2021 VA-NC Alliance Virtual Retreat

March 29, 2021

Virginia–North Carolina Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Retreat

Hosted Virtually by Johnson C. Smith University

Due to the constraints of COVID-19 a retreat was held for VA–NC Alliance students, staff, and faculty instead of a traditional symposium. The VA–NC Alliance Retreat occurred from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm EST. This event provided an opportunity for attendees to recharge and network with peers from partner institutions. The Distinguished Speaker was Ms. Joan Higginbotham a former astronaut with NASA.

Agenda:

Download a copy of the agenda, details can also be found below.

Monday, March 29, 2021
09:00 am – 09:15 am	LSAMP Opening Ceremony Audience: All Speakers: Dr. Sunil Gupta, Program Director of JCSU-LSAMP, Johnson C. Smith University Dr. Vijaya Gompa, Dean of College of STEM, Johnson C. Smith University; and Dr. Kevin McDonald, Principal Investigator and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships, University of Virginia.
09:15 am – 10:30 am	Session One Breakout Rooms Audience: Students and Guests Panel moderators: Dr. Brian Hunt, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Ms. Dana Battle, Undergraduate Student, Johnson C. Smith University Coping with the Pandemic as a Student followed by Graduate School and Industry Opportunities (9:15 am – 9:55 am) Panelists: Dr. Siddhi Gupta, Infectious Disease Physician, Novant Healthcare, Charlotte, NC; and Ms. Paulette Plummer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Executive Director at Cathartic Counseling Services, Charlotte, NC. Graduate School and Industry Recruiters (10:00 am – 10:30 am) Panelists: Ms. Sandra Penaherrera, United States Department of Energy; and Dr. Joe Pitula, University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Audience: Project Directors and Staff VA–NC Alliance Partner Meeting
10:30 am – 10:45 am	Break
10:45 am – 11:45 am	Session Two Breakout Rooms Audience: Students and Guests Panel moderator: Dr. Brian Hunt, Interim Chair of the Department of Computer Science, Johnson C. Smith University VA–NC Alliance Alumni Pathways to Excellence in STEM Panelists: Mr. Chiron Anderson, Iowa State University; Mr. David Gonzalez, University of Pennsylvania; Ms. Briana James, Virginia Commonwealth University; Dr. Corey Johnson, University of North Carolina at Asheville; Mr. Bernard Smith, Microsoft; and Ms. Alia Wofford, Howard University. Audience: Faculty and Staff Introduction to the Inclusive Excellence Framework Dr. Kevin McDonald, Principal Investigator and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Partnerships, University of Virginia; and Mx. Rachel Spraker, Senior Director for Equity and Inclusive Excellence, University of Virginia.
11:45 am – 12:00 pm	Break
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm	Distinguished Speaker Introduction: Ms. Mattie Marshall, Program Coordinator, Johnson C. Smith University Remarks: Ms. Joan Higginbotham, Astronaut and Engineer, NASA Biography: Ms. Joan Higginbotham graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1987, a Master’s Degree of Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Master’s in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1996.
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm	Closing Remarks Ms. Kristin Morgan, Program Director, VA–NC Alliance; and Mr. Maurice Walker, Program Coordinator, VA–NC Alliance.