2023 ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT BIOGRAPHIES
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Keli Christopher, Ph.D. ’98
Keli Christopher is the founder and chief executive officer of the STEM Greenhouse, an organization she founded in 2014 to prepare children of color for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The organization currently serves over 600 youth in Grand Rapids, Michigan, through after school, in school and summer programming. In 2021, STEM Greenhouse was selected by Sony as one of 10 organizations in the nation to receive the Create Action grant, part of Sony’s broader social justice efforts to support people in underserved communities by celebrating and amplifying the efforts of local, community-based nonprofit organizations.
Christopher has served as the National President of Alpha Epsilon Honor Society for Agricultural Engineers and currently serves on the board of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. She has been recognized with a Brilliance Award in the Social Change Agent category from West Michigan Woman magazine (2020), received the Malinda Sapp Legacy Award from the Grand Rapids Symphony (2021) and received the Nolan Groce Business Leadership Award from the Urban League of West Michigan (2023).
Christopher received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from North Carolina A&T and her master’s and doctoral degrees in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, becoming the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Illinois. She has worked as an engineer for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Kent County Conservation District
COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Pamela Richardson Wilks, Ph.D. ’97, ’98
Pamela Richardson Wilks is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Wilks is the former associate provost for academic operations, programs, and institutional planning, research and effectiveness for Edward Waters University. In addition, she is a former administrator and associate professor of English at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
WILLIE A. DEESE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Brian L. Moore, CPA ’07
Brian L. Moore is an assurance partner at BDO USA with over 15 years of public accounting experience. Moore began his career as an assurance professional with PwC in 2008 in Greensboro, North Carolina, with a primary focus on serving both public and private healthcare, pharma life sciences and consumer markets clients. In the community, he is an active member of St. James Baptist Church and a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Moore serves on the Accounting Advisory Council for North Carolina Central University School of Business and is a recurring North Carolina A&T Accounting Colloquium presenter for the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics. Lastly, he serves on the board of directors for Gateway Research Park Inc. and Next Generation Academy.
Moore received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from N.C. A&T and a master’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Lucy Bailey Hardison, M.Ed. ’82, ’86
Lucy Bailey Hardison has led and consulted within the field of education for 39 years. The diversity of environments she has worked in encompasses school districts in 48 states and three countries. Hardison specializes in large, district-wide product implementations involving hundreds of educators and thousands of students. Administrators frequently seek her subject matter expertise on product utilization toward district and state measurements.
Hardison received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from North Carolina A&T and master’s degree in instructional technology from The Ohio State University.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Troy Dawson ’85, ’87
Troy Dawson is vice president of Government Satellite Systems, leading a family of programs for the Department of Defense, civil and proprietary customers, delivering end-to-end satellite, ground and network solutions. Prior to this role, Dawson was vice president of C-17 Services, a business within Boeing Global Services, providing the U.S. Air Force and eight international customers with innovative lifecycle sustainment solutions and capability enhancements.
Dawson serves on the Homeboy Industries Board of Directors and the North Carolina A&T State University College of Engineering Advisory Board.
Dawson received bachelor’s and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from N.C. A&T.
JOHN R. AND KATHY R. COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Lora Cubbage, J.D. ’02
The Honorable Lora Cubbage is a superior court judge for the state of North Carolina. Cubbage has served the state in the capacity of assistant district attorney, assistant attorney general, and district court judge. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at North Carolina A&T in the criminal justice department, and she is a member of the N.C. A&T Board of Visitors.
Cubbage received her bachelor's degree in sociology from A&T and law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Henry E. Frye Sr., J.D. ’53
The Honorable Henry E. Frye Sr. is an accomplished legal professional who has made significant contributions to the field of law and public service. Frye is widely recognized as a trailblazer and a distinguished figure in the North Carolina legal community.
Throughout his career, Frye was a pioneer in breaking racial barriers in the legal profession. In 1963, he became the first African American to be admitted to the North Carolina Bar Association since the Reconstruction era, and in the same year he became an assistant U.S. Attorney. In 1968, Frye was elected to the North Caroline General Assembly as a state representative serving six terms, and he was then elected to the state senate serving one term.
In 1983, Gov. James B. Hunt appointed Frye to the North Carolina Supreme Court, making him the court’s first African American justice. He served with distinction for 16 years, elected to his first full-term position in 1984, then re-elected in 1992. In 1999, he earned the distinction of being named chief justice by Hunt and served until retiring in 2001.
Frye received a bachelor’s degree in biology (chemistry minor) with the highest academic honors from North Carolina A&T. After graduation, he joined the United States Air Force and earned the rank of captain. In 1959, he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law, the first African American student to do so.
HONORS COLLEGE
Adero Paige ’05, ’07
Adero Paige is the deputy director of the Office of Chief Engineer for the National Reconnaissance Office. Paige leads 200-plus military officers, civilians and contractors advancing high-priority Department of Defense space programs.
In 2010, Paige received a Special Act Award for contributing to Operation Unified Response. This humanitarian mission aided Haiti's recovery following a devastating earthquake. In 2021, he earned his agency’s Director's Circle Award, which is presented to less than 2% of employees for exemplifying integrity, mission excellence, and teamwork built on respect and diversity. And, in 2022, he was appointed to the board of directors of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, making him the first HBCU alumnus to serve in this capacity. As a board member, he shapes ASF's policies, strategic objectives, and organizational direction. In addition, he mentors new scholars and serves on the Scholar Selection and Program committees.
Paige received a bachelor’s degree in physics and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina A&T.
JOINT SCHOOL OF NANOSCIENCE AND NANOENGINEERING
Smith Woosley, Ph.D. ’13
Smith Woosley is a senior process development engineer at Qorvo Inc. Woosley is a leading innovator in the semiconductor manufacturing technology area, where he has consistently strived to transform and improve processes to meet the changing industry demands.
In addition to being a leading innovator, Woosley has taken a lead role in yield enhancement projects, resulting in improved product quality and substantial yield increase. Cost reduction projects have also been instrumental in enhancing Qorvo’s efficiency and competitiveness in the semiconductor industry. His involvement in these areas has been recognized by internal engineering council, naming him as the lead contributor, with cost savings and enhancements totaling in multiple millions of dollars.
Woosley received his doctoral degree in nanoengineering from the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.
HOWARD C. BARNHILL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Arlene Maclin, Ph.D. ’67
Arlene Maclin is a physicist by training and has spent the past 40 years in a combination of academic and government service positions. Maclin’s academic service includes more than 15 years of teaching at the levels of associate and full professors with administrative experience at the level of an associate dean of a college of arts and science, and a director of research. She has also served as the director of several major research grants in excess of $10 million. Currently, she is the president and CEO of a non-profit company called MacSmith STEM Enterprises, dedicated to increasing the numbers of minorities and women receiving degrees in STEM fields.
Prior to this, Maclin served as the senior project director for the Howard University Partnership Design and Development Project. Previously, she was the executive director of Mid-Atlantic Consortium-Center for Academic Excellence at Morgan State University that included four HBCUs in the Mid-Atlantic Region and reported to a Governing Board which included college presidents and high-level corporate and government officials. Maclin has an extraordinary track record for developing undergraduate and graduate programs in optical physics and optical engineering. She has developed numerous science education programs for K-20 students. She has extensive experience developing and evaluating science and mathematics programs for teachers and students in high school and postsecondary education. She has also worked with STEM township teachers in South Africa on the development of inquiry based and hands-on learning.
Maclin received a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from North Carolina A&T, a master’s degree in theoretical nuclear physics from the University of Virginia and a doctoral degree in theoretical condensed matter physics from Howard University.
JULIA S. BROOKS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Tonya LaDeen Powell ’75
Tonya LaDeen Powell is a licensed funeral director and the chief operations officer for Peoples Funeral Home in Whiteville, North Carolina. At the age 29, Powell became the first black elected official in the city of Whiteville, being elected to the Whiteville City Schools Board of Education. She served for over 20 years on the board and numerous times as its chairperson.
Powell is active in her community by serving as on the board of directors for the Greater Whiteville Chamber of Commerce, American Cancer Society, Southeastern Community College Foundation and Columbus County Community Foundation. She is a member of Whiteville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Columbus Regional Healthcare System Auxiliary, Women Leading Columbus, Columbus County Relay for Life, and Tri-County Campaign of the United Negro College Fund.
Powell received a bachelor’s degree in office administration from North Carolina A&T.
VELMA R. SPEIGHT YOUNG ALUMNA AWARD
LaToya Bynum ’05
LaToya Bynum is the director of sales for PepsiCo in Dallas, Texas. Bynum has won multiple awards while at PepsiCo that include the ERG Activation of the Year Award for the inaugural PepsiCo Juneteenth celebration in 2022, the Storz Award, which is given to the top 20 out of 135 national markets, and the PepsiCo Way Award, a global award presented by the global PepsiCo CEO. In 2023, she was unanimously voted to represent PepsiCo as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters supporting Collin County.
Bynum has been appointed to serve on the National Mosaic Board supporting all PepsiCo specifically in the HBCU space. She is an active member of the Omicron Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and serves as the Dallas and Fort Worth Alumni Chapter President for North Carolina A&T.
In addition, Bynum co-founded and serves as the president of The HBCU Project Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to expose north Texas scholars to the diversity of our 107 HBCUs across America. She co-founded Citizens Create Change, an organization that strives to educate the community on the power of a collective voice to drive changes they want to see.
Bynum received her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and industrial engineering from North Carolina A&T and MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
