All posts by Lucas Johnson

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU hosts Opportunity Zone training session

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Business partnered with the state Department of Economic and Community Development on Wednesday to educate local stakeholders on the benefit of Opportunity Zones.

Mayor David Briley welcomed prospective investors to the Opportunity Zone training session in the Avon Williams Campus auditorium and encouraged them to take advantage of the legislation, particularly in Nashville.

The Qualified Opportunity Zone community development benefit was created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed last year. The federal benefit is designed to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities through Qualified Opportunity Funds.

There are 176 tracts in Tennessee that are approved Opportunity Zones. Twenty of the zones are in Nashville, and TSU’s main campus is located in one of them.

“This Opportunity Fund concept gives us another vehicle to attract investors, so that we can do targeted developments in our communities,” said Isaac Addae, an assistant professor in TSU’s College of Business.

Isaac Addae, assistant professor in TSU’s College of Business, thanks Mayor Briley for attending session. (Photo by Michael McLendon, TSU Media Relations)

Investors choosing to re-invest their capital gains into opportunity funds can earn three types of federal capital gains tax benefits: temporary deferral, a step-up in basis, and permanent exclusion on capital gains accrued after the initial investment. Additionally, Opportunity Zone investments can be paired with almost any federal, state or local incentive. Qualifying investments include multifamily housing, industrial development, brownfield redevelopment, retail development, operating businesses and a variety of other investments.

According to state officials, the goal of the training session (one of several across the state this month) is to educate stakeholders on how Opportunity Zones can be implemented throughout the state. Each session pairs potential investors with projects, reviews various use case scenarios and provides time for open discussion.

Jack Armstrong, a commercial real estate broker, attended the session at TSU and said it was beneficial.

“It’s a good opportunity for us brokers and people in the real estate world to get a better understanding of what’s out there and how we can better service our clients,” said Armstrong.

To learn more about Opportunity Zones, visit https://www.tn.gov/ecd/opportunity-zones.html

To learn more about TSU’s College of Business, 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 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU marks historic milestone during fall commencement with Executive MBA Program graduates

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University added another page to the institution’s historical achievements when its first Executive MBA class walked the stage at the 2018 fall commencement ceremony on Saturday, December 8.

The 22-member group received degrees in August, but wanted to mark the special moment by participating in the graduation exercise.  The significance of their achievement was highlighted when TSU President Glenda Glover acknowledged the class and asked them to stand.

“It was extremely exciting and gratifying to see the first cohorts of the TSU executive MBA culminate this historic journey by participating in fall commencement,” said TSU President Glover. “TSU is Nashville’s only 4-year public institution and it just made sense that we have a business program tailored for the corporate community, the working professional. Our executive MBA has national and global appeal, as evident from some of the students that were from as far away as Colorado, and also internationally, representing Italy.”

The 12-month program, which started last fall, was delivered in a hybrid format consisting of both in-person and online course offerings. One local student was Dr. Anita Sykes-Smith. Dr. Sykes-Smith has a long and successful career as a dentist and medical school professor. However, she felt something was missing professionally, and looked to Tennessee State University to fill that gap.

Last August, she joined the 21 other cohorts of career professionals, industry executives, a college dean and independent consultants for the inaugural class of the newly launched TSU Executive MBA program. Like Sykes-Smith, they were also looking for that missing link with the desire to move their careers to a higher level of success — and TSU provided it.

“The opportunity to attend a 12-month MBA program that provided a world-class management education while continuing my career is priceless,” said Sykes-Smith, a general dentist and assistant professor at Meharry Medical College.

“I believe the program accomplished its goal of inspiring participants to be constantly learning, building new skills, and stretching to take on new challenges.”

Sykes-Smith added that the program helped enhance her skills and knowledge by providing insight into management strategies and analysis for problem solving, which she believed will be extremely beneficial to her career.

Business professors and seasoned professionals with industry and business background such as current and former company executives, taught the program. Among them was President Glover, a certified public accountant with a high level of experience in the corporate world.

Program participants also had the opportunity to spend 10 days studying outside the United States to broaden their understanding of global leadership.

David Pelton, a member of the graduating class, has been in the business world as an independent consultant in marketing and government relations for more than 20 years. But just like Sykes-Smith, he needed a brush-up in accounting and how to deal with personalities in the workplace. He said the TSU MBA program was just what he needed.

“This program helped me gain knowledge and develop better skills and understanding of things I thought I knew in serving my clients,” said Pelton. “I travel quite a lot in my business and the program design worked perfectly to do class work, as well as serve clients.”

Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, dean of the College of Business, said the goal of the EMBA program was to offer an affordable, convenient, accredited, business curriculum for busy business professionals.

“Congratulations to our first graduating class of outstanding individuals for their achievement,” Lownes-Jackson said. “In one short year, EMBA program participants have acquired critical business knowledge, along with readily applicable global business and leadership strategies that will enable them to make an immediate and profound impact.”

Anis Mnif, director of graduate programs in the College of Business, agreed.

“The Executive MBA provided participants a strong foundation for a thriving career,” Mnif said “It combined cutting-edge research results and theory provided by our renowned faculty and real-life practical examples made available through the rich executive-level experiences of the program’s Executives in Residence.”

Other members of the inaugural EMBA graduating class included: Joyce A. Barbour, Janet E. Blakemore, Rosalyn D. carpenter, JoAnn A. Carter-Almore, Frederick W. Cawthon, Samuel K. Hargrove, Bradley C. Jackson, Debbie Jacobs, Latrisha Jemison, Marrecco D. Johnson, Tonya C. Kilpatrick and Matthew W. Muterspaugh.

Also graduating were: Stefania Placentini, Sharon W. Reynolds, Yvonne J. Sanders, Leah Sarnicola, Wilma K. Sharpe, Deborah K. Williams and Grant L. Winrow.

A second class for the TSU EMBA started in August and had 20 cohorts. For more information on the TSU Executive MBA program, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/mba/e_mba.aspx or call 615-963-7295.

NOTE: Featured photo by Ramona Whitworth-Wiggins

 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU College of Business hosts Opportunity Zone training session

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s College of Business is partnering with the state Department of Economic and Community Development to educate local stakeholders on the benefit of Opportunity Zones.

An Opportunity Zone training session will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12, in the Avon Williams Campus Auditorium downtown. Nashville Mayor David Briley is scheduled to speak.

The Qualified Opportunity Zone community development benefit was created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed last year. The federal benefit is designed to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities through Qualified Opportunity Funds.

There are 176 tracts in Tennessee that are approved Opportunity Zones, and TSU’s main campus is located in one of them.

“This Opportunity Fund concept gives us another vehicle to attract investors, so that we can do targeted developments in our communities,” said Isaac Addae, an assistant professor in TSU’s College of Business.

Investors choosing to re-invest their capital gains into opportunity funds can earn three types of federal capital gains tax benefits: temporary deferral, a step-up in basis, and permanent exclusion on capital gains accrued after the initial investment. Additionally, Opportunity Zone investments can be paired with almost any federal, state or local incentive. Qualifying investments include multifamily housing, industrial development, brownfield redevelopment, retail development, operating businesses and a variety of other investments.

According to state officials, the goal of the training session is to educate stakeholders on how Opportunity Zones can be implemented throughout the state. The session will pair potential investors with projects, review various use case scenarios and provide time for open discussion.

“We place a heavy emphasis on attracting and expanding businesses to Tennessee’s low-income communities, and with the assistance of the Opportunity Zone benefit, these communities will have another advantage to grow and create more jobs and opportunities,” said TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe.

To learn more about TSU’s College of Business, 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 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Uncategorized

Siblings Establish Endowed Scholarship At TSU To Honor Parents

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University will soon offer a new scholarship opportunity for residents of Columbia County, Georgia, thanks to Helen Young and her siblings.

The John and Adline Starks Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, named in honor of Young’s parents, will provide financial assistance to a student from Columbia County who wishes to attend TSU.

Young, a graduate of the University of Georgia, said they chose to establish the scholarship at TSU because of positive experiences with the university.

“I have been fortunate over the last six or seven years to attend a number of the TSU scholarship galas. I’ve been able to attend some of the homecoming festivities, and actually been able to meet some of the folks who are graduates of Tennessee State, and I have been so impressed with knowing their dedication to TSU,” she said. “They have a sense of family, and they really have a caring, it-takes-a-village approach to their education of students at TSU.”

Helen Young with her daughter Georgeanna A. Young, who graduated with a master’s of public health from TSU in August 2018.

Although John and Adline Starks are not TSU alums, Young’s daughter, Georgeanna A. Young, earned a master’s of public health from the university in August. Helen said she witnessed first hand the “vested interest” Georgeanna’s professors played in her success.

“It was just overwhelming to see that kind of emphasis put on my child,” Helen said. “I think it’s just an incredible testament to the administration at Tennessee State University, as well as the alumni.”

Betsy Jackson Mosley, executive director of the TSU Foundation, said the endowed scholarship will be awarded to students beginning in 2021.

“Endowed scholarships like this one will help students for years to come. And then they also leave a legacy for family,” Jackson said. “It’s really good that particular families who have members to attend or deep connections to TSU are able to recognize their loved ones this way and know that it will always be here.”

Helen, who along with her sister Roberta integrated the Columbia County School System in the 1960s, said her parents would have been proud to be connected to the legacy of an institution like Tennessee State University.

“I know my parents would have never been able to get into the University of Georgia when they were of age to go to college because of the color of their skin,” she said. “The only options they would have had would have been a historically black university or some small community college, maybe.”

John Henry and Adline Beatrice Starks were born and reared in rural Edgefield County South Carolina. John served in the military during WWII and was a Baptist minister. Adline, a homemaker, was a devoted wife and mother who taught her children how to work hard and lead productive lives. Helen said her parents taught them to “speak up when they saw injustice and not back down in the face of adversity.”

Helen Young serves as the assistant vice president for shared services center operations at Parallon Business Solutions, a subsidiary of Hospital Corporation of America responsible for providing services in the areas of revenue cycle, group purchasing, supply chain, technology, workforce management, and consulting services.

 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU professor, students unveil historical marker recognizing victims of Nashville’s slave market

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A historical marker that recognizes victims of the second largest slave port in Tennessee was unveiled downtown Friday thanks to the efforts of a Tennessee State University professor and his students.

Dr. Learotha Williams next to marker. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations).

The marker is located at the corner of 4th Avenue North and Charlotte Avenue.

Preceding the Civil War, the space, which stretched to the city’s Public Square, was the center of slave trade in Nashville.

TSU President Glenda Glover joined state and local officials, historians and members of the community at the unveiling ceremony.

“We gather to honor the memory of hundreds of slaves who helped to build this city and state, laying the foundation for what we have become, one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas,” said Glover.

Dr. Learotha Williams, an associate professor of history at TSU who spearheaded the erection of the marker, echoed her sentiment when he talked about the slaves and what they endured.

“We acknowledge your pain, we recognize your strength, and we honor your sacrifice,” said Williams.

He said the idea for the marker stemmed from a discussion in one of his classes about the history of Nashville’s slave market, and the trauma inflicted upon countless men, women and children when they were torn from their loved ones.

Williams said his students wanted to know why there wasn’t some type of memorial for the slaves. One student suggested to Williams: “Why don’t you write up a proposal; you can be the one to get it done.”

And so he did, with the help of his students and members of the community. The Tennessee Historical Commission approved the marker in June.

A cross section of city and state officials and residents join TSU President Glenda Glover (8th from left), and TSU history Professor Dr. Learotha Williams (5th from left) for the unveiling of a historic marker honoring the memory of victims of the slave trade. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

Patrick McIntyre, executive director and state historic preservation officer for the Tennessee Historical Commission, attended Friday’s ceremony.

“This is the most significant marker to be erected during my years as director,” he said. “It’s a very serious and painful reminder of an everyday fact of life that existed in Nashville.”

The slave traders that lined the thoroughfare provided prospective buyers reliable access to enslaved blacks whom they bought, sold, or traded for their own use or resale in other areas of the Deep South.

“Nashville was the second largest slave port in the state,” said Williams. “So, if you’re looking at a black person from here that has roots in Tennessee, chances are their ancestors came in through that space.”

TSU history student Meshach Adams said the marker unveiling was a proud moment.

“It means a lot, having this recognition of what happened here, especially in remembrance of our ancestors,” said Adams, who is a senior in one of Williams’s classes. “It’s a beautiful moment.”

TSU senior Shayldeon Brownlee, who is also a student of Williams, said the marker will hopefully cause future generations to reflect on what happened there.

“Some people want to forget, especially in this day and age,” said Brownlee. “But it shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a part of history, it’s a part of us.”

Chakita Patterson is the founder of United Street Tours, which provides African-American history and cultural walking tours in downtown Nashville. She plans to make the marker part of her tour.

“This is so important because a lot of the missing history and the hidden history in Nashville is now being uncovered,” said Patterson. “A lot of people don’t know how significant black history, and black culture is here.”

Dr. Bobby Lovett is a national historian and former TSU history professor. He said African-Americans arrived at Fort Nashborough (a forerunner to the settlement that would become the city of Nashville) in December 1779 with the first European American settlers. Enslaved and free blacks comprised about 26 percent of Nashville’s population by 1860. The sale of slaves ended once the Union occupied Nashville in 1862.

“A historical marker is appropriate for this sacred part of Nashville’s history, which reminds us that lessons of our past can help with understandings of the present, and guide us toward making better decisions in the future,” said Lovett.

To learn about Dr. Learotha Williams’s other endeavors, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/nnhp/index.aspx

 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU history professor, students get historical marker erected to remember victims of Nashville’s slave market

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A historical marker that remembers the victims of Nashville’s slave market has been erected downtown due to the efforts of a Tennessee State University professor and his students.

Dr. Learotha Williams

The marker will be unveiled at 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at the corner of 4th Avenue North and Charlotte Avenue.

Preceding the Civil War, the space, which stretches to the city’s Public Square, was the center of slave trade in Nashville. The slave traders that lined the thoroughfare provided prospective buyers reliable access to enslaved blacks whom they bought, sold, or traded for their own use or resale in other areas of the Deep South.

“Nashville was the second largest slave port in the state,” says Dr. Learotha Williams, an associate professor of history at TSU who spearheaded the erection of the marker. “So, if you’re looking at a black person from here that has roots in Tennessee, chances are their ancestors came in through that space.”

Dr. Bobby Lovett is a national historian and former TSU history professor. He says African-Americans arrived at Fort Nashborough (a forerunner to the settlement that would become the city of Nashville) in December 1779 with the first European American settlers. Enslaved and free blacks comprised about 26 percent of Nashville’s population by 1860. The sale of slaves ended once the Union occupied Nashville in 1862.

“A historical marker is appropriate for this sacred part of Nashville’s history, which reminds us that lessons of our past can help with understandings of the present, and guide us toward making better decisions in the future,” says Lovett.

Williams says the idea for the marker stemmed from a discussion in one of his classes about the history of Nashville’s slave market, and the trauma inflicted upon countless of men, women and children when they were torn from their loved ones.

Williams says one of his students asked, “Dr. Williams, why don’t we have a marker or something down there for these people?” He says he honestly didn’t know why. Then the student said: “Why don’t you write up a proposal; you can be the one to get it done.”

And so he did, with the help of some of his students. The Tennessee Historical Commission approved the marker in June.

TSU student Shayldeon Brownlee, a senior in one of Williams’ classes, says the marker will hopefully cause future generations to reflect on what happened there.

“Some people want to forget, especially in this day and age,” says Brownlee. “But it shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a part of history, it’s a part of us.”

To learn about Dr. Learotha Williams’s other endeavors, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/nnhp/index.aspx

 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Uncategorized

TSU President, Board Chairman and Administrator among Nashville’s 10 Most Powerful African-Americans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Three individuals that have prominent roles with Tennessee State University have made Music City’s power list for African-Americans. President Glenda Glover, the university’s Board of Trustees chairman, Dr. Joseph Walker III and Metro Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher are among Nashville’s 10 most powerful African-Americans in the recent edition of the Nashville Voice, an online publication.

Dr. Glover ranked No. 4, followed by Walker at No. 7 and Councilwoman Vercher at No. 9, respectively. The individuals named span a number of industries, from local government and banking to faith-based leadership and education. Criteria was based on: capacity, responsibility, singularity, respectability and consistency.

“They have made a career out of using their power and influence for the greater good of the urban community in Nashville,” according to the Nashville Voice.

Dr. Glover, who is also the international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, has led TSU since 2013. Under her leadership as the university’s first female president, student enrollment has continuously ranked among the highest amid the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. TSU has also experienced a significant increase in alumni fundraising, research dollars and academic offerings with her at the helm. Since taking over Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, she orchestrated a successful and historic philanthropic campaign for HBCUs by raising over $1.2 million in 24-hours for the institutions.

In addition to being chairman of TSU’s Board of Trustees, Walker is senior pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, which has three locations in Nashville. He is also presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for Meharry Medical College and Citizens Savings Bank.

Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher, who is also associate director of financial aid at TSU, chair’s the Metro Council’s Budget and Finance Committee. She is arguably the most powerful person on the Council, overseeing the city’s $2.2 billion budget.

To see the Nashville Voice story, visit http://www.thevoicenashville.com/news-politics/nashvilles-10-most-powerful-african-americans-2018/

 

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Ag student receives Justin Smith Morrill Scholarship

By Joan Kite

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Alexius Dingle, an agriculture science major expecting to graduate in May, can rest a little easier after completing all those applications for grad school.

Her application fees are covered through her own efforts and a generous scholarship.

Awarded the prestigious Justin Smith Morrill Scholarship, she now has $2,500 to defray the cost of application fees.

“My ultimate goal is to get a Ph.D. in microbiology,” Dingle said. “I want to spend my career researching how we can use microorganisms to make our lives easier.”

The Justin Smith Morrill Scholarship is presented by the 1890 Land-Grant Universities Foundation to 19 graduating seniors — one at each of the 1890 member universities.

The scholarship was established to commemorate Justin Smith Morrill, a Vermont politician who advocated dedicating public lands to create higher education institutions that taught agriculture and other subjects to all. In 1862, President Abe Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act, a law that ultimately funded 105 institutions, and later on established colleges dedicated to educating African Americans.

Dingle is emblematic of that vital heritage.

She is a USDA/ 1890 National Scholar, a Tennessee State University Dean’s Scholar, and has been on the President’s List for the past three years.

Sustaining a 4.0 GPA, Dingle has also been able to serve as President of the Alpha Chi Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Freshman/Sophomore Class Representative of the Tennessee State University Honors College. She is a member of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), the Hip’Notyze Dance Troupe, and the African Student Association.

She has taken first place two years in a row in the TSU Research Symposium for Undergraduate Science.

During the past three summers, she has interned at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Riverdale, Maryland, where she assisted in implementing regulations for genetically engineered organisms, and at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, where she sought to quantify mixotrophic behavior in dinoflagellates (algaes) indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay.

Dingle anticipates hearing in late winter or early spring from one of the four graduate schools for which she has applied.

A doctorate is on her goals’ list.

Is teaching at a university in her future?

“I’ve thought about becoming a professor,” she said.

Note: In the featured photo, College of Agriculture Dean Chandra Reddy presents Alexius Dingle with the scholarship check (Photo by Joan Kite).

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, FEATURED, NEWS, RESEARCH, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, Uncategorized

TSU Helps Students Explore Ancestry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – This holiday season, Erica Conn will get a gift from Tennessee State University she has longed to receive most of her life. Thanks to a new service being offered by the Office of International Affairs, Conn will trace her ancestry.

“I’m not sure where I am from, and my ancestry is not readily available to me because my ancestors were slaves,” she said.  “So my history for the most part is hidden.”

A senior office assistant in OIA, Conn is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the university. When she heard OIA would be collaborating with Helix, a personal genomics company, to provide ancestry DNA testing services for TSU students and members of the surrounding community, she convinced the office to let her volunteer as a tester so she could tell other people about the product.

Erica Conn

“I just think that it is super important for African Americans, but not just African Americans, anyone and everyone, to know where they are from, who their ancestors are, and what the commonalities are,” she said. “What are the norms from the particular culture? How can they draw from those things, and how can they be better because of those things?

Mark Brinkley, director of International Education in OIA, said helping students explore their ancestry is part of TSU’s initiative to help them become more comfortable with their culture.

“Seventy percent of our student population is African-American,” he said. “The proposition of study abroad is, as we say, ‘Why don’t you go and experience another culture?’ That becomes even more challenging when our students don’t know their own culture.”

To assist students with the process of exploring their ancestry, Brinkley said OIA has developed more programs focused on visiting the continent of Africa, as well as following the African diaspora.

“It’s a historic fact that 12.5 million people of African descent left Africa in the slave trade. Ten million arrived to the Americas. Only 400,000 came to what we call the United States,” he said. “That means that this African diaspora is really immense, and almost anywhere we go, Brazil in South America, the Caribbean, there is a heavy African influence from the ships stopping their before they got to the United States.”

Brinkley said some of the study abroad experiences currently being planned include Senegal, South Africa, Denmark, Mexico and Peru.

Conn, who is awaiting her test results, said she eventually hopes to visit her homeland.

“I will solve the mystery of where I am from and who my ancestors are, but as far as getting there, it’s going to be a bit costly, so I will start working,” she said. “I am going to Africa with my church in 2020, but we know that Africa is a large continent, and I’m not sure where I am from, so the place where we are going may not be remotely close to where I am from.  But I intend to go there, and try to find out as much information as I can.”

Mark Brinkley

Brinkley, whose test revealed that he is 80 percent West African, 16 percent European, 2 percent South African and 2 percent other. said the ancestry testing helps students answer two of the three fundamental questions they ask in their programs: Who am I? How do I know? How do I interact with others?

“It was very interesting this past summer when we were in South Africa. I opened up my welcome to them by saying, ‘I’m coming back home,’ because I know who I am, and I also know how I know that,” he said.

The Office of International Affairs is located on the first floor of Holland Hall. For more information about TSU’s Study Abroad and Exchange Programs as well as ancestory testing, contact Mark Anthony Brinkley at [email protected] or (615) 963-7660.

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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, Uncategorized

Tree lighting ceremony a festive event for TSU family, community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Members of the Tennessee State University family, as well as the community, turned out last Tuesday night for the university’s festive tree lighting ceremony.

TSU President Glenda Glover with Miss TSU Kayla Sampson and Mr. TSU Darian McGhee. (Photo by Ramona Whitworth)

“This tree, this TSU tree, symbolizes light, life, and love,” said TSU President Glenda Glover. “We light this tree, and pray for a happy and joyful holiday season.”

Before the tree lighting, TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands provided some holiday spirit, and hot chocolate was available to help attendees stay warm. The cold temperature, however, didn’t seem to keep those in attendance from having a good time.

Patricia Milton, who drove from Hendersonville, Tennessee, with her 9-year-old granddaughter, said she looked forward to the event, which also had a visit from Santa Claus.

(Photo by Ramona Whitworth)

“I think it’s a wonderful thing to do in the neighborhood,” Milton said.

TSU freshman Andrea Davis agreed.

“It’s a way to make the university more engaged with the community,” said Davis, who will travel home to Washington, D.C. next week. “It also makes me look forward to Christmas.”

TSU will continue to spread holiday cheer when it hosts the Toys for Tots event on Dec. 15. The event will be held in Kean Hall on the main campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: Feature photo taken by Charles Cook (TSU Media Relations).

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 7,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. 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.