March 12, 2021 | Issue 21 | 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
UNCP's New Strategic Plan
UNCP In The News
Pierce, Cooper to headline Women’s Empowerment Summit
The Women’s Empowerment Summit at UNC Pembroke will feature several speakers poised to share personal stories of resiliency, balance and overcoming adversity.

The inspiring virtual experience will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 19. Keynote speakers are Hilary Cooper, assistant general counsel at AvePoint, and Julia Beach Pierce, associate general counsel for the Public Health Division with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

“Each year our Women’s Empowerment Summit is always such a great event. Our participants come to fellowship with their friends and family and leave feeling inspired. Although this year’s event is virtual, our presenters will give talks on topics that will still resonate with our audience,” said Mary Beth Locklear, director of the Office for Regional Initiatives at UNCP.
HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

John Roe has a long history of mentoring undergraduate students in box turtle research. So it may come as no surprise that his long-term study of Eastern box turtles has made the cover of Ecosphere, a peer-reviewed open access journal in ecology. Roe is the lead author of the paper, “State-wide population characteristics and long-term trends in eastern box turtles in North Carolina,” which was coauthored by Gabrielle Graeter of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and by Ashley LaVere and Ann Somers of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Their landmark, 10-year study merits special recognition, given global declines in turtle populations, and the pressing need for long-term studies that explore population trends.  
Completing the food cycle at UNCP

In 2019-20, UNC Pembroke’s CARE Resource Center helped divert 60,000 pounds of food from being wasted while working to alleviate local food insecurity and also lending support to local farmers.

The CARE Resource Center is in partnership with local agencies and businesses, including Sodexo and Second Harvest Food Bank, to implement the food recovery practices of preventing surplus food items from being trashed in the landfill. The Center rescues unspoiled, healthy foods from UNCP’s dining facilities (Starbucks, Cafe 641 and Einstein Bros. Bagels) as well as packaged food from the local Walmart location. The food that is not consumed by people is then recycled into animal feed or compost to aid in the regrowth of food production.
Alumni Spotlight: Shannon Hunt '19
Shannon Hunt, a 2019 graduate of UNC Pembroke, is continuing her medical training in the Physician Assistant Studies Program at Pfeiffer University.

Hunt earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a biomedical emphasis and began the PA program in January. As a student, Hunt was involved in extracurricular activities in and out of the classroom as a member of Lambda Sigma Sophomore Society, Tri Beta, National College Honor Society, Alpha Chi and NC-Health Careers Access Program (HCAP).

She was also a Gates Millennium Scholar and COMPASS Scholar.
Our Heritage at UNCP

Learn more about the UNCP American Indian experience for students and what our campus has to offer. For more information, visit the UNCP American Indian Heritage Center at uncp.edu/aihc.
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