Honors Seminar Highlights
Now in its third year, the GSBM Honors Program is still going strong! Our students are climbing to new heights as they strive for excellence within the Program and their academic careers. Thank you for your continued support of the Program, and take a glimpse at the events from the fall semester….

The Up Front Dialogue (UFD) sessions provide students with an opportunity to interact with leaders from the business world, community, and government. Gerard Lindner from Ernst & Young spoke at our first session for the semester, and HP student Alanna Cooper facilitated the interaction. Later in the semester, Edward Dunn acted as moderator for the UFD session with Deputy Secretary Christopher Foster from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

Speakers from Honors Seminar series introduce students to the ethical and strategic aspects of business. Students attended the “Standing in Integrity” seminar with Cheryl Gray, CEO of C. Gray & Associates, LLC in late October. Ms. Gray and students engaged in a discussion of ethics as it pertains to one’s personal and professional identities. Our final seminar, “The Mutual Fund Industry,” was conducted by Randall Brown and Cynthia Miller from Vanguard. Mr. Brown and Ms. Miller introduced students to this dynamic industry and talked about the importance of financial planning.

In the fall, Honors Business Leadership students organize and facilitate a majority of the seminar series for the semester. Students showcased their creative talents and organizational skills by coordinating workshops on a range of topics, including “How Diverse is your World?” and “Understanding One’s Personality When Relating to Others.”

In the Classroom
Congratulations to the following students, who were inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society for the Fall 2005 semester: Dominique Allen, Natasha Callender, Haidee Elwin, Tara Etheridge, Patricia Evans, Janet Hunter, Brandon Ragland, Jason Rampersad, Keshma Thomas, and Jessica Wilson.

Kudos as well to those students who have been invited to join the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society:  Fadekemi Adedeji, Dominique Allen, Noura Antar, Mirriam Auguste, Pravesh Bonomally, Natasha Callendar, Alanna Cooper, Haidee Elwin, Tara Etheridge, Patricia Evans, Omobonike Koku, Fernando Moore, Jason Rampersad, Binu Sen, Chad Whitney, Jessica Wilson. Each of these students has a cumulative GPA at or above a 3.60.

Around Campus
Honors Business Leadership students aid the American Red Cross during Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle Cell Anemia is a blood disease that affects a majority of African Americans and the donor population is currently underrepresented by African Americans. The Red Cross has launched a recruitment effort aimed at African American blood donors. To aid in this endeavor, Honors Business Leadership students teamed up with the Red Cross to organize a campus blood drive in late September. The Red Cross set a goal of 64 donors (which would yield about 40 useable pints of blood) for the drive. Students exceeded their goal by attracting over 100 donors, who contributed about 50 pints of usable blood! The Red Cross and Honors Business Leadership students send their thanks to all of those who donated and volunteered during this life-saving effort.

Several HP students assume top positions in campus organizations, preparing them for future leadership roles in the business world. The Honors Program’s Tara Etheridge, Ashley Lewis, Javita Spears, and Jessica Wilson have “stepped up” by occupying executive positions in the YWCA. Melanie Norris serves as Vice President of Harper-Tubman for the Inner Residence Council and Associate Secretary for the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. Fadekemi Adedeji and Omobonike Olaibi serve, respectively, as Vice-President and Secretary for the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. In addition, Natasha Callender, Brendan Jackson, and Jason Sanders sit on the Board of Advisement, Recruitment, and Retention (BARR).

Students, once again, gather their nerves to co-host WEAA's Briefcase Radio program. October’s co-hosts Kanika Burton and Taylor Graham discussed Network Marketing with Omar Muhammad, Director of the Entrepreneurial Assistance and Development Center (EDAC) and two leaders within the fast-growing industry. In December, Anuli Hosten and Brandon Ragland co-hosted a segment on Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

Congressman Elijah Cummings returns to Morgan to talk to future entrepreneurs about "Owning Their Own." In October, Congressman Cummings hosted a Town Hall meeting on entrepreneurship. A panel of experts introduced college students to the basics of owning their own businesses. They also discussed the pros and cons of business ownership and strategies for getting started. Panelists included Advisory Board member, Stanley Tucker, President and CEO of Meridian Management Group, Inc, Joscelyn Cave, owner of Ralpha Physical Therapy, Allan Stephenson, District Director from the Small Business Administration, and EDAC Director Omar Muhammad.

Out and About
The HP raises over $8,000 during the October Bull Roast – our first fundraising event ever! Students, faculty, board members, family, and friends gathered at the Orchard Landing Restaurant in Towson for food, fun, and hand dancing lessons given by the Charm City Dancers. Guests also bid on a variety of items during the silent auction, including a weekend getaway, artwork, lunch with Provost T. Joan Robinson, and Morgan paraphernalia. HP student Alanna Cooper sold more tickets than any other student and was rewarded with a T-Mobile sidekick. We’d like to thank our event sponsors -- ATISS, Diversity Pipeline Alliance, Falls Road Travel, Houghton Mifflin, Inroads, MECU, Morgan State Honors Program, SunTrust Bank, Vanguard, and Advisory Board members, Bert Hash and Harry Holt. Thank you, as well, to the Bull Roast Co-Chairs, Mimi Roeder Vaughan and Marcia Tuck, and to Patricia Evans and Jessica Wilson, who coordinated student participation in the event. There’s already talk of the “second annual” Bull Roast.

Second year students spend the day in downtown Baltimore at SunTrust Bank. Members of the Women’s Leadership Development Program at SunTrust organized a retreat for second year HP students. This group, headed by Advisory Board member Marcia Tuck, prepares women for top management positions at SunTrust. As a final project, the group was asked to organize the leadership retreat for HP students. The day began with breakfast, during which SunTrust President Don Hutchinson made brief remarks and answered questions from the students. The students then attended sessions with banking officers, mortgage consultants, and others, in order to learn the “ins and outs” of banking. The retreat ended with a Jeopardy game to test the students’ knowledge; we’re told that the competition was intense!

Students take their leadership capabilities off campus to showcase them in West Virginia and Time Square. In June, Dominique Allen attended the Emerging Minority Business Leaders Summer Institute at West Liberty State College. This intense two-week program gave students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, technology management and the principles of leadership and self-management. In November, the Honors Program sponsored Krystal Brown and Taylor Graham’s participation in the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF) Fifth Annual Leadership Institute in New York. The purpose of the conference is to improve and strengthen student’s leadership and communication skills, increase their understanding of corporate culture, and provide guidance on personal financial management. The conference ended with the TMSF Scholarship Gala Banquet hosted by actress Angela Bassett, with special guests, Eric Benet and Diahann Carroll.

New Developments
Mr. Gerard Lindner of EY joins the GSBM Advisory Board. Gerard (Gerry) Lindner is a partner with Ernst & Young and the lead recruiter in the Baltimore Office. Mr. Lindner was the first guest to join HP students for an Up Front Dialogue session during the fall, and he will be a great asset to the Advisory Board team. Welcome, Mr. Lindner, to the GSBM Honors Program!

The Honors Program is adding a new leadership role, Student Coordinator, to its structure. Third year students now serve as coordinators who are the liaisons between the students and the Honors Committee. Their areas of responsibility are as follows:  fundraising, Patricia Evans and Jessica Wilson; historians, Dominique Allen and Haidee Elwin; social skills, Mirriam Auguste and Kandis Taylor; outreach, Janet Hunter and Robert Watkins; honors seminars, Tara Etheridge and Garrett Mitchell; service, Keisha Pierre and Javita Spears, and tutoring and mentoring, Jason Rampersad and Keshma Thomas.

You can now learn more about the GSBM Honors program online! Dr. Rao has been working diligently to design a website for the Honors Program. You can get more details about the program, view seminar highlights and schedules, review a list of student internships, read newsletters, and view student and faculty profiles online at http://grizzly.morgan.edu/~honors/.

Faculty News
Dr. Proudford has joined the Board of Directors for the Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross (GCPBS). This relationship developed as a result of the team work of the GCPBS and Honors Business Leadership students during the highly successful September, 2005, blood drive.

THANK YOU
to our writer, Krystal Brown!

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Welcome to the first Graves School of Business and Management (GSBM) Honors Program (HP) e-newsletter! Exciting things are happening with our honors program, which is in its 2nd year. We’ll distribute these newsletters each semester to keep you up-to-date with our progress and activities. Thank you for your support of the Program, and enjoy….

Honors Seminar Highlights
    The “Up Front” session allows students to meet prominent leaders from the area. This year’s group included Norm Wiley from Black and Decker, Mimi Roeder-Vaughan of Roeder Travel, Roger Barnes, formerly of Fannie Mae, and our very own, Dr. Earl Richardson. Mirriam Auguste practiced her facilitation skills when she acted as moderator for Ms. Roeder-Vaughan, as did Patricia Evans for Mr. Barnes. Mirriam and Patricia followed in the very capable steps of Tara Etheridge and Taylor Graham, who were moderators during the Fall.
    The honors seminar series continues to attract interesting speakers who share a wealth of information with students. This semester’s guests included MSU Football
Coach Don Hill, GSBM Entreprenuerial Center Director Omar Muhammad, Lorenzo Foxworth of Synectics Trainers, Jeff Hickman of Disney, Kynarvis Clark of Black & Decker, Graves School alumni William Morant and Brooke Martin of Pfizer and Roxanne Jackson and Terry Pierce of Ernst & Young. The speakers addressed topics ranging from self-motivation and networking to corporate culture and career planning.
Students in the Honors Business Leadership honed their organizational skills by designing, coordinating, and running several honors seminars during the Fall. Students worked diligently to ensure that they were presenting their topics in an accurate and professional manner. The sessions included "Life after Morgan," preparing for internships, teambuilding and business etiquette.
    The Seminar Series started and ended with visits to downtown Baltimore. Second year students started the 2004-05 academic year with a trip to Wachovia Securities for a leadership retreat. The students took a tour of the facility, including its trading floor, and participated in a "meet and greet" exercise with Wachovia representatives, who also observed and critiqued student presentations. The students also developed mission statements for the Honors Program. The academic year ended with a trip to the Federal Reserve in Baltimore, where students took a tour, saw the vault, and learned how transactions are processed. Each student received $100 (shredded money!).

In the Classroom
    Congratulations to the following students, who made the Dean’s List for the Fall 2004 semester: Fadekemi Adedeji, Dominique Allen, Mirriam Auguste, Krystal Brown, Alanna Cooper, Memi Daniyan, Tara Etheridge, Patricia Evans, Anuli Hosten, Davis Mutau, Melanie Norris, Omobonike Olaibi, Keisha Pierre, Jason Rampersad, Binu Sen, Javita Spears, Kandis Taylor, Natalie Taylor, Keshma Thomas, Ashleigh Troxler, Chad Whitney, Laura Williams, Jessica Wilson.
Kudos, as well, to the following students who joined honors societies. Natalie Taylor was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma. Krystal Brown, Memi Daniyan, Edward Dunn, Marielle Edwards, Anuli Hosten, and Melanie Norris were inducted into the PKT Honor Society. Fadekemi Adedeji, Krystal Brown, and Melanie Norris were inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Societies. Dr. Proudford was the guest speaker at the PES/ALD Induction Ceremony. She spoke about the three basic beliefs of the Honors Program and the importance of using the knowledge and skills we gain to serve others.
    A very special guest visited the Honors Business Leadership class to talk to some of our second year students. Earl G. Graves talked with students about ways to have an impact in their lives and in their communities. Sporting Morgan's colors, he chatted easily with the students about lessons he has learned while becoming one of the America's most successful businessmen. One student said, “The overall experience was informative and exciting!” Later that day, Graves was the guest speaker at the School’s Bryson-Sawyer Lecture Series.

Around Campus
    Students participated as co-hosts on WEAA's Briefcase Radio program. After visiting an Honors Seminar, Omar Muhammad, Director of the Entrepreneurial Development and Assistance Center at Morgan, graciously invited the students to join him on air. Those students who accepted the challenge researched their topics and prepared interesting questions for the shows, which gave them an opportunity to practice their speaking skills (and manage their nerves!). The brave group included Robert Watkins and Ed Dunn on The Business of Golf, Keshma Thomas and Garrett Mitchell on The Business of Banking, Melanie Norris and Brian Olds on Authorship and Entrepreneurship, and Jason Rampersad and Shantel Edmondson on Youth and Business. Next up is the chance for students to co-host television shows on the WEAA cable station during the upcoming year.
    HP students are taking the lead in several campus organizations! Taylor Graham, Ed Dunn, and Krystal Brown were elected President, Vice President, and Associate Senator of the Sophomore Class. Dunn also serves as the President of the Inner Residents Council (IRC). Alanna Cooper is the newly-elected President of the Accounting Club/NABA. Also joining her leadership team are Garrett Mitchell, Co-Treasurer and Krystal Brown, Secretary.
HP students joined a discussion with leading experts about the proposed changes to Social Security. Congressman Elijah Cummings held a Town Hall on the topic at Morgan, and HP students joined others for the informative session, which included presentations outlining the history of the system as well as alternatives that would help it remain viable. Jason Rampersad was among the first to ask the distinguished panel a question about the impact of the proposed changes on young people.

Out and About
    The HP team raised over $1,600 for Multiple Sclerosis during that organization’s annual walkathon. A group of 24 students, Dr. Satina Williams, Dr. Rao, and one baby Bear, Dr. Rao's son, Amar, donned their new Honors Program t-shirts and made the 5K trek on a sunny Saturday in April. Congratulations to Alanna Cooper, who coordinated the event and to all of the walkers! Throughout the year, the students also participated in the annual MSU Kwanzaa Celebration, helped build a playground with the YMCA, and joined the March of Dimes Walkathon.
    Congratulations to the following students as they head for their summer internships/jobs: Aberdeen Proving Ground Credit Union – Janet Hunter; AFLAC -- Mirriam Auguste; Bank of America -- Fernando Moore, Davis Mutau; Chevy Chase Bank --Michauna Patterson; Coach – Cameron Moody; Erickson Retirement Communities -- Jason Rampersad; Fox Cable Network -- Haidee Elwin; INROADS/Limited Brands -- Krystal R. Brown; INROADS/Target -- Garrett Mitchell; INROADS/Walgreen’s -- Taylor Graham; Lockheed Martin -- Patricia Evans, Javita Spears; Municipal Employees Credit Union --Omobonike Olaibi; Meridian Management Group, Inc. -- Dominique Allen; MetLife -- Jessica Wilson; Mitchell & Titus, LLP – Natasha Callendar; NAACP/Atlantic Medical Center -- Tara Etheridge; Nissan -- David Oluwatimilehn; Northrup Grumman -- Kandis Taylor; Office of Motion Pictures -- Christopher Falwell; PriceWaterhouseCoopers -- Alanna Cooper; Prudent Bank (Nigeria) – Yinka Aina;
SEO/Credit Suisse First Boston -- Natalie Taylor; State Employees Credit Union – Fadekemi Adedeji; State Retirement Agency -- Keshma Thomas; Vanguard -- Ashley Lewis.

New Developments
    Graves School alum Bert Hash heads the new Honors Program Advisory Board. Other members include Mimi Roeder-Vaughan (Roeder Travel), Harry Holt (INROADS), Stanley Tucker (Meridian Management), Marcia Tuck (SunTrust Bank), and Karen Johns (Diversity Pipeline Alliance). Dean Otis Thomas and Dr. Don Brunson, Director of the University Honors Program, -- both strong supporters of the Program -- have also joined the Board as ex-officio members. Several students also attend each Board meeting to offer the student perspective. Thanks to Dominique Allen, Krystal Brown, Jessica Wilson, Alanna Cooper, Brian Olds, Robert Watkins and Tara Etheridge for your participation and input.
    One of the Board’s many goals is to obtain funding necessary to support this growing program's initiatives. Pfizer and Ernst & Young were first to become sponsors, and the Board will work to identify additional supporters. The Board also agreed to hold a "Bull Roast" fundraiser during Homecoming Weekend 2005. Mimi Roeder-Vaughan created a lot of excitement when she pitched the idea, and Marcia Tuck signed on to co-chair the event. Stay tuned for details!

Faculty News
    Honors Committee faculty members are making some news of their own. Dr. Lucas was appointed as the advisor for Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society serving business programs accredited by the AACSB International. Dr. Lucas was also a guest on the WEAA cable show, where he offered his expertise on entrepreneurship. Dr. Proudford received a Certificate of Appreciation from the University Honors Program for her diligence and commitment to the program. Dr. Proudford has also been named to the 2005 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, making this her third mention. This August, she will travel to Ghana to teach in an Executive MBA Program. Dr. Rao was recognized as the “Most Supportive Faculty Member” at the 1st Annual Awards Ceremony for the Accounting Club/NABA. She has been a strong supporter and advocate for the Accounting Club, helping it grow into the largest, most active student club in the Graves School.

THANK YOU
to our writer, Krystal Brown!

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