Parks to keynote Founders Day convocation

FAMU has scheduled its Founders Day Convocation for Friday, October 1, at 10:10 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. The keynote speaker will be Attorney Daryl D. Parks, managing partner of Parks & Crump, LLC. Parks is the vice chairman for the FAMU Board of Trustees and a FAMU alumnus. The general public is invited to attend.

Parks was recently elected as the President-Elect of the National Bar Association (NBA). Parks is the seventh attorney from Florida to serve as president.

Founded in 1925, the NBA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of predominately African-American lawyers and judges.

Parks currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Florida Justice Association, the board of the Tallahassee Urban League, and is chairman of the board for the Leon County Sickle Cell Foundation. He is a former president of the FAMU Booster, and serves on the FAMU Foundation Board of Directors, for which he is the former chairman.

He received his bachelor’s degrees in political science and economics, while serving as the first, two-consecutive term Student Government Association President in FAMU’s history. He received his juris doctorate from Florida State University School of Law.

FAMU receives $1.4M Broadband Stimulus grant

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke announced that FAMU was selected for a $1,477,722 Broadband Stimulus Award to establish a Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development.

The award is one of 14 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments that will help bridge the technological divide, create jobs, and improve education and public safety in communities across the country. The investments, totaling $206.8 million in grants, are the final grants in the Broadband Stimulus Award program. Its purpose is to increase broadband Internet access and adoption in order to enhance the quality of life for Americans and lay the groundwork for sustainable economic growth.

“In a globalized 21st century economy, when you don’t have regular access to high-speed Internet, you don’t have access to all the educational, business and employment opportunities it provides,” Locke said. “These critical Recovery Act investments will create jobs.”

FAMU’s $1,477,722 grant will fund a new public computer center that will serve the Leon, Gadsden, and Jefferson Counties for three years. This three-county region has poverty and unemployment rates well above the state and national averages. Many residents lack the 21st century skills necessary for industry certifications and job preparation.

The new Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development will have 65 workstations and will train as many as 14,500 residents with approximately 87,000 hours of teacher-led training annually. The project’s training and broadband programs will include specific disciplines important to North Florida. These include: public administration, education services, healthcare, social assistance, agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting.

FAMU Enterprise Information Technology Division and Department of Workforce Education and Development are heading the project. FAMU’s Small Business Development Center will also assist the project by providing business development training and counseling services through videoconferencing technology and offering workshops to small businesses with an emphasis on minorities, women, and veterans.

Over time, the project will develop and expand its instructional capacity through an aggressive “Train the Trainer” workshop program, which will include working with Florida’s Small Business Development Agency to create training content and identify and recruit trainers.

The LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System, Data Set Ready, the Metropolitan Design & Consulting Group, and Carney Solutions will also serve as partners in the computing center project.

FAMU-S.C. State game declared a blackout

The FAMU vs. South Carolina State University football game is declared a blackout. The FAMU Student Government Association has been issuing black FAMU t-shirts for the last two years to students. In conjunction with the FAMU Athletics marketing department, ALL Rattler fans are asked to wear black. Black FAMU attire is preferred.

The game will be broadcast on ESPNU. It will be a powerful display of school pride if FAMU's stands are filled with Rattlers wearing black.

Game time is 6 p.m.

FAMU tennis wins HBCU National Championship

The FAMU Men's tennis team won the 2010 HBCU National Championship at the South Fulton Tennis Center on Sept. 25. The Rattlers swept all three singles flights as well as both flights of the doubles competition.

Levan Clark won the men's flight "A" singles title, Chidi Gabriel (pictured) won flight "B" and Temuera Asafu-adjaye won flight "C."

In the doubles, the duo of Chidi Gabriel and reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year Takura Happy, defeated Sean Richardson and Steffan Giles-Osborn of Xavier University, to win the "A" flight. Maurice Wamukowa and Temuera Asafu-adjaye took the "B" flight by defeating FAMU teammates Fabrice Myrtil and Marc Atkinson in the finals.

FAMU law’s first-try bar passage rate improves

The graduates of FAMU’s College of Law posted a 62.5 percent first-try passage rate on the July 2010 Florida bar examination. 55 of the college’s 88 first-try test takers passed. That’s up from 55 percent in February 2010.

Many FAMU law students take the bar exam two to three times before passing. The law school’s overall passage rate is close to 80 percent. A 75 percent overall bar passage rate meets the requirements of the American Bar Association.

The University of Florida led overall with an 86.8 percent first-try passage rate. The state average was 79.2 percent. The national average for non-Florida schools was 74 percent.

“We are positively encouraged by this indication that our efforts at providing support for our students in order for them to achieve greater success on the Florida Bar is headed in the right way,” said LeRoy Pernell, FAMU College of Law dean. “While we are far from satisfied yet that we have reached our goal with these first-time bar passage percentage results for July 2010, we are pleased that we have experienced a dramatic increase in first-time success – the largest such increase of any Florida law school.”

“During a period where law schools across the state are experiencing a decline in Bar passage rates, our graduates are closing the gap with positive gains,” said Jendayi Saada, director of the College of Law Academic Success and Bar Preparation program.

Source: sunEthics.

Rattlers fall to TSU, 29-18

In front of a crowd of 54,202, the Tennessee State University Tigers snapped an eight-game drought to long-time rivals Florida A&M in the Atlanta Football Classic, 29-18.

It was the first time since 2001 the Tigers captured a win against the Rattlers in the AFC with fans, alumni, and students on hand at the end of the game to soak in the victory at the Georgia Dome.

FAMU (2-2) did not jump on the board until late in the second quarter with a two-yard run by Lavante Page. Page scored again in the fourth with the Rattlers adding a two-yard touchdown pass as time expired from Eddie Battle to Max Purcell.

Martin Ukpai led FAMU with 173 yards passing from 15-of-31 with Kevin Elliot leading all receivers with four catches for 51 yards. On defense, Alvis Graham led all defenders with 13 tackles adding one sack for FAMU.

Hastings: Meek can win in November

Speaking to about 80 Florida black elected officials, in a phone call Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings admonished them " not to buy into the illusion that Kendrick can't win." Hastings, "I told them about the historic significance of having an African-American candidate win in the South and setting the stage for President (Barack) Obama's re-election in 2012. I told them to tell any candidate that comes through their area that they can't support them unless they are visibly supporting Meek."

Earlier this year Kendrick Meek became the first statewide candidate to qualify for the Florida ballot by gathering voter signatures, about 125,000 in all. Then emerged victorious in last month's Democratic primary against a hard-charging billionaire.

Recent polls show Meek closing the gap on former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the darling of the tea party, and Governor Charlie Crist, a republican turned independent candidate.

Conliffe appointed director of financial aid

FAMU recently announced the appointment of Marcia Conliffe as the university's new director of financial aid.

For the past 20 years, Conliffe served at Broward Community College in supervisory positions including her latest position as the associate vice of Student Affairs and Financial Services. Prior to her tenure at the community college, Conliffe gained experience in higher education at Florida Atlantic University and Florida State University.

As the director of Financial Aid, Conliffe is charged with assisting the vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management with the governess, structure, policy formation and implementation for the Division of Student Affairs. Conliffe also serves as the chief financial aid officer with a lead role in the administration, planning and management of financial aid, veterans and disability services programs.

“I could not be happier to be here at Florida A&M University,” Conliffe said. “Everybody here has welcomed me as an addition to the Rattler family. I can honestly say that this is one of the best decisions I have made. I am looking forward to helping the university take the Office of Financial Aid to the next level.”

Conliffe’s understanding of Student Financial Services, Veterans Affairs and Disability Services has gained her experience in managing a team of eight senior staff members and more than 40 individuals in daily operations by providing visionary leadership to develop complete cutting edge college-wide projects. Her responsibilities included overseeing administration and distribution of financial aid budget; serving as liaison to the Office of Information Systems Technology; preparing and monitoring administrative and operational budgets; maintaining policy and procedures manual for each department with emphasis on current practices and well-develop goals; and as designated college administrator for the receipt of federal, state institutional and private financial aid programs.

Conliffe obtained her bachelor’s of science in business administration and master’s in information studies with a concentration in information technology management from Florida State University.

Ammons defers $81,000 bonus

FAMU President James Ammons announced yesterday that he will defer an $81,000 bonus that was awarded to him based upon his performance in 2008-2009.

Members of the university’s Board of Trustees voted to give him the minimum bonus permitted by his contract. According to the language of the performance bonus clause: “Based upon his achievement of annual goals and objectives…Dr. Ammons shall receive an annual performance bonus. It is intended that said annual performance bonus shall be in the range of 25% to 35% of the annual base salary.”

Trustee Karl White offered the motion to award the bonus at the minimum 25 percent level. He said his decision was not a criticism of Ammons’ performance but a response to the tough economic situation that FAMU faces.

University officials say they might have to cut another $5M from the budget this year. Florida’s public universities also received notice that they might take another 15 percent across-the-board cut in 2011-2012. That would be $14.2M at FAMU. Additionally, FAMU will lose more than $8M in nonrecurring stimulus dollars that year. Twenty-six employee salary lines are being paid with that money.

Ammons’ base salary is $325,000 per year. Last year he accepted a 35 percent, or $113,750 bonus. He gave 50 percent to the FAMU National Alumni Association.

The president thanked the Board of Trustees for its favorable evaluation and decision to honor the bonus clause of his contract.

“I am humbled by this decision to issue a performance bonus consistent with the terms of my contract,” Ammons said.

Ammons added that “this is the absolute worse time for me to accept this bonus.”

The president will meet soon with the board chairman to discuss “restructuring” the bonus clause of his contract.

Rattlers energized by construction projects

FAMU students, faculty, and staffers are all smiles about two big construction projects that are changing the face of campus.

Yesterday, FAMU held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Tucker Hall. Chanta Haywood, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, said her students are excited about going to class in the remodeled facility.

"It says a tremendous amount of the future of Florida A & M university, and I think its captured best in the student that said that this building makes them want to make straight A's, and so to me, that says that we're geared up for a straight A future," Haywood told WCTV-6.

Later in the day, the university broke ground on the Phase II building of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. FAMU President James Ammons, Gov. Charlie Crist, and State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan were all in attendance.

The governor told WTSP-10 (Tampa Bay) that the Phase II building is a great investment “not only because of what it can do for medicine and for healing and for helping, but also what it can do for jobs and job creation.”

FAMU lauds $40M changes for Tucker Hall, Pharmacy buildings

Today, FAMU celebrates two construction projects that are adding $40M to the campus infrastructure.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly-renovated Tucker Hall is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Then at 2:30 p.m., university officials will break ground on Phase II of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences building.

Tucker Hall’s $17.1M remodeling replaced the roof, plumbing, mechanical, electrical systems. It also upgraded life safety, technology, and structural systems. All the offices, classrooms, and support spaces also received make-overs.

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

Visitors have described the new main lobby as “breathtaking.” This area has been expanded by removing the second floor slab to create a two-story atrium and entry into the theatre. A glass roof system was added to allow more natural light. All known ADA issues were also addressed.

During the last legislative session, FAMU received $23M of the estimated $30.9M price tag for Phase II of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences building. The new facility will provide 65,000 square feet of new classroom and laboratory space that is essential to the program’s accreditation compliance. FAMU officials estimate that Phase II will help the pharmacy school boost its federal-funded research from its current $23M up to $45M.

Turf installed at Bragg

New grass turf has been installed at Bragg Memorial Stadium and is being prepped for optimal rooting conditions.

The Orange & Green gridders will break in the new grass turf surface on Saturday, October 2 when they take on South Carolina State at home.

The FAMU Division of University Relations is currently coordinating a $750,000 "Got Turf" campaign to secure articial turf for long-term use.

In one of fundraising appeal, Vice-President of University Relations Carla Willis and Head Football Coach Joe Taylor emphasized how artificial turf will give FAMU's football players a better opportunity to shine before NFL scouts.

"As you know Bragg Stadium is where Rattler football legends and traditions were made, but when the NFL scouts came to FAMU’s pro day to test and evaluate the student athletes last year, a noticeable negative was the condition of our playing surface," Willis and Taylor wrote. "Consequently, when the national report came out for our players, this was noted in their evaluations. This year, our NFL pro day will certainly be enhanced by this decision to move to artificial turf, and our student athletes will benefit now and for generations to come."

FAMU ranks #1 in HBCU licensed merchandise sales for third year

For the third consecutive year FAMU ranked No. 1 among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in selling licensed merchandise. According to the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), sells increased by 25 percent from the 2008-2009 fiscal year gross royalties of $79,007 to $98,863.82 in 2009-2010. The FAMU licensing program has generated approximately $2.6 million in retail sells for this fiscal year.

“We are ecstatic to know that FAMU remains at the top of the list in selling licensed merchandise,” said Sabrina Thompson, coordinator of licensing at FAMU. “Our goal is to continue to increase sales in the upcoming years.”

Currently, FAMU has 127 licensees. Royalties from the licensing program funds FAMU athletic scholarships. Previously, FAMU received 7.5 percent of the purchase price. As of July 1, FAMU now receives 10 percent of all sales.

“This increase will assist the University in continuing to provide excellence with caring,” said Thompson.

Since August 2008, FAMU, CLC and local law enforcement officials have patrolled the Tallahassee marketplace in search of counterfeiters selling “knock-off” merchandise. All counterfeit merchandise is subject to seizure.

“The FAMU licensing program has been a great story in our industry for the last few years,” said Brian White, CLC’s vice president of University Services. “This year, however, the University and its supporters set the bar even higher. It is not uncommon to see large year-over-year sales increases among the country's licensing programs, but this kind of record growth over three consecutive years is very impressive and comes as a result of the University’s strong commitment to protecting and marketing its brand.”

The CLC is the oldest and largest collegiate licensing agency in the U.S. and represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA.

Rattlers take advantage of Bison miscues

FAMU parlayed Howard University mistakes into 31 points en route to a 50-7 win in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Washington, D.C.'s Greene Stadium.

After a slow start by both teams, the Rattlers (2-1 overall, 2-0 in the MEAC) set the tone on their first score. Curtis Holcomb intercepted a Casey Council pass and set up the first score. It took FAMU two plays to go 37 yards with Lavante Page scoring from three yards out near the end of the first quarter.

After the Bison failed to score on their first possession of the second quarter, the Rattlers struck with a big play as Martin Ukpai (9 of 17, 188 yards; 8 rushes, 69 yards) connected with Eddie Rocker on a 78-yard bomb that upped the margin to 14-0 at the 14:26 mark.

Howard responded on its next possession by going 79 yards in six plays, with Justin Duncan highlighting the drive with a 59-yard jaunt that set up his two-yard plunge that got the Bison to 14-7 at the 11:36 mark.

The Rattlers struck again on Howard's next possession when cornerback Qier Hall returned a Bison fumble 30 yards to up the score to 21-7 at the 8:43 mark.

FAMU tacked on another score when it blocked the first of two Howard punts. Lonvontae Page scored his second TD of the game, this time from four yards to give the visitors a 27-7 lead at the half.

"Things really spiraled out on control for us when they got the blocked punt," said Howard Coach Carey Bailey. "We are not good enough to make a mistake and let a team get up on us that big."

FAMU controlled the game offensively, defensively and on special teams in the second half. The Rattlers took the opening second half kickoff and marched 63 yards in 11 plays with Rocker bolting in from four yards to make it, 33-7.

"All three phases were a disaster today," Bailey said. "We didn't play well on offense defense or special teams."

Richardson named interim head baseball coach

Brett Richardson as FAMU's new interim head baseball coach. Richardson served as the manager of day-to-day operations for baseball since the departure of coach Robert Lucas at the conclusion of the 2010 season.

FAMU Director of Athletics, Derek Horne, made the appointment after the closing of the previous search process. “Brett has done a very good job overseeing our baseball program during our search process. We felt that it was in the best interest of our student-athletes to name him coach. It will assist our efforts in preparing them for the upcoming season,” Horne said. Richardson was a part of the nationwide search for a head baseball coach.

Richardson expressed excitement about the opportunity. "The opportunity to direct these young men is something that I was ready and hoping for, and now it has come to fruition. I am ready to take it head-on and meet the challenges of rebuilding the Rattler baseball program back to its conference championship caliber."

Richardson played for the Rattlers from 1990-1993. He joined the FAMU coaching staff in 1997 under Coach Joe Durant and continued under Lucas. During his time as assistant, the Rattlers enjoyed success with six 20 win seasons (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004).

Richardson, a Lincoln High School product, graduated from FAMU with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education and went on to earn a master’s degree in Sports and Leisure Management.

We've got to do better!

We know that it is still early in the semester and the "kids" over at the FAMUAN are still trying to get their bearings, but isn't accuracy still one of the basic tenants of journalism?The above headline from today's online edition of the paper underscores some of the recent problems the paper has been having. For-the-record, Henry Kirby has not been selected as VP, but is one of the three finalist for the position.

Another major (headline gaffe) the paper made this week implied that no FAMU representatives were present at this week's White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Rattler Nation called conference organizers and confirmed that at least four FAMU administrators had registered.

Message to our young brethren at the FAMUAN: "we've got to do better!"

Adderley to kick off Lyceum series

Last year FAMU relaunched its Lyceum Series, according to FAMU Provost Cynthia Hughes Harris, this year’s Lyceum Series will be another unforgettable season.

“We have scheduled some outstanding and exciting performances for this season,” said Hughes Harris. “The Lyceum Committee has scheduled violinists, vocalists, a pianist and more. I am confident that our diverse performances will continue to provide a rich, cultural experience for the FAMU community and the general public.”

The 2010-2011 season will kick off this fall with a performance by pianist, arranger and composer Nat Adderley, Jr. on Friday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium.

Growing up in a major jazz family, Nat Adderley, Jr. was destined to be a musician. His father was the power-house cornetist and composer Nat Adderley, Sr. who was famed for his work with his brother, the legendary alto saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley.

Adderley, Jr., whose grandparents once taught at FAMU and father attended FAMU, was born in Quincy, Fla. He spent much of his music career arranging for Luther Vandross. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. He started playing piano as a child and had his first song, “I’m on My Way,” recorded by his uncle Cannonball on the 1967 album Why Am I Treated So Bad! by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet when the young Adderley was only 11 years old. It was at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City that Adderley first met fellow student Luther Vandross, with whom he would later spend much of his musical career. He attended Yale University and graduated with a degree in African-American studies.

While living in Houston, Texas, he was the music arranger for the 1981 album Never Too Much, which became Vandross’ first hit with the title track. He continued working with Vandross, who he called “a hilarious guy, a great employer, a great friend, and an incredible musician,” until the singer’s stroke in February 2003.

He has returned to his jazz roots, performing his own works, as well as tributes to both his father and uncle. He cites his influences as Chick Corea, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.

The second performance this fall is scheduled for November 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium featuring the music group Black Violin. Combining a daunting array of musical styles and influences to produce a signature sound that is not quite maestro, not quite emcee, this group of two classically trained violinists, Wil B. and Kev Marcus, and their DJ is redefining the music world-one string at a time. With influences ranging from Shostakovich and Bach to Nas and Jay-Z, Black Violin breaks all the rules, blending the classical with the modern to create something rare, a sound that nobody has ever heard, but that everybody wants to feel.

After graduating from high school, both Wil and Kev were granted full music scholarships to college, Florida State University and Florida International University (FIU) respectively. It was at FIU that Kev first encountered the group’s future manager, Sam G, with whom he and Wil soon formed a production company: DKNEX. Now they had a platform for their dream, and the talent and inspiration to back it up. Black Violin was born.

FAMU professor to research renewable energy in Nigeria

FAMU Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Professor Egwu E. Kalu has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and conduct research at Covenant University, Ota in Nigeria during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Kalu will conduct research in collaboration with Covenant University Faculty colleagues in renewable energy systems by investigating the development of a continuous reactor and catalyst system for the production of biodiesel. They will use local raw materials that will not impact adversely on the food security issues of the country. Kalu, one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, will also teach computational methods in chemical engineering.

Kalu joined the faculty of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering as an assistant professor of chemical engineering. Since his arrival at the College, he has taught courses in the different areas of chemical engineering including courses in numerical computations, materials science, kinetics and reactor design and electrochemical engineering. His research interests are in the synthesis of nanocluster materials for renewable energy systems including electrocatalytic materials for batteries, fuel cells and hydrogen generation.

FAMU receives $4M in grants from USDA

FAMU recently received $4,073,123 in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One is an 1890 Facilities Grant (FG) for $982,622. FAMU also received a total of $3,100,829 for 12 grants awarded to the institution through the 1890 Institution Research, Extension and Teaching Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the awards to FAMU and 17 other historically black land-grant colleges and universities last week. He said that money is designated to help strengthen the research, teaching and extension at the schools. He believes the funds will help HBCUs such as FAMU recruit and train students for careers in agriculture.

"Our 1890 historically black land-grant universities play a critical role teaching students to meet the high quality, innovative research needs that are vital to the wellbeing of our nation's food, fuel and fiber," Vilsack said. "These awards mark a substantial investment in addressing the robust and varied research challenges facing American agriculture today, but more importantly it is also an investment in our future scientists and engineers, farmers and foresters."

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides support to historically black colleges and universities that were designated at as land-grant universities in the Second Morrill Act in 1890. Grants to these 1890 universities support research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of these schools.

The 1890 Institution Research, Extension and Teaching Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program strengthens the linkages among the 1890 universities, other colleges and universities, USDA, and private industry. It focuses on advancing cultural diversity in the scientific and professional workforce by attracting and educating more students from underrepresented groups.

The 1890 Facilities Grants Program provides funds for acquiring and improving food sciences facilities and equipment, including libraries. Grants enable 1890 land-grant universities to be well-equipped to fully address research, extension, and academic needs.

In FY 2010, NIFA awarded $32,514,064 through the 1890 CBG Program and $18,979,200 through the 1890 Facilities Grants Program.

FAMU announces 40/40 honorees

Last week, FAMU announced the young men and women who will be honored at the Young Alumni Awards: A 40/40 Celebration, Friday, October 29, in the Alfred L. Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. The gala is part of this year’s Homecoming celebration and celebrates the accomplishments of alumni who are under 40 years of age.

The 40 honorees include actors, business executives, filmmakers, politicians, and educators.

The names include: Joe Briggs, attorney for the NFL Players Association; Dwight Bullard, Florida House of Representatives (District 118); Dr. Makeba S. Earst, Dentist, All About Smiles Center; Andrew D. Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner; Amber D. Hall, Florida Region Sales Operations HR Manager, Frito Lay; Rob Hardy and Will Packer, Rainforest Films; Oscar Joyner, President and COO, Reach Media; Melanie Roussell, Press Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Alan Williams, Florida House of Representatives (District 8); Lonnie Rashied Lynn, Jr. – “Common,” actor and rapper; Anika Noni Rose, actress.

One big highlight of the list is Michael Bundy (pictured). Bundy, an alumnus of FAMU's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, graduated first in his class at the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine in 2008. He's currently completing a six-year residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, specializing in oral and maxillo facial surgery.

Bundy and Makeba S. Earst are both examples of FAMU's ability to attract students with the potential to become top-rate dental surgeons. FAMU President James Ammons is vigorously lobbying for a College of Dental Medicine to be established at Florida's only public historically black university.

View the full list of honorees here.

Rattlers hold off Delaware State 17-14

Delaware State’s quarterback Anthony Glaud was sacked by Nicolas Hollinghead on a fourth and two with 13 seconds remaining in the game to give the Florida A&M University Football team a 17-14 win over the Hornets, Saturday evening in Dover, DE.

FAMU (1-1, 1-0 MEAC) grabbed the early 3-0 lead in the first quarter as Trevor Scott nailed a 26-yard field goal with 12:11 remaining on the Rattlers first possession.

Kevin Elliott led FAMU receivers with four receptions for 51 yards, while both Brian Tymes and Antonio Lawrence finished with a pair of touchdown receptions. Tymes finished with the game with 50 yards receiving on two catches, while Lawrence had two catches for 33 yards.

Alvis Graham led the Rattler defense with 10 tackles (1 solo, 9 asst) and 0.5 tackled for a loss of one yard.

FAMU will return to the Mid-Atlantic region this Saturday to take on Howard University in Washington, DC (Green Stadium) in a 1 p.m. kick-off.

Newkirk deemed eligible to play for Rattlers

FAMU linebacker/defensive end Joshua Newkirk has been declared eligible to play for the Rattlers. The FAMU compliance department received the clearance and he has traveled with the team in anticipation of it.

Newkirk, (6'2" - 240 lbs.), finished last season with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) as the team's third leading tackler as just a sophomore. His stats were 54 tackles (39 solos, 15 assists), 5.5 tackles for a loss of 21 yards, one quarterback hurry and one sack. He also recorded one interception and returned it 61 yards.

Newkirk was a four-year letterman at Wallace Rose High School in Wallace, NC.

Alum selected for Fulbright Award

FAMU alumna Angelique S.C. Grant, executive director of major gifts for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been selected for a Fulbright award from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

As a recipient, she will participate in the 2010 Fulbright Seminar for U.S. Administrators in International Education conducted by the Fulbright Commission in Berlin, Germany, in October 2010. Fulbright scholars help to foster mutual understanding between Americans and people of the more than 150 countries that participate in the program.

“I thought about the Fulbright program for years and now I have the opportunity to participate,” Grant said. “It is a distinguished honor to be selected for such a prestigious program.”

Grant, who was one of the 25 academicians selected from the United States, is scheduled to travel to Berlin, and other cities in Germany, and provide feedback on their respective individualized areas of expertise.

Grant, who earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from FAMU in 1992, has more than 15 years of institutional advancement experience as it relates to higher education including fundraising, alumni relations, community relations, marketing and communications.

“Academia is a journey,” Grant said. “FAMU has this unique way of rapidly preparing students for real world experiences – both in and outside of the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed my FAMU experience. I can proudly say that FAMU graduates are tenacious and possess strong communication and leadership skills.”

FAMU 20 names three new anchors

Three new anchors have been selected for Florida A&M University (FAMU) TV-20’s live newscast. The weather anchor is Kara Alli, a senior broadcast journalism student from Miami, Fla. and Marsha Buchanan, a senior broadcast journalism student from Orlando, Fla., will serve as the sports anchor. Tiffany Lewis, a senior broadcast journalism student from Chicago, Ill., will fill the main news anchor chair.

“I look forward to working with such talented and enthusiastic students and faculty,” said Lewis.
The live newscasts will air at 5 p.m. from Monday through Thursday beginning Monday, September 13. Students from the Advanced TV News class will also produce “Week in Review” shows airing Fridays at 7 p.m.

Alli has held internships at local news stations and plans to pursue a job as an investigative reporter or news producer after college.

“Having served as a news anchor for my high school television station, I am excited about this latest venture as an anchor for FAMU-TV 20,” said Alli.

Buchanan recently worked as an intern for ESPN in Bristol, Conn.

“It was there that I really honed in on my strange curiosity and fascination for sports,” said Buchanan.

This semester, broadcast journalism students will also produce a “Homecoming Special,” as well as a “Mid-term Election Special,” under the direction of broadcast sequence coordinator Kenneth Jones and assistant professor Leonard Horton, news director for News 20 at Five.

“Because of technology, the walls separating radio, print, television and graphics are disappearing,” said Horton. “Our efforts in the broadcast sequence will continue to focus on the changing trends in our field. Now, more than ever, students have to know a little bit about everything.”

A host of student volunteers will serve in various production roles with News 20 at Five under the leadership of technical director Michael Walker and members of the FAMU-TV 20 staff.

Maxwell’s “tribute” to Foster rings hollow

After years of FAMU bashing, St. Petersburg Times columnist Bill Maxwell is now trying to claim that he benefited from the late Marching 100 Director William Patrick Foster’s example of leadership. Too bad Maxwell is too blind to see the man Foster really was.

Maxwell’s recent “tribute” to Foster talks about how he admired the Marching 100 as a boy and used to imitate the band’s halftime show moves.

So how did Maxwell thank Foster once he became a member of the St. Petersburg Times’ editorial board? He did so by supporting an interim administration that nearly demolished the Marching 100 and the university it represented.

Maxwell was one of the biggest cheerleaders for former Interim President Castell Bryant. Back in 2005, Castell choked the lifeblood of the 100 by tearing apart the recruitment program that had brought Foster talented students for decades. He also praised her while she was mishandling the payroll system that paid Foster's protégées on the music faculty and while she was holding up the acceptance process for the 100’s invitations to Super Bowl XLI and the 2006 Grammy Awards.

About two months after Rattlers finally ran Castell off, Maxwell helped her take even more shots at FAMU’s students. In an interview with Maxwell, Castell said she would rank FAMU students 2s on a 4-point scale.

Maxwell and his buddies on the Times editorial board also used lots of ink to bash FAMU’s students, especially those at the law school. In 2003, Maxwell declared that FAMU’s law school would “become a virtual ghetto.” The Times editorial board also printed outright misleading information about FAMU law's bar passage rate. In a May 2008 editorial, the board said that FAMU law students “tend to do abysmally on the bar exam.” The editorial ignored data in an American Bar Association report that showed that the overwhelming majority of FAMU students were passing the bar exam (June 2005, 70.6%; February 2006, 71.4%; July 2006, 70.3%; February 2007, 70.9%; and July 2007, 81.3%).

Maxwell does not know the real William Patrick Foster because he doesn’t understand how much Foster believed in the quality of FAMU’s students. Foster talked all the time about the vision he developed for the Marching 100 right after he became FAMU’s band director.

“I wanted to see 100 bandsmen: proud, uniformed, marching like drum majors or a crack drill team and playing to the highest musical standard anywhere,” Foster said in a 1986 interview with the Afro American.

Read that again. Foster believed that FAMU students were capable of “playing to the highest musical standard anywhere.” He thought FAMU students were smart enough to perform tough classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven and also dance to James Brown.

Foster founded the Marching 100 to showcase the high academic quality of FAMU’s students. The 100 remains the best known symbol of FAMU’s academically gifted student body despite all Maxwell and Castell have done to badmouth the students enrolled at A&M.

Holmes leaving COE, FAMU payroll

Ronald Holmes’ days as a FAMU employee are coming to an end. He recently announced his resignation from the College of Education’s faculty effective Thursday, September 23, 2010.

Holmes’ one sentence letter to the FAMU administration stated that he is leaving for “personal reasons.”

“We appreciate all that Dr. Holmes contributed to the FAMU DRS (Developmental Research School), and we will be building on all that he did during his time as superintendent. He was not in the College of Education long enough for his departure to have an impact,” Provost Cynthia Hughes-Harris told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Holmes’ appointment as DRS superintendent back in 2007 brought a flurry of bad headlines to the university. Many Rattlers openly questioned whether President James H. Ammons actually had a choice when it came to the hiring decision. Ronald Holmes’ brother is FAMU Trustee R.B. Holmes. There was no doubt that as one of the seven critical votes that Ammons needed to become FAMU’s president, Holmes had the power to twist Ammons’ arm and make personal demands during the selection process.

The crisis Holmes created at DRS made FAMU supporters even more upset about the situation. DRS fell from a “C” to a “D” on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test during the Holmes years. Holmes also failed to boost DRS’ student numbers enough to bring in the money required for the 2009-2010 year’s budget. Enrollment only reached 544 after Holmes projected 600. The new DRS building is designed for 764 students. In January, the FAMU Board of Trustees approved a $425,802 bailout for the school.

FAMU students grew tired of what Holmes was doing to DRS and used the campus newspaper to voice their anger over his performance. FAMUan columnists Brian Wiggins and Samara Ferraz blasted the Holmes brothers and Board of Trustees for playing dirty with DRS.

Student Body President Gallop Franklin, II also stepped up to the plate and asked tough questions about Holmes’ three-year contract. He ended up being the only trustee who ever demanded answers about what was going on at FAMU’s K-12 school.

The deadline for Ammons to decide whether to extend Holmes’ contract was June 30, 2010. On June 22, 2010, Rattler Nation reported that reliable sources said certain FAMU trustees were secretly working out a deal to get Holmes on the COE’s faculty in the event his contract was not renewed. Sure enough, Holmes resigned and was named a COE “faculty administrator.”

Many DRS parents were not sorry to see Holmes leave.

“I am anxious to see the new leadership at FAMU High school,” DRS parent Precious White told The FAMUan. “Students deserve to receive a better education and I think the progression starts from leadership.”

FAMUan columnist Jason Lawrence said that FAMU’s supporters need to get serious about fixing the real problem that led to Ronald Holmes’ two appointments in the first place.

“This PR blunder can only be made right if Holmes and his trustee brother are disallowed from continuing to use FAMU and its patrons as a meal ticket,” Lawrence said. “Removing Ronald Holmes is a simple fix for Ammons—it’s only a matter of issuing him walking papers. But giving the younger Holmes the boot may diminish support from the older Holmes and could stand in the way of Ammons’ plan to steer FAMU in the right direction. It is up to Ammons and FAMU’s politically-savvy supporters to ensure that those who serve the university have its best interest in mind.”

R.B. Holmes’ term on the Board of Trustees ends on January 6, 2011. He will be eligible for another appointment of up to six years.

FAMU to induct six into Sports Hall of Fame

FAMU will induct six persons into its’ Sports Hall of Fame during the 35th SHOF Enshrinement Ceremonies on Friday, October 1 at the Al Lawson Center at 7:00 p.m.

Andre Dawson, inducted this July 25th into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, will be a special guest honoree at this year’s ceremony. Dawson, a Rattler Baseball great in the 1970s, was a member of the 1981 FAMU Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement class.

The 2010 SHOF Class features four athletes – Tiffany Daughtry (Women’s Track), the late Robert Jackson, Jr. (Baseball), Olrick Johnson (Football) and Ulysses Wilson (Baseball); one coach – Amos Hill, assistant football coach during the Rudy Hubbard Era, and one supporter of athletics – local broadcast personality and Marching 100 Band announcer Joe Bullard (pictured).

Dawson and the six 2010 SHOF honorees will be recognized during halftime of the October 2 football game between FAMU and South Carolina State at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Holmes shows inconsistency in criticism of layoffs

During a recent FAMU Board of Trustees meeting, board member R.B. Holmes, Jr. bashed the university administration for planning a new degree program at a time when numerous faculty and staff members face possible layoffs. He never mentioned the fact that he said nothing when his brother, former Developmental Research School Superintendent (DRS) Ronald Holmes, tried to lay off teachers late last year.

Holmes cast the only “no” vote against FAMU’s proposed bachelor’s degree in information technology (IT). He opposed the idea of hiring three new employees (two professors and a secretary) to help launch the IT program when some 80 university positions are on stimulus dollars that run out at the end of 2010-2011.

“Nobody's received raises in the last three years … faculty or staff,” Holmes said in the Tallahassee Democrat. We've got to go back in the budget and take out 5 percent. I cannot give this program (support) knowing the variables.”

Provost Cynthia Hughes-Harris tried to explain to Holmes that the IT degree program will bring money into the university by increasing enrollment. There was a wait list of 60 to 80 students ready to declare the major.

Some of Florida’s public universities such as Florida State University have already laid off faculty members to deal with budget cuts. FAMU has avoided layoffs so far by boosting enrollment and increasing faculty workloads. Hughes-Harris said that FAMU has faculty members who are willing to take on extra work hours to get the IT program started.

FAMU underwent big budget cuts two years before the national economic crisis began in 2007. Back in 2005, R.B. and other trustees let then-Interim President Castell Bryant destroy the university’s recruitment program and send FAMU’s student numbers into a nosedive. FAMU went from 13,070 students in Fall 2004 to only 11,567 student in Fall 2007.

FAMU took a multi-million dollar hit in state enrollment funding because of its failure to meet its legally required student numbers. Holmes did not say anything about his role in creating the budget squeeze that may cost dozens of faculty members their jobs.

Holmes was also quiet while his brother, Ronald, was doing a poor job of recruiting students to DRS. DRS Enrollment only reached 544 in 2009-2010 after Ronald projected 600. The new DRS building is designed for 764 students.

Ronald announced plans to lay off nine DRS teachers in January 2010 to help close the budget hole. R.B. did not raise a public stink about his brother’s decision.

Hughes-Harris and President James H. Ammons stepped in to save the nine DRS faculty jobs by proposing a bailout for the school. On January 29, 2010, FAMU trustees accepted the university administration’s recommendation to use $425,802 from the FAMU DRS Trust Fund to cover projected deficits at DRS.

FAMU would have more dollars to spend on money-making programs such as the IT degree if it had not wasted money on Ronald’s salary. The IT program will cost about $300,000 over five years. The revenue it will create through enrollment and state funding increases will be much more than that price tag. FAMU has thrown away nearly $330,000 on Ronald’s three-year contract. Ronald took DRS from a “C’ grade on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in 2008 to a “D” in 2009. Ronald is still on FAMU’s payroll as a “faculty/administrator” in the College of Education.

Rattlers near and far are shaking their heads at the inconsistency in R.B.’s criticism on layoffs. Some people on campus have expressed fear that R.B. is publicly bashing Ammons' handling of FAMU's budgetary cutbacks and trying to create negative headlines as a way of twisting the president's arm to eventually support him (R.B.) for another term on the Board of Trustees.

Holmes’ term ends on January 6, 2011 shortly after the new governor takes office. On that date he will be eligible for another appointment of up to six years.

Franklin named Gubernatorial Fellow

Gov. Charlie Crist announced that Florida A&M University (FAMU) Student Government Association and Florida Student Association president Gallop Franklin II will be a member of the sixth class of the Gubernatorial Fellowship Program.

Franklin will work a minimum of 20 hours a week in an executive office of the Governor and various state agencies pertaining to his major or area of concentration. Fellows will be expected to work a minimum of 20 hours each week and will receive an hourly wage for their time on the job. To broaden the Fellows’ exposure to state government and enhance their experience, they will also meet weekly as a group to participate in educational activities such as presentations, press conferences, budget briefings and policy briefings.

Franklin, 23, a native of Tallahassee, is one of 13 Florida students selected for the fellowship. Students participating in the fellowship program will gain first-hand experience on how state government operates.

“I hope to learn about how state government governs the State of Florida from an inside perspective,” said Franklin, a third year doctorate of pharmacy student. “I am very humbled to be a FAMU student participating in the Gubernatorial Fellowship.”

The 2010-2011 Fellows underwent a competitive application process. The Fellows were selected based on their outstanding leadership skills, strong written and oral communication skills, community activism and their desire to serve the people of Florida.

Foster remembered as innovator, role model

The late William Patrick Foster, founder of FAMU’s Marching 100, received a glowing tribute before a crowd of thousands at the university’s Alfred Lawson Multipurpose Teaching Gymnasium.

The memorial service, officiated by band announcer Joe Bullard, featured performances by the Marching 100 and FAMU concert choir.

“It is almost impossible to imagine Florida A&M University without William Patrick Foster,” President James H. Ammons said during the ceremony.

Former President Frederick S. Humphries remembered how a Marching 100 performance he watched as a young high school student in Apalachicola, Florida helped ignite his interest in attending FAMU. He said Foster shaped the Marching 100 into one of FAMU’s most important recruitment tools.

“There’s no question that whenever people hear the name Florida A&M University, they quickly ask about the Marching 100,” Humphries said.

William Patrick Foster: The Greatest

Rattlers fight hard in loss to 13th-ranked Hurricanes

The FAMU Rattlers are ready for conference play after a tough 45-0 loss to the 13th-ranked Miami Hurricanes.

Philip Sylvester rushed for a team-best 45 yards for the Rattlers.

FAMU had some chances, even early against Miami's first-string defense. The Rattlers drove to the Miami 19 on their second possession, only to come up empty after Hurricanes Marcus Robinson and Olivier Vernon combined to sack FAMU QB Martin Ukpai for a 14-yard loss. Trevor Scott's 50-yard field goal attempt was plenty long, but bounced off the right upright.

FAMU went 50 yards on 11 plays in that drive - and 20 yards on its other 19 plays of the half.

The Rattlers will begin their quest for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship next week against Delaware State in Dover.

Foster memorial moved to Lawson gym

The memorial service for the late Dr. William P. Foster scheduled for Friday, September 3, at 6 p.m. has been moved from Lee Hall Auditorium to the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

The public viewing scheduled for Friday, September 3, from noon to 6 p.m. has also been moved to the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

Foster served as the band’s director from 1946 until his retirement in 1998. He is credited with revolutionizing marching band techniques and reshaping the world’s concept of the collegiate marching band. Foster brought more than 30 new techniques to the band that have now become standard operating procedures for high school and college bands nationwide.

Foster’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, September 4, at 11 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium on FAMU’s campus and will be preceded by a public concert of tribute at 10 a.m. as performed by the FAMU Department of Music. A public viewing is also scheduled for Saturday, September 4, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in Lee Hall Auditorium. To accommodate the overflow of attendees, a live broadcast of Foster’s funeral will be in the Grand Ballroom.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to the “William P. and Mary Ann Foster Endowed Scholarship Fund” at FAMU in support of FAMU band scholarships.

FAMU vs Miami game time set

The FAMU Rattlers football will open its 2010 campaign against the University of Miami Hurricanes tonight in Miami Gardens. The kickoff has been set for 7:30 p.m.

The Rattlers were defeated by the Hurricanes 48-16 during their game in 2009, but the Rattlers look to rebound with a better showing this year. The Thursday night game will be Web broadcast on ESPN3, the internet-based network of the ESPN family.

The game can also be heard live on WHBX 96.1 Jamz in Tallahassee.

Packer encourages freshmen to achieve their dreams

Days before his latest film "Takers" opened at the #1 spot in national movie theaters, FAMU alumnus Will Packer treated Tallahassee to an advance screening in a packed AMC theater.

As part of the festivities Packer, who graduated magna cum laude from FAMU in 1997 with a degree in electrical engineering, made his way back to the campus to encourage the freshman class to make the most of their days on The Hill.

“It’s amazing for me to be back at FAMU speaking to all of you,” Packer told a group of nearly 150 freshmen during a luncheon held in the Grand Ballroom. “I came to FAMU and met people who have become life-long friends and business partners. You are here now starting a new chapter in your life. You are now defining who you will be for the rest of your life.”

Packer started his production company, Rainforest Films, with fellow FAMU alum Rob Hardy in 1994. One of their most successful projects, “Stomp the Yard,” grossed more than $65 million and held the No. 1 position at the box office for two weekends in January of 2007. Later that year, the company produced “This Christmas,” which made $50 million. The success of both projects landed the duo amongst the “Top 25 Entertainers and Moneymakers” in Black Enterprise magazine in 2008.

Packer stressed to the audience members that if he had never attained success in the film industry, he was secure because he attained a degree from FAMU.

“No matter what, always give 110 percent,” he said. “I want you to enjoy your time at FAMU. The power is in you. You really define your success.”