FAMU law hires associate dean

Reginald Green, who has served as assistant dean for Career Resources at South Texas College of Law for the past 10 years, will join the FAMU College of Law as Associate Dean for Student Services and Administration on March 19, 2010.

According to a statement released to the law school community by Dean LeRoy Pernell, Green’s responsibilities will ultimately involve broad oversight of several key areas of student services and administration. His primary responsibility upon arrival will be direct supervision, direction and enhancement of the Career Services area.

“Mr. Green brings exceptional experience to this area and is highly regarded for his work at South Texas College of Law,” Pernell said.

Green is a graduate of South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas and Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss. He has also held leadership responsibility in admissions and recruiting as well as a featured presenter for such national groups as the National Association for Law Placement, the National Pre-Law Advisors and the National Black Prosecutors Association.

100rd does a tribute to Haiti earthquake victims at Honda

The FAMU Marching 100 paid homage to Haiti during the 2010 Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta. Just before ending their show, the 100rd spelled out Haiti and asked the audience to do their part.

The 100rd also blew away the crowd with it's version of "It kills me" in concert formation.

FAMU raising money for new endowed law chair

The Walt Disney World Resort will be the title sponsor for the FAMU College of Law Accreditation Celebration golf tournament and gala. The golf tournament and gala will acknowledge and celebrate FAMU College of Law receiving full accreditation from the American Bar Association on July 30, 2009.

“I would like to thank Walt Disney World Resort for supporting this celebration,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “Through its generous sponsorship, this celebration will serve as a way to generate funds that will strengthen and build on the achievements of the College of Law. We are expecting tremendous support for this event from our alumni, friends and supporters.”

The golf tournament is scheduled for Friday, February 19, at Disney’s Osprey Ridge Golf Course. Anyone interested in participating in the event can visit www.famu.edu/famudisney to register. The cost to participate is $150 per person and $500 for a group of four. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. and the tournament at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.

On Saturday, February 20, the gala will begin with a VIP reception at 6 p.m. followed by the gala at 7 p.m. at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Tickets for the gala are $150 per person and $1,250 for a table of ten. Tickets can be purchased online beginning January 26, 2010, at www.famu.edu/famudisney.

“We are pleased to announce that because this event has been fully sponsored by Walt Disney World Resort; all proceeds will go directly to support the College of Law, and all event purchases are 100% tax deductible,” said C. Williams Jennings, chair of the FAMU Board of Trustees. “We encourage those who can to support this celebration. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our College of Law.”

“We are very grateful and appreciative for the support of Walt Disney World Resort,” said Carla Willis, vice president for FAMU’s University Relations and executive director for the FAMU Foundation, Inc. “These events will raise vital dollars for scholarships and other key priorities at the College of Law. In addition, funds raised will be used to support the establishment of the Joseph W. Hatchett Endowed Professorship at the FAMU College of Law.”

Crist proposes increase in SUS budget

Yesterday, Gov. Charlie Crist outlined his 2010-11 budget priorities for Florida’s colleges and universities. He wants the state to pump millions more into public higher education without any mandating any across-the-board tuition increases.

Crist proposed $7.1 billion for higher education, including a $100-million increase to state universities to build research and education capacity in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM).

“Education is the engine that drives the economy for Florida. This $7.1-billion investment in our institutions of higher learning will help us continue the strong push toward building an economy based on knowledge and innovation,” Crist said. “All Floridians will reap the benefits of these investments resulting in opportunities for job training, job preparedness, and ultimately job creation.”

Crist’s higher education budget priorities include $3.6 billion for the state university system. He recommended $5 million for state university research commercialization matching grants. While the governor proposed no tuition increase for resident undergraduates at Florida’s state universities, state universities have the continued authority to increase the tuition differential fee by up to 15 percent.

The STEMM funding would be a welcome addition to FAMU’s budget. As part of the State University System’s 1999-2003 Strategic Plan, Florida’s Board of Regents approved a Center of Excellence in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (or COESMET) at FAMU. The program’s purpose: increase black Ph.D. recipients in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Specifically, the center was to add ten Ph.D. programs in two phases from 2001 to 2010. Phase I consisted of: Physics, 2001; Computer Science, 2002; Chemistry, 2003; Biology, 2004; and Computer Engineering, 2005. Phase II included Ph.Ds in Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Engineering and Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering between 2006 and 2010. Due to inadequate funding, FAMU has only been able to launch one of the COESMET Ph.D. programs (Physics).

Additionally, the STEMM money could help FAMU kick its plans for a College of Dental Medicine into high gear.

The governor did not specify how he would secure the funds necessary to boost Florida higher education budget in the midst of the current recession. However, in August 2009 Crist signed a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe that could generate an estimated $300M next in 2010-2011 if it is ratified by the legislature.

Crist kicks Roberts, McDevitt off BOG

Gov. Charlie Crist arrived at today’s Board of Governors meeting in Tampa with a big broom. When he finally finished sweeping, former chair Carolyn Roberts and current chair Sheila McDevitt’s appointments were in the dustpan.

The governor also relieved members John Dashburg and Zachariah P. Zachariah of their duties, as well. They, just like Roberts and McDevitt, were originally appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Crist did decide to spare one Jeb-pick: BOG Vice-Chair Ava Parker.

With the changes, Crist weakened Jeb’s ability to influence the public higher education system that the former governor restructured in 2001 and filled with people who were loyal to him.

Roberts and McDevitt had to have known that their future on the BOG was coming to a close sooner rather than later. Even if they had received reappointments, they would have faced an uphill battle in the Florida Senate confirmation process.

Under Roberts and McDevitt’s “leadership,” the BOG made the politically suicidal decision to sue the Florida Legislature for control of tuition. Lawmakers went from treating to BOG as if it didn’t exist to being openly hostile against its members.

Lawmakers raked the BOG over the coals for permitting former Chancellor Mark Rosenburg to “request” money from public university foundations to pad his $231,750 salary and provide perks such as a car allowance. They also questioned whether the BOG wasted $1M it appropriated for a “Task Force on FAMU Finance and Operational Control Issues.”

Throughout much of the same time that the BOG was talking about FAMU’s financial challenges, a number of problems in its own house went uncorrected. A 2008 state operational audit frowned upon the way the BOG administered the Research and Economic Development Investment Program, a matching grant fund. According to the report, the BOG did not fulfill all the required statutory obligations before it disbursed two grants, totaling $23.25 million, to the University of Florida.

Roberts and McDevitt were big cheerleaders of former Interim President Castell Bryant, who was responsible for FAMU’s probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. They were also cool toward new President James Ammons, who got FAMU back in good standing with SACS.

Read the biographies of Crist’s new BOG appointees here.

Employees have last chance to lobby against massive layoffs

Dozens of FAMU jobs are hanging by a string.

As Rattler Nation reported in June 2009, FAMU officials used about $4.7M in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fill in part of the gap left by legislative budget cuts. The money helped FAMU avoid cutting many faculty, staff, and administrative positions.

But Florida's budget pictures has gotten worse since then. The state is facing a $3B budget deficit in 2010-2011. That makes additional cuts to the education budget likely, which means next year's stimulus dollars won't stretch as far as this year's did. This is a big problem for FAMU because it doesn’t have the same ability as institutions such as the University of Florida to simply replace stimulus dollars with tuition revenue.

If FAMU is to avoid massive layoffs, organizations such as the FAMU Faculty Senate and campus chapter of the United Faculty of Florida need to get involved in lobbying for tax reform.

The new Florida legislative session is getting starting and there are numerous bipartisan proposals to reverse the slump in tax collections. One is being jointly sponsored by Sen. Evelyn Lynn (R-Ormond Beach) and Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda (D-Tallahassee). They have filed a bill to streamline the process of collecting sales taxes from purchases made over the internet. Florida TaxWatch estimates that the state fails to collect as much as $2B annually from remote sales.

The bill is supported by TaxWatch, Associated Industries of Florida, AARP of Florida, the Florida AFL-CIO, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida League of Cities, the Florida Children’s Services Council, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, and the Florida Education Association.

FAMU’s faculty senate and union should be on the capitol supporting this bill and other proposals to reverse the decline in tax revenue. University employees only have a few months left to write legislators, attend rallies, and make their voices heard.

If FAMU employees don’t join the fight to boost the state’s tax coffers, then they shouldn’t be surprised when many of their jobs aren’t included in the 2010-2011 university budget that will be finalized by June. At that point, no amount of protest or complaining will make a difference.

OT: JSU president backs HBCU merger

Jackson State President Ronald Mason is officially on board the campaign to merge Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State with the university he leads. His only major request is that the Mississippi Legislature give the merged institution’s administration a one-time appropriation of $10M to help with the transition.

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, sang about this type of deal when he once said: “Sold me out for chicken change.”

Mason calls for the new merged institution to be named Jacob State University in honor of H.P. Jacobs, JSU’s founder. The campuses of the state’s public HBCUs would become three constituent colleges, each with a specific focus. “Jackson College” would be the exploratory learning site. “Mississippi Valley College” would concentrate on service-learning. “Alcorn College” would be a center for remedial education.

According to Mason’s plan, Jacob State would have 13,000 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, and would become the nation’s top producer of black teachers and pre-professionals.

Mason failed to explain how Jacob State would accomplish those goals with a much smaller overall budget than the collective amount that currently goes to the three individual universities. Gov. Haley Barbour, who originally proposed the merger, estimated that it would save $35M over several years.

The whole concept of the merger is designed to give less money to Mississippi’s HBCUs. The merger isn’t being proposed to build up the HBCUs into a stronger state.

Numerous black legislators and HBCU supporters in Mississippi have rightly denounced the ridiculous Jacob State scam and should continue to do so. They should also call for Mason to be replaced with someone who actually gives a damn about treating HBCUs fairly.

FAMU BOT lacks creative vision for revenue

Despite the ongoing budget crisis, FAMU’s Board of Trustees has failed to entertain at all the creative money-making approaches being used by other public universities. The BOT continues to discuss options such as furloughs and layoffs but has yet to consider a revenue option recently implemented by Florida State University’s board.

In 2008, FSU trustees approved a 50 percent reduction in fees for certain out-of-state students. That lowered the cost of annual full-time (30 credit hour) enrollment from $18,000 to $12,000 for those students.

The total fee waiver amounts to $999,661. The fee break will help FSU enroll a larger number of out-of-state students and help its current out-of-state students buy more credit hours. By the end of the 2009-2010 year, FSU officials expect to create 109 additional out-of-state full-time equivalents (units of 15 credit hours). That will bring in $1,999,322 in new tuition revenue (click on the picture for a larger view of the numbers).

An out-state-fee reduction could bring in new revenue at FAMU, as well. FAMU’s housing shortage makes college very expensive for the student body. Most students come from families that make $30,000 or less per year. But FAMU trustees simply ignore that fact and continue to approve big tuition and fee hikes that students can’t afford. That has led FAMU students to simply take smaller course loads, which hurts tuition revenue.

The most recent data from the State University System’s online fact books shows that FAMU granted the second-lowest amount of fee waivers in 2005-2006. Only New College of Florida, a school with less than 1,000 students, gave fewer fee waivers than FAMU.

The lack of a creative revenue vision on FAMU’s BOT is making the bad budget situation worse. FAMU deserves trustees who will consider every single option to create money and save university jobs.

FAMU positioned to get bigger slice of enrollment funding pie

As FAMU continues its push toward the goal of 15,000 students, it stands to receive a big financial boost from a possible trend that could produce stagnant and/or declining enrollments at other public institutions.

In 2008, UF announced plans to reduce its undergraduate enrollment by 4,000 over a four-year period. That means it is leaving behind state enrollment dollars that FAMU can now net into its own budget.

Every year, the state legislature funds universities to produce a specific number of credit hours, measured as full-time equivalents (FTEs). According to the State University System’s Glossary, “In Fall or Spring term, an FTE is equivalent to 15 credit hours at the undergraduate level or to 12 credit hours at the graduate level. In the Summer term, an FTE is 10 credit hours at the undergraduate level or 8 credit hours at the graduate level.”

If a university fails to meet its required FTE enrollment by more than five percent for two consecutive years, it loses money. UF went from 52,271 students in fall 2007 to 49,679 in fall 2009, for a total loss of 2,592 or 7.7 percent. The university will fill much of the monetary void with tuition increases.

This is all good news for FAMU, which can now command a larger slice of the State University System’s enrollment funding pie. Florida State and the University of South Florida might also follow UF's lead in the future and cut their enrollments down, which would leave even more state FTE money for FAMU to claim.

Even though UF is using the state’s tough budget situation as an excuse to reduce its enrollment, the real reason appears to be its desire to increase its standing in the magazine-driven “ranking game.” The ranking game rewards universities that reject the largest number of applications, take in students with the highest standardized test scores, and have the smallest faculty-student ratios. Reducing enrollment will help UF in all those areas.

Despite whining from public university leaders who want the current funding formula changed to deemphasize enrollment growth and reward them for chasing elitist magazine rankings, the legislature has resisted. Magazine rankings don’t produce the college-educated workers Florida needs for its economy.

The Board of Governors and many SUS presidents thought they could pressure the legislature to change the funding formula by capping freshman admissions. But, lawmakers simply responded by opening the door for community colleges to launch new baccalaureate programs and pick up the slack.

This year, UF was the only university that did not disregard the previous freshman admissions cap and expand its enrollment. However, other state universities are looking for their chance to mimic UF by cutting down their students in order to up their magazine rankings.

Enrollment growth is still the name of the game in Florida’s education politics. FAMU is positioned to become a bigger winner in future years.

Alumni donations rebound under Ammons

When FAMU alumni saw former Interim President Castell Bryant creating multimillion dollar deficits and getting the worst state audits in the university’s history, many closed their checkbooks. But once new President James Ammons entered office and started fixing Castell’s mess, alumni donations quickly rebounded.

During Castell’s first full year in 2005-2006, alumni gave $720,985. That fell by -28 percent to $521,821 during 2006-2007 after Castell and her financial officers had landed FAMU's first-ever qualified state audits.

Ammons’ entry in 2007-2008 immediately reversed the decline in alumni giving levels. During his first six months in office, Ammons and his financial team got FAMU’s books back in shape and received an unqualified state audit. The new administration also got the university off probation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Alumni responded by increasing their donations by 86 percent, for a total of $968,820 that year.

Alumni giving continued to go up in 2008-2009. That year, FAMU went from having the largest number of operational audit findings in the State University System under Castell to one of the very smallest numbers under Ammons. Alumni contributions climbed by another 22 percent to $1,180,723.

FAMU’s new leadership has also reinvigorated the Boosters. In 2006-2007, Boosters giving slid by -3 percent, going from $167,100 to $162,420. During Ammons’ first year, Boosters contributions jumped up by 67 percent to $270,820. In 2008-2009, that number rose again by 6 percent for a total of $285,816.

Alumni want to know that their financial gifts are being properly managed. It’s clear that the Ammons administration has restored alumni confidence in the university’s accounting systems. The increase in alumni giving, despite the current recession, is another selling point FAMU can use to attract bigger sums of money from corporate America and the State of Florida.

Source: FAMU Strategic Plan Accountability Indicators.

Student interns with CBC

FAMU physics student Reamonn Soto will intern with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during the spring 2010 semester. Soto is one of 15 students who will participate in the internship program. Every semester, members of the Caucus are assigned an intern for nine weeks.

Soto, a 23-year old from Tallahassee, Fla., begins his internship in January 2010 through May. Soto is also a Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation student.

“I heard about the internship while attending a Florida Democratic Party Convention in Orlando,” said Soto. “After speaking with Congressman Kendrick Meek, I felt compelled to pursue the internship program.”

Soto has worked on Meek’s U.S. Senate campaign. He also served as an intern for Florida House of Representatives Alan Williams.

Soto feels that his degree in physics will give him the platform to solve problems that the U.S. is facing today. Soto’s excitement in becoming a leader in the community came after his involvement with the Young Democrats of America.

Soto said, “One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein – ‘We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.’”

While in D.C., Soto will receive a scholarship to attend George Washington University where he will take classes, such as political management, to develop a message for voters. He hopes to learn how to become a political candidate while in D.C., return to FAMU for graduate school and then run for public office.

Soto is a member of the FAMU Honors Program, the National Society of Black Physicists, Phi Sigma Theta honor society, and the Model United Nations.

This week: Growing revenue

Join us for four days of discussion on FAMU’s progress in generating new revenue during the midst of the state and national economic crisis. We’ll take a look at what the university is doing right (and wrong) as it seeks to plug the budget hole.

FAMU law grad opening firm in Marianna

LaDray Gilbert, 28, will open a law office in Marianna on Jan. 23.

The former high school athlete and scholarship winner’s entry into the local law community will make him the only African-American lawyer in private practice in Jackson County.

The Gilbert Firm will specialize in family, criminal and injury law.

A 2000 graduate of Malone High School, Gilbert earned his law degree at the FAMU College of Law, Orlando, in May of 2008.

Gilbert said it was his father who helped him realize that opening an office here was a better idea than moving back to Orlando to practice.

“By the time I got to the point of thinking about going back, I’d become really involved in my church and re-established a lot of relationships with people that I cherish,” Gilbert said. “It was that, and my dad also told me, ‘They need you here a whole lot more than in Orlando,’ and I realized that maybe I could make more of a difference here.”

Gilbert also holds a B.A. degree in business administration. He earned that at FAMU’s School of Business in Tallahassee. It was in his sophomore year there that he decided to enter law school.

“Daryl Parks at the Parks and Crump law firm in Tallahassee gave me a job at Christmas break,” he recalled, “and it blossomed from there. Until then, I’d always figured that I’d work for a big accounting firm and work behind a desk for 30 years. It was something I knew I could make good money at, but being in a law office, I was able to see more opportunity and more meaning in law.”

Read the full article here in the Jackson County Floridian.

Lady Rattlers surge past Delaware St.

The FAMU Women’s Basketball team played an inspired second half on both ends of the floor to overtake Delaware State, 53-40 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest at the Al Lawson Center Monday night.

FAMU (10-5, 3-2 in MEAC) outscored the visiting Lady Hornets (3-14, 1-3 in MEAC), 39-14 in the second half, after trailing 26-14 at the break.

The Lady Rattlers shot 54.2 percent from the field (13 of 24) and went 6-of-10 from three-point range in the final 20 minutes, while holding DSU to 17.2 percent (5 of 29) floor shooting, which included an 0-for-6 showing from long range.

Sophomore Antonia Bennett led FAMU with 18 points, going 4-for-8 from distance, while classmate Tameka McKelton added 16 points, hitting 3-of-7 from long range.

FAMU forward Qiana Donald pulled down 11 rebounds, while freshman center Danielle Anderson hauled down a game-high 12 boards, helping FAMU to its’ 48-31 edge on the boards.

Donald named MEAC defensive player of the week

Qiana Donald is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. Donald (Guard/Forward, 6-0, So., Jacksonville, Fla.) pulled down 24 rebounds, blocked five shots and tallied two steals to two conference match-ups last week. Offensively, she contributed eight points and two assists.

Upgrades will save FAMU $4.1M in energy costs

Through a $2.4 million energy savings performance contract being executed by the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry, Inc., FAMU is now on the path to a greener and more sustainable campus for the students and faculty. When work concludes in spring 2010, Siemens guarantees energy savings that will provide equivalent cost savings (depending on utility rates during the ten year contract) of more than $4.1 million, enough to cover the financing and provide a return on the overall investment.

"Through this contract with Siemens, FAMU will add a significant project to the list of measures that we will take to help improve the environment and reduce our energy consumption," said FAMU President James H. Ammons. "Siemens is guaranteeing cost savings, providing training for our staff and helping us to monitor and maintain the equipment. Siemens has a vested interest to see that we generate those savings."

FAMU’s Tallahassee campus encompasses 156 buildings and some 3.9 million square feet. Work has already begun implementing lighting upgrades, pipe insulation, and steam trap replacements at the central plant.

As far as sustainability is concerned, FAMU stands to gain even more. Once implemented, the retrofits and upgrades are calculated to reduce C02 emissions by 4.5 million lbs., equivalent to planting nearly 15 acres of trees. Moreover, Siemens will deliver to students and faculty a more comfortable interior environment with better management of heating, ventilation and air conditioning and lighting. For example, the color rendering of the new lighting systems are closer to that of natural light, thus reducing glare and eyestrain. With standardized lighting across the campus, lamp and other parts inventories are less costly to manage and maintain as well.

Black enrollment low at UF dental school

Note: This is the third and final part of RN's special report "Sunshine State Smiles: The Case for a FAMU College of Dental Medicine."

A FAMU College of Dental Medicine would boost the State University System of Florida’s abysmal number of black dental students. From 1998 to 2008 the black student population at the state’s lone public dental school, run by the University of Florida, has remained below five percent. This includes students in the professional, graduate, and postbaccalaureate programs.

According to U.S. Bureau of the Census estimates, blacks make up 15.9 percent of Florida’s population. In 2008, black students comprised 4.9 percent of the total UF dental school student body.

The 2008 “State of Florida’s Oral Health” report by the Florida Department of Health noted that blacks are severely underrepresented in the nation’s dental and dental hygiene schools, with a total percentage of 5.41.

The report called for the state to do to a better job of recruiting minority dental students and providing loan forgiveness options for them. It added that better specialty care for the “culturally and ethnically disadvantaged” is essential to improving Florida’s overall oral health.

The proposed FAMU College of Dental Medicine would address these issues through its mission of producing dentists “from underrepresented populations to serve underserved populations.”

Click on the image above for a larger view of the table.

Medicaid dentists scarce in Florida

Note: This is part two of RN's three-part special report "Sunshine State Smiles: The Case for a FAMU College of Dental Medicine."

FAMU’s proposed College of Dental Medicine, which aims to train dentists “from underrepresented populations to serve underserved populations,” would fill a critical void in Florida. The state’s two dental schools at the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern are producing very few dentists who are willing to participate in the Medicaid program.

Florida Medicaid is the primary payer for oral health services for the state’s poor citizens.

According to the 2008 “State of Florida’s Oral Health” report by the Florida Department of Health, only about 10 percent of state dentists participated in Medicaid. Florida only has one dentist per 9,747 Medicaid-eligible children and one dentist per 41,039 Medicaid-eligible adults.

Fewer than 20 percent of Medicaid-eligible children in Florida have access to dental services. Florida needs an additional 600 full-time dentists to remove the manpower shortage for its low-income population.

The shortage of Medicaid dentists has led Florida to recruit more practitioners from out-of-state. In 2008, Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill that changed the state’s licensure requirements to allow licensed dentists from other states to work in health care settings that serve some of Florida's most vulnerable citizens.

“By increasing the number of dentists eligible to practice in our state, we can help give children, adults and seniors the dental care that is so important for their overall health,” Crist said.

The “State of Florida’s Oral Health” report also recommended that the state consider establishing more dental schools to address this problem. With its proposed mission focusing on the underserved, a FAMU College of Dental Medicine would go a long way toward improving the oral health of Florida’s poorest children and adults.

Dentist shortage hurting Florida

Note: This is part one of the RN's three-part special report "Sunshine State Smiles: The Case for a FAMU College of Dental Medicine."

Graduates of a FAMU College of Dental Medicine would not have any problem finding employment in the Sunshine State. Florida is facing a severe dentist shortage.

According the 2008 “State of Florida’s Oral Health” report by the Florida Department of Health, there is only one dentist for every 2,024 Florida citizens. Florida ranks 29th in the nation in dentists per capita.

The report estimates that Florida needs an additional 2,104 dentists to reach the national average.

Florida’s dentist shortage will get even worst as Baby Boomer retirements kick into high gear. The state ranks #11 nationally for the number of dentists who are 55 or older.

County health departments (CHDs) across the state will be particularly eager to hire FAMU dental school grads. 90 percent of Florida's dentists are in private practice and fewer and fewer of them are accepting clients who are either underinsured, uninsured, or rely on Medicaid. That means that CHDs are taking on a greater share of Florida’s poor dental patients.

As of 2008, there were 44 vacancies at CHDs across the state.

FAMU's clinical training plan would benefit Florida's CHDs. The dental school proposal calls for students to spend two years at the Tallahassee campus completing their basic medical science requirements. After that they would undergo two years of clinical training at CHDs and other community-based clinics in underserved rural communities. Upon finishing their clinical residencies, FAMU's dental school graduates would be prime candidates for employment at CHDs.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at Florida’s dire dental Medicaid situation and what it means for FAMU's dental school ambitions.

Remembering Dr. King

Today, as you most likely know, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Since we typically memorialize King nowadays by sleeping in, staying home from work, and hitting up the sales racks at the local mall it's easy to lose sight of the true meaning of this day of remembrance.

So, if you've got a minute (or 5) today, take a look at this video tribute of this great leader who inspired a nation, indeed a world. Thanks to Dr. King's dream civil rights have come a long way in this country, and with the help of his dream I hope we can continue to progress. Hey, maybe we can even see it come true.

UMES steals two from Rattlers

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks mens and women basketball teams came into to Lawson Center and picked up a couple of wins Saturday.

The Lady Hawks bested the Lady Rattlers 47-43. This was the second conference loss for the Lady Rattlers in their last three outings.

The loss dropped the 9-5 Lady Rattlers to third place in the MEAC with a 2-2 record.

The Rattler men couldn't overcome a 13-point halftime deficit, which at times had grown to more than 20 points. Midway through the second period the Rattlers had close the lead to within four, before the Hawks pulled away. The loss dropped the Rattlers to 3-13 overall/ 1-3 MEAC.

The Rattlers were out rebounded 43-29, and made more than enough generous turnovers to the Hawks.

RN Special Report: Sunshine State Smiles

Beginning Monday, we'll be running a three-part special report on "Sunshine State Smiles: The Case for a FAMU College of Dental Medicine." Join us for an in-depth look at the facts and data that support FAMU's bid to operate Florida's second public dental school.

Get informed here before the Board of Governors hearings or the legislative debates on FAMU's dental school proposal start. We'll show you why the FAMU critics who say Florida doesn't need another college of dentistry are dead wrong.

"Sunshine State Smiles" - a Rattler Nation special report - coming up Monday through Wednesday.

FAMU organizing Haiti relief effort

FAMU President James H. Ammons has formed a Haiti Relief Planning Committee to coordinate the university’s effort to provide assistance to Haiti and to FAMU students, faculty and staff whose families were impacted by the disaster.

FAMU will focus on supporting indigenous organizations or those with a local presence such as Doctors Without Borders.

Ammons has asked that the committee ensure that the money donated for this relief effort aid those who are truly in need and provide necessities and medical supplies for the victims.

“As an institution of higher learning with “Excellence with Caring” as our motto, we cannot sit idly by while our neighbors are suffering,” said Ammons. “We must assist in the humanitarian effort and also make sure that we have systems in place to meet the needs of our students, faculty and staff who may be affected in some way by the disaster.”

Individuals interested in supporting FAMU's disaster support effort can text the word “Relief” to 50555 to make a $5 donation to the FAMU-Haiti Relief Fund. This process can be repeated up to five times. Standard text messaging rates apply.

FAMU is accepting supplies to help in the immediate relief efforts. The university will accept the following items:

Blankets
Towels, Washcloths and Toothbrushes
Hygiene Products (soap, toothpaste, feminine products, alcohol swabs, diapers, etc.)
First Aid Kits (self contained)
Antibiotics (ointment)
Medical Supplies (bandages, gauze, peroxide, etc.)
Bug Spray
Flashlights and Batteries
Detergent
Toilet Paper

The Office of Student Activities has established several drop-off centers across campus to collect the items. FAMU is also setting up a Call Center, located in the William Gray Center, to give students the opportunity use the telephone or computer to make contact with their families. University officials expect the center to open for business beginning Tuesday afternoon, January 19, 2010.

Williams, Lawson make pleas for Haiti disaster aid

State Rep. Alan Williams and Fla. Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson are asking their constituents to give whatever they can to the disaster relief efforts in Haiti.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake (on the Richter scale) occurred in Haiti on Tuesday. The earthquake's epicenter was 14 miles outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city.

“My heart goes out to the Haitian people as they deal with the terrible aftermath of this devastating earthquake,” Williams said. “Already one of the poorest nations on earth, the struggling nation of Haiti will require the assistance of the United States in the coming hours, days and weeks. I join President Barack Obama in the United States commitment to respond when the world is faced with tragedies.”

Lawson added his heartfelt sympathy for all the victims of “one of the worst natural disasters in history.” He and Williams are encouraging those interested in offering assistance to visit the American Red Cross at www.RedCross.org or Yele Haiti, a movement led by musician Wyclef Jean that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti, at http://www.yele.org/.

Meek encourages private donations for Haiti

FAMU alumnus Kendrick Meek is asking visitors to KendrickMeek.com to make a donation through his website to aid the Red Cross with disaster relief in Haiti following a devastating earthquake that has crippled the island nation.

"During these times of natural disaster, our first response is to donate food, clothing, and blankets to the disaster zone, but this goodwill often causes delays in the supply chain providing recovery to those in danger. By clicking on the link to the Red Cross on KendrickMeek.Com and making a contribution, needed financial resources will go directly to the Red Cross who possess the know-how to quickly provide disaster relief and aid in the recovery effort of the Haitian people. Floridians always come together during times of crisis and natural disaster, and our neighbors in Haiti need our assistance. I am encouraging Floridians to visit KendrickMeek.com and donate to the Red Cross to aid in the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti," Meek said.

Meek represents the 17th Congressional District of Florida, which includes Little Haiti. He represents more Haitian Americans than any other member of Congress. Since his election to Congress in 2002, Meek has traveled to Haiti over 15 times, most recently leading a bipartisan delegation of South Florida lawmakers to the island.

Since the earthquake struck, Meek has been in contact with the White House, President Clinton's office where the former president serves as a U.S. envoy to Haiti, the State Department, Southern Command, Red Cross, as well as with Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. Mr. Raymond Joseph.

FAMU celebrates MLK legacy

Leon County Commissioner William “Bill” Proctor keynoted FAMU’s Martin Luther King Convocation held Thursday in Gaither Gym.

The program also featured the FAMU concert choir and a special rendition of King’s “I Have a Dream” performed by James Moran, development officer for the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical. Additionally, FAMU President James H. Ammons presented MLK leadership awards to retiring John G. Riley Center/Museum curator Althemese Barnes and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Proctor was elected to the Leon County Board of County Commissioners in 1996 and represents the citizens of Leon County in District 1. He served as chairman of the Board in 2006. His priorities as the District 1 Commissioner are affordable housing, quality healthcare and education. He has served on several community advisory boards and has received numerous awards and recognitions for public service.

As county commissioner, Proctor’s accomplishments include the widening of Crawfordville Road (US Hwy 319 South), the widening of Orange Avenue, the building of the B.L. Perry Branch Public Library and the Southside Richardson-Lewis Health Center.

The Black Archives Union Bank Facility in downtown Tallahassee is also displaying a special museum feature entitled “Honoring a King: A Special Exhibit Celebrating the Life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement.” It explores King’s life through films, sound recordings, forums and other types of media and memorabilia. The exhibit will also include historical papers and regalia from the Civil Rights era.

Nunnally elected to MEAC Hall of Fame

Former FAMU wide receiver Jacquay Nunnally will be inducted into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s 2010 Hall of Fame Class.

Nunnally was a three-time football Division I All-American at Florida A&M, who led the Rattlers to the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) playoffs in 1997-2000. He is second all-time in NCAA Division I FCS football record books in career pass receptions with 317 for 4,239 yards and 38 touchdowns.

The Orange & Green standout also holds the NCAA Division I FCS record for most yards gained by a freshman during a game in his 284 yard performance on October 11, 1997 against North Carolina A&T. He caught 13 passes in the victory. Nunnally led the FCS in 1998 in receiving with 96 receptions for 1,316 yards and 12 touchdowns. The four-time All-MEAC First-Team honoree (1997-2000) was named the Black College Player of the Year in 1998 and 2000. He concluded his collegiate career with 362 catches and was inducted into the Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, March 12, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the M.C. Benton, Jr. Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Arts & Sciences adjusting to life in Old DRS

Note: This is third and final part of RN's special report "A New Look for Tucker Hall."

FAMU’s College of Arts & Sciences, which enrolls more than half the university’s student body, is adjusting to its temporary home in the old Developmental Research School building.

The college’s classrooms and faculty/administrative offices will remain there until Tucker Hall’s $17.1M renovation is complete in July 2010.

“It’s been difficult, but we are happy that better times and days are ahead,” said David Jackson, chairman of the Department of History and Political Science in an interview with The FAMUan. “Hopefully when we move back to Tucker Hall, the facility will be state-of-the art, and any sacrifices that we make will be well worth it.”

Nevell Owens, a religion professor, said he looks forward to the new smart classroom technology in the renovated Tucker Hall.

“I know a lot of the classrooms will have smart room technology, which will be a mass improvement over blackboard and whiteboard writing,” Owens said. “It will make things easier as an instructor to get things to students.”

FAMU women defeat Spartans; men suffer loss

Women win 58-47

Norfolk State women’s basketball team fell 58-47 at Florida A&M on Monday evening at the Alfred Lawson Center. With the loss, the Spartans fell to 2-9 overall and 0-3 in the MEAC, while FAMU improved to 9-4, 2-1.

The Lady Rattlers led by as many as 15 in the second period (48-33) and the Spartans could get no closer than nine, 56-47, the rest of the way.

FAMU shot 37.7 percent (23-of-61) from the floor for the game and 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from 3-point range. The Lady Rattlers recorded nine blocks and nine steals, but were outrebounded 51-42.

Antonia Bennett had a game-high 15 points and added nine rebounds, two assists and two steals for FAMU. Qiana Donald had game-highs of 12 boards and three blocks to go with her seven points. Christian Rateree had 14 points.

Men lose 78-65

Norfolk State snapped its school-record 11-game losing streak with a 78-65 Monday night win over Florida A&M.

FAMU’s Christopher Walker scored 14 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting, and the Rattlers scored nine second-chance points off eight first-half offensive rebounds to forge a 29-29 tie going into the intermission.

Larry Jackson led FAMU with 16 points. Walker had 15, but just one after halftime. Brandon Bryant added 13 and Yannick Crowder 10.

100 to perform in Super Bowl XLIV

The FAMU Marching “100” has been selected to perform in the Super Bowl XLIV pregame show scheduled for Sunday, February 7, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

This is the third time in five years that the Marching “100” has been invited to participated in a Super Bowl.

According to Julian White, director of bands and chair of FAMU’s Department of Music, he received a telephone call from the entertainment director for the National Football League notifying him that the “100” had been selected.

“We are extremely honored and proud to be selected by the National Football League to perform during the pregame show,” said White. “To be invited for a third time in only five years is confirmation that we give a quality performance.”

When asked what will the “100” perform to dazzle the audience, White quickly responded by saying they will salute the King of Pop.

“We will do another production to honor Michael Jackson,” said White. “It is only fitting that we salute the King of Pop for the world to see.”

The “100” performed in four previous Super Bowls:

1969
Super Bowl III
Half time performance in Miami, Fla.

1983
Super Bowl XVII
Half time performance in Tampa, Fla.

2005
Super Bowl XXXIX
Pregame performance in Jacksonville, Fla.

2007
Super Bowl XLI
Half time performance with Prince in Miami, Fla.

New Tucker Hall will have big changes

Note: This is part two of RN's three part special report "A New Look for Tucker Hall."

When Tucker Hall’s $17.1M renovation is complete in July 2010, students and faculty can look forward to many new amenities. The FAMU Essential Theatre Program housed in Charles Winterwood Theatre, in particular, will receive a much-needed boost from the changes.

According to the construction contractor, Ajax Building Corporation:

The Charles Winterwood Theatre will receive new seating, acoustic treatment, A/V & lighting systems, catwalks, rigging, flooring including replacement of the stage floor and trap door system.

The atrium and entry lobby will be expanded by removing the second floor slab thus creating a two-story lobby and entry into the Theatre. The lobby will be a focal point of the facility with refined finishes and a glass roof system to allow more natural light into the area.

Finally, due to limitations of the existing elevator, the current elevator hoistway will be enlarged to accommodate an elevator that meets current ADA codes and Emergency Management requirements. There is also consideration underway to add a Service Elevator to the overall program.

Tucker Hall renovations underway

Note: This is part one of RN's three part special report "A New Look for Tucker Hall."

Tucker Hall’s $17.1M renovation is underway, scheduled for completion by July 2010.

According to the construction contractor, Ajax Building Corporation: “The scope of the renovation includes but is not limited to: restoration of the building’s envelope including a complete roof replacement, as well as replacement of the building’s plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems. Additional updates performed as a part of the renovation will include, structural systems upgrades, life safety upgrades, technology upgrades, and remodeling of all offices, classrooms, and support spaces. The project will also address known [American Disabilities Act] issues within the building circulation utilizing an exterior plaza in front of Tucker Hall, as well as a plaza off Charles Winter Wood Theatre to provide access to the street level.”

As of December 10, 2009, Ajax reports that “the existing slate roof tiles have been demolished, and the sloped roof dried in, with shingle installation starting now. Interior demolition is nearing completion, with the 2nd floor slab removal at the Atrium beginning in the first half of December. Column footings in the basement have been poured, as well as concrete columns. Overhead coordination is in progress on all floors. Floor leveling has been performed on the 3rd and 4th floors. Wall layout on the 4th floor has taken place, and metal stud framing is starting on the 3rd floor.”

Rattler men top NC A&T 70-66

Brandon Bryant scored 19 points as Florida A&M defeated North Carolina A&T 70-66 Saturday night, giving the Rattlers their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season.

Larry Jackson added 14 points and Yannick Crowder had 13 for the Rattlers (3-11, 1-1), who have won three of their last four games since opening the season on a 10-game losing skid. Jackson and Christopher Walker led the Rattlers with eight rebounds apiece.

Florida A&M led by three points at halftime and did just enough to seal the win in the second half, outscoring the Aggies 43-42.

Thomas Coleman recorded a double-double for the Aggies (5-10, 1-1), scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

The Rattlers capitalized on 18 North Carolina A&T turnovers en route to victory.

FAMU picks up lineman from WSSU

Josh Newkirk, a defensive line at Winston-Salem State has transfered to FAMU.

Newkirk, who will be a junior in the fall, was a two-year starter for the Rams and the team's No. 3 tackler last season. He started classes at Florida A&M on Wednesday and is the first WSSU starter to transfer.

"They saw what I could do on film, and I decided I wanted to play there," said Newkirk, who was in on 54 tackles and had one sack and an interception in 2009. "I wanted to get out of Winston with all that's happened."

WSSU halted its move to Division I in September, the Rams finished 1-10, and Coach Kermit Blount was relieved of his duties and reassigned within the university. WSSU will stay in Division II and return to the CIAA next season.

"I wanted to play Division I, and that's why I signed with Winston," said Newkirk, a 6-2, 240-pounds. "I'll miss my teammates, especially the ones that were on the D-line with me, but I needed to do this."

Newkirk is eligible to play immediately -- players transferring from Division II to Division I do not have to sit out a season -- and said he expects to compete for a starting job in spring practice.

"FAMU had five defensive linemen graduate," Newkirk said. "So I'll get a shot to show what I can do."

Newkirk, who has a 3.0 grade-point average, said he also likes FAMU's sociology major.

"That attracted me to them as well, and it's something I want to major in," he said. "I'm excited about the move."

Newkirk became a starter at WSSU as a freshman and finished the 2008 season with 48 tackles, 6.5 tackles for losses and three sacks.

The defensive line, WSSU's best unit the last two seasons, could also lose Stephen Young. He's back at WSSU for the spring semester and recovering from shoulder surgery, but he said earlier this week that he is still considering a transfer.

http://www2. journalnow. com/content/ 2010/jan/ 08/lineman- leaves-wssu- for-florida- am/

2005: Castell kills flu lab proposal

On her path toward nearly destroying the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, former Interim President Castell Bryant also blocked a proposal that seemed like an issue of common sense: creating an influenza lab and vaccination production plant at FAMU.

The flu lab was proposed by Professor Henry Lewis, who had recently stepped down as pharmacy dean. With the nation facing shortages in flu vaccine doses, he envisioned FAMU as future leader in battling this problem.

Castell made every excuse she could to derail the proposal. She gave newspapers lame and misleading statements claiming that she had not received any detailed information about the proposed lab.

After killing flu lab proposal, Castell also ignored the pharmacy faculty’s warnings about how her mismanagement was jeopardizing the school’s accreditation. Bryant failed to release operating dollars that school needed and refused to spend legislative money that had been appropriated for building new research and laboratory space.

In February 2007, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education placed FAMU’s pharmacy college on probation.

FSU duplicating FAMU’s environmental science major

Florida State University just weakened any future arguments it has against FAMU duplicating high-demand programs it offers in Tallahassee.

FSU recently announced its plans to launch a bachelor of science degree in environmental science next fall. Provost Larry Abele said the university wants to offer the major because experts predict that environmental industries will be a major source of new jobs in the next decade.

FAMU already offers the same undergraduate major in its Environmental Sciences Institute, established in 1995. The program offers students “the opportunity to earn a general degree in environmental sciences with options for specialized concentration accomplished through electives in environmental restoration and waste management; environmental monitoring and instrumentation; environmental toxicology/risk assessment; and environmental policy.”

With FSU becoming increasingly bold about duplicating desirable FAMU programs, Rattlers need to fight harder against lame "no duplication" arguments that are used to limit FAMU’s own growth.

For example, FAMU should be able to offer doctor of education (Ed.D.) degrees through its College of Education. This is a high-demand program that brings in big revenue in tuition payments because it caters to current K-12 teachers, college instructors, and other professionals in the education field. These men and women don’t need as much financial aid as undergraduates because they are fully employed and take classes during evenings or weekends. But, there are opponents who are afraid that a FAMU Ed.D. program would siphon money and students away from FSU’s program.

Rattlers need to bring up FSU’s own duplication efforts the next time FAMU is told it can’t duplicate a FSU degree program.

Lady Rattlers top Savannah State, 60-53

The FAMU women’s basketball team won its’ third straight game after outlasting a determined Savannah State University squad, 60-53 in non-conference play Wednesday evening in the Alfred Lawson Center.

FAMU (8-3), was led by sophomore Tameka McKelton with 18 points, senior LaShonda Gaines with 16 points and sophomore Antonia Bennett with 14 points. Sophomore Qiana Donald added eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Savannah State (8-11) was sparked by Crissa Jackson with 10 points and Kymberli Stamps with eight points. Alisha Nelson added seven points and eight rebounds.

Cold shooting and turnovers kept the game low-scoring, as FAMU shot 36.8 percent from the floor (21 of 57) and 33 percent (7 of 21) from three-point range, against 43.2 percent (19 of 44) from the floor for Savannah State, which hit 31.3 percent (5 of 16) from three-point range, while the two teams combined for 51 turnovers (27 by Savannah State and 24 by FAMU).

In the first half, the Lady Rattlers built a quick 8-2 lead thanks to three-pointers by McKelton and Christian Rateree, but a seven-minute scoring drought by FAMU allowed Savannah State to hang close.

Gabrielle Bennett’s jumper with 10:20 left cut the FAMU lead to 8-6, but Antonia Bennett and Gaines led a 7-0 Lady Rattler surge, boosting their lead to 15-6.

Savannah State went on a 9-3 run late in the second half, to cut the FAMU lead to 18-15, but the Lady Rattlers regained control of the game with a 7-2 closing flurry, led by Gaines, who scored five points in the stretch run, leading to a 25-17 halftime edge.

In the second half, things heated up as FAMU quickly built a 12-point lead thanks to a pair of baskets by McKelton, which staked them to a 29-17 lead with 19:22 left.

Savannah State, which outgunned FAMU, 60 percent to 37.9 percent from the floor in the final stanza, went on a 10-0 surge led by Treasure Monroe and Mattisha Mangum, to pull within two points, 29-27 with 16:33 left.

Qiana Donald scored on back-to-back layups to push FAMU out to a six-point advantage, 33-27 with 15:38 left, then Antonia Bennett scored five straight points to extend the Lady Rattler edge to 38-28 with 12:33 to play. Bennett added a three-pointer as FAMU went on a 13-2 run to surge ahead, 46-30 with 9:52 to go.

The visiting Lady Tigers would not fold though, putting together a 23-11 run in the next eight minutes, capped by a three-pointer from Stamps (1:17) to cut the lead to 57-51, before a Courtney Long layup (1:03) brought the lead down to 57-53.

But FAMU’s Gaines cashed in three foul shots in the final 22 seconds to provide the final margin, 60-53.

Legislature still has final say over health professional programs

Late last year, the University of South Florida sent out a press release stating that it still planned to open a pharmacy school in 2011. The announcement came despite the fact that the proposed school failed to receive authorization from the Florida Legislature last session.

However, a recent news report shows that the legislature still holds all the cards when it comes to establishing new health professional programs in the Sunshine State.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, legislative certification is “necessary for a program that will result in a student getting a state-issued license.” Without such a license, USF pharmacy graduates will not be able to practice in Florida.

Even though the Board of Governors can approve new programs, it has no authority over the Florida Board of Pharmacy, which grants licenses. The Board of Pharmacy is part of the Florida Department of Health, which operates under the laws passed by the legislature. The board will only grant licenses to students from legislatively-certified programs.

This news shows that FAMU may have another avenue for seeking a dental school even if the Board of Governors does not support the proposal. FAMU could still ask the legislature for certification to train dental students who will be eligible to receive licenses from the Florida Board of Dentistry.

The BOG has lost practically every one of its fights with Florida’s House and Senate. It is currently backing out of its lawsuit to take tuition-setting authority away from the legislature. It also remained quiet after the legislature struck down its controversial proposal to increase its presence in the hiring and evaluation processes for university presidents.

FAMU is requesting $1.5M to assist it in planning for the School of Dentistry. If the legislature makes an early investment into a potential FAMU dental school, then FAMU will be in the best position to get full funding for a dental program when the state's budget situation improves. There are many other ambitious public universities in Florida that want to train dentists, as well. But, FAMU is trying to put itself at the front of the line now.

It is critical that FAMU supporters lobby vigorously throughout the next legislative session. Every Rattler who wants a dental school should contact Fla. Sen. Durell Peaden R-Crestview, who is likely to remain chairman of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee, and ask him to keep on supporting FAMU’s health science education goals. In 2008, Peaden played an instrumental role in securing $2.5M to aid FAMU pharmacy’s school’s expansion into Northwest Florida.

Dawson elected to MLB Hall of Fame

Former FAMU and pro baseball star outfielder Andre Dawson has been selected to the 2010 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Class announced today.

Dawson, who will be enshrined during ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y. on July 25, will be the only player inducted this year.

The Miami, Florida native was a standout player at FAMU under legendary baseball coach Costa “Pop” Kittles from 1973 to 1975.

Rattler Field, at the time Dawson was playing at FAMU, was located at the current site of the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center. Dawson, who was known for slugging home runs all the way across Wahnish Way to the Gaither Athletic Center, led the Rattlers in home runs, hits, doubles and runs batted in as a sophomore and junior (1974, 1975).

Dawson, who was drafted by the Montreal Expos following his junior year at FAMU in 1975, spent 11 of his 21 major league seasons with the Expos (now the Washington Nationals), winning National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1977.

He also played professionally with the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and the Florida Marlins, where he now serves as Special Assistant to Marlins’ president David P. Samson.

Dawson left Montreal, signing as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs, during the “Collusion Era,” when major league owners were found guilty of attempting to pay less than fair market value to prime free agents.

He signed a blank contract with the Cubs in 1987, then went on to win the National League MVP Award after crushing 49 home runs and driving in 137 runs. He was also selected to the 1987 National League All-Star team and started the mid-season classic.

Dawson finished his major league career with 438 homers (36th All-Time), with 1,591 RBIs and 314 stolen bases.

He is currently one of only three players in major league history to hit 400 home runs and steal 300 bases, joining Willie Mays and Barry Bonds.

During his illustrious career, Dawson made eight (8) with All-Star Game appearances (1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), won eight (8) Gold Glove Awards, for outstanding defensive play in the field, along with four (4) Silver Slugger Awards (1981, 1982, 1983, 1987), for outstanding performances at the plate.

Dawson was inducted into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and was honored with induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

In January 1994, Dawson was the recipient of The Hutch Award, a Major League Baseball award given to an active player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win.

The award was created in 1965 in honor of Fred Hutchinson, the former major league baseball pitcher and manager, who died of cancer in November 1964 at the age of 45.

Smith named interim AD

Michael Smith (pictured on the left), a former FAMU football player and SBI alumnus, is taking the helm of FAMU’s athletic department as interim director.

Smith currently heads FAMU’s Business & Auxiliary Services Office. In that position, he supervises the University Bookstore, Copy Center, Dining Services, Meal Plan Program, Rattler Card, Post Office, Beverage and Snack Vending, Laundry Services, and AMEX Cards.

From 1981-1984, Smith wore the Orange and Green uniform as a wide receiver and kick returner under Coach Rudy Hubbard.

The first task Smith will need to accomplish as interim AD is to bring class back to the director’s position. Former AD Bill Hayes, who started work as Winston-Salem State University's AD on Jan.1, was known for his foul mouth and eagerness to pick fights with coaches doing the best they could with meager resources.

In addition to the morale problems, Smith inherits a multi-million dollar deficit that Hayes made even worse.

FAMU: Non-Conference Warriors

By Roscoe Nance
MEACSports.com

The Lady Rattlers (7-3) are the talk of the MEAC after a trio of nonconference victories against Florida and Alabama of the highly regarded SEC and South Florida of the Big East Conference.

"It's good for them to do what they are doing before conference (play begins),'' North Carolina A&T women's coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs says. "It's an eye opener. It says you better be aware of what's going on at FAMU. They are part of major conference. For FAMU to do what they are doing is great. It says a lot of about Coach (LeDawn Gibson) and what she is capable of doing. It is bringing attention to the conference. I'm happy for them.

Anytime you can put your name out there and represent the conference, I'm happy. I say keep on winning.''

All of the Lady Rattlers' losses are against teams from power conferences - Missouri of the Big 12 and Auburn and Kentucky of the SEC.

"We're making a statement that we can compete against bigger schools,'' Gibson says.

"That means a lot to the FAMU program, the FAMU family and the coaching staff. We've been very competitive in every game. This is a recruiting tool.''

The Lady Rattlers opened the season with a 73-68 overtime victory at South Florida. The real stunner came when the beat Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

Gibson says friends and well-wishers have repeatedly reminded her of the importance of the victories against Florida and Alabama. Even though she understands the impact beating a pair of SEC schools has on how Florida A&M is perceived in the basketball world, Gibson keeps the wins in perspective. Once the hype is over, each counts as one victory in the W column, the same as their wins against Bethune-Cookman, Albany State and Savannah State.

"I go into every game hoping to win and trying to coach to the best of my ability,'' she says. "I'm excited to win. I go in to win, I don't care who it's against.''

Florida A&M's fast start even is more impressive considering that Gibson this is only her second season as coach of the Lady Rattlers of a youthful squad. The roster includes just two seniors, Deidra Jones and LaShonda Gaines, and six freshmen.

Gibson came to Florida A&M after a highly successful career at Winter Haven (Fla.) High, where she had a 3331-48 record in 12 seasons. Her teams were ranked No. 1 in Florida for nine straight seasons, won two state championships and reached the state finals five straight years. She produced 27 college players, including 12 who played for Division I programs. Two of her players were named Florida's Miss Basketball.

The Lady Rattlers concluded the 2008-09 season with a 14-17 overall record a year ago. It was during the 2009 MEAC tournament that Florida A&M that the Lady Rattlers advanced to the semifinals and served notice to the rest of the conference that they would have to deal with the Lady Rattlers down the road.

"The dedication and commitment the girls have been giving and their ability to adjust has been the key,'' Gibson says. "I'm not saying I didn't expect this because we have a really talented group. When you have a group that refuses to lose and is talented and committed, these things happen.''

Sophomores Tameka McKelton, Antonia Bennett and Qiana Donald form the Lady Rattlers' nucleus. McKelton is the sixth-leading scorer in the MEAC at 13.8 points a game. Bennett is 11th with 11.8 points and second in three-point field goal percentage (.457) while making 16-of-35 attempts from beyond the arc. She also averages 6.0 rebounds. Donald is tied for the top spot in rebounding with 10.8. She has had the MEAC's two highest single-game rebounding totals this season with 19 boards against Bethune-Cookman and 17 against Alabama.

"There has been a lot of carryover from last season,'' Gibson says. "That has been key, them learning from their first year of college basketball. They have matured so much as basketball players and people.''

Gibson, however, says Jones' leadership and scoring will be missed. Her 33 points in the Lady Rattlers' 69-65 loss at Missouri are the conference's single-game high for the season.

"Having someone to tell the younger players 'This is how you should do it' is always big help,'' Gibson says. "I don't feel we can fill that void. The younger players are going to have to come out of their shell and step up.''

Jones, in her fifth-year in the program, is undergoing physical therapy rather than having surgery and could return to in time for the 2010 MEAC tournament.

The Lady Rattlers hang their hats on defense. They only allow 62.4 points a game, third-best in the conference, and lead the conference in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 35% from the floor.

LeRoy Vann listed among NFL Draft's top return specialist propects

The Bleacher Report an internet sports website list Rattler cornerback/return specialist LeRoy Vann as one of the 2010 NFL Draft's Top 10 return specialist prospects.

"The part of this draft class that could make it really special is the returners. A return touchdown is football's closest metaphor to a lightning strike, " according to the Bleacher Report.

Don't blink; Vann is one of the best returners in the nation.

Rattler and beau compete for dream wedding

A Rattler needs your support as she competes for her dream wedding.

FAMU alumnus Jasmine Harris met her sweetheart Gabriel Sheffield, an Alabama A&M University graduate, at an after work party. The two work in different divisions of Lockheed Martin’s Manasas Park, Virginia offices. They eventually became a couple and she soon accepted his engagement ring in front of Essence Magazine’s cameras in Destin, Fla.

The two are now contestants in the Essence Will You Marry Me contest for 2010.

Voting began January 4th. Check out Jasmine and Gabriel’s page here to support them.

Opinion: Speed bumps would prevent FAMU Way cut-through

Many FAMUans and South Side residents are understandably nervous that the city’s proposed FAMU Way extension will become a congested cut-through route. Asking the city to install speed bumps along FAMU Way would solve this problem and permit the extension project to go forward.

FAMU Way no longer sits on a K-12 school zone since FAMU DRS was relocated to Orange Avenue. That means it won’t qualify for a flashing yellow light with mandated reduced speed during school hours.

However, there is still a clear need make sure that the FAMU Way doesn’t become a speedway. It is close to the New Beginnings Day Care Center and runs by several privately-owned apartment complexes whose student tenants walk back and forth across that street all day.

Placing speed bumps along the widened FAMU Way would ensure that it does not become a convenient cut-through route for state workers or nearby Florida State University employees commuting back-and-forth to their jobs during the rush hours.

There’s no doubt that FAMU Way needs the money and improvements that the City of Tallahassee will pour into the project. The proposed stormwater runoff controls will be a huge benefit to the low-lying areas of the FAMU campus, which are prone to flooding. The idea of adding sidewalks will also increase student/pedestrian safety. Also, the new linear park will enhance campus beautification at no cost to FAMU.

Adding speed bumps to the FAMU Way extension project would permit the area to benefit from all the proposed new amenities without the threat of attracting cut-through traffic.

2004: City promises FAMU Way won’t become a cut-through

Back in 2004, City Commissioner Andrew Gillum (a FAMU alumnus) and Assistant City Manager Michael Wright promised FAMU’s Board of Trustees the proposed FAMU Way extension won’t be designed as a cut-through to relieve other areas of traffic.

The project involves extending FAMU Way between Lake Bradford Road and South Monroe Street. The current concept is for a two-lane road that would include a bicycle / pedestrian path, sidewalks, on-street parking and other amenities such as a linear park, stormwater runoff controls and coordination with the Blueprint 2000 Capital Cascades Trail network.

According to Wright “there is no intention to [make] this into a four-lane road or thru-way.” He emphasized that “the road is not intended to be a cut-through street.”

Gillum added that “the road would never become more than two lanes. He noted that the University may include language that suggests expansion of the two lanes not be permissible without FAMU’s approval.”

Trustees also inquired about providing additional transportation for students along the road and creating a slow done zone in the vicinity of the New Beginnings Daycare Center. That day, the BOT approved the FAMU Way extension concept.

Currently, the proposed route runs directly south of the St. Augustine Branch, the small waterway that runs within the canal just north of the existing portion of FAMU Way, south of Railroad Square and along the north edge of the neighborhood. The proposed route connects on the west to Lake Bradford Road (at approximately the intersection of Lake Bradford Road and Jackson Bluff Road) and ties into the eastern end of the current FAMU Way, which extends on to South Adams Street.

The cost for the entire project is estimated at $50 million. City staffers will be recommending that the project be done in phases. Funding is currently available for the section from Lake Bradford Road to the eastern edge of the FAMU Campus (approximately Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), which would reduce the cost to approximately $25 million.

To read the minutes of the April 13, 2004 BOT discussion on this project, click here.

City solicits input on FAMU Way extension

The City of Tallahassee is working to develop a new roadway and associated amenities designed to enhance the southern part of the community. The project involves extending FAMU Way between Lake Bradford Road and South Monroe Street. The current concept is for a two-lane road that would include a bicycle / pedestrian path, sidewalks, on-street parking and other amenities such as a linear park, stormwater runoff controls and coordination with the Blueprint 2000 Capital Cascades Trail network.

As part of the ongoing effort to involve the community in the project, the city is hosting the FAMU Way Community Breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 9, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Walker-Ford and Smith-Williams Community Centers.

The overall goal of the project is to make the proposed FAMU Way extension one of the most attractive roads in Tallahassee and a benefit for the surrounding community. Staff anticipates taking route and conceptual design recommendations to the City Commission in February.
The Community Breakfast is open to the public and free of charge. It includes eggs, grits, sausage and a biscuit. This will be a family-friendly event with children's activities such as a bounce house.

The purpose of the breakfast is to get information into the hands of people in the community and garner feedback on the potential road project. Information booths will be set up to provide project details, including route alternatives, improvements that could be included and street design options, among other things.

In summer 2008, the City of Tallahassee engaged the community in a dialogue about the potential for extending FAMU Way. Staff presented five route alternatives it saw as potential paths. Based upon the feedback received through that outreach, staff was able to focus in on what it saw as the alternative that would best meet the needs of the community.

Currently, the proposed route runs directly south of the St. Augustine Branch, the small waterway that runs within the canal just north of the existing portion of FAMU Way, south of Railroad Square and along the north edge of the neighborhood. The proposed route connects on the west to Lake Bradford Road (at approximately the intersection of Lake Bradford Road and Jackson Bluff Road) and ties into the eastern end of the current FAMU Way, which extends on to South Adams Street.

The actual design of the road would take 18 months and cannot begin until such time as the City Commission selects a route and approves the project concept. The alternative routes being shared with the community now represent the various swaths of land, any of which, could potentially house the road.

The cost for the entire project is estimated at $50 million. Staff will be recommending that the project be done in phases. Funding is currently available for the section from Lake Bradford Road to the eastern edge of the FAMU Campus (approximately Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), which would reduce the cost to approximately $25 million.