’60s
Jefferson
Samuel Jefferson Jr., (’68) who served as director of Sports Information at JSU from 1973 until his retirement in 2002, was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame during a ceremony in June in Orlando, Fla. He graduated from JSU in 1968 with a major in speech communication and English literature.
’70s
Dr. Rose Harper Austin, (’72) a member of the Jackson State University Alumni Hall of Fame, received the 2015 IMPACT award from the Women’s Guild in Houston for outstanding community contributions. After retiring from the Lone Star College System in 2009 as the dean for Institutional Effectiveness, Austin became an education and nonprofit consultant and an adjunct professor at Springfield College. In 2010, Austin made history as the first African-American woman to serve as a Rotary district governor in Texas. She graduated from JSU in 1972, receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature, and earned a Doctorate of Education degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston.
Dr. Mary D. Coleman (’73) has been named Chief Operating Officer for the Crittenton Women’s Union, a Boston-based nonprofit innovator in helping low-income women and their families become economically self-sufficient. For the past five years, Coleman had served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley University where she co-developed a Master of Science in Management degree. Prior to Lesley University, Coleman was associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and director of the Center for University Scholars at Jackson State University. Coleman was a postdoctoral fellow in public policy at University of Maryland and in liberal arts at Harvard School of Law, and holds a doctoral degree and a master’s degree in political science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science from Jackson State University.
Camille Stutts-Simms (’78) was appointed to the school board of Jackson Public Schools — Mississippi’s second-largest school district — last fall. Stutts-Simms, an independent insurance broker, co-owns the Royal Bleu Boutique, located at One University Place on the JSU campus, with daughter Marissa Simms. Stutts-Simms received a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Missouri, which led to a career with IBM. She graduated from JSU in 1978 with a degree in biology.
’80s
Michael Chatman (’81) is the face of a new United Airlines international ad campaign, “Making the world feel like home in any language.” The ad has been prominently displayed in New York Times Square, on some of the city’s buses and in other venues and publications worldwide. Chatman was named a 2011 JSUNAA STAR (Special Thanks And Recognition) by the metro New York chapter. He graduated from JSU in 1981 with a degree in mass communications.
Vernon Ross (’82) is the new director of STEM & Generations Engagement for Lockheed Martin Corp. Culture, Diversity and Equal Opportunity Programs and, as such, develops and leads STEM higher education and generational initiatives. Ross designed and launched the Lockheed Martin Cyber Security Talent Management Initiative that included the Lockheed Martin Cyber University. He graduated from JSU in 1982 with a degree in computer science and mathematics. He received his master’s degree in computer education from Philadelphia University and a Doctor of Educational Leadership and Innovation degree from Wilmington University.
Dr. Earlexia Norwood, M.D. (’84), director of Practice Development and Community Health Education at the West Bloomfield Hospital in Detroit, was named the 2014 Legacy of Leaders Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. Norwood is a member of the hospital’s board of governors and the inaugural president of the Organization of Physicians, Academicians, and Executive Leaders.
Dr. Gerald L. Roberts Weatherspoon (’84) has been named a 2015 Teaching Excellence Award winner at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., where he is the associate chairman for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 2002, Weatherspoon became the first African-American to be granted tenure in science and engineering at George Mason and remains the only African-American faculty member tenured in its College of Science. He graduated with honors from JSU with a bachelor’s in chemistry in 1984 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, in 1995.
’90s
Chad A. Smith of Atlanta has received the YMCA of Metro Atlanta’s 2014 Volunteer of the Year award for his service at the Arthur M. Blank Family Youth YMCA. Smith, a commercial pilot and FAA-certified flight instructor, assists in his son’s classroom and leads cheerleading practices for his daughters’ classes. Smith also volunteers at Sheltering Arms Early Childhood Education & Family Center and the Kindezi School. Smith graduated from JSU in 1997 with a degree in finance.
’10s
Tramell Tillman (’08) made his Off Broadway debut in Tis a Pity She’s a Whore in April. He spent this past summer in upstate New York as a member of the Chautauqua Theatre Conservatory. He also recently finished shooting a brief role in a new web series, Difficult People, from executive producer Amy Poehler. The mass communications major graduated from JSU in 2008 and received an MFA in theatre from the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Stuart P. Lott (’08) has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an attorney in the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group and its Financial Services Litigation and Compliance Team. He was also recently appointed vice chairman of the Minorities In the Profession Commitee of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Lott earned his J.D., with a concentration in business law and regulation, from Cornell Law School and his B.B.A. in finance, summa cum laude, from JSU in 2008.
Christopher Herro, (’10) band director at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, accepted an invitation — made in person by The Lord Mayor of Winchester — to perform in London’s New Year’s parade. Herro graduated from JSU in 2010 with a music education degree.