FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE

The 2009 Spring Commencement Exercisesat Florida A&M University brought a newair of celebration as the grand tradition of“cap and gown” returned to the campusfor the first time in many years. Highlight-ing the event were three dynamic celebritycommencement speakers namely, the Hon-orable William B. Clinton, the HonorableKendrick Meeks and world renown CNNjournalist, Soledad O’Brien.

On Sunday, May 3, 2009, at 6 p.m., gradu-ates from the College of Engineering Sci-ences, Technology and Agriculture joinedthe line of march into the new Multipur-pose Center Teaching Gymnasium.CESTA’s graduating class included 59scholars. Fifty one received their bacca-laureate degree; one (1) person receivedthe master’s degree; and seven (7) NavyROTC candidates were commissioned asEnsigns in the United States Navy.

Dr. Makola Abdullah, Dean and Director,and the faculty and staff in CESTA salutethe following members of the FAMU SpringClass of 2009:

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

AGRI-BUSINESS - Marcus Akeem Braynon,Bryson Rashad Jackson, Shawn Johnson,Jashon A. Jones, Jelani A. Pratt, James M.Petion, Shehu Salam Tagoe, and Qudus O.Yusuff

ANIMAL SCIENCE - Marcitta LynnetteBarrington, Ashly Nicole Bell, Marlesa LalzayBrooks, Renata Nicole Headen, Aisha TreneiceLyons, Latasha J. T. Lyte, and Shariane AdaezeOnwurah

BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS ENGI-NEERING - Owen Julius Duncan*

Congratulations FAMU-CESTA Spring Class of 2009!

CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY - Myrlea A.Cole, Gregory Dorson, Takena M. Knight,andCharlan Aleya Waldron

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY -Akini F. Akini*, Raymond Chistopher Albury,Robert A. Borovski**, Daryl BrentBranning***, Ricardo W. Duval*, AdrianAntoine Harrison, Gregory Thad Hill, Jr., KyleRoss Johnson, Shane Kemrol Jones, MartrivusDuran Keaton**, Johanna B. Lopez, KalundaSamighan McDaniel, Kyle Bryan Perrin, ChadEduardo Quelch, Jennifer R. Smith, AnthonyK. Watkins, Derrick Alston Williams II, andJames Tyler Zorn**

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY -Darrell C. Eakins, Jr., Ronald T. Fowler, Jr.,Daniel Francois, Salvador Javier Herrera, Jo-seph Ryan Livingston, Willie B. McKinnon,and Deontavius Javard Shazier.

*** Summa Cum Laude ** Magna Cum Laude * Cum Laude

LANDSCAPE DESIGN MANAGEMENT - AldrickJerome Sholtz, Jason Donald Stafford*, andAdam J. Thompson

ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE - RuebenDeCastro Gomez, Jr.*

INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE AND BUSINESS- Kimberly Latrice Black and DeAnna C. King

MASTER OF SCIENCEAGRICULTURAL SCIENCES - Lanfang YuTitle of Thesis: Healing Gardens: A Participa-tory Study on Therapeutic Benefits and Users’Satisfaction

NAVY ROTC - Gustavo Aguilar, Lauren J.Ellison, Angela N. Idleburgh, Eric A James,Timothy P. Kirsch, Martin J. Kuhnle, CharlesM. Manchion.

Commencement Photographs

Compliments of Keith Pope, University Photographer.

APRIL-MAY, 2009

PHOTO GALLERY - SPRING COMMENCEMENT, 20092

FAMU officially opens new Animal Healthcare Facility

On Tuesday, May 5, 2009, Florida A&MUniversity (FAMU) hosted a ribbon-cut-ting ceremony to officially open a newAnimal Healthcare Complex, whichwill support the animal science, re-search and extension programs in theFAMU College of Engineering Sciences,Technology and Agriculture (CESTA).A host of dignitaries attended the cer-emony, including representatives fromgovernment, land-grant institutions,veterinary medicine professionals, andFAMU alumni.

“The best is yet to come,” said FAMUPresident James H. Ammons. “AfricanAmericans represent only 1.9 percentof the veterinary medicine profession.The total representation of minoritiesin the profession is 7.7 percent. This newanimal healthcare facility will impactFAMU’s ability to help address a criti-cal national shortage of minorities inthe field of veterinary medicine, and re-lated disciplines.”

With the opening of the new complex,FAMU is one among only 11 other ma-jor universities in the nation that willoffer a four-year degree in veterinarytechnology. Also FAMU will be the onlyinstitution in the country offering a pro-gram that emphasizes regulatory edu-cation and training. The first classes inthis program begin in the fall 2009.

Makola Abdullah, Ph.D., dean and di-rector of land-grant programs inCESTA, explained, “The new facilitywill further strengthen the our collegeto accomplish the mission of FAMU andCESTA as an 1890 land-grant institu-tion.”

TOP PHOTO -- Dignitaries participating inthe Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony included: (L-R)The Honorable Charles Bronson, Commis-sioner, Fla. Dept of Agriculture; P.S. Benepal,USDA; Dr. Makola Abdullah, Dean and Di-rector, CESTA; Rev. R. B. Holmes, FAMU Boardof Trustees; Cynthia Hughes Harris, Provostand VP for Academic Affairs; Dr. James H.Ammons, FAMU President, The HonorableAlan Williams, Fla. State Representative-Dis-trict 8; Dr. Lawrence Carter, Director, CESTASpecial Extension Events; Dr. Chester Gibson,USDA-APHIS; Dr. Ray Mobley, Director,FAMU Cooperative Extension Program; Dr.Thomas Peterson, Extension Veterinarian,FAMU.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *CENTER PHOTO - The CESTA LeadershipTeam responsible for putting the pieces togetherfor the animal healthcare facility includes:(left) Dr. Ray Mobley, (center) Dean MakolaAbdullah, and (right) Dr. OghenekomeOnokpise, Associate Dean.

Dr. Ray Mobley, director, FAMU Coop-erative Extension Program, was a driv-ing force in the development of the fa-cility. He remarked, “The impact onstudent training and community out-reach will be greatly increased. Thisreflects a true partnership effort betweenFAMU and our USDA partners.

Charles H. Bronson, commissioner ofagriculture for the State of Florida, re-marked that “The future in the UnitedStates depends on facilities like the Ani-mal Healthcare Complex. The develop-ment of facilities like this one showsFAMU’s commitment to producing thesafest food supply in the country.”

Dr. Jocelyn Martin, a FAMU/Tuskegeealumna, expressed, “I am definitelyproud to be a Rattler from CESTA! I justleft FAMU in 2005, and to see it expandso much since then, especially in myarea of study, is just wonderful.”

LAND-GRANT NEWS 3

The new multi-functional complex willgreatly enhance instructional deliveryand learning for students enrolled inthe animal science program optionsoffered in the FAMU College of Engi-neering Sciences, Technology and Ag-riculture. In the fall of 2009, the collegewill offer a new animal science optionin veterinary technology, and the facil-ity will enhance the educational expe-rience and training for these new stu-dents immensely. The educational andexperiential training of the programwill encompass vital aspects of foodsafety and biosecurity, and production,managment. The facility will also aidin maintaining proper herd health mea-sures required by the Animal WelfareAct for those animals currently resid-ing at the FAMU Research and Exten-sion Center.

Funding for the new facility was ob-tained through grants from the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture Ani-mal Plant Health Inspection Serviceand the Cooperative State Research,Education and Extension Service(CSREES).

The state-of-the-art complex includesan animal science clinical laboratory,research facilities, upgraded technol-ogy and conference center, and customdesigned small ruminant and cattle fa-cilities. Academic, research and exten-sion educational activities will takeplace interchangeably at the facility.

One component of the complex in-cludes a fully functional surgery suitewith Polycom capability to allow stu-dents to view and participate in surgi-cal procedures while simultaneouslybroadcasting the live surgical proce-dures through internet/electronictransfer to other institutions around theworld.

For more information, please contact:Dr. Thomas Peterson, Extension Veteri-narian, 202-H Perry-Paige Building,South; College of Engineering Sciences,Technology and Agriculture, FloridaA&M University, Tallahassee, FL32307;Telephone: 850-412-5117; Email:thomas.peterson@famu.edu.

President James Ammons, Dr. Thomas Peterson and Dr. Ray Mobleypreview diagnostic equipment in new Animal Healthcare Facility.

(L-R) - Dr. Ray Mobley presents plague to Dr.P. S. Benepal for USDA support, joined by Dr.Lawrence Carter.

Dean Abdullah with Rosetta Hill, FAMU-CESTA alumna (animal science) is a gradu-ate student at Tuskegee University, majoringin veterinary medicine.

LAND-GRANT NEWS

FAMU officially opens new Animal Healthcare Facility (continued)

4

A cargo of “excellence” was transported

to Atlanta, Georgia, to showcase the out-

standing research efforts of the Florida

A&M University College of Engineering

Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at

the 15th Biennial Research Symposium

sponsored by the Agricultural Research

Directors, Inc., on March 28 thru April 1,

2009.

Students, faculty and administrators from

the 1890 land-grant institutions partici-

pated in the symposium which is a schol-

arly forum designed for interaction, knowl-

edge sharing and networking for expanded

partnerships. For 36 years, the Associa-

tion of Research Directors, Inc., has show-

cased the exemplary talents and achieve-

ments of undergraduate and graduate stu-

dents to support basic and applied research

through the 1890 community.

The theme for this year was “1890 Re-

search: Sustainable Solutions for the 21st

Century.” Nineteen students from FAMU

attended. Approximately 250 student pre-

sentations were made a variety categories.

Three FAMU graduate student won 1st and

2nd place recognition for poster presenta-

tions.

Thaddeus Payton, (center column) a gradu-

ate student in CESTA, won first place in

the Emerging Technologies categories. His

poster was entitled: “Functional Analy-

ses of Key Flavonoid Genes in North

American Native Muscadina Variety

‘Noble.” Payton is working to earn his

master’s degree in agricultural sciences

(plant science).

Lissa Reid, (top right) a CESTA graduate

student majoring in plant science, also won

first place recognition in the Renewable Re-

sources and Environmental Stewardship

category. Her poster was entitled the

“Evaluation of Extracts of Native and

Non-Native Plant Species for the Control

of Cogongrass (Imperata Cylindrica L).”

Gideon A. Nnaji (center column 3) won 2nd

place recognition for a poster on the “Ef-

fects of Hydrological Processes on the

Suwannee River Coastal Ecoystem,” in the

Renewable Resources and Environmental

Stewardship category. Nnaji is pursuing a

masters degree in environmental engineer-

ing from the FAMU-FSU College of Engi-

neering, and is conducting his research in

collaboration with Margaret Gitau, Ph.D.

FAMU’s Center for Water and Air Quality.

A.R.D. in Retrospect“ACHIEVEMENT, RECOGNITION, AND DISTINCTION IN RESEARCH”

Dr. George Cooper, President, South Caro-

lina State University and a FAMU-CESTA

alumnus was honored at the Awards Ban-

quet as an Exemplary Leader by the Asso-

ciation of Agricultural Research Directors,

Inc. Dr. Cooper was recognized for out-

standing support of the Research Sympo-

sium and the 1890 land-grant system

throughout his long history with the United

States Department of Agriculture.

LAND-GRANT NEWS

Thaddeus Payton - 1st Place Winner

Lissa Reid - 1st Place Poster Winner

Giddeon Nnaji - 2nd Place Poster Winner

5

CESTA Grad Accepts Internship with the Army Corps of Engineers

A very important news flash came as the

icing on the cake at the CESTA Spring

Graduate Reception. With pride and ex-

citement, Daniel Francois, an electronic

engineering technology graduate in the

FAMU Class of 2009 (Spring), announced

that he will soon begin a two-year intern-

ship with the Army Corps of Engineers in

Wiesbaden, Germany.

When the native of Fort Pierce, Florida,

was asked how he came upon this unique

opportunity, Daniel said that he was in the

right place at the right time while attend-

ing the Black Engineers of the Year Award

Conference in February (Baltimore, MD).

During this conference, he met with repre-

sentatives from the Army Corps of Engi-

neers who were seeking senior engineer-

ing majors interested in obtaining intern-

ships after graduation.

The internship will provide participants

with extensive hands-on experience in ar-

chitecture and construction, mechanical

and electrical engineering. Upon success-

fully completing the internship, he will be

offered a civilian position with the Army

Corp of Engineers in either Europe or the

United States.

Reflecting on his experience at FAMU and

CESTA, Francois remembered that his

classmate recruited him to enroll in the col-

lege when he decided to transfer to the

university from a community college. Dur-

ing his collegiate career, Daniel expressed

that he really appreciated the training he

received at FAMU. “I was very impressed

by the faculty, especially Professor Leon

Prosper, who thoroughly prepared his stu-

dents for the professional world through

his course requirements that included

weekly presentations.”

Already planning for his future, Francois

aspires to continue his education. He feels

that the engineering field offers immeasur-

able opportunities to young people who

seek to build a rewarding professional ca-

reer. In the next ten years, Francois would

like to have earned his master’s degree and

at least have started working toward earn-

ing his doctorate degree. A young man of

big dreams, Francois anticipates thor-

oughly experiencing the engineering pro-

fession and maybe later teaching and/or

coaching.

PHOTO: Daniel Francois (center), FAMUelectronic engineering technology graduatefrom Fort Pierce, FL at the CESTA SpringGraduates Reception (May 2) with Dr. CarolynCollins (left), former President of the FAMUNational Alumni Association and CESTAalumna; and Dr. Makola Abdullah (right),Dean and Director, FAMU College of Engi-neering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture.

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES6

CESTA Presents New VeterinarianDR. JOCELYN MARTIN, D.V.M. (SPRING, 2009)

ALUMNI PROFILE - Pre-Veterinary Medicine / Animal Science

Jocelyn Martin, D.V.M., a FAMU graduate(Spring, 2005), recently completed her stud-ies in veterinary medicine at the TuskegeeUniversity School of Veterinary Medicine(TUSVM) on May 10, 2009. She is also therecipient of the Madden-Richburg-JudkinsAward given at the Annual Awards Cer-emony held at (TUSVM) on May 8, 2009,in Tuskegee, Alabama. This award is givento a student who works while attendingVeterinary School at TUSVM and is suc-cessful to graduate on time with fellowclassmates.

Dr. Martin was delighted as she stated, “Itis an honor to be chosen as the first recipi-ent of the Madden-Richburg-JudkinsAward. I was thrilled to receive the awardin front of my classmates and professors.It was especially meaningful to know thatthe award is designated for students whoworked while attending veterinary schoolat TUSVM.”

Reflecting upon her journey, Martin noted,“Because of my decision to work, the nextphase of my career plan will be seamless. Ihave accepted the position of PathologyIntern at TUSVM. I am excited about thetransition from being a student to being amember of the Pathology Department. I amlooking forward to next year’s award cer-emony and recipient. It is my hope that thisaward becomes a permanent part of theAnnual TUSVM Awards Ceremony. Again,it has been an honor to have been chosenas the first recipient of this wonderfulaward.”

************************Article submitted by Uford A. Madden, DVM,MS, PhD, DABT, Assistant Professor andExtension Food Safety Specialist, Extension andOutreach Program, College of EngineeringSciences, Technology and Agriculture FloridaA&M University, Tallahassee, Florida.

Dr. Martin is a native of Alabama. Shegraduated from FAMU with a Bachelor ofScience degree in Animal Science. Whileat FAMU, Dr. Martin served as presidentof the Animal Science Club. She stated,“Choosing to work while in veterinaryschool was a decision that I made out ofnecessity.” She further stated, “Fortu-nately, I was able to find a position withinthe veterinary college that allowed me tomesh my studies with my work. Anotherbonus was that my workstudy position inthe student computer lab gave me the op-portunity to become familiar with, and be-come a resource for, many of my school-mates.”

Dr. Martin performed her veterinary intern-ship with the USDA Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service, in Gainesville,Florida. She successfully passed the Na-tional Veterinary Board Examination and is

From Left to Right -- Dr. Lawrence Carter,????? Dr. Ray Mobley, Dr. Jocelyn Martin, Dr.John Williams, and ???????

Jocelyn Martin, D.V.M., returnedto her alma mater to attend theFAMU Animal Healthcare ComplexRibbon Cutting Ceremony, May 5,2009.

Dr. Martin (2nd from left) standswith FAMU-Tuskegee alumni includ-ing: (l-r) Dr. Lawrence Carter,Dr. Ray Mobley, Rosetta Hill, 4thyear student (Veterinary Medicine -Tuskegee University); Dr. JohnWilliams, retired USDA administra-tor and Dr. Karen McKenzie, Vet-erinarian, Fla. Dept of Agricultureand Consumer Services.

7

On Saturday, May 9, 2009, Cherissa Abdul-Hamid was among 172 students at the Uni-versity of Florida College of VeterinaryMedicine who donned their white labora-tory coat at the Professional Coating Cer-emony as a symbol of their transition frompre-clinical to the clinical phase of theirstudies.

Cherissa Abdul-Hamid is a FAMU alumnawho earned her Bachelor of Science de-gree in animal science in Spring 2007. Atthe ceremony, Miss Abdul-Hamid wascoated by Dr. Uford A. Madden, ExtensionVeterinarian and Assistant Professor atFAMU. Madden was her instructor for sev-eral animal science courses while enrolledat FAMU. Several representatives fromFAMU were present for the coating cer-emony including: Dr. Verian Thomas, Di-rector of Agricultural Sciences; Dr. CarolineOdewumi, Assistant Professor/FAMU; andDr. Lee Anderson, Program Leader for Ani-mal Science Program. Miss Abdul-Hamidwas also supported by her immediate andextended family members who were in at-tendance to share this special occasion withher.

Miss Cherissa Abdul-Hamid is a native ofSt. Maarten. She speaks English andDutch, and is proficient in Spanish andPapiamentu. Her early aspirations focusedon human medicine. However, in 2002, shehad an opportunity to work in a veterinaryclinic for three months. This experience in-fluenced her to pursue a career in veteri-nary medicine.

She graduated from Milton Peters College(MPC) with a Voortgezette WetenschapelijkOnderwijs (V.W.O.) diploma, which is thehighest level of high school education of-fered in the Dutch system. Obtaining herVWO diploma helped her prepare for inde-pendent study and time management, twoaspects that strongly enhanced her prepa-ration for a career in veterinary medicine.

Upon enrolling in the FAMU College ofEngineering Sciences, Technology and Ag-riculture, Miss Abdul-Hamid was exposedto various animal science courses that havecontributed to her educational develop-ment. Also, as a member of the Animal Sci-ence Club, she gained invaluable experi-ences working with other people.

During the summer of 2004, she participatedin a two-month internship at the College ofVeterinary Medicine at the University ofFlorida. Abdul-Hamid stated, “The experi-ences that I gained during the internshipconfirmed that I wanted to continue myeducation and pursue a career in veteri-nary medicine. Also, this helped me buildon the training gained from my animal sci-ence courses at FAMU.”

“I willingly accepted the challenges that Iencountered during my study-- taking ini-tiative, caring for animals, working withothers in various areas of study -- to ac-quire the needed skills and training thatare required in my aspirations to become aveterinarian.”

Cherissa concluded, “Overall, these expe-riences will enhance my abilities to be ableto make significant contributions to thepromotion of health issues, disease man-agement, control, and prevention for bothanimal and human welfare when I return towork, hopefully, in St. Maarten and pro-mote veterinary medicine among students.”

Miss Abdul-Hamid has always enjoyed be-ing close to nature, and she has a greatlove for the ocean. For these reasons, shehas special interest in horses and otheranimals, including marine animals. She be-lieves that, upon completion of the veteri-nary medicine program, she will gain thenecessary knowledge, training and skillsto achieve her career objectives and per-sonal goals to become a practicing veteri-narian.

The supporters of the St. Maarten Partner-ship Agreement, and the faculty at FloridaA&M University, join hands to applaudand congratulate Miss Cherissa Abdul-Hamid on her achievements in her profes-sional career.

ALUMNI PROFILE - Pre-Veterinary Medicine / Animal Science

Dr. Uford Madden and Cherissa Abdul-Hamid at Professional Coating Ceremony.

Veterinary Medicine Scholar “Coated by CESTA Faculty

8

ALUMNI PROFILE - Agribusiness Professional

Natasha emerged as a “CESTA

pacesetter” while a graduate student whenshe became the first student to participatein an educational partnership betweenFAMU/CESTA and the Sandals BeachesResorts of Jamaica initiated by the Officeof International Agriculture in 1999. Sincethat time, Natasha Bruton has continuedto climb the ladder of success.

A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Brutonearned both her bachelor’s degree inagribusiness (1998) and the master ofscience degree in agricultural sciences(2001) from CESTA. For the past sevenyears, Natasha has been employed as anagricultural statistician with the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture’s NationalAgricultural Statistics Service.

“CESTA was the foundation of mysuccessful professional career. Therigorous coursework, numerousinternships, oral presentations, and manyexperiences, both good and bad, helpeddevelop me into the person I am today,”expressed Bruton about her collegeexperience. “I gained the values ofleadership and self-determination.”

At FAMU, Natasha was very active inextracurricular activities including: GammaAlpha Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,Incorporated (Grammateus); MANNRS;CESTA Graduate Student Club (President).She said, “Being a part of these clubs/organizations was rewarding for me,because I learned a great deal from theserelationships and experiences that helpedme develop skill in teamwork and allowedme opportunities to value newperspectives.”

When asked about her career goals andwhat her dream job is, Natasha responded,“I am keeping my options open. If theopportunity arises to do somethingdifferent than what I’m doing now, I willtake accept the challenge and go for it. Ihave been contemplating the option ofgoing back to school to purse a Ph.D.degree in the area of agriculture economics;however, no definite plans have been set.

As an alumna of FAMU/CESTA, Brutonwas eager to give words of wisdom tostudents. “I would encourage any studententering the field of agriculture, or any otherarea of study, to take advantage of allopportunities that are available to them.These opportunities offer newperspectives, began valuable relationshipsand networks to increase the resourcesavailable for you to succeed.

Contact Information:Natasha L. Bruton,Agricultural StatisticianUSDA National AgriculturalStatistics ServiceKentucky Field Office(502) 582-5293 ext. 240(502) 582-5114 (fax)Natasha_Bruton@nass.usda.gov

Her most memorable experiences as ascholar in CESTA include the an internshipopportunity in Jamaica during the first yearof the Sandals Beaches Resort ExchangeProgram. “It was one of those opportunitiesthat I could not let pass. Being able toexperience another culture wasamazing.(See photo below)

“Another memorable experience was whenI successfully defended my Master’sThesis. This challenge showed me thathard work and dedication do pay off.” Herthesis title was “The Effects of Proximityto Swine Operations on ResidentialProperty Values in Onslow County, NorthCarolina.”

Natasha Bruton

9

ALUMNI PROFILE - Agribusiness Graduate

Jabari Gayles, agribusiness

graduate from Miami, Florida, beams withexcitement when sharing his vision for lifeafter FAMU. Graduating on December 12,2008 with his bachelor’s degree inagribusiness, Gayles has designed hisultimate career path to sow seeds of stylethat grow into a new fashion culturebearing his signature.

Gayles enrolled in CESTA through theSchool of General Studies. He arrived on“The Hill” with a dream to pursue a careerin fashion design, which he has been do-ing since he was 13 years old. Althoughhe first looked at pursuing a degree in busi-ness administration, he stated that the ad-vice of a FAMU employee helped him takea closer look at the agribusiness programto gain essential skills and knowledgeneeded to succeed as an entrepreneur.Jabari expressed that the agribusiness fac-ulty helped him gain a stronger understand-ing of business and economics.

“This was what I needed to learn to ac-complish my goal to establish myself as aclothing designer with a company rankedamong the top four fashion houses in theclothing industry,” stated Gayles.

Upon graduation, Jabari says he would liketo work in marketing for a design companyin New York or Atlanta to gain experiencein the field. “I was not familiar with theagricultural side of business when enroll-ing in the college. However, I have gaineda deeper understanding of the importanceof agriculture, especially in the fashion de-sign industry. Learning firsthand aboutfibers and textiles derived from plants willcertainly help my quest to become a knowndesigner on the cutting edge of the fash-ion world,” stated Gayles.

“I am thankful to God for this opportunityto follow my dreams and appreciate the fac-ulty and staff who helped me complete thispart of my journey.”

Contact Information:Jabari Gayleswww.s3000watts.com

SIGNATURE 3000WATTS (http://www.s3000watts.com/home.htm) is thename of the design label which has alreadybecome popular among students at FAMU.“The agribusiness program enabled me tobecome adept at meeting new customers,developing marketing strategies and learn-ing how to effectively deal with employ-ees and business partners.” As a fashiondesigner, his experiences include an intern-ship with Pepsi Apparel, and attending theMacy’s Blooming Magic Tradeshow, LasVegas. He has been featured in TheFamuan student newspaper (April 19,2008) as a rising design star.

Jabari Gayles

(http://media.www.thefamuanonline.com/media/storage/paper319/news/2008/04/09/Lifestyles/Famu-Student.Puts.Personal.Twist.On.Clothing.Line-3311826.shtml)

Read FAMUan article at:

10

STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Janelle Lee Chee, BASE major, was recognized as anOutstanding Scholar at the FAMU Honors Convocation onThursday, April 2, 2009. Janelle has a 3.70 grade point averageand is passionate about agriculture, music and traveling. As afreshman, she was selected to spend a semester at theUniversity of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences inVienna, Austria. Janelle dreams of becoming the owner of afood processing company after graduation. Following is anote of appreciation received from Janelle by CESTA faculty.

Hello everyone!

I hope this email meets you in the best of healthand spirit. I feel very happy and proud to besending you all this update for you have each madean indelible mark on my life and this moment wouldlose its splendor if I didn’t share it with all ofyou.

Tonight I was officially inducted into Tau Beta Pi- the National Engineering Honors Society.

It is an academic society for engineers who are inthe top 1/8 of their class in Junior standing or thetop 1/5 of their class in Senior standing. Eachmember displays commitment to the uplifting of thecommunity and the pursuit of academic excellence.Tau Beta Pi is the 2nd oldest academic society inthe USA. Of 14 inductees, I was one of 3 blackstudents and the only black female present! Also,so far it seems as though I am the only student fromFAMU inducted this semester, and I feel very proudto be representing not only engineers of color butblack females and this campus. I feel really goodabout myself- and I haven’t felt this way for a verylong time. Also, this weekend I was elected theParliamentarian for the Southern Region of the Ameri-can Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers(ASABE) - who would have guessed? So far it’s beena great week, and again I am happy to share thisupdate with you.

Thank you very much for all that you have done tomotivate me and help me on my journey these past twoyears. I am always grateful for your kindness andwisdom.

Sincerely

Miss Janelle Lee Chee

A Note of Appreciation

Scenes from the Spring Graduate Reception, (May, 2009)

11

BASE REPORTCongratulations to two BASE graduateswho are recognized as the first two BASEstudents to earn this degree since the in-ception of the Program.

Roslyn Crowder,Ph.D., graduatedfrom the Universityof Alabama at Bir-mingham, majoring inmicrobiology. Au-gust, 2008. She is amember of theFAMU Class of 2002.Dr. Crowder is officially a PENN-PORTPostdoctoral Fellow. She will be teachingat Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Herresearch project is in the field of cancerimmunology, and she studies resistanceto TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in normalcells. Many cancer cells have been foundto be sensitive to TRAIL-mediatedapoptosis. Surprisingly, both cancer andnormal cells express cell surface TRAIL re-ceptors. Dr. Crowder is studying themechanisms that render normal cells resis-tant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis but notcancer cells.

Tremaine B. Powell, Ph.D. graduated fromFAMU with a B.S. in BASE in 2001. Hecontinued his education to earn the M.S. inagricultural and biosystems engineering(ABE) from Pennsylvania State Universityin 2003. He is a graduate from the Univer-sity of Arizona in ABE and is a PostdoctoralResearch Associate at St. Jude Children’sResearch Hospital in Memphis, TN. His per-sonal goal is to become a leading researcherin nanotechnology, by using it to improvecurrent technologies, as well as to developsafe processing and control of thenanomaterials. Current research includesthe radiolabeling of nanostructures for invivo biodistribution studies.

* * * * * * * * * * *

BASE students participated in SandersonFarms Super Chicken Road Show on Feb-ruary 11-12, 2009 where they were intro-duced to opportunities and received toursof their hatchery, feed mill, and processingfacilities. The Super Chicken Road Showshowcases the Sanderson Farms story torecruit students for the Sanderson FarmInternship and Beginning Trainee Programs.

* * * * * * *Dr. Charles Magee, along with BASE stu-dents (Kiera Ebanks, Owen Duncan andEmil Muhammad) and civil engineering stu-dents (Ricardo Duval and Akini Adkins)attended and participated in the Fattah Con-ference on Higher Education 23rd AnnualGraduate Opportunities Conference on Feb-ruary 6-9, 2009, in Philadelphia, PA. The2009 conference included an HBCU STEMstream where information and presentationswere specifically prepared for students whoare majoring in STEM fields (science, tech-nology, engineering, and mathematics).

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Three engineeringtechnology majors in the College of Engi-neering Sciences, Technology and Agricul-ture (CESTA) at Florida A&M University(FAMU) will be awarded the EisenhowerTransportation Fellowship in the fall, 2009.John Cannon (electrical engineering tech-nology), Jamesa Marshall (civil engineer-ing technology) and Philson Joseph (con-struction engineering technology) havebeen selected to receive $7,500 per studentto support research initiatives relative totransportation education and research.

All of the recipients responded with enthu-siasm and exhilaration upon learning abouttheir selection as fellowship recipients.Cannon stated, “I am ecstatic to be a recipi-ent. I give all praises to God.”

FAMU Engineering Technology Scholars to receive theEisenhower Transportation Fellowship

Jamesa Marshall responded, “I am excitedto be a scholarship recipient because I re-ally needed the financial assistance.”

Philson Joseph echoed their remarks say-ing, “It’s good! I am glad to receive thisfellowship and look forward to doing moretransportation research.

Makola Abdullah, Dean and Director ofLand-Grants for the College stated, “I amproud to have the opportunity to be amongthe first to offer congratulations to our stu-dents for this outstanding accomplishment.John, Jamesa and Philson are all ideal rolemodels for other students to work hard toexcel in their studies in order to obtain sup-port for scientific study in higher educa-tion. With a difficult economic forecast forthe coming months, we need more studentsto step up to the plate and score high fortheir future despite challenges and ob-stacles.”

The Eisenhower Graduate TransportationFellowships help sponsor students pursu-ing a master’s degree in a field related totransportation. The fellowship is awardedannually by the United States Departmentof Transportation through the Federal High-way Administration’s Office of Professionaland Corporate Development.

For information visit online at:h t t p : / / w w w. f h w a . d o t . g o v / o p d /2008_grad_app.htm.

For more information about the FAMU Divi-sion of Engineering Technology, please contact:

Dr. Yves Anglade, Director, Division of Engi-neering Technology, FAMU College of Engi-neering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture;Telephone: (850) 599-3506 or Email:yves.anglade@famu.edu.

STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Keira Ebanks, senior BASE major from NewOrleans, LA. Ebanks is the first FAMUBASE student to receive an award from theFlorida American Society of Agricultural andBiological Engineering (FLASABE) Chap-ter (FLASABE).

The CURRENTS Newsletter highlights the success stories and activities sponsored in theFAMU College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture. For more information,contact the Office of the Dean -- Dr. Makola Abdullah, Dean/Director, Land-Grant Programs;Telephone: (850) 561-2644; Email: makola.abdullah@famu.edu. --and/or -- Marian B. Gibbons,Director, Office of CESTA Communications, Telephone: (850) 561-2094; Fax: (850) 561-2794;Email: marian.gibbons@famu.edu or mabellgibbs@aol.com.

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