the From the President


Dear Alumni and Friends, What an exciting time to be a Royal! I cannot wait to share with you the many new developments since our last issue of Queens Magazine—and to give credit where credit is due. From our committed Board of Trustees and corporate partners to our dedicated staff and faculty to our incredibly talented students—we are rising to new heights! Earlier this spring, Queens held press conferences to announce several


key initiatives that further our Strategic Framework. In April, we kicked off the Charlotte Talent Initiative, a bold new partnership that will change lives for deserving students while fueling Charlotte’s economic future. Ten, less than thirty days later, the Board made the unanimous decision to accept an invitation to join the ASUN Conference in NCAA Division I. You can read more about these exciting advancements in the pages that follow. We also focus this issue on a topic deeply rooted in our history and


culture: health, wellness, and the caring that fuels it. You will hear from alumni, faculty and students about the paradigm shift taking place in multiple areas of health and wellness—physical, emotional and social. You will see it in action, as many Royals stepped up to selflessly give back even in the most challenging of circumstances. Tanya Blackmon, MBA ’00 and this year’s Charlotte BusinessWoman


of the Year, led Novant Health to become a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion. Lesa Kastanas ’84 found strength in community when she and her husband fought to keep their businesses open when other restaurants were shutting down. And Conrad Ricamora ’01 refused to give up even as he fought through multiple health challenges, including COVID-19. Even those we’ve loved and lost provided heroic leadership on the


importance of caring for and supporting one another. Trustee emerita Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown left behind an amazing legacy centered on the healing power of caring for others. Former Queens Chief of Police Johnnie Ravenell will long be remembered for his compassion, as he often recognized signs of withdrawal in students, staff, and faculty and worked with the health and wellness team to get them needed help. Like the example set by those highlighted in these pages, the


possibilities are endless if we remain true to our hearts and values and draw strength from our history of caring, both within the Queens community and within ourselves. Te stats already show we are an engine for positive change. Te notion that we can rise together is woven into the fabric of our DNA…not to be served but to serve. I hope you will join us as we continue this journey to new heights, knowing that we are better together.


Sincerely,


Daniel G. Lugo President


2 MAGAZINE Did You Know?


BARBERSHOP TALK GOES BEYOND HAIRCUTS


In February, a crowd gathered on campus for “Barbershop Talk,” sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DICE) at Queens University. “It’s a casual place to talk. It’s a chance for us to talk about things we don’t get to talk about on a day-to-day basis,” said first-year Queens student Gabriel Nicholson. Nicholson was among several male students


who showed up for free haircuts from local licensed barbers—and more. Attendees filled the DICE lounge to share perspectives, without fear of disapproval, on everything from the impact of the pandemic on minoritized communities to police brutality and social injustice. “For young Black men, in particular, minority-


owned barbershops are widely known as a place to receive more than a haircut,” said Darryl White Sr., ’92 MS ’21, assistant dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement. “Tey often offer a safe place to talk about anything and everything.” Te multigenerational crowd, which also


included Queens President Dan Lugo, Queens Board of Trustee Member T.J. Lewis ‘97 and several local Black community and business professionals including Cedrick Mitchell, a retired police officer and Dr. Augustus “Gus” Parker, a medical director for Novant Health, did not hold back their passion while remaining respectful of varied viewpoints. Te program, first done in February of


2020, is a partnership between DICE, the Black Student Union and the iBelong Minority Male Mentoring program.


—Keith Pierce


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