C-USA Championship Tailgate

The Gridiron Pirates have done it again...clinched their second straight Conference USA East Division title and will host the Houston Cougars this Saturday at 12 noon in the C-USA Championship game. Celebrate the Pirates this Saturday at a pregame tailgate! Join the Alumni Association and Pirate Club from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. outside Gate 1 of Minges Coliseum at ECU's Athletic Complex for a joint tailgate prior to the game. Tickets are $15 per person and children 12 and under are free. Register online, fax the completed registration form to 252-328-4369, or call the Alumni Association at 800-ECU-GRAD to order tickets. Purchased tickets can be picked up at the Alumni Center at 901 East Fifth Street on Friday, December 4 from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. Tickets can also be picked up beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the tailgate location on Saturday, December 5. Parker's Barbecue will provide barbecue, fried chicken, Brunswick stew, boiled potatoes, hush puppies, and sweet tea. ARAMARK will offer egg and sausage casserole, cheese biscuits, bacon, breakfast potatoes, and fresh fruit, as well as coffee and hot chocolate. Minges Bottling Group, R.A. Jeffreys, and Mutual Distributing will provide plenty of Pirate beverages. Mr. Beach will provide live entertainment and there will be games for children and raffle prizes. Tickets for this special tailgate will sell out quickly, so purchase yours today! Go Pirates!

1 Year to Achieve 10,000-Member Goal

With 2010 just around the corner, the East Carolina Alumni Association is growing ever closer to achieving our 10,000 in 2010 membership goal. Membership in the Alumni Association means that you support the programs and services of your Alumni Association, which connect all members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University. Members also receive benefits such as discounted pricing on many alumni events, savings on goods and services, and of course the pride in knowing you support the University we all love. Make your tax-deductible membership contribution to help us reach 10,000 in 2010! Join today!

President Obama's Senior Campaign Advisor to Speak at ECU

Betsy Myers, a senior advisor to Barack Obama's presidential campaign, will present "Leadership and the Moments that Matter" in Wright Auditorium on Tuesday, January 26 at 3:00 p.m. The event, which is part of ECU's College of Business Cunanan Leadership Speaker Series, is free and open to the public. Myers has served in executive leadership positions in the public sector for more than two decades. Most recently, she was chief operating officer for Barack Obama's presidential campaign and represented the campaign as chair of women for Obama. Prior to this appointment, she was executive director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. She also served as President Clinton's senior advisor on women's issues and was the first director of the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach from 1995-1997. Please visit www.betsymyers.com for more information about Myers.

Pirate Career Calls

Knowing the right person could positively affect your job search. In this month's Pirate Career Call on Thursday, December 3, learn how to make those vital career connections. This month's Career Call: Build Your Personal and Professional Networks - Thursday, December 3 at noon, via teleconference Next month's Career Call: Taking Advantage of Development Opportunities in Your Workplace - Thursday, January 7 at noon, via teleconference Pirate Career Calls are a collaboration among the Alumni Association, ECU's Career Center, and ECU's Human Resources.

A Pirate's Life for Me!

The Alumni Association's half-hour radio program A Pirate's Life for Me! will take a break during the month of December. But we'll be back in January with all new episodes and interviews with ECU alumni doing great things in their careers and communities. Be sure to join us the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month at 6:00 p.m. ET on Pirate Radio 1250 & 930 AM or online anywhere in the Pirate Nation at PirateRadio1250.com.

Celebrate 50 Years of Sorority Life at ECU

Celebrate 50 years of sorority life at East Carolina the weekend of March 19-21, 2010. Join fellow alumnae and special guests as we pay homage to treasured traditions and lifelong connections that sorority women share. There will be a number of student and alumnae events that focus on each organization's unique attributes as well as the collective impact of sororities on Greek life at ECU. Mark your calendars and look for details soon.

Volunteer to be a Regional Contact

Volunteers are an essential component of the Alumni Association and we're looking for a few dedicated alumni to serve as regional contacts in the following areas:     Across the Pirate Nation: California Massachusetts South Carolina Texas     In North Carolina: Beaufort County Carteret Couty Harnett County Jacksonville Johnston County Martin County Pasquotank County Rocky Mount Wilson County Winston-Salem A Regional Contact's primary role is to respond to those ECU alumni and friends that reach out to you in order to stay connected with the University and fellow alumni in your area. We also encourage all of our Regional Contacts to attend alumni events in their area whenever possible and to assist the Alumni Association in planning at least one local event each year. Contact Kendra Alexander at 800-ECU-GRAD to become a Regional Contact today!

CBS College Sports

The newest feature on ECUPirates.com is online auctions! Bid now on used memorabilia, rare collectibles, fan experiences, and much more! And don't forget that Pirates All-Access is your online headquarters for the most comprehensive coverage of East Carolina sports. Get the games, highlights, press conferences, and coach's shows you want—all in one place! Subscribe now! Click here for more CBS College Sports. Tune in—the game is on!

Pirate Alumni on Twitter

Positive Pace: ECU fundraising reflects region's support...[More] Eric Gabriel '01 of abc45 is covering the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build in Lexington, NC...[More] Winter issue of East magazine now available online...[More]

Event Photos

Alumni Tailgate - VT vs. ECU - November 5 Football Game - VT vs. ECU - November 5 Networking Breakfast - Greensboro, NC - November 12 Alumni Tailgate - UAB vs. ECU - November 21 Football Game - UAB vs. ECU - November 21 Alumni Tailgate - Southern Miss vs. ECU - November 28 Football Game - Southern Miss vs. ECU - November 28

Mary Beth Barrow '02 


Mary Beth Barrow '02 has returned to North Carolina Sea Grant as the organization's newest fiscal officer. After a few years away, Barrow is happy to be back at Sea Grant. "I really enjoyed being here before, but I left to gain more knowledge in the grant and financing fields," Barrow said. "It's good to be back." As fiscal officer, Barrow's responsibilities include managing money that comes into Sea Grant — all state and federal money, and grants or proposals associated with those funds.

Headquartered at North Carolina State University, Sea Grant is an inter-institutional program within the University of North Carolina system, which includes East Carolina University. Sea Grant provides research, education and outreach opportunities relating to current issues affecting the North Carolina coast and its communities. Its initiatives and projects touch a broad range of topics, including fisheries, seafood science and technology, water quality, aquaculture, community development, law and policy, and coastal hazards.

Originally from Wake Forest, Barrow graduated from East Carolina with a bachelor of science in political science and a minor in business administration.

Yvonne Pearce '82


Yvonne Pearce '82 lives and breathes purple and gold. As secretary of the East Carolina Alumni Association Board of Directors, Pearce is actively involved in advancing the mission of the Alumni Association to inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University. "To me, the most important thing about the Alumni Association is the impact thousands of alumni can have on the University as a whole. The Alumni Association is the conduit through which the voices of our alumni are heard for the continued prosperity of the University, and I feel that the ideas generated within the Alumni Association can be disseminated to others in the University community."

Pearce also volunteers for the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center as a member of its Advisory Board. "I have helped bring about positive changes through promoting the spirit of ECU to alumni and friends, and assisting in the evaluation of new programs and initiatives."

Pearce received her East Carolina degree in social work and is employed at the Walter B. Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Greenville, NC. She and her husband Howard are Forever Pirate members of the Alumni Association.

Interested in volunteering for the Alumni Association? Contact Kendra Alexander at 800-ECU-GRAD.