Two SU students named black graduate association reps

Southern University students Brookielle Boddie and Dominique Townsend were recently elected South Central Regional Representatives to the National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc.

Their election was announced at the group's meeting in Dearborn, Mich.

Founded in 1989, the student-run organization continues to address the needs of minority students through providing them with countless academic and professional development opportunities.

The NBGSA offers a number of advantages to its members, including leadership training, professional development, mentoring opportunities, career placement services.

It hosts five regional student development conferences and one national research conference each year. The NBGSA also awards three scholarships and publishes a peer-reviewed journal, "Call & Response." Students received awards and hosted the elections for national posts during the conference.

The role of the regional representative is to increase membership, help in the planning of the regional conferences, to assist in building the organization representing Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, and to promote academic excellence across all disciplines.

In a joint statement to NBGSA members, Boddie and Townsend said, "We envision a dynamic year, one that will ensure great groundwork for building a tradition of excellence and sustaining the organization for the years to come."

The NBGSA executive board met in Washington, D.C. June 13-16, 2013 at Howard University for its annual Leadership Summit, and networking social. Subsequent quarterly meetings will be held in the South Central region in October 2013 and January 2014.

In the photo on the front, from left to right: Dominique Townsend and Brookielle Boddie.