UNCG graduates to hear
from Ross next month
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Davidson College President
Thomas W. Ross, a former
superior court judge who guid
ed a major revision of sentenc
ing guidelines for the state
court system, will be the com
mencement speaker for The
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro on Friday, May 16.
UNCG's 116th graduation
will be the final one for
He is the president of
Davidson College
and former Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation
leader
president on Aug. 1,2007, after
three decades of leadership and
public service in North
Carolina. In addition to his 17
Chancellor Patricia
A. Sullivan, who is
retiring on July 31.
UNC President
Erskine Bowles
will be on hand to
bring greetings to
the graduating
class, and will join
UNCG Trustees
administrators and
other well-wishers
years service as a
superior court judge,
he also headed the Z.
Smith Reynolds
Foundation. He was a
member of the UNCG
Board of Trustees
from 2003-07, serv
ing two terms as chair
from 2005-07.
A Greensboro
native, Ross graduat
on the platform.
The ceremonies will begin
at 10 a.m. in the Greensboro
Coliseum. The university will
recognize students who have
completed degrees at the
undergraduate, master's and
doctoral levels. Three honorary
degrees also will be presented.
Ross became Davidson's
ed from Davidson in
1972 and went on to graduate
with honors from the UNC
Chapel Hill School of Law. He
taught at the university's
School of Government, joined
a Greensboro law firm and
served for one year in
Washington, D.C., as chief of
staff of a congressional office.
In 1984, Gov. Jim Hunt
appointed Ross as a superior
court judge - at the time, the
youngest in the state. While
working with felony cases,
Ross became familiar with
problems in the state justice
system that caused uneven sen
tencing and a burgeoning
prison population. In 1990, the
Chief Justice of the N.C. State
Supreme Court appointed him
to cjnir a new Sentencing and
Policy Advisory Committee,
with a 23-member panel of
judges, lawyers, legislators,
citizens and law enforcement
officers.
In 1999, N.C. Chief Justice
Burley Mitchell appointed
Ross as director of the state's
Administrative Office of the
Courts.
Soon after, the trustees of
the Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation invited him to
become its executive director.
His seven years at the founda
tion involved him in state
issues and politics, advocating
for legislative reform and cre
ating coalitions of non-profit
agencies to increase their influ
ence in public affairs.
Visit
from page A1
School of Health Sciences.
$ Ramokoena toured each depart
ment in WSSU's health sciences
school, meeting most of the fac
ulty. She also visited local hos
pitals to learn about the clinical
training medical and nursing
students receive. She, even
attended the North Carolina
Conference for Health
Professionals Diversity in
Greensboro. The conference,
co-sponsored by WSSU,
allowed Ramokoena to meet
guests such as U.S. Senator
Richard Burr
4 Ramokoena said her country
faces a shortage of health care
professionals. Many who gradu
ate from medical school find the
lack of resources and challenges
in Lesotho too daunting so they
head to "greener pastures" in
other countries. One idea she
got from her trip is accelerate
programs that let nurses gradu
ate in one year instead of three.
This is a common way U.S. col
leges like WSSU combat the
American nursing shortage.
Peggy Valentine, dean of the
School of Health Science, said
that Ramokoena will take back
with her a memorandum of
understanding between the two
schools. Once approved, it will
formalize the relationship
between WSSU and the Lesotho
college. Valentine said WSSU
will help the college with cur
riculum development. There are
also plans for a faculty and staff
exchange program once funds
are secured. A course that will
connect WSSU students and
Lesotho students by video con
ference is in the works as well.
Valentine said the partner
ship will be good for WSSU. An
Jenkins
international perspective can
benefit future health profession- r
als in a shrinking world, she
said.
"The more we expand our
knowledge and understanding
of people from other parts of
the world, the more we can pro
vide quality healthcare that's
culturally appropriate and sensi
tive," said Valentine.
At a reception to bid
farewell to Ramokoena, several
WSSU faculty members who
have visited Lesotho spoke.
They described it as a beautiful
country. Its mountainous terrain
has earned it the nickname,
"The Kingdom in the Sky."
Anne Jenkins, professor of
occupational therapy, visited the
country in December 2006 with
a group from WSSU that deliv
ered donated sheet sets to
orphans. The group also
explored needs that the univer
sity could address in the coun
try.
"They are only poor finan
cially and technologically, but
are rich in love for life and
humanity," said Jenkins:
On that visit, the WSSU
encountered an orphan with
clubbed feet. The child's limbs
prevented her from attending
school and moving around her
village. Last year, Jenkins
returned to Lesotho with a spe
cial bicycle that solved that
problem for the young girl. The
professor said she found the
people there very accepting.
Ramokeena is thankful for
the help of WSSU. Others too
are reaching out to help elevate
her nation.
The poverty-fighting
Millennium . Challenge
Corporation recently awarded
the, National Health Training
College a grant to build three
new dorms.
Ramokoena remains hope
ful for the future of her college
and her country.
"One day, of course Rome
was not built in one day, we will
be where you are and, with your
support, can see the ray of light
at the end of the tunnel," she
said.
DO YOU HAVE A CANCER
INSURANCE POLICY?
? Contact us at ?" law flrm ls i"ves,isl,,'n8
claims against the companies
866.377.6680 which sell these policies.
Jackson & McGee, LLP
521 East Blvd.
Clfarlotte, NC 28203
www.ncadvocates.com
Winston-Salem / Forsyth County NAACP
P.O. Box 4176 * Winston-Salem, NC 27 11 5
Presents
"2008 Annual Freedom Fund Gala"
6:30pm * Friday * April 25, 2008
Grand Pavilion Ballroom, Embassy Suites
o
Guest Speaker:
Ret. Ambassador Andrew Young
Foriper Mayor of Atlanta and Dr. ML King, Jr. Confidant
Theme:
"An Informed Community: Power Beyond Measure"
Tickets: $30 ? ?
Tables Discounted $200
_ Souvenir Journal Ads Available
For More Information contact: ,
Stephen Hairston. President ? 336.8 1 3.73 1 1
Daphne Holmes-Johnson, Freedom Fund Chairperson - 336.767.3470
Linda Sutton, Branch Secretary - 336.870.2168
UNC Photo
Erskine B. Bowles introduces Donald Reaves to the WSSU community last year.
Reaves
from page A1
ing the school's academic
bar and recruiting more top
notch educators.
Reaves received his under
graduate degree from
Cleveland State University.
After completing his master's
degree (1978) and a doctoral
degree (1981), both in political
science and public administra
tion at Kent State University, he
accepted a tenure-track faculty
positipn at Northeastern
University in Boston. Although
Reaves soon joined the
Massachusetts Department of
Public Welfare, rising to
Deputy Assistant
Commissioner for Budget and
Cost Control, he continued to
teach as an adjunct professor at
Northeastern. He would later
return, full-time, to education.
Reaves is married to Dr.
Deborah Reps Reaves, a clini
cal psychologist. They have
two adult children: Marc, a
graduate of Cleveland State
University who is employed as
a real estate agent in Cleveland;
and {Catherine (Katie), a gradu
ate of Yale University, who
presently attends the University
of Chicago Law School.
More than 1 ,000 people
from around the nation, are
expected to participate in two
?
Dr. Reaves lays out his agenda to the faculty.
days of installation events. The
Rev. Jesse Jackson will be
among the special guests. He is
slated to take part in a Student
Forum today (April 10) at 3:30
pm. in Kenneth R. Williams
Auditorium. The event is free
and open to the public. Jackson
is expected to give an address
entitled "The Role and
Relevance of Historically Black
Colleges Yesterday and Today."
Here are some of the other
public events scheduled as part
of the installation.
? Today, April 10 at 9 a.m.
at the Kenneth R. Williams
Auditorium: Faculty Forum
Discussion "Reclaiming Lost
Potential: The Young Black
Male." The panelists will be:
Jeromy Bailey, Dr. Edwin D.
Bell, UNC Professor James H.
Johnson and Dr. NKrumah D.
Lewis.
? Tonight at 7 p.m. in
Anderson Conference Center,
Dillard Auditorium, an
Alumni/Community Forum
Discussion - "The Role of
Alumni in the Advancement of
the University."
Featuring panelists Curtis
Richardson, '76; Victor
Bruinton, '82, Fred Warren,
'67, Clyde Caudle. '93, Tim
Grant, '80, Nicole Ferguson,
M)4, Cheryl Harrison. '82 and
Peyton T. Hairston, Sr., '54.
BSMSES
It? '1 CORPORATION
Historically Underutilized Business (HUB)
Outreach Mixer
Samet Corporation and SRS. Inc. invite construction subcontractors to participate in an
information session centered on the construction of the Downtown Winston-Salem Ballpark.
When: Tuesday. April 15, 2008
Time: 6:00 PM -8:00 PM
Location: The United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church
450 Metropolitan Drive NE
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
During this session, we will:
a. Have a Meet and Greet Networking Reception (6:00PM - 6:30 PM)
b. Discuss the project scope
c. Discuss the Subcontractor / Supplier Qualification Form o
d. Discuss project logistics and scheduling
e. Discuss Subcontractor/Insurance requirements
Preconstruction and Operations staff members will be available to answer your questions.
To register, complete the information below and return no later than April 1 1, 2008 by fan to
(336) 544-2640 or e-mail cavens@srsincorp.com
<
For more information, please call Corey Avens. SRS Inc. at (910) 443-2522 or Charles Hutchings,
Samet Coip. at (336) 544-2600.
o ?
Company Name
Attendee Name(s)
(limit 2 per compu?> k
Phone/Fax ( ) U )
Email Address .