Monthly Archives: November 2016

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

TSU Veterans Day Ceremony celebrates service of U.S military men and women

 

By K. Dawn Rutledge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s annual Veterans Day ceremony revealed some stark statistics when guest speaker and Vietnam Veteran George Nichols gave a powerful history lesson on military service in the United States.

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Wreath honoring fallen servicemen and servicewomen. (By John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

In front of a crowd of more than 150 students, faculty and staff, Nichols pointed to the first conflict in 1775, the American Revolutionary War, and said since that time about 42 million servicemen and servicewomen have defended the nation in times of war. Of that number, 967,000 paid the ultimate price – death.

“Unless you have been there, it is not possible to understand the tragedy of war,” said Nichols, a highly decorated veteran who is the recipient of two Bronze Stars, six Air Medals, and two Army Commendation Medals, to name a few.

Nichols went on to share that only 1 percent of the population is fighting war in the Middle East today. Many who serve in the military experience challenges later in life such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), substance abuse, and the inability to find employment due to education deficiencies or lack of job opportunities compatible with their military training. Nichols also said homelessness, suicide and illness are all consequences of war.

“There are 50,000 veterans who are homeless every single night,” he said. “And even with President Obama tripling the amount of money dedicated to addressing this effort, that funding only reduced the number of homeless vets to one-third. Also, 20 veterans commit suicide every single day. When you see a veteran, thank them because you have no idea what that veteran has been through.”

Many other ex-service men and women working at TSU attended the ceremony.

“As a veteran I was pleased to hear the speaker recognize all the sacrifices of our servicemen and servicewomen,” said Monica White, administrative assistant for Facilities Management and a Retired Air Force Tech (Technical) Sergeant, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“I was touched by what he said happens to many veterans when they return as far as unemployment and as far as their condition when they come back with PTSD disorders and how that affects their lives. I honor them and I appreciate everything each veteran has done for me, those that I don’t know and those that have gone before me.”

Blake Cleckler, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, was also among those in attendance. He served on the USS Miami for seven years and is an ex-U.S. Navy Second Class Petty Officer. Since enrolling as a TSU student, he has become active with the TSU Veteran’s Association.

“It is nice to have a Veteran’s Association on campus, and TSU has been very receptive to us,” Cleckler said. “When we decided to start an association on campus, we received very good response from TSU officials. The willingness for TSU to help veterans is there, the students just have to be willing to take advantage of the opportunity.”

TSU is a Certified Vets Campus providing support services for veterans to ease their transition from military service to college life. It is also a proud participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP), a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that allows veterans to attend private schools and graduate programs costing more than the state tuition cap.

“Our veterans, as well as our current servicemen and servicewomen, serve and protect us from potential danger and harm from aggressive threats,” said Dr. Mark Hardy, vice president for Academic Affairs. “We owe them our gratitude and respect, and we proudly celebrate them and all they have done for this country.”

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, 25 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 and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Conference Aims to Help HBCUs Attract More students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Historically black colleges and universities are looking for ways to increase enrollment.

A group of four HBCU presidents, higher education leaders, innovators and corporate executives met at Tennessee State University Nov. 10 for a one-day conference to dialogue on tactics to gain more students.

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Terrence A. Southern, a robotics and automation engineer at GE Global Research, and CEO of Illuminate STEM, a national STEM mentoring organization for K-12 underrepresented minorities. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

HBCUGrow, a group dedicated to helping HBCUs grow enrollment and alumni giving, organized the conference. The group also seeks to tackle the “changing landscape” of marketing challenges facing HBCUs.

But enrollment management continues to be a hot topic at these minority-serving institutions.

The presidents – TSU’s Dr. Glenda Glover; Dr. Forrest E. Harris of American Baptist College; Dr. Tracy D. Hall of Southwest Tennessee Community College; and Dr. Logan Hampton of Lane College – agreed that immediate, effective and innovative means must be developed to attract more students.

“At TSU, we have put in place new practices and processes to help our university grow,” Glover said, as she welcomed her colleagues and participants at the conference. “We have to improve on our brand to make sure we are doing everything we can to recruit and market talented students. We are thankful to HBCUGrow for putting this conference together, because if there was ever a time to grow our HBCUs, it is now.”

Terrence A. Southern, a robotics and automation engineer at GE Global Research and CEO of Illuminate STEM, an organization committed to promoting educational opportunities and mentorship in STEM fields for K-12 underrepresented minorities, was the keynote speaker.

He said HBCUs should do a better job at marketing their services if they are to succeed in attracting students.

“The first step in making our enrollment grow is to effectively communicate our capabilities and the caliber of education we offer,” said Southern, a 2003 TSU graduate with a degree in computer science, who credits his success to effective mentorship.

He is giving back as a result. From mentoring youth in Detroit and Dallas through after school programs for the last 10 years, he created Illuminate STEM, which is now reaching out to many more young people.

Southern said HBCUs account for thousands of graduates every year.

“But I hear major corporations like Google, Amazon, General Motors saying their diversity has not grown because they do not know where to get African-American students,” he said. “I say, ‘how is that possible?’ So either they don’t know about us or we are not making our presence known.”

Southern also called for better relationships between institutions, students and alumni, as a way of promoting the institutions and their offerings, and giving back to the school.

“HBCUs should also work together as an entity with the same vision to attract not only the best students, but those who need the kind of mentoring and attention HBCUs are known for,” Southern said.

In addition to the presidential panel discussion, the conference included breakout sessions on topics like “Branding’s Role in Increasing Enrollment”; “Marketing Segmentation”; “Integrated Marketing Strategies to Increase Enrollment Without Busting Your Budget”; and “Making Sure Your Website Attracts & Retains the Best Students for Your HBCU.”

Sponsors included Vitalink, Universal Printing and AndiSites.

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, 25 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, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Tennessee State University Students Rally, March to Vote in Historic Presidential Election

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students rocked the vote on a historic Election Day.

Students gathered Nov. 8 for a “walk to the poll” rally on the university’s main campus before heading to nearby Hadley Park polling station to vote in a presidential race that saw the first woman nominated for president by a major political party. Democrat Hillary Clinton, however, ended up losing to Republican Donald Trump.

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Love You Like a Sister, a women’s group, was one of several campus organizations that took part in the “Walk to the Poll” rally. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

“The purpose of today’s rally is to really get students acclimated to the political arena, and get them engaged,” Aarian Forman, president of the Student Government Association, said earlier that day. “We want to make sure that students understand the importance of doing their civic duty of voting; not just in the General Election, but midterm elections as well, for senatorial, mayoral, for governor, every level of election. We want them to know that their vote is their voice, and where there is no vote there is no hope.”

State Rep. Harold Love Jr., a TSU alum, who joined the student rally, said he was happy to see the level of activism on a college campus.

“College students need to have an understanding of the importance of their vote,” Love said. “These are our leaders for the next generation. And this race is too important for anybody to sit on the sidelines.”

Dr. Samantha Morgan-Curtis, an associate professor of English and Women’s Studies at TSU, said whatever the outcome of the election it is history-making.

“We are going to tell our children that we were there,” Morgan-Curtis said. “Moreover, it will be exciting to have our first woman president. These students are doing what they are expected to do. They are the hopes of their forefathers and foremothers and if they don’t vote then they are not paying forward what they owe.”

Angelica Jacox, a member of the Student Election Commission, said it is exciting to participate in her first presidential election.

“I think it’s really exciting for me and a lot of students who will be voting in their first presidential election,” said Jacox, a senior political science major who helped to organize the rally. “For us to participate in this history-making election really means a lot because we haven’t always had the right to vote.”

Ernest “Rip” Patton, a TSU alum and Freedom Rider who was a champion for voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement, said he is glad to see “young people” participate in the process.

“I’m proud of the fact that they voted, and hopefully students from other schools around Nashville took note and followed in their footsteps. It puts TSU out front, and I’m very proud of that,” Patton said.

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, 25 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, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU’s College of Business hosts Global Leadership Summit for top business students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Business has a directive for its students: “Write your signature on the world.”

Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, the College’s dean, said that charge inspired the recent Global Leadership Summit for its top undergraduate and graduate students. The event was held on Oct. 28 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Nashville.

“Our goal in offering such a unique opportunity was to provide an out-of-class learning experience that equipped College of Business students with the confidence, skills and global competiveness required of the next generation of future leaders,” she said.

Organizers said the objective of the summit was to help position students for success by teaching them critical leadership and decision-making skills through exposure, lessons, and interactions with executive-level business and governmental leaders.

The event’s highlight included an executive luncheon that featured Kevin Williams, recently retired president of General Motors Canada and 1983 College of Business alum, as the keynote speaker. Williams talked about how he, a “little ol’ country boy from southern Maryland,” was able to climb the corporate ladder of one of the world’s largest and most respected global automotive companies.

Student Government Association President Aarian Forman said Williams and other leaders who participated in the summit were inspiring, and that the event overall was enlightening.

“All of the presenters were in positions that provided much credibility to the knowledge shared during the day,” said Forman, a senior business administration marketing student. “The summit was a real-time developmental catalyst for young business leaders.”

Other executives who participated in the summit include:

  • William Pickard, founder and CEO, Global Automotive Alliance
  • Ric Pennisi, managing director, MARSH USA, Inc.
  • Jim Schmitz, executive vice president and Middle Tennessee area president, Regions Bank
  • Retired U.S. Army Col. Mark Scureman, Author of “The Boss’s Challenge: Manage Well and Lead Well”
  • Sam Belk, executive vice president and Mid-South Division Manager, Wells Fargo
  • Elizabeth Hammond, managing principal, Bryan, Pendleton, Swats & McAllister
  • Ron Suedekum, senior vice president and senior credit products manager, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch
  • Keri Floyd Kelly, senior managing purchasing, Nissan Motor Company
  • Rhonda Cantrell Dunn, executive director, Elmcroft of Hendersonville

To learn about the College of Business located on TSU’s Avon Williams Campus, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/business/.

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, 25 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 and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Doing Nothing Against Injustice Promotes Abuse, Prominent Civil Rights Attorney says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A prominent civil rights attorney says that those who see injustice and do nothing help to promote abuse.

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President Glenda Glover, right, and NAAAHP Outgoing President Coreen Jackson present Attorney Benjamin Crump with a special award. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Benjamin Crump, the Florida lawyer who represented families in police shooting cases that made headlines around the world, was the keynote speaker Oct. 31 at the 25th anniversary gala for the National Association of African American Honors Programs held at Tennessee State University.

The gala was the culmination of the three-day annual conference of the NAAAHP.

More than 400 of the nation’s best and brightest students attended the event, as well as representatives from 31 historically black colleges and universities. There were also 40 top graduate schools, including Ivy League schools such as Harvard, and companies from across the country.

“You are the fortunate ones,” Crump told the students, reminding them that as future leaders and educators they have a “moral” obligation to help stem out injustices in their communities.

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TSU’s Miss Honors Lexis Stewart, and Student Government Association Vice President Dexter A. Hooks introduce the keynote speaker at the gala. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

“You’re the ones who are going to have the good jobs, you are going to have the education, you have the talent, and if you don’t speak up for our community, if you don’t stand up for our community, if you don’t fight for our community, then who will,” Crump said.

Crump – the attorney in the Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Terence Crutcher police shooting cases – is the president of the National Bar Association, the largest organization of lawyers of color in the world, representing over 60,000 black lawyers, judges, and legal professionals. He has received numerous awards, including the SCLC Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award, and the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award. Ebony Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 trial lawyers.

TSU President Glenda Glover described Crump as “definitely one of America’s best lawyers,” who “speaks truth to power.”

“My friend, the world renowned Mr. Crump, we are extremely elated and honored to have you with us on our campus,” Glover said. “We thank you for the words of inspiration not just to these students but to all of us in our quest for justice and equal treatment.”

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Students and representatives from Spelman College and Morehouse College also participated in the 25th NAAAHP anniversary conference and gala. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

According to Crump’s official website, his goal is not only to raise people’s consciousness about injustices in the community, but also to fight to preserve the justice that minorities have achieved throughout the civil rights era. And that has struck a chord with many students.

“The message that when you see something, do something is one that I take great pride in,” said Dexter A. Hooks, a TSU honor student majoring in business administration with concentrations in supply chain and human resource management. “Whether it is as a student, in the classroom or anywhere, we all have a moral obligation to help fight injustice when we see it.”

Dalyla Jordan, a Lincoln University sophomore honors students majoring in psychology, agrees.

“It is very important to talk about injustice around HBCUs because these institutions have to deal with it and talk about it daily,” Jordan said. “It takes courage and confidence and I am glad Mr. Crump is bringing this topic home.”

Dr. Coreen Jackson, outgoing president of NAAAHP and interim dean of TSU’s Honors College, thanked Crump for inspiring the students. She also thanked President Glover for her support in hosting the gala. Jackson said the conference achieved its goal of commemorating the vital role NAAAHP has played in supporting honors education for more than 20 years.

President Glover, accompanied by Jackson, presented Crump with a special award in recognition of his work for justice across the nation and the world. Special awards were also presented to founding members and institutions for their support.

The NAAAHP conference also attracted major corporate sponsors such as Kroger, as a Premier Platinum Sponsor, which for the second consecutive year, invested more than $30,000.

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, 25 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.