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Navrogen co-founders Nicholas C. Nicolaides, left, and Luigi Grasso.

A 4-year-old biotechnology company based on the campus of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has raised $3 million in a venture capital financing.

Navrogen Inc. plans to use the proceeds from the seed funding round to support its technology platform being used to develop potential new therapies targeting immunosuppressed cancers and immune-mediated diseases.

The financing was led by Tellus BioVentures of Miromer Lakes, Florida, and included participation by the company’s previous investors.

Navrogen in 2019 raised $3.2 million through a convertible note financing led by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Those notes have been converted into equity, according to the company and documents filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company’s drug-discovery platform is based on a process known as humoral immuno-oncology that is designed to combat what happens when tumors suppress a patient’s immune response against malignant tissues. The company is using the platform to develop therapies that stimulate the body’s humoral response so B cells make antibodies that can attack foreign pathogens or abnormal cells.

Nicholas Nicolaides, the co-founder and CEO of Navrogen, said the financing will allow the company to further validate and advance its pipeline of new drug candidates toward clinical development.

As part of the financing, Lonnie Moulder, managing member of Tellus, and Allan Bedwick, an individual investor in the company, will join Navrogen’s board of directors.

Moulder said Tellus BioVentures’ decision to invest in Navrogen was based on the company’s discovery of “a unique translational approach for developing a new class of compounds to address immune-mediated diseases,” including various types of cancer.

John George
Senior Reporter
Philadelphia Business Journal

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2021/08/16/navrogen-cheyney-university-biotechnology-cancer.html

Nation’s first HBCU will clear all outstanding balances back to spring 2020

In light of the financial and emotional hardships that students and their families have experienced because of the coronavirus pandemic, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania announced today that it will forgive student balances from the spring 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. The university will use funds it received through the federal stimulus package to settle those accounts. This one-time action is particularly important considering that over 70% of Cheyney’s students are Pell Grant recipients.

“Our students have gone through a lot over the past 18 months, and we want to do whatever we can to lighten the burden. The last thing we would wish to see is their education at Cheyney interrupted because of issues related to the pandemic,” said President Aaron A. Walton. “Our protocols have kept our campus safe throughout this ordeal, and now with this financial weight lifted from our students, we look forward to seeing them on campus in the upcoming fall semester with their minds focused on their studies, not their debt.”

Clearing student accounts is the latest example of Cheyney positively impacting its students throughout the pandemic. During the spring 2020 semester when the university switched to remote instruction, residential students were given the option of staying on campus or returning home for the remainder of the semester. This stands in stark contrast to almost every other U.S. college, which closed their dormitories and required almost all students to return home.

Cheyney also refunded a portion of student fees for that same semester. Further, the university provided federally funded emergency student financial aid grants to Cheyney students in spring 2020 and spring 2021.

Even with students having an on-campus presence throughout the pandemic and in-person learning taking place since fall 2020, Cheyney has recorded only ten known Covid cases among its student body.

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Two women with an extraordinary connection to Cheyney University’s history have recently been honored for overcoming racism and refusing to be hindered or held back because of the conventions of their era.

Lulu Merle Johnson, a professor and historian who was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the state of Iowa and Fanny Jackson Coppin, the second African American woman to graduate college in the U.S. have now respectively had a county and a school named after them.

The Philadelphia Board of Education recently voted to rename Andrew Jackson Elementary School Fanny Jackson Coppin Elementary School. Meantime, in Johnson County, Iowa, officials have decided to keep the name, but instead of the county being named for Richard Mentor Johnson, who served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren, it will now take its name after Dr. Lulu Johnson.

Dr. Johnson was one of 14 Black women when she attended the State University of Iowa in 1925. She completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees there by 1930 and her Ph.D. in 1941. She taught history at historically black colleges such as Florida A&M University, and West Virginia State College, before she joined the faculty at Cheyney in 1952. She served as a professor of history and as dean of women students. She retired in 1971.

“I am beyond impressed with the accomplishments of Dr. Johnson,” said Cheyney University alum and psychology professor Dr. Tamika Thomas. “Despite all that she had to overcome, she was able to become one of the first African American women to earn her Ph.D. Dr. Johnson’s efforts are an example of tenacity personified and an inspiration to African American women and men alike. My only disappointment is that I was not a student at Cheney University when she served as Dean of Women Studies. I am very appreciative of the door that she opened, which enabled me to become a female African American doctor of psychology. The renaming of the county after Dr. Johnson is an honor that is long overdue.”

It is interesting to note, that Richard Mentor Johnson owned slaves and that he was not popular with his congressional colleagues because he had a well-known relationship with one of his slaves – Julia Chinn. They lived together openly and had two daughters. A recent story in the Washington Post explored their complicated relationship.

In 1865 Fanny Jackson Coppin accepted a position at the Institute for Colored Youth. She was principal of the Ladies Department and taught Greek, Latin and Math. In 1869 she was appointed principal of the school, the first African American woman to hold that position at a public school in Philadelphia. In 1902, the Institute for Colored Youth moved from its location at 9^th and Bainbridge Streets to George Cheyney’s farm in Delaware County which was renamed Cheyney University.

Coppin was an enslaved servant in Washington D.C. before she gained her freedom as a child. She went on to graduate from Rhode Island State Normal School and Oberlin College in Ohio.

Dr. Thomas said of Coppin that she refused to let being born into slavery thwart her desire to attain an education. The elementary school in Philadelphia that will now bear her name had been named in honor of the nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. Jackson, like many wealthy men of his day owned slaves, although he is mostly remembered as a military hero for actions taken in defeating the British in Louisiana during the War of 1812.

In addition, Coppin is also the namesake of Coppin State University, an historically Black college in Baltimore, which was founded in 1900.

“Her passion for education was evident not only in her pursuit of self-education, but also in her commitment to teaching others,” Dr. Thomas said. “In addition to her being the first black pupil-teacher at Oberlin College, she also thought it not robbery to organize and teach classes to freedmen in the evening. Her principalship at the Institute for Colored Youth positively changed and shaped the lives of Black students for decades. Changing the school’s name to honor this amazing educator, is both timely and necessary as this country continues to grapple with appropriate ways to recognize the contributions of African American trailblazers.

“As a Cheyney professor and alum, I am proud that the legacy of Coppin and Dr. Johnson for helping to lay the foundation on which I stand.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreement is Cheyney’s first with an African university and includes student exchanges and other knowledge sharing

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Oboseke University of Excellence (OUE) in the West African nation of Ghana have reached agreement on a collaboration that will allow Cheyney to share its expertise, especially in aquaculture and aquaponics, and permit both schools to establish a student exchange program.

The Accreditation Board of Ghana requires a new university to have a mentor relationship with an established, accredited university that offers the same courses OUE intends to offer. That is where Cheyney comes in.

“It is our hope and intention that Cheyney University will provide mentorship and meet the ‘mentor’ requirement in the area of aquaculture and aquaponics program development and implementation for our proposed tilapia fish farming and other aquaculture programs,” said OUE’s Rector, Dr. Kwa David Whitaker, Esq.

Dr. Whitaker notes that tilapia is a staple of the Ghanaian diet. However, the country now imports much of the species from China. He says it would be a boon to Ghana to farm and produce more of its own fish. Similarly, through aquaponics, farmers could potentially produce more food on less land.  “Learning aquaculture can change the whole situation not only in Ghana, but we can share this knowledge with other universities and could conceivably impact even a larger area of the core of Africa,” Dr. Whitaker said.  “Our relationship with Cheyney will include more than aquaponics, but this one area in itself has transformational potential.”

This is Cheyney’s first-ever relationship with an African university and is in keeping with the school’s entrepreneurial and partnership model that ultimately benefits the university and its students.

Under the agreement, Cheyney will provide aquaculture knowledge and related research and best practices to aid the establishment of a broad and robust aquaculture program at OUE.

“This agreement marks a historic milestone for our university as our first international school-to-school relationship,” said Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton. “To be able to share our experience and knowledge with this emerging African university, and potentially help the people of Ghana develop a more accessible food supply, is an extremely significant opportunity for us, a tribute to our academic excellence, and an honor.”

Cheyney’s Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory offers an academic/professional specialization in the culture of growing fish and plants in controlled environments, an ideal fit for OUE.

The university will operate a campus of student self-sufficiency modeled after the Booker T. Washington Tuskegee Model in which the production of food that will form a portion of students’ diet will be grown by students as opposed to being purchased. The tilapia farm endeavors to produce at least sufficient surplus fish to sell along with other farm items grown through aquaponics.

According to Nana Obokese Ampah I, Founder and President of The Obokese Foundation, “Cheyney figures prominently in the plan as OUE’s the marquee partner in aquaponics and aquaculture development. With the signing of this agreement, OUE plans to immediately commence development of its aquaponics facility and consult with and follow Cheyney’s lead towards implementation of an effective pilot program.

For its part, OUE will offer resources to Cheyney on the OUE campus, including land for projects that are mutually beneficial to both schools. The university, located in the Asebu Kingdom of Ghana’s Central Region, will also provide the opportunity for students, faculty, and cultural exchanges once OUE earns accreditation and it is up and running.

H.E. Nana Dr. Okatakyi Amanfi VII, Paramount Chief of the Asebu Traditional Area, as custodian of Asebu lands, has given OUE a 104-acre property and the OUE Board of Directors are in the process of raising funding to commence the build-out of its campus and operation of the university. The demand for college enrollment in Ghana is growing rapidly. High school attendance, for all, was authorized four years ago under H.E. President Akufo-Addo, which has added about 300,000 high school students in a nation of 31 million people.

“Four years from now, the number of students wanting to attend college will be more than the existing colleges can handle,” Dr. Whitaker noted. “Taking a bigger view, Africa has about 1.3 billion people. The average age is 20-25. It behooves us to teach these young people. They’re half the population!”

“Our plan is to find a way for the people in the village to have an opportunity to work on this campus,” Nana Obokese said. “Our first goal is integrating the community into the economic opportunities. If they buy into the aquaponics model, we can potentially help them grow 12 times as much food on the same land.”

The director of Cheyney’s Aquaculture program, Biology Professor Dr. Steven H. Hughes, has led the conversations and planning for the university.

“We are exceptionally excited about the opportunity we have with Oboseke University,” he said, “and what we’re going to do to help people in Ghana become more self-sufficient.”

“The potential to showcase a partnership with America’s first Black institution of higher education adds an incredible significance to and underscores the promise of African-centered education and the spirit of Ubuntu,” Whitaker said. “We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.”

While OUE awaits accreditation, it has developed and expects to begin offering online training and certification through a relationship with Cape Coast Technical University soon.

 

View the signing event here.

WITF, Pa. education leaders call on schools to boost teacher diversity with stimulus funds

Emily Rizzo/WHYY, JULY 20, 2021

 

(Philadelphia) — Education advocates from across the commonwealth are calling on all Pennsylvania school districts to prioritize increasing racial diversity among the state’s teachers.

Pennsylvania is expecting $4.5 billion in emergency funding for schools from the federal stimulus plan. The ESSA Leadership Learning Community, made up of educators, administrators, and advocates across the state, said districts need to use more of those funds to recruit and retain educators of color.

Esther Bush, president of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, said current district budgets don’t reflect the needs of students.

According to the Center for Reinventing Public Education, as of July 2021, only 8% of 100 large and urban school districts in the nation are using stimulus funds to address increasing teacher diversity.

“Projected expenditures to address workforce diversity concerns neither reflect the magnitude, nor the urgency, necessary to amend the needs of the commonwealth’s most vulnerable population: our children,” said Bush.

Bush said she challenges every individual and organization “to renew and double their efforts to make a more diverse education pipeline a reality.”

The call comes amid a widening gap between the proportion of students and teachers of color in Pennsylvania. The state is among the worst in the nation for teacher-to-student ratios.

According to an analysis of Pennsylvania student and teacher demographics by Keystone Crossroads and Research for Action, more than one-fifth of the state’s 500 school districts haven’t had a single teacher of color in at least seven years.

Across the state, educators, students, and activists have raised concerns over lack of teacher diversity. In Philadelphia, last summer the Melanated Educators Collective and the Racial Justice Organizing Committee issued a list of 10 demands for the district that called for equitable hiring practices of Black teachers.

On Tuesday, education advocates emphasized the life-altering impacts of having teachers of color in schools.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, Black students who have at least one Black teacher in elementary school are more likely to graduate from high school and more likely to enroll in college.

Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, added that all students benefit from teacher diversity.

With more teachers of color, said El-Mekki, “[students] are better prepared to participate as informed and engaged citizens in an inclusive, national, civic culture in an increasingly complex world.”

Other education leaders spoke about a myriad of ways their schools are currently supporting teachers of color, and how they hope districts utilize American Rescue Plan funds.

Tanya Garcia, Deputy Secretary of Higher Education for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, said American Relief Plan funds can be used by schools to recruit and hire educators of color, set up mentoring programs for students of color to become teachers, improve employee benefits so schools can increase their educator retention rates, and develop mentoring programs between seasoned and newer educators.

“It’s critically important that our educators have opportunities to strengthen and expand their awareness of how to approach students of varying backgrounds and different lived experiences,” said Garcia, “and ensure that they are offering all students the emotional safety to engage in a healthy learning environment.”

Aaron Walton, President of Cheyney University, a historically Black university, suggested school communities put more funds towards partnership programs between institutions of higher education and school districts.

Cheyney just launched its “Aspire to Educate” program last summer, a five-week summer program for high school students to learn about a career in education.

Twenty-one students participated in the program in 2020, according to Walton, and 19 of them chose to matriculate and continue their education at Cheyney.

Programs like this require “additional resources and funding to enable institutions like Cheyney University to host and sustain them,” said Walton. “The American Relief Plan dollars gives us another opportunity to collaborate and invest in teacher diversity.”

The School District of Philadelphia is also making plans to further address teacher diversity, according to Larisa Shambaugh, Chief Talent Officer for the School District of Philadelphia.

“We know that there is much more that we must do to have our educator demographics better reflect our student demographics,” said Shambaugh.

She said the district plans to use ARP funds to reinvest in its leader residency program. The district is also planning to work with the teachers’ union to develop initiatives to help paraprofessionals in the district become teachers.

The goal, said Shambaugh, “is to provide those who already work with our students and who are already committed to our community with a clear pathway to becoming a teacher.”

The district also plans to develop its teacher retention efforts, including “more supports for new teachers, and providing more time for teachers to work collaboratively together,” said Shambaugh.

For Valerie Kinloch, Dean of University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education, recruitment, and training efforts for people of color all come back to retention plans.

“That retention piece is, we value people so much that, before they can even consider leaving, we have provided supports for them to be successful, to both survive and thrive within this environment,” said Kinloch.

El-Mekki agreed. “There are prerequisites for teacher-of-color recruitment … a strong retention plan. If retention isn’t a focus, talent will come through the front door and leave out the back door.”

 

To view the Press Conference, please click here.

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania today announced its former women’s basketball coach Tammy A. Bagby has been named as the university’s new Athletic Director, setting the stage for all teams to return to the courts for the upcoming sports season.

Bagby, who had been at the helm of the women’s basketball program since 2016, immediately assumes her new role. She will oversee the hiring of new head coaches for the women’s and men’s basketball teams and for the women’s volleyball team.

“I am proud to reflect on the phrase ‘I am Cheyney Made’ because that is what prepared me for my dream job as the new Athletic Director,” said Bagby. “Many of my colleagues know that the wolf is my spirit animal, and it is an honor to work at Cheyney University and be a part of the Wolfpack’s success.”

Bagby has more than 25 years of experience as a collegiate and professional coach. Along with her recent role coaching the Wolves, she was part of several collegiate teams including Clark Atlanta University, Morgan State, Tennessee State and Jackson State. Her resume also includes serving as an Assistant Coach and Director of Basketball Operations for the WNBA Tulsa Shock, coaching several international teams where she taught and instructed American student-athletes. In addition, she played professionally in Slovakia and the Czech Republic after playing at the University of Oklahoma and Langston University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She also has a master’s degree in public administration from West Chester University.

“We are extremely excited to have Tammy lead our university back onto the courts,” said Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to oversee our athletic programs and she has already done a fantastic job with our student athletes on and off the court. We can’t wait to see the success she will continue to bring as we move our athletics program forward.”

Bagby’s new role is part of the university’s long-term plans, including expanding its current sports engagements beyond the three existing teams. A major component of the plan is construction of a state-of-the-art sports complex on campus.

“Cheyney has made tremendous strides in just the last few years,” said President Walton. “We are building on that momentum through ongoing efforts to grow our academic programs, on-campus internship opportunities and expanding partnerships that are providing yet more internships for our students. We know our sports programs play an important role in our student athletes’ academic success and bring pride to our alumni. We are committed to the course we have charted.”

Cheyney did not participate in the 2020-21 regular season due to the Covid 19 pandemic. On May 18, the university announced its intention to return to the courts for the 2021-22 season as 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.

Additionally, Cheyney has already been in communication with several universities and colleges to establish full schedules for the upcoming season. Cheyney competes as an independent school and is not part a specific league or conference.

“As always, we are proud of our exceptional student athletes who have displayed strong character during the difficult challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bagby. “We are happy to announce that all three sports will have a full schedule for the Fall 2021-2022 season.

“The excitement for athletics is back. Let’s Go Wolves!”

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About Cheyney – Founded in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the nation’s oldest

historically Black institution of higher education. Building on this legacy, the vision for Cheyney is to become the premier model for academic excellence, character development, and social responsibility among not only Historically Black Colleges and Universities, but in all of American higher education. The campus is located on 275 acres straddling Delaware and Chester Counties. Read more at www.cheyney.edu.