Summer Institute for Digital Scholarship

Paulette Johnson, director of the Eva B. Dykes Library and Heather Rodriguez-James, University archivist, were among the 20 successful applicants to participate in the first collaborative effort between Emory University's Center for Digital Scholarship (ECDS) and the HBCU Library Alliance. The Institute convened June 16-20, and equipped librarians with training in WordPress, Omeka and Emory's mobile tour app, to develop digital projects on their campuses.

Participants also listened to presentations on the principles of digital scholarship, intellectual property, metadata, and data storage. Librarians created or began designing online exhibits, blogs, and institutional tours.

Johnson's project, From the Cotton Fields to the Mission Fields, profiled the life and service of Anna Knight, pioneer missionary and educator. Rodriguez-James' digital exhibit, Introducing Oakwood, was based on the chapters on Oakwood's history from the OU 101 course textbook. Both exhibits are intended to showcase various aspects of Oakwood University's rich heritage and archival collections to a wider audience. The exhibits will be made public at the start of the new academic year and additional projects are also planned.

The Emory Center for Digital Scholarship/Historically Black Colleges and Universities Summer Institute for Digital Scholarship was supported by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Vote Aeolians as "Best Choir"

This week the Tom Joyner Foundation has posted a poll on its website, asking "Which HBCU has the best choir?" As of July 8, Oakwood's Aeolians were leading in the poll. Vote here to show OU pride!

Alumni Notes

Rick Robins, '94, passed away on July 4, in Costa Rica. He along with his wife, Tami, and their sons Kai and Mateo, were on vacation. On the afternoon of July 4th, the whole family, although in a very shallow area by the shore, got caught up in a riptide. Tami managed to retrieve Kai, age 7. Mateo, age 6, and Rick were swept deep into the current very quickly. While some of the onlookers who were surfing nearby were able to retrieve Mateo, the waves were too rough and Rick did not survive.

Join the Oakwood family in praying for the Robins family. "We lost a truly unique and angelic soul that can never be replaced. I am just so grateful to my core that God shared him with me, my sons, my family, and you all. He is deeply, deeply missed. I hope that you will all honor his life and contribution to us and to this world in prayer and allegiance to our Lord and Savior," said Tami.

If you would like to make a contribution in memory of Rick Robins, click here.

Note: Would you like to share Alumni news with us? Please send to pr@oakwood.edu.

Pollard's Places

This week, I am attending the Southern Union Presidents' Council. The Southern Union represents the organized work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky for 270,000 members. Oakwood University alumnus, Dr. Ron C. Smith, '79, serves as the president of the Southern Union. These meetings are organized for the purpose of leadership development, and to receive reports from the ministries within the Southern Union. Pictured is Dr. Paul Brantley from the North American Division, making a presentation on leadership and mission development. - Dr. Leslie Pollard

OU Picture of the Week

4HIM Missions to Kenya and Madagascar

June and July proved to be a busy month for the 4HIM Mission groups that served in Kenya and Madagascar. Both groups have arrived back to Huntsville safely and are cherishing the memories spent evangelizing in Africa. Pictured here is Martin Hodnett, Psy.D., assistant professor of psychology, who participated in the faculty/staff mission excursion to Madagascar.

Stay tuned to the summer issue of Oakwood Magazine, scheduled for publication in August, for the report on both trips.

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.