Paine Partners to Develop Entrepreneurs in South Africa
Natasha Carter
(Augusta, GA) – The United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCFSP), in partnership with Alabama State University, Paine College, Prairie View A&M University and St. Augustine College, has launched a Global Entrepreneurship Initiative (GEI) designed to create a nexus of study and practice between policy, social entrepreneurship and business enterprise, yielding economic growth. The trade mission is one of the major activities of GEI.  his project has been funded for $75,000; the bulk of the work will take place between now and November 2012.   Dr. Okoroafor Nzeh, chair of the department of Business at Paine College, three department of Business faculty, Mathematics, Sciences and Technology faculty member, and several department of Business undergraduate students will participate in initiating this exciting trade delegation development program. Nzeh has extensive experience in the area of global entrepreneurship, particularly as it relates to sub-Sahara African populations.

Dr. Okoroafor Nzeh
“Paine College is committed to the success of this project as it is firmly in line with the strategic goals of the College, particularly that of increasing faculty scholarly productivity that furthers the techniques of understanding fields across academic divisions,” said Dr. Marcus Tillery, provost.

This trade mission will introduce delegates drawn from industry, government, andMIHEs to South African business and government leaders, giving them the opportunity to locate partners and prospective clients, while gaining the understanding needed for success in the largest and most sophisticated industrial and services sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participating companies will receive first-hand market information, embassy briefings and customized one-on-one meetings with business contacts to enter or expand their presence in the South African market.

About South Africa

South Africa, a country of about 50 million people, is rich in diverse cultures, people and naturalheritage. Enjoying remarkable macroeconomic stability and a pro-business environment, South Africa is a logical and attractive choice for U.S. companies to enter Sub-Saharan Africa. The country covers 1.22 million square kilometers and is the world’s largest producer of platinum, vanadium, chromium and manganese. South Africa is the 29th largest economy in the world and had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $408.2 billion in 2011. South Africa also accounts for more than 30 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP.


Benefits of the Trade Mission:

· One-to-one meetings with foreign industry executives and government officials, pre-screened to match your specific business objectives whether for representation, direct sales or joint ventures in the local market.

· Networking events with guests from local industry multipliers, including the U.S. Embassy, Chambers of Commerce, associations and business councils that are influential in the business community.

· Briefings and roundtables with the legal and business community on local business practices and opportunities.

· Site visits to local facilities where your technologies/services may be applied.
Journalism students to attend DNC in Charlotte

GREENSBORO, N.C. - A team of student journalists from North Carolina A&T State University’s Journalism and Mass Communication Department, will join more than 600 bloggers and journalists from all across the country for the Democratic National Convention Sept. 3-6 in Charlotte.
This year’s DNC delegates include: Multimedia Professor Dr. Kim Smith; WNAA 90.1 FM Radio Station Program Director, D. Cherie Lofton; Aggie Television Station Manager, Ken Devanney; and students: Ian Dear (electronic media major), Erinn Diggs (electronic media major), Amber Thompson (electronic media major), Lauren Everett (electronic media major), and Eric Hicks (broadcast production major).
The PPL, a politically neutral group, is offering student delegates 24-hour access to three floors of space for reporting, interviewing and other media-related work during this historic event. Students will also get a chance to interact with other bloggers/journalists, giving them insight into the role of new media in news coverage.
Find out more about The PPL at http://theppl.us
Additionally, journalism students – Mya Ervin (electronic media major), Whitney Jeffries (Electronic Media major), and Dion Harris (public relations major) – will work as NBC News DNC Runners with NBC Universal. Nanette Noffsinger, an NBC News production manager, said runners from A&T will be doing a variety of things from working on shows such as the “Today Show,” “NBC Nightly News,” “Meet the Press,” all of the MSNBC shows as well as specials produced by E! Entertainment and the Telemundo network. Other runners will have the opportunity to go out into the field with correspondents to cover stories while others will work on logistics for the week. Noffsinger also said runners will work in technical areas and help with assisting engineers.
A&T students will produce multimedia content, stories and op-ed pieces on everything from delegate interviews, man-on-the-street polls and larger, enterprising stories on the convention’s impact on Charlotte.
“I think students will get a taste of what it’s like to be in a real reporting situation, completely out of the confines of campus. They’ll learn how to think on their feet and interview total strangers in a completely new environment. They’ll encounter protesters, convention delegates, and perhaps celebrities, public figures and vendors,” Dr. Smith explained.
All content will be featured on the JOMC Department’s multimedia platform site, the JOMC Journal, which will allow students to tell their stories to an audience not attending the convention.
“It’s an exciting and historic time for them. This has the potential to be a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for many of them,” Dr. Smith added.
Student members of the A&T chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists will also participate in events the entire week of the convention.
 
CAREER FAIR SET FOR SEPT. 12

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Office of Career Services at North Carolina A&T State University will host the 38th annual Career Awareness Program and Fair, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Corbett Sports Center.

Organizers expect more than 150 employers from across the United States are expected to participate in the fair. This event continues to be the largest of its kind among historically black colleges and universities, and is one of the largest in North Carolina. The fair is free and open to undergraduate and graduate students in all majors.

In keeping with tradition, Career Services will host an invitation-only banquet at the Sheraton Four Seasons. This year’s keynote speaker is Roderick M. McLean, vice president and deputy of the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group within Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Roderick graduated Summa Cum Laude, from N.C. A&T with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He received his Master’s degree in Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, as a GEM Fellow from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science.  While working in Bethesda, he obtained his MBA from the University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business.

He began working with Lockheed Martin 18 years ago as a Radar Systems Engineer in Moorestown, NJ.  He has held a number of assignments throughout his career, including Advanced Systems Engineering Functional Manager, Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Technical Volume Proposal Lead, LCS Integrated Product Team Lead, Chief Systems Engineer, and Executive Assistant to a Business Unit President at Mission Systems and Sensors (MS2) in Moorestown, NJ.  Prior to joining Aeronautics in Ft. Worth, Texas, Roderick worked at the Corporate Headquarters as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman and CEO.


ALUMNI CONCERT TO FEATURE MAZE

The North Carolina A&T University Foundation Inc., welcomes recording artists, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly with special guest Jerry Butler for the 2012 Alumni Homecoming Concert on Oct. 26 at the Koury Convention Center.

Reserved tables are available for purchase for $5,000, $2,500 and $1,200. General table seating is available for $100 per person.

Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. with the buffet reception beginning at 7 45 p.m. The show will start at 8. Advanced tickets are available until Sept. 7. Remaining tickets will be open to the public starting Sept. 10.  For information about purchasing a table or a ticket, contact Darlene Norman, in the N.C. A&T University Foundation office at (336) 433-5551.