Two Historic NC State Athletes Announced as Recipients of the ACC UNITE Award

RALEIGH – Two former NC State athletes, Dr. Marcus Martin and Charece Williams, have been chosen as recipients of the Atlantic Coast Conference UNITE Award, as announced by the conference office on Thursday Oct. 20. 

About the Award

The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC’s Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE – Champions of Racial Equity) and was developed and approved by its 15 member institutions.  

 

The UNITE Award will be presented annually to individuals who:

• Best exemplify ACC CORE’s mission to promote and encourage racial equity and social justice through education, partnerships, engagement and advocacy;
• Have helped create meaningful, lasting change by improving systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes;
• Have been a pioneer and/or helped pave the way for minorities either at the institution or in the community

Dr. Marcus Martin (Football)
Martin was the first African American football player for the Pack and was a defensive back for the program from 1967 to 1969. After graduating with two bachelor’s degrees from NC State, he went on to become the first African American graduate of the charter class at Eastern Virginia Medical School. 

Martin currently serves as the University Vice President and Chief Officer of Diversity at the University of Virginia. He has been in the role since 2011. Prior to that, he was a professor and former chair for UVA’s Department of Emergency Medicine. 

Charece Williams Gee (Volleyball)

Williams Gee was a member of the Pack volleyball program from 1998 to 2001. She still ranks in the top ten for several program records – kills in a single match, kills per set, kills in a single season, sets played. 

After graduating from NC State, she went on to earn her graduate degree from the University of  Central Florida. From there, she started her astonishing career as a businesswoman in the sports industry. 

Currently the Senior Director/Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Under Armor, Williams Gee previously held other leadership roles at PepsiCo, National Basketball Retired Players Association and Wasserman Media Group. She also serves on the board for several other organizations. 

She is credited for helping to elevate the WNBA and different initiatives that have occurred over the last few years. 

#GoPack 

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