DSU is planning a celebration during Homecoming —October 15 — in honor of its 125th anniversary year, which begins May 15.

HORNET HIGHLIGHTSE-newsletter from the Office of the President | FEBRUARY 2016

In 1891, the State College for Colored Students was established to serve African-American students in the state of Delaware. The new college was created to fulfill an unanswered need of a grossly underserved population. The college began its journey into history with a prayer and a promise delivered in the form of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, led by Sen. Justin Smith Morrill, an abolitionist from Vermont.

The legislation that established schools like Delaware State included the stipulation that African-Americans were to be included in the United States Land-Grant University Higher Education System without discrimination. Delaware State University is one among 19 land-grant institutions that have evolved from humble beginnings into multifaceted stanchions of higher education.

Selected in 2015 as the 1890 University of the Year by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), DSU continues to seek improved and expanded services for all students to ensure they have access to the American Dream of achieving fulfilled, successful lives.

From what was cited as a “doubtful experiment” by a local newspaper all those years ago, the State College for Colored Students evolved to become a College, a University and an institution that has educated over 17,000 students, serving for 12-and-a-half decades as the hub of intellectual and recreational engagement for the greater Dover community. DSU has clearly lived up to the promise of 125 years ago and then some.

During our May 7 Commencement exercises, DSU will acknowledge our milestone 125th anniversary. The grand celebration will continue during Homecoming, with a multitude of events taking place in between. We hope you’ll plan to join us for the festivities.

With Hornet Pride,

President Harry L. Williams

DSU Then and Now

The Delaware State Archives in Dover is hosting an exhibit celebrating the rich history of Delaware State University in its public lobby until early June.

Above: Stephen M. Marz, state archivist, points out an aspect of the exhibit to President Harry L. Williams during its Feb. 10 opening.For more information, visit archives.delaware.gov/index.shtml.

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More than 300 December grads receive degreesDelaware State University held its 2015 December Commencement on Dec. 20 in Memorial Hall Gymnasium, where more than 300 degrees were conferred. Photo slideshow

The keynote speaker was Ann Rosenberg, the vice president and head of Global SAP University Alliances.

Among the undergraduates receiving degrees, seven achieved Summa Cum Laude (3.75 GPA and above), 15 Magna Cum Laude (3.5 to 3.74), 20 Cum Laude

(3.25 to 3.49), and six Honorable Mention (transfer students with 60 or more credit hours at DSU). Dr. Harry L. Williams presented the Presidential Academic Award to Desirae Hagaman of Dover, right, a movement science major with a 3.96 GPA. Full story

Another Commencement highlight was the conferring of a PhD in Applied Chemistry to the youngest candidate to complete doctoral studies at DSU — 22-year-old Jalaal A. Hayes of Philadelphia, PA. Full story

The annual President’s Scholarship Ball was held in December in the ballroom of the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino. The well-attended fundraiser, emceed by alumnus and actor Aaron Spears ’94, featured the singing of Broadway legend and recording artist Jennifer Holliday. Photo slideshows

Holliday performed a number of songs from her career, including selections from Dreamgirls, the long-running Broadway production in which she was an original TonyAward-winning star, as well as from her latest album “This Song is You,” prompting several standing ovations from the crowd.

Raising money for student scholarships, the ball also received strong support from the following sponsors:

Premier Sponsor: DuPontDiamond Sponsor: Delmarva PowerGold Sponsors: Delaware Today and Delaware State News

From left, DSU Community Partner Awards were presented to alumni Marion Gibbs ‘61, Dr. Reba Hollingsworth ‘49, also representing her husband, Dr. Berlin Hollingsworth ‘67, who was in attendance, and Norman Oliver ‘85, as well as Bayhealth Inc. President and CEO Terry Murphy.

DSU family, friends join for elegant evening in support of students

2015 President’s Scholarship Ball

President gives ‘State of the University’ address to New Castle County leaders

President Harry L. Williams recently presented his inaugural “State of the University” address at M&T Bank in downtown Wilmington to a gathering of New Castle County corporate leaders and elected officials, delivering an inspirational message about academic achievement, history and DSU’s institutional direction. Highlights included the latest DSU enrollment figures, student profiles and an overview of the University’s academic programs, international partnerships and its work to achieve operational sustainability and student success goals. Photos

From left are DSU Board of Trustees member Charles McDowell, M&T Bank President Nick Lambrow, President Harry L. Williams, DSU Board of Trustees member Jim Stewart, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce President Rich Heffron, alumna Enid Wallace-Simms ‘74 of Delmarva Power and Daryl Graham of JPMorgan Chase.

DSU, South Korea’s Jeju National University to establish joint program Delaware State University has finalized an agreement with Jeju National University of South Korea that will establish a bachelor’s degree program in accounting and management concentrations in business administration and management information systems. President Harry L. Williams signed the agreement with JNU President Hyangjin Huh at a January meeting at DSU between the officials of both institutions.

With the agreement, JNU students taking part in the program will complete their first two years of study at Jeju. In the third year, the students will enroll at DSU for their final two years of study and receive bachelor’s degrees from both institutions.The enrollment goal is 10 to 50 JNU students per year.

“We are excited with the prospect that the students from Jeju National University will be able to achieve their academic aspirations through DSU’s internationally accredited College of Business,” said Williams. “It is further proof of the academic excellence that DSU is known for, not only nationally but in the global higher education community as well.”

President Williams named to two major boards

President Harry L. Williams has developed a reputation as an innovative leader whose pivotal, personable and profound leadership style is celebrated both inside and outside of higher education. Because

of the notable progress Delaware State University has made under his guidance, Williams was appointed to the boards of two major entities, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and Bayhealth, expanding DSU’s presence and footprint nationally and locally.

Full story

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Tickets: $55 per person

Three fabulous women will be honored at this occasion:The Honorable Carla Markell

The Honorable Margaret Rose HenryThe Honorable Stephanie Bolden

March 17, 20166 - 8 p.m. | Doors open at 5 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center

Net proceeds to benefit DSU Honors Program students; contributions are tax deductible.

desu.edu/hatsandglovesSponsorships available. Call 302.857.7801.

Register Today!

From left are Dr. Marshá Horton, dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy; Osher Scholars Mike Valeus, Martha J. Kleen, Adam Rinaldi, Clifford Terrell, Vickie Farrell, Michael Shanefelter and Abdullah Mustafah; and Vita Pickrum, vice president for Institutional Advancement.

2015-16 Osher Reentry Scholarship recipients celebrated

On February 3, seven recipients of the Osher Reentry Scholarship awards gathered for an annual reception hosted by President Harry L. Williams. Those assembled represented one third of the nontraditional students who received the scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year.

The Osher Reentry Scholarship is available to adults who are entering DSU after a five year cumulative gap in pursuing their first bachelor’s degree and is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2016-17 academic year. For complete guidelines and eligibility requirements, visit desu.edu/scholarships.

DuPont $150,000 for STEM scholarships

The DuPont Corporation recently awarded DSU a grant of $150,000 to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) scholarships for students. A DSU supporter for several decades, DuPont has a history of impacting student success; in 2015 the company was also the Premier Sponsor of the President’s Scholarship Ball.

Good Samaritan Inc. and Marmot Foundation $70,000 for nursing lab upgrades

Delaware State University has received grants totaling $70,000 — $50,000 from Good Samaritan Inc. and $20,000 from the Marmot Foundation — for capital improvements critical for nursing student success within the College of Education, Health and Public Policy. The grants will allow enhanced educational offerings for future nurses through renovated laboratories that will be a hub of scientific exploration.

M&T Bank$50,000 for Scholars Program

In January, M&T Bank pledged $50,000 for DSU to establish the M&T Bank Scholars Program geared toward student success. The grant, payable in four equal installments, began with the first installment of $12,500. The program’s primary goal is to award scholarships to provide financial support to seniors from Delaware who were supported in their freshman, sophomore and junior years via the state’s Inspire Scholarship program. Inspire Scholars at DSU must maintain a 2.75 GPA, demonstrate good conduct and perform 10 hours of community service each semester.

AstraZeneca $25,000 for STEM scholarships

DSU was recently awarded a grant of $25,000 for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) scholarships from the AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation. AstraZeneca scholarships will be awarded to sophomores, juniors and seniors earning grade point averages of 3.0 or higher, majoring in STEM fields of study.

Bank of America $20,000 for Acquired Talent Management Program

In fall 2015, Bank of America granted $20,000 for DSU to establish a program geared toward student success, the Bank of America Acquired Talent Management Program (BOA-ATM). The program aims to develop life skills for DSU student participants, preparing them for work in the financial market sector. Bank of America professionals are paired with students for personal growth and career development. In addition, the program offers exceptional students with an opportunity for paid summer internships and potentially full-time employment at Bank of America.

Verizon $20,000 for robotics education

DSU has received a $20,000 grant from Verizon in support of robotics education which will be used to establish robotics teams at the Early College High School@DSU and kindergarten through grade 12 schools within Kent County and host the state championship FIRST Lego League and FIRST Tech Challenge. Through a partnership with FIRST (For Inspiration Recognition of Science & Technology), a nonprofit organization that gives students an opportunity to apply STEM skills to solve real-world design challenges using robotic platforms, DSU is charged with expanding programs throughout Delaware.

Delmarva Power $15,000 for scholarships

In addition to its contribution to the 2015 President’s Scholarship Ball through the Delmarva Scholarship Golf Classic as a Diamond Sponsor ($15,000), Delmarva Power is a strong supporter of DSU. The President’s Scholarship Ball exists for the purpose of securing scholarship support for DSU students, a critical need to ensure continued academic progress.

For more information, please call the Division of Institutional Advancement at 302.857.6055.

We’re 87% there! The Greater Than One: Campaign for Students on February 12

was at $17,520,765 in contributions toward a $20 million goal.

Won’t you help to keep the momentum going during the

campaign’s final months?

DONATE TODAY. desu.edu/GreaterThanOne

Corporate gifts benefit student success