Researcher Has “Nutty” Idea For Decontaminating Water

VOLUME FOUR NUMBER TWELVE – JANUARY 17, 2003
A BIWEEKLY NEWSLETTER FOR FACULTY AND STAFF OF NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY
Dr. G.B. Reddy, professor and
chair of the department of natural
resources and environmental
design, recently made a presentation
at Tuskegee University on
“The Role and Contributions of
Minority Serving Institutions to
the Issues of USDA-NRCS.”
Representatives from Historically
Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) and 1862 Land-Grant
Universities attended the two-day
summit that was organized by the
National Council for Science and
Environment.
Gov. Mike Easley has appointed
Dr. James C. Renick, chancellor, to
the North Carolina Board of
Science and Technology. The
board advises and makes recommendations
to the governor, the
secretary of commerce and the
economic development board on
the role of science and technology
in the economic growth and
development of the state. The
board has 17 members and the
governor appoints 15. The governor
and secretary of commerce
serve as ex-officio members.
McNair Symposium
January 27-28, 2003
Researcher has “Nutty” Idea for
Decontaminating Water
Nutshells could
be used one
day to decontaminate
water, using
new technology
being developed in
the School of
Agriculture and
Environmental
Sciences at North
Carolina
Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna
Agricultural and
Technical State University.
Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna, a food scientist
with a flair for finding new uses for agricultural
byproducts, is developing a process
for converting pecan shells into activated
carbon adsorbents for removing chemical
or petroleum contaminants from drinking
water. He has been awarded a $299,870
grant from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to develop the technique and to
build a prototype well filter.
The new adsorbent would be virtually identical
to the substance used in existing well
or countertop water filters, but would have
several major advantages. Unlike present
adsorbents, which are derived from coal or
petroleum, the product would make use of
a renewable resource. It also would do a
better job because it can be manufactured
to target specific cleanup tasks.
In addition, it would save consumers
money. Ahmedna anticipates the cost would
be one-fifth to one-tenth the cost for present
day adsorbants, which range in price from
$5 to $20 per pound.
The environment, nut farmers and rural
households all stand to benefit from the
project. Approximately seven million rural
households are without safe drinking water
or have contaminated private wells.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention estimates that nearly one million
Americans become sick each year from
drinking contaminated water. Pesticides,
herbicides and other contaminants such as
heavy metals, nitrites and volatile organics
are common culprits.
Though Ahmedna is focusing on pecans
because of their ready availability in North
Carolina, the technology could easily be
adapted for hard nutshells of any kind. It
even could be refined further to make use
of soybean hulls, peanut shells or other
carbon-based agricultural byproducts.
Additional applications could emerge once
industry becomes aware of its existence.
For instance, it is feasible that it could be
adapted to pre-treat water from hog lagoons
prior to spraying it on fields, Ahmedna said.
Other N.C. A&T faculty collaborating on
the project are Dr. Ipek Goktepe, an environmental
toxicologist; Dr. Shamsuddin Ilias,
a chemical engineer; Dr. Kofi Adu-Nyako,
an economist, and Dr. Jimo Ibrahim, a
cooperative extension specialist.
The nutshell project is just one facet of
Ahmedna’s active research program. The
university recently presented him with a
Faculty Innovators Award for his patent
pending on a portable biosensor that food
inspectors could use to instantaneously
detect pathogens.
Ahmedna also is engaged in a project with
the West African country of Senegal to create
a cholesterol-free meat substitute made
from the byproduct of peanut oil processing.
In addition, he is conducting research into
plant extracts that could be used to lower
cholesterol and fight disease, and he is testing
an array of commercially available margarines
for levels of harmful trans fatty acid.
Team to Assess Research Program
A team of three researchers recently visited
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University in order to assess the university’s
research program.
The assessment team included Marvin G.
Parnes, associate vice president for research
and executive director of research administration
at The University of Michigan;
Franklin Hamilton; professor of chemistry,
Florida A&M University; and Julie T.
Norris, director of sponsored programs,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Parnes will serve as team chair.
On Jan. 13-14, Parnes, Hamilton and
Norris met with the chancellor’s cabinet,
deans, directors of centers and institutes,
faculty and doctoral students. One of the
key issues addressed was a strategy to
enhance scholarly productivity and to optimize
performance. The resulting strategy
will be holistic as well as synergistic, and it
must consider governance, business operations,
information technology, human
resources, intellectual capital and financing.
The team is
expected to provide
feedback and
ideas regarding,
but not limited to,
the university’s
research processes,
effectiveness of
Marvin G. Parnes organization and
staffing, benchmarking and opportunities
for expansion.
NASA astronaut Lt. Col.
Benjamin Alvin Drew will
speak at the Ronald E. McNair
Commemorative Program at
9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, in
McNair Auditorium. Drew is a
mission specialist candidate.
USPS Unveils Stamp at A&T
The U.S. Postal Service and North Carolina A&T
State University recently joined together to pay
tribute to Thurgood Marshall with the release of
the Thurgood Marshall Commemorative Stamp.
The stamp was unveiled Jan. 8 in Stallings
Ballroom before a crowd of government and university
officials, alumni, community members,
students, faculty and staff. Retired N.C. Supreme
Court Chief Justice and A&T alumnus Henry E.
Frye was the guest speaker.
Marshall was a civil rights lawyer for many years
before becoming the first African American to serve
as solicitor general of the United States. In 1967,
Marshall was sworn in as the first African American
justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. He continued
in that capacity until he retired in January 1993.
Marshall died Jan. 24, 1993, at age 84.
Marshall’s 24-year tenure was marked by his commitment
to defending constitutional rights and
affirmative action, and by his strong opposition to
the death penalty. On Nov. 30, 1993, he was
awarded our country’s highest civilian honor, the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Thurgood Marshall commemorative stamp is
the 26th stamp in the Black Heritage series, which
salutes outstanding African American activists,
theorists, educators and leaders. The Black Heritage
series began in 1978.

Annual Sit-In Breakfast Planned
CALENDAR of Events
Pictured in front of the February One Monument at N.C. A&T State University are (l-r)
David Richmond Jr. and surviving members of the A&T Four: Franklin McCain, Jibreel
Khazan (Ezell Blair Jr.) and Joseph McNeil.
North Carolina A&T State University
will celebrate the 43 rd anniversary of the
Woolworth lunch counter sit-in on
Friday, Jan. 31.
On Feb. 1, 1960, Jibreel Khazan (Ezell
Blair Jr.), Franklin McCain, Joseph
McNeil, and the late David Richmond
took seats and requested service at F.W.
Woolworth’s segregated lunch counter in
downtown Greensboro. Little did they
know that their actions would be replicated
in segregated facilities across the
nation and in civil rights movements
around the world.
The annual Sit-in Breakfast will be held in
Williams Cafeteria, beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Program participants include Nashette
Garrett, president, N.C. A&T Student
Government Association (SGA); Ralph
NORTH CAROLINA
AGRICULTURAL
AND TECHNICAL
STATE UNIVERSITY
1601 East Market St.
Greensboro, NC 27411
Shelton, chairman, N.C. A&T Board of
Trustees; Roselle Wilson, interim vice
chancellor, student affairs, Christopher
Moore, president, N.C. A&T Council of
Presidents; Monica Hunt, president,
Bennett College SGA; Brooke Myatt, Miss
A&T; surviving members of the A&T
Four, and a representative from the family
of the late Richmond.
In addition, Chancellor James C. Renick
will present service awards to individuals
who have championed the cause for civil
rights, and acclaimed North Carolina
artist William Mangum will unveil his
painting, “A Portrait of North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State
University.”
To attend the breakfast, RSVP to Marion
Lee at (336) 334-7791.
• Poet, journalist and political activist Kevin Powell was the keynote speaker for the annual
Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Convocation, which was held Jan. 15 in Harrison
Auditorium. Powell is former senior writer for Vibe magazine, he is a regular contributor
to New York Times Magazine, Essence and Rolling Stone, and he was a cast member on the
first season of MTV’s series “The Real World” in New York City. His insights on the politics
and culture of the hip-hop generation have aired on major television networks around the
world and he also has been quoted in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington
Post and The Village Voice. Powell’s controversial takes on the American social landscape is
laid out in essay form in his book Keepin’ It Real—Post MTV Reflections on Race, Sex and
Politics.
• The American Chemical Society (ACS) will commemorate the discovery of the anticancer
pharmaceuticals Taxol® and camptothecin by Mansukh Wani, Ph.D., and the late
Monroe Wall, Ph.D., with a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The landmark will be
affixed to the front of Research Triangle Institute’s Medicinal Chemistry Building in
Research Triangle Park, N.C., at an event scheduled for April 23. Susan Band Horwitz,
Ph.D., who identified the compound’s unique mode of action to be the stabilization of
microtubule assembly, which inhibits cell division, will speak at the commemoration
event. Today, Taxol is used for the treatment of refractory ovarian cancer, metastatic breast
and lung cancers, and Kaposi’s sarcoma. Founded in 1876, the American Chemical
Society is a self-governed individual membership organization that consists of more than
163,000 members at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry.
• Louis V. Gerstner, chairman of the board of IBM, and Mary Harney, deputy prime minister
of Ireland, are among the leaders who will address the 18th annual Emerging Issues
Forum, “Jump-Starting Innovation: Government, Universities and Entrepreneurs,” Feb.
10-11 at North Carolina State University. Speakers will access traditional means of economic
development and analyze new strategies for fostering high-growth entrepreneurial
firms and applying new technologies to traditional firms. At the center of these discussions
will be the proper and most effective roles for research universities in a knowledgedriven
economy. The Emerging Issues Forum, the state’s premier public policy conference,
is a program of the Institute for Emerging Issues. The forum attracts nearly 1,000 citizen
leaders, corporate chiefs, legislators, journalists, scientists and educators from across
North Carolina, the region and the nation. Registration is $150 by Jan. 31 and $200
beginning Feb. 1. To register, or for additional information, visit the forum’s website at
www.ncsu.edu/eif or call (919) 515-7741.
JANUARY 20
• Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
(University Holiday)
• MLK Activity: Potter’s House, 305 W.
Lee St., Greensboro, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., V
• MLK Activity: Habitat for Humanity,
3826 High Point Rd., Greensboro,
9 a.m.-4 p.m., V
• MLK Activity: Weaver House, 305 W.
Lee St., Greensboro, 11 a.m., V
• MLK Program for Youth: Warren
Homes, 1306 E. Lee St., Greensboro,
2-4 p.m., V
• MLK Activity: The Pathway Center,
3527 N. Church St., Greensboro,
4-6 p.m., V
JANUARY 27-28
• Ronald E. McNair Symposium,
Information:
www.physics.ncat.edu/~michael/mcnair
JANUARY 28
• Ronald E. McNair Memorial Day
• Ronald E. McNair Memorial Day
Commemorative Program, Speaker:
NASA Astronaut Benjamin Alvin Drew,
McNair Auditorium, 9 a.m., F
• Office of Continuing and Professional
Studies/Construction Concentration
Seminar: Safety at Height, R, $
JANUARY 29-30
• Office of Continuing and Professional
Studies/Construction Concentration
Seminar: Competent Person, R, $
Martin Luther King Jr.
Day Activities 2003
January 18-19
TBA
MLK Invitational Basketball
Tournament
Wake Forest University,
Winston-Salem
January 20
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Potter’s House *
305 W. Lee St., Greensboro
(Prepare/Serve Meals)
9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Habitat for Humanity Retail Store *
3826 High Point Rd., Greensboro
(Restock Shelves/Cabinets)
11 a.m.
Weaver House *
305 W. Lee St., Greensboro
(Deliver Goods)
2-4 p.m.
Warren Homes *
1306 E. Lee St., Greensboro
(Youth Program)
4-6 p.m.
The Pathway Center *
3527 N. Church St., Greensboro
(Games, Arts & Crafts, Refreshments)
* Volunteers needed
“Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere. We are
caught in an inescapable
network of mutuality, tied in
a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly
affects all indirectly.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
JANUARY 29-31
• New Gene Discovery Workshop for
Students and Faculty, Contact:
Dr. Milli Worku, (336) 334-7356
JANUARY 30
• Deadline to submit information for
The Aggie Report (Feb. 7 edition)
JANUARY 31
• 43 rd Anniversary Sit-In Breakfast,
Williams Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m., F
• Student Leadership Conference,
Memorial Union-Stallings Ballroom,
3 p.m., F
V - Volunteers needed
R - Registration required
F - Free
I - Invitation Only
$ - Admission/Fee
The N.C. A&T Ticket Sales Office is
located in Brown Hall, corner of Laurel
and Bluford streets. For information, call
(336) 334-7749.
For current information on activities at
North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University, call the Aggie
Infoline: (336) 334-7325. Calendar items
are subject to change without notice.
is published biweekly by the
N.C. A&T State University Office of
University Relations. Send information to:
Office of University Relations
N.C. A&T State University
The Garrett House
400 Nocho Street
Greensboro, NC 27411
Phone: (336) 256-0863
Fax: (336) 256-0862
Email: smbrown@ncat.edu
Chancellor ................James C. Renick, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor/Development and
University Relations..............David W. Hoard
Assistant Vice Chancellor/
University Relations ................Mable S. Scott
Editor ......................................Sandra Brown
Contributing Writer ..............Nettie Rowland
Photographer ..................Charles E. Watkins
Graphic Designer............Creative Freelancers
Printer ..................Camera Graphics Printing
Contributing Writers ....Laurie Gengenbach
....................................................Jag Sankar
Photographers ..............Charles E. Watkins
................................................James Parker
............................................Norris Greenlee
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University is committed to equality of
educational opportunity and does not discriminate
against applicants, students or
employees based on race, color, national
origin, religion, gender, age or disability.
Moreover, North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University is open to people
of all races and actively seeks to promote
racial integration. North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University is an ADA
compliant institution, and University facilities
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