College of Education Category
04.26.2013
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors with the 2013 Faculty Awards for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Margaret Blanchard, an associate professor of science education in the College of Education. Blanchard, who is also research director of The Science House at NC State, is one of three professors being recognized for Outstanding Extension and Outreach.
What prompted you to become a professor? When I entered graduate school, I had been teaching high school and middle school science for 6 years and coaching girls’ soccer and track. Initially, I thought I might become a middle school principal. Then, I worked on developing science curricula and teachers’ manuals for a website on the Florida Panther and an Energy CD, which was very interesting. Next, I supervised student teachers and taught a methods course and really enjoyed teaching at the college level to prepare future science teachers. Finally, I worked on several research projects and wrote my first grant proposal, which was funded. I decided that since I liked all of these things, I would be able to do them all if I obtained a faculty position in a College of Education. So I guess you might say that I eased into the decision to become a professor! I think the lesson is to experience as much as you can as a student, to find out what you like and to grow the skills you will need in the future.
What are the keys to being a successful teacher/professor? My #1 goal as a teacher is to treat students with respect. I also am convinced that the key to success in nearly anything is time management, strategic effort, and passion. I use a big board in my office to chart all stages of my grants, conference proposals, manuscripts, and other major deadlines. Every day I plan by making a list and I establish daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals, and schedule regular meetings to review plans and revise them. That said, I always have time to talk to colleagues and students. One of the things I tell my students is that ‘W-O-R-K’ is a 4 letter word, so the key is to make the work fun. I try to choose positive and enjoyable colleagues who also work hard, and focus on research that I find interesting and rewarding. If something feels too hard, you may not be that interested in it.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? There are so many aspects of this work that are satisfying! The relationships I seek to develop with my students and collaborators are very satisfying. It is also great to feel as though the work I am involved with immediately improves the lives of students, teachers, and their schools as well as having implications for other educational researchers. Later, for those graduate students who become professors, we will meet at conferences once or twice a year and find ways to collaborate or act as sounding boards for each other and maintain our friendships. The funny thing about becoming a professor is that it can feel like you are always in school, keeping the student calendar and constantly learning from the research you and your students are doing.
02.26.2013
The Center for Student Leadership Ethics & Public Service at NC State sends students who love to serve out into the world on what are known as Alternative Service Breaks. Students can choose between fall, winter or spring break and between programs that feature different countries or more locally-focused service projects. The stories in this series are just a few of many students who will be going out and developing leadership and service skills over spring break, which begins Monday.
Chelsea Bowman, Belize
Chelsea Bowman in El Salvador last year
Chelsea Bowman is excited to motivate others this spring break and contribute to a healthier environment.
Bowman, a junior from Randleman, N.C., is a student co-leader on the CSLEPS spring break trip to Belize. Since June, she planned to travel with a group of fellow NC State students to focus on environmental and agricultural issues in the area near Punta Gorda.
Bowman and her team will be working throughout the week with the Toledo Cacao Growers Association, or TCGA. The growers association is focused on creating a better life for its farmers through competition and ecologically-friendly practices.
“We’re working at the garden,” says Bowman. “So (the trip) focuses more on environmental issues.”
The team will also coordinate with the House of Chocolate, a museum that features the story of the Cacao plant. The Belize team might help build drying racks for the beans, but the garden will be the main focus, says Bowman.
The service trip will also have a lot of fun activities for the students.
“Through the week we just work with (the TCGA), have lunch in town and then on the weekends we have extra-curricular activities,” says Bowman. “That includes Mayan ruins and snorkeling, water falls. We only work Monday through Friday.”
Chelsea Bowman, right, working in El Salvador
This kind of volunteering is not new to Bowman. Last year, she spent her spring break and first time out of the country with another CSLEPS program in El Salvador. She laid foundations and poured concrete for houses with the Fuller Center for Housing program.
“I’ve always felt the need to do more activities, become a leader,” says Bowman. “I really enjoy service, I did in high school.”
Bowman, an education major, would like to let that love for service carry over after college. “I’d like to join the Peace Corps,” she says. “Just wherever they send me, the location doesn’t matter to me.”
Bowman became a leader because of all the love she has for volunteering. She hopes it inspires others on the trip. “My biggest hope is for my team members to become as inspired as I am to become involved with serving, here at NC State and carrying over what they learn to be a leader themselves,” says Bowman. “I hope they become leaders in service like I have. That’s what I really want; and to also make an impact with the TCGA.”
– Molly Green
NC State students in El Salvador
01.25.2013
NC State University, the Wolfpack Club and the Alumni Association will recognize some of NC State’s greatest stars tonight at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, N.C., honoring 18 alumni and friends of the university for their professional and personal accomplishments and their continuing support of NC State, the Wolfpack Club and the Alumni Association.
The honorees at the 9th Annual NC State Evening of Stars are:
COLLEGE DISTINGUISHED AWARD RECIPIENTS
Tommy Bunn ‘66, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Bunn, president of the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, has spent more than 45 years in the tobacco industry. He got his start growing tobacco on his family farm, then went on to work for 21 years as executive vice president of the Leaf Tobacco Exporters Association and the Tobacco Association of the United States. He also worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and was a charter member and chairman of the Golden Leaf Foundation Board of Directors.
Charlie Stuber ‘65 PhD, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: For more than 35 years, Stuber held a joint appointment as a genetics professor at NC State and a research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. Stuber then came out of retirement to return to NC State in 2006 to develop and direct the Center for Plant Breeding and Applied Plant Genomics. The USDA Agricultural Research Service named him the Outstanding Scientist of the Year in 1989 and inducted Stuber into their Science Hall of Fame in 1989.
Steven Schuster ‘73, College of Design: Schuster is the founding principal of Clearscapes, a full-service architectural design firm in Raleigh. Under Schuster’s leadership, Clearscapes has been recognized with more than 75 design awards and worked on such notable projects as the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, the Haw River Ball Room, the Raleigh Convention Center and the Contemporary Art Museum. Schuster is also a national leader in the historic preservation community. He serves on the Board of Visitors at NC State.
Robert Bridges ‘70 MED, College of Education: Bridges taught sixth grade and then high school in Wake County before becoming principal at Crosby-Garfield Elementary School. He then went on to work in Wake County’s central office as a director, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent before becoming the superintendent in 1984. After five years leading the state’s second largest public school system, Bridges went on to become provost at St. Augustine College in Raleigh, and then worked as an education and management consultant and chaired the N.C. Advisory Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps.
Stephen Angel, ‘77, College of Engineering: Angel is chair, president and CEO of Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 300 company that ranks as the largest industrial gases producer and distributor in North and South America, with sales of $11 billion in 2011. Before joining Praxair, Angel spent more than two decades at GE, most recently as general manager of the company’s $2 billion power equipment business. He serves on the board of directors of the U.S.-China Business Council and PPG Industries, and is a member of the Business Roundtable, the Business Council and the U.S.-Brazil Forum.
Jimmy Clark ‘74, College of Engineering: Clark is the owner and president of Guy M. Turner, Inc., a diversified company that is a leader in the handling and moving of the heaviest equipment in the fields of rigging, machine tool installation, crane services and specialized transportation. The company has 12 offices in the United States and Canada. Clark serves on the NC State Board of Trustees, as well as on the board of directors for the NC State Alumni Association and the Engineering Foundation. He previously chaired the NC State Board of Visitors.
John Edmond ‘87, College of Engineering: While earning his PhD in material sciences and engineering, Edmond teamed with other graduate students and young faculty on some promising silicon carbide research. Upon graduation, the group co-founded what became CREE Inc., one of the world’s top LED manufacturers. Today, Edmond is director of advanced optoelectronics for the Durham-based company, which makes energy-efficient LED lights, lighting components and semiconductor products.
Susan Warren Rabon ‘82, College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Rabon is a member of the N.C. Utilities Commission, which regulates the rates and services of all of the state’s public utilities. Rabon, who received her law degree from the University of Virginia, has also worked as a clerk in the N.C. Court of Appeals, as special counsel and then chief of staff for the N.C. Department of Justice, and senior assistant for administration in the office of the governor. She has previously served on the NC State Board of Visitors.
Kevin Beasley ‘79, Poole College of Management: Beasley, a CPA, is a partner-in-charge of tax practice at the Raleigh office of Grant Thornton, one of the Big Six international accounting firms. He previously worked at Arthur Anderson, where he rose to the position of partner and earned a spot in the inaugural class of the NC State Accounting Hall of Fame.
Ray Tanner ‘80, College of Natural Resources: Tanner, a former All-ACC baseball player at NC State, was named athletics director for the University of South Carolina last year after spending 25 years as a collegiate head baseball coach, including nine years as the head coach at NC State. Under Tanner’s direction, the baseball team at South Carolina won two NCAA Division I Baseball Championships and made six appearances in the College World Series. Tanner has been named National Coach of the Year three times.
Sung Won Lee, ‘60 MS, ‘67 PhD, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences: After earning his graduate degrees at NC State, Lee returned to his native South Korea to lead the S-Oil Corporation to success as the third largest oil refinery in Korea. He also served as chairman of two South Korean chemical companies. But his passion is downhill skiing, and his family built Korea’s oldest and largest ski and snowboard resort, which will host alpine skiing events for the 2018 Winter Olympics and 2018 Winter Paralympics. Lee is founder and president of the Asian Ski Federation, former vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia and honorary president of the Korean Ski Association.
Michael Fralix ‘00 PhD, College of Textiles: Fralix is the president and CEO of [TC]2, a company that develops next generation supply chain technologies such as 3-D body scanners used in product development for apparel and equipment, made-to-measure clothing, clothing size and style recommendations and body shape analysis.
Dr. Laura Rush ‘97 DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine: Rush began her career as a registered nurse, specializing in the care of cancer patients, before going to vet school. Following graduation, she joined the faculty at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and headed a laboratory funded by the National Institute of Health that focused on cancer research in dogs and humans. Rush now works as vice president and associate medical director for GSW Worldwide, a healthcare marketing firm where she helps develop marketing strategies for healthcare companies.
WOLFPACK CLUB AWARD
Nora Lynn Finch, Ronnie Shavlik Award: Finch was a pioneer for collegiate women’s athletics, serving as the ACC’s first female assistant athletics director and negotiated the first women’s basketball tournament television contract with CBS. At NC State, Finch served as head volleyball and softball coach, associate head coach for women’s basketball, and assistant, associate and senior associate athletics director. She is currently the ACC’s associate commissioner for women’s basketball operations and senior women’s administrator. She has been inducted into the National Women’s Sports Hall of Fame.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Ryan DeJong ‘05, Outstanding Young Alumnus: DeJong, chief operating officer of FIRM Consulting Group, has led the Tampa NC State Alumni Network since 2007. As network leader, DeJong has aggressively promoted his alma mater and the Alumni Association. He recruits and manages volunteers to staff local college fairs and plans many types of group activities for his fellow Tampa Wolfpackers.
Sherice Nivens ‘98, Outstanding Young Alumnus: Nivens, cardiac sales manager for Intuitive Surgical, is a member of the PAMS Alumni and Friends Advisory Board and a founding member of the Dean’s Circle. She served as the keynote speaker for the 2009 Department of Chemistry graduation ceremony and the 2010 Society of African American Physical and Mathematical Scientists annual banquet.
Bill Collins ‘54, ‘61 MS, Meritorious Service Award: Collins, a world renowned expert in tobacco field production, was a Philip Morris Professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for 28 years. Since retiring in 2005, Collins joined the CALS Office of College Advancement as senior director of development. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Alumni Association.
Judi Grainger ‘72 MS, Meritorious Service Award: Grainger served as president of the Alumni Association board of directors in 2011 and served for a total of 14 years on the board. She also serves on the NC State Board of Visitors, the College of Education Advisory Board and the board of directors of The State Club.
11.08.2012
It didn’t take long for Sarah Cutler to show her true colors as a child. While the first words she spoke were “Momma” and “Daddy,” her mother says the first phrase Sarah uttered was “Go Wolfpack!”
Sarah and Brad Cutler were young football fans
That’s because Sarah was the latest in a long line of Wolfpackers in her family. Her mother, Ann Gentry Cutler, and her grandfather, Howell Gentry, both graduated from NC State, as did several other members of her extended family. Her younger brother, Brad, plans to attend NC State after he finishes high school.
Sarah is now a junior at NC State, majoring in mathematics and math education. And she and her family will be recognized during the Wolfpack game against Wake Forest on Saturday as the 2012 NC State Family of the Year, an award given out by the Office of Parents and Families Services. The recognition is part of Parents and Families Weekend at NC State.
“Our family history is so intertwined with the university,” says Ann Cutler, a 1982 graduate. “It’s home to us.”
The Wolfpack connection started with Howell Gentry, a 1958 graduate who was the first person in his family to graduate from college. He was already married when he came to NC State - he earned money by milking cows in the university dairy each morning while his wife worked in Kilgore Hall as a secretary for the horticulture department. He went on to work as superintendent of an NC State research station in Reidsville, N.C.
Ann and Sarah Cutler
“My whole life, between my dad going to school there and then working for the university, there was a real connection,” says Ann Cutler.
Cutler was a finalist from her high school to be a Morehead Scholar at UNC. But she showed up for the interview wearing red, and knew even then that NC State was the place for her.
“To me, it was just like being at home,” she says. “I was so used to being on campus.”
When it was time for Sarah Cutler to consider college, her dad encouraged her to look at some schools other than NC State. You see, her dad is one of the few family members who didn’t go to NC State, although they all say he’s a strong Wolfpack fan.
“He thought she might be a little brainwashed, so we did take her to other college campuses,” says Ann Cutler. “It was enlightening for her and for us, but it always came back to NC State.”
Sarah Cutler, who nominated her family for the award, says she loves the faculty, staff and students at NC State. She plays the mellophone in the NC State marching band and, like her mother before her, is active in the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity.
Sarah and Brad Cutler
“Even though State was so big, the College of Education felt like more of a small family,” says Sarah, whose family is from the small town of Bethany, N.C. “I feel like I have the best of both worlds here - the advantages of a big university but the feel of a small community.”
But while she feels support from her friends and professors at NC State, Sarah Cutler still relies on her family. She talks to her mom by telephone every day and her dad often stops by to take her to lunch when he is in town for business. They are always in the stands to watch her perform with the band.
“My family has supported me and encouraged me to keep a level head and step outside my comfort zone at times,” she says.
09.20.2012
Michael Steer receiving his award in 2010.
Michael Steer, the Lampe Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the U.S. Army Commander’s Award for Public Service in 2010 for research that has helped U.S. forces detect and counter roadside bombs. Those efforts have saved hundreds of soldiers’ lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Steer is one of many presenters who will discuss NC State’s role in military advancements this Friday at NC State’s 125th Anniversary Military Appreciation event.
Steer began his research by planning to illuminate electronic communications devices like mobile phones with electromagnetic energy and remotely measuring the responses. Those responses informed him about the devices’ components and circuits, giving him better idea of how they worked.
The Army funded Steer’s research so he could extend his application to electronic warfare and explosive devices like roadside bombs that have killed U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. That work enabled Army officials to learn how those explosive devices worked.
“I’m really glad that all that hard work made a difference,” Steer says of his research. “I do remember the day back in early 2005 when someone called me up and told me about the effect the research was having.”
Dan McNeill, a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army.
Steer will join other presenters who will talk about diverse research involving engineering, textiles and education that is affecting American military daily. When the research portion of the program concludes, NC State will welcome military leaders to speak at a panel discussion about the university’s legacy of leadership. That talk will include an overview of NC State’s ROTC program, and comments by retired Gen. Dan McNeill ‘68, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The event is for university officials and will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday. There will be a reception afterward to conclude the afternoon. And the Wolfpack’s game against the Citadel on Saturday will mark Military Appreciation Day for the university.
Steer says NC State research that is geared toward the military reinforces the institution’s land-grant mission.
“The thing that really stands out is how the administration, the faculty and the staff are proud that we’re a part of this,” he says. “At many universities, they wouldn’t bat an eye. But we’ve all bought into that. And we do research that affects real people.”
05.08.2012
The Alumni Association honored 21 NC State professors last week for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Hiller Spires, a professor in the College of Education and a senior research fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. Spires is one of two professors being recognized as Distinguished Graduate Professors.
What is the key to being a successful teacher? Any success I’ve had as a teacher is derived, I think, from my passion for compelling ideas and creating conditions for students to be curious and intellectually challenged. I’ve found that students more often than not rise to the learning occasion. I see my role as setting high expectations, modeling intellectual curiosity and being available to mentor, challenge and provide resources for students to be successful. I’m not afraid to show my enthusiasm and students tell me that it is contagious. “If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. If you let me experience, I will learn.” This well-known quote by Lao Tau aptly captures my philosophy of teaching.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? My favorite aspect of graduate teaching is engaging my students as co-researchers. I enjoy supporting students as they learn the rigors of the educational research process, including publishing findings and sharing them with professional audiences at conferences. It’s rewarding to watch as students become confident in their new-found knowledge and skills. I take satisfaction knowing that I have a part in contributing to the next generation of educational researchers.
04.30.2012
The Alumni Association will honor 21 NC State professors on May 3 for their outstanding work in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the field. We talked (via email) with some of the recipients about their work and the keys to being a successful professor.
Today we’re visiting with Jessica DeCuir-Gunby, an associate professor of education in the College of Education. DeCuir-Gunby is one of seven professors being recognized with Outstanding Teacher Awards.
What is the key to being a successful teacher? I feel there are several keys to being a successful teacher. First, it is important to establish a healthy student-teacher relationship that is based upon trust and respect; this helps to create a welcoming learning community. I also think that a successful teacher is encouraging; it is imperative to help motivate students to believe in their abilities both in and outside of the classroom. Third, a successful teacher uses culturally relevant methods to help students learn course content; it is necessary to incorporate students’ experiences as well as popular culture and recent events into course materials. Last, a successful teacher makes course content applicable to students’ futures; it is essential to provide real-world activities that can be applied to students’ professional lives.
What gives you the greatest satisfaction as a professor? I love receiving correspondence from former students stating how they were able to use what they learned in my class in their respective professions. I receive great satisfaction knowing that my courses are directly applicable to my students’ lives. I also receive satisfaction when students decide to continue their learning based upon taking one of my courses. It is quite humbling to know that I have helped inspire students to further their education.
04.24.2012
The Alumni Association is honoring 21 NC State professors for their excellent work in the classroom, the laboratory and the field. The professors will be recognized at a reception at the Dorothy and Roy Park Alumni Center on May 3.
The winners of the 2012 Faculty Awards are:
Alumni Association Distinguished Undergraduate Professors
- D. Barry Croom | Department of Agricultural and Extension Education | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Jeffrey A. Joines | Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science | College of Textiles
- John R. Meyer | Department of Entomology | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Craig M. Newmark | Department of Economics | College of Management
- Maria Oliver-Hoyo | Department of Chemistry | College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
- John K. Townsend | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering | College of Engineering
Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professors
- Y. Richard Kim | Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering | College of Engineering
- Hiller A. Spires | Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Counselor Education | College of Education
Alumni Association Outstanding Research Awards
- Edward Bealmear Breitschwerdt | Department of Clinical Sciences | College of Veterinary Medicine
- Jon-Paul Maria| Department of Material Science Engineering | College of Engineering
- Ann Helen Ross| Department of Sociology and Anthropology | College Humanities and Social Sciences
Alumni Association Outstanding Extension and Outreach Awards
- Jay F. Levine | Department of Population Health and Pathobiology | College of Veterinary Medicine
- Donald E. Thrall | Department of Molecular Biomedical Science| College of Veterinary Medicine
- Grady L. Miller |Department of Crop Science | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Awards
- Jennifer L. Campbell | Department of Biology | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Martha L. Crowley | Department of Sociology and Anthropology | College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Jessica T. DeCuir-Gunby | Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Counselor Education | College of Education
- Michael D. Dickey | Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering | College of Engineering
- Scott M. Ferguson | Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | College of Engineering
- David W.W. Jones | Department of Agricultural and Extension Education | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Shevaun Neupert | Department of Psychology | College of Humanities and Social Sciences
03.29.2012
Everyone, it seems, has a Facebook page and we know that when someone says they Tweet they don’t mean that they chirp like a bird.
But as familiar as we are with social media, there’s a great opportunity on Monday to hear from one of the pioneers of social media.
Chris Hughes, one of the co-founders of Facebook, is delivering the 2012 Harrelson Lecture at 3 p.m. Monday at Stewart Theatre. His topic is “The Changing Media Landscape: How Social Media is Transforming News and Information.” The talk is free and open to the public.
Hughes has also worked in politics (director of online organizing for Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign), investments (General Catalyst Partners) and the nonprofit world (he founded Jumo, a tool to help people find high-quality nonprofits).
In the fall of 2011, Jumo merged with GOOD, an online community of young adults interested in social activism. Hughes is currently a senior adviser at GOOD. In March, it was announced the Hughes had purchased and will be the publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic magazine. Hughes, a native of Hickory, N.C., is a Harvard University graduate.
The Harrelson Lecture is made possible with support from the Harrelson Fund, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, the Entrepreneurship Institute, the Institute for Emerging Issues, the University Scholars Program, the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the Department of Athletics and the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science.
02.08.2012
Former NC State Chancellor Larry Monteith ‘60 remembers when he was a department head in the College of Engineering in the mid-1970s and the challenges the college faced. At the time, he says the college was trying to make itself a place where African-Americans and women could thrive. At times, he says, minority students didn’t feel nurtured or at home. That soon changed.
“In comes Larry. Larry was sort of the spark plug,” Monteith says of Lawrence Clark, a former NC State educator who began many student initiatives for minorities at the university. “He stepped in and helped develop that environment. …He was right there at the front of that charge.”
Clark died January 23 at his home in Raleigh. He was 77.
Monteith says Clark was a “pioneer” in his roles as math professor, associate provost and coordinator of the university’s affirmative action plan. He made NC State’s campus a home for diverse opinions and diverse backgrounds, Monteith says.
Clark spread that diversity by nurturing students and reaching them on a personal level. “I think he was really energized by the contact he had with students,” says Joanne Woodard, vice provost for institutional equity and diversity. “He never lost that. You see that in the programs he created. Those were created to foster their learning and to make sure they were armed and ready when they left NC State.”
Clark came to NC State in 1974 as a professor of mathematics who had taught at Virginia State College, Norfolk State College and Florida State University. He served as associate provost and a full-time professor in the College of Education.
As a catalyst for inclusion on campus, Clark was what the African American Cultural Center (AACC) calls a “founding father” for programs and initiatives centered around African-American advancement on campus. He worked diligently to found the AACC. He started the African American Symposium, a summer orientation program featuring perspectives from African-American faculty, staff and students. He also established the University-Community Brotherhood Dinner, which brought together leaders of NC State, Shaw University and Saint Augustine’s College.
One of Clark’s prized projects was an annual trip to West Africa he would take with students, Woodard says. The first trip happened in 1989 and was the brainchild of Clark and Augustus Witherspoon ‘69 MS, ‘71 PHD. Clark enjoyed using the trip to teach the students about themselves.
“I think he wanted people to have a better sense of, as we say, ‘from whence they came,’” Woodard says. “He wanted them to see they were from a prosperous people still thriving. It encouraged them to be a part of their heritage.”
In the 1990s, the AACC started the Lawrence M. Clark Lecture Series to celebrate his legacy. The 2012 Clark Lecture on March 15 will pay a special tribute to him. The Black Alumni Society has honored Clark by voting to name the undergraduate scholarship it awards after him.
Clark also served as a leader on various committees, boards and commissions. He was active in many professional societies, including the American Association of College Teachers of Education and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
He is survived by his wife, Irene Reynolds Clark, of Raleigh; his four children: Debra Clark Jones of Chapel Hill, N.C., Linda Parks of Raleigh, Lawrence M. Clark Jr. of Washington, D.C., and Sheila Stallings of Greensboro, N.C.; and seven grandchildren.
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