The 2018 Founders Day Convocation was held on March 22, 2018, commemorating N.C. A&T’s 127th year.

It was held in Harrison Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and was presided by Chancellor Harold L. Martin.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Success, Beryl C. McEwen, introduced the speaker of the Founder’s Day address, Dr. Tonya L. Smith-Jackson, who serves as the program director of the National Science Foundation and as a Professor and chair of the department of Industrial and System Engineering at N.C. A&T.

Smith-Jackson gave an empowering speech about N.C. A&T’s rich history in research and the works of previous Chancellors. 

She spoke on the committee Chancellor Martin set up in 2010 to showcase N.C. A&T’s successes and potential. The committee researched the history of the university from 1940 to 2010.

“We’ve been successful and we’ve done some meaningful research, but we can do better,” Smith-Jackson said at the convocation, referring to the active role the university has made in competitive research.

“I think we need to do better…about what we research and how we communicate the potential benefits of our research in the way the public can understand and appreciate. I hope we will co-construct a new vision for the future… where we innovate in ways that yield equitable benefits for a broad group of people.”

Following Smith-Jackson’s speech was a touching performance by the University Choir and Moment of Reflection presented by Aniya L, Bradsher, Miss A&T, and Quishun D. Jenkins, Mister A&T.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations/Executive Director of the Alumni Association, Teresa M. Davis, then presented the Alumni Achievement Awards:

College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Craig Fletch ‘95

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Marvin Watkins ‘58

College of Business and Economics, Dmitri Stockton ‘86

College of Education, Yvonne. Johnson ‘78

College of Engineering, Thomas Stanley ‘88

College of Health and Human Sciences, Iris Carlton-LaNey ‘72

College of Science and Technology, Haywood Brown ‘74

Chancellor Martin provided the closing speech, offering his own words of wisdom.

“To get to the future and beyond, each of us has to answer the call to learn more, teach more, give more, and do more so that we can be better,” he said, “because that’s what Aggies Do.”