Norfolk State University: a science and technological powerhouse in the making

With a new president and construction underway of a state-of-the-art research park Norfolk State University has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Founded in 1935 in the midst of the Great Depression, the institution began with a mere 80 students in three rooms of a local YMCA in Norfolk, Va.

Now more than 70 years later, the institution serves some 6,100 students on its 145-acre campus, offering a myriad of academic programs. Located just 2 miles from downtown Norfolk, the university is further spreading its wings with the construction of the Research and Innovations to Support Empowerment (RISE) Campus[TM], and further positioning itself to evolve into an academic leader in the areas of science and technology.

"Norfolk State University is poised for liftoff and fulfillment of its potential to change the world," Carolyn Winstead Meyers, Ph.D., said at a press conference earlier this year, when she was named the university's fourth president. The former provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at North Carolina A&T State University, Dr. Meyers assumed her duties as the new leader of the institution in July. The Newport News, Va., native holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University, a master's in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. With a strong educational and administrative background in science and technology, Dr. Meyers is determined to carry on the vision of her predecessor, Marie V. McDemmond, Ph.D., the school's third president.

After eight years of leading the institution, Dr. McDemmond resigned in June 2005 due to health reasons, but had already begun preparations for the RISE Campus project. "In my role as president, I will continue to ask the Almighty for guidance, patience and old-fashioned know-how as well as common sense to assure that the vision of Norfolk State is transformed into its reality," Dr. Meyers says.

The construction of the RISE Campus is a key project that is turning Dr. McDemmond's vision into reality. Construction began on the project in November 2004, and the new campus' first research facility, the Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research, is scheduled to open this fall.

While the McDemmond Center will be a key research facility for the institution, some university officials say the RISE project also will aid in economic development of both the city of Norfolk and the entire Hampton Roads area. "Norfolk State, as a university in this region, needs to be able to catalyze economic development, and we envision through the RISE Campus we will be able to do that," says Adebisi Oladipupo, Sc.D., vice president for research and technology and executive director of the Enterprise and Empowerment Foundation of Norfolk State University.

University officials hope to attract businesses that specialize in the areas of homeland defense, homeland security and other areas that can utilize the technological advancements that will be available on the RISE Campus. "The idea is to take the research from the laboratory into the marketplace," says Dr. Oladipupo. "So, it is not just enough for us to say that we are training our students to graduate and go elsewhere. In essence, we have to think about how to retain them in the region and how to improve the region [economically]."

The RISE Campus also houses the RISE SuperNode[SM], a private synchronous optical network with ultra-high capacity designed to support bandwidths through and including 10 gigabytes per second and 10,000 megabytes per second. In layman's terms, it's simply a connecting point where different customers connect to get Internet service and other high-capacity, secured data services. "Think of the amount of liquid you can pass through a drinking straw compared to the amount of liquid coming out of a fire hydrant," says Oladipupo. "The SuperNode[SM] is that fire hydrant in terms of the volume of data that can pass through."

While the school is moving forward in the areas of science and technology, officials want to make it known that the school is not taking its focus off other academic programs. "When Dr. McDemmond came in and decided to establish her vision and niches, she indicated that she wanted to have a strong focus in science and technology; however, it is not at the sacrifice of liberal arts," says Dorothy Jones, Ph.D., Norfolk's associate vice president for academic affairs. "You can have the skill sets, but you have to be able to think critically, speak fluently and write effectively, and that's what you are going to get in your liberal arts," says Dr Jones.

Officials say the push in science and technology will further enhance Norfolk State's other programs. The school offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through its five schools: liberal arts, business, education, science and technology, and the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work. The university also has five Centers for Excellence, which further work to reinforce and support students.