1990-1999
President James V. Koch, left and Board of Visitors member Dr. Hugo A. Owens, circa 1990-1994. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1990: Dr. Hugo A. Owens, a retired dentist, former teacher, and former NAACP chapter president, is named a member of Old Dominion's Board of Visitors. From 1992-1994, Dr. Owens served as the first African American Rector at Old Dominion
1990: President James V. Koch initiates the President Graduate Fellowship to increase the number of miniority and female faculty in underrepresented fields at ODU. In exchange for ODU covering expenses to pursue a doctoral degree, the receipient agrees to serve for three years in a tenure-track faculty position at ODU
Fall 1990: ODU offers a bachelor of art in international studies for the first time
October 1990: The Black Student Alliance student organization is established
Between 1990 and 1991: ODU's non-discriminatory policy is updated to include discrimination based on sexual orientation
Speaker at Breaking the Ice, 1992. Source ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
February 1991: Breaking the Ice, an event co-sponsored by the Hampton Roads Lesbian and Gay Pride Coalition and the Old Dominion Gay and Lesbian Student Union to draw attention to LGBTQIA+ issues, debuts on campus
March 1991: ODU's sexual harassment policy is changed to include same-sex harassment
Oliver Purnell and Ross McCallum during an interview, March 1991. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
March 1991: Oliver Purnell, one of the stars of the men’s basketball team from 1972-1975, returns to Old Dominion to become the first African American head coach of the Men's Basketball team
September 1991: The Filipino American Student Association (FASA) is established at Old Dominion
December 1991: Alicia Coburn becomes the first woman to go from Old Dominion University Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps to pilot training
Hugo A. Owens African-American Cultural Center, 1997. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1991: The African American Cultural Center, which is later renamed the Hugo A. Owens African American Cultural Center after the first African American Rector of the Board of Visitors, opens
1991: Regula Meier becomes the first female Chair of Foreign Languages and Lieteratures (later World Languages and Cultures)
Jo Ann Gora, circa 1990-1999. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1992: Jo Ann Gora is hired as Old Dominion's first female provost, and in 1995, she served as acting president when James V. Koch took a leave of absence for a semester. This made her the first female to assume the president's role at Old Dominion
1992: Gregory Selby becomes the first African-American from ODU to receive the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Outstanding Faculty Award
Kay Kemper, circa 1992-1996. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1992: Kay Kemper becomes the first female vice president at Old Dominion, leading University Relations until 1996
1992: During the 1992-1993 academic year, the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) first appears as an organization in the school yearbook
1992: The Gay and Lesbian Faculty Group, an interest group for gay and lesbian faculty and staff at ODU, is established
Cecelia Tucker, Assistant to the President for Community Relations, circa 1992-1999. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1992: Founded by Cecelia Tucker, Assistant to the President for Community Relations, Old Dominion establishes the Lambert's Point Summer Program, offering educational, recreational, and employment opportunities to children form the nearby, low-income Lambert's Point neighborhood of Norfolk
1992: The student population during the 1992-1993 academic year is approximately 51% male and 49% female with approximately 18% of the student body identifying themselves as non-Caucasian. International students make up approximately 4% of the student body
Gay Lesbian Bisexual Students and Allies Group Photo, 1997. Source: Laureate, 1997.
1993: The Gay and Lesbian Student Union (GLSU) changes its name to Gay Lesbian Bisexual Students and Allies (GLBSA) in an effort to be more inclusive
Fall 1993: There are 41 African American faculty members at ODU at this time
A classroom teleconference being broadcast to remote locations as part of the TELETECHNET program. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1994: Old Dominion launches its pioneering TELETECHNET distance learning program, offering a way for students to take courses from their home via television broadcasts; The International Hall of Rogers Hall Annex debuts, allowing Americans and international students to room together
August 1, 1994: A day care center for ODU faculty and staff with children opens in the former Career Development Services building off 48th Street
Mundo Hispano Group Photo, 1997. Source: Laureate, 1997.
1994: Mundo Hispano, a social organization for Hispanics at Old Dominion, makes its debut in the 1995 school yearbook
1994: Old Dominion becomes the first state-assisted school in Virginia to offer a bachelor's degree in women's studies
1994: Petra Snowden becomes the first female Chair of Educational Leadership and Counseling
Samantha Salvia, first Old Dominion Rhodes Scholar, circa 1995. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
Donna Evans, 2nd from left, at AT&T Room Opening, circa 1990-1999. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1995: Samantha Salvia, an engineering major, becomes the first Old Dominion student to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. While at Old Dominion, Salvia excelled in both academics and athletics, having won a national title and part of the U.S. Field Hockey national team
1995: During the 1995-1996 academic year, the Black Student Alliance first appears in the school yearbook
1995: Jo Ann Gora serves as Acting Presidnet of Old Dominion when James V. Koch takes a leave of absense for a semester. This made her the first female to assume the president's role at ODU
July 1, 1995: Donna Evans becomes the first African American female dean at Old Dominion, becoming the Dean of the Darden College of Education
Construction work on the Dragas International Center, circa 1994-1996. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
1996: Named in honor of former Rector of the Old Dominion Board of Visitors and alumnus George Dragas, Jr. ('56) and his brother, Marcus, the Dragas International Center opens, helping to serve Old Dominion's growing international student population. After the building was razed to make room for expansion to Foreman Field, the center moved to the former Hughes Hall on Kaufman Mall and was rededicated as Dragas Hall in 2008
1996: Karen Gould becomes the first full-time female Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Janet Katz served as interim dean from 1995 to 1996
1996: The Women’s Center introduces the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development
August 1996: ODU debuts the Weekend College, offering students the chance to take classes on Saturdays for the first time
1997: Old Dominion becomes one of the first institutions in the country to offer live classes via satellite to Navy ships at sea as part of their "Ships at Sea" program
Spring 1998: Student Association of China is renamed the Chinese Student and Scholar Association
1998: The Global Certificate Program, designed to develop an appreciation of and to assist international students and researchers on the Old Dominion campus, is established
1998: Sharifa Charlery becomes the first African American female study body president
1998: Chandra da Silva becomes the first known chair of Asian descent in the History Department
Asian Pacific American Student Union Group Photo, 2000. Source: Laureate, 2000.
October 1998: The Asian Pacific American Student Union is established
Opening of the Filipino-American Student Cultural Center, December 1998. Source: ODU Photographic Collection, RG 32, Special Collections and University Archives.
December 1998: The Filipino American Student Cultural Center opens its doors
1999: By 1999, over 1/3 of the student population is composed of African Americans, Filipino Americans, Asian Americans, and international students
1999: Dana Heller becomes the first female Chair of Humanities
January 1999: The Multicultural Student Services Office organizes the first Black Male Summit, a forum for students to discuss the status of African American males on campus and how they relate to the classroom, academia, and future job opportunities
March 1999: The Men about Progress, and African American student organization, is established but changes its name to Minds about Progress two years later
April 1999: The Korean-American Student Association is established
July 1999: Old Dominion formalizes its partnership with Norfolk's Armed Forces Staff College to collaborate on graduate internships, faculty exchanges and the joint sponsorship of symposia