Business executive Patricia Miller Zollar will deliver the commencement address at North Carolina A&T State University’s fall ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 12, at the Greensboro Coliseum. The processional will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Approximately 800 students are expected to receive baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees.

Zollar is a managing director of Neuberger Berman, an independent asset management firm with $230 billion of assets under management. She is also a partner within Neuberger’s private equity division, managing the NorthBound Emerging Managers Private Equity Fund as well as a number of other strategies focused on private equity partnerships and co-investments.

Prior to her current position, Zollar co-headed and co-founded the Lehman Brothers Partnership Solutions Group (PSG), a Wall Street business focused on developing strategic opportunities with women- and minority-owned financial services firms. The innovation of the group was chronicled in a case study for the Harvard Business School. Before rejoining Lehman Brothers in 2004, she was a vice president in the Asset Management Division of Goldman Sachs.

Zollar began her career as a certified public accountant in the Deloitte & Touche Audit Division.
She received her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Science, with highest distinction, from N.C. A&T.

She served on A&T’s Board of Trustees for eight years, including two years as chair. During her tenure, the board recommended its 12th chancellor, embarked on the Preeminence 2020 plan and saw notable improvements in the student body size, profile and graduation rate.

In addition, Zollar has served numerous community and not-for-profit organizations. She is an executive board member of the National Association of Investment Companies and a member of the prestigious Executive Leadership Council.

Zollar, her husband Al and their daughter reside in historic Harlem in New York City.

In hopes of increasing enrollment and more effectively market existing online programs, North Carolina A&T State University recently launched the A&T Online portal (http://online.ncat.edu) to provide a more cohesive home for its online degree programs.

The new platform provides a dedicated home for online students and programs. The university currently maintains 16 online programs. New and current students will be able to receive all information and request services through the A&T Online portal.

The move comes amidst the university’s strategic goals of Preeminence 2020, by increasing the enrollment of non-traditional students, veterans, active duty military and part-way home students.

“Online programs allow students to combine work and family responsibilities with educational goals. At A&T, we recognize the needs of non-traditional students and stand ready to help them succeed in their educational plans,” said Dr. Sanjiv Sarin, vice provost for research, graduate programs and extended learning, and dean of The Graduate School.

Across the University of North Carolina system, about 40 percent of students take at least one online course each semester, and close to 10 percent of students are fully online.

“If we’re going to help our students compete globally, we’re going to have to embrace technology and let technology transform education,” said Venessa Harrison, an A&T trustee and president of AT&T North Carolina.

A&T’s current online programs include bachelor’s degree programs in business education and liberal studies, master’s degrees in teaching, and two doctoral programs.

Officials are constantly looking at ways to increase distance learning enrollment and exploring new programmatic areas that are conducive to online delivery. Additional undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs are considered based on student demand and the university’s capacity to offer them.

Online areas of expansion could possibly include bachelor’s degrees in economics; master’s degree programs in English, African American literature, computer science and industrial and systems engineering; and an MBA; all of which are now offered in a traditional classroom setting.

For this year’s annual holiday production, the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at North Carolina A&T State University will present “The First Noel, A New Musical,” Dec. 3–6, in the Paul Robeson Theatre. The show was co-written and is directed by an alumnus of the department.

“The First Noel” was commissioned by The Classical Theatre of Harlem by Lelund Durond Thompson ’03 and Jason Michael Webb, who co-wrote the book, music and lyrics. The production is being performed at N.C. A&T by special arrangement. The Classical Theatre of Harlem will perform the musical at the world-famous Apollo Theater, Dec. 11–31.

The show follows three generations of a family who have been affected by the tragic loss of a loved one. As they struggle to keep the family together, an unexpected visit reveals some long-absent Christmas joy.

This new musical is filled with inspirational soulful songs that will leave audiences clapping and shouting in the aisles. Christmas carols are reimagined as dynamic new songs, destined to become holiday favorites for a new generation.

Thompson will direct the A&T production. He is the founder of YellaFella Entertainment and currently serves as artistic associate for The Classical Theatre of Harlem. Webb is a two-time Stellar Award® nominee and Dove Award® winner. His Broadway credits include associate musical director of “Memphis, Motown: The Musical” and “Violet.” He is currently the musical director of the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple.”

The performance dates and times are: Dec. 3–4, 7 p.m., and Dec. 5–6, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the A&T box office or online at www.ncataggies.comGeneral admission is $17; senior citizens and non-A&T students, $11; and children 12 years of age and younger, $6.