Dental Assisting Program Director Leads Effort to Replace Missing Smiles

Newport News, VA – For the past five years, Vicki Brett has been on a tireless journey to provide basic dental care to Virginia’s uninsured. She is ECPI University’s Newport News Campus Dental Assisting Program Director, but also the volunteer chairperson for the Virginia Mission of Mercy (MOM) Project. Several times a year, the group harnesses a collection of dental professionals to provide free care to hundreds of people a day, usually in a school gymnasium. 

For the most part, it is a rewarding experience beyond compare. However, there is a small group of people that she has been unable to forget. These are the ones whose teeth are so rotten that full-mouth extraction is the only option. “My heart is full to see them out of pain, but I wonder how they must feel to be toothless,” says Vicki. 

MOM is funded by the Virginia Dental Association Foundation (VDAF) and this year, the group found it had about a $9,000 surplus. That gave Vicki an idea. She asked the VDAF if MOM could use those funds to provide dentures to this particular group of patients. Depending on whether they require upper and/or lower dentures, Vicki expects to help at least 25 people. 

She’s also getting her dental assisting students involved. They will be on hand to assist dentists in taking impressions to create molds for the dentures. The pre-selected recipient’s first appointment will take place on Thursday, October 26 at 10:30 am at the Chesapeake Care Dental Clinic, located at 2145 S Military Highway in Chesapeake, Virginia. 

Free Event Includes Kids Games, Health Screenings, and Computer Virus Scans 

Newport News, VA – ECPI University is hosting Community Day at its Newport News campus, located at 1001 Omni Boulevard. Scheduled for Saturday, October 21 from Noon until 3:00 pm, the event will be filled with fun and games, along with a wide range of community and educational resources, including: 

Fun and Demos 

• Face Painting
• Kids Games
• Newport News Fire and Police Department Displays
• Fruit and Vegetable Carving 

Community Resources 

• Health and Wellness Screenings
• Free Chair Massages
• PC Virus Scans/Cleanups
• Child ID Kits Provided by James City County Police Department
• Resources on Parental Controls – Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet
• YMCA, HRT, Center for Sexual Assault
• Small Business Expo 

Community Day is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, please call 757.838.9191. Media inquiries may be directed to ECPI Director of Marketing at 757.490.9090 or publicrelations@ecpi.edu.

Partnership Also Provides Opportunity for Guaranteed Admission

Greenville, SC – ECPI University’s Greenville campus and Greenville County Schools are partnering to offer students an opportunity to get a jumpstart on college. Through a new dual-enrollment opportunity, they can earn up to 15 college credits while still in high school. Students may choose from the following courses: 

• CIS106 Introduction to Operating Systems
• CIS121 Logic and Design
• CIS115 Computer Applications
• CIS150 Networking I
• EET250 Computer Configuration I 

What’s more, students who participate in this program can receive guaranteed admission to ECPI University upon graduation, provided they meet the following criteria: 

• Successfully complete a dual credit course with a GPA of 2.5 or higher (based on a four point scale)
• Achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (based on a four point scale)
• Apply for admission within two years of graduating from a GCSD high school 

Students with lower GPAs may still gain acceptance by successfully completing the SAT, ACT, and/or the University Entrance Assessment, College Success, Programming Logic and/or TEAS. 

More Than 7,000 Meals Served on First Day

Norfolk, VA – When Dane Macan saw the devastation in Texas and what was about to happen in Florida, he immediately went to his boss and requested time off. A Food Service Management graduate of Culinary Institute of Virginia (CIV) and current MBA student at ECPI University, Dane is a longtime volunteer with Mercy Chefs, a faith-based, non-profit disaster relief organization. 

Mercy Chefs’ mission is to serve professionally prepared meals for victims, volunteers and first responders in national emergencies and natural disasters. Dane and wife Kristin – a CIV faculty member and fellow Mercy Chefs volunteer – have traveled all across the nation during the past five years, serving food to victims of natural disasters, including Hurricane Sandy in New York. 

His team is currently working at the edge of Lee and Collier counties in Florida. “I didn't get to talk to Dane until late last night because he was cooking from 6 am till about 9:30 pm,” says Chef Kristin Macan. “His team prepared more than 2,000 meals for lunch and served all the food. They also prepped 2,000 meals for dinner, but they ran out of food, so they made additional meals and ended up serving 3,000 more people. It was 101 degree down there yesterday, so he is really tired, but he’s doing what he’s been called to do.”

Students Meeting Admissions/Assessment Requirements May Attend Initial Courses at No Cost or Obligation

Roanoke, VA – ECPI University has announced it will offer a “Trial Period” for eligible students displaced by Miller-Motte College’s recent decision to close its Roanoke and Lynchburg locations. Students meeting admissions and assessment requirements will be given the opportunity to take classes at ECPI University for two 5-week terms without obligation, before being considered for acceptance. Students that continue will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of the first term. 

“At ECPI University, we put students’ interests first,” says ECPI University Roanoke Campus President Kevin Newby. “These students have been put in a difficult predicament. Miller-Motte’s announcement coming so close to the start of their studies puts students in a difficult predicament. ECPI University’s trial period will allow them to begin the transition now, so their career goals are not delayed.” 

Topics Include Electronics, CAD, Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering

Manassas, VA – ECPI University is set to host more than 150 local high school students for a preparatory workshop in advance of this year’s FIRST Tech Challenge on Saturday, September 9 at its Northern Virginia campus, located at 10021 Balls Ford Road in Manassas. 

As lead title sponsor of the Virginia Championship, ECPI University is pleased to support FIRST Tech’s mission of inspiring young people to become science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills. The goal: to encourage innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. 

Topics Include Electronics, CAD, Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering

Richmond, VA – ECPI University is set to host nearly 200 high school students for a preparatory workshop in advance of this year’s FIRST Tech Challenge on Saturday, September 9 at its Richmond/Innsbrook campus, located at 4305 Cox Road in Glen Allen. 

As lead title sponsor of the Virginia Championship, ECPI University is pleased to support FIRST Tech’s mission of inspiring young people to become science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills. The goal: to encourage innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. 

Students, Faculty, and Alumni Compete to Create the Best Single Bite of Food

Norfolk, VA – In the latest installment of its Culinary Competition Series, the Culinary Institute of Virginia is preparing to host “A Perfect Pairing,” a contest that pits students, faculty, and alumni against one another. 

In the first round, they will be challenged to prepare a single bite of food based on a theme and available ingredients. In a blind taste-test, CIV Chef Instructors and notable alumni Chefs will taste the bites and select their favorite. Students will be paired with their Chef based on the taste test results. 

From there, teams will co-create a single dish they hope will deliver a winning combination for a panel of discerning judges. And in the championship round, the five final teams will work from a mystery basket of ingredients to create one imaginative single dish. The top three student winners will receive scholarships of $1,000, $650, and $350, respectively. 

Richmond, VA – Massage Therapy students from ECPI University’s Richmond/Moorefield campus have once again been invited by the Washington Redskins for the fifth straight year to provide massage therapy to players throughout the team’s three week training camp in Richmond, Virginia. 

“This opportunity provides real-life sports massage scenarios that will be of tremendous benefit to our students,” says ECPI University Richmond/Moorefield Campus President Ashley Richards. “Professional athletes are physically very different. Obviously, their muscles are well-defined and tend to be large. Our students will have the opportunity to make connections between their work and the body parts they are trying to address visually and kinesthetically.” 

Experts Say STP Black Saves Time, Money, and Man Power

Charlotte, NC – Charlotte native and ECPI University graduate Patrick Wright and his team of developers have invented an information security system that may revolutionize the way organizations protect themselves from cyber-attacks. It’s called STP Black, and it automates a process that typically involves countless man hours and cumbersome processes. 

Wright’s company, STP Ventures, subscribes to a wide range of the world’s top threat databases. By developing STP Black (patent pending), Patrick, along with co-founder Sheryl Pierce and their team, have created an automated solution that integrates data from those databases and automatically feeds clients critical information required to stop those threats. Most importantly it updates that information on a rolling 15 minute window.