ECU names 2025 Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Award recipients
Lauded for their genuine compassion, bold leadership and mission-centered initiative, five East Carolina University students have been honored as the 2025 recipients of the Robert H. Wright Leadership Award by the ECU Alumni Association.
Hannah Blackburn, Christine Chan, Alessio Fratarcangeli, Alexander R. Fisher and Jethro Libutan have each been recognized as exemplars of Servire and honored for the impact they have made at ECU. The award is one of the most prestigious given to undergraduate seniors. It is named for Wright, the first president of East Carolina Teachers Training School and East Carolina Teachers College.
The recipients honor his legacy of using leadership to influence positive change through their academic achievement, integrity and service. The students will be recognized at ECU’s spring commencement ceremony on May 9.
“These exceptional student leaders embody everything we hold dear at ECU and uphold the legacy of our university’s first president. They represent the best of ECU through their academic achievements. And they are service-led change agents on campus and in the region,” said Amanda Murer, associate vice chancellor for alumni relations.
Hannah Blackburn
Blackburn, an Honors College student from Lumberton, will graduate from the College of Engineering and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in engineering with a biomedical concentration.
Following graduation, Hannah Blackburn plans to work in biotechnology, medical device research and development in Research Triangle Park.
In 2022, Blackburn founded the ECU Chapter of the Helping Hand Project (HHP) and served as president for two years before supporting the group in an advisory role. She has overseen the creation of 3D-printed assistive devices and collaborated with national HHP chapters to foster local community engagement. Blackburn has been involved in leadership with the Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi, Society of Women Engineers and the Biomedical Engineering Society throughout her time at ECU.
In nominating her, Chris Venters, associate professor, Department of Engineering, said Blackburn has made significant contributions to research and institutional service and continually strives to leave the university better than it was before she arrived.
“Hannah’s impact on ECU and the broader community is substantial. It is her passion, compassion and resolve to be a force of good in the world that really set her above most,” he said. “She embodies the phrase ‘lead through example’ and ECU’s motto, ‘Servire.’”
Blackburn said the support she received from across ECU to support the Helping Hands Project inspires her and gives her hope for the future collaboration between health care, technology, design and research to advance opportunities to improve the quality of life for all people.
Blackburn said ECU has provided a firm foundation that has allowed her and others to leap into the next phase of life with confidence and compassion. “This is a place where students walk alongside each other, instructors light the path ahead, and community members engage brilliant minds to help us serve each other and grow together,” she said.
After graduation, she plans to work in biotechnology, medical device research and development in Research Triangle Park.
Christine Chan
Chan, a Brinkley-Lane Scholar and Ernest F. Hollings Scholar from Holly Springs, will graduate from Thomas Harriott College of Arts and Science with degrees in biology and environmental studies.
Christine Chan is a Brinkley-Lane Scholar and Ernest F. Hollings Scholar from Holly Springs, NC.
During her time at ECU, Chan has been committed to understanding and addressing environmental issues and inspiring her community to actively protect the environment. She serves as a Campus Fellow for the North Carolina Conservation Network, collecting over 200 petitions advocating for increased wetland protection.
In nominating Chan, Dr. Rebecca Asch, associate professor, Department of Biology, described her “great potential to become one of the next leaders in ocean conservation science.”
“Christine stands out as probably the brightest, most independent and most competent undergraduate student with whom I have worked,” Asch said. “She has developed a vast amount of research experience in her time at ECU working in five labs on six projects.”
Asch said she was immediately impressed by Chan’s proactive, highly organized style and insightful questions. One example came during a research project where Chan took the initiative to write a proposal on her own to the ECU Water Scholars Program to garner support for the research. The successful proposal allowed for the purchase of a new laboratory computer with a high-resolution LCD that expanded the number of students who could work on processing Zooscan images at a given time.
“Being surrounded by so many incredible, high-achieving people at ECU has made me so proud to be a Pirate,” Chan said. “I’ve found inspiration in the accomplishments of my classmates, and they’ve pushed me to be the best version of myself. I made some great friends at ECU, and I know I’ll always have them in my corner in the next phase of my life.”
After graduation, Chan plans to work in marine science, focusing on education and outreach, and prepare for graduate school.
Alessio Fratarcangeli
Fratarcangeli, of Wake Forest, will earn a Bachelor of Science in biology from Thomas Harriott College of Arts and Sciences.
Alessio Fratarcangeli will attend the ECU Brody School of Medicine as a Brody Scholar this fall.
Among numerous roles, Fratarcangeli has served as the program coordinator for the Department of Nutrition’s Farm 2 Clinic program. He also has served as an undergraduate assistant and lead tutor at the Pirate Academic Success Center assisting more than 500 students in his roles.
“Alessio is ‘Servire,’ the mission statement of ECU,” Dr. Lauren Sastre said, in nominating Fratarcangeli. “He embodies this fully and steps up to ensure the work get’s done that would benefit others, especially the medically underserved, with no hesitation.”
Sastre, assistant professor, Department of Nutrition, said the focus of the Wright award could not be more aligned with the accomplishments, leadership and genuine service of Fratarcangeli.
“Alessio is one of the most humble, high-achieving students I have ever met,” she said. “He also sincerely cares – and people can tell.”
Fratarcangeli said he is most proud of ECU’s impact on eastern North Carolina.
“Interacting with people from all over the state as a patient escort volunteer at ECU Health, or providing free health, nutrition and culinary education through Fresh Start, I always hear about how much ECU and its Pirates have made such a positive impact on their lives,” he said. “This sentiment has been a major reason for what attracted me to ECU in the first place.”
Fratarcangeli will attend the Brody School of Medicine as a Brody Scholar in August.
Alexander Fisher
Fisher, an Honors College student from Hickory, will earn a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Thomas Harriott College of Arts and Sciences.
Fisher will pursue a career in medicine later this fall.
Fisher helped create ECU’s first Campus EMS agency, which responds to 911 emergencies on campus, staffs sporting events and provides emergency education. Additionally, working with the Compress and Shock Foundation, Alex has trained over 1,200 people in bystander CPR and has given out 45 free AEDs to underserved communities in eastern North Carolina.
Ellen Goldberg, associate director for clinical operations, ECU Student Health Services, describes Fisher as the most impressive student she’s had the pleasure of knowing at ECU.
“Alex exudes leadership, and I knew from the very first meeting that he holds values of honor, competence, excellence, teamwork, and an exceptional work ethic in everything he does,” said Goldberg. “From the first time we met, when he first proposed a Campus EMS project in the beginning of 2024, to the countless meetings, discussions, planning sessions, collaborations and events we have shared, I am continually impressed and in awe of his maturity, leadership, dedication and especially his initiative to make his campus and community a better place.”
Fisher said the fierce commitment to service exhibited by the entire ECU community makes him proud to be a Pirate.
“At ECU it’s never about the success of an individual, but rather the success of the entire region which breeds a community of people focused on serving others,” Fisher said. “As someone beginning a career in medicine, my experiences at ECU and in the region of eastern North Carolina have taught me the transformative power that strong community ties can have on an individual’s health journey.”
After graduation, Fisher will attend the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and be commissioned in the United States Navy.
Jethro Libutan
Libutan, a Brinkley-Lane Scholar from Durham, will graduate from the College of Engineering and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a minor in music.
Jethro Libutan is a Brinkley-Lane Scholar from Durham, NC.
Keiko Sekino, associate professor of piano, served as advisor for Libutan’s signature honors project exploring connection between music and mathematics through study and performance of classical piano repertoire. She describes Libutan as a gifted student, whose interests and abilities come into a singular focus through his wish to make positive impact in the world and to contribute to efforts in community building and addressing socioeconomic inequalities.
“It is a joy to work with someone with Jethro’s combination of innate musicality and intellectual gifts to prepare for a recital of classical solo piano repertoire,” she said. “Jethro has exhibited exceptional leadership qualities across many disciplines and has applied his technical and marketing expertise, creative knowledge and community-building skills to make positive impact.”
Among his accomplishments at ECU, Libutan served as the student lead on a $1.2 million U.S. Army-funded research project focused on developing a new airdrop database and website to improve mission planning for the 82nd Airborne Division.
“What makes me most proud to be an ECU Pirate is knowing that I’ve been able to make a meaningful impact through the work I’ve done here,” Libutan said. “It’s always been a life goal of mine to positively impact the communities I’m part of — that’s why I wanted to go into tech in the first place: to build things that make a positive impact in the world.”
Libutan said he has had the opportunity to work on projects that pushed him both technically and creatively at ECU. “Those experiences will definitely motivate and comfort me moving forward,” he said.
After graduation, he aims to work at a mission-driven company that strives to make a positive impact on the world.