The 36th Annual FAMU Sports Hall of Fame program will induct six members in the Class of 2011 during enshrinement ceremonies Friday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.



This year's inductees are: FAMU President James H. Ammons (Supporter); William Campbell (Baseball); Eddie Cooper (Football); Clarence Hawkins (Football); Shaunta' Pelham (Track & Field); and Felix Williams (Football).



Ammons (2007-present) has been instrumental in the resurgence of FAMU Athletics throughout the past three years. Upon his appointment as university president in 2007, he provided the leadership and financial support necessary to remove FAMU from NCAA probation and raise the academic progress rate.



Campbell (Baseball • 1972-1976) is one of the all-time top infielders in Rattler baseball history. William "Soup" Campbell was also a team leader as well as a prime time competitor.



Cooper (Football • 1963-1969) is a 1967 graduate of FAMU, where he played free safety, starting three seasons. Cooper finished his career with 16 pass interceptions, playing for legendary coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither.



Hawkins (Football • 1974-1977) was a versatile halfback and receiver, who finished his career among the all-time leading rushers in FAMU history. Hawkins helped lead Coach Rudy Hubbard's Rattlers to the school's last undefeated season, a national championship and two conference titles in his four seasons as a starter.



Pelham (Women's Track & Field • 1997-2002) was honored as the MEAC Outstanding Female Performer in 1999 and selected as the Most Valuable Sprinter and Most Outstanding Female Athlete for the Rattlers (2000 and 2002).



Williams (Football • 1971-1974) was a three-year starter at defensive back for the Rattlers from 1972 to 1974. He was honored as team captain in 1974. He was a two-time All-SIAC selection in 1973 and 1974, garnering Kodak Division II All-America honors in 1974.



Tickets for the event are on sale from the FAMU Athletic Ticket Office.

After testing their self-designed and constructed experiments on-board a gravity-defying aircraft, five students and a faculty member from FAMU were busy evaluating their data after experiencing weightlessness at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.



“This was a unique opportunity for a team from FAMU to work on a true interdisciplinary project, one that has relevance to NASA and the future of space exploration,” said Clement Allen, associate professor in FAMU’s Computer and Information Sciences. “The team brought together many skills — mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. This was a chance for them to understand how scientific and engineering problems are approached in the real world.”



This experiment was part of NASA’s Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program (RGEFP), which gives teams of undergraduate students from across the nation the opportunity to propose, design, build, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment. The team was selected from more than 70 proposals based on scientific merit and education outreach potential.



“I gained a whole lot from this experience,” said Obie Obakporo, a mechanical engineering student. “I was exposed to the multiple strenuous tests that engineers have to go through at the professional level. Consequently, it forced me to be extremely meticulous and thorough in every aspect of my work, to ensure the best chance of success for our experiment and guarantee a safe work environment. Although the work proved to be challenging and even tedious at times, the difficulty of each task only added to the gratification and satisfaction of achieving such an accomplishment ... having our experiment approved by NASA!”



The team tested their experiment aboard NASA’s “Weightless Wonder,” a microgravity aircraft that can produce periods of weightlessness lasting 18 to 25 seconds at a time by flying a series of about 30 parabolas – a steep climb followed by a free fall – over the Gulf of Mexico.



The student team flew its experiment, “Pseudo-Gravity Application for Autonomous Mobile Robot in a Microgravity Environment,” at Ellington Field. The experiment consisted of testing a robot that could create its own gravity in a weightless environment using a series of propellers, enabling the robot to remain grounded and traverse a surface even when there is reduced gravity. The team will issue a final report to NASA analyzing the experiment’s effectiveness, scientific findings and the conclusions that were drawn from the results.

FAMU alumnus Garth C. Reeves, The Miami Times’ newspaper publisher emeritus, was presented with the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) Legacy of Excellence Award for his many years of leadership during this year’s NNPA Merit Awards Gala.



The Miami Times, the oldest black-owned newspaper in the Southeast with 88 years of continuous publications, was awarded with the prestigious John B. Russwurm Award, indicating its position as the top black newspaper in the country.



The Miami Times took three first place and one second place award, including: the John H. Sengstacke General Excellence Award; the Ida B. Wells Best News Story, for a piece written by senior editor, D. Kevin McNeir; Best Church Page, written and coordinated by staff writer Kaila Heard and Stangetz Caines (production manager); and Best Entertainment Section, written and coordinated by McNeir and Mitzi Williams (graphic artist).



Miami Times Publisher Rachel J. Reeves recaptured the NNPA’s most respected and coveted award this year, the Russwurm Trophy, based on her publication winning the most points from among a potential 19 categories.



“I am very proud of my staff and all of their hard work,” Reeves said. “They continue to work very hard and to continue the legacy that my grandfather and father established and to which I am now equally dedicated — addressing issues that matter on the local front for the black community.”

Coach Joe Taylor took time out of his schedule to film a video for VISIT Florida. Taylor and Florida State University head coach Jimbo Fisher both participated in the shoot.



After the shoot, the coaches met briefly to wish each other success on the season. Fisher encouraged Taylor, saying, "You all are doing a great job and my door is always open if you need anything."



Taylor replied "Thank you, and now that these preliminaries are over, we can get to doing what we love to do, which is coaching."



The two shared a hearty laugh.

The first-ever preseason magazine dedicated to Florida A&M University Football is now available by mail order to Rattler football fans for $10 each.



The 100-page publication is loaded with information including features on the Rattler players and coaching staff, the world famous FAMU “Marching 100” Band, the Classic games, the MEAC and NCAA Division I



FCS, plus preseason rosters and depth charts.



The magazine can be had by sending a check or money order made payable to the Rattler Football Preview Magazine, to Post Office Box 6331, Tallahassee, Florida 32314.



Orders will begin shipping immediately on August 22.



Copies should also be available at select Tallahassee area retailers and through FAMU alumni chapters in late August.

FAMU Basketball Head Coach Clemon Johnson earned a coveted NBA Championship ring while playing with the Philadelphia 76ers. His former NBA team recently applauded him on his new coaching position in a feature published as part of its Alumni Interview Series.



From the 76ers official site:



Clemon Johnson was a back-up center/power forward who arrived in Philadelphia just in time to help them win the 1983 NBA Championship and remained with the Sixers for several more years. After nine seasons in the NBA, he played an additional five in Italy, where he won the Coppa Italia and Saporta Cup with Bologna in 1990. Following his professional career, he taught high school economics and coached basketball in Tallahassee. He served as head coach at University of Alaska Fairbanks for the previous four seasons and was named head coach at Florida A&M in May of this year.



Sixers.com: Congrats on recently being named head coach at Florida A&M. How happy are you to return to sunny Florida after coaching in Alaska for a few years?



Clemon Johnson: I’m overjoyed at the opportunity to come back to Florida A&M University and to the Tallahassee area, which is my home. I’m excited to be able to coach and try to assist the young guys to have the success I had when I played at Florida A&M University.



S.C: Obviously getting your first Division I coaching gig is a huge milestone, but does it mean that much more getting to coach your alma mater?



CJ: It means more to me to come back and coach at Florida A&M University than to go anywhere else. I honestly think the chance to start my D-1 career here is the most joyful moment I could have.



Read the full interview here.

FAMU was named one of the best colleges in the Southeast by The Princeton Review. It is one of 134 institutions The Princeton Review recommends in its “Best in the Southeast” section of its website feature, “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region.”



“We're pleased to recommend Florida A&M University to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degree,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review's senior vice president and publisher. “We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as ‘regional best' colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs.”



The 134 colleges and universities The Princeton Review chose for its "Best in the Southeast" designations are located in twelve states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The Princeton Review also designated 220 colleges in the Northeast, 153 in the Midwest, and 121 in the West as best in their locales on the company’s “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region” lists. Collectively, the 629 colleges named “regional best(s)” constitute about 25 percent of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.



“It is an honor to be named as one of the best colleges in the southeast by The Princeton Review,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “At Florida A&M University, we continue to strive for excellence while providing a first-class education for our students. We take pride in this recognition, and will continue to build on our reputation as one of the nation's premier institutions of higher learning.”



From several hundred schools in each region, The Princeton Review winnowed its list based on institutional data collected directly from the FAMU, visits to schools over the years and the opinions of its staff, plus college counselors and advisors.



“We also take into account what students at the schools reported to us about their campus experiences at them on our 80-question student survey for this project,” Franek said. “Only schools that permit us to independently survey their students are eligible to be considered for our regional 'best' lists.”



This past April, FAMU was selected as one of The Princeton Review’s “311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition.” The university was the only historically black college or university (HBCU) to make the list, which focused solely on colleges that have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

For FAMU alumnus Alvin Aureliano Davis, there is no greater or more honorable profession than being a teacher. Davis, a music teacher at Miramar High School in Broward County, describes education as the cornerstone of the “American Dream” and teachers have the rewarding opportunity to not only make a difference, but also change lives.



Davis’ commitment to his craft has not gone unnoticed. In July, he was named the 2012 Macy’s Florida Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year.



“It is an honor and humbling experience to be chosen by my peers and fellow educators to be their voice for the next year,” Davis said. “People forget sometimes that educators are preparing generations not to just appreciate and imbibe a liberal art, but learn how to live and be successful in whatever becomes their chosen profession. We are preparing students to be the leaders, doctors, CEOs and even presidents of tomorrow.”



Each year is a new and exciting adventure in Davis’ classroom at Miramar High School. As a music educator for the past 11 years and current director of bands at Miramar High School, he believes that it is not enough to just teach music, he believes it is his duty to reinforce the skills learned in other classes to not only to achieve in his classroom, but in life. By actively encouraging students and keeping them engaged on obtainable goals, his students find success that permeate the entire classroom, which not only creates high moral standards and quality of character, but musical and academic achievement. Davis said he makes sure that his students receive one-on-one counseling to ensure that a successful academic pathway has been set for each of his students.





“He was a great teacher and when it came to music and school, he meant business,” said James Alcine, a 2008 Miramar High School graduate and one of Davis’ former students. “Mr. Davis cares about us and really wants what’s best for the students. To this day, he continues to push us and asks, ‘How is school going?’ or ‘How are your grades?’ He really deserves this recognition.”



Davis earned his bachelor’s degree in music in 2000 from FAMU and was a member of the Marching “100” during his time at the university.



“’Excellence With Caring!’” Those simple three words describe my experience at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University,” he said. “Under the leadership of Dr. William P. Foster and Dr. Julian E. White, I had the opportunity to be a member of the incomparable Marching “100” where the simple yet important ideals that resonate through the historic walls of the Foster-Tanner Complex were imbedded into my persona.”



White, FAMU’s director of bands, said Davis was one of the finest students he has ever taught.



“Alvin was a very fine student when he was at Florida A&M University,” said White, FAMU director of bands. “He was very scholarly. I was proud to have him as a student. After he graduated, he blossomed. He really cared for the students— not just musically but academically and personally. His care and concern for the total student is why I believe he was named teacher of the year.”



Davis was selected from thousands of public school instructors for his outstanding teaching skills and was awarded $10,000 from Macy’s and an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He will also serve as an ambassador to education, representing teachers throughout the state and conducting workshops and conference during a sabbatical year of service.



“Due to the award, I will be taken away from the classroom for a year to be the Florida Department of Educations’ ambassador for education,” Davis said. “ I am sure my students will miss me; however, I now have the opportunity to make a difference on a larger scale.”

In August 2008, Juanita Isom, 69, was encouraged by her daughter, Leesa, to go back to school and attain her master’s degree in history. After the death of her daughter, just two months later, Isom continued and earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern University. On Friday, August 5, she earned her master’s degree from FAMU in a field she and her daughter both loved, history.



“When we started this, Leesa said, ‘Mama, don’t quit! Promise me that you will keep going,” Isom said. “We weren’t thinking anything was going to happen to her. After she passed away, I could have done a lot of things, but I didn’t. I had to keep my promise to her. She told me to go as far as I could go.”



Last week, Isolm joined the more than 450 candidates who walked across the stage in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium during FAMU’s 2011 Summer Commencement Ceremony. Isom kept the promise she once made to Leesa —she earned her master’s degree in history this summer.





The mother of four was born in Tampa, Fla. At the age of 11, she said, is when education really took a front seat into her life. Her foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Charles Monford, were two of her biggest inspirations. In the early 1960s, she and her husband moved to New Orleans, La., where she worked as a nurse for 35 years.



“My family has always stressed education and that you are never too old to achieve your goals,” Isom said. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse. My grandmother was a diabetic and I would love to give her shots and take care of her. As I went on, history grew on me.”



Isom, who had interned with the Meek-Eaton Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum, said she has met some great people during her years at the university. From her church family, to the teachers and the students, she thanks the historically black institution for its friendly atmosphere. She added that the young people seemed to be drawn to her and would ask questions about morals, principles and other advice.



“The students are very nice and respectful,” said Isom. “I was sitting outside Tucker Hall one day and a group of young boys walked by. One had used a little profanity. After he and his friends saw me, he came over and apologized and hugged me. He said, ‘I am so sorry; I will do better.’”



Isom plans to go back to New Orleans “to rest and recuperate for awhile.” Following that, she hopes to work part time in archival and museum management.



In her spare time, she enjoys reading books by Helen Steiner Rice, sewing and restoring antiques.



For those who do not believe that college may be right for them, Isom suggests they just give it a try.



“They should give it their all,” said the grandmother of 12. “Once they do that, they will know ‘This is what I need to be doing.’ Education is the key for African-American children. They need to keep going as far as they can. If they are not educated, then they are not going to make it.”

The FAMU Board of Trustees unanimously approved a detailed proposal to offer a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at FAMU. This proposal now goes before the Florida Board of Governors for consideration.

The proposal addresses the need for a new college of dental medicine in Florida and addresses the disparities regarding access to dental services, workforce diversity, dental education models, including operating and capital costs, and plans for creating a College of Dental Medicine.

Last week, the trustees heard from President James H. Ammons, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Cynthia Hughes Harris, Donald Palm, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at FAMU, and Howard Bailit, the consultant for the project who is professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and former chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy at Columbia University.

Bailit noted during his presentation the community-based model would place students in community clinics and in real care systems, where the students would gain more clinical experience. The faculty would teach and practice in the clinics. According to Bailit, this model is less expensive than the traditional model, where students gain experience in teaching labs.

Balit emphasized that this model will have a positive impact on providing dental services, especially in the rural communities. The proposal envisions that a large number of potential students would be from disadvantaged, low-income families, rural communities and underrepresented minorities. The proposal also addresses estimated costs of the College and potential funding opportunities.



Because of its innovative, community-based clinical education model, the College of Dental Medicine will require much less State support than traditional schools. An annual operating subsidy of about $10.3M will be needed. This is substantially less than state support for dental schools of this size nationally and in Florida.

The next step in the approval process is the submission of the proposal to the Florida Board of Governors at its next meeting in September 2011.

The Lady Rattlers were picked as the preseason favorites in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) southern division for the second consecutive year.

FAMU held a 7-1 conference record and 12-15 overall record in 2010.

The Lady Rattlers welcome back two key returnees in junior outside hitter Pamela Barrera and sophomore outside hitter Katherine Huanec. Barrera led her team with a .253 hitting percentage while averaging 2.20 kills per set. Huanec, a member of the 2010 MEAC All-Tournament team, ranked third in the MEAC in points per game (3.22) and averaged 3.07 kills per set.

During a Board of Trustees Committee meeting, FAMU President James H. Ammons provided an update on how the university would account for a 10 percent reduction if implemented for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The Governor’s Office and Florida Legislature have asked state agencies and universities to identify recurring budget reductions that can be made for the fiscal year 2012-2013 in an event that budget reductions are necessary. 



“The reduction should total at least 10 percent of the 2011-2012 recurring revenues which is $7,858,247 and 10 percent for recurring trust funds or lottery which amounts to $1,195,588,” said Ammons. “All reductions should be recurring, program/issue specific and cannot be across-the-board percentage reductions. All programs must be fully evaluated. As you are well aware, any reductions to our budget will require looking even closer at each and every unit on campus.”

Ammons also told board members that reductions of this magnitude would again require a layoff of personnel. The other possibilities, he said, include looking at combining or eliminating functional areas, reviewing non-academic/non-credit generating units, analyzing the next level of low productivity programs with the goal of cutting total programs and seeking alternative arrangements for students to complete their degrees at other institutions. 


“Such cuts may have to be “deep” and would also interfere with enrollment goals,” said Ammons. “Nothing is off the table. However, any potential reduction will harm recruitment of the best and brightest students and the retention of great faculty. We would eliminate current less than critical vacancies within each administrative and academic unit, and consider additional administrative cuts, across the university, with an accompanying increase in shared resources.”

FAMU has been asked to send this information to the Board of Governors by August 19, 2011.

Yesterday, the FAMU Board of Trustees brought an abrupt end to former Chairman Bill Jennings’ powerful role as a committee-of-one in charge of negotiating changes to President James H. Ammons’ contract. The board voted to create a more open process by establishing a committee of multiple trustees to propose and review modifications to Ammons’ contract, including the bonus clause.

New Chairman Solomon L. Badger, III will appoint the committee.

The bonus clause approved by trustees in 2007 currently states: “Based upon his achievement of annual goals and objectives…Dr. Ammons shall receive an annual performance bonus. It is intended that said annual performance bonus shall be in the range of 25% to 35% of the annual base salary.”

Trustees voted to honor the existing bonus clause for the past 2009-2010 fiscal year by granting Ammons a bonus at the 25 percent ($81,000) minimum level permitted by the employment agreement. The motion to approve the bonus noted that it was not a reflection on Ammons’ performance but a response to the university's tight budget.

Ammons told the trustees that he is ready to work with the contract revision committee. "I look forward to reviewing the work of the board," he said.

Before the chairmanship election, Rattler Nation learned that there was a strong possibility of a deal being cut to let Jennings keep his power as the chief negotiator and committee-of-one for reworking the presidential contract. All hope of that died once it became clear that Jennings ally and Vice-Chairman Richard A. Dent, III did not have enough support to be a competitive candidate for the chair position.

Dent was visibly unhappy after the elections even though his fellow board members let him save face by permitting him to keep the vice-chairmanship. He avoided eye contact with other trustees for much of the rest of the meeting, tried to cut Badger short on a couple of occasions, and gave Badger a brief lecture about the proper way to proceed with the agenda. Badger remained cool and just went on with the order-the-of business.

The long awaited renovations to the Gore Education Center are underway. When completed, the 71,366 SF facility will boast upgraded classrooms, labs and teaching spaces with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.

In addition, the defunct Teaching Pool at the Gaither Athletic Campus will be completely refurbished.

Back in 2007, Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson steered $8,301,606 into FAMU’s budget to help remodel the Gore Education Complex. That was followed by another $5,600,000 in 2008. Both appropriations came from Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) dollars.

The renovations are expected to be completed by August 2012. You can a get glimpse of what the finished product should look like here.

The Rattler gridders will head back to Miami Gardens to face the Hurricanes on September 6, 2014 and September 10, 2016.

Miami holds an 8-1 all-time record in the series. The Rattlers edged out the Hurricanes 16-13 in Tallahassee in 1979.

The Hurricanes won 48-16 in 2009 and 45-0 in 2010. FAMU reportedly took home a total of $1.2M from those two games, earning $600,000 from each matchup.

Melanie Roussell, a 2001 graduate of the FAMU School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC), has been named the National Press Secretary for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for the upcoming presidential election cycle.

The honors graduate begins her new assignment this week. In addition to serving as chief spokesperson, she will help direct the rapid response unit for the committee.

“We are so proud Melanie has been entrusted with this responsibility,” said James Hawkins, dean of SJGC. “Melanie is an exceptionally talented person. It’s no surprise that her talents have earned the attention of the DNC.

Roussell was the committee’s Southern Regional Communications Director for Obama of America in 2008.

A native of New Orleans, La., Roussell received her M.A. in public communication from American University.

Last year, Roussell was a recipient of the FAMU Young Alumni Award for her significant career achievements.

FAMU officials are currently surveying the Palmetto Street South apartments for potential renovations and new construction.

During the recent Board of Trustees retreat, President James H. Ammons stated that the university might demolish and rebuild the complex, entirely.

Palmetto Street South opened in 1993 and has a capacity of 360 students. The complex consists of consists of four three-story brick apartment buildings. Currently, they house both male and female students in separate buildings. Each apartment suite contains two or three bedrooms with kitchen, dining/living room, bathrooms, and storage closet.

A separate Commons Building within the complex includes a laundry, vending area, office, and recreation/TV room and computer lab with wireless Internet connections.

FAMU’s 2004 Student Housing Comprehensive Plan stated that Palmetto Street South is in need of upgrades to its HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. The piping and plumbing systems also need to be either upgraded or replaced.