The Black & Gold

April 16, 2021 | Issue 26 | Black & Gold 2021

Alumni & friends,

Welcome to the Black & Gold, a weekly digest of UNC Pembroke news and information! Our faculty, staff, students and nearly 30,000 alumni all over the world never cease to amaze us with stories of resilience, determination and commitment to make their world a better place.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter to learn more about how UNCP, along with our alumni and friends, is making a difference on campus and in the communities we serve.

Your support and friendship make that possible and sustain our university into the future. Thank you for all you do for this university and the students.

Sincerely,

Robin Gary Cummings, MD

Chancellor

Changing Lives Through Education

Former Trustee Mary Ann Elliott gifts $6 million to establish the McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing at UNCP

A new school is on the horizon at UNC Pembroke to honor Mary McKenzie Edwards, a strong mother and role model who overcame obstacles in the 1930s to become a registered nurse.

UNC Pembroke announced today it has received a $6 million planned gift–the second largest in the university's history–from former Trustee Mary Ann Elliott to name the McKenzie-Elliot School of Nursing. The future new school will be established by transitioning the existing Department of Nursing into a School of Nursing within the College of Health Sciences.

Elliott, a native of our area and retired CEO of a global aerospace company, is making this estate gift to elevate the prominence of nursing education, attract further interest from prospective students and bolster faculty recruitment efforts.

HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

UNCP School of Education accepting applications for recruiting event

The School of Education at UNC Pembroke and UNC Wilmington will host a Future Teachers of North Carolina event for high school juniors and seniors this summer.

The virtual recruiting event “Walk Towards Your Purpose: Becoming a Teacher of Color” will be held June 7-10. Current and rising high school juniors and seniors are invited to attend this free event to celebrate the teaching profession and learn how to become a North Carolina teacher. Participants will receive giveaways from both institutions. Participants are not required to apply to or enroll in either institution to attend. To register, visit https://uncw.edu/ed/ftnc/index.html

UNCP to host Tommy Lee Woon discussion on anti-Asian violence

As part of UNC Pembroke’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Tommy Lee Woon will discuss historical and contemporary violence against Asians in the United States. The event will take place on April 20 in a virtual setting at 3 p.m. The link to attend is available at uncp.edu/aapi.

During his 90-minute presentation and discussion, Woon will provide a personal and intimate view of early physical and political violence against Chinese who were excluded and lived in fear as illegals from 1875 to 1943. He will also provide a brief history and analysis of the causes of anti-Asian violence and an antidote for anti-Asian racism and violence. The presentation is titled “Creating A World of Feeling and Seeing No Strange: An Antidote for Anti-Asian Racism and Violence.”

Alumni Spotlight: Channing Jones '99

Channing Jones, a Fall 1999 graduate of Biology and Chemistry, is the Robeson County Executive Director of Economic Development. Channing currently is the mayor pro tem and town councilman of Pembroke, North Carolina.

Channing is married to Emily Jones, '00, and they reside in Pembroke with their three kids Kennedy, Brooklyn, and Canyon.

"The education that I received at UNC Pembroke continues to provide opportunities for my career even through today. UNC Pembroke is a very special place for my family and me, and I know it will continue its excellent educational service for generations to come."

UNCP Mobile Health Clinics Impact Region

UNCP's newly acquired mobile health clinics are impacting our region providing access to COVID vaccines across Robeson County. Learn more and hear first-hand about the service of our faculty, staff and students in the Department of Nursing.