Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Dental Hygiene Program Reaches Out to the Community in a Big Way

April 12, 2016 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s Dental Hygiene Clinic is helping to provide needed care in the Nashville community.

IMG_2311 (1) — Abraham Osareme Simmons, who graduates in May, said community service was a key reason why he entered the Dental Hygiene program. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

In conjunction with its associate degree program, the clinic, located in Clement Hall on the main TSU campus, provides a wide range of dental services to nearly 600 patients a year at reduced cost. This includes the campus as well as the greater Nashville community.

“Outreach to the community is a significant part of what we do,” said Gary-Lee A. Lewis, chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene. “Our primary objectives here are to serve the community and prepare our students for licensure examinations. The hands-on training is extremely important to the students who will be job-ready at graduation, while the public receives quality, affordable dental care.”

That quality care will be on display April 22 at the Community Health and Wellness Fair in Kean Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The outreach event is free and open to the public.

The TSU clinic services include comprehensive oral examinations, X-rays, dental cleanings, radiography, oral health education, nutritional counseling, oral cancer screening, and tobacco assessment and cessation.

Graduates of the highly accredited program receive an Associate of Applied Science degree, which prepares them for diverse options in the health care environment.

Abraham Osareme Simmons, a senior Dental Hygiene major, said community service was part of the reason why he entered the program.

“I like to touch lives that are in need; that is very important to me,” said Simmons, who graduates in May. “That’s what inspired me to matriculate to the dental hygiene program. It is rewarding to see people feel good about themselves because of what you have done to make their lives better.”

IMG_2291 (1) — Reilly Poirier, a senior Dental Hygiene major, works on a patient in the Dental Hygiene Clinic. The clinic provides a range of services to about 600 patients a year. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

The outreach initiatives of the program are not limited to services offered in the clinic, according to Brenda J. Kibbel, assistant professor of Dental Hygiene. Under the supervision of faculty, students are stationed in various areas in the community where they provide care.

“We are doing a lot of community outreach right now,” Kibbel said. “We actually have got in with the Metro Housing Development Association and we have been going to different housing projects doing oral cancer screening, preliminary screenings and education. We just did Cheatham Place where we saw 35 patients with 16 volunteer students.”

Students and professors have also completed services at Baby U and Hope Smiles at St. Thomas Medical Mobile Mission in Rutherford County, she said.

Besides dental screenings, the health and wellness fair will also provide fitness demonstrations and other health screenings including hypertension, glucose, and cholesterol. An educational component will offer information on weight loss management, nutrition, and HIV.

“Because HIV incidence is on the rise in communities with limited access to quality healthcare, our program’s message and mission is certainly in alignment with the goals and values of this event and its organizers,” said Vic Sorrell, Community Engagement Coordinator for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s HIV Vaccine Program.

Sorrell will be among numerous health professionals ready to provide helpful information to people attending the event, which is sponsored by TSU, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the DP Thomas Foundation for Obesity.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 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, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Chemistry Day gives middle, high school students a chance to showcase their talent, participate in research

April 11, 2016 Lucas Johnson

More than 100 middle and high school students recently participated in research and demonstrations at Tennessee State University’s 13^th annual Chemistry Day.

The event on April 7 provided a platform for students to showcase their talent and knowledge in the field of chemistry as it seeks to expose students to one of many STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines. TSU students, faculty and staff also participated in the event, which was held in the Alger V. Boswell Science Complex.

It included a career fair featuring representatives from the American Chemical Society, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and the Environmental Science Corporation, to name a few. In addition, a host of exhibitors were on-hand, along with the organization of a departmental tour for Hillsboro High School and J.T. Moore Middle School students in Nashville, who also participated in chemistry lab demonstrations and a Chemistry Challenge Quiz Bowl.

“This is the day we have an opportunity to expose ourselves to the community,” said Dr. Mohammed Karim, chair, TSU Department of Chemistry. “It allows people to see what we do in the department and to learn more about the research that takes place. In addition to the exposure it provides our current students, this is also an important recruitment tool in attracting high school students. This entire event is done without any expense to TSU.”

More than 50 TSU students served as volunteers, with the Chemistry Graduate Student Association and Chemistry Club heavily involved in helping to present the program.

“It was interesting to see chemistry done at a college level and to see a more physical side to chemistry,” said Colin Jones, an eighth-grade student from J.T. Moore Middle School. “We talk about it in school, but it was really cool to see it in action. The best part was the lab demonstrations. I learned that chemistry is in all things.”

As part of the day’s activities, the department also engages alumni in the event. This year, the department welcomed back Dr. Jeanita S. Pritchett, an analytical chemist in the Chemical Sciences Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and a 2005 graduate of TSU, who was the featured speaker. Her topic, “Breaking Down Barriers in the STEM Field,” focused on inspiring the next generation of scientists, particularly women and minority groups, to pursue one of the many possible careers in science.

“The College of Life & Physical Sciences takes great pride in this opportunity to promote science education for students and teachers, while encouraging minority participation in the STEM areas,” said Dr. Lonnie Sharpe, interim dean. “I encourage potential students to inquire about our academic programs for enrollment and to return to our institution to learn more about our historical significance and to experience the environment which fosters student success.”

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU alumni giving exceeds half million dollars in honor of parents

April 8, 2016 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The children of two prominent Tennessee State University alumni have donated $250,000 in honor of their parents who attended TSU 80 years ago.

Damon Lee-2 — TSU alumnus Damon Lee III, (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Damon Lee III, a 1967 graduate with a Business Administration degree, made the donation in the names of Damon and Rachel Lee at TSU’s 2016 Scholarship Appreciation Reception on April 7. His sister, Kimberly Lee-Lamb, also contributed to the gift, which will benefit TSU’s College of Business by providing scholarships to out-of-state juniors and seniors majoring in business.

The Damon and Rachel Lee Scholarship Endowment Fund was established in 1999 with a $200,000 donation to TSU. The family donated $50,000 to the university in 2005, and with this latest donation, their total contributions to the university exceed $500,000.

TSU officials say the family’s recent donation is among the top five given by a family in the university’s history.

“We are very grateful for the contributions the Lee family has made to Tennessee State University over the years,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “This latest donation not only shows their continued commitment to TSU, but their desire to better the lives of students by helping them get a quality education to compete in the global marketplace.”

Damon and Rachel Lee were college sweethearts. Damon was a founding member of TSU’s Beta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and graduated with honors in 1935 with a degree in History. Years later, after relocating to Los Angeles, he earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and license.

Rachel was a Business Education major and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. After graduating in 1936, she began a career as a business education teacher at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia. She continued her teaching career in Los Angeles at Los Angeles Unified School District.

Damon Lee III said both his parents were business advocates who believed in “people having a knowledge of business, regardless of your profession.”

“The whole world revolves around business,” said Lee, a retired Los Angeles-based corporate marketing executive.

Eloise Abernathy Alexis is associate vice president for institutional advancement at TSU. She said while the latest donation by the Lee family will benefit students, she believes it will also inspire other alumni to give to the university.

“Regardless of the amount, when an alum sees another alum give, they say … ‘I should do that too,’” said Alexis.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

White House official urges TSU faculty, students to take advantage of federal funding to promote research

April 6, 2016 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The head of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities urged faculty at Tennessee State University to take advantage of federal funding to promote their research.

Research week-7 — State Rep. Harold Love, Jr.; TSU Chief Research Officer Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young; Valerie Williams, director of the Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences, attend the symposium. (Photo By John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Dr. Ivory A. Toldson spoke on April 6 during TSU’s 38^th Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, which gives faculty, undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to present their research, as well as hear presentations on how to expand it.

Toldson was appointed by President Barack Obama to devise national strategies to sustain and expand federal support to the nation’s 100 HBCUs.

Toldson said before his speech at the symposium that TSU is in the top 10 as far as generating revenue from the federal government for research activities, and he wants to encourage the university to continue “tapping into these resources and make sure that they have every opportunity to build a robust research infrastructure.”

“It’s an 1890 land-grant institution that has a good working relationship with the federal government,” Toldson said of TSU. “It has a historic mission and a current mission that is in line with President Obama’s priority of making sure that students graduate on time and have the type of experiences that help them to land good jobs after college.”

Dr. Earnestine Easter with the National Science Foundation also spoke at the weeklong symposium that began on April 4. She said one of TSU’s strengths is its strong connection to the community, noting the Nashville Business Incubation Center, which is run by TSU.

“You have a connection … where you’re able to kind of demonstrate your expertise in doing innovations and connecting to the business community,” said Easter, a program officer in the division of graduate education in the directorate for education and human resources at NSF. “I’m real excited about the positioning that Tennessee State has right now, and the opportunities for it to do even more.”

Joshua O’Hair, a graduate research assistant in TSU’s Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department, said this is the second symposium he’s attended at TSU and that it’s been helpful in applying for grants.

“They definitely have some really good opportunities,” said O’Hair. “They let us know what we need to have for a really good competitive application.”

Last year, TSU set a record with $51 million in new research awards.

Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, TSU’s chief research officer, said the university is hoping to break another record this year, “and a big part of that is for faculty members to know what’s available so we can write those proposals and get funding.”

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Athletics, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Football Players Teach Youngsters Importance of Physical Fitness

April 5, 2016 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The TSU Tigers’ football team recently took time to help some tiger cubs understand the importance of staying fit.

2 web (1) — TSU Tigers Middle Linebacker Chris Collins runs 2-5-year-olds through a drill in the Indoor Practice Field to show the young tigers the importance of physical fitness. The children are from the TSU Early Learning Center. (Photo by TSU Sports Information)

The program on April 1 was part of activities planned by the university’s Early Learning Center to engage its 2 to 5-year-olds in fun activities with the football players, while giving them an early start in physical fitness.

“It was all fun and an effort to get these young kids an early start in physical activities,” said Coach Rod Reed.

Dr. Beatrice Harris, the center’s director, said she enjoyed watching the football players interact with the youngsters.

“We really just wanted the football team to show the Little Tigers of the Early Learning Center how to catch and throw a football, “ she said.

Chris Collins, a middle linebacker with the Tigers and a sophomore mass communications major, said the experience with the children brought back old memories.

“I remember when I was a little kid, older kids would come and play with us and actually take us through football drills at summer camp,” Collins said. “It was just a lot of fun, and something these kids will remember for a long time.”

Collins, who led the drills in the Indoor Practice Field, said the children did stretches, ran up and down the practice field, and jumped over dummies, “like we do in real practice.”

“This teaches the kids a little discipline like we do as athletes to get ready and get warmed up for the season,” Reed said. “Hopefully this will teach them the importance of staying fit.”

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences runs the Early Learning Center, which conducts research in all phases of early education and child development.

Seventeen children are enrolled at the center, which runs from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU leads national service project that continues legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

April 1, 2016 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is using funding it was awarded to help facilitate a national service initiative involving 10 other higher education institutions in the southeast region.

Following a competitive grant process, TSU received $447,000 in June from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the agency that leads the national Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in service, and this initiative falls in line with not just his belief, but TSU’s motto – Think. Work. Serve,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “We’re proud that TSU was selected as one of six institutions to help lead this national service project.”

TSU’s Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement was one of six organizations to receive federal and matching funds from CNCS to mobilize volunteers to honor King’s memory through service projects. TSU then provided the 10 regional HBCUs with mini-grants up to $4,400.

TSU student Dazzjah Jones helps with beautification project at a local day care center. (By John Cross, TSU Media Service)

Some of the institutions used the grants for activities in January, while others are doing theirs through August. The activities include community beautification, disaster relief initiatives, and financial literacy and on-site education events.

Specifically at TSU, which performed its activities the first weekend in April, students and community volunteers packed disaster relief boxes, helped workers at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, and partnered with the Nashville Area American Red Cross to help install smoke detectors in homes.

Carrie Grishaber was one of several workers with the American Red Cross who were with students when they visited homes to promote fire safety.

“This benefits the community because we get the students really involved in the neighborhoods,”Grishaber said. “People get to see the Red Cross and college students together, making a positive difference.”

TSU student Tyler Lewis was one of the more than 400 individuals who signed up to participate in TSU’s MLK Day of Service. She was in one of the groups that visited homes near the college to teach people how to be prepared for home fires and to install smoke alarms where needed.

“I know this will help the community,” said Lewis, an 18-year-old psychology major. “Lives are lost every year due to not knowing, or not understanding, ways to protect yourself when it comes to fire.”

At Second Harvest Food Bank, volunteer services manager Stacie Denton said she’s grateful for TSU’s volunteer service.

“Volunteers are critical to our day-to-day operations and provide invaluable support in the fight against hunger in Middle Tennessee,” Denton said.

TSU junior Christina Young said the activities give her and other students a chance “to give back.”

“I think it’s very important to give back and be aware of other surroundings,” said the 21-year-old Young, who is majoring in mass communications. “This makes you not just think about yourself, but think about others.”

Established in 1993, CNCS engages more than five million Americans in service through different programs each year. The funding is intended to get more Americans to observe the MLK federal holiday as a day of service in communities, and encourage them to make a long-term commitment to community service.

“We want people to realize that Dr. King’s holiday is not just a day off,” said Shirley Nix-Davis, director of a youth empowerment program at TSU and one of the MLK Day of Service project directors. “But it’s an opportunity to serve, and continue serving throughout the year.”

The colleges and universities that received mini-grants from TSU are Albany State University, American Baptist College, Benedict College, Clinton College, Dillard University, Huston-Tillotson University, Jackson State University, Morehouse College, Southern University and A&M College, and Talladega College.

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

New Tennessean Editor, Pulitzer Prize Winner Talks Journalism to TSU Students

March 30, 2016 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Pulitzer Prize-winning editor recently visited Tennessee State University journalism students and encouraged them to be a “voice for people who cannot speak for themselves.”

Michael Anastasi, vice president and executive editor of The Tennessean, spoke to the students and the staff of The Meter, TSU’s student newspaper, at a gathering in the Learning Resource Center Auditorium on March 28.

A journalist for nearly 30 years, Anastasi came to The Tennessean from the Los Angeles News Group, one of the nation’s largest news organizations, where he was the senior vice president and executive editor for nearly four years.

Under his leadership, The Daily Breeze, one of the papers owned by the Los Angeles News Group, won the Pulitzer in 2015 for local reporting for an investigation into the Centinela Valley (Calif.) Union High School District, which exposed the superintendent’s excessive salary and annual perks.

“As journalists, we must always be at the forefront in the performance of our duty,” said Anastasi, who started at The Tennessean in November. “Lots of people don’t like us because of our fight against the ills of society. As journalists, we can effect change in how we do our work and in many cases becoming the voice for people who cannot speak for themselves.”

Anastasi urged students to keep up with new technology, saying digital media is fast becoming the way of the future in reporting the news.

“Digital journalism is how you stay ahead,” he said. “Fundamentals like currency will never change, but how we report the news is changing fast.”

Shayla Simmons is a freshman Journalism major and a writer for The Meter. Next year she will become the newspaper’s digital editor.

“The speaker was right on point,” Simmons said. “I expect us to take full advantage of the digital age and engage students across multiple platforms.”

Delvakio Brown, a senior communications major, said Anastasi was inspiring.

“Listening to him share his stories of accomplishments was worth my time and effort,” Brown said. “He shared with us his story of how he accomplished more than writing but how he changed lives through it.”

Dr. Karen Dunlap, former president of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and an adjunct professor of journalism at TSU, said it was important to have someone like Anastasi speak to the students.

“This is so important for students to see what’s happening in the media today, to hear from a senior executive and even just hear about investigative reporting,” Dunlap said. “I am glad the students were here to hear him.”

Meter adviser Sandra Long Weaver agreed.

“I wanted the students to hear what it takes to do that and to know the kinds of people he hires,” Weaver said. “And I think they benefitted from what he talked about today.”

Anastasi said his visit was also about building a relationship with TSU, and seeing how The Tennessean can best work with the university and the administration.

“It is extremely important for The Tennessean, and me personally, to have a meaningful relationship with all of our local universities,” he said. “I think we have a vital role to play in having that relationship with administration to understand what their mission is, and what their strategic priorities are to see where we can work together as partners.”

TSU Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Cheryl Green, welcomed Anastasi on behalf of President Glenda Glover.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Prior Learning Assessment Helps Students Save Time, Money While Earning Degree

March 28, 2016 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is offering adult learners and non-traditional students a way to earn college credit for knowledge they have gained outside the traditional classroom setting.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a nationally recognized process for evaluating knowledge and skills to award college credit. PLA can help adults feel empowered, decrease costs and graduate faster.

TSU has created a new web page to help students understand how the program works. It features links, interactive case studies and a video. The program is in line with Governor Bill Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative to increase the number of working age adults holding a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree to 55 percent by 2025.

“Students here in Nashville might have skills and knowledge they gained through work, volunteering or service in the military and other areas,” said Dr. Evelyn Nettles, associate vice president for Academic Affairs. “By matching those experiences to college credit, they can reduce the time it takes to earn a degree and see significant cost savings.”

Student Brittany Rives, a concierge luxury lifestyle manager, said PLA has been very helpful.

“I was able to use my past business experience and incorporate it into my academic career,” said the 25-year-old Rives, who is majoring in accounting and business law. “It’s helped me be able to merge some of those credit hours, and definitely save on the cost of tuition.”

One way a student may earn credit is by developing an online portfolio that documents or demonstrates learning that occurred through prior experiences. Students take a three-credit online course to learn what to include in the portfolio, how to match it to courses in their degree plan, and how to document their learning.

A trained faculty assessor with appropriate subject matter expertise evaluates the student’s portfolio to determine the awarding of credit.

The new resource was developed in partnership with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, a Chicago-based organization that assists adults in finding practical ways totransfer learning from prior professional and life experiences to college course credit and the completion of a postsecondary degree.

“PLA can be especially powerful for adult students who in many cases must also balance their classes with work and family. Thanks to PLA programs like this one here at Tennessee State University, students can earn college credit for what they already know, saving them both time and money to help them earn their degree,” Nettles said.

The program is housed in the Office of Student Support Services for Adult and Distance Learners. It can be accessed at www.earncollegecredit.org/tennstate.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Black Girls Rock founder encourages women to lead, innovate, serve

March 22, 2016 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Black Girls Rock founder Beverly Bond has a message for TSU students: “Anybody can be a voice to make a difference.”

WOLM-2[1] — TSU President Glenda Glover, Black Girls Rock founder Beverly Bond, and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry at the Women of Legend and Merit Awards dinner. (By John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Bond, who is also CEO of the global nonprofit mentoring organization, was the keynote speaker at TSU’s Ninth Women of Legend and Merit Awards dinner on March 22.

She said before the event that she wants to empower and encourage students, particularly young women, to be leaders, and realize they have a purpose.

“Through my journey, I’m hoping to share wisdom and encouragement and inspiration on how to step into the next leg of your own journey,” said Bond, who spoke at a luncheon on campus and participated in a lecture series before the dinner. “The process is probably, if not more important, it’s definitely as important as the destination. And I think that sometimes people miss that. And so, I’m hoping my story inspires others to see that anybody can be a voice to make a difference.”

Founded in 2006, the mission of Black Girls Rock is to empower young women to lead, innovate, and serve.

“Black Girls Rock builds the self-esteem and self-worth of young women of color by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons and providing tools for self-empowerment and efficacy,” according to the organization’s website.

TSU student Kaila Boyd is a fan of Black Girls Rock. She said Bond’s message and the organization’s mission are inspiring.

“My generation, we’re about to be up next,” said Boyd, who is a sophomore majoring in communications. “We have to empower each other in order to reach that goal of success.”

TSU President Glenda Glover said she’s glad Bond was able to come to Nashville, and that “her amazing achievements truly embody the University’s motto of think, work, serve.”

Five women were honored during the awards dinner, which benefits TSU’s Women’s Center. They are: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry; businesswoman Jacky Akbari; Nashville Circuit Court Judge Angela Cox; Dr. Sandra Holt, former director of TSU’s Women’s Center and Honors Program; and Latrisha Jemison, senior vice president and regional community affairs manager at Regions Bank.

“The Women’s Center serves a critical role by empowering women through mentorship and education programs that create stronger bonds and professional development opportunities for students and faculty alike,” said Barry, the city’s first female mayor.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Alumni, Athletics, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Honors Day Convocation Recognizes TSU’s Best and Brightest Students

March 18, 2016 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Room) – Tennessee State University recognized its best and brightest students when the university held its annual Honors Day Convocation on March 22.

The convocation in Kean Hall recognized distinguished undergraduates from all disciplines, top graduating seniors, Honors College participants, outstanding members of the various honor societies, and students on the President’s and Dean’s Lists.

More than 2,350 students with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher were honored.

Up to 120 students on the President’s List received special recognition. These students have maintained 4.0 GPAs throughout their matriculation. They include four seniors, two juniors, 16 sophomores, and 98 freshmen.

This year marks the inaugural convocation of the TSU Honors College, previously called the Honors Program. The 51-year-old program was elevated to a college in 2015 on the recommendation of TSU and the approval of the Tennessee Board of Regents, and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Dr. Coreen Jackson, director of the Honors College, said “the elevation raised the bar” for academic excellence, mentorship, and professional development of exceptional students.

“When a university elevates its honors program to a college, it positions itself to attract, recruit and retain academically brilliant students,” Jackson said. “The elevation offers greater visibility to the university, creates a high level interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares the next generation of leaders for academic and vocational success, scholarship, achievement and service.”

Ashley Parmer, a senior communications major, and Jaquantey Bowens, a sophomore biology major, were among the student honorees with 4.0 GPAs. They said their academic success is due largely to the support and nurturing they receive as members of the Honors College.

“The Honors Program has been a great tool and added bonus of my college matriculation,” said Parmer, editor of The Meter, the student newspaper. She has been with the program since her freshman year.

“Everyone in the college wants you to excel,” Parmer said. “If you are lost, they will help you find your way. If you need advice, they will be there to give it to you.”

Added Bowens: “Not only has the Honors Program made me a better student, but it has also brought forth lifelong friendships. The atmosphere of the program is like a second home – it is always there to support you.”

Jackson thanked TSU President Glenda Glover for her support, which she said made the Honors College possible. A TSU graduate, Glover was a member of the Honors Program while a student at TSU.

“This high honor could not have happened without the full support of President Glover,” Jackson said. “She has made the Honors College a top priority in her presidency. Her commitment has been unwavering and resolute.”

Beverly Bond, an actress and president and CEO of Black Girls Rock!, was the special guest lecturer at the convocation.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University