Delta Lambda visits Battle Grove Elementary
Brothers from the Delta Lambda Chapter visited Battle Grove Elementary School on Feb. 28 to celebrate the conclusion of Black History Month with students in a variety of grade levels. Brothers visited classrooms to read, speak and share with youth in a school with African Americans exceeding 20% of its total enrollment, but which features no male teachers or African American staff members.
The event was coordinated by Bro. Dante Merrell [Nu Mu Lambda, 11'] a life member of the fraternity, non-profit executive, and entrepreneur who counts the school among his clientele for vending machine servicing.
"Since I am the only black male walking into the school, the administration approached me for help. In turn and without a second thought, "Servants of All" I knew and hoped the brothers of Delta Lambda would heed the call," he said.
Battle Grove serves students in grades K-5 from the Dundalk area of Baltimore County. Leaders at the school expressed appreciation for the chapter's engagement during the annual celebration of Black history and achievement.
"Your willingness to give your time and service is greatly appreciated. Your support of Battle Grove Elementary allows us to continue to fulfill our mission to foster the independence, critical thinking, and creativity of a diverse community of learners so they are fully prepared to become confident, responsible leaders who change the world," said Courtney Warlick, Battle Grove Community School Facilitator in a letter of appreciation to the chapter. "Not only does your work support our organization, but it also supports our entire community."
Delta Lambda is an active participant in Alpha Phi Alpha's national 'Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College' educational initiative, which connects brothers to youth in communities surrounding active chapters to provide information, modeling and engagement in educational access.
Bro. Jelani C. Zarif awarded prestigious Johns Hopkins endowed professorship
Bro. Jelani C. Zarif, a 2008 initiate of the Kappa Delta Lambda chapter in Lansing, MI, was appointed last month as a Robert E. Meyerhoff endowed professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The five-year professorship supports two junior faculty members who have demonstrated sustained scientific excellence and are committed to enhancing opportunities for underrepresented groups in the field.
Dr. Zarif is an Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. The Zarif laboratory studies molecular mechanisms by immune cells within the tumor microenvironment that ultimately promote tumor growth, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis. The Zarif laboratory also focuses on discovering and investigating new biomarkers that may be expressed on myeloid cells known as macrophages that could predict clinical response to standard-of-care treatments for prostate cancer.
A Chicago native, Dr. Zarif obtained both his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Jackson State University and then earned his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Michigan State University. He then completed two post-doctoral fellowships at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has been the recipient of several research awards, including the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s Young Investigator award, The Patrick C. Walsh Prostate Cancer Research Fund, the Department of Defense Translational Research award, and the NCI K22 Career Transition award.
Delta Lambda continues Thanksgiving tradition of service in Baltimore City
Brothers of the Delta Lambda Chapter in Baltimore City anchored two time-honored Thanksgiving traditions in Baltimore City in November, serving as hosts for an annual dinner prepared for residents of a women's shelter and as food preparation volunteers at a renowned family outreach center. Brothers acted as servers, clean-up staff, and greeters for Marian House residents on Nov. 20.
The annual event, which began in 2008 and was only interrupted by public health restrictions in 2020 and 2021, fed more than 125 women conquering homelessness, abuse, addiction, and other challenges. Two days later, the Brothers helped to collect and prepare food items for the annual 'Pans and Cans' event.
This event, coordinated by the National Pan Hellenic Council of Metropolitan Baltimore, supported an annual city tradition of older adults and other vulnerable residents with a 41-year history of impact.