Elizabeth City State University

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Contact

  • 1704 Weeksville Road
  • Elizabeth City, NC 27909
  • 252.335.3400
  • admissions@ecsu.edu

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Meet Our Friendly Faculty & Staff

ECSU's Faculty and Staff

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  • Dr. Hashash Ahmed
    Dr. Ahmed Hashash Endowed Professor/Chair aelhashash@ecsu.edu 252-335-2479 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressJimmy R. Jenkins ComplexRoom 418
    Additional information

    Biography:
    Professor Ahmed Hashash has completed his PhD from Manchester University, UK. He was a fellow of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and New York University Medical School (MSSM), USA. Prof. Ahmed Hashash worked as a senior biomedical research scientist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He was Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine at School of Medicine University of California, USA. In August 2022, Prof. Hashash has joined Texas A&M University as Associate Professor of Biomedicine/ Biology. From Jan 2017 to June 2022, Prof. Hashash joined the University of Edinburgh (UK)-Zhejiang Univ. Joint Institute of Biomedicine (now known as ZJU-UoE Institute), as Associate Professor of Biomedicine. Prof. Hashash has several studies and publications on the genes enzymes that control stem cell behavior and regenerative medicine. He has published more than 34 papers in reputed international journals and serving as an editorial board member of repute, in addition to over 17 book chapters. Prof. Hashash has received several international awards and recognitions over the years, including being the nominee for Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science’s (KFAS) Prize in Applied Medical Sciences, and Manchester University Fellowship Award (UK). In, addiction, Prof. Hashash acts as a discussion leader at the prestigious Gordon Research Seminar/ Conference in USA, and a Peer Reviewer and International Extramural Review for The Medical Research Council (MRC) grant applications, London, UK. He is invited to speak at several international conferences in USA, Spain, Greece, Egypt, India, and China. He is the editor or author of over 10 books on stem cell and regenerative medicine that have been published by the prestigious publisher Elsevier and Springer. Prof. Hashash is currently Book Series Editor at Elsevier publisher, USA (2019-2028).

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  • Stevenson Andre' P.
    Andre' P. Stevenson Assistant Professor apstevenson@ecsu.edu 252-335-3294 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressSTEM ComplexRoom 327
    Additional information

    Dr. Andre P. Stevenson serves as Professor of Social Work and Director of International Programs at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU). With a dynamic and multifaceted career in higher education, Dr. Stevenson provides strategic leadership for global initiatives on campus, expanding access to international experiences for students, faculty, and staff. As Director, he has established study abroad programming, facilitated prestigious scholarship opportunities such as the Gilman International Scholarship, and created robust collaborations that position ECSU as a hub for global learning within the HBCU context.

    In addition to his administrative leadership, Dr. Stevenson teaches a range of courses including Social Welfare Policy, Research Methods, and Human Diversity. His teaching is deeply informed by a commitment to social justice, global engagement, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

    Dr. Stevenson is a prolific scholar with a research agenda that spans international education, health disparities, rural social work, and global social welfare policy. His extensive list of peer-reviewed publications includes recent articles in Prevention Science, Child & Youth Services, and The Journal of Teaching in Social Work. He is also the co-editor of the forthcoming book Human Behavior Theories and Models: An Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Approach for Empowerment Practice, and the 2023 volume The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs.

    He has secured numerous grants to support global learning, including funding from the U.S. Department of State, the Institute of International Education, and the UNC Global – Carolina Asia Center. Notably, Dr. Stevenson’s projects use comparative policy analysis to increase interest in study abroad among underrepresented students in social work. He has also led suicide prevention and financial capability initiatives, and his research has been recognized for expanding opportunities for diverse and underserved student populations.

    Dr. Stevenson’s international engagement is both extensive and sustained. He is a 2025 Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Scholar (Senegal and France), a 2024 Fellow of the Council on American Overseas Research Centers (Cambodia), and a 2023 Fulbright-Hays Scholar (Taiwan). His past international education work includes founding and leading faculty-led global learning programs to South Africa, Cuba, Japan, and Germany. He has served as an external examiner for numerous Ph.D. and MSW theses at universities in South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Ghana, and currently holds an appointment as Affiliated Faculty with the South Asia Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

    In recognition of his leadership, Dr. Stevenson received the 2024 Martha Fitch Trigonis Individual Award from the North Carolina Association of International Educators. He also serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad and The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, and holds leadership roles in several national and international organizations supporting global education and social work.

    Dr. Stevenson earned his Ph.D. in Social Work Research, Master of Public Health (Behavioral and Community Health Sciences), and Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Counselor Education from South Carolina State University. He recently completed a graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at East Carolina University in 2024.

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  • Wayne Brian
    Brian Wayne Graduate Programs Recruiter brwayne@ecsu.edu 252-335-3293 Department
    Academic AffairsGraduate Education
    AddressMcLendon HallRoom 101
    Additional information

    Brian, a native of Kinston, North Carolina, serves as the Graduate Programs Recruiter at his alma mater, Elizabeth City State University. With a background as a military veteran and former law enforcement officer, he prioritizes effective communication with both current and prospective students, ensuring they have access to the necessary resources for academic success.

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  • Reed Charles V.
    Charles V. Reed Chair and Associate Professor of History cvreed@ecsu.edu 252-335-3201 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressJohnson HallRoom 102
    Additional information

    Charles (Chas) Reed is a historian of modern Britain, the British Empire, and southern Africa. He came to ECSU after completing his Ph.D. in History at the University of Maryland in 2010. He is a past president of H-Net (Humanities and Social Sciences Online) and the North Carolina Association of Historians and is managing editor of H-Empire, a digital network dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of empires, and associate editor for Itinerario: The Journal of Imperial and Global Interactions. He is presently working on his second book, An Empire of Justice: Race, Citizenship, and Belonging in Colonial South Africa, 1840-1923, exploring how colonial subjects of color in southern Africa and their allies in Britain and the empire fought for an inclusive “empire of justice” against the assembled forces of white supremacy.

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  • Crawford Chyna
    Chyna Crawford Associate Professor and Dean cncrawford@ecsu.edu 252-335-3113 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressGilchrist ComplexRoom 129
    Additional information

    Dr. Chyna Crawford is the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Elizabeth City State University. A passionate scholar and advocate, her research focuses on critical issues within the juvenile and criminal justice systems, with particular emphasis on victims’ rights, systemic inequality, and justice for marginalized communities. She has contributed her expertise to the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center and Courtney’s House, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children who have been sexually exploited for commercial purposes. Her scholarly work addresses topics such as the influence of media on public perceptions of crime, violence against women and minorities, criminal justice reform, and human and sex trafficking. In addition to her academic leadership, Dr. Crawford serves on the Board of Directors for the US-Uganda Orphans Education Fund (UUOEF). She is the former chapter advisor for Chi Rho Omega of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. She is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and The Links, Incorporated—further reflecting her lifelong commitment to service, education, and community empowerment. 

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  • Goss Jr. Clarence
    Clarence Goss Jr. Assistant Professor cegossjr@ecsu.edu 252-335-2342 Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Creative Arts
    AddressM.L.B. Fine Arts BuildingRoom 126
    https://linktr.ee/1704mediaproduction
    Additional information

    Director, 1704 Media Productions
    Assistant Professor, Graphic Design

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  • Wise Cynthia
    Cynthia Wise Director of Library Services crhorne@ecsu.edu 252-335-3585 Department
    Library Services
    AddressG.R. Little LibraryRoom 115
    Additional information

    BA, History, NCSU
    MLIS, Library and Archives
    Management, VSU
    Certificate, Archives Management, GAI
    EdD, Higher Education Leadership, FSU *in progress

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  • Abebe-Akele Feseha
    Feseha Abebe-Akele Assistant Professor fabebeakele@ecsu.edu Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressJenkins Science ComplexRoom 404
    Additional information

    Dr. Abebe-Akele is an assistant professor of Genetics and Bioinformatics in the Department of Natural Sciences.

    Credentials and Educational Background: Dr. Feseha Abebe-Akele has extensive academic and research background. He earned his PhD in Genetics in 2013 from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. His dedication to teaching and science led him to complete an MSC in College Teaching In Science in 2014, also at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to this, he holds an MSc in Bioinformatics Programming from Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, earned in 2004. Furthermore, he completed an MSc in Molecular Biology from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, in 1994. Dr. Abebe-Akele's diverse educational experiences have prepared him for a career at the forefront of genetic research and education.

    Research Highlights: Dr. Abebe-Akele's journey into the world of genetics began with his employment as senior research technician the University Health Network (UHN) at the University of Toronto from 2004 to 2006. During this time, he focused on identifying SARS induced cytokines using a ferret model of the disease and cDNA libraries.

    Current research in Dr. Abebe-Akele (AKA: Dr. Akele) is supported by a series of cutting-edge equipment and a modern research lab equipped with two BSL II safety cabinet and the complete set of molecular biology tools required for cloning, PCR electrophoresis and gel documentation as well as culturing bacteria, yeast and nematodes.

    Ongoing Research Projects.

    1 .Entomopathogenic Nematode Screening: My lab is currently screening entomopathogenic nematodes in local soils around Elizabeth City in North Carolina. This work aims to identify and better understand locally adapted nematodes' for potential mass production and use in pest control and their impact on local ecosystems.

    2. Yeast Probiotics and Nutraceuticals: Another exciting area of research for Dr. Abebe-Akele is the use of Saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast probiotic, to express nutraceuticals such as Zeaxanthin. We are employing Yeast Gateway kit (Addgene) that contains 285 yeast Gateway destination vectors based on the widely used pRS series of yeast shuttle vectors and contain the two commonly used GPD and GAL1 promoter expression systems that enable expression of ORFs either constitutively or under galactose-inducible conditions. We aim to express crucial nutraceutical proteins of interest. This research has important implications for improving human health and wellness.

    3. Algae Biofuel Research: My lab is also working on two algae strains, Botryococcus and Synechoccous species in experiments related to algae biofuels. This work focuses on enhancing the algal species to produce engineered oils and increase yield by high expression as well as by reducing the doubling time of algae, a critical step in the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly biofuels.

    4. Mentoring the Next Generation: Beyond his own research, Dr. Abebe-Akele is passionate about mentoring undergraduate students in the fields of molecular biology and bioinformatics. His guidance and expertise are helping to shape the future of genetics and related disciplines.

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  • Bowman Glen
    Glen Bowman Professor gcbowman@ecsu.edu 252-335-3424 Department
    Department of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Creative Arts
    AddressGilchrist ComplexRoom 349
    Additional information

    Originally from suburban Philadelphia, Glen Bowman is Professor of History. He has been at ECSU since 1999 and earned the Ph.D. in History at the University of Minnesota. In honor of the university’s long-time archivist, he
    established the Leonard R. Ballou Memorial Fund in 2005. He has written the book Elizabeth City State University, 1891-2016: The Continuity of a Historical Legacy of Excellence and Resilience. In 2017 he received the University of North
    Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2022 he received the R.D.W. Connor Award from the North Carolina Historical Society, given to the writer of the most important article on North Carolina History in a given
    year. He received the award for his published research on the history of student activism at Elizabeth City State. In 2025 he won the Baxter Award by the North Carolina.

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  • Goar James
    James Goar Assistant Professor jwgoar@ecsu.edu 252-335-3172 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressJohnson HallRoom 112
    Additional information

    Jim Goar holds a Ph.D. in Creative and Critical Writing: Poetry from the University of East Anglia (UK). He is the author of the poetry and flash fiction books The Dustbowl, The Louisiana Purchase, and Seoul Bus Poems. His poetry can be found in Harvard Review, Poetry Wales, Cimarron Review, English, Jacket Magazine, and LIT, and his articles have appeared or are forthcoming from ELH, College Literature, and Criticism. At ECSU, Goar teaches composition, world literature, and classes centered on poetry and poetics.

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  • Hall Karra
    Karra Hall Associate Professor khhall@ecsu.edu 252-335-3348 Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Creative Arts
    AddressJohnson HallRoom 137
    Additional information

    Dr. Hall's research focuses on what horrifies us and why, considering popular culture as a reflection of our fears, desires, and anxieties as well as insights to our current historical moment, building on pre and early modern British literature and folklore.

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  • Tarik Latif A.
    Latif A. Tarik Assistant Professor of History/Program Coordinator latarik@ecsu.edu 252-335-3972 Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Creative Arts
    AddressJohnson HallRoom 213
    Additional information

    Dr. Latif A. Tarik is an Assistant Professor of History, and he joined Elizabeth City State University in 2018. He graduated from Norfolk State University in 1997 and he received a commissioned in the United States Army where he served for eleven years. Dr. Tarik received a Master of Education from Regent University in 2005 and has worked as a licensed social studies teacher in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Dr. Tarik graduated from Howard University in 2016 and received a Doctoral of Philosophy in History with a specialty in African Diaspora History and a minor in Public History. Dr. Tarik’s tenure working at Elizabeth City State University has provided him with the opportunity to publish a course reader Black Freedom Struggles: Africana Reader (Kendall Hunt Publishing) to be used in college history courses. He traveled to Senegal in 2023 on a faculty development seminar grant with the Center of Overseas Research Center. Dr. Tarik is focused on keeping the cultural integrity, heritage, and educational opportunities for students at Elizabeth City State University and other HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Dr. Tarik served as the HBCU Faculty Advisor for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and Cultural Heritage in the Forest Program in the Summer of 2023.

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  • McGowan Leona
    Leona McGowan Lecturer lqmcgowan@ecsu.edu Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Protective and Human Studies
    Address
    Additional information

    Leona McGowan is a doctoral candidate at Old Dominion University pursuing a degree in Higher Education. She has a Master’s in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s in Sociology from Saint Leo University. Her research focuses on Black women in higher education, intersectionality, Black Feminism, and faculty development.

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  • Dr. Chambers Mary-Lynn
    Dr. Mary-Lynn Chambers Associate Professor/Interim Director of International Studies mchambers@ecsu.edu 252-335-3405 Department
    Academic Affairs
    AddressJohnson HallRoom 134
    Additional information

    Dr. Mary-Lynn Chambers earned her Ph.D. in Technical and Professional Communication from East Carolina University. Her instructional focus is composition, literature, and communications. Her present research focus is on the rhetorical development of culture within literature. The classroom is where she strives to inspire the students to find value in learning.

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  • Dr. Sharma Narendra
    Dr. Narendra Sharma Professor nsharma@ecsu.edu 252-335-3186 Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Business and Technology
    AddressWilliams HallRoom 204
    Additional information

    Dr. Narendra Sharma is a Professor of Accounting at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), where he has served with distinction for over 15 years. He teaches a broad range of undergraduate accounting courses including Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Advanced Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Auditing, Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting, and Forensic and Fraud Analysis. His pedagogy blends traditional theorywith experiential learning methods such as simulations, Tableau-based data visualizations, and problem-based learning to foster student engagement and professional readiness.

    A lifelong learner and academic leader, Dr. Sharma is committed to continuous professional development. He has completed specialized training in personalized learning, artificial intelligence in education, and assessment of learning for AACSB accreditation. His recent innovations in the classroom include integrating experiential learning-aligned content, active learning strategies, and AI-driven tutoring support.

    Dr. Sharma’s research interests include tax policy, mergers and acquisitions, accounting education, and the ethical dimensions of financial reporting. His scholarly work uses data-driven methodologies—such as clustering, regression modeling, and difference-in-differences estimation—to analyze policy impacts and improve pedagogical outcomes. He is currently pursuing studies on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s effects on employment and investment behavior, and the role of active learning in accounting student performance.

    Beyond the classroom and research lab, Dr. Sharma is an advocate for educational equity, ethical leadership, and global citizenship. His professional philosophy emphasizes rigor, relevance, and responsibility—preparing students not just for certification exams, but for leadership in the accounting profession and public service.

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  • Bridges Olivia
    Olivia Bridges Social Work Lecturer odbridges763@ecsu.edu 252-338-3810 Department
    Academic AffairsDepartment of Protective and Human Studies
    AddressSTEM ComplexRoom 321G
    Additional information

    Olivia Bridges is a social work lecturer at Elizabeth City State University, where she is passionate about educating future social workers. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Elizabeth City State University in 2016 and her Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2017. She has five years of experience in gerontology and medical social work and has enjoyed working with the geriatric population with diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

    She is enthusiastic about helping individuals and families of vulnerable populations and continues to serve as a family- centered clinician, helping children who are at risk of out-of-home placement. She looks forward to continuing to learn and grow in the field of social work and plans to continue to do great things to serve people in her community. Olivia is
    an advocate for self-care routines and educates all students and clients on the importance of taking care of themselves.