N.C. A&T Alumni Times

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University celebrated its annual Founders Day program and convocation on Thursday, March 22, in Harrison Auditorium.

The keynote speaker for the event was professor and chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at N.C. A&T, Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., CPE. She joined the university in 2013 and is currently a program director at the National Science Foundation. Her speech was focused on interdisciplinary research. She reminded the audience of the impact A&T is making on the economy and through innovation.

“It is important that you strive to be authentic, we are here to be change agents and to make a difference,” said Dr. Smith-Jackson.

Smith-Jackson earned her Ph.D. in psychology/ergonomics and M.S. in interdisciplinary psychology/ergonomics and industrial engineering from North Carolina State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also an alumna of the inaugural class of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.

While the university commemorated 127 years of excellence, exceptional academic achievement, learning, discovery, heritage and community engagement, it also honored and recognized seven alumni for their outstanding work and accomplishments, on behalf of their respective colleges.

The following received the Founders Day Alumni Achievement Award:

Dr. Craig A. Fletcher ’95 - College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
The first graduate of North Carolina A&T’s animal sciences program to acquire Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and to become an American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine Diplomate. He currently serves as professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and associate vice chancellor of research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He serves as A&T’s attending veterinarian and is an active member of the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Marvin H. Watkins ’58 - College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
A native of Greensboro, he served A&T from 1976-1992 as assistant director and director of the Office of Research Administration. For 20 years, he held various other positions with his alma mater in research and development. He is also the co-founder of the National Sponsored Programs Administrators Alliance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Inc., a vital professional organization for constituent institutions.

Dmitri L. Stockton ’86 - College of Business and Economics
The founder, chairman, and CEO of Global Investor Catalyst, LLC, a financial services consulting firm that provides its clients a values-based leadership model that enhances their ability to generate more economic value from their investments. He continues to serve A&T as a member of the College of Business and Economics Executive Advisory Council. Among his many accolades, he was listed as one of Savoy Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Yvonne J. Johnson ’78 - College of Education
A native of Greensboro and former mayor of the city. Her political career began in 1993, when she was 19 years old elected to the Greensboro City Council. In 1998, she was elected mayor pro tem and served in this capacity for six years. In 2007, she was elected as Greensboro’s first African American mayor. During her single term as mayor, she continued to work for policies that addressed long-term poverty in the city and helped non-felony offenders. She currently serves as mayor pro tem.

Thomas Stanley ’88 - College of Engineering
The senior vice president and general manager of the Americas, NetApp’s largest geographic region. Among his many responsibilities, he is the site lead for NetApp’s state-of-the-art location in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. This site employs over 1,200 people and is the second largest NetApp location. He continues to serve A&T as a member of the Computer Science Industry Advisory Board.

Dr. Iris B. Carlton-LaNey ’72 - College of Health and Human Sciences
A teacher of social work for the past 37 years and currently serves as distinguished professor in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has published over 75 articles and book chapters, and has several books to her credit, including “African Americans Aging in the Rural South,” which was published in 2005. The book captures the lives and stories of elders who lived and worked on farms in North Carolina focusing on their commitment to family, community and faith. She was recently named the 2018 Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers - North Carolina Chapter.

Dr. Haywood L. Brown ’74 - College of Science and Technology
A native of North Carolina, he received his undergraduate degree from A&T and his medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition, his residency trained was followed by a subspecialty fellowship training in maternal and fetal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He has spent 35 years in academic medicine and has been a local and national leader.

Among university and local officials in attendance, greetings was brought by Timothy King ‘76, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Pamela McCorkle Buncum ’81, chairwoman of the board of directors for the Alumni Association and Marikay Abuzuaiter, Greensboro City Council Member at Large.