of children who are chronically ill.


SECOND CENTURY SUCCESS: Order of Cupola supporters honored
Receiving an East Carolina Scholars award made Deepak Ravindranathan feel like more than a student. It made him feel like a leader, he said.


'FIRST YEAR OF OUR CAREERS': Medical student Diana Spell shares her third year experiences
Three years into medical school at East Carolina University, Diana Spell finally feels like she can offer a road map to incoming students.


TO OUTCLASS THE COMPETITION: Protocol, etiquette training gives ECU students an edge
After participating in an hour of instruction on proper dining etiquette, East Carolina University junior Jack Prager thought he had everything figured out. Then lunch arrived.


UP NEXT: Scenarios to emerge from feedback on academic reorganization
A handful of scenarios will be released March 30 detailing how East Carolina University's academic units might be reorganized.


NURSING HALL OF FAME: ECU inducts eight, selects distinguished alumna
Significant contributors to nursing education, administration, research and practice were honored Friday as eight nurses were inducted to the Hall of Fame in the ECU College of Nursing.


POLITICAL HUMOR 'NO LAUGHING MATTER': Is there a "Fey Effect?" You Betcha!
With the U.S. presidential race ramping up, politicians will spend millions on campaigns to enhance their image and affect voters' choices.


MATCH DAY MILESTONES: Medical graduates choose primary care
Medicine brought Vontrelle Roundtree to Greenville from the North Carolina mountains. Now that it's keeping her here, she couldn't be happier.


SPRING FEST: ECU opens North Recreational Complex
With temperatures soaring into the 80s, students flocked to East Carolina University's North Recreational Complex for a celebration of Spring Fest March 15.


MOVING FORWARD: ECU commits to take next step with athletic conference
East Carolina University has taken another step toward a new, presidentially led intercollegiate athletic conference by committing to participate with a group of universities to move forward.


THE PLACES THEY WILL GO: ECU Match Day set for March 16
Graduating East Carolina University medical students will learn where they will spend the next few years as doctors-in-training during the annual Match Day March 16.


BEST IN THE NATION: ECU programs ranked by U.S. News
The rehabilitation counseling program and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University have been ranked among the best graduate programs in the nation.


MANHATTAN BOUND: ECU resident turns reporter with ABC News
An East Carolina University emergency medicine resident will be putting down her stethoscope and picking up a notepad for a major television network for the next three weeks.


HEALTHY AGING: Study examines relationship between vision and muscle steadiness with age
One out of every three adults aged 65 and older will fall this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those seniors who fall, 20 to 30 percent will suffer injuries that will shorten their life span or negatively affect their quality of life.


BATTLING PRENATAL DEPRESSION: Researchers study effectiveness of program for expectant moms
Now with a new baby boy at home, Daja Walters got help with feelings of worthlessness and sadness during her pregnancy by enrolling in an East Carolina University research study.


ART EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Arnold recognized by National Art Education Association
Alice Arnold, professor of art education at East Carolina University, has been named the 2012 Southeastern Region Higher Education Art Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association.


LEARNING ON THE RIVER: ECU partners with Pocosin Arts on planned educational lodge
Pocosin Arts Folk School is partnering with East Carolina University in the development and use of a planned educational lodge on the Scuppernong River in Columbia.


THIS IS A TEST: ECU to conduct severe weather drill
East Carolina University will conduct a severe weather drill Wednesday in conjunction with National Severe Weather Awareness Week.


FILLING EMPTY BOWLS: ECU event raises funds to combat hunger
East Carolina University's Campus Living and Dining Services and the ECU Ceramic's Guild collaborated to combat hunger through the Empty Bowls fundraiser on campus March 2.


WEIGHING THE OPTIONS: ECU faculty, staff comment on possible academic reorganization
Many faculty and staff at East Carolina University say they are struggling to see the benefits of a possible academic reorganization.


COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: ECU faculty, students bring smiles at local event
Reclined in a portable dental chair, Jerry Joyner readied himself to have a tooth looked at Wednesday by an East Carolina University dental faculty member.


COMPETING TEAMS: High school students test engineering skills at ECU
Nearly 75 high school students from eastern North Carolina crunched numbers and engaged in creative thinking exercises Friday, Feb. 24 during a national competition hosted at East Carolina University.


CROWN AWARD: REBEL recognized for excellence
Rebel Magazine, ECU's student media literary arts publication, is being honored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association with its Crown Award, which recognizes overall excellence in print and online publications.


TRADEMARK RIGHTS: Court rules in ECU's favor
A federal judge has ordered a Greenville man to stop using HealthyPirates.com in connection with his publication and related website because it infringes upon East Carolina University's trademarks.


FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Trustees approve master plan, consider conference affiliation
Changes to the East Carolina University campus and its athletic conference consumed Board of Trustees members during their February meeting.


WORTH IT: Parents offer input during ECU Honors College interviews
Clayton resident Rhonda Jewell arrived at East Carolina University on Sunday, Feb. 19 ready to level with the parents of prospective Honors College students.


BIOEXCELLENCE: Grant to benefit ECU biology, biochemistry majors
A national grant totaling more than $500,000 will fund scholarships for 24 high achieving, financially needy students to study biochemistry and science at East Carolina University.


A NEW START: Helen Brinson's service to eastern North Carolina noted
Building good relationships and partnering with others has driven East Carolina University alumna Helen Brinson’s nursing career. "We're all about collaboration and partnering," she said.


COLORFUL COMFORT: Students brighten treatment time for young patients
Doctor visits aren't always fun for young patients with cancer and blood diseases, but those at East Carolina University have something to help them smile.


BUILDING BLOCKS: Committee analyzes ECU academic structure
Faculty and staff at East Carolina University will consider in the coming weeks 56 options for altering the university's academic structure offered by a chancellor-appointed committee.


RISING STAR: ECU biology professor selected as Sloan Research Fellow
An East Carolina University faculty member was honored this week with a Sloan Research Fellowship and $50,000 to further his research in ocean sciences.


'GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGY': Aortic valve procedure proves successful for high-risk patients
At nearly 86 years old, Joe Hofmann is looking forward to getting out and doing more. That's because he recently received a new aortic valve in an advanced procedure led by a team of East Carolina University physicians and performed at the East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center.


NATIONAL IN SCOPE: Universities announce plan to form conference
Presidents and chancellors from 16 universities including East Carolina University met in Dallas on Sunday (Feb. 12) to discuss future conference membership plans and agreed to work on forming a new intercollegiate athletics association that would begin competition in the 2013-14 academic year.


NORTH CAROLINA FAVORITES: ECU alumna creates unique cakes for Our State magazine
Pimento cheese and country ham are classic North Carolina favorites, but few Southerners expect to find those treats nestled near the pecan or pumpkin pies. The February issue of Our State magazine may change their minds.


PIRATES HELPING PIRATES: Student tutors step up, give back
It's a weeknight in January, and 50 East Carolina University students are at Joyner Library, learning.


PIRATE READ: 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' selected for 2012
East Carolina University has picked the highly acclaimed "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot as its Pirate Summer Read for 2012.


HIGH ACHIEVERS: ECU students EXCEL in first semester
Students celebrating a successful first semester at East Carolina University were lauded over the last two weeks with inclusion in the ECU EXCELS program. This is the third year ECU has systematically honored new students who earned a 3.0 GPA or higher.


GEOGRAPHY MATTERS: Location plays role in health disparity
Health disparities among demographic groups are a well-researched topic, but disparities among geographic groups may be just as significant.


REACHING OUT: ECU faculty partner with region on technology
Seven delegates from Halifax Community College crowded around a table at East Carolina University's College of Technology and Computer Science in mid-January staring at what looks like industrial junk.


BETTER HEALTH: Grant to fund projects for eastern N.C.
From schoolchildren to farm workers, people in eastern North Carolina will benefit from two health programs led by East Carolina University experts and funded by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.


PULITZER PRIZE WINNER: Barrows named interim adviser for 'The East Carolinian'
ECU has hired Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Frank Barrows, former managing editor for the Charlotte Observer, to serve as interim advisor for The East Carolinian.


'BIG HITS, BROKEN DREAMS': ECU to be featured on documentary about sports concussions
A successful partnership between East Carolina University and Pitt County Schools will be featured Sunday when CNN airs "Big Hits, Broken Dreams," a documentary about concussions in high school football.


MAKING ENDS MEET: Students learn hardships of life on limited income
About 50 students, most from East Carolina University?s Department of Child Development and Family Relations, gathered at the Mendenhall Student Center on Wednesday to learn what it feels like to support a family on limited income.


CANCER RESEARCH: Grant aids in development of screening test
An East Carolina University researcher is developing a screening test for prostate cancer with help from a $50,000 grant from Triad Golfers Against Cancer.


SELF-REPORTED: ECU baseball coach to serve two-week suspension
East Carolina University Director of Athletics Terry Holland announced Tuesday that Pirate head baseball coach Billy Godwin will serve a two-week suspension without pay as a department-imposed corrective action for a self-reported National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) violation that involved impermissible housing benefits for volunteer coaches.


ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE: ECU, community colleges debut new program
High school seniors searching for an affordable nursing degree are being recruited for a new program this fall at East Carolina University and four area community colleges.


THINKING BIG: Arnold encourages ECU audience to overcome life's obstacles
Dr. Jennifer Arnold encouraged a midday audience in the East Carolina Heart Institute auditorium to achieve their goals by thinking big, her motto for overcoming obstacles.


NICE NIGHT FOR A SWIM: ECU students enjoy Polar Bear Plunge
Nearly 950 ECU students participated in the 16th annual Polar Bear Plunge Jan. 19 at the ECU Student Recreation Center. The jumpers gathered their courage and plunged into the icy waters of the outdoor pool at the center. Prizes, t-shirts and food awaited those brave enough to make the plunge.


OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM: New Leadership Speaker Series targets ECU graduate students
Until now, focused leadership training at East Carolina University has targeted mostly undergraduate students. That?s changing this semester.


'ROADMAP FOR INVESTMENT': Program Prioritization Committee releases recommendations
A committee tasked with assessing productivity, quality and centrality in the academic units across East Carolina University released its recommendations Wednesday, Jan. 18.


JOINING FORCES: ECU part of national project to treat traumatic brain injury and PTSD in troops
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is one of more than 100 medical schools nationwide working with First Lady Michelle Obama's Joining Forces project to better diagnose and treat post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury in service members and veterans.


WITH URGENCY: ECU audience urged to consider unfinished work in MLK vision
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used strong language to demand economic justice, the eradication of poverty and improved conditions, pay and opportunities for black workers.


HELPING HANDS: ECU volunteers honor King with community action
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy could be seen in the helping hands of East Carolina University students participating in a Day of Service Monday.


'THE BUCK STOPS HERE': Collaboration, quality to be key under health reform
Health care professionals and organizations will have to work together, coordinate care and improve quality like never before to survive after 2014, when the national health care reform law starts to take effect.


Program Prioritization
Current funding is under continuing downward pressure and few new resources are available for investment in strategic priorities. ECU must use existing resources in the most efficient manner possible within and across all divisions. In order to increase the efficient use of our limited resources, the university will prioritize programs. This website will keep you informed about the prioritization process, which will create a roadmap for investment and reallocation over time.


ECU Budget Information
East Carolina University's Budget Information website has been created to provide you with the most up-to-date news about the university's budget. Everyone has been experiencing financial difficulties due to the economy, and ECU strives to be as transparent as possible as we deal with state budget deficits and mandates.


New ECU Screensaver
You wear Pirate gear so why not deck your computer out in purple and gold as well? The ECU Screensaver has recently been updated with new images from across campus.


Fall Open House
Prospective students are invited to attend the fall Open House on November 12, 2011. An Opening Session in Wright Auditorium and an Academic and Student Affairs Fair at the Student Rec.


ECU Website Redesign Blog
East Carolina University's website, ecu.edu, has been undergoing a redesign. The Redesign Blog is intended to inform the campus community and the public of the progress made through this redesign effort. Since the beta site launched in September, we have been gathering feedback from visitors to the site. We are very pleased to announce that the new ecu.edu will launch on January 23.


GIVING IT A WHIRL: ECU students learn belly dancing
ECU students learn belly dancing on campus.


MILESTONES RECOGNIZED: College of Business holds first Declaration Day
The College of Business welcomed business students on Jan. 10 with its inaugural Declaration Day ‒ an event when eligible undergraduate students officially declare their specific concentration within the College of Business. The event will be held in both spring and fall semesters going forward.


JOINING FORCES: ECU part of national project to treat traumatic brain injury and PTSD in troops
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is one of more than 100 medical schools nationwide working with First Lady Michelle Obama's Joining Forces project to better diagnose and treat post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury in service members and veterans.


NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Graduate programs in Nursing, Business named among best in nation
Two graduate programs at East Carolina University have been named in the nation's top 20 online education programs in a new ranking by U.S. News & World Report.


'WE ARE SPOT ON'
New College of Business Dean speaks on achievements, challenges
Dr. Stanley G. Eakins was appointed dean of the East Carolina University College of Business on Jan. 3, replacing Dr. Frederick Niswander who now serves as ECU's vice chancellor for administration and finance.


CANCER RESEARCH: ECU scientist receives $250,000 grant to study non-invasive prostate testing
An East Carolina University researcher is looking at a new type of test for prostate cancer with help from a $250,000 grant from the N.C. Biotechnology Center.Dr. Qun Lu, an associate professor of anatomy and cell biology at the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, is studying the potential effectiveness of using a certain protein in urine as a non-invasive test for prostate cancer.


REAL-LIFE ENGINEERING: ECU students develop labor and delivery bed
A group of recent graduates from East Carolina University's Department of Engineering never considered the equipment required to deliver a baby. A senior capstone project assigned to the four males last January changed that.Hours of research led to the creation of a labor, delivery and recovery bed unveiled this December - incorporating three essential functions in one mobile apparatus.


Cunningham named to state health plan board of trustees
Dr. Paul Cunningham, dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, has been named to the board of trustees of the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees. 

 State Treasurer Janet Cowell nominated Cunningham to the board.


WORK OF ART: ECU grad takes Next Great Artist title

An East Carolina University graduate won the second season of Bravo TV's "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist" in an episode airing Dec. 21. The creative competition show pitted 14 up-and-coming artists against each other each week in a series of challenges, such as creating inventive street art.


GIFT OF LIFE: ECU, PCMH provide 6-person kidney exchange
Doctors announced today what is believed to be the first successful six-person kidney exchange in the Carolinas. Doctors from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University and Eastern Urological Associates teamed to perform the surgeries Dec. 13 at Pitt County Memorial Hospital.


DIGGING DEEP: Biology professor to oversee $1.5 million grant
An East Carolina University professor will oversee a $1.5 million grant funding research into what lies underneath the Earth's oceans and continents. The grant was awarded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Deep Carbon Observatory. Dr. Matt Schrenk, an assistant professor of biology at ECU, will serve as the principal investigator, teaming with nine other primary scientists and researchers working around the world.


Race to the Top grant boosts early childhood education
A federal grant awarded Friday, Dec. 16 provides Eastern North Carolina with a chance to increase and improve educational opportunities for young children, according to a faculty member in the East Carolina University School of Human Ecology.


SEEKING SUBSTANCE: ECU grad student finds career that fits
Christina Brown-Bochicchio left Hollywood - and a career that catered to film and television celebrities - to enroll as a graduate student at East Carolina University.


ECU COMMENCEMENT: 'Our education should never stop'
Another class of Pirate graduates set sail Friday, Dec. 16 at the 103rd fall commencement.More than 800 baccalaureate, masters and doctoral students took part in the ceremony at Williams Arena in Minges Coliseum. With family and friends cheering them on from the coliseum's upper seating, they processed onto the covered court at 10 a.m., beaming and waving.


MOST AFFORDABLE: Brody School of Medicine tuition ranked lowest nationwide for in-state students
Low tuition costs were not the main reason Jon Winter chose East Carolina University for medical school, but for him and other students, it does make a difference.


NO TIME WASTED: Anema battles cancer, defends dissertation
John Anema's bucket list may seem ordinary to some. There's no faraway vacation or extreme sport. Spending time with family and friends tops his “to do” list, which got a little shorter in October.


AMAZING PACE: ECU graduate walks away from paralysis
Students of sociology are familiar with the Thomas theorem.“If men define their situations as real,” it states, “they are real in their consequences.”That premise and her family's prayers are what carried East Carolina University graduate Jill Allender through an injury few people survive. Jill was confined to a hospital bed when she officially graduated in May. This week, she will finally celebrate the completion of a master's degree with honors in applied sociology.


TIME FOR A BREAK: Doctoral grads mark end of long journey
Now that he's finished his doctorate, Ossie Dyson might finally have time to take his wife on a honeymoon. Classmate William Chappell will be glad to get some rest.


TIGHT TIMES: Students sign petition asking ECU to reconsider tuition increase
East Carolina student Jonathan Yelverton approached people walking on the campus mall Friday afternoon with paper and a plea. “Do you have time to sign a petition?” he asked each passer-by. “It's against raising tuition.”