News

Cheris Hodges ’99 is preparing for the release her 30th romance novel, Tempted at Midnight. The Johnson C. Smith University graduate, and former communication arts major, credits her professors with teaching her how to write.

Students enrolled in the McNair Scholars Summer Program presented research to faculty, mentors and staff during a symposium. The six-week summer program couples students with a faculty mentor as they engage in research based on their academic discipline. 

What started as a form of therapy has turned into a successful business for alumnus Jeremiah Allen ’04. Allen, the creator of Rook & King, transformed one of his darkest moments in life into works of art; creating unique lapel pins.

The Black Ink Monks, Johnson C. Smith University’s oldest non-greek organization, returned to the American Hebrew Academy (AHA) in Greensboro, N.C. in January of 2019. Their annual trip educates AHA students about spoken word – using oratory skills for self-expression, anger management, and education.

Charlotte-based retailer, Belk, is providing professional work attire for students at Johnson C. Smith University. With the help of the university’s business advisory board, Belk donated approximately eight bags of clothes, consisting of dresses, skirts, ties and shirts, to the professional clothes closet located in the Center for Career Development on campus.

Recent graduates Gorana Bogdanovic and Jakeyah McNeil excelled both on and off the field while at Johnson C. Smith University and have been honored as nominees for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Award following outstanding careers as Johnson C. Smith student-athletes. 

Former Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bull Richard Daniels, Jr., is giving back an opportunity that was given to him at a young age.

Daniels is the owner of a basketball training program called NeverOutWorked, or N.O.W. for short, which specializes in individual training that is tailored to each child, specifically from the ages of 8 and up. The training is for boys and girls.

This year JCSU students had an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and culture of Israel. Traveling with chaperones Dr. Cindy Kistenberg and Kendal Mobley, the group saw Caesarea, a Roman city built by King Herod the Great in honor of Augustus, enjoyed rafting on the River Jordan, and visits to Nazareth, Capernaum, and traditional sites of the Sermon on the Mount and the feeding of the 5,000. 

Congratulations are in order for Johnson C. Smith University associate professor of political science, Dr. Terza Lima-Neves and the student-run sustainability village. Lima-Neves, nominated for HBCU Female Faculty of the Year Award, announced her nomination on Twitter, saying “Yo! I just found out that I’m a finalist for HBCU Female Faculty of the Year Award by HBCU Digest. I can’t believe it. Thank you.”

Johnson C. Smith University Associate professor of mathematics, Dr. Dawn McNair, in collaboration with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools held their annual impact day. This year the focus was on mathematics and technology. The 18-month joint effort, funded by the Belk Foundation, provides teachers at select CMS schools the tools to build 3D printers that catapult teaching methods in the classroom. Teachers and students gathered at the university’s New Science Center to display their 3D printers and the items they created.