Commencement Activities 2015

Oakwood University graduates leaders in service to God and humanity, and starting tomorrow, the Class of 2015 will begin their journey. Family and friends are beginning their travels to Huntsville, to witness the Commencement Weekend activities, which start tomorrow. The Registrar's Office confirms that 355 students are eligible for graduation. The public is invited to the following events:

Thursday, May 7

10:00 a.m. - Moseley Complex - Education Teacher Dedication Ceremony

Speaker: Roland McKenzie, Ed.D., adjunct professor, Adventist University of Health Sciences

4:00 p.m. - Moseley Complex - Nursing Pinning Ceremony

Speaker: Jillyan Shelton McKinney, Assistant Administrator, Florida Hospital East Orlando

7:00 p.m. - Moseley Complex - School of Religion Dedication Ceremony

Speaker: Benjamin A. Jones, Ministerial Director, South Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Friday, May 8

11:00 a.m. - Moseley Complex - Social Work Pinning Ceremony

Speaker: Faye Nelson, Deputy Commissioner, Alabama Department of Human Resources

8:00 p.m. - Oakwood University Church - Consecration

Speaker: Michael A. Polite - Associate Chaplain, Andrews University

Saturday, May 9

9:15 a.m. - Sabbath School - Von Braun Center, Propst Arena

10:45 a.m. - Baccalaureate - Von Braun Center, Propst Arena

Speaker: William L. Winston - President, South Atlantic Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

7:00 p.m. - Aeolians Mini-Concert - Von Braun Center, Propst Arena

8:00 p.m. - Commencement - Von Braun Center, Propst Arena

Speaker: Andrew Hugine, Jr., Ph.D. - President, Alabama A & M University

Click here to view the Commencement program.

Oakwood Faculty Member Selected for NHLBI Research Initiative

The Division of Research & Employee Services recently announced that Fiona Lewis, Dr.PH, MS, RD, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, has been selected as a faculty mentee in the Programs to Increase Diversity among Individuals Engaged in Health-related Research, collectively referred to as PRIDE.

The PRIDE programs were established to provide junior scientists, whose backgrounds are currently under-represented in biomedical research, with opportunities to gain the knowledge and tools they need to carry out independent and meaningful research and advance their careers. This initiative is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

HBCU PRIDE is a comprehensive two-year program that provides the mentee with skills training in community-based interventions to address obesity disparities. As a faculty mentee Dr. Lewis will participate in:

a 10-day initial summer research training program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center;
structured mentoring activities during the academic year, including one in-person meeting with an assigned HBCU PRIDE mentor;
a 3-day PRIDE Annual Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland; and
a second summer session (2016) for five days in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be held in conjunction with the national biennial obesity conference, African American Collaborative Research Network (AACORN), June 21-July 1.

Oakwood Science Students Repeat Winners at Annual Research Conference

Standing (l-r): Louis Dale, Ph.D., Vice President at the University of Alabama, Birmingham; Kenneth LaiHing, Ph.D., Oakwood Site Coordinator. Seated (l-r): winning students Jada Redus, Giobensky Vildor, Karis Arnold.

Several Oakwood science majors presented award winning research at the annual Alabama Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, (ALSAMP) Spring Research Conference, held at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, on April 14. The research conference consisted of 88 students from 11 of the best public and private institutions in Alabama. Six of Oakwood's nine students were placed in the largest category, the Life Sciences, which contained almost 45% of the total number of presenters.

Jada Redus, a sophomore Biology major working with Alexander Volkov, Ph.D., in the Chemistry Department, won third place. Karis Arnold, also a sophomore Biology major working with Elaine Vanterpool, Ph.D., in the Biological Sciences Department, won second place. Giobensky Vildor, a freshman Biology major working with Kenneth LaiHing, Ph.D., in the Chemistry Department, won first place.

This is not the first time that Oakwood's students have done well at this research conference. In 2013, we won first and second place in the Life Sciences category, and second and third place in the Physical Sciences category. In 2014, we won both first and second place in the Life Sciences and first place in the Physical Sciences categories. These results illustrate the caliber of research and student excellence Oakwood University features in the sciences.

OUPD Acquires Safety Equipment

One of the most important life-saving equipment items that officers need to have is a bullet-proof vest. The Oakwood University Police Department equips its officers with vests that sometimes may not provide the best fit, since they are generally hand-me-downs from officers who have left the department. According to Sergeant Shawn Byrd of the OUPD, "As a department, we are charged with protecting our campus community, and we are also responsible for ensuring that we have personal protective measures in place for our individual safety."

With this in mind, Sergeant Byrd embarked on a mission to find a way to have bullet-proof vests provided, at no cost to the department. He discovered an organization called "The Armor of God," located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This organization, the brainchild of Captain Clint Reck of the Muscle Shoals Police Department, provides new and slightly used bullet-proof vests for law enforcement agencies, at no charge. A contingent of OUPD staff persons visited Captain Reck's facility where they were properly fitted for their vests.

"We are thankful to 'The Armor of God' for making this life-saving protective gear available to small police departments," said Byrd.

Service Learning Takes Off for BI 241

The goal of the service learning course, BI 241 General Microbiology, is to strengthen STEM education in the Oakwood University pipeline, which includes the Oakwood Adventist Academy (OAA), Oakwood Elementary and even the Child Development Lab! Elaine Vanterpool, Ph.D., is the coordinator for Service Learning in the Biological Sciences and also serves as instructor for this class.

Vanterpool partnered with OAA middle school science professor and sponsor, Cheryl Williams, to achieve this goal. University students from two of Dr. Vanterpool's classes worked to develop a laboratory safety contract for OAA middle school students and a critical thinking infused laboratory exercise entitled, "Microscopy of the Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cell."

Approximately 60 students in grades 6 and 7 participated in the hands-on activities, which included learning how to use the microscope to prepare and observe cheek and bacterial cells, and allowed them to both reinforce and apply the concepts associated with cell biology. Both OU and OAA students enjoyed the experience.

An Oakwood University student said, "It has been a pleasure to work with ...young people. It gave me an opportunity to express what I have been learning, with an actual group of growing minds. The interaction was empowering...." Many of the other BI 241 students expressed the same views, noting that "it is inspiring to watch learning take place as University and Academy students meet in the classroom for discovery."

Oakwood's Blue and Gold Challenge Continues through June 30

Join us in the Blue and Gold End-of-the-Year Challenge by making a gift to the Oakwood Annual Fund by midnight, June 30. Our goal is to increase the annual giving participation rate of our alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends.

Your participation at any level is valued, appreciated, and counted! Annual Fund donors will be listed on the OU Donor Roll in the Oakwood Magazine, as a sign of our appreciation.

For your convenience, you may give online at online at www.ougiving.com, or you may send a check, payable to Oakwood University (Annual Fund), to the Office of Advancement and Development by midnight, June 30, 2015.

Your commitment, demonstrated through your tax-deductible charitable gift, is important to our students, employees, and the advancement of "our dear Oakwood."

Together, we can make a difference! Thank you for your generosity!

Miss Oakwood 2014-2015 Needs Your Vote

For nearly four decades, EBONY has celebrated the next generation of rising Black professional women with its HBCU Campus Queens features, one of EBONY's longest-running editorial franchises. The young women highlighted are poised to affect great social change within their communities.

The Top 10 vote getters on the website will receive an all-expense paid trip to Chicago for an exclusive photo shoot that will appear in the September 2015 issue of EBONY magazine.

All networks (students, family, friends, community organizations, etc.) are encouraged to vote for Miss Oakwood Nia Johnson.

Last month, the EBONY.com digital community kicked off the voting for their favorite HBCU Campus Queen. There are 54 queens in the competition, and as of today, Miss Oakwood is currently in the top 10.

College Days Now Called Oakwood Live!

Oakwood University cordially invites potential students to come meet and fellowship with current students, administration, faculty, and staff during what is now called Oakwood Live! scheduled for October 11-13, 2015.

Oakwood Live! is a jam-packed, three-day event that immerses prospective students into life at Oakwood University. Guests will meet people from all over the world and participate in a variety of activities that will allow them a chance to explore the unique qualities of an Oakwood University education. This annual event is offered to high school seniors and college transfer students, so don't let your youth miss out on the excitement, and a $500 scholarship, just for participating!

For more information about Oakwood Live! (256) 726-7356.

About Oakwood

The mission of Oakwood University, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution, is to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity.