Pirate Profile Archives

A woman in a lavender blouse stands on a gray, brick sidewalk between two buildings with grass and trees in the background.
Aug 03, 2026
  • Ken Buday

Staff: Hailey DeSutter

As a college freshman at East Carolina University, Hailey DeSutter may not have known what she wanted to do for her career. But her mother sure knew. Now, 10 years...

Aug 03, 2026
  • Alondra Martinez

Student: Abigail Smith

Abigail Smith, a senior in ECU’s College of Education, is preparing to become a second grade teacher. Smith has built classroom experience through coursework, volunteering and a STEM educator role...

A young woman with long blonde hair wearing a navy dress stands smiling in front of lush green shrubs on East Carolina University’s campus. Text reads
Jul 14, 2026
  • Alondra Martinez

Student: Greta Bublitz

Bublitz is a chemistry and German studies double major on track to attend the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She researches a noninvasive cancer treatment approach using magnetic nanoparticles in...

A Pirate Profiles graphic featuring an ECU employee seated in the stands at Clark-LeClair Stadium overlooking the baseball field. The left side of the image displays the Pirate Profiles logo on a purple textured background with a yellow star accent, while the right side shows the employee smiling toward the camera with the baseball diamond and
Jul 09, 2026
  • Benjamin Abel

Staff: Lisa Ormond

In most organizations, there is always that one person who holds things together. For the College of Nursing, that person is Lisa Ormond. Ormond is from Snow Hill, which is...

Pirate Profiles title graphic featuring a smiling healthcare professional in blue scrubs standing in a hospital hallway with a stethoscope around her neck. The graphic includes the
Jul 01, 2026
  • Alondra Martinez

Student: Sandra Okeke Bates

For Sandra Okeke Bates, nursing is about more than bedside care. It is about transforming systems to better serve patients on a larger scale. A student in East Carolina University’s...

A woman with long blonde hair smiles while seated outdoors in a children's play area. Behind her are a wooden playhouse, fencing and trees. The
Jun 16, 2026
  • Crystal Baity

Staff: Tawni Mosley

Tawni Mosley had a running joke about her name with her father. Mosley grew up in Bangor, Pennsylvania, where her father worked in factories (think Billy Joel’s “Allentown” anthem). When...

A woman in a white coat stands smiling inside a campus building with large windows and brick columns in the background. To her left is a “Pirate Profiles” graphic featuring ECU branding elements, including a purple-and-gold pennant and radiating white lines.
May 22, 2026
  • Spaine Stephens

Faculty: Acela Martinez

Dr. Acela Martinez has made a name for herself in the global periodontology community — but right here at home, she helps bring the mission of the East Carolina University...

A smiling woman wearing a white ECU School of Dental Medicine coat stands outdoors in front of a campus building and trees. A “Pirate Profiles” graphic with a gold pennant flag appears beside her.
May 18, 2026
  • Spaine Stephens

Student: Samantha Yarboro

Among a sea of blue scrubs, each member of the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine’s Class of 2027 has carved his or her own path, making a unique...

Smiling ECU medical student Maya Parker stands outdoors near a fountain and trees, wearing a white coat with a stethoscope around her neck. The coat features the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine logo. A “Pirate Profiles” graphic appears to the right, highlighting her story as a future surgeon.
Apr 28, 2026
  • Alondra Martinez

Student: Maya Parker

For Maya Parker, the journey to medicine has been anything but linear. It is a path shaped by creativity, curiosity and a deep sense of purpose rooted in her upbringing...

Apr 20, 2026
  • Alondra Martinez

Student: Savannah Perry

Savannah Perry found her way to East Carolina University after realizing she needed a change. After beginning her college journey elsewhere, she chose to transfer closer to home and closer...