Bleu Notes from June
IN THE NEWS:
o Dr. Robert Collins interviewed for story, “Republican-led legislature exerts more independence; political analyst says the governor still has power”
o Here is a story about alumna Nina Domingue-Glover who has acted in, directed and had her plays produced by numerous Northeast Ohio theater companies including Karamu House, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama, Cleveland Playhouse and Talespinner Children’s Theater.
o Dr. Marc Barnes was interviewed for the WWL-TV story, “For most African-Americans, racism and police brutality remain a constant concern”
o He was also featured in today’s paper in an article by Will Sutton: “George Floyd lynching is hurting black men, and scores are going to prayer”
· Dillard University was recently recognized for participating in the National Wildlife Federation 2020 RecycleMania competition. Nearly 300 colleges and universities helped to reduce waste, collectively recycled, donated and composted 48.6 million pounds of waste and stopped more than 380 million plastic bottles from going to the landfill. Also, RecycleMania campuses prevented the release of 70,875 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere, which is equal to preventing the annual emissions from 15,047 cars.
o Dr. Robert Collins was interviewed by Fox 8, “Legislature ends regular session and begins a special session; Gov. Edwards says passing a budget must be a priority” https://www.fox8live.com/2020/06/01/legislature-ends-regular-session-begins-special-session-gov-edwards-says-passing-budget-must-be-priority/
o “Dillard grad, Pulitzer winner Jericho Brown reflects on police violence”
o Dr. Ashraf Esmail was interviewed by Fox 8, “Civil rights activists, academicians discuss reasons protests are remaining peaceful in New Orleans.”
o Jada Sayles ’22 was interviewed by the Madison WI news about a protest march there, which includes video. “Fifth night of Downtown demonstrations honors black people killed by police.” Jada was also mentioned in the University of Wisconsin student newspaper as well.
o Dr. Kristen Broady was on Roland Martin Unfiltered June 5th with Bill Spriggs and Gbenga Ajilore discussing the BLS Jobs Report:
o Zaige Wills ’23 is one of fifteen college students have been tapped to participate in The Lamar Governor’s Fellowship Program in Louisiana Government. The students, who are either from Louisiana or are attending a Louisiana university or college, are each assigned to work in a state cabinet-level agency in Baton Rouge based on his or her interest of study. In addition to working within the state agencies, they will also participate in a weekly speaker series and field trips designed to enhance their overall experience and understanding of Louisiana government.
o Alumna Shelby Stewart ’18 recently finished her masters at the University of Houston where her project involved establishing a hip hop museum in Houston. Here is an article:
KUDOS:
o Congratulations to Dillard University College of Nursing 2020 Marque Award recipients. This award is made available through the Greater New Orleans Foundation Theresa Bittenbring and John Henry Marque fund for graduate nurses to begin their nursing careers. This award carries a monetary value of $1,912.00 for each recipient. The recipients are Kimberly Greenwood, Gernice Brown, Brandi Jackson, Lakesha Favis-Spencer, and Rashaan Bass.
o Dr. Rona Tyger was a panelist for the “Preparing for What’s Next Through Academic Continuity Planning” sponsored by Smarter Services, Inc.
o Camryn Johnson ’21 has internship with Target as an Executive Store Team Director where she will intern at different Targets across Louisiana learning how to manage.
o Carolyn Nur Wistrand’s play, Magdalena’s Crossing has been selected to be featured as a part of the official program of the 12th WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE that will take place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in June. It was selected out of 350 submissions. The play was also one of the four Honorees for American Theatre in Higher Education’s Jane Chambers Feminist Playwriting National Award in August of 2019.
o Taiyler Mitchell was accepted into the HBCU in LA Program for the second year in a row! Last year she interned at a major talent agency (CAA) and this year she’ll be interning (remotely) with ID PR as part of the HBCU in LA cohort.
o Christopher Ingram ’21, Daylon Daye ’21, and Trent Dalcourt ’22 were selected for a remote internship with a mentor from the Air Force Research Lab located in Rome, NY.
o Karmel Reeves ’18 has been awarded the exclusive 2020 National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Fellowship in the African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI). Reeves will work for the US Government as a foreign liaison studying language and culture in Mozambique. She is the 2019–2020 Grambling State University Graduate Student Government President, pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration.
o Jalen Adams ’22, Marketing major won second place in the National HBCU Stock Market Challenge! StockTrak also awards a full year’s access to a Personal Finance Site License to the top overall performing university valued at $2,995 — meaning the combined performance of all participants from each university. This award goes to Dillard University with a school average of 12.91% return.
o Dr. Ashraf Esmail recently published a book entitled “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes? National Security: Evaluating The Equilibrium between Secrecy, Transparency, and Individual Freedoms.” Dillard graduates Brandon Hamann and Nia Nicks completed a chapter entitled “Hacking, Espionage, Surveillance, and The Future of Privacy and Security”.
o Dr. Abdalla Darwish recently published, with 2 co-authors, “Nanocomposite Windows Converting Solar Power into Electricity for Self-Sustaining Buildings” in Gulf Conference on Sustainable Built Environment, pp 367–382.
o Dr. Ashraf Esmail published a book chapter entitled “Hard-Learned Lessons: Online Course Development in the Years Following Hurricane Katrina” in Online Course Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications.
o Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy has material included by Ishmael Reed’s and other editors in the Konch Magazine COVID-19 issue, featuring poetry, short stories, journal writing, and essays. Issue One of the special COVID-19 issue was published Friday and can be accessed here:
o Dr. Wen Zhang has worked on several virtual choir projects:
§ Heal the World — voices of Dillard musicians and global friends saluting all frontline respondents for COVID 19
§ Amazing Grace — voices of Dillard alumni and friends
o We have 6 students interning with the Air Force: Christopher Ingram ’21, Courtney Walker ’21, Daylon Daye ’22, Justin Matthews ’21, Taylor Buchanan ’22, Trent Dalcourt ‘22
o Dr. Peter Fos is co-author on “Mindfulness Intervention to Decrease Post-disaster Anxiety” which was accepted by the global peer-reviewed online journal Nursing and Primary Care.
o Nick Harris was recommended to serve as a Neighborhood Navigator through the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office in conjunction with Forward Together New Orleans.
o Dr. Lovell Agwaramgbo’s manuscript entitled “Biosorption and Chemical Precipitation of Lead Using Biomaterials, Molecular Sieves, and Chlorides, Carbonates, and Sulfates of Na & Ca” was accepted for publication as a book chapter in the following book: International Research in Environment, Geography and Earth Science Vol.3. His co-authors are Dillard alumni Nancy Magee, ShaKayla Nunez, and Kayla Mitt.
o Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy appears in the Billy Woodbury documentary on Bob Kaufman, Black Beat Poet from the 7th Ward in New Orleans, entitled “And When I Die, I Won’t Stay Dead.”
