David William Aldridge, has been appointed interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, effective immediately. A search committee will be appointed by the chancellor to begin a national search to replace Michael A. Plater who has left to become provost of Strayer University.

Since 2004, Aldridge served as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College and was interim dean in June of 2005. He also has served as the College's director of graduate studies and interim chair, associate and assistant professor of biology. He chaired N.C. A&T's Institutional Review Board (IRB), 1993-2008, and has produced grants and contracts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Science Foundation.

Aldridge also chaired the Admission, Probation and Suspension Policy Review Committee, 2007, whose recommendations on admissions criteria, academic standing, and policies on suspension, dismissal, readmission and Five-Year Readmission Policy were approved by the Faculty Senate in the fall of 2007. 

Aldridge earned his undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington, and his Ph.D. is from Syracuse University. He has numerous research experiences, accomplishments, awards, publications, abstracts and papers.

Vivian Barnette, director of counseling services, recently participated in Priority Sports' PLAN (Preparing for Life After Football Now) seminar for 16 NFL athletes to educate them on career options and provide them with support in areas that affect most players' lives off the field. Barnett spoke on drugs and alcohol dependency.

Kathryn Dobie, professor and director of the Transportation Institute in the School of Business and Economics, is the recipient of the Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award, which is presented by the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS), an international organization of transportation professionals with over 4,000 members represented in over 40 chapters throughout the United States. The award will be presented Wednesday, March 31, at the 12th Annual WTS Awards Banquet and Transportation Reception at the Cardinal Club in Raleigh, N.C.

Andrea N. Johnson, a lecturer in the department of sociology and social work, will present "Understanding African American Wealth Attainment: Implications for Leaders" at the In Search of Social Wealth Conference hosted by Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, March 8-10. 

Lisa Snyder, associate professor of business education, was installed as the national secretary of Delta Pi Epsilon at the 2009 annual conference in San Francisco. Snyder was honored for two years of service as editor of the organization's Journal of Applied Research in Business Education.