NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State’s Office of Emergency Management recently participated in an exercise to better prepare the university for an emergency event.
Besides the OEM, the exercise on May 23, which simulated a bioterrorism attack, involved the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Department of Military, and the 45th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team.
“There are simple steps that everyone can take to prepare themselves and their loved ones for emergencies: be informed, make a plan, build a disaster supply kit, and get involved through opportunities that support community preparedness,” said Dr. Curtis Johnson, chief of staff and associate vice president for administration.
“By gathering
supplies to meet basic needs, discussing what to do during an emergency with
your family in advance, and being aware of the risks and appropriate actions,
you will be better prepared for the unexpected and can help better prepare your
community and the country.”
Last
year, TSU was selected to host the Best Practices in Higher Education Emergency Management
Conference.
TSU, the first HBCU selected to host the conference, was
recognized for its unique urban-agriculture and cutting-edge emergency
preparedness initiatives that have earned the university many accolades,
including a Storm Ready designation.
As a result of the recognition, TSU was presented with the Best
Practice Trophy at the 2017 conference, and subsequently selected to host the one
in 2018.
Please visit https://www.ready.gov, or call 1-800-BE-READY, to learn more about preparedness activities.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – When Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover traveled to her hometown of Memphis last week, she had one goal in mind: Bring back Tupac Moseley.
Moseley had recently graduated valedictorian of his class at Raleigh-Egypt High School, and received $3 million in scholarships, all while homeless his senior year. This hands-on treatment didn’t go unnoticed by the shy teen.
President Glenda Glover presents Tupac Moseley with his full-ride scholarship letter. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
“For the president herself to drive down to one of the schools to actually assist a student personally, one-on-one, to take him or her up there for a visit, it’s just mind blowing to me,” said Moseley, who will major in engineering.
Dr. Glover personally led a team of senior university officials to Memphis and presented Moseley with a full-ride scholarship, including housing and a meal plan.
“Tupac is not homeless anymore,” Glover
said to the throng of media representatives and a cheering crowd assembled in
the school cafeteria during a celebration for the teen. “He now has his
own room with a meal plan with all the necessary amenities to help him continue
his success as an academically talented student. That’s what we do. We are an
HBCU, we care about our students. It is in our DNA that we can see a student
with this much potential and talent and see what we can do to assist him even
before he starts his academic journey.”
President Glover and Tupac Moseley answer reporters’ question at a press conference in Memphis. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
Moseley’s remarkable story of perseverance
and success amidst homelessness and poverty has made national headlines. The
18-year-old became homeless in his senior year after his father died and the
family could not afford the mounting bills. They moved to a campsite for the
disadvantaged. In the midst of the hardship, the Memphis native found a way to
stay focused in school, and “staying on top of everything that came his way in
class work,” his high school principal said. He graduated with a 4.3 grade
point average.
“Tupac is an amazing individual with excellent math knowledge,” said principal Shari Meeks. “He has taken the highest-level math here that we offer. He has attained college credits. He took a statewide dual credit challenge test in pre-calculus and passed it. He could have gone to any school in the nation. I think TSU will have an asset in Tupac. He is awesome and revered by his classmates – he helps them, he tutors them.”
Tupac Moseley blows the candles on his pre-birthday cake at a send-off reception Raleigh-Egypt High School hosted for the incoming TSU freshman. His birthday was May 23. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)
At a sendoff reception for Moseley in the principal’s conference room, the standing room only audience included state and county Who’s Who, such as State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (District 98), who was instrumental in the TSU/Moseley talks; and Dr. Joris M. Ray, superintendent of Shelby County Schools.
Parkinson described Moseley as the “best and brightest talent that has ever been produced in Shelby County.”
“This is just the culmination of a lot of things that’s been going on,” Parkinson said about the reception. “Losing his father, homelessness, that was just too much for anyone. What we have done is just pull resources together to make sure that we provide the stability for him and Tennessee State University was part of the strategy to create that stability for one of our best and brightest talents.”
Superintendent Ray was thankful for the support system at the school – principal, teachers, counselors.
“This young man is a testament of being very resilient and strong,” Ray said. “I am so proud of his hard work, dedication, and he defied the odds with a great support system here at school that helped him to overcome and achieve in the midst of turmoil. I am so proud of Tupac, what he has done here, what he has done for our city and school district.”
As a way of telling his story and helping others facing hardship, Moseley created his own T-shirt based on his quote, “Your location is not your limitation.” He earned 50 scholarships worth a total of $3 million. He said he is majoring in engineering “because I love the smiles I get after helping people with tech issues.”
Moseley is not coming to TSU alone. Two other fellow graduates, including his best friend, Brandon Fontaine, also received scholarships and will attend TSU with him. President Glover included them in the trip back to campus on Wednesday as well. Fontaine is considering majoring in business management or mechanical engineering. The other student, Natoriya Owens, who wants to pursue a career in entrepreneurship, will major in theater arts with a minor in business.
President Glover added that this is what makes HBCUs so special for African Americans, and particularly first-generation college students and communities of color.
“This is the type of hands-on, special attention TSU provides our students, and especially those with unusual circumstances. It also speaks to the holistic approach and nurturing that HBCUs provide to students. Tupac is a prime example of the role TSU and other HBCUs play in addressing the total needs of our students.”
Tennessee State University is currently accepting students for the fall and have scholarships available for qualified students who want to major in STEM.
Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (TSU News Service)
– More than 200 students in grades K-8 from Davidson County and surrounding
areas recently took part in a NASA-funded, one-day STEM education workshop at
Tennessee State University.
A parent participates with her children in an activity at Dare to Dream STEM Saturday. (Submitted Photo)
Called “Dare to Dream STEM Saturday,” the workshop in April engaged students in scientific experiments, and engineering design processes, such as robotics, coding, drones, virtual reality, flight simulation and math games.
The TSU College of
Education, in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, hosted the
workshop under the Minority University Research Education Project, or MUREP, a
NASA program at the university.
Led by TSU undergraduate STEM students and MNPS teachers, the
workshop included a Family Engagement component that allowed parents to engage
their children in the various projects.
A student controls a robot using a tablet. (Submitted Photo)
“Dare to Dream STEM Saturday was designed to celebrate
minority innovators in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Dr.
Trinetia Respress, director of the TSU MUREP project and interim assistant dean
of Assessment and Accreditation in the COE. “It was very rewarding to see students
and parents engaged in brainstorming in various activities.”
Among some of the activities, students used an engineering
process to build a structure that could handle a load, by testing factors
affecting the strength and stability of the structure. Using a template, the
students also created a rocket that
they launched from a soda straw.
Shaliyah Brooks, a junior English major, from Atlanta, was one of the TSU students who led the workshop. As a technology specialist for the workshop, she exposed the students to robots through demonstrations on how they work, using devices such as parents’ personal phones or tablets.
A mother and daughter celebrate as they complete an activity at the workshop. (Submitted Photo)
“I definitely think
that the students were excited to be there,” Brooks said. “They got a chance to
play all day and in a way that was educational. They were very hands-on working
with their parents.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – More than 50 prospective farmers from across the country are participating in Tennessee State University’s New Farmer Academy
The seven-month program was started by
the university’s College of Agriculture in 2014. Participants meet the third
Monday in each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cover topics that include agricultural leadership and regulations, financial
planning, hydroponics and irrigation, organic production, farm equipment
selection, soil fertility and suitability, and value-added agribusiness.
Finis Stribling, TSU area extension specialist and Academy coordinator, speaks to participants. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
The Academy, which also offers classes in West and East Tennessee, is the only one of its kind in Tennessee. Its first year, the program had nine participants. This year, 52 are enrolled in the Middle Tennessee class, which will finish in September.
“Every year we’ve been
growing and growing,” said Finis Stribling, TSU area extension specialist and
coordinator of the New Farmer Academy. “There’s a lot of interest.”
Brian MacDonald traveled
from Orange County, California, to attend this year’s Academy. After visiting Tennessee several years ago, he decided it is a place
where he would like to retire, and do some organic farming.
“I have this dream of owning a farm,” said MacDonald, who
is a retired president and chief financial officer for an electronics company.
“It’s a dream I’ve had for the last couple of years.”
With the help of the Academy, MacDonald plans to make that
dream a reality when he permanently moves to Tennessee, as early as next year.
Academy participant Ashley Brooks of Chicago is also
hoping to start farming soon. She’s interested in growing hemp, and developing
products from it, as well as using its oil for medical uses.
“Hemp has been proven to help with different conditions,
like pain,” said Brooks, a TSU alum who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. “I
have aging family members who have used the oil, and they say it relieves their
pain tremendously.”
John Ferrell, TSU extension agent for Franklin County, Tennessee, talks to participants about irrigation. (Photo by Lucas Johnson, TSU Media Relations)
Tennessee State is among the nation’s leaders in hemp
research. TSU’s College of Agriculture
has hosted several hemp workshops, and has charged a team of scientists to
develop hemp production practices for Tennessee. The research projects include
developing hemp nutritional products for human consumption and studying the
economic viability of hemp production. Currently, the university is growing and
evaluating 10 varieties of hemp.
“TSU
wants to be at the forefront of this new interest that’s cropping up across the
country,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean of the College of Agriculture. “If it’s
ever approved for large scale use, we have some knowledge about it and can work
with the farmers.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU
News Service) – From the 5th grade, Christian Bond always had an
interest in biology and how the human body works
“I remember being
in a human anatomy class in the 10th grade and just being fascinated
with how the various mechanisms are put in naturally,” says Bond, a top rising
senior majoring in biology. “That has always been interesting to me. So, I wanted
to further my education in science to understand the biology of the body.”
Christian Bond
And Bond is well
on her way. Her goal is to become a
doctor of osteopathic medicine, which focuses on health promotion and disease prevention.
“First, I wanted
to be a neurosurgeon or a pediatric doctor, but I know for sure now I want to
do osteopathic medicine,” says Bond, a transfer student from Alabama State
University. “That is just a more holistic approach on medicine versus
prescribing pills and things like that. I want to be able to figure out what
other factors play into an illness and other ways to heal.”
At TSU, Bond is a
member of the Honors College, with a 4.0 grade point average. She is also a
member of the Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. Pre-Med Society, the Golden Key
International Honor Society, and Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society.
The second of
three children from Chris and Traci Bond, of Nashville, Christian Bond has had a
few bumps in the road that would have derailed some students’ career. But not
this Nashville native, a high achieving student all her college years.
The mother of a
6-month-old boy, Bond got pregnant while in her sophomore year at ASU. She came
back home for family support and never allowed her pregnancy to hold her back.
She enrolled at TSU a few weeks later, and never missed a day of class work.
“It was during my
sophomore year while home on spring break when I found out that I was pregnant.
I stayed home for three weeks past spring break,” says Bond. “I went back to Alabama
State, but right away decided it would be best if I came home for support that
would help me further my education because I was halfway there as a sophomore.”
Professors and
fellow students are amazed at Christian’s work ethic, sense of ambition and
perseverance.
Dr. Tyrone Miller,
associate director of the Honors Colleges, teaches an honors leadership class
during Maymester, an accelerated summer program that Christian attends. He
describes her as a highly responsible and dependable person who stays on top of
her work and an example to her fellow students.
“Christian is
definitely a thinker, she is thoughtful, and definitely a person who wants and
strives to be better,” says Miller. “I think she is setting a great example to
the rest of our students and her baby.”
Christian says her
family has a long tradition with TSU.
“All of my family from
both sides graduated from TSU,” she says. “I have come in contact with
professors who really care about my success and really devoted to helping me
move to that next level. Most of my
professors let you know about opportunities or societies or organizations on
campus to help you stay active. I want to leave a mark here.”
Christian says she
looks forward to graduating next May, then on to medical school.
“I have taken full
advantage of opportunities here at Tennessee State University and I cannot wait
to see where they will take me and my baby,” says the future doctor of
osteopathic medicine.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Dr. Ronald Barredo,
interim dean of Tennessee State University’s College of Health Sciences, is the
recipient of the highest award given by the American Physical Therapy
Association.
In June, Barredo will attend an award ceremony in Chicago,
where he will receive the Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical
Therapy Association. The award is the highest recognition that the association
can give to physical therapists, and is given to individuals “who have
demonstrated unwavering efforts to advance the physical therapy profession for
more than 15 years,” according to the Association’s website.
Dr. Ronald Barredo
There are more than 100,000 members of the APTA. Of that
number, only 214 have received the Catherine Worthingham Fellow. In Tennessee,
only five have been given the honor.
““We are so proud of
Dr. Ronald Barredo,” said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover.
“Here at TSU, excellence is our habit, and Dr. Barredo is continuing that
tradition with this prestigious award. We applaud him, and thank him for his service
to our university.”
Dr. Barredo, who is also professor and chair of the Department
of Physical Therapy, is being recognized for his work in professional and
post-professional education, particularly in the area of competency assessment.
He has been actively involved with the Federation of State
Boards of Physical Therapy, with its focus on the assessment of entry-level
competence through the National Physical Therapy Examination; the American
Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, with its focus on the assessment of
continuing competence through specialist certification; the Foreign
Credentialing Commission in Physical Therapy, with its focus on assessment of
educational equivalence of foreign educated physical therapists; and the APTA
Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program, with its focus on education and
credentialing of clinical instructors.
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized as a Catherine
Worthingham Fellow,” Barredo said. “My appreciation goes out to the faculty,
staff and students at Tennessee State University, who make my life interesting,
challenging, and fun every day.”
TSU is currently constructing a new state-of-the-art Health
Sciences Building.
“This
project will not only bring together a number of excellent programs under one
roof – Nursing, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Cardiorespiratory Care,
and Health Information Management – but will also be a hub for collaborative
practice, community service, and clinical research,” Barredo said.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU
News Service) – A TSU summer bridge program that helps first-time freshmen
brush up on math, reading and writing, has received an $80,000 boost from the
Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
The Summer Completion
Academy, a rigorous one-week program designed to ensure student success, will
use the grant to give 300 students in the academy the opportunity to satisfy
learning support requirements prior to their first semester of enrollment.
The program will run over two
sessions between June 23-29, and July 14-20, 2019. Students participating in
the program have already been accepted to TSU for the fall semester.
“Our focus for the grant is to
work with students who are at risk,” said Tiffany Bellafant Steward, assistant
vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Success. “These are
students who are not prepared for college-level work who would go into our
learning support areas of math, reading and writing.”
She said participants will receive
learning support such as additional lab sessions, extra days in class, as well
as “engagement activities,” including pre- and post-tests to measure their
achievement level.
According to Steward, the academy,
now in its third year, has a “huge” success rate.
“We are thrilled to
be in a position to offer a program like this to students, which could take up
to three classes off their fall schedule,” Steward said.
Tyren Griffin, a business administration major, now in her second semester at TSU, participated in the SCA as an in-coming freshman. She said the program helped her be better prepared for her college work.
“I really enjoyed my SCA
experience,” said Griffin, a Chicago native. “In addition to helping me be
better prepared for my academic work, the program definitely benefited me
because I was able to get to know people that had similar goals for success.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee
State University Police Chief Gregory Robinson is the recipient of a
prestigious international campus safety award.
Robinson has been selected to
receive the 2019 International Association of Campus Law Enforcement
Administrators (IACLEA) Award for Administrative Excellence. He will be
presented the award in June at a ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada.
TSU Police Chief Gregory Robinson
The IACLEA is the leading
authority for campus public safety. Its members represent campus law
enforcement and security issues before law and policy makers, higher education
officials, and members of the public around the globe.
“This award is incredibly
humbling,” Robinson said. “I thank the IACLEA for the selection, and the
officers who make up the TSUPD for embracing a vision that was designed to
enhance the characterization of professionalism and service as a Department. In
addition, a special thanks to TSU President Glenda Glover for believing in me
and choosing me to lead this organization.”
Robinson lauded his officers for their roles in “decreasing crime in and around campus, along with improved methodologies that have proven to be foundational in building the many positive relationships with the students, faculty, and staff members at TSU.”
Crime on college campuses
around Tennessee is down, according to a recent report by the Tennessee Bureau
of Investigation. TSU is one school that saw major improvement from 2017 to
2018.
“We have had record numbers
in decline and we want to keep it like that,” Robinson said in an interview
with Nashville television station WSMV.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – They have performed for the Pope, and have been called the best college choir in the nation, but if you think you have seen the best of the TSU New Direction Choir, think again.
New Direction Choir Director Justin Butler, right, leads the group during taping of of their upcoming appearance on BET’s Sunday Best. (Submitted Photo)
The world-renowned
choir has been selected to appear as featured performer on BET’s hit show “Sunday
Best,” a reality television
gospel music singing competition series.
The choir will appear in an episode of the show which airs this fall. They will perform gospel hits selected by the show’s producers. On May 9, the group spent the day taping their upcoming performance in the Tyler Perry Studio in Atlanta.
“We are just excited
and grateful,” said Justin Butler, director of New Direction, who called the
invitation a “total surprise and a wild moment.”
He said one of the
producers of Sunday Best (Torrance Glenn) “called us out of the blue” and said
he had been following New Direction for a long time, and when he needed a choir
to perform behind the contestants, the TSU group “instantly” came to mind.
The choir performs at one of its many concerts during the European tour. (submitted Photo)
“It was a wild
moment. We didn’t know we had impacted someone all the way in New York,” Butler
said. “He just said, ‘I need you all as guest performers for this episode and I
need you here’ by this time. He said he felt we would be the best to perform on
the show behind the contestants.”
Kedrick Noel, a junior music education major from Memphis, is president of New Direction Choir. He said he got the call from Butler about the opportunity to appear on BET.
“It is just
amazing. We are beyond grateful and blessed to have this opportunity to perform
on BET Sunday Best,” Noel said. “It was just a blessing how everything worked
out. The school was one hundred percent behind us, the choir was one hundred
percent behind us.”
Last winter, New
Direction spent 31 days touring and performing in different cities across
Europe. The group held 24 concerts, including an appearance in the Vatican,
where they met and performed for the Pope.
Concert goers cheer on the TSU New Direction Choir during a performance on the group’s recent European tour. (Submitted Photo)
“That was another
wild moment,” said Butler. “The people were so excited to see us. They treated
us like we were rock stars. The red carpet was laid out for us everywhere we
went.”
“It was overwhelming
to see our students come out and work so hard,” primary group advisor Deborah
Chisom, said at the time. “Even though I was not on stage with them, seeing
them so excited was just very fulfilling.”
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only
public university, and is a premier, historically black university and
land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24
master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a
comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie
designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams
Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in
McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee
State University provides students with a quality education in a
nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be
global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online
at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.(TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Engineering partnered with Metro Nashville Public Schools to host the STEAM Project Expo.
About 150 students in grades 5-8 from 18 Nashville area schools participated in the event in TSU’s Kean Hall on May 8.
William Henry Oliver Middle School students showcase project at STEAM Expo. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)
During the event, students showcased their collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills by displaying projects created throughout the year.
The projects were judged by
experts in the fields of STEAM (science technology, engineering, arts, and
mathematics). The main difference between STEAM and STEM, is that STEAM
includes the “arts.”
“We are focusing on STEM, but
we really want to tap into that creative piece,” said Jennifer Berry, director
of STEAM/Science for MNPS. “When you look around Nashville, it’s … an art city.
So we want to value the culture of Nashville.”
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, said he’s glad to have the partnership with MNPS.
“TSU and the College of Engineering
have been a strong supporter of STEM education for a number of years,” Hargrove
said. “The goal is to recognize and encourage students in K-12 to consider STEM
careers by being engaged in STEM-related projects while they’re in school.”
Brandon Gregoril, a student
at William Henry Oliver Middle School, said he enjoyed meeting other students,
and experts in the different STEAM fields.
“I feel privileged to do
this,” said Gregoril. “Many students don’t get this opportunity. I feel I’ve
accomplished one of my goals.”
Jeff Hunter, a senior program
manager with the National Parks Conservation Association, was one of the Expo’s
judges. He said the students were “impressive.”
“This is the next generation,
the next stewards of our public lands, and wildlife,” said Hunter. “It inspires
hope in me.”
Catherine Gordon, assistant
professor of civil and architectural engineering at TSU, said the Expo was also
a great recruitment opportunity for the university.
“To allow students to come to the university and participate in STEM activity is huge for us, especially the College of Engineering, and all STEM-related departments at TSU,” she said. “It allows the students to be familiar with TSU, know where the school is, see what we have, and then feel like they can also do it.”
TSU has received a million dollars from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service to bolster undergraduate students’
interest in STEM.
Earlier this year, TSU
President Glenda Glover surprised 20 students who visited the university with
scholarship offers if they planned to major in a STEM course and have a good
GPA.
Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37209 615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
