Winter ‘22/’23
CORNERSTONE MESSAGE FROM DEAN ALLISON S. DANELL Happy New Year from Harriot College! Sharing the latest issue of Cornerstone with you is indeed an excellent way to kick off 2023. In fact, sharing is at the heart of what Harriot College does every day, whether it is sharing knowledge, ideas, support, or more. This sharing spirit ensures our students are encouraged and our employees are inspired, and the networks they build together help us reach far and wide, as you’ll read about in this issue - from Greenville to the coast…even all the way to Alaska! Our faculty work diligently to provide opportunities that help our colleagues and our students grow far beyond their wildest dreams, and I’m especially thankful for the financial support offered by readers like you. You help make those dreams come true! As we were reminded at our Student Scholarship Luncheon, the true value of a scholarship is so much more than the face value of the award – its impact is compounded in myriad ways, from relieving debt to opening all kinds of doors to new experiences. I am grateful to Harriot College’s Director of Alumni Relations and Outreach, Ashley Harzog, with whom I am pictured at right, for her leadership in this space, and I encourage all of you to reach out to her or myself to share your ECU memories or to grant new wishes!
Anna Isabella Wurz
Student in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine, & Chemistry “I have met and collaborated with so many wonderful, intelligent scientists at ECU, and not only have I received an exemplary education in chemistry and biology, but I have developed key interpersonal and professional skills that will help me succeed after graduation.” Advancing biochemical research in the manipulation of proteins with assistant professor of chemistry Dr. Robert Hughes, and interacting with federal funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health, who support the work. Wurz is even competing for an NIH Predoctoral Fellowship! Building her network by joining national professional societies and presenting research at conferences like the 2022 Experimental Biology conference in Philadelphia, PA. Sharing her enthusiasm for science teaching and learning by assisting associate professor of chemistry Dr. Joi Walker in organic chemistry courses, where undergraduate students work in teams to engage in Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Engaging in campus activities and initiatives as a member of clubs like oSTEM@ECU. She is also part of her doctoral program’s student steering committee and is helping lead the peer-to-peer mentoring program! Striving for a career in pharmaceutical research and development with a special interest in new drug therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Dean Danell (left) with Ashley Harzog, director of alumni relations and outreach, at the college’s seventh annual Student Scholarship Luncheon!
Dr. James Morley
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Assistant Scientist, Coastal Studies Institute “I like that CSI serves as a gateway for coastal research across many disciplines within Harriot College. The connection enhances ECU as the dominant force in coastal research within a very unique and ecologically important region of North Carolina and the U.S.” Leads a research lab in marine fisheries ecology at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI). ECU is the lead institution at this multi-institutional research center housed in a state-ofthe-art facility in Wanchese, NC. Research interests include the effects of climate change on marine species and other emerging human impacts on marine and estuarine habitats, with the goal of providing data to policy makers so that they have the tools to make informed decisions affecting fisheries and seafood consumers. President of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, whose mission includes not only the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources but also promoting the development of fisheries professionals. Shares his expertise in coastal ecology and environmental science by teaching at ECU’s Greenville and Outer Banks campuses. Undergraduate students can spend a whole semester at CSI through the Semester Experience at the Coast program!