On Saturday, May 10, Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the first African American and woman to serve in this capacity, will deliver the commencement address to North Carolina A&T State University’s spring class of 2014.

Wheelan’s career spans over 30 years and includes the roles of faculty member, chief student services officer, campus provost, college president and Secretary of Education. In several of those roles she was the first African American and/or woman to serve in those capacities.

Wheelan received her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in Texas (1972) with a double major in psychology and sociology; her master’s from Louisiana State University (1974) in developmental educational psychology; and her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin (1984) in educational administration with a special concentration in community college leadership.

She has received numerous awards and recognition including four honorary degrees; the Distinguished Graduate Award from Trinity University (2002) and from the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin (1992); Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C. (2001); the AAUW Woman of Distinction Award (2002); the Suanne Davis Roueche National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s Distinguished Lecturer Award (2007); the John E. Roueche National
Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s International Leadership Award (2010); and the AACC Leadership Award (2011).

Wheelan holds and has held membership in numerous local, state and national organizations.

The commencement exercises will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. at Greensboro Coliseum. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and the lineup begins at 8 a.m.

The text-in-community books for the next two academic years have been announced.

“I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” by Malala Yousafzai, has been selected for 2014-2015, and “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope,” by William Kamkwamba, for 2015-2016.

“I Am Malala” is the story of a young person who has the courage to stand up for her beliefs. As a young girl in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, Yousafzai spoke out about the right of all children, including girls, to an education. At the age of 15, she was shot in the head by a Taliban member while riding the bus home from school. Her miraculous survival and recovery, along with the story of her childhood and her journey from a remote village in Pakistan to the United Nations earned her a nomination to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

“This book will provide our campus community with a deeper understanding of the challenges of global education, gender, poverty, child labor, Islamic fundamentalism and U.S. relations with the Islamic world,” said Dr. Joe B. Whitehead Jr., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” tells the story of how William Kamkwamba built a windmill from discarded motor parts, PVC pipe and an old bicycle to create electricity for his village in rural Malawi, Central Africa.

“With a particular focus on environmental sciences, engineering and green technology, this book will provide insight into concerns such as drought, famine, education and the difference one seemingly powerless young person can make in his community and beyond,” said Whitehead.

“Reading, discussing and writing about these two books will reinforce our efforts in the area of student success and improve the intellectual climate of our campus. These books also connect to North Carolina A&T’s mission as a land grant institution and its commitment to social responsibility.”

Both books are available as eBooks.