Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate
Achievement Program
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011
Volume 16

Table of Contents
What is the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.....................................................................1
Who’s Who in the McNair Scholars Program.................................................................................................................................2
Message from the Chancellor ...................................................................................................................................................................3
Message from Principal Investigator/Director, McNair Program............................................................................................3
Greetings from the Administrative Support Associate...............................................................................................................3
2011 Research Abstracts .............................................................................................................................................................................4
Differential Nitric Oxide Production by Human Cell Lines under Microgravity Conditions ........................4
Effects of Anti-malarial Drugs (Sulfadoxine & Amodiaquine) on the Cytotoxicity Profile of Docetaxel
against Prostate Cancer Cell Lines...................................................................................................................................................4
Effects of Anti-malarial Drugs (Chloroquine and Pyrimethamine) on the Cytotoxicity Profile of
Docetaxel against Prostate Cancer Cell Lines..........................................................................................................................4
The Impact of Media Violence on Youth.......................................................................................................................................5
Navigating Programmed Mobile Robots Through a Maze.................................................................................................5
Negative Externalities: Environment and Economic Impacts ..........................................................................................6
Pros and Cons of Long-Term Care.................................................................................................................................................6
The Role of African American Women in Black Churches................................................................................................6
The Role of Novel Anti-cancer Compounds in Treating Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer.....................7
A Study of the Relationship between Substance Abuse and Recidivism Among
Female Probationers................................................................................................................................................................................7
Synthesis of 4’-Epimer of 2-fluoronoraristeromycin..............................................................................................................8
Virtualization Technologies and its Applications in Green Data Center.....................................................................8
Awards, Honors, and Recognitions ........................................................................................................................................................9
Sixteenth Annual McNair Research Symposium & Awards Ceremony.....................................................................9
2011 Cultural Enrichment Experiences, Interactive Workshops, Lecture Series, and Seminars .............10
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center and Memorial Park.....................................................................................10
University of South Carolina Graduate School and the Medical University of South
Carolina Visitation ..................................................................................................................................................................................10
Twenty-Fifth Annual Ronald E. McNair Commemorative Celebration and Tenth
National Research Symposium.......................................................................................................................................................11
University of Maryland-Baltimore County ...............................................................................................................................11
Photo Gallery...................................................................................................................................................................................................12
Alumni News...................................................................................................................................................................................................16

What is the Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program
The McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is named in honor
of Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair, a renowned laser physicist and astronaut. Dr.
McNair’s life was cut short due to a tragic accident aboard the USS
Challenger space shuttle in January 1986. Dr. McNair graduated
magna cum laude from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical
State University in 1971 and received his Ph.D. at the age of 26
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976.
After his death, members of Congress provided funding for the
Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program to
encourage ethnic minorities, women and underrepresented
groups to pursue graduate school opportunities, in particular
doctoral studies. It is one of the six (6) federally funded TRIO
programs, which provide direct services to low-income and/or
first-generation college students. These programs are designed to
help students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to
higher education.
During the academic year of 1989-90, the Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program had its humble beginning with fourteen
(14) projects. In the 2007 competition, the McNair program grew to 200 projects
located in 42 of the 50 states (including the District of Columbia).
How can ECSU’s McNair Postbaccalaureate
Achievement Program benefit its Participants
Program participants at Elizabeth City State University receive exemplary supportive
services that are designed to accomplish four (4) major goals: 1) to improve participant’s
grade point averages, 2) to provide opportunities for research and other scholarly activities,
3) to enhance the likelihood of admission to graduate programs of choice, and 4) to prepare
students for “success” in graduate/doctoral studies.
S e r v i c e s Ava i l a b l e
• Academic Counseling
• Access to the Internet and the World Wide Web
• Career Development Workshops
• Computer Assisted Instruction
• Conference Travel/Field Trips/Graduate
School Visitation
• Financial Aid Assistance
• Graduate School Placement
• Intensive GRE Preparation Seminars
• Mentorships
• Research Training Colloquiums
• Summer Internships/Research Opportunities
• Stipend up to $2,800 (All eligible participants will
receive a stipend of $2,000 plus $800 for room
& board, if warranted.)
• Visiting Lecturer Series
• Tutoring
h ow are mcnair scholars selected
To be eligible for ECSU’s McNair Program one must be:
• a United States citizen or permanent resident;
• at least a second semester sophomore and enrolled at
Elizabeth City State University;
• in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.75 or better, and
have a strong interest in attending graduate school;
• a first generation college student with demonstrated
financial need; or an ethnic minority (African Americans,
Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Pacific
Islanders, including native Hawaiians) and/or a member of a
group who has been traditionally underrepresented at the
doctoral degree level.
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 1

Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate
Achievement Program
Who’s Who in the McNair Scholars Program
a d m i n s t r at i v e sta f f
Dr. Cheryl J. Lewis
Principal Investigator/Director
Mrs. Gwendolyn H. Cooper
Administrative Support Associate
Ms. Rena Moore
Resident/Lab Assistant
Mr. Dijon O. Perkins
Resident/Lab Assistant
f ac u l t y research mentors
Dr. Dolapo Adedeji
Dr. Hirendranath Banerjee
Mr. Tommy Cox
Dr. Moayed Daneshyari
Dr. Brenda Norman
Dr. Kingsley Nwala
Dr. Innocent Ononiwu
Dr. Ebere Oriaku
Dr. Kuldeep Rawat
Dr. Tesfaye Serbessa
p o s t e r competition judges
Dr. Gary Harmon
Dr. Mohammad Hasan
Dr. Jacqueline Huff
Dr. Darnell Johnson
Dr. Latasha Weeks
o r a l competition judges
Dr. Hilton Barrett
Mr. Marque Debnam
Mr. Orestes Gooden
Dr. Deborah Riddick
m c n a i r scholars
(Summer Institute/internship)
Husni Agri, Engineering Technology
Lena Black, Biology
Lakisha Campbell, Social Work
Jonelle Brown, Business Administration
LaDrea Cherry, Criminal Justice
Alex Doyal, Computer Science
Valerie Edwards, Aviation Science
Gabrielle Green, Biology
Tynesha Jackson, Chemistry
Kristina Jiles, Biology
Rakea Joyner, Criminal Justice
DeVon McNair, Business Administration
Monae Merck, History/English
Taneshia Moore, Industrial Technology
Tasha Palmer, Biology
Jamie Peebles, Biology
Stephanie Perez, Biology
Alecia Riddick, Pharmaceutical Science
Maya White, Biology
m c n a i r scholars
(Academic year only)
LaTasha Bank, Business Administration
Joshua L. Finney, Political Science
James C. Irvin, Aviation Science
Tomeika M. Jones, Political Science
Susan Z. Mathews, Criminal Justice
Akeem R. McAllister, Chemistry
Camille S. McGowan, Psychology/English
Triana McPherson, Chemistry
LaVonde N. Roseboro, Biology
2 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011

Message from the Chancellor
Congratulations to all of the McNair Scholars program participants. I am extremely proud
of your numerous accomplishments as well as your dedication to academic excellence.
A special thanks to the faculty and staff who continue to support Elizabeth City State
University and this signature program. The leadership of this university will continue
to be a champion for academic innovation, scholarly activity, and high quality learning
experiences for all students.
Willie J. Gilchrist, Ed.D.
Message from the Principal Investigator/McNair
Scholars Programs
The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program proudly celebrates its
seventeenth year on the campus of Elizabeth City State University. Sweet 16, how sweet
the sound….but seventeen sound even better, as we continue to follow in the footsteps
of Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair to promote excellence in teaching, research, and service.
In doing so, we strive to train others to acknowledge that Excellence can be attained if
you Care more than others think is wise, Strive for more than other think is possible,
and be Upright and earnest in all that you say and do.
Cheryl J. Lewis, Ed.D.
ECSU McNair alum, current and future Scholars, faculty and staff, I wish you continual
success for we know that you are a cut above the rest and you exemplify the better of
the “best”.
Greetings from the Administrative Support Associate
Kudos McNair Scholars Program, as we celebrate another wonderful year at Elizabeth
City State University. I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity that has been made
available to me as the Administrative Support Associate of the McNair Scholars Program.
It is a delight to work with students who have the desire, drive and determination to
succeed in their education.
My fondness for the McNair Scholars Program grows more with each passing year as I
watch and participate in the matriculation of the students who are served. I commend
and congratulate my Director, the McNair Scholars, the Faculty Research Mentors and
the ECSU campus for their commitment, support, energy and passion.
Mrs. Gwendolyn H. Cooper
Administrative Support Associate
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 3

2011 research abstracts
Differential Nitric Oxide Production
by Human Cell Lines under
Microgravity Conditions
Tynesha Jackson and Stephanie Perez, McNair Scholars
Dr. Hirendranath Banerjee
Department of Biology
One of NASA’s major goals is to send a manned mission
to Mars, which will expose astronauts to several months of
microgravity conditions. Not much information is out there
about effects of microgravity on human health. This research
will study the effect of microgravity on human cells lines and
record the expression of nitric oxide, which is a molecule
released under stressful condition. The objective of this
project is to simulate microgravity by exposing the cells to
a NASA approved microgravity simulator/bioreactor and
then measure the nitric oxide released by an ELISA reader/
microplate reader or spectrophotometer in comparison to a
non-exposed control cells.
The remarkable Dr. Ronald E. McNair once said, “Truly there
is no more beautiful sight than to see the earth from the
space beyond”. For this reason, there are majestic men and
women who embark on a voyage into the cosmos to further
the research and knowledge of the scientific community. This
research studied the levels of nitric oxide present in lymph
sarcoma (immune) cells, breast cancer cells, and MRL (kidney)
cells. Some may wonder why breast cancer cells The reason
breast cancer cells were chosen would be because breast
cancer affects both men and women. Although there are
more male astronauts compared to females, it is a known
fact that men are also capable of developing breast cancer.
Consequently, the study of how breast cancer cells are affected
by microgravity could provide valuable insight on whether
microgravity has a positive or negative influence on the cells.
If there was no available information regarding the fact that
men could obtain breast cancer, the cell alone is a human cell
that can assist in providing data regarding what happens to
cells once they have been exposed to microgravity. This paper
provides detailed knowledge on how microgravity affects the
above cell lines, how the human body responds to microgravity,
and the results found of the experiment conducted.
Effects of Anti-malarial Drugs
(Sulfadoxine & Amodiaquine) on
the Cytotoxicity Profile of Docetaxel
against Prostate Cancer Cell Lines
Gabrielle Green and Maya White, McNair Scholars
Dr. Dolapo Adedeji and Dr. Innocence Ononiwu
Department of Pharmacy
Prostate cancer is ranked the second highest most deadly
diseases in men in the USA. Prostate cancer is cancer of the
male reproductive gland, the prostate. There are various cell
lines, which represent a different form of prostate cancer.
Therefore, several different drugs along with an anticancer drug
are used to treat them. The two drugs used were Sulfadoxine
and Amodiaquine to try to cure prostate cancer. There are
five different cell lines you can have PC-3, LNCaP, DU-145,
CWR, and HS-5. The LNCaP cell line was established from
a metastatic lesion of human prostatic adenocarcinoma. The
LNCaP cells grow readily in vitro cells form clones in semisolid
media, are highly resistant to human fibroblast interferon, and
show an aneuploid human male karyotype with several marker
chromosomes. PC3 (PC-3) and DU145 human prostate
cancer cell lines are the “classical” cell lines of prostatic cancer.
PC3 cells have high metastatic potential compared to DU145
cells, which have a moderate metastatic potential.
Effects of Anti-malarial Drugs
(Chloroquine and Pyrimethamine) on
the Cytotoxicity Profile of Docetaxel
against Prostate Cancer Cell Lines
Lena Black and Tasha Palmer, McNair Scholars
Dr. Innocence Ononiwu
Department of Pharmacy and Health Professions
Many males in United States have suffered from prostate cancer
for decades. Mitoxantrone and Docetaxel are currently the
drugs used in hospitals to treat the disease. Other treatment
options include surgical removal of the prostate and treatment
with drugs that reduce the levels of circulating androgens.
Some anti-malarial drugs have been reported to enhance
4 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011

the efficacy of Docetaxel against other types of cancer. In the
present study, the researchers evaluated the effects of two antimalarial
drugs effects of Docetaxel on PC-3 human prostate
cancer cell line. MTT anti-proliferative assay was used to assess
the cancer cells viability in the presence of Docetaxel alone
or Docetaxel plus each of the anti-malarial drugs. Docetaxel
produced a dose-dependent inhibition of PC-3 cell lines with
an IC50 value of ( 0.05-10µM) In the presence of increasing
concentrations (0.1µM, 1.0µM and 10µM) of Chloroquine,
the IC50 of Docetaxel on the prostate cancer cell line was
observed to decrease (0.05-10µM respectively) in a dosedependent
manner. Similarly, co-administration of increasing
concentrations (0.1µM, 1.0µM and 10µM) of pyrimethamine
produced decreasing IC50 values for Docetaxel (0.05-10µM
respectively) on PC-3 human cancer cell lines. It is concluded
that both anti-malarial drugs Chloroquine and pyrimethamine
enhanced the cytotoxic effects of Docetaxel against PC-3
prostate cancer cell line.
The Impact of Media Violence on Youth
Lakisha Campbell, McNair Scholar
Dr. Brenda Norman
Department of Criminal Justice, Sociology and Social Work
The review of literature on television violence has increased
tremendously during the past twenty years. However, during
the 1990’s and today, new media has emerged which includes
the Internet, Video Games, Cable Television, and Music Videos.
These new types of Medias along with television have
prompted public concerns and research attention. There has
been growing concerns about the prevalence of violence in the
media and its impact on youth in our society. Current research
revealed that there is an association between youth exposure
to media violence and their aggressive behaviors. Supported
theories delineate how and why exposure to media violence
increases aggression and violence in youth. A critical review
of existing literature reveals that the impact of mass media
violence on youth is an area that warrants special attention.
Therefore, the purpose of this research project is to explore
the impact of media violence on youth.
Navigating Programmed Mobile
Robots Through a Maze
Husni M. Agri and Valerie M. Edwards, McNair Scholars
Dr. Moayed Daneshyari
Department of Technology
Robots are becoming increasingly popular in the 21st century.
People have been incorporating them in different industries
from space exploration, manufacturing, and even in their daily
lives. The objective of this McNair summer research project
is to assemble and program an iRobot Create to execute
a series of tasks, where they may be applicable in different
environments; as we know people use robots for human
substitution in places where it may be dangerous for humans to
maneuver. Some of these environments include extremely hot
temperatures, bomb diffusions and nuclear reactors. There is a
strong interest in personalized robots to do household duties
as we are rapidly engaging in newer and more sophisticated
technology. Some of these duties include security purposes,
experimental activities, taking out the trash to vacuuming a
floor. Therefore, the goal of this project is not only to program
the robot, but also to modify it by incorporating real life useful
functions and to serve as a platform for improving society.
The first initial step when programming the iRobot Create
was to download the appropriate software. The software
that was utilized throughout daily research is called Realterm.
Realterm is terminal software that allows communication from
the computer to the robot. This program was used to send
scripts and commands created for the robot to begin moving.
Other applications such as C, C++, Open Interface Command
Reference, etc., were commonly used in developing a true
understanding of how to program the robot. There were
also devices used as the robot was being programmed such
as an arm and a camera that were attached to the robot for
experimental purposes. In the end, the complete robot was
capable of making 90-degree turns, picking up and handling
different objects, and being able to correctly maneuver through
a maze and find its destination.
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 5

Negative Externalities:
Environment and Economic Impacts
DeVon McNair, McNair Scholar
Dr. Kingsley Nwala
Department of Accounting
Negative Externality is an action of a producer that imposes
negative side effects or costs on consumers without
compensations. Negative externality generally results from
the failure of our competitive market inflicting a cost to
a third party not involved in the transactions without any
compensation. Negative externalities can be of two types –
Negative production externalities and Negative consumption
externalities. Production externality may come from pollutants
produced by Industrial production activities, which will result
in air pollution, water pollution, toxic wastes, and solid wastes
affecting both the environment and human health. These
pollutants affect our waters, air quality, and plant growth and
degrade our ecosystem. They also deplete our ozone layer,
create global warming and other health related illnesses.
Negative consumption externalities on the other hand
can come from the consumption of certain products that
consequently affect other consumers and society-at-large
negatively. An example of this will be the impact of passive
smoke from smokers in a restaurant to non-smokers in that
same restaurant. The passive smoke eventually causes cancer
and other health problems. Alcohol consumption and drug
abuses are other examples. They inflict cost to the whole
society, cause loss of workdays for the individual abusers, and
decrease productivity in the economy. Other subsequent
impacts include loss of wages, decrease in standard of life and
consequent death or increase in mortality rate. It therefore
becomes important and necessary that society understands the
subject of Negative externalities, the causes, implications and
consequences on our health, environment and the economy.
Pros and Cons of Long-Term Care
Jonelle K. Brown, McNair Scholar
Dr. Ebere Oriaku
Department of Business Administration
Because of more effective medications, surgeries and
application of medical technology, Americans are now living
longer than before. This means that many of their health
conditions decline as they age or as their disease progresses
6 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011
over a time and taking care of them becomes a burden for
the government, their loved ones, and society-at-large. This
research reviews the pros and cons of long-term care in
America. The research also makes some recommendations
as to what is a better solution to citizens who require longterm
care. The research takes the position that long-term
care administered to the chronically ill and elderly, provided at
the their home in the form of home health care and respite
care can result to a longer life span than the chronically ill
and elderly kept in a public care location. The research has
shown that the use of home health care can be more cost
effective in the long run for the government, and will benefit
society-at-large. The chronically ill and elderly in this study
comprised of all elderly patients who were using home health
care provisions and those placed in public health care facilities.
Primary and secondary data was collected and analyzed to
provide recommendations that supported the position of this
research project.
The Role of African American
Women in Black Churches
Monae Merck, McNair Scholar
Dr. Brenda Norman
Department of Criminal Justice, Sociology and Social Work
The role of the black woman in the church varied from one
religious denomination to another. While women as often
referred to as “mother,” and highly respected in the religious
and secular black community, they did not always hold
positions of official power (Wolk, 2008). Often, they served as
Evangelists, Missionaries, Teachers, and Choir Directors. If they
did preach, it was without ordination, and often solely carried
out the work of a deceased husband. As the church served as
the center of the African American community, many women
actively pursued leadership roles (Cox Gillespie, 2009). These
roles and the degree of leadership available to them varied
according to the time period and the religious denominations.
Their fight for equality in areas such as preaching continues
today. The roles of African American women in black churches
have high values and expectations with new initiatives and
expanded opportunities. Carpenter (2001) concluded that the
appropriate roles of African American women in the church
today would greatly influence the thinking of future ministers.
Therefore, the purpose of this research project is to explore
the roles of African American Women in black churches.

The Role of Novel Anti-cancer
Compounds in Treating Breast
Cancer and Prostate Cancer
Jamie Peebles and Kristina Jiles, McNair Scholars
Dr. Hirendranath Banerjee
Department of Biology
Cancer is a major curse on human health and a major killer
around the world. Even today, very few effective anti-cancer
drugs have been discovered. In this current study, the efficacy
of certain novel inorganic synthetic drugs on human prostate
and breast cancer was tested. Rhenium compounds are
radioactive and are used for treatment in liver cancer. Very little
is known about the toxicity of rhenium and its compounds
because they are used in very small amounts. For years, the
design of new metal-based drugs has concentrated on direct
cisplatin analogues. Despite the synthesis and screening of
different platinum drugs, no wide spectrum platinum drugs
that overcame the drawbacks of cisplatin (the most successful
transition metal drug currently available on the market) and
its analogues were found. Thus, this problem causes a need
for the development of new non-platinum-based metal
drugs, which include gold, ruthenium, rhodium, and titanium
complexes. Unfortunately, these drugs have adverse effects.
Therefore, it is essential to synthesize drugs with less toxicity
and high anticancer properties.
Recently anti-cancer properties of six different Rhenium
compounds were investigated for necrotic efficacy. After
performing three 24-hour exposure trials of the drugs
effect on the cancerous cells, they were compared, graphed,
and a standard deviation was obtained. There were also
48 and 72-hour exposure times for which only one trial
was performed for each. The results show that drugs 3,
4, and 5 had the greatest (average) effect on the viability
of the cancerous cells. Anticancer properties of different
Rhenium compounds were investigated for necrotic efficacy
( (CO)3(Bipy)ReOC(O)OC5H11, (CO)3(5-Me)ReOC(O)
OC5H11, (CO)3(Phen)ReOC(O)C5H11, (CO3)(2,9-Me2)
ReOC(O)OC5H11, (CO)3(5,6-Me2)ReOC(O)OC5H11,
(CO3O(Bathophen)ReOC(O)C5H11). After performing
three 24-hour exposure trials of the drugs effect on the
cancerous cells, they were compared, graphed, and a standard
deviation was obtained. There were also 48 and 72-hour
exposure times for which only one trial was performed for
each due to certain time constraints.
Six Rhenium drug compounds were used during this
experiment. Breast and prostate cancer cell lines were cultured
for at least twenty-four hours, incubated with the novel
synthetic inorganic compounds (rhenium compounds), and
Trypan Blue Staining, is used to determine the number of viable
cells present in a cell suspension. It is based on the principle that
live cells possess intact cell membranes that exclude certain
dyes, such as Trypan blue, eosin, or propidium, whereas dead
cells do not. Viable cells will have a clear cytoplasm whereas
a nonviable cell will have a blue cytoplasm. A cell counter
was used in order to obtain the amount of viable cells and a
calculation of the statistical analysis of the data.
A Study of the Relationship between
Substance Abuse and Recidivism
Among Female Probationers
LaDrea Cherry and Rakea Joyner, McNair Scholars
Mr. Tommy Cox
Department of Criminology, Sociology and Social Work
This paper explores articles that report on results from
research conducted on the Relationship between Substance
Abuse and Recidivism among female probation offenders.
Typically, women entering treatment are younger, have less
extensive criminal past, are less likely to be employed, have
more financial and medical problems, and report greater
depression, anxiety, and other psychological distress (e.g.,
Chatham et.al. 1999). This study examined the relationship
between female probationer offenders and recidivism. The
studies were based on probationers that participated in
residential drug treatment programs and how effective the
treatment programs were. This research also sought to uncover
the different methods of treatment that can be more useful
to females within the criminal justice system and put more
emphasis on the needs of women who have been incarcerated
due to a drug offense. Furthermore, through this study, it is
anticipated that there is clearly a need for more programs that
cater specifically to the needs of female offenders (“Women
in the criminal justice system”, 2007). Finally, this research will
explore the effectiveness of these different programs and the
outcome they have on the recidivism among the offenders.
Overall, this study is designed to identify the connection
between substance abuse treatment and the effectiveness it
has on recidivism among female offenders.
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 7

Synthesis of 4’-Epimer of
2-fluoronoraristeromycin
Alecia Riddick,McNair Scholar
Dr. Tesfaye Serbessa
Department of Chemistry, Geology, and Physics
Biological methylation is an essential reaction that involves a
wide spectrum of cellular processes such as DNA replication,
methionine metabolism, polyamine and phospholipid
biosynthesis, and quorum sensing. The relative cellular
concentrations of the source of the methyl group, S-adenosyl-
L-methionine (SAM), and the by-product of the reaction,
S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) are maintained by a
hydrolytic enzyme. This enzyme, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine
hydrolase (SAHH), because of its central role in metabolism,
has emerged as an attractive target in the design of therapeutic
agents against a wide range of diseases. The recent discovery
that the causative agent of malaria (plasmodium falciparum)
has a parasite-specific hydrolase and the subsequent
determination of the crystal structure is critical in the design
and synthesis of compounds that will selectively inhibit the
pathogen-specific hydrolase.
fit the environment of a larger workplace. This virtualized
infrastructure was created using VMWARE hypervisor ESXi
4.0. The hardware platform used was a HP Blade workstation
that consists of quad CPUs, 8 GB memory and 144 GB storage
space. A pool of virtual machines (VMs) form computing
resources that user can access anytime, anywhere and on any
computing device via an Internet connection. These VMs were
created to form computing resources and managed remotely
through VMWARE VI Client interface. Each VM was created by
allocating a certain amount of CPU cycle, memory, and virtual
disk storage space. Each VM hosts an operating system and
a set of computation-intensive engineering application tools
such as MULTISIM, Packet Tracer, and SolidWorks. Tests were
conducted to evaluate the performance of these VMs under
various load conditions. Energy calculations were also done
to compare the efficiency of virtualized infrastructure against
deploying physical desktops in a laboratory set up. The project
motivation, design, implementation, and performance testing
results are discussed in this study.
Carbocyclic nucleosides, analogs of the traditional nucleosides
in which the oxygen of the ribofunose ring has been replaced
by a methylene group, have shown significant inhibitory activity
against hydrolases. In this project, in an effort to search for
more potent and selective analogues against plasmodium
falciparum, the 4’-Epimer of 2-fluoronoraristeromycin was
synthesized. The synthesis of the target compound was
achieved in 10 steps from commercially available starting
materials.
Virtualization Technologies and its
Applications in Green Data Center
Alex M. Doyal and Taneshia P. Moore, McNair Scholars
Dr. Kuldeep S. Rawat
Department of Technology
The objective of this project was to demonstrate how
virtualization technologies present a solution that can help
achieve energy efficient (green) data centers. A virtualized
infrastructure prototype was designed and created for a
reliable and secure computing that can be easily scaled to
8 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011

awards, honors & recognitions
Rena Moore
Wanda-Marie Carey
and Dr. Cheryl J. Lewis
Tasha Johnson
Dalan Morring
Honors were bestowed on a number
of McNair Scholars at the Honors
Convocation: The Road to Success!” on
Thursday, April 7, 2011. Following the
convocation, a photo opportunity and
reception was held for McNair honorees
in the Fine Art Center’s Art Studio.
Ms. Rena Moore, a senior who is majoring
in Criminal Justice was the recipient of
the Chancellor’s Distinguished Emblem
Award. For this special honor, she
received a Scholars’ Blazers. Ms. Moore
was also awarded the Criminal Justice
Outstanding Academic Achievement
Award, Educational Talent Search
Academic Excellence Award and the
Excellence without Excuse Award from
the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate
Achievement Program. Other recipients
of this prestige award were Wanda-
Marie Carey and Matthew Competiello.
Rena, Wanda-Marie and Matthew
Competiello, each earned a grade point
average of 4.0 on a 4.0 grading scale
for fall 2010. Mr. Competiello also was
awarded the Outstanding Academic
Award for having the highest GPA in
the Department of History and Political
Science and Mr. Christopher Kidd
received the Naginder Dhillon Research
Award in Political Science. Others
whom received Department awards
were Ms. Brittnee Exum (Language,
Literature & Communication), Tasha
Johnson (Criminal Justice), Camille
McGowan (Psychology) and Dalan
Morring (Business Administration, and
Karen Wilkerson (Sociology).
Three McNair graduating seniors
received the Challenger Award for
having GPAs of 3.50 or greater and an
additional three were the beneficiary of the Eagle Award for
possessing a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49. These awards went to Ms.
LaShanda Dukes, Ms. Brittnee Exum (and the E. M. Spellman
Award), Mrs. Karen Wilkerson (Challenger Award) and Ms.
Lamonica Harrison, Mr. Christopher Krauss, Mr. Daniel Long
and Mr. Robert Mason (Eagle Award).
The awardees of the 2010-2011 Certificate of Merit Honors
Program were Ms. Valerie Edwards, Ms. Gabrielle Green, Ms.
Kristina Jiles, Ms. Jalisa Pettis and Ms. LaVonde Roseboro.
Ms. Brittnee Shaneece Exum, Ms. Tiffany Mone’t Gates,
Ms. Damika LaShun Howard, Ms. Kristina Ashleigh Jiles,
Ms. Stephanie Perez, Ms. LaVonde Necole Roseboro was
inducted into the Who’s Who Among Students in American
Universities and Colleges.
Sixteenth Annual McNair Research
Symposium & Awards Ceremony
On Friday, June 24, 2011, the Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate Achievement program hosted it 16th
Annual Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony. Dr.
Nathaniel Williams was the keynote speaker.
Since 1993, Dr. Williams has
been the President and CEO of
HumanWorks Affiliates, Inc., a
cluster of nine corporations that,
focuses on human services.
Dr. Williams’ journey from orphan
and foster child to Doctor of
Education, nonprofit founder, and
author has been both challenging
Dr. Nathaniel Williams and rewarding. Dr. Williams has
proven that success can be attained when a person possesses
commitment, tenacity, and integrity. In his career, he has
fulfilled a multitude of roles, including direct care worker,
foster parent, house parent, entrepreneur, nonprofit and forprofit
organization founder, Chief Executive Officer, adjunct
professor, scholar-in-residence, talk show host, international
motivational speaker and author of nine books.
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 9

This Research Symposium & Annual Awards Ceremony
was multi-faceted, in that it served as a forum for reflection,
celebration and appreciation. The program reflected upon
the various challenges of 2011, as well as celebrated its
accomplishments and blessings received during this same
timeframe. This event also served as a way to say “thank
you” to those who have supported the Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program in its endeavor
to empower McNair Scholars to do common things in an
uncommon way so that they can command the attention of
the world.
This year’s first place winner of the 2011 poster competition
was Alecia Riddick (Dr. Tesfaye Serbessa, Faculty Research
Mentor) in the poster competition. Ms. Riddick’s research topic
was entitled, Synthesis of 4’-Epimer of 2-fluoronoraristeromycin.
Other Poster Competition winners consisted of the 2nd place
winner, DeVon McNair (Dr. Kingsley Nwala, Faculty Research
Mentor), Ms. Tynesha Jackson & Ms. Stephanie Perez, (Dr.
Hirendranath Banerjee, Faculty Research Mentor) placed
third, and Mr. Husni Agri and Ms. Valerie Edwards (Dr. Moayed
Daneshyari, Faculty Research Mentor) received honorable
mention.
The first place winners of the Oral Competition were Mr.
Husni Agri and Ms. Valerie Edwards (Dr. Moayed Daneshyari,
Faculty Research Mentor). Their research and demonstration
consisted of Navigating Programmed Mobile Robots Through
a Maze. Others who placed in the Oral Competition were
Ms. Kristina Jiles and Ms. Jamie Peebles (Dr. Hirendranath
Banerjee, Faculty Research Mentor) for 2nd place, 3rd place
was Ms. LaDrea Cherry and Ms. Rakea Joyner (Mr. Tommy Cox,
Faculty Research Mentor) and Ms. Gabrielle Green and Ms.
Maya White (Dr. Dolapo Adedeji and Dr. Innocence Ononiwu,
Faculty Research Mentors) received honorable mention.
to visit this historical site. Back in 1989, the Ronald McNair
Committee, the City of Lake City and the Lake City Library
Board served as the official planning board for the Dr. McNair
Memorial Park. This park has been constructed in three
phrases, which includes the building of the monument with
a scroll of honor (completed in 1994), a bronze statue of Dr.
McNair (erected in 1995) and the relocation of the tomb of
McNair (2004) and a Life History Center (formerly known
as the Lake City Library) has been created to pay homage to
Dr. McNair. The ultimate plan is to create a Space Museum
and Learning Center, at this site.
Is it not ironic, that the Lake City Library has been transformed
into McNair’s Life History Center This library is the same library
that denied the 9 yr. old (Ronald McNair) borrowing privileges of
an advanced science and calculus book. After calling the police,
McNair’s mom, coupled with some persuasive dialog from his
mother (a public school teacher), the librarian finally released
the library books to him.
McNair Life and History Center
2011 Cultural Enrichment
Experiences, Interactive Workshops,
Lecture Series, and Seminars
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Life History Center and
Memorial Park
What an historical moment, when Scholars and McNair Staff
travelled to Lake City, South Carolina, the home of Dr. Ronald
E. McNair. ECSU McNair Scholars Program is the very first
10 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011
ECSU McNair Program
met with the Ronald
McNair Committee
Dr. McNair
Memorial Park

University of South Carolina Graduate School and the
Medical University of South Carolina Visitation
The McNair Program in Elizabeth City, NC and the University of
South Carolina-Columbia sponsored a meet and greet session on
May 27, 2011. Scholars, faculty and staff shared their perceptions
of the McNair experience and the many attributes, which it brings
to the Academy.
On Saturday, May 28, 2011, Mrs. Marshelle Grant, Manager of
Recruitment and Diversity Education on the Medical University of
South Carolina (MUSC), which is located in Charleston, SC, provided
an extensive tour of their facilities. ECSU’s McNair staff & students
met with MUSC medical students, faculty and staff, was provided a
demonstration from Dr. Bryan Ziegler, Assistant Dean and Assistant
Professor, Medical School.
Drs. Cooper, Beasley, Lewis and USC McNair Staff
USC and MUSC both provided extraordinary hospitality to our
group. Before leaving beautiful historic Charleston, South Carolina,
the group enjoyed the afternoon on a bus tour narrated by Alphonso
Brown from Gullah Tours and an hour and 30 minutes cruising past
Charleston’s famous Waterfront Park, the Cooper River Bridge,
Patriots Point, Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie and busy seaport.
Twenty-Fifth Annual Ronald E. McNair Commemorative
Celebration and Tenth National Research Symposium
Medical University of South Carolina Tour
Robert Mason
During January 26-28, 2011, NC A & T University celebrated its 25th
Annual Ronald E. McNair Commemorative Celebration and Tenth
National Research Symposium. From Elizabeth City State University,
we had Dr. Cheryl J. Lewis, Mrs. Gwendolyn H. Cooper, Mrs. Karen
Wilkerson, Ms. Rena J. Moore, Ms. Lamonica Harrison, Mr. Husni
Agri, Mr. Daniel Long III and Mr. Robert Mason to participate in the
festivities. Mr. Mason also presented his 2010 research project at
the National Research Symposium.
Cruising Charleston’s Seaport and viewing Fort Sumter & Fort
Moultrie, Front row: Devon McNair and Lakisha Campbell, Second
row: Husni Agri, Rakea Jordan (hidden) and Jonelle Brown, Back Row:
Monae Merck and other McNair Scholars
McNair Scholars were also afforded the opportunity to tour the
International Civil Rights Center & Museum housed in the old F. W.
Woolworth Building located in Greensboro, NC, where four NCA
& T students started a sit-in on February 1, 1960.
A memorial service was held whereby Dr. McNair’s fraternity
brothers (Omega Psi Phi) led the march to the Ronald E. McNair
Science Building. A series of presentations was presented on life and
times of Dr. Ronald E. McNair.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
As first place winners of the 2011 McNair Scholars’ Oral Competition,
Husni Agri and Valerie Edwards presented their research project at
the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, an honors University
lead by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III.
Husni & Valerie at UMBC’s Career Fair and with their awards.
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 11

12 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011
photo gallery

photo gallery
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 13

14 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011
photo gallery

photo gallery
McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 15

alumni news
2010-2011 bachelor degree recipients
Ashley Berryman
Wanda-Marie Carey
Matthew Competiello
Justin Deloatch
Lashanda M. Dukes
Brittnee Exum
Lamonica S. Harrison
Damika Howard
Christopher Kidd
Daniel Long
Robert Mason
Rena Moore
Jametta N. Morgan
Dalan Morring
Jamila C. Peele
Zina C. Penn
Jalisa Pettis
Barry Seebo
Bryan Whidbee
Ada White
Shalanda Williams
2010-2011 masters degree recipients
Quiana Abner
Tanya Chesson Blackshear
Natasha Cox
Shanitria N. Cutherbertson
Tierra Harrington
Essie R. Hedgebeth
Sherice M. Jernigan
Joseph R. Moore
Lashonda Munden
Lakisha Mundon Johnson
Levi Peebles
Richelle Smallwood
Cusarah Thorpe
Timeka Whitehead
Tracsa Williams
accepted and/or enrolled
in a doctorate degree program
Charlotte E. Chrisp
Natasha Cox
accepted and/or enrolled
in a masters program
Lashanda M. Dukes
Brittnee Exum
Quinatona Ford
Lamonica S. Harrison
Damika Howard
Daniel Long
Robert Mason
Shayla McBride
Jasheen Mizelle
Dalan Morring
Stephanie Mullen
Jaleesa L. Privott
Cusarah Thorpe
Ada White
Thomas N. Williams
Karen A. Wilkerson
2010-2011 phd recipients
Peter Madison Eley
Mrs. Felicia Eley, Maddison Eley (baby), and Dr. Peter M. Eley
16 / McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011

McNair Scholars News & Journal 2011 / 17

Ronald E. McNair
Postbaccalaureate
Achievement Program
1704 Weeksville Road
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
www.ecsu.edu
“Before You Can Make a
Dream Come True,
You Must First Have One”
Dr. Ronald E. McNair
Elizabeth City State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students,
or employees based on race, color, nation origin, religion, gender, age, or disability.
ECSU is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system