East Carolina University

05/13/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/13/2026 15:16

Faculty, staff honored as Treasured Pirates, state service

Faculty, staff honored as Treasured Pirates, state service

Faculty and staff who've made outstanding contributions to East Carolina University's mission and those who have achieved 30 or more years of state service were honored in a ceremony at the Williams-Clark Club at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Tuesday.

"This is one of the events that I love the most in the life of East Carolina University because it's a moment to celebrate and recognize the steadfast dedication of so many wonderful Pirates who are a part of this community," Chancellor Philip Rogers said in his welcome.

Chancellor Philip Rogers, left, awards the Richard Caswell Award to Dr. George Bailey, associate professor of philosophy, for 45 years of service.

Nearly 6,000 faculty and staff contribute to ECU's mission of student success, public service and regional transformation.

"It's a mission that we're very proud of and a mission that so many of our employees advance each and every day as a part of this institution," Rogers said. "As I look out across this room, I see so many different servant leaders who work every day for this university and build a legacy that will extend far beyond just this one moment or one individual but will impact thousands of lives."

"I am deeply grateful for the purpose-driven spirit that each of you bring to ECU, and it is quite an honor and I'm quite proud to serve alongside each of you as chancellor of ECU," he said.

Four employees - George Bailey, Alta Andrews, Linda Ingalls and David Knox - were recognized for 45 or more years of service.

Bailey, associate professor of philosophy in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, received the Richard Caswell Award, established in 1998 to recognize state employees with noteworthy, extended dedicated service of 45 years or more. It is named for the two-time North Carolina governor, senator and delegate to the constitutional convention in Philadelphia.

Early on and still now, Bailey became involved in shared governance through Faculty Senate and committee service, as well as serving as department chair for 29 years and interim chair for two years. "That was very involving and very rewarding," he said following the ceremony. At the same time, he has enjoyed being creative in developing and redesigning courses each semester.

Through the years, he has encouraged his students to go beyond the classroom and engage in research activities, to present during Research and Creative Achievement Week, and especially, win prizes. "That really adds a dimension to the teaching experience that you wouldn't have if that opportunity wasn't there, so I've always encouraged my students who have the better research papers to submit them to that activities week," Bailey said.

It's also nice to see students build on their success at ECU and go on to graduate school, where many have gotten offers of support in their first year, which isn't always the case. "We've done well as a department on that," he said.

Some of his former students now teach and others have become attorneys. The philosophy department tends to have a lot of double majors, he said, including Greenville's assistant city attorney, who also teaches courses in ECU's political science department and completed joint political science and philosophy degrees at ECU.

Decades of dedication

Dr. Chris Buddo, provost and senior vice chancellor, in congratulating everyone achieving these milestones, said when you add the years represented in the room it totals more than a millennium of service to ECU.

"That's more than a powerful number. It's a reflection of continuity, stewardship and deep institutional knowledge. It represents generations of students taught and mentored, curriculum built and refined, programs launched, accreditation standards upheld and academic communities sustained through decades of change," Buddo said. "On behalf of the university leadership and many students, colleagues and communities you have served, thank you. Your work has shaped ECU's past, it strengthens our presence, and positions us confidently for the future."

Service Award honorees

30 years: Lisa Bagnell, Lorrie Basnight, Bridget B. Brown, Shawnda Cherry, Ronald Cortright, Jamien G. Craig, Monica D. Crawford, Paul DeVita, Penney B. Doughtie, Allen O. Guidry, Thomas Terrell Hardy, Michael L. Harris, Karin Hillenbrand, Xin Hu, Jeannine Manning Hutson, Carol A. McLawhorn, Sherry Morgan, Monica L. Parker, Sarah Belinda Perkinson, Ron Preston, Sheniqua D. Reid, Donna W. Roberson, Colleen W. Roland, Rose Rowe, Dini Taylor, William Joseph Thomas, Ethel B. White, Donna C. Wilson, Biwu Yang, Donghai Zheng

35 years: Tope Adeyemi-Bello, Thomas H. Clay Sr., Angelo Daniels, Linda Darty, Kenneth Ferguson, Brenda Greenfield-Coley, Joseph A. Houmard, Tammy Fleming Lewis, Joseph Luczkovich, James M. Maloney Jr., Mark Mannie, Bettina R. Moore, Margaret D. Pittman, Jeffrey Pizzutilla

40 years: Deborah Cobb, Venus Johnson

45 years: George Bailey

50 years: Alta Andrews

55 years: Linda Ingalls, David Knox

"It's fun to have some people around who went through the program here, then got an advanced degree, and wound up working back at ECU. That's always very nice to see," Bailey said.

Chancellor Philip Rogers presents a special gift to Linda Ingalls for 55 years of service to ECU.

Teaching at ECU has cemented Bailey's time in Greenville.

"Being at ECU kept me here," he said. "It doesn't hurt that I like rural areas. I like taking advantage of the water and the land, hiking, kayaking. I like doing all those things."

In joining ECU, Bailey moved from the Miami metro area to eastern North Carolina, brimming with outdoor activities and a much quieter pace. "Here, you've got a fantastic area, and it's not overused," he said. "It always amazes me how underutilized the Pamlico River is in little Washington and further east. I mean you could go to sleep in your boat and not worry about getting run over, whereas that couldn't happen in Miami."

Previous Caswell award recipients, Andrews, in the College of Nursing with 50 years, and Ingalls, in academic affairs with 55 years, received a special gift for their landmark achievements.

During the ceremony, ECU's annual Treasured Pirate award winners were recognized for exemplary work, professionalism and generosity of spirit that furthers the university's mission and goes beyond their job title or duties. Each received a trophy and $500. Employees were nominated in the following categories: servant leadership, regional transformation, public service, student success, engagement and innovative spirit.

This year's Treasured Pirates and their award category are:

  • Oghale "Elijah" Asagbra, College of Allied Health Sciences, servant leadership - He has advanced research in rural health disparities, created new transfer pathways with Pitt Community College, and supported students in conference presentations, publications and award-winning work.
  • Deborah M. Edwards, Chancellor's Division, engagement - She brings the university's biggest moments to life, using her expertise, composure and institutional knowledge, in planning commencement, University Day, high-level receptions and gameday hospitality, events that touch thousands of students, families and guests each year.
  • Thompson H. Forbes III, College of Nursing, regional transformation - He secured a $3 million grant aimed at growing the nursing workforce in the region, builds interprofessional training models and maintains research that informs national conversations in nursing and patient care.
  • Susie T. Harris, College of Allied Health Sciences, servant leadership - She built formal transfer agreements with area community colleges, creating seamless academic pathways and expanding access to health information careers across the region.
  • Courtney Hollowell, ECU Advancement, innovative spirit - In her second year, she led two major customer relationship management sprints, streamlined data processing during Pirate Nation Gives, including handling 377 new donors in one day, and improved documentation and training across the division.
  • Nathan Hudson, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences public service - Since 2016, he has mentored nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate researchers and reached more than 100 elementary school students through his National Science Foundation-funded Lego engineering summer camp.
  • Dionna Drapper Manning, College of Education, student success -She doubled the number of four-year scholarships from 15 to 30, expanded total awards to over $1.25 million and relaunched the N.C. Teaching Fellows program, earning ECU the second-largest cohort statewide in under a year.
  • John McCord, Coastal Studies Institute, engagement - He leads regional collaborations, career expos and engages audiences through his Science on the Sound seminars, CoastLines newsletter and creative adult programs, like Evening in the Estuary cruises, which draw record-breaking attendance and consistent waitlists.
  • Devlyn H. McCreight, College of Education, servant leadership - In just his first year, he redesigned admissions using a holistic model, facilitated a faculty retreat to shape a new program vision and advocated for reaccreditation resources while advancing community-based scholarship in trauma informed care.
  • Adam R. Offenbacher, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, innovative spirit - His quantum biology course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURES) course has inspired students across majors and sparked replication at other institutions. With groundbreaking enzyme analysis tools and a major industry contract with the Toyota Research Institute, he is pushing ECU science onto the national stage.
  • Alice Richman, College of Allied Health Sciences, regional transformation - She has secured over $6.29 million in grant funding, mentored nearly 140 students, led ECU's Rural Health Disparities Lab and played key roles in national maternal and child health initiatives.
  • Sammy A. Snead, Facilities Services, innovative spirit - In more than 20 years at ECU, he has led campuswide efforts to reduce energy use, managed data for all residence halls to power the ECU Energy Challenge, strengthened electrical safety across multiple state agencies and advised two years of senior engineering capstone teams.
  • Stacey L. Stanford, Student Affairs, student success - She leads ECU Cares, which assists students who experience distress or display concerning behaviors, with compassion and strategy. She personally founded the Lil' Pirates Pantry, initially funding diapers, wipes and formula to support student parents. Her work is shaping campuswide partnerships and donor-supported programs that uplift some of ECU's most vulnerable learners.
  • Kevin Sutton, Student Affairs, student success - He has trained a growing team of student peer educators, integrated financial literacy into study abroad planning, financial aid appeals and first-generation student success tools, and guided thousands of families through his Money Matters sessions at new student orientation.

ECU's Department for People Operations, Success and Opportunity hosted the event.

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East Carolina University published this content on May 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 13, 2026 at 21:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]