Partnerships often offer opportunities as well as advancement of common goals. Working with a partner may mean increased involvement with our community as well as finding solutions to challenges that our communities face such as health equity or illuminating solutions that could curb gun violence.
In this first issue of 2023 of our Behold magazine, we feature several partnerships that the University has undertaken. These collaborations have the potential to create a positive impact on outcomes for the community and the entities involved.
In January, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Norfolk State University launched an initiative that targets health equity, promotes research collaboration for faculty and works to increase the number of minorities who become healthcare professionals through the ENRICHe program.
We also take a look at Dr. L.D. Britt Scholarship Program, another partnership between NSU and EVMS that provides a direct pipeline between their undergraduate studies and medical school. Dr. Britt is the Brickhouse Professor of Surgery at EVMS and the first African American in the U.S. to receive an endowed chair in surgery at a major American medical school. Students in the scholarship program get help with the medical school entrance exam as well as hands-on learning about suturing and ultrasound among other medical procedures.
Norfolk State has also begun work on a groundbreaking initiative with the Elizabeth River Project, which is developing an environmental justice incubator. This model is part of a larger project that seeks to engage the most environmentally and economically vulnerable communities in meaningful and equitable conversations that aim to restore urban tributaries. The partnership is also a cross-disciplinary effort for our Spartans. Our art students will create informative artwork as a way to show the community the importance of being environmentally aware.
Our cover story features Spartan Phil Thornton of the Class of 2003. Described as “ingenious, brilliant, ambitious, and fearless,” this music industry executive and television producer can confidently and consistently create projects and content that successfully go against the grain. Thornton serves as senior vice president and general manager of RCA Inspiration, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, where he works with a wide range of inspirational artists, including Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, and Koryn Hawthorne. The label, named 2018’s top Gospel label by Billboard, received an NAACP Image Award for the hit show “Greenleaf ” soundtrack on the OWN network.
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