EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, RESEARCH

2014 TSU Small Farms Expo and Farmer of the Year Recognition Expected to Draw More than 400 on August 17

2014_SmallFarmExpo_SocialMedia

NASHVILLE (TSU News Service) – About 400 agricultural experts, farmers and officials from across Tennessee are expected to attend this year’s Small Farms Expo and Small Farmer of the Year Recognition program at Tennessee State University.

The Expo, hosted by the TSU College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences Cooperative Extension Program, opens on Thursday, July 17, at the Agricultural Research and Education Center on the main campus.

Sponsors include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, University of Tennessee Extension, the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Farm Services Bureau, among others.

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Hydroponic farming, the process of producing crop without the benefit of water, was one of the major highlights of the 2013 Small Farms Expo. Here graduate students explain the process to visitors during the exhibition. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Featured research and discussions will focus on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in corn croplands, enhancing sustainable production of bioenergy crops, pigeon pea production for limited resources farmers of Tennessee, and enhancing plant protection against fungal diseases and environmental stresses. Workshops will include organic vegetable production techniques, pesticide handling and safety, honey production and extraction techniques, new equipment technologies for small producers, and soil and plant tissue sampling, among others.

How to fund your operation, the do’s and don’ts of organizing and managing a community garden, as well as how small farmers can move their operation into the Internet age will also be discussed.

According to organizers, the Expo will be highlighted by the Small Farmer Recognition and Award ceremony that will include the President of TSU, Dr. Glenda Glover; Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Julius Johnson; the President of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, Dr. Tim Cross; and Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources.

More details on the Expo can be found at http://www.tnstate.edu/extension/smallfarmexpo.aspx

FACULTY, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Dr. Alex Sekwat, TSU Professor and Administrator, Returns as Interim Dean of Graduate Studies and Research

Dr. Alex Sekwat
Dr. Alex Sekwat

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dr. Alex Sekwat, a longtime TSU professor and administrator, has been named interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Sekwat, who joined Tennessee State University in 1994, returns to his former position as interim dean, an appointment he held from 2008-2012. During that time the graduate school saw tremendous growth including a 10 percent increase in enrollment.

A trained public administrator, Sekwat held many  administrative positions in non-governmental organizations prior to his pursuits in academia. In 1998-1999 he served as president of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration, and from 2008-2011 he was the treasurer of the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools.

Sekwat has published widely in the areas of public administration, public budgeting and financial management, and health care management, as well as presented his research at regional, national and international conferences. His current research interests span the areas of public budgeting, democratic governance, globalization, and healthcare reform.

Sekwat holds a bachelor of science degree in Economics/Business Administration from the University of Khartoum, a master’s degree in Public Administration from Arkansas State University, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University. He is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.

Sekwat will serve as interim dean until the appointment of a dean following the conclusion of a national search.

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

FACULTY, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

High Performance Computing and Materials Science Workshop Prepares Students for Opportunities at National Labs

NEW OFFICIAL DOE SEAL COLORNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Fourteen students from five universities around the nation are participating in a two-week workshop at Tennessee State University as part of a consortium to build a sustainable STEM pipeline between the U.S. Department of Energy labs and HBCUs.

The undergraduate and graduate students, who are mainly science and engineering majors, are receiving lectures and hands-on exposure to high-performance computing, structural modeling, computational materials physics and chemistry, and classical molecular dynamics.

According to Dr. Lizhi Ouyang, associate professor of Physics and coordinator of the workshop at TSU, the consortium is part of a new Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program of the National Nuclear Security Administration designed to expose students to state-of-the-art facilities and research.

“The MSIPP is designed to enrich the STEM capabilities of HBCUs in a sustainable manner that is aligned with the broad interest of DOE sites with emphasis on a career pipeline,” said Ouyang.

He said the partnership is the result of an MSIPP award to Prairie View A&M University to lead a research effort in Investigating and Characterizing Catalytic Activity in Novel Materials and Processes Using Computational Techniques.

Along with Prairie View A&M, the consortium includes the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, as well as TSU, Southern University, Allen University and Morehouse College, whose students are attending the workshop.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, welcomes participants from around the country to a two-week workshop at Tennessee State University as part of a consortium to build a sustainable STEM pipeline between the U.S. Department of Energy labs and HBCUs. (photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, welcomes participants from around the country to a two-week workshop at Tennessee State University as part of a consortium to build a sustainable STEM pipeline between the U.S. Department of Energy labs and HBCUs. (photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

In a welcome statement Monday, Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, spoke about the importance of research and education with a global emphasis. He said while the field of engineering offers many opportunities, the College also emphasizes that its graduates are well rounded and able to cope on the global scene.

“We want to graduate students who are well rounded and ready to work in any part of the world,” said Hargrove, citing many study and travel abroad opportunities afforded students in the College. “We want our graduates to be able to demonstrate their capability in any part of the world where they find the opportunity.”

Hargrove acquainted the visitors with program offerings in the College of Engineering, and encouraged them to take their workshop seriously, and the opportunity to learn from faculty members who are highly capable in their areas of discipline.

The workshop, which runs from July 7-18, is being held in the Research and Sponsored Programs Building.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Hosts Biofuel Technology Workshops For Local Students, Educators

Dr. Jason de Koff, assistant professor of Bioenergy Crop Production, instructs middle school students while they practice a handheld biofuel conversion. The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences hosted a series of Biofuel Technology workshops for tips, pointers and helpful information on teaching the emerging field of biofuels. (courtesy photo)
Dr. Jason de Koff, assistant professor of Bioenergy Crop Production, instructs middle school students while they practice a handheld biofuel conversion. The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences hosted a series of Biofuel Technology workshops for tips, pointers and helpful information on teaching the emerging field of biofuels. (courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences hosted a series of Biofuel Technology Workshops for middle and high school teachers and students June 30through July 3 on the campus of Tennessee State University. The project, led by Dr. Ahmad Naseer Aziz, associate professor of Molecular Genetics, was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The College is devoted to providing education to teachers and students in green technology through hands-on experiences and interaction with experts in the field,” said Dr. Jason de Koff, assistant professor of Bioenergy Crop Production, and one of several faculty members who led educational sessions as part of the workshops. “We plan to be active participants in training the next generation of scientists and advancing the state of Tennessee.”

Ten local educators attended the four-day teachers workshop for tips, pointers and helpful information on teaching the emerging field of biofuels, hands-on biofuel conversion, a tour of TSU’s agricultural labs, and informational sessions from the College’s biofuel specialists. All educators received a free “Production of Biodiesel Kit (Carolina ChemKits®)” to teach in their classrooms.

Twelve local middle school students attended the workshop June 30 while 13 local high school students attended the workshop on July 2. The youth workshops focused on teaching basic lab techniques used in biofuel conversion and growing biomaterials used in the process. Students participated in various hands-on activities and games such as hand-held biofuel conversion and biodiesel feedstock bingo.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants filled out anonymous surveys that indicated that the information and activities presented by College faculty members would serve as inspiration for new activities and ways to teach biofuels and related technologies at the middle and high school levels.

“I learned a lot compared to what I knew before,” said one participant via survey. “I [am now] interested in a subject that [previously] appear[ed] boring.”

For more information, contact Dr. de Koff at (615) 963-4929 orjdekoff@tnstate.edu.

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

Alumni, NEWS

Haslam Appoints TSU Alumnus as Judge for Tennessee Court of Appeals

ArmstrongK03rsNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed an alumnus from Tennessee State University to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section.

Chancellor Kenny W. Armstrong of Memphis, Tennessee will replace Judge Holly Kirby, who has been appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The appointment is effective Sept. 1.

“Chancellor Armstrong has an impressive record of service, and I am pleased to make this appointment,” Haslam said in a news release June 18. “His experience in public and private practice as well as at the state and federal level will serve the Western Section well.”

Armstrong, 66, has been a trial judge in Shelby County Chancery Court since September 2006. He was clerk and master of Shelby County Chancery Court from January 1997-August 2006. Armstrong was recipient of the Charles A. Rond Memorial Award for Outstanding Judge of the Year in Shelby County in 2012.

“I appreciate Governor Haslam’s confidence in me, and I look forward to serving my state in this new role as an appellate judge,” Armstrong said.

A Munford, Tennessee native, Armstrong was in private practice in Memphis from June 1978-December 1996. He served as legal officer in the United States Air Force from June 1974-June 1978 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas. He was an assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington from August 1973-June 1974.

Armstrong earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Tennessee State University in 1970 and received his juris doctorate from Duke University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina, in 1973. Armstrong and his wife, Verline, have two adult children, daughter Shani and son Brian.

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Teachers Gather at TSU to Take Teaching to the Next Level Through CASE

CASE 1
CASE Institute participants had the opportunity to experience hands-on training, such as soiling sampling. Nearly 50 teachers from around the country gathered at Tennessee State University to participate in two separate CASE Institutes, professional development workshops that provided teachers with training in specific agriculture courses aimed at fostering the best of what is known about student-centered, inquiry-based instruction. (Courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With the summer almost half over, Tennessee State University and the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE), have ensured that more than 20 high school teachers will start this school year confident that it will be their best to date.

Throughout the month of June, nearly 50 teachers gathered from across the country to participate in the CASE Institute—a professional development workshop that provides teachers with training in specific courses—held at the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences’ new Ag Ed STEM Building on the campus farm in Nashville.

TSU hosted two institutes this summer the introductory level Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Institute from June 1 through 11, and the higher level Advanced Plant Sciences Institute from June 15 through 25.

Once a teacher has successfully completed the 80 hours of intense professional development at the CASE Institutes, they are certified to teach the specific courses to their students in their home schools.

“This institute provides teachers with first-hand knowledge and experience with a curriculum that fosters the best of what is known about student-centered, inquiry-based instruction,” said Dr. John C. Ricketts, TSU’s Agricultural Education, Leadership and Extension program leader and associate professor. “This is an opportunity to make an effort to effectively integrate core academics and STEM into participants’ respective programs.”

The nine-day workshops have brought together teachers from all across the nation including Washington, New Jersey, Tennessee, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia, Iowa, Ohio and Kentucky. TSU is the only Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) serving as an Affiliate Institution for CASE.

“The CASE Institute is an excellent program for agricultural educators that has been found to lead to great student achievement in agricultural education for diverse audiences,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean and director of Research/Administrator of Extension for the College. “We are excited to be able to offer this rigorous program, and honored to have been the institution of choice for those who attended.”

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TSU played host to more than 50 teachers from across the country during the month of June for the CASE Institute workshops designed to provide teachers professional training in specific agriculture courses. TSU President, Dr. Glenda Glover (center) visited the second class that participated in the higher level Advanced Plant Sciences Institute from June 15 through 25. (courtesy photo)
Word about the program and its potential to positively impact educators and their students appears to be spreading. On the last full day of instruction, the TSU CASE Institute played host to the Tennessee Department of Education in the morning followed by a visit from TSU’s President, Dr. Glenda Glover. Additionally, due to its effectiveness, the Metro Nashville Public School system now requires its new hires in agricultural education to complete the program. Four MNPS agricultural educators have completed the program in the last two years.

For more information about CASE visit www.case4learning.org.

 

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU’s Farmer Academy Inspires New Generation of Farmers

Academy Coincides with USDA’s Support for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

 

Krysta Harden, deputy secretary of Agriculture, addresses members of The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, and other stakeholders during her one-day visit to the University January 21. The USDA recently announced new policy changes meant to improve the financial security of new and beginning farmers and ranchers. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)
Krysta Harden, deputy secretary of Agriculture, addresses members of The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences, and other stakeholders during her one-day visit to the University January 21. The USDA recently announced new policy changes meant to improve the financial security of new and beginning farmers and ranchers. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service)  – The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences (CAHNS) Cooperative Extension Program at Tennessee State University began hosting a “New Farmer Academy” June 16 to help inspire a new generation of farmers, ranchers and returning veterans to develop successful small farm enterprises in Tennessee.

The program, which is directed toward owners and potential owners of small acreages who desire information on how to best utilize their land and other resources to produce crops and raise livestock, meets on the third Monday of each month from June to October, with graduation set for November 17.

According to Dr. Latif Lighari, associate dean for Extension, in addition to helping familiarize beginning farmers with the new USDA policies and website, the New Farmer Academy will provide six months of intensive, hands-on training on the practical aspects of running a farm.

“We also have arranged for a mentorship program with existing successful farmers who can provide valuable tips from their own experience,” said Lighari.

The academy coincides with a recent announcement from the U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden speaking about new policy changes meant to “improve the financial security of new and beginning farmers and ranchers,” according to a USDA news release.

In addition to the policy changes, Deputy Secretary Harden, who visited TSU in January, unveiled a new website—www.usda.gov/newfarmers—to provide a convenient resource to help those farmers and ranchers take advantage of these programs.

“New and beginning farmers are the future of American agriculture,” said Deputy Secretary Harden. “The average age of an American farmer is 58 and rising, so we must help new farmers get started if America is going to continue feeding the world and maintain a strong agriculture economy. The new policies announced today will help give beginning farmers the financial security they need to succeed. Our new online tool will provide one-stop shopping for beginning farmers to learn more about accessing USDA services that can help their operations thrive.”

In May, the USDA announced a $6 million award to universities and cooperative state extension services to develop online decision tools and other materials and train experts to educate producers about several key farm bill programs. TSU received $30,000 under this program to educate farmers on how to use the new risk reduction policies and to develop web-based decision tools.

The cost to attend the academy is $150 per person and includes all educational material and a lunch at each session. To register, contact Rhonda Ewing at 615.963.1351 or rewing1@tnstate.edu.  For more information about this program, contact Finis Stribling at 931.375.5301 or fstribling@tnstate.edu.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

EVENTS, NEWS

TSU President to Discuss Minorities in Higher Education on National Platform

A Quest for Equality and PeaceNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover has spent more than 20 years in higher education. Prior to entering the academia arena, the Memphis, Tennessee native spent the majority of her time in corporate America. She has the distinction of being one of only two women in the country to hold the Ph.D., J.D., CPA combination.

On Monday, June 30, President Glover will serve as a guest panelist to discuss the State of Blacks in Higher Education. The panel will be featured during the Rainbow Push Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund 43rd Annual International Convention.

Glover
President Glenda Glover

“I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to dialogue about the tremendous strides African Americans and other minorities have made in higher education,” said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover.  “However, those gains are in great jeopardy with limited state and federal resources to assist students with getting a college education. One prime example is the recent changes made to the Parent Plus Loan requirements.”

The HBCU school president explains that the qualifications are more stringent, and are having an adverse affect on families that need the loans the most.

“As a university president and former dean, I know first hand the impact the new requirements have had along with the struggles and hard decisions our families are having to make,” Glover added.

“The Rainbow Push Convention is an opportunity for the public to hear the other side of the debate, from practitioners, about the decisions Congress has made regarding higher education. This one move has been devastating.”

The Rainbow Push Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund 43rd Annual International Convention takes place June 28 thru July 2, in Chicago. Visit www.rainbowpush.org for detailed information on the convention.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NEWS

TSU President Receives Honor from National Accounting Organization

Glover
President Glenda Glover

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service)— Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover has been awarded the 2014 National Achievement in Education Award from the National Association of Black Accountants. The award was presented June 21 during the organization’s annual convention in Washington, D.C.

The National Achievement in Education Award is presented to an active member, either a Ph.D. or equivalent accounting educator at the university or college level, who has made a significant contribution to the accounting profession.

President Glover, who was unable to attend the convention, said she was proud to receive the award given her long affiliation with the organization.

“I am honored to receive this award from such a prestigious organization,” she said. “My relationship extends back to the late 1970s when we were all struggling to get through the CPA examination together. NABA has such a worthwhile purpose in the community assisting others in their efforts to enter the accounting profession. It is wonderful to be affiliated with an organization such as NABA.”

According to Angela Avant, NABA president and CEO, Glover’s achievements and impact in education and the accounting profession, “speak for themselves.”

“Many NABA members, including myself, have known and benefitted directly from Dr. Glover’s body of work,” said Avant. “This award was one way for NABA to publicly acknowledge and thank her for all that she has done and achieved.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Tennessee State University, President Glover pursued the Master of Business Administration at Clark Atlanta University. She then completed her doctorate in business from George Washington University, and later completed her law degree from Georgetown University. She is a certified public accountant, an attorney, and is one of two African American women to hold the Ph.D.-CPA-JD combination in the nation.

Founded in 1969, the mission of NABA Inc. is to address the professional needs of its members and to build leaders who shape the future of the accounting and finance profession with a commitment to inspire the same in their successors.

Over the last 40 years the association has grown to include more than 8,000 members across the United States. Today, through the efforts of NABA and other interested groups, there are more than 200,000 African-Americans participating in the field of accounting, of which over 5,000 are Certified Public Accountants.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Extension Summer Intern Program Aims to Inspire Future Educators, Farmers

TSUGroup
The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences has selected nine student interns for the summer Cooperative Extension Program to help them learn about careers in agriculture while working with agents in the field. Those selected include: (back row, left to right) Dr. Tyrone Miller, assistant professor of Leadership and Organizational Development,  Latetricia Wilson, Kyle Ward, Ciera Scott, George Davis, and Dr. Latif Lighari, associate dean for Extension. (seated left to right) DiJuana Davis, Raynette Johnson, Passion Echols, and Stephon Brisco. (courtesy photo)

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences Cooperative Extension Program has announced the selection of nine student interns for summer 2014.

The summer extension internship program is designed to help students learn about the Cooperative Extension Program and other careers in agriculture while working with extension agents and other professionals in county offices throughout Tennessee.

“This internship is an excellent opportunity for participants to build their resumes and help improve the lives of Tennesseans over the course of ten weeks, doing everything full-time extension agents do,” said Dr. Latif Lighari, associate dean for Extension. “They’ll get the chance to teach educational programs, visit farms and homes, conduct research, attend 4-H camp, assist with county fairs, help with field days, network with local decision makers and prepare public-facing communication material, all while building the essential leadership, problem-solving, and organization skills that are necessary to succeed in extension or any other career.”

The nine interns selected are:

  • Latetricia Wilson, a senior Child Development major from Memphis, Tennessee, who will intern in Shelby and Fayette Counties;
  • Raynette Johnson, a junior Agricultural Education, Leadership & Extension major from Mumford, Tennessee, who will intern in Haywood County;
  • Ciera Scott, a 2014 Family & Consumer Sciences graduate from Columbus, Ohio, who will intern in Robertson County;
  • Passion Echols, a graduate student in Agricultural Education, Leadership & Extension from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who will intern in Bedford County;
  • George Davis, a junior Agricultural Sciences major from Memphis, who will intern with the Tennessee Deptartment of Agriculture in Davidson County;
  • Kyle Ward, a junior Agriculture Education & Extension major from Halls, Tennessee, who will intern in Williamson County;
  • DiJuana Davis, a 2014 Agricultural Sciences/Agribusiness graduate from Nashville, who will intern in Davidson County;
  • G. Stephon Brisco Jr., a junior Agricultural Sciences/Agribusiness major from Nashville via Lansing, Michigan, who will intern in Rutherford County; and
  • Ariel Harrell, a 2013 Agricultural Sciences graduate from Covington, Tennessee, who will intern with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in Davidson County.

“Even though this is our first year offering this program we had a great pool of students to select from,” said Dr. Tyrone Miller, assistant professor of Leadership and Organizational Development and coordinator of the summer internship program. “The selected interns are exceptional, well-rounded students with strong interests in careers in cooperative extension and the agriculture industry. I am very confident that they will represent and showcase the excellent students we have at Tennessee State University and gain valuable job skills in the process.”

At the end of the ten week program, each intern will develop and present a PowerPoint presentation on their internship experience alongside the summer extension interns from the University of Tennessee.

For more information, contact Dr. Tyrone Miller at (615) 963-1843 or tmiller11@tnstate.edu.

 

 

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

 

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.