2019: THE HIGHLIGHTS
A look back at the year in Pirate Nation
There is much to be proud of in Pirate Nation. At East Carolina, we’re leading and building. Our faculty and staff are discovering and inspiring. Our students and alumni are creating and doing.
Health care professionals are making breakthroughs. New facilities are on the rise. There is consistent work toward our service mission and innovative research is pushing the boundaries. Here are the highlights of our 2019.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
HEALTH CARE HIGHLIGHTS
Congressional Testimony
Dr. Jamie DeWitt testified before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee about the negative health effects of PFAS, estimated to be in the drinking water of 19 million Americans.
Growing Brains
Dr. Karen Litwa grows mini brains from skin tissue samples in order to better understand how the brains of people with autism spectrum disorders develop differently.
Healthier Babies
Newborn babies whose mothers exercised during their pregnancy have improved motor skills, heart function and body composition, ECU researchers have found.
Research Breakthrough
Dr. Jessica Ellis discovered a specific enzyme is critical for enriching a fatty acid in the brain, which could one day help protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS.
Farm Stress
A partnership between ECU, NC State and North Carolina A&T is working to pair farmers with resources to help them tackle issues of anxiety and depression.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
‘Game Changer’
After 15 years of dreaming, planning and building, the new 220,000-square-foot Main Campus Student Center opened in January.
Breaking Ground
Work is underway on the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building, a 141,500-square-foot facility at the corner of 10th and Evans streets.
TowneBank Touchdown
The newest addition at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the Southside Renovation Project, opened this fall and is named TowneBank Tower.
HAAS in the High Bay
The College of Engineering and Technology held a ribbon-cutting for its four new CNC machines, funded in part by the Wells Fargo Foundation.
PHILANTHROPY AND GRANT HIGHLIGHTS
Heartfelt Donation
Travis Burt might not be here without a lifesaving surgery performed by Dr. Mark Williams from ECU’s heart institute. To say thanks, he started a professorship in Williams’ honor.
Crisp Center
ECU’s Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the Crisp Small Business Center, possible thanks to a $1 million gift from Matt and Kim Crisp.
Fundraising Success
Support for rural economic prosperity, one thousand new scholarships — just a couple things ECU was able to do with generous donations in 2018-19, and more improvements are on the way.
Nurses Addressing Needs
Thanks to new grant funding, graduates from one ECU College of Nursing program will be poised to provide health care that makes a big difference in small communities.
Engineering Success
ECU received a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation in an effort to support 80 low-income students pursuing undergraduate engineering degrees in fall 2020 and 2021.
School-Based Telemedicine
Officials say a collaborative school-based telemedicine program launched by ECU, Duplin County Schools and health care professionals has been such an incredible asset.
SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS
Serving Others
Students embodied ECU’s mission of “Servire,” or “to serve,” and forwent traditional spring break to help communities in three states.
Florence Anniversary
Eastern N.C. residents are still struggling one year after Florence, but ECU researchers and alumni remain focused on long-term recovery.
In Your Shoes
ECU’s free foot clinic for Greenville’s homeless population grew to provide additional services and better access.
Smiles for Veterans
The School of Dental Medicine held its third ECU Smiles for Veterans event in November, providing free dental care for 40 veterans.
A Purple Pantry Ally
The Purple Pantry helps ECU students with food insecurity and now has support from a new student service learning lab.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Success in the Arctic
Snow sensors developed by ECU students and faculty to aid in climate change research were successfully deployed in the Arctic.
Batter Up!
ECU researchers are looking at the process of turning what the eyes see into a winning baseball swing.
International Connection
Associate professor Alex Manda landed a Fulbright award to travel to Zambia to test groundwater system’s water quality.
Vaping Phenomenon
Vapes and electronic cigarette products such as Juul have been the topic of conversation in the national media, and ECU experts weighed in.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Highest Faculty Honor
Dr. Sy Saeed was presented the 2019 O. Max Gardner Award from the UNC System Board of Governors for his contributions in telepsychiatry.
Inventor Honor
An ECU faculty member who invented a device that allows stutterers to speak normally was elected as an inaugural NAI Senior Member.
Celebrating Arts
The governor honored Carroll V. Dashiell Jr., associate professor of music and director of ECU Jazz Ensemble A, during Black History Month.
Changing Lives Through Research
ECU researchers and inventors were recognized Feb. 5 at the university’s third annual Research and Scholarship Awards.
TRADITION HIGHLIGHTS
Ice Cold Custom
Cold. Freezing. Perhaps insanity or bravery. These are a few words some might choose to describe the Polar Bear Plunge. For students, faculty and staff, it comes down to tradition.
Welcome Home
Boxes, bins, handcarts and a feeling of freedom signaled move-in, the annual rite of passage for students on college campuses.
Match Day 2019
Medical students from ECU’s Brody School of Medicine learned during the school’s annual Match Day event where they will be completing their residency training.
Homecoming 2019
Fans welcomed the Pirates back to Greenville with a week of festivities, including the homecoming parade and a football game.
In the Spotlight
More than 5,200 received degrees from ECU on May 3 as keynote speaker Emily Procter encouraged graduates to look for opportunities and overcome challenges.
Fall Commencement
Nearly 2,300 students graduated in December as keynote speaker Dr. Laura Gerald told graduates to take advantage of opportunities.
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS
Street of Dreams
Alumni have made Dickinson Avenue the place to be. Their small businesses are creating jobs and enticing people to spend a night out.
Best Picture
Theatre Arts graduate Von Lewis had a singing role in the movie “Green Book,” which won best picture at the 91st Academy Awards.
Brushing Better
Communication grad Lindsay McCormick’s eco-friendly company, Bite, is saving the world one toothpaste tube at a time.
Pirate at the Tonys
The Broadway musical “Hadestown” was a big winner at the 2019 Tony Awards. For ECU grad Malcolm Armwood, being part of the cast was an even bigger win.
Game On
The College of Health and Human Performance launched its Design for Disability initiative with a kickball kickoff.
He Started ‘Bo Time.’ Now It’s ‘Go Time’
Randy Poindexter ’78 didn’t chicken out when he faced rejection in post-graduation job hunting. Persistence landed him his dream job at Bojangles’ for nearly 30 years.
All About Exposure
Alumnus and award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley returned to the School of Theatre and Dance to visit with students.
MILESTONE HIGHLIGHTS
Gallup Survey Highlights
In a far-reaching survey of UNC System alumni, graduates reported higher levels of wellbeing and work engagement than colleges nationally.
Building Momentum
ECU welcomed its third largest freshman class in the university’s history this fall.
Nationally Ranked
The Miller School of Entrepreneurship made the Top 50 Undergraduate Schools of Entrepreneurship for the first time.
Diversity Recognized
For the eighth year, ECU received the HEED Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine.
U.S. News & World Report
ECU’s online programs were ranked among the best in the nation.
ECU’s graduate programs in education, medicine, nursing, public administration, physician assistant studies, rehabilitation counseling and social work were rated among the nation’s best.
ECU is one of the top five nationally ranked public universities in North Carolina.
STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS
Challenge Met
With cash and prizes totaling more than $75,000, the Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge found its second winner.
Reaching Port
The Partway Home program helps former Pirates who have more than 90 credit hours complete their degrees.
The Lost Tavern
A dozen ECU students spent four weeks this summer excavating the remains of a previously unknown 18th century tavern near Southport.
Mysteries of the Deep
ECU’s Program in Maritime Studies is just one of three in the nation and draws students and faculty from throughout the world.
Pirates Abroad
Faculty and students traveled around the world this summer on once-in-a-lifetime trips to research and experience different cultures.
Making the Call
A call center established last year connects at-risk students to campus resources, from tutoring and study skills coaching to counseling.
Waste Not
Engineering students are working with Greenville Utilities to look at ways to get the most efficient use from the wastewater treatment plant.
Kicking Bot
An ECU robotics team won the robot competition at the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering’s national conference.
ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS
Regional Title
ECU rolled past Campbell 12-3 to win the NCAA Greenville Regional before a sellout crowd inside Clark-LeClair, securing the fifth NCAA regional championship in program history.
Pirates Ascending
Most every year, Pirate sports teams have been nationally ranked and received national academic accolades. And you could say the Pirates are just getting started.
Officially Introduced
ECU introduced its 10th head women’s basketball coach in program history, welcoming former University of Hartford coach Kim McNeill to the program this year.
TowneBank Touchdown
The newest addition at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, the Southside Renovation Project, opened this fall and is called TowneBank Tower in honor of a $3 million gift.