Research magazine available online

The spring 2011 issue of Evolution, North Carolina A&T's research magazine, is now online. Evolution is available on campus exclusively in its online edition via the Aggie Research blog and the Division of Research and Economic Development website. A limited number of printed copies are distributed off campus and to on-campus offices and individuals as needed.

The new issue features articles on Salil Desai's biomedical engineering research, Abdellah Ahmidouch's perspective on the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, an interview with Provost Linda Thompson Adams, and research projects being conducted by five faculty members and two students. This issue also features a short column by Interim Vice Chancellor Celestine Ntuen. A longer version of the column is published on the Aggie Research blog with an opportunity for readers to share their thoughts on Ntuen's ideas regarding emergence and convergence.

B-school conducting alumni survey

Alumni of A&T's School of Business and Economics who graduated between 2001 and 2010 are asked to complete a Survey of Recent Graduates. The School of Business and Economics is preparing for a Maintenance of Accreditation visit in the fall, and the survey is part of a follow-up study to learn how well its programs prepared recent graduates for their jobs.
 
The survey takes about 7-10 minutes to complete. Click the following link and complete the questionnaire by Monday, May 2: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XBJNDBC.
 
The B-school also would like to learn what employers/supervisors think about its graduates, so please forward the Employer Survey to your supervisor/employer, and ask her/him to complete the following survey by May 2: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KG3QRH9.

Dean search forums

The Dean of Library Services Search Committee will interview candidates April 29-May 5, 2011. Open forums for A&T students, administrators, faculty and staff will be held in the Library Seminar Room at the following times: April 29, 1:30-2:30 p.m.; May 2, 3:15-4:15 p.m.; May 3, 2:45-3:45 p.m.; May 4, 4-5 p.m.; and May 5, 3:15-4:15 p.m. For other details, contact Nita M. Dewberry, associate dean of arts and sciences and chair of the search committee, (336) 334-7795 or dewbernm@ncat.edu.

Blackboard workshops available

North Carolina A&T State University will migrate to Blackboard 9.1 (Blackboard Learn) for the fall 2011 semester. Blackboard 9.1 is a totally revamped version of Blackboard that provides improved course management workflow and enhanced navigation and reordering features. In addition to changes on the control panel and the course menu, the digital drop box is no longer available. Student assignments must be submitted using the assignment feature in Blackboard.

All members of the faculty are encouraged to participate in the workshop prior to the start of the fall semester. This and other Blackboard 9.1 sessions will be available during the summer and fall semesters. To register online, visit www.ncat.edu/training. For other information, contact Tracie O. Lewis, coordinator of distance learning, at (336) 285-4491 or tolewis@ncat.edu.

MATLAB® is here

A&T is now a MATLAB® enabled campus. MATLAB® is a high-level language and interactive environment that is used extensively for data visualization, signal and image processing, communications, control design, test and measurement, financial modeling and analysis, and computational biology. It allows users to perform computationally intensive tasks faster than with traditional programming languages such as C, C++, and Fortran. For more information, visit www.mathworks.com/products/matlab.

Training sessions and the procedures for accessing the software are forthcoming.

JSNN is regional finalist

The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoenginering has been named a finalist for the first Przirembel Prize. The award promotes best practices in open innovation and recognizes collaborations among diverse organizations in the Southeast region. The other finalists are the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle program and the Carolinas Nuclear Cluster collaboration. 

The prize will be awarded Tuesday, May 10, at the InnoVenture Southeast 2011 conference in Greenville, S.C.  For details, see coverage in The Business Journal and on the Przirembel Prize website.

A&T highlighted in UNC report

The University of North Carolina system has issued its annual report on research at the 17 campuses. Only two specific awards are highlighted in the report, and one of them is A&T's five-year, $5 million NASA grant for the Center for Aviation Safety (Kunigal Shivakumar, PI).

A&T ranks third in sponsored funding for the sixth consecutive year among the system's six doctoral universities.

Time to waive/enroll

Students have until Sept. 15 to waive or enroll in the university's Student Health Insurance Plan. Those who fail to waive coverage by the deadline will automatically be enrolled in the plan.
 
Students enrolled for six or more on-campus credit hours in the fall may submit the insurance waiver online prior to the deadline at www.studentinsurance.com. Students who do not have an existing "creditable coverage" health insurance policy must enroll in the UNC system-wide plan at www.studentinsurance.com.

Policies become effective Aug. 1 and ends Dec. 31 for the fall semester. The earlier students enroll, the sooner they will receive their insurance cards. 

The cost for the Fall/Spring Student Health Insurance Plan is $451 per semester.

The Sebastian Student Health Center Insurance Department is available to assist you with any questions regarding the waiver, enrollment process, or plan benefits. Please call us at 336.334.7880 if you have any questions or e-mail us at aggieins@ncat.edu.

Intramural national champions

A&T's Men's Intramural basketball team, Undisputed, is the 2011 NCCS National Champions. The team first won the 2011 NCCS Georgia Tech Regional Champions, earning a bid to participate in the national championships held in Austin, Texas, April 1-3, at the University of Texas. Jeremy James was named MVP of the championship game scoring 30 points and Herbert Rhedrick was named to the All-Tournament Team. Way to go, Undisputed!