N.C. A&T Graduate College Honors Three Distinguished Alumni in Hall of Fame

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Graduate College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has inducted three distinguished alumni into its Hall of Fame, recognizing their outstanding contributions to their professions and communities.

The 2026 inductees are Laklieshia Izzard '07, Ed.D., Kanton T. Reynolds '97, '14, Ph.D., and Karl Ricanek Jr. '92, '93, '99, Ph.D.

Dr. Laklieshia Izzard: Mental Health Champion

Izzard, founder and CEO of Shekinah Counseling LLC in Oxford, Georgia, earned her M.S. in mental health counseling from N.C. A&T's College of Education. Known as "Dr. Izzy," she is a Licensed Professional Counselor and author recognized nationally for her mental health expertise.

Her impressive accolades include:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Georgia 2024 DEi Executive Director's Award
• 2021 Leadership and Advocacy Award from the American Counseling Association
• 2022 One Newton Award for service to diverse populations
• 2025 Legislative DEi Community Award from Georgia Sen. Tonya Anderson

She currently serves on the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health Advisory Council, appointed by the Newton County Board of Commissioners.

Dr. Kanton T. Reynolds: Educational Leader and Global Scholar

Reynolds serves as undergraduate programs director for the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University. He earned both his M.S. in industrial engineering and Ph.D. in leadership studies from A&T.

His international experience includes serving as a graduate intern with the U.S. Embassy Lilongwe and working as a graduate researcher at The Carter Center on political and human rights issues in Malawi and Sudan. Reynolds was selected for the prestigious Fulbright-Hays Program, spending time in Colombia in 2024 building sustainable academic partnerships.

At NC State, he is a distinguished Park Faculty Scholar and co-leads summer study abroad programs to Rwanda and the United Kingdom.

Dr.



Karl Ricanek Jr.: AI and Computer Vision Pioneer

Ricanek, professor of computer science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, earned three degrees from A&T: B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering with focus on AI and machine learning-computer vision, graduating summa cum laude.

An internationally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision, his pioneering research has produced multiple patents and over 90 peer-reviewed publications. As co-founder and former CEO of Lapetus Solutions, he delivered breakthrough AI solutions for insurance and financial services.

He serves as director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Identity Sciences and is a senior member of both the National Academy of Inventors and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Growing Legacy of Excellence

"Our inductees represent the very best of graduate education - scholars, leaders, innovators and change agents whose work has made a meaningful difference in their professions, their communities, and the world," said Clay Gloster '85, '88, Ph.D., dean of The Graduate College.

The Graduate College Strategic Advisory Board established the Hall of Fame during the 2021-22 academic year. Crystal W. Boyce '15 and Siobahn Day Grady '18, Ph.D., became the hall's inaugural members last year.

The Graduate College now has more than 10,000 alumni and enrolled more than 2,000 students for the 2025-26 academic year. N.C. A&T awarded its first graduate degree in 1941 and received approval for its first doctoral programs in electrical and mechanical engineering in 1993.