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Oakwood Prepares to
Welcome "Home" Alumni
The theme for this year's Alumni Homecoming Weekend (April 17-20) is "Oakwoodites for Life!" The Oakwood story is not just a story of Moran Hall or other buildings; the oak trees, or educational achievements of those who have attended Oakwood. It's a special "village" story.
Don't be just an Alumni Weekend observer - be a participant. There are many activities planned - from golf to the 36th annual UNCF Gala, to the educational seminars, to a "walk down memory lane" at Friday night's AYS program; from two messages during Divine Worship Service, to the alumni awards dinner; from the Aeolians and Dynamic Praise concerts, to a Rook tournament; from a 5K Run/Walk to Alumni Village, to the various departments hosting events throughout the weekend just to name a few.
Special recognition will be given to the classes of the 4s. Celebrate with your friends the milestones you have achieved since your graduation from Oakwood.
Check www.oakwoodalumni.org for more information.
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History & Political Science Students Visit Civil Rights Sites in Birmingham
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OU students and Dr. Greene at Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park.
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Fifty-four students spent March 21 traveling to Birmingham, Ala., for the Department of History and Political Science's field trip to visit museums and historical sites of interest in the African American experience. The students were accompanied by Dr. Samuel London, department chairman, and Dr. Alfonso Greene, Jr., '75, associate professor of history.
The group toured the 16th Street Baptist Church, the site of the horrendous bombing in which four young girls lost their lives and became martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement; the Kelly Ingram Park which memorializes the "Children's March" to end racial segregation; and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Museum.
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OU's Allied Health Department Collaborates with Loma Linda's School of Allied Health
by Dr. Maxine Garvey, chair, Allied Health Department
 Dr. Craig Jackson, dean, School of Allied Heath at Loma Linda University (LLU), recently visited with faculty and students in the Department of Allied Health at Oakwood University. This was a long awaited visit to look at strategies to move the department forward through more collaborative efforts with both universities.
The highlight of the day was Jackson's motivational talk to students in the department. He visited two classes - Critical Thinking in Healthcare and Medical Terminology - where he connected with students pursuing careers in various Allied Health professions. The son of a former OU Music professor and a former OU student himself, Jackson has a passion for Oakwood and its minority students who he wants to see take their place in society and the healthcare professions where they are so badly in demand. He admonished them to find their passion and stick with it, keep their eyes on the prize, stay internally motivated and persevere through difficulties. He also shared one of many experiences he had with a former student that struggled to make it, never gave up, got the help he needed and is now one of the most sought after in his field in the southern California region.
Jackson cautioned students that though the science and health-related courses are important for their future career path, general education courses are equally important. He explained that these prepare them for the soft skills that employers are also looking for. He outlined the three main soft skills as communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. He also shared his experiences traveling to Saudi Arabia and Japan, where LLU has Allied Health collaborations, and how these cultural exchanges impacted his own cultural sensitivity. He further advised that similar exposures would likewise be beneficial in connecting with future patients and the development of excellent bedside manner.
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Oakwood Students Attend AIPAC Policy Conference
By Gabriel Carter, OU student
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Tahjai Conkerite '15 (USM President 2014-15), Marvin Jean, '16, Reginald Mattison, '15 (USM Academic Vice President 2013-14), Gabriel Carter, '17 (USM Senator), and Edwyn Cain, '15.
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Five Oakwood University students were among the 14,000 attendees at the four-day AIPAC Policy Conference 2014, in Washington, D.C., March 1-4. Attendance was the largest showing in the history of this conference.
AIPAC stands for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This activist organization strives to educate decision-makers about the bonds that unite the United States and Israel, and how it is in America's best interest to help ensure that the Jewish state is safe, strong, and secure. At the conference, AIPAC explained the concerns they had about foreign relations with the United States. They accomplished this by conducting informative sessions, such as America's Role in Changing the World and Global Impact: Israel Innovation Helping the World, just to name a few. After attending these sessions, the students were able to hear different speakers such as Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Oakwood's Dietetics Program Reviewed During ACEND Site Visit
 | | Program administrators met with ACEND site visitors for an exit report following three days of rigorous on-site review. |
Oakwood's Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) and Dietetic Internship Program (DIP) were recently reviewed by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). ACEND is the accrediting body charged with the responsibility for ensuring that Dietetic programs meet required standards for academic preparation leading to the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential.
In the photo, seated (L-R): Dr. Joy Peterson (DIP Director); Royletta Romain (ACEND); Janet Johnson (ACEND). Standing (L-R): Dr. Maxine Garvey (Chair, Allied Health Department); Jan Newborn (IE Director); Dr. Flora Flood (Dean, School of Nursing & Health Professions); Claudia Follette (DPD Director); Dr. Garland Dulan (VP for Academic Administration); Feon Cheng (ACEND); and Marie Kamp (ACEND).
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A Few Days Left to Harness the Power of the Oakwood Network
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Winning a $25,000 grant will allow Oakwood to re-seed the baseball and soccer fields as well as install sprinkler systems.
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In the 2014 Home Depot Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program, Oakwood is eligible to win in the $25,000 campus pride category.
During an interview on the nationally-syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show on March 27, a representative from The Home Depot said that, in terms of social media at that time, Oakwood University and Howard University were in close competition for the number one spot! Joyner said, "Oakwood University? They only have 50 students." The representative said, "They won last year. They're a Seventh-day Adventist school, and they're using their network. They're a force to be reckoned with."
They might be thinking we can't do this, because yes, Oakwood is one of the smaller HBCUs in the competition. However, they don't know the power of Oakwood's worldwide network of alumni, friends and supporters. Oakwood is the only Seventh-day Adventist institution in the competition.
Vote now by going to www.retoolyourschool.com/vote-now. Voting concludes April 14.
Remember that every Tweet, Instagram photo and Vine video received within the "Tweet off" featuring Oakwood's designated co-branded hashtag -- #OakwoodTHDRYS -- will count toward our social media component for final judging.
The winning school of the Campus Pride Grant will be selected by a combination of the applicant's social media activity and voting score. The three applicants with the highest votes and most social media activity, as determined by the sponsor during the voting period, will be awarded with the Campus Pride Grants.
Oakwood University had the most votes last year! Let's do it again. Go to www.retoolyourschool.com/vote-now and vote as often as possible - and be sure to tell your family and friends to do the same.
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Faculty and Staff News
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Dr. Pollard congratulates Dr. Patel on the award from the Department of Defense.
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The Office of Research and Grants at Oakwood University announces the award of the Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Service Institutions (HBCU/MI) Equipment/ Instrumentation by the Department of Defense to
Dr. Darayas N. Patel.
The program is designed to support the acquisition of research equipment and instrumentation by HBCU/MI to augment existing capabilities, or to develop new capabilities in technical areas of interest to the Department of Defense as well as attracting students to pursue studies leading to careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines and therefore impact student participation in research.
Dr. Darayas Patel is a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The award of $377,171 provides crucial funding to continue his study, "Instrumentation to Support the Development of New Nanomaterials for High Power Fiber Lasers." Dr. Patel obtained some very encouraging scientific results from another Department of Defense funded grant entitled "New nanomaterials for high power fiber lasers" that is entering its final year. This new grant will allow him to extend the breadth and depth of his research with a number of critical pieces of instrumentation.
The acquisition of these new pieces of equipment will be valuable not only to STEM research of faculty and students here at Oakwood University, but also to the University's local collaborating universities, the University of Alabama-Huntsville and Alabama A&M University.
Dr. Maxine Garvey (Allied Health) and Dr. Onesimus Otieno (Biological Sciences) recently represented Oakwood as well as ADRA International at UN Foundation's Shot@life Summit in Washington DC. This is one of the events following Oakwood University's partnership with ADRA International in engagement with the global community.
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Alumni Notes
 Opera diva Angela Brown, '91, was recently listed as the third most popular choice to sing the National Anthem at the Indianapolis 500. "Her powerful soprano voice spans both opera and African American spirituals and she travels the world performing. Brown will be in concert with the Aeolians and Richard Smallwood, on Saturday night, April 19, at Huntsville's Von Braun Center.
 Seattle attorney, Andrew O. Carrington, '87, was recently appointed Chairman of the Disciplinary Board of the Washington State Bar Association by the Washington State Supreme Court. The Disciplinary Board conducts hearings and provides intermediate appellate review of lawyer discipline and misconduct cases in the state of Washington.
Stephen Spates, '09, a second year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, studying organizational communications, is the recipient of the February 2014 Courage to Climb Award and will be honored on April 9. In May, 2013, Stephen was invited to travel to London to present on his work regarding the tailoring of health communications to diverse cultural groups.
 Fred Whitlow, '11, family services coordinator at Huntsville Housing Authority, has a show on the CW network (WHDF) called The No More Dirty TV Show, which airs every Wednesday at 6:00 a.m. The show features special interviews with organizations and individuals and promotes Christian music artists. According to the CW broadcast coverage area sheet, the show reaches more than 725,000 adults (18+), in 3 states and 11 counties in North Alabama.
 Our prayers go out to Patrick family concerning the news surrounding the case of Dr. Teleka Patrick, '09. We pray that God will carry them through these tough days ahead and that they will feel His love surrounding them. After talking and praying with Teleka's parents this week, Elder and Mrs. Patrick told me that they are "walking through a valley of shadows." Many of us can never comprehend the suffering being borne by this good family. The faith of the Patrick family remains strong, though their hearts are broken. Let us continue in prayer and support for the Patrick family. - Dr. Leslie N. Pollard
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Pollard's Places
Last Sunday, I attended the recording of the annual UNCF "An Evening of Stars." This program brings UNCF's mission of education to wider public attention and will air this coming Sunday on BET.
During the event, I had an opportunity to speak with actor/entertainer Anthony Anderson (pictured). My mentioning Oakwood University "rang a bell" with Anderson who had contributed toward his niece, Jakeia Taylor, being able to participate in a mission trip to Kenya with 4HIM. My brother, Chaplain Ronald Pollard, knows several of Anderson's family members, from the Watts and Miramonte Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Los Angeles, Calif. Currently, Anderson family member Donald Wright, III, is an Oakwood student.
It was a blessing to share some of the Oakwood experience with Mr. Anderson and several of the other celebrities who were there. Once again, I was reminded, that Oakwood University is a beloved and respected place, both inside and outside of our Church. - Dr. Leslie N. Pollard
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OU Picture of the Week
 On April 5, Oakwood student Nitisha Jackson visited the Hillcrest Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nashville, Tenn. She and other students shared materials about Oakwood's 4HIM mission program and solicited funds for the upcoming mission trip to Kenya. (Photo by Ronald Pollard) |
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About Oakwood
Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution in Huntsville, Alabama, has as its mission to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.
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Calendar of Events
14 - Retool Your School voting ends
15 - OU Authors Book Signing & Reception
16 - Youth Mentoring
Task Force
17 - UNCF Gala
17-20 Alumni
Homecoming
Weekend
19 - Aeolians Concert
with Angela Brown
and Richard
Smallwood
19 - Dynamic Praise
25 Year Celebration
Concert
20 - James E. Dykes
Communicators
22 - Faculty Research Symposium
May
2 - The Home Depot
scheduled to
announce winning
institutions
Dedication Ceremony
Tree Planting
Ceremony
Nursing Pinning
Ceremony
9 - Social Work Pinning
Ceremony
President's
Senior Reception
Consecration
10 - Baccalaureate
Aeolians/University
Choir Mini-Concert
Commencement
14 - Biblical Foundation
Conference
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