OFALD Spotlight Archives

Housekeeper

Linda Spell began employment in housekeeping at East Carolina University in 2007. Over the course of sixteen years, she has worked in various areas across the Health Sciences Campus, including the School of Medicine, Nursing, and Family Medicine buildings. She is currently working in the School of Medicine. What she especially enjoys about her work at ECU is the opportunity to grow and meet a lot of great people in her path. Before her time with ECU, she worked in home health care for 4 years.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son, daughter, grandchildren, and dog, Bebee. She and her husband enjoy going for drives and exploring Eastern North Carolina on the weekends!

Teaching Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

B.S., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Post-doctoral Fellowship: Brody School of Medicine

Dr. Emily Askew is a dedicated Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Brody School of Medicine. With a passion for the anatomy education of professional and graduate learners, Dr. Askew serves as the Course Director of the M1 Gross Anatomy and Embryology course, Instructor in the M1 Neuroscience course, and teaches within other anatomy courses spanning diverse health science disciplines (Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia). Dr. Askew also helps oversee the Anatomical Gift Program, embodying a deep sense of responsibility in managing this vital aspect of the anatomy teaching program.

Committed to enhancing medical education at Brody School of Medicine, Dr. Askew actively participates in curricular committees, serving on the Foundational Sciences Curriculum Committee and as a resource member on the Executive Curriculum Committee. Additionally, she has taken a keen interest in accreditation efforts within the school and currently serves as the Chair of the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee.

Born and raised in Wilson, Dr. Askew currently resides there with her husband, Scott, two children, Sam (13), and Addison (9), and their 7-month-old goldendoodle, Nelly.

MD Candidate, Class of 2024
M.A. The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Economics
B.A. The College of William and Mary, Economics and Philosophy

Ben is a 4^th year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. He is applying to residency in Psychiatry and eventually hopes to pursue a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. He has pursued a variety of interests since moving to Greenville to study medicine including his pun-laden leadership of the local chapter of Walk with A Doc, a national organization promoting wellness and community engagement. He served as Simulation Lab Advisory Board Student Representative and as president of the Med-Peds Interest Group. More recently, he co-led a clothing drive to benefit indigent patients in the inpatient psychiatry ward and volunteering on a research project to improve pathology education. He was just selected for the NC Medical Society’s Future Clinician Leaders College, Class of 2024. He can be found around Brody from time to time because he loves mentoring the younger classes of medical students and napping in the Zen room.

Ben lives in Greenville with his wife Christine Malumphy, an assistant capital defender, their daughter Alice Wise, and their loyal hound Penny Lane. They enjoy exploring new hikes, chasing lizards and other reptiles, visiting science museums, and finding hidden restaurant gems across North Carolina.

Social Work Practitioner
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Charmaine Bond is a social worker within the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.  She has been employed in this capacity since January 2011.  As a Social Worker she supports, advocates, and links her patients/families to needed resources.  Charmaine is innovative, knowledgeable, and resourceful. She loves community service and outreach.  She serves on several committees, coordinates fundraising initiatives, and assists in the planning of outreach events/activities (Carnival for a Cause, World Sickle Cell Day, educational conferences, teen retreats, support groups and etc.).   She is also a board member for Jalen Nation, LLC and Gabby’s Legacy Organization (non-profit organizations that provide support to children in eastern NC diagnosed with cancer).

Charmaine has a passion for people and helping others.  She has built trusting relationships with her patients and their families.  Many of them call her “mom” or “auntie.”  Charmaine prides herself on treating others with dignity and respect.  She is devoted to community service and outreach. She is forever grateful to her division chief, Dr. Beng Fuh for his unwavering support and encouragement.  He allows her to use her creativity and interests to make a difference in the lives of others.

Charmaine is a member of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers (APOSW), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).  She is also a proud and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.,

Charmaine is married to Milton, Brody RISE Program Director; they enjoy exploring new restaurants, spending time with family/friends and traveling.

PhD Student, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine
MS in Forensic Science (Emphasis in Analytical Chemistry), Towson University
BA in Biochemistry, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)

Collin is a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and a member of Dr. Abdel-Rahman’s lab. Collin’s research uses both cell culture and animal models to investigate novel cellular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. In particular, why progression and severity are more pronounced in young women. In addition to his research, Collin currently serves as President of graduate students in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Secretary for the Brody Graduate Association, and is a panel member on the Student Conduct Board.

When not working in the lab, Collin enjoys spending time with his dog Catcher on the family farm, hanging out with friends, gardening, and cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels!

Clinical Associate Professor
Division Chief of Education
Department of Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine Residency, East Carolina University (’03)
MD, Marshall University (’00)
BA, West Virginia University

Dr. Norris joined the faculty at ECU in July 2022. Dr. Norris is passionate about medical student and residency education.  He currently serves on the Brody School of Medicine Admissions Committee and is actively involved in teaching both students and residents both in the emergency department and in the simulation center.  In his new role as Division Chief of Education, he oversees the educational mission in the Department of Emergency Medicine. In this role he will continue to develop the EM clerkship and residency programs as well as help mentor faculty within the department.

Academic areas of interest include decision making in emergency medicine with a specific focus on cognitive errors in thinking, direct observation in the clinical setting and virtual reality simulations.

M3, Brody School of Medicine
BA, Appalachian State University
Individually Designed Degree: Studies in Integrative Health Sciences

Julianna is a third year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine. She is interested in pursuing surgery and has a passion for community service. This past year, she served as a Schweitzer Fellow through the NC Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, where she helped create the Food is Medicine initiative. Through her project, she conducted cooking classes at the Pitt County Council On Aging along-side her Fellowship partner using low-cost food items provided by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. The goal of the project is to reduce food insecurity in older adults living in Pitt County. As an undergraduate student at Appalachian State University, Julianna also spent time combating food insecurity and homelessness as the health intern at the Hospitality House, a regional nonprofit homeless services agency in rural North Carolina. A fun fact about Julianna is that she originally went to Appalachian State as a pitcher for the Softball Team, but after getting injured, she found that tutoring students was a great way to explore teamwork outside of athletics. This past year, she served as a small-group tutor for Anatomy, and she is part of the SCRUBS (Student Collaborative Resources for Understanding and Brody Success) organization to continue teaching and working with other medical students. She is also the Vice President of the Executive Medical Student Council and the Treasurer for the Class of 2025.

Julianna’s favorite activities are walking/hiking, skiing, and discovering new coffee shops and restaurants with friends. Her favorite coffee drink is a dirty chai tea latte, which she learned how to make working as a barista during college.

Technology Support Analyst, ITCS DTSW

AAS, A+, Network+

Dave joined ECU in June 2013 after finishing his degree at Pitt Community College. Staff Sergeant Erdmann served in the Marine Corps for 15 years. He returned to work in the civilian world serving as Operations Manager for a national brick company for 10 years.  Going back to college at age 50 was no easy feat, but Dave finished with Honors and was awarded the Academic Excellence Award and the Edward Warren Scholarship for his academic achievements.

Dave is extremely driven to provide excellent customer service care to the employees of the Health Science Campus. His attention to detail does not go unnoticed. While at ECU, he has been a part of many projects and roll outs of computers and peripherals within DTSW. He does not hesitate to help anyone and will go above and beyond if needed.

David is married to Mary, who retired from Vidant in 2016 and 2022. Originally from Wisconsin, Dave is a lifelong Packer fan and has attended many games at Lambeau Field.  He enjoys watching sports, the beach, and has a passion for showing his classic muscle car.

PhD Candidate, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

BS, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2020

Concentrations in Molecular Biology and Chemistry

Riley Bessetti is a third-year PhD Candidate in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in Dr. Karen Litwa’s Lab. The Litwa Lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of synapse formation in brain development and how alterations contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism.

Riley’s research investigates how environmental contaminants affect early synapse development and contribute to neurodevelopmental abnormalities and whether our bodies’ own antioxidant pathways can be leveraged for neuroprotection against their effects. To study this, she uses a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC) 3D organoid model of fetal brain development, also referred to as mini-brains. The Litwa Lab currently has funding from the NCSU Center for Human Health and the Environment as well as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health for her project. Riley hopes to publish her first paper from this project this summer.

Outside of the lab, Riley enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, friends, and her two dogs Bella and Sadie. She also enjoys cooking and baking and has recently begun sourdough bread making with a starter her father says is nearly 15 years old. So far, her favorite thing to make with her sourdough starter has been vanilla overnight pancakes.