NC A&T Professor to speak at VGCC Graduation
Dr. Kimberly R. McNeil, a professor at North Carolina A&T State University who grew up in Henderson, will be the principal commencement speaker for Vance-Granville Community College’s graduation exercises on Friday, May 11. Katina D. Harris of Warrenton, a College Transfer student and president of the VGCC Student Government Association, will be the student speaker. Approximately 400 students are scheduled to receive their degrees and diplomas in curriculum programs during ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.
A graduate of Vance Senior High School, Dr. McNeil (pictured above, left) completed her undergraduate education at North Carolina A&T State University. McNeil received her Ph.D. in Business Administration (Marketing) from Florida State University’s College of Business and began her career as an Assistant Professor of Marketing at her alma mater, NC A&T. She was tenured and promoted to her current position as an Associate Professor in 2005. In her position, McNeil holds many teaching, research, and service/administrative responsibilities. McNeil is actively involved in various initiatives in the NC A&T business school, including Assurance of Learning and globalization. She is committed to increasing the number of students and faculty engaging in international experiences. McNeil brought to the university the Globalizing Business Schools program, a four-year initiative spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Center for International Business Education and Research geared towards internationalizing business schools at historically black colleges and universities. She and a colleague also developed a short-term study abroad course for students entitled “Global Business Environment” and took their first group of students to Belize for a nine-day cultural immersion learning experience in 2011. She also serves as a member of NC A&T’s International Programs Advisory Council and gave an invited lecture in Jaiozuo City, China. She has served on the boards of the National Black Child Development Institute and Treatment One, Inc.
Katina Harris (pictured above, right) will be graduating with an Associate in Arts degree. A Warrenton resident and graduate of Warren County High School, Harris previously earned a Business Administration/E-Commerce degree at VGCC. She later returned to VGCC for a few courses she needed in order to transfer to complete a four-year business degree. Taking one of these courses, she unexpectedly fell in love with the subject of Psychology. Harris changed her educational plans and decided to pursue Psychology as a profession. She is now planning to transfer to N.C. Central University with the ultimate goal of working with domestic violence victims and teaching at the college level. At VGCC, Harris has been active in college life, as SGA president, student member of the Board of Trustees and founding president of the Social Sciences Club. In recognition of her academic achievements and student involvement, Harris was one of six statewide finalists for the 2011-2012 Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award.
Students serving as graduation marshals will be Laura Bowden of Creedmoor; Jacqueline Davis and Sandy Tingen, both of Henderson; Cynthia Fowler of Littleton; Sean Casady and Melissa Hodges, both of Louisburg; Kaya Elliott of Macon; Laurie Braslins and Lisa Brown, both of Wake Forest.
See related story: For the First Time, VGCC to Broadcast Live Video of Graduation Ceremony on Web
