Wildcats,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural edition of Head, Heart, & Hand, the President’s Monthly Newsletter of Bethune-Cookman University. And what better time to launch than during Homecoming Week, when Wildcats near and far come home to celebrate the University we love.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune believed in educating the whole person, developing the mind, cultivating the heart, and preparing our hands for meaningful service. That legacy lives today through our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the impact Wildcats are making around the world.

I am grateful for your continued connection to B-CU. I welcome you home, and I invite you to deepen your commitment to our University and the future we are building together.

Head, Heart, & Hand gives us a new way to celebrate our people, share our progress, and tell B-CU’s stories throughout the year.

As we continue B-CU Rising: All of Us. All In., Homecoming celebrates how far we have come and reminds us of what we can accomplish together.

So, come home. Reconnect. And recommit to what comes next.

Together, we honor our legacy. Together, we shape our future. Together, B-CU Rises.

Welcome Home, Wildcats!

Dr. Ruth Ann Smith embodies B-CU’s tradition of excellence through teaching, scholarship, and service. The tenured Associate Professor of Hospitality Management has led curriculum development, accreditation, mentorship, and innovative teaching initiatives, including selection for the UNCF Teaching + Learning Center’s AI+ Pedagogy Faculty Fellows Program.

For Dr. Smith, hospitality begins with people. “It’s about care. It’s about providing those memorable and meaningful experiences to others,” she shares. Dean Ida D. Wright describes her as “a transformational teacher, a productive scholar, and a tireless servant.”

Dr. Smith embodies head, heart, and hand by preparing students to think critically, care deeply, and put learning into action.

Staff | Ms. Lillie Wiggins 

For nearly 40 years, Ms. Lillie Wiggins has been part of Bethune-Cookman University’s institutional fabric. As Director of Accounts Payable, she has served generations of employees and helped keep the University moving, often through work few people ever see.

During one Homecoming, when incorrect banking information threatened an artist’s performance, Ms. Wiggins stayed late into the night helping resolve the issue so students could enjoy the event as planned. Vice President and CFO James Cleveland says, “She has helped countless employees by going above and beyond year after year.”

Her story reminds us that being All In sometimes means doing whatever is necessary, even when no one is watching.

Brandon E. Philpot is putting his B-CU education to work before he even graduates. 

After recognizing a challenge students face when residence halls close for the summer, 
the Business Administration senior launched CampusCrate Moving & Storage, creating a student-run solution offering pickup, climate-controlled storage, and fall re-delivery. 

His entrepreneurial journey also includes growing a family business, participating in national internships, and completing competitive business programs. As Dean Ida D. Wright shared, “Brandon represents exactly what a B-CU business education is meant to produce: a student who does not wait for permission to build something, and who builds it for his own community first.”

That is the head, heart, and hand in action.