Forrester Bazemore, Cumberland County Schools Names New Operations Director
Photo provided by CCS
Following the recommendation of Cumberland County Schools (CCS) Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly, Jr., the Cumberland County Board of Education approved a new CCS Operations Director during Tuesday evening’s Board meeting.
Forrester Bazemore, who currently serves as the district's environmental compliance officer, will fill the position. He has more than 23 years of experience in management and has served more than four years as an assistant operations manager in the U.S. Army.
Bazemore began his career with CCS almost 20 years ago as a school bus driver at Mac Williams Middle before adding safe school coordinator to his responsibilities in 2013. He became a project manager for CCS Operations in 2022 before transitioning to his current role.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in building construction technology (BCT) from Norfolk State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management from Fayetteville State University. Bazemore brings extensive experience in overseeing staffing, training, safety procedures, and facility maintenance.
Larry Vickers Named Auburn Women’s Basketball Head Coach
AUBURN, Ala.—Larry Vickers, who has spent the past decade at Norfolk State leading the women’s basketball program to unprecedented heights, including three consecutive conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, has been named Auburn’s head women’s basketball coach, Athletics Director John Cohen announced Sunday. An 18-year coaching veteran, Vickers also spent eight years as a men’s assistant and associate head coach for the Spartans.
Vickers earned his bachelor’s degree in electronic technology in 2007. He has taken courses toward his master’s in urban education at NSU. He graduated from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
CSET
CSET Support Staff Attend Retreat
On March 17, 2025, the NSU Provost hosted the University’s first annual Provost Advance Staff Retreat—Excellence and Leadership as Administrative Support Staff. The event, held at the Delta Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA, welcomed over 60 support staff members from across the Division of Academic Affairs.
Presentations included topics such as Excellent Engagement Across the University by Ms. Brittany Wilder (Human Resources) and Dr. Valencia Ingram (Office of Information Technology). Participants gained valuable information on processing HR1s, HR recruitment and search committee policies, and requesting Position Control Numbers (PCNs).
The University also announced plans to implement a new software system called Workday, currently used by The College of William and Mary. According to the company, Workday is “the only platform that unites HR and finance to keep business moving forward.”
Grace Williams (Accounts Payable) presented best practices for AP and travel policies. The University also announced a soft launch of a new travel application called Chrome River, which is used throughout the Commonwealth.
Attendees heard from a peer panel on providing quality customer service and going above and beyond in support roles. Panelists included Ms. Keyra Amos (Academic Engagement), Ms. Dawn Cole (Center for Teaching & Learning), Ms. Dondrell Dyson (Lyman Beecher Brooks Library), and Ms. Lauren Smith (School of Business).
With an amazing waterfront view as the backdrop, staff enjoyed an energetic session on Health and Wellness on the Job by Dr. Sheila Ward, who encouraged everyone to get up and move throughout the workday. The presentation was followed by chair massages, much to everyone’s delight.
Participants also joined roundtable discussions to share suggestions for University improvements and ideas to boost staff morale. Dr. Dorothy Jones presented Using Technology for Excellence, highlighting tools such as Canva, Artificial Intelligence, and Microsoft Teams.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Elaine M. Pearson—former colleague of Provost Fulton—shared powerful insights on the importance of continuing education and the value of having both a mentor and a sponsor in your career. As one staff member summarized: “A mentor prepares you for the room, and the sponsor gets you in the room.” Dr. Pearson also spoke about aligning with your organization’s mission and the importance of having a Career Strategic Plan.
It was a great day of learning, collaboration, and community—celebrating the essential contributions of support staff to the success of faculty, students, and the entire University.
Department of Engineering
Ivy Krystal Jones, Ph.D., Engineering Department, served as a panelist for a session titled, “We Got Next: Exploring HBCU’s, PWIs, Community Colleges, and More!” at the Academic & Research Leadership Symposium (ARLS) themed “The Revolution Will Be STEM-ified: Black Educators Defining the Future” at the National Society of Black Engineers 51st Annual Convention in Chicago, IL on March 7, 2025. The panel explored the role of STEM professionals as our society continues to become more technology oriented.
Research Group Led by Renny Fernandez Presents Four Papers at ACS Spring 2025 Conference
Fernandez’s research group presented four papers at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2025 Meeting & Expo, held March 23–27 in San Diego, California. This effort also includes a collaborative project with Prof. Govindarajan Ramesh, Department of Materials Science, focused on developing wearable analytical devices. The presentations highlighted the group’s interdisciplinary work in nanomaterials, catalysis, and smart biomedical systems. The presenters, all graduate students from NSU, represented the department across four major technical sessions.
- Flexible pH Sensors Enabled by Direct Printing of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles via Plasma-Aided Deposition, Presented in the Global Virtual Symposium: Chemistry Interfaces at the Forefront of Energy and Sustainability. Authors: Harikrishnan Muraleedharan Jalajamony, Santhosh Adhinarayanan, Soumadeep De, Shawn Strobel, Renny Fernandez
- Evaluation of a Machine Learning Module Integrated in a Smart Bandage System for Autonomous Wound Monitoring, Presented in the Virtual Graduate Students Symposium in Asia-Pacific Region on Computational Chemistry.Authors: Soumadeep De, Harikrishnan Muraleedharan Jalajamony, Fatima Diallo, Jakayla Collins, Renny Fernandez
- Plasma-Aided Gold Nanoparticle Deposition for Enhanced Electron Transfer and Increased Electrochemically Active Surface Area, Presented in General Catalyst. Authors: Santhosh Adhinarayanan, Harikrishnan Muraleedharan Jalajamony, Soumadeep De, Reven Adu, Renny Fernandez
- Electrocatalytic Activity of CeO₂ Modified Carbon Electrodes for Rapid H₂O₂ Detection, Presented in AGFD General Papers: Agricultural and Food Chemistry Flash Talks. Authors: Nithin Krisshna Gunasekaran, Harikrishnan Muraleedharan Jalajamony, Reven Adu, Renny Fernandez, Ramesh Govindarajan T.
STEM Outreach at David Gilbert Jacox Elementary School – Career Day 2025
On March 26, 2025, Dr. Fernandez, along with students Harikrishnan Muraleedharan Jalajamony, Soumadeep De, and Santhosh Adhinarayanan, represented the Department of Engineering at the Career Day Expo hosted by David Gilbert Jacox Elementary School. The NSU team introduced elementary students to robotics and drone technology through interactive demonstrations. Highlights included a line-following robot, an autonomous mini UGV, and drone flying competition. The activities were designed to inspire curiosity and interest in STEM, especially engineering and robotics, among young learners.