Press Releases

Mechanical Engineering Technology Students Develop Prosthetic Leg for Rescue Dog

Virginia Beach, VA – Ray Ray is a 4-year-old Beagle who got his foot caught in a trap. By the time he was rescued, it was too late. Veterinarians were forced to amputate part of his leg. Fortunately for Ray Ray, his new owners have a friend at ECPI University who put them in touch with Vedat Aksoy, director of CAD and graphics at the Virginia Beach campus. 

Mr. Aksoy saw this as an excellent opportunity to provide a real-world learning experience for his Capstone class and help an animal in need, all at the same time. He challenged his students to design and build Ray Ray a new prosthetic limb, by using their newly-learned skills in CAD software, design, and 3D printing. 

On Wednesday, November 1 at 5 pm, Ray Ray will visit campus – located at 5555 Greenwich Road – to have his new limb fitted. Media wishing to attend may contact ECPI Director of Communications David Brandt at 757.213.3613 or dbrandt@ecpi.edu. 

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - dbrandt@ecpi.edu or 757.213.3613
Release Date:
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Culinary Institute of Virginia Hosts Live Shokugeki Food War at NekoCon 2017

Showdown Begins at 1 pm November 5

Norfolk, VA – Aspiring chefs from the Culinary Institute of Virginia will be competing in a live cooking competition based on those made popular by the anime show, Food Wars. Shokugeki (食戟 Shokugeki) is a term that refers to cooking duels at the fictional Tōtsuki Culinary Academy where students face off in intense high-stakes cooking showdowns. That makes this year’s NekoCon the ideal setting for a similar, anime-themed food war. 

Set for November 5 beginning at 1:00 pm at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, competing student teams must create a dish with an Anime/Japanese inspired theme that exudes finesse and precision. Shokugeki is intense. Every ten minutes when the Challenge Gong rings, all cooking stops while one member from each team races to center stage to complete a culinary skills challenge.

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - dbrandt@ecpi.edu or 757.213.3613
Release Date:
Monday, October 30, 2017
ECPI University Provides Dual-Enrollment Opportunities for Greenville County Schools Students

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. 

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - dbrandt@ecpi.edu or 757.213.3613
Release Date:
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Students Volunteer to Provide Free Dentures

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. 

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - dbrandt@ecpi.edu or 757.213.3613
Release Date:
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Newport News Campus Hosts Community Day

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 Communications David Brandt at 757.213.3613 or dbrandt@ecpi.edu. 

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - dbrandt@ecpi.edu or 757.213.3613
Release Date:
Friday, October 13, 2017
Culinary Graduate Helps Feed Hurricane Victims

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.”

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Contact:
ECPI University Director of Communications David Brandt - 757.213.3613 or dbrandt@ecpi.edu
Release Date:
Thursday, September 14, 2017

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