敁珗辦畦 Southern���s secondary math education program has officially earned national recognition as an accredited program through the National Council of Teachers and Mathematics.

Dr. Kari Siko Walters led the accreditation process and said, ���To prove that we have met these, we have to present the data on our students’ performance on their PRAXIS tests (a professional teaching assessment), their course grades, their formal lesson plan that they write, the South Carolina Teaching Standards, a project they do called the Unit Work Sample, another project called the Long Range Plan, and their Clinical Practice Portfolio that they create while they are student teaching. So, it’s a very extensive and detailed report and they are very picky in approving it.���

敁珗辦畦���s secondary math education program met the standards required by the National Council of Teachers and Mathematics:

• Content Knowledge
• Mathematical Practices 
• Mathematical Content Pedagogy
• Mathematical Learning Environment 
• Impact on Student Learning
• Professional Knowledge and Skills 
• Secondary Mathematics Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Secondary math education students prepare a hands-on activity to be used in the classroom and document what it looks like.

Junior, senior, and graduate black women enrolled in computer science or a technology-related degree or a graduate program within the College of Math and Science with financial need may be eligible for a new scholarship, The NEXT IT GIRL in Memory of Karen Vaughn Endowed Scholarship.

Funded by alumnus Napiya Nubuya ���14 and her organization, The NEXT IT GIRL, the scholarship recognizes the efforts of the late Karen Vaughn, who helped start the organization.

While at 敁珗辦畦, Nubuya was inspired by Dr. Valerie Sessions, current director of graduate study in computer science, and the only female computer faculty member while Nubuya was in college. Sessions remains one of Nubuya���s most valued mentors in the field of computer science. Entering the workforce, Nubuya continued to see a need for women and people of color in the technical world. 

These experiences led her to form The NEXT IT GIRL organization and establish a scholarship at 敁珗辦畦.

To read more about why Nubuya established The Next IT Girl, read��charlestonsouthern.edu/computer-science-graduate-comes-full-circle/

Dr. Melinda Walker was one of 21 winners recognized recently with Excellence in Teaching Awards by the South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. Walker was 敁珗辦畦 Southern University���s selection for the 2023 award and will be recognized at 敁珗辦畦���s commencement. 

Walker, professor of biology, joined 敁珗辦畦 as a faculty member in 1995 and is the current chair of the biology department. She earned a PhD in molecular and cellular biology and pathobiology from the Medical University of South Carolina. 

She has taught courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, Epidemiology, Human Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, and General Biology. As one example of her wide variety of research projects, Walker leads directed student research in the areas of developing algae that produce biofuels and the degradation of plastic bags by bacteria. 

She co-directed three South Carolina Commission on Higher Education grants to provide science teacher resources and faculty development for both 敁珗辦畦 and local Innovation Zone elementary schools. 

Walker is the advisor for 敁珗辦畦���s chapter of Tri Beta Biological Honor Society and has led the chapter in several community-based service projects, including Habitat for Humanity, science-based competitions, debates, and hosting science or leadership seminars. She has also led a variety of study trips including a medical mission trip to India, a global education trip to Israel, and local excursions to zoos and aquariums. 

Dr. Jacqueline Fish, vice president for academic affairs said, ���Our students know she cares about their current and future success. Her office door is always open for advising students and encouraging professors. She demonstrates true integrity and commitment to her Christian faith both in and out of the classroom. She is an incredibly valuable member of the 敁珗辦畦 community and an excellent choice for this award.��� 

A faculty member from each of SCICU���s 21 members is nominated for the Excellence In Teaching award according to rigorous guidelines. The award recipients receive a $3,000 professional development grant.

Weaver is a sophomore cybersecurity major and is minoring in criminal justice and information systems. He says the opportunity was the answer to his prayers, as it���s given him the chance to achieve his biggest career goal: to work for a government agency that aids in cybersecurity, defense tactics, and helps fight national cyberattacks, all before he���s even halfway through his degree. He detailed the application process for the opportunity, saying it was a rather smooth process including information, references, and a personal essay about his choice of study, along with a requirement of a minimum GPA of 3.5.

He said the scholarship wouldn���t have been possible if not for 敁珗辦畦 ��� it was actually another cybersecurity major who told him about the opportunity ��� and his professors. Weaver also acknowledges how much of an honor it is to be the second student from 敁珗辦畦 Southern to receive the scholarship.

Dr. Sean Hayes, chair of the 敁珗辦畦 computer science department, said the program acknowledges the talent of the students in the computer science and cybersecurity programs and is happy that students have the opportunity to be recognized for this as well. The 敁珗辦畦 cybersecurity program is only five years old. Hayes said, ���I expect more of our students to receive recognition from the DOD and elsewhere as our program continues to grow.���

Weaver is looking forward to advancing his knowledge in his academics and career through this opportunity with the Department of Defense. The department employs nearly 3,000 STEM professionals working to not only protect the country but also evolve and train the next generation of science and technology developments and students.

He encourages any student considering the award to apply because of the benefits and simple application process. According to DOD���s SMART Scholarship statistics, the program awards nearly 500 students, roughly 47% of these applicants being bachelor���s students. The program overall has awarded 3,783 scholarships to students from over 400 universities, with a success/completed commitment rate of 91%.

Hanah Kerrigan is a junior English major and is a spring 2023 intern with the Office of Marketing & Communication.

敁珗辦畦 Southern University students are able to expand on their general knowledge and also find out more about the topics they are interested in. This is especially true for Maddy Parsons, who has been researching aspects of learning for mathematics students.

With Dr. Ryan Thomas and Dr. Emily Thomas, Parsons has been analyzing how students in the class Discrete Mathematics have grown in their knowledge in connection with online tools and virtual homework.

Before Parsons even decided on studying how a resource like the Internet can impact a student���s education, she had her heart set on doing this research project. She had taken the class in the spring of 2021 and loved it.

This passion for the class was enough for Parsons to earn a research grant from the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. She had already earned a grant from the organization for a previous research project. With this support, she was able to start looking into
what could be discovered within this field.

From there, she worked with the Thomases over the summer to find a research topic that they could dig into. And since Discrete Mathematics is where students begin to start writing their own proofs, they found that discovering how students grow into this process would be best for her research.

During this process, they discovered a company called Cengage. Cengage focuses on developing new ways for students to learn, especially virtually. The team saw the potential that this held and shifted their focus to how students grow using online tools.

They began working with the Discrete Mathematics class, which is taught by Emily Thomas, in order to put their research into practice as the semester began and to set up research protocols.

The research process within the classroom involved giving Cengage to the students and allowing them to work from there. They gave students problem-solving assessments, observed class daily, and interviewed students on their experiences throughout the process.

Once the spring semester began, they expanded on it. They worked with a publisher of textbooks who helped the team expand on how textbooks can work in tandem with virtual assignments. This was also made a part of Parsons��� senior project and capstone class.

There is still more room for this research to continue, and that is something that Parsons hopes to expand on. She will begin pursuing her PhD after this semester and continue studying math and how it is incorporated into education.

Justin Brennan is a senior 敁珗辦畦 Southern student, interning with the Marketing and Communication office.

Professor Lloyd Richardson, chair of the department of aeronautics, recently worked with 敁珗辦畦 graphic designer Daniel Taylor ���22 to convert a former lounge space into a campus aeronautics simulation lab. 

Richardson said, ���According to the Federal Aviation Administration���s U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics, women comprise less than 5% of Airline Transport Certificate holders in 2022.��涉gainst the cultural norms, Amelia Earhart broke down the barriers that suggested women are only suited for domestic duties.��涉fter setting many flying records and championing the advancement of women in aviation, she continues to inspire female pilots.������  

He said, ���This mural echoes Earhart���s sentiment to our students that ���fears are paper tigers��� and our Flying Buccaneers are not constrained by gender, color, or background.�����

Earhart���s quote is also a reminder to all students that aviation requires a degree of fortitude and courage not commonly found in other professions. 

Allison Brown, a 敁珗辦畦 Southern University sophomore majoring in biology from Patrick, South Carolina, has been selected to receive a CIC/UPS Scholarship provided by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities and its national partner, the Council of Independent Colleges. 

Brown said, ���Receiving this scholarship enables me to pursue my education, which ultimately enables me to pursue my dreams and aspirations.������ 

Nationally, CIC, through the CIC/UPS Educational Endowment, provided more than $1.4 million in student scholarships to support student success at private colleges and universities. This year, SCICU awarded $67,200 in CIC/UPS Scholarships to 21 low-income, first generation, minority, and new American students at private institutions across South Carolina. 

���The Council of Independent Colleges and the UPS Foundation have been long-time and generous champions of independent college higher education, not only in South Carolina, but nationwide,��� said Jeff Perez, president and CEO of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the advocacy organization for independent colleges and universities in South Carolina. ���We deeply appreciate the support of CIC and UPS and recognize they have changed for the better the lives of many students at SCICU member institutions.��� 

on CIC/UPS scholarships awarded at SCICU���s 21 member colleges and universities.��

After competing against 40 other universities, the 敁珗辦畦 Southern University Cyber Team advanced, along with eight other teams, to the regional competition for the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

The only other team from South Carolina moving to the March 7-9 regional competition is Clemson University. Teams competing in the Southeast regional are:

繚      敁珗辦畦 Southern University
繚      Clemson University
繚      Columbus State University
繚      East Tennessee State University
繚      St. Petersburg College
繚      University of Central Florida
繚      University of Memphis
繚      University of North Florida
繚      University of South Alabama

Julie M. Henderson, assistant professor of computer science, said, ���It is important for students to participate in these competitions to gain experience practicing their cyber security skills in a real-world simulation. A network admin once told me that, in one competition, students will face what an IT department might face in a year.���

Henderson said students on the cyber team experience how to work as a team to protect an organization���s business assets. She said, ���They must cooperate in a high-intensity environment to conduct regular business operations while fending off professional cyber attacks.���

The 敁珗辦畦 Cyber Team is a student-driven organization. The team members take turns hosting cyber drills for the team and practicing activities and skills needed both for future job positions and competitions.

The winning team from each region will go on to compete for the national title at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

The first engineering students to graduate from 敁珗辦畦 Southern in May will also have the distinction of completing the first engineering senior project. The engineering capstone series is designed for seniors to plan and complete a project in two semesters demonstrating the skills and theory they have learned.

The four seniors in the inaugural class, Jonathan Gaminde, Keara Walsh, Braden Siegal, and Samuel Wand, made a formal presentation of their plan for creating ROB ��� E.R.T, a robot that will benefit the university, to professors and representatives from enrollment, athletics, and student life.

The robot the seniors are building will feature a cannon which can fire t-shirts and other giveaways to crowds at on-campus events such as Sweet 16, off-campus events such as STEM festivals, and athletic events. 

In the fall the senior team designed a drivable robot that will be able to work on multiple terrains, be lightweight and transportable, and blue tooth controlled. The goal is to simplify the process so that any student can control the robot. Spring semester will be spent actually building, programming, and testing the robot.

The team will also create a manual so future students will be able to modify the robot. The seniors hope to finish the working model by the end of March and spend April testing the robot.

While the seniors admit to a little anxiety centered around being the first graduates and the pressure to make their robot work, they are excited to bring their ideas to fruition.

Laurie Diel, of student life, looks forward to having the robot at future events. ���I���m excited that students made it,��� she said.

Walsh said the experience of being in the inaugural class of engineers has built her confidence, and she is grateful for the support of fellow students in a club she was instrumental in starting, ACSES, the Association of 敁珗辦畦 Southern Engineering Students.

The Aeronautics program at 敁珗辦畦 Southern University is officially a Part 141 pilot school for the first time since the program���s inception in fall of 2021. 

���God is doing such marvelous work here at 敁珗辦畦 that I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to cross the threshold of my office every morning,��� said Lloyd S. Richardson, interim chair of the program. ���Outside observers can see that the students are greatly blessed and fulfilled by the flight training and comradery.���

 敁珗辦畦 Southern University is the only institution in the state of South Carolina to offer a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics. Prior to 敁珗辦畦 establishing the program, South Carolina was one of only two states without a collegiate aeronautics program. 

Richardson, who is the chief instructor for the program, gives some insight about what it takes to become a Part 141 pilot. ���The provisional pilot school must graduate 10 different students from an approved course with a pass rate of 80% or higher. 敁珗辦畦���s written pass rate is 94.74%. Next, the school must maintain current and accurate records on each student and instructor. 敁珗辦畦 has utilized the innovative Microsoft Teams platform to share electronic data with the FAA, enabling remote inspections. 敁珗辦畦���s recordkeeping was graded at an unprecedented 100%. Finally, the school must employ a chief instructor who has a minimum of one-year experience teaching at a certificated pilot school,��� he said. 

Dr. Dondi Costin, president of 敁珗辦畦 Southern University, said, ���We launched the Aeronautics program so we could do our part to remedy a growing problem the world faces, namely, the global shortage of qualified pilots. 敁珗辦畦 Southern exists to equip our graduates to serve at the intersection of God���s plan for their lives, their personal passions, and the world���s unmet needs,��� he said. 

The 敁珗辦畦 Southern University Aeronautics program is located in the College of Science and Mathematics. Students in the program can choose between three types of aviation: Commercial, Military, or Missionary Aviation. Students who graduate from the FAA-approved degree program at 敁珗辦畦 will be eligible to receive an R-ATP at 1000 or 1, 250 hours as opposed to an unrestricted ATP at 1, 500 hours. 

Hunter Gatling is a graduate student at 敁珗辦畦 Southern University and is a graduate assistant in the Marketing & Communication office.