AGGIES ON THE MOVE
Harold Martin Named UNC Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Harold L. Martin, Sr. former chancellor of Winston-Salem State University has been named senior vice president for academic affairs of the 16-campus University of North Carolina, effective July 17. As the UNC system's top academic officer, Martin will be responsible for leading educational and research missions.
Martin, an A&T alumnus, holds both bachelor's and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and a doctorate in the field from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He joined the A&T faculty in 1980 and was named chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering in 1985 after a nine-month stint as acting chairman. Four years later, he was named dean of A&T’s College of Engineering, a post he held until being named vice chancellor for academic affairs in 1994. From 1987 to 1994, he also served as an adjunct faculty member in North Carolina State University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The Inauguration of Melvin Johnson 7th President of Tennessee State University
Dr. Melvin N. Johnson will be inaugurated on Friday, October 27, 2006. He began his tenure as the seventh president of Tennessee State University on June 1 and served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and tenured professor of economics since July 2000.
Prior to coming to WSSU, Johnson served in senior academic roles at North Carolina A&T State University. Additionally, he was a lecturer on business and economic policy for the University of Maryland, European Division, in Germany. He also taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy and completed a distinguished military career as a lieutenant colonel. Johnson received his undergraduate degree in economics from North Carolina A&T State University and earned the master of arts in economics from Ball State University. He received an M.B.A. and D.B.A. in business economics and public policy from Indiana University. His postdoctoral studies include the Harvard Institute for Higher Education, Institute for Education Management; Harvard Institute for Higher Education, Institute for Management and Leadership in Education; and Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge. Inauguration information...
A&T is October School of the Month N.C. A&T is The Tom Joyner Foundation October 2006 school of the month. As the school of the month, the TJF will host three Sky Shows - Oct. 13, Shreveport, La.; Oct. 20, Atlanta, Ga. and Oct. 27, Miami, Fla. Donations can be mailed directly to The Tom Joyner Foundation, 13760 Noel Road, Suite 750, Dallas, TX 75240. Make checks payable to The Tom Joyner Foundation with N.C. A&T State University written in the memo line. Online donations can be made by visiting www.blackamericaweb.com. More Details Tour

Two Young Alumni Open HBCU Store on Fifth Street

By Sandra Isley
The Chronicle

A new store opened this month catering to alumni and fans of historically black colleges and universities.

The HBCU Store has settled in nicely at 227 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem. The store offers an assortment of items featuring the logos of N.C. A&T State University, N.C. Central University and Winston-Salem State University. Merchandise sold there includes clothing, pillows, portfolios, briefcases, wine bags, blankets and umbrellas.

The store is the vision of two cousins who graduated from A&T.

Shannon Fuller, who majored in electrical engineering, conceived of the idea of the store with his cousin Shaun Grace, who majored in public relations. They said that professional HBCU clothing and items were hard to come by, even at the campus bookstore. They are seeking to change that.

“You know everybody wears their Chapel Hill shirt or their Duke shirt, but there really was no place to get that type of apparel for black colleges. It just didn’t exist outside of the area around the school,” said Grace.

Although the store offers fraternity jerseys and t-shirts, most of the items in the store are geared toward professionals. Many of the store’s logo-adorned items come from popular manufactures such as Vesi, Chestnut Hill and Van Heusen. The owners say their items are one of a kind and can’t be purchased anywhere else, including campus bookstores.

“We’re trying to stay away from bookstore-type apparel,” said Grace.

“Most of (our) stuff is geared towards the professional market just so that you can have something to wear to work with your school name on it. It’s a fairly untapped market.”

The owners say that there is something for everybody at their store.

Shoppers can pick up T-shirts for as little as $13 or get a lambskin leather jacket for $275. All apparel is fully licensed, which means a school will receive a certain percentage for any merchandise purchased with its logo or name on it.

Grace and Fuller say that North Carolina is the best state in the country to open a store dedicated to HBCUs. There are more here than anywhere else in the nation.

“This area is so centrally located. We have in the Triad area Winston- Salem State, A&T, not to far of a drive there’s Central. We also have Bennett College and Shaw.

Currently, the store offers only items for A&T, Central and WSSU graduates. Plans are in the works to offer items of other HBCUs by the fall.

Grace, who also dabbles in real estate, said it’s been an uphill battle in becoming business owners. There was a fight to secure a loan. Suntrust Bank stepped up to the plate. Because of their struggle, the owners say they have decided that once the store turns a profit, they want to help agencies that specialize in helping people become small business owners. The greatest benefit of being self-employed is the great pride it evokes, the owners say.

“I’m in here two hours before we open. I’m in here an hour and a half after we close, cause it’s mine. It’s just that feeling of satisfaction, since the day we opened the door, that this is ours,” Grace said.

To learn more about the HBCU Store, visit www.HBCUStore.com or stop by between the hours of 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday or from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.

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