Frank G. Pogue and key administration officials will provide important updates Thursday

GRAMBLING, LA – Grambling State University President Frank G. Pogue will give a campus and community update Thursday. In light of ongoing state higher education and budget issues, the president plans to provide an overview about the status of the university, recognizing some recent accomplishments and issues and looking forward to the summer and the next academic year.

“Yes, these are challenging, difficult times,” said Pogue, “but we will get through all of this, and I want people to know that there are good things happening at Grambling State University. No matter what, we will focus on our core mission and we will continue to enhance the academic profile of this university and its students.”

The 11 a.m. event will be held at T.H. Harris Auditorium on the main campus. The president and some key administration officials will provide updates about the university’s academic programs, athletics programs, recently-launched campus beautification efforts and fiscal affairs. In addition, the president will make time to acknowledge the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon, asking that the campus and community pray for the victims and their families.

The Grambling State University World-Famed Tiger Marching Band and the university choir will provide music and songs, and the university alma mater will be sung at the end of the program. The event will last less than an hour.

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Additional Information

• Convocation Flyer

Media Contact:
Will Sutton
318-533-5337
mediarelations@gram.edu

IT associate vice president writes about issues in winter issue
of a national auxiliary services magazine

GRAMBLING, LA – University security and safety is important these days with ever-evolving technology and ongoing campus security threats of violence, according to Winfred Jones, associate vice president of information technology at Grambling State University.

In “Grambling State University implements new technology to keep students safe,” published in the 2012 winter issue of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) College Services magazine, Jones shares the university’s experiences with university information technology and other administration officials with an emphasis on Grambling State’s four main security system components.

“Although GSU security staff did employ a technologically advanced security system, they were soon faced with limitations,” Jones writes. “This small scale, IP-based system restricted GSU to incremental implementations of 60 cameras each, without campus-wide unified monitoring capabilities.”

Jones writes about how media coverage of campus violence having an impact on students and parents when choosing a university. With the student safety in mind, Jones consulted Jim Walker of Camera Watch in Jackson Miss., about how best to update campus security. Jones worked with his IT team to find a system to use the latest technology while providing universal solutions across the entire university. His team did extensive research, identifying Genentech’s advanced IP security solution, Omnicast, as a perfect fit.

“Thanks to the new system, the university now has 260 cameras functioning on the system which are positioned throughout the entire campus, a striking increase from the 60 that the university was limited with the older system,” Jones writes. “All users at GSU find the system to be reliable, effective in emergency response time and efficient when assessing real-time data.” Jones says the university’s investment provides superior protection of university students, faculty, staff and property.

College Services is the quarterly magazine of NACAS, published each March, June, September and December and distributed to 2,500 directors of auxiliary services at various universities. The entire article can be read at http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/JILQ0412/index.php#/38

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Media Contact:
Will Sutton
318-533-5337
mediarelations@gram.edu

Charles M. Blow, an op-ed columnist at The New York Times, selected as graduation speaker

By Andrea Beasley
Grambling State University Media Bureau

GRAMBLING, LA – New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow, a 1992 Grambling State University graduate, will deliver the commencement address at the university’s May 10 event.

"Our first lady mentioned Charles Blow to me and I didn’t know he was a Grambling State University graduate at the time. I knew of him, I’ve read his columns and I’ve seen him on television, but when I realized he’s one of our own and a Louisiana native who excelled on our campus and someone who has excelled in everything he’s done, it was a no-brainer that we would invite him to speak to our graduates at our May commencement,” said Grambling State University President Frank G. Pogue.

Blow, 42, The New York Times’ first visual op-ed columnist, has a reputation for communicating effectively in a variety of ways, including design, graphics, text and words – and doing so with candor, clarity and strong point of view. In 2011, he was ranked #11 on The Roots’ Top 100 most influential people, beating Kanye West, who followed at #12, and Beyonce’ Knowles, who ranked #13.

The Louisiana native joined The New York Times in 1994 as a graphics editor, and he was promoted to lead the entire graphics team as graphics director, a position he held for nine years. In 2008, he started a weekly column at the newspaper that features charts and a guileless edge.

Blow led the newspaper’s graphics team to a best of show award from the Society of News Design for graphics produced during the coverage of the attacks on September 11, 2001. In addition, as graphics editor he led the group to a best of show award from the Malofiej International Infographics Summit for coverage of the Iraq war.

Blow graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors in mass communications from Grambling State University. As a student, he was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Gramblinite, and the founder of a now-defunct student magazine, Razz.

Noting his amazing range of knowledge and skills, Joice Dunn, the newspaper’s university editor, remembered Blow as being “…pushy when he was editor of the paper,” a leader who “made sure that you turned in your assignment” and an editor who was so well-rounded that “he could do anything his staff could do.”

The opinionated journalist frequently appears on CNN and MSNBC. He is a single parent, living in Brooklyn with his three teenage kids.  Grambling State University’s commencement will be held at 10 a.m. on May 10 in the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

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Media Contact:
Will Sutton
318-533-5337
mediarelations@gram.edu

Carl Wright assumes role as provost and vice president for academic affairs in July

GRAMBLING, LA – Grambling State University College of Business Dean Carl Wright has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Colorado State University Pueblo. His appointment is effective July 15.

"Dean Wright has been a competent, creative and strong leader of our College of Business. The college has made great strides under his leadership,” said Frank G. Pogue, president of Grambling State University. “Though we hate to lose him, it is with great joy that we let him go and wish him well as he embarks on the challenging role of provost at his new institution in Colorado. Still, we’ll always claim Wright as a Gramblinite, and we’ll welcome him back if they don’t treat him well."

Pogue made the announcement to the university community Thursday. Wright joined Grambling State University July 1, 2009 as dean of the College of Business.  Pogue said since that day Wright “has worked tirelessly to advance the College of Business by creating an exceptional educational experience for our business majors through his professional leadership and creative insight.”

“I’m not leaving Grambling State University for any reason other than a great opportunity,” said Wright. “I love this university, and I’ve learned so much as dean and I’ve had some wonderful opportunities to grow as an academic, an educator and a leader with the leadership of President Pogue and the guidance of Provost Connie Walton.”

Wright will be providing leadership to academic programs, research, and outreach involving faculty, students, and staff. He will oversee the quality of programs of instruction and research through collaborative work with the college deans, along with the director of Continuing Education, the University Library, Student Academic Services, Admissions and Records, and Technical Services, addressing issues such as effective planning, good management, and program reviews. In addition, he will responsible for review and approval of all academic programs and policies as well as the appointment, promotion, and compensation of the faculty.

Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University, a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Ph.D. in business administration from Jackson State University. He has been dean of the College of Business at Grambling State University since 2009. Prior to that he served as chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance from 2003-2009 and as vice president of business and finance at Virginia State University from 1984-1985.  He has served as an accountant and auditor for Arthur Young & Co. and Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. as well as owning his own CPA firm from 1980-2010.

Colorado State University – Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students. Wright will continue on the Grambling State campus until June 30. He will join his new university team at Colorado State University Pueblo July 15. 

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Media Contact:
Will Sutton
318-533-5337
mediarelations@gram.edu

The Gramblinite wins in nine categories of The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Region 12 college newspaper contest

GRAMBLING, LA – Grambling State University’s campus newspaper, The Gramblinite, received nine awards during the Society of Professional Journalists Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards this month.

The Gramblinite won five first place awards, including first place for Best All Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper. Justin Madden is the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. Ciley Carrington, 23, a senior art major from Los Angeles and one of the newspaper’s two photo editors won first place in Sports Photography for “Losing makes quarterback cry,” a November 23 photo of starting quarterback D.J. Williams crying after his football team lost a game.

“Every point counts,” a story about the impact of the football team’s kicking game won first place in Sports Writing (medium). It was written by Tierra Smith, 20, of Houston, a sophomore mass communications major. “Suspensions creates backlash; Orchesis in crisis,” a story about the university’s dance company by Madden won first place in the General News Reporting (Medium) category.  Jeremy Smith, 21, from Jacksonville, Florida., a double major in mass communications and education, won first place for General Column Writing.

The newspaper won other awards:

• General Column Writing, 3rd Place, Dani Savage
• General News Reporting, 2nd Place, Madden, “Tech Talk opinion article produces heated backlash”
• Sports Column Writing, 2nd Place, Kevin Keise
• Sports Writing (Medium), 3rd Place, Smith, “Going pro: G-Men make it to the NFL”

“These awards indicate the great experiences and opportunities mass communication and other majors have working on our student newspaper,” said Edward Welch, acting chair/head of the university’s Department of Mass Communication. “We’re proud of this staff, and we encourage others to get involved.”

The SPJ regional conference was held last weekend (Friday, April 5-Saturday, April 7) at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and the Overby Center of Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. SPJ is divided into regions of the United States. The Gramblinite competed in SPJ’s Region 12, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

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Media Contact:
Will Sutton
318-533-5337
mediarelations@gram.edu