During Homecoming 2011, Elon’s Black Alumni Network (EBAN) honored three extraordinary individuals who have exhibited unrelenting support for Elon University and the Elon black community.
In addition to honoring the recipients, EBAN officially recognized Eugene Perry ’69, Gail Fonville ’70 and Dr. Wilhelmina Boyd by renaming the annual awards in their honor as the first black graduates of Elon and the first black tenured professor at Elon.
This year’s honorees were:
- Dr. Donna Hill Oliver ’72 – Gail Fonville ’70 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient. Oliver is the sixth president and first woman to lead Mississippi Valley State University. She is also the first African-American female president to lead a Mississippi public university.
- Priscilla Awkard ’95– Eugene Perry ’69 Distinguished Alumni Award. Awkard is employed by Coastal Federal Credit Union as a relationship manager for business development. She is the immediate past president of the Elon Black Alumni Network, formally known as the African American Alumni Group.
- Dr. Matthew W. Clark – Dr. Wilhelmina Boye Outstanding Service to Students Award. Clark is an associate professor of biology. Since arriving at Elon, he has served as the advisor for Diverse Students of Science and the Elon University Gospel Choir.
The scholarship banquet also recognized four historically black organizations celebrating significant milestones; The Elon Gospel Choir (35th anniversary), Delta Sigma Theta (30th anniversary), Kappa Alpha Psi (25th anniversary) and Alpha Phi Alpha (20th anniversary). Each organization presented EBAN with a monetary donation toward the Black Alumni Network Scholarship. The scholarship is given to a deserving black student each year. The first scholarship recipient, Janelle Bennett ’14, was recognized and celebrated during the program. The scholarship banquet was attended by more than 120 alumni, friends, faculty, staff and administrators, including President Leo M. Lambert.
The Elon Alumni Association and EBAN would like to thank all alumni who contributed to the scholarship. During Homecoming weekend, more than $16,000 was raised for the scholarship, and to date, a total of more than $96,000 has been raised for the scholarship. Alumni can continue to support the Black Alumni Scholarship by making a gift online. If any alumni are interested in being more active with EBAN through the leadership team or banquet committee, please contact Durice White ’09, coordinator of alumni engagement – affinity networks, at dwhite15@elon.edu.
