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This September members of Cheyney University’s staff, administration, and faculty decided to greet returning students and their new students with a special event called We Could Not Wait to CU. Special care packages were put together to welcome the students as a unique way of greeting them.

“It was the first year we did something like this,” said Marsha Depte-Brown, Cheyney’s coordinator of advancement and external relations, who planned the entire event along with coordinating the welcome package/gift box process.

“We were on a retention retreat and the idea came up not just to welcome new students but the returning students also,” she said. “We wanted to welcome them in a different way. This was a unique way of saying welcome back to Cheyney.”

The packages contained face masks with the Cheyney logo, bottles of hand sanitizers, school supplies, and snacks, and a personal note signed by the faculty and staff members. There was also a copy of What I Wish I Knew When I Was in School, by Jerry Franklin Poe. Poe is also the founder of Poetential Unlimited LLC a company designed to train and equip the mind, activate the vision, and cultivate the passion.

“The book was an excellent choice,” Depte-Brown said.

Depte-Brown went on to say there were two events to welcome the new and returning students.

First, there was a team-building event put together by Clifton Anderson, Cheyney’s senior advisor and chief strategist.

“Clifton invited staff and faculty to lunch and asked everyone to form two lines. We had no idea there was going to be music,” Depte-Brown said. “Everyone danced Soul Train style, but no one could repeat the same dance and there were incentives for which group filled to most packages. The second event was to have the students pick up their packages which also included Cheyney swag, t-shirts, book bags, water bottles, and such. I’ve been with Cheyney going on five years and it’s wonderful being part of an institution that has lasted for 184 years and is going to continue.”

Overall, the event was a great time for staff and students. The students were very surprised and appreciative of the gesture.

 

The former Simon Gratz All American and experienced NCAA coach returns to hometown to lead Wolves back onto the court

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania today announced it has hired Terrell Stokes as the new men’s head basketball coach to lead the Wolves back onto the court after missing the 2020-21 regular season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stokes comes to Cheyney after spending the last 12 years as the assistant coach for the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) where during his tenure he helped lead the team to the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time in 30 years and earned the school its highest national ranking in history (#10). He started at UDC when the team was under a probation period with only one win that season, ultimately turning around the program with 12 wins the following year and subsequently gaining a berth in the NCAA Division II tournament in his third season. Prior to UDC, Stokes coached at Loyola College and Elizabeth City State University.

“Cheyney is a perfect fit to bring my coaching experience to a university that prides itself on history and culture, while looking to strengthen an athletic program that can support the academic growth it is currently experiencing,” said Stokes. “A critical part of building a team is defining and developing a representative set of core values such as hard work, dedication to the team, respect of the game, a competitive spirit and high character. Teams that possess these core values will establish a culture that will be the bedrock of a highly successful program for years to come.”

Similar to his coaching success, Stokes earned high rankings while playing for the University of Maryland where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in family studies. During his four years with the Terrapins, the team made NCAA tournament appearances every year, which included two Sweet 16 appearances, and had the highest national ranking in the school’s history (#2). He holds the record for the most assists in a game and has the all-time assist-to-turnover ratio.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Coach Stokes chose Cheyney as the next step in his professional career and to lead our young men back onto the court this season,” said Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton. “He places a high value on players being students first and creates an environment where academic staff and instructors ensure student athletes are progressing toward their degree. We look forward to his continued success with us and providing academic guidance to our students on and off the court.”

Stokes is no stranger to the Philadelphia area. He grew up in the city and graduated from Simon Gratz High School where he was a three-time basketball All American. He was part of the 1993 National Championship team and was the highest-ranked point guard in the nation his senior year. He’s also Gratz’ all-time assist leader and holds the most triple doubles in school history.

“It is a great honor to return to my hometown and bring my coaching and playing experience to Cheyney,” said Stokes. “Since playing at Gratz, I’ve learned that players must take responsibility for their individual performance, work habits and commitment to the team and the institution. As a coach, I will provide the team with the leadership, training and education necessary to achieve these goals.”

Stokes enters the head coaching position following Cheyney’s July 2021 announcement that Tammy Bagby, Cheyney’s former women’s basketball coach, was named the university’s new Interim Athletic Director. She is helping to guide the university’s long-term plans, which include expanding its current sports engagements.

“Coach Stokes has an impressive coaching and playing background that will greatly benefit our program,” said Bagby. “We can’t wait for him to get started and we know our student-athletes are just as excited to get back on the court.”

On May 18, Cheyney announced its plans for returning to the courts for the 2021-22 season as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were being lifted for Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The university factored all health and safety conditions into its decision to return for the upcoming season. Cheyney competes as an independent school and is not part a specific league or conference.

As the community liaison for Broward County, Florida’s Healthy Start Coalition, Cheyney University Alumna Alima Harley always has a full plate.

Coordinating different events, reaching out to counterparts in other cities, and counseling expectant mothers and families with children can be emotionally draining, even stressful sometimes.

Harley said it’s worth it.

“Having a child is a life-changing event and a pregnancy doesn’t happen like clockwork,” she said. “It can be especially overwhelming for a single mother with limited family support and who doesn’t have a job paying life-sustaining wages. That’s what the Healthy Start Coalition is for.”

Harley started her freshman year at Cheyney in 2004 with a major in social relations and a concentration in criminal justice. She graduated in 2010 but not before two tragedies entered her life.

“In 2006, that was my junior year, my mother died in a car accident, and I took a year off from my studies,” she said. “In 2010 my father passed away from lung cancer. In the midst of all this, I was looking after my younger brother. I’ve been in the position where I needed help. I know what it’s like.”

The Broward County Healthy Start Coalition, Inc. was incorporated on February 14, 1992. In that county, the non-profit is a leader in Maternal and Child Health policy and programming.

Harley said the Coalition’s work includes management of subcontracts for quality services to pregnant women and children birth to age three.

“When I was starting my own family I was working in an Olive Garden but needed a job with a better schedule,” Harley said. “I became a lactation counselor, and I got the job because I was breastfeeding my second son and my own counselor gave me a referral. That was the start of my transition to where I am today. I became Healthy Start’s community liaison in 2016. What’s so important about what Healthy Start does is we work to improve the maternal and child health developmental outcomes. That covers a lot of territory. The Healthy Start Coalition is in place so expectant mothers know they’re not alone.”

Harley went on to say that in Broward County, and indeed in the broader society, in about sixty percent of families, the mother is the sole source of income and that society needs to look at pregnancy and families differently.

“The pandemic revealed a lot of these problems; like the high cost of child care, people who are struggling to pay rent or mortgages or to just have affordable internet,” she said. “We need to change the overall narrative. People can’t sustain families on minimum wage jobs.  Now the American Rescue Plan and other pandemic-related federal financial assistance has helped a lot of people. But our society needs to think long-term. At some point, society needs to change.”

As for her time at Cheyney University, Harley says it changed her life.

“When I graduated, I had job offers. I couldn’t take advantage of them right away because of what I was handling in my family. But Cheyney is one of the best universities in the country and certainly in this region. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without Cheyney. Cheyney made me.” 

The Cheyney community is about to unveil an exciting and delicious addition—the Food Court at Marcus Foster Alumni Center will open Monday, September 27th! Students, faculty, staff, and guests will have fantastic new dining options right on campus.

The Marcus Foster Food Court will introduce three retail locations to fulfill the needs of students looking for a full lunch or dinner, a quick snack on the go, or any other provisions that might be necessary. The Wolves Den features cheesesteaks, burgers, chicken tenders, and many other grilled items. Next to the Den, The Spread specializes in a wide variety of hot and cold sub sandwiches. In addition, the Food Court also has the Campus C-Store where items such as beverages, chips, and candy are available.

The entire Marcus Foster Food Court will operate with technology that allows it to be completely cashless, which eliminates a large amount of personal contact and the issue of national coin shortages. While there will be kiosks available for ordering, we are excited to offer a mobile ordering feature as well. By simply downloading the Transact Mobile Ordering App on any smart device, orders can be placed from any location and the food will be ready for pick-up. Blue Wolf Dining will provide any necessary assistance in downloading and signing into Transact, which can be connected directly to meal plans.

This retail space will be open Monday through Friday from the hours of 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Blue Wolf Dining Services team looks forward to seeing you there!

Cheyney student Kayla Cross admits she’s shy and very introverted but when she talks about her work in the university’s Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory (AREL), she doesn’t hold back her excitement when it comes to the expanding science.

“I see it as an essential tool for alleviating poverty across the globe,” she said.

Cross, a native of North Philadelphia, is in her second year at Cheyney. The 19-year-old is a Keystone Honors Program student majoring in biology. She also works part-time in the aquaponics lab under Dr. Steven Hughes. She said neither Cheyney nor biology was part of her original college plan.

“I decided to change my major to qualify for the Keystone Honors Program here at Cheyney. At first, I wanted to attend Neumann University and become a nurse. Now I can’t imagine being anywhere but Cheyney. I’m going to be a bio-technician. Dr. Hughes talks with me often about picking a grad school when the time comes. For right now though, Cheyney is the place to be. Dr. Hughes made it possible for me to be in the aquaponics lab. When I first got here, I was very introverted. I’m still an introvert,” she said, laughing. “Dr. Hughes challenged me during classes, asking me questions on purpose to draw me out. At the end of my freshman year, he offered me a slot in aquaponics. I worked closely with him this past summer.”

For over 40 years, Dr. Hughes has been an active researcher in the science of aquaponics – specifically fish farming. Hughes says one of the reasons most African Americans don’t see a career in aquaculture is because they have never heard of it, but that’s changing. Cheyney’s AREL research facility provides opportunities for faculty and students to participate in projects through the university’s partnerships with academic, public, and private entities. These projects prepare students to compete for professional jobs in a variety of scientific arenas, while providing opportunities to share new and promising research results with consumers, the scientific community, industry representatives, and other students.

Hughes said that Cross has a very promising future in aquaponics.

“Kayla was like so many of our students in that she was not familiar with aquaponics when she first came here to Cheyney,” he said. “She has been working in the lab now for several months and does a great job. She’s learning rapidly about the ins and outs of maintaining both fish and plants and I expect that one day she will be very successful in the aquaponics world.”

Cheyney has created an academic/professional specialization in the culture of growing aquatic animals and plants in controlled environments, and Dr. Hughes has been overseeing the laboratory since 2004, preparing students for emerging career opportunities.

“The aquaculture and aquaponics labs are both coming along quite well,” said Hughes. “We are still working mostly with tilapia and koi as our fish species, but the beginning of a program where we are growing lettuce in our aquaponic system is giving us the opportunity to do so much more. Hopefully, by the end of the fall, we will have added trout to our list of fish species and maybe several other plant species to go with them.”

Cross said Dr. Hughes has given her a room of her own with 18 tanks where she grows lettuce and kale and wants to expand to include other vegetables. She said she believes aquaponic systems will change how nations feed their populations because it produces mass quantities of products faster and more efficiently. Aquaponic systems also serve as a backup plan for producers to maintain edible products just in case anything happens to the farmlands.

“Through this system, you can grow 120 heads of lettuce in a week, as opposed to a longer growing season in the soil. We can grow kale, strawberries and tomatoes,” Cross said. “By working with Dr. Hughes, I’ve learned that the benefits of this indoor urban farming system are amazing. Not only is it efficient but you don’t have to be concerned with groundhogs or insects that feed off vegetables. This is changing how we feed people. I know for a fact that this is a tool for eliminating hunger. I am so grateful that Cheyney has given me this opportunity. I will take my knowledge and skills when I graduate and continue to be in aquaponic systems to better design growing techniques and decrease hunger.”

 

Private companies offering on-campus internships helped fuel the program’s creation

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania announced today the launching of the Life Sciences and Technology (LSAT) Hub initiative, the latest stride by the nation’s oldest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to attract and train science majors. Cheyney has seen the percentage of students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) increase from 13 percent in 2017-18 to 25 percent entering the fall 2021 semester.

The LSAT Hub marks the culmination of efforts to recruit private biological, chemical, and other STEM companies to the campus on the Delaware-Chester County line, with an eye toward preparing students for careers through academic programs and research experience. The program will also create a stronger STEM network in a region that is ranked sixth in the United States for life sciences and is expected to more than double the number jobs in these fields over the next decade.

The Hub, located in the school’s Science Center, will provide specific programming designed to support science students and connect them with resources and guidance to help them acclimate to scientific studies and career work. To date, eight companies have either set up shop or will establish operations on campus in the coming months—creating numerous paid, hands-on internship opportunities. Cheyney students will work directly with these companies, matching in-class instruction with invaluable real-world experience in their respective industries.

“It is important that students and their families are aware of the comprehensive support system that the Hub is designed to create for students,” said Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton. “The program will afford them the opportunity to engage more deeply with the faculty and our corporate partners, and help them prepare for and explore career options. This is exactly the vision we had in mind when we began inviting partners to locate on campus over two years ago.”

The LSAT Hub initiative also builds on a strategic alliance between Cheyney and the Wistar Institute that was established last year. Through the program, Cheyney students participate in Wistar’s biomedical research and training curriculum and gain hands-on experience through laboratory courses and internships.

Cheyney’s Science Center is equipped with state-of-the-art teaching laboratories in biology, chemistry, and computer science, as well as a faculty research laboratory. The building also includes a planetarium equipped with a 30-foot SciDome touch digital system, Windows-based automation/control and Starry Night and Layered Earth software.

Additionally housed on campus is an Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory designed to help meet the education, extension, and research needs of the region and its critical waterways. The objective is to train students to compete for professional jobs in various scientific arenas both in the U.S. and abroad.

The director of the LSAT Hub, Vanessa Atkins, said she wants students to consider the Hub their home, a place where a student can go to get direction and information they need to advance from level to level.

“A lot of people don’t realize the necessity of having a guide as you try to navigate the process of choosing a career that is going to be fulfilling and enriching,” she said. “Students are making decisions about what they’re going to do for the rest of their lives. We owe it to them to help them explore career options and interact with science professionals so that they can hone their networking skills and increase their opportunities.”

Atkins notes that STEM tutorials will be available this fall through the LSAT Hub to support academic progress.

Cheyney has set a goal of having 30 percent of its student body majoring in biosciences and technology within four years. President Walton believes that having an office like the Life Sciences and Technology Hub makes that target realistic.

“We have almost doubled the percentage of students majoring in STEM in four years. With the assets we have put into place, there is every reason to believe we can increase that figure and surpass our goal in these next four years,” Walton said.

Funding for the Hub comes from a Title III FUTURE Act Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, designed to assist HBCUs in expanding their capacity to offer STEM-related programs for their students.