Category Archives: NEWS

EVENTS, FACULTY, NEWS

TSU Engineering Students Take Part in Annual Air Force Design Competition

AFRLChallenge
A team of engineering students from Tennessee State University representing the fields of mechanical design, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science joined 15 other universities and three service academies at Arnold Air Force Base recently for the annual Air Force Research Laboratory Collegiate and Service Academy Engineering Design Competition. This year’s challenge centered on a problem routinely faced by Air Force pararescuemen and other military units — lifting up of heavy armored vehicles to rescue fellow soldiers pinned or trapped inside, similar to the vehicle pictured. (courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A team of engineering students from Tennessee State University joined 15 other universities and three service academies at Arnold Air Force Base recently to find a solution to a problem routinely encountered by members of the military…designing a portable one-man heavy lifting device capable of lifting 45,000 pounds.

The teams came together April 14-17 at Arnold Engineering Development Complex in middle Tennessee for the annual Air Force Research Laboratory Collegiate and Service Academy Engineering Design Competition. TSU fielded a 12-person team and joined forces with Prairie View A&M University. Students represented the fields of mechanical design, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science.

Now in its third year, the competition revolves around a single engineering challenge aimed at fostering innovative and creative solutions. This year’s challenge centered on a problem routinely faced by U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and other military units. The weight of armored vehicles and frequent encounters with improvised explosive devices or damage from combat operations occasionally require these up-armored vehicles be lifted to rescue fellow soldiers pinned or trapped inside. These heavy lift devices are also routinely used in rescue operations of collapsed structures or downed aircraft.

The challenge this year was to design a lifting device that was portable, lightweight, and could lift a structure, aircraft or armored vehicles at least 24 inches high that would effectively lift a 45,000-pound vehicle sufficient to retrieve trapped personnel.

“The current constraint is the inability to make kits available in small enough volume and weight factor,” said Dr. Fenghui Yao, professor of Computer Science and the team’s leader. “A successful rescue is a controlled operation that is immediately deployed to prevent crushing or further damage to equipment and personnel. Our mindset was to ‘lift an inch, shore an inch’ for stability of lifting the heavy load.”

Devon Parker, a senior Air Force mechanical engineer at AEDC, was the host and manager for the national competition on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory. In addition to managing the competition, he provided regular feedback to the design teams throughout the academic year during design reviews. While this was designed principally to ensure the teams fully understood the problem, it also allowed him to ensure the trial phase conducted at AEDC could safely accommodate all of the various design entries during demonstration.

“The challenge was a 40,000-pound bulldozer resting on an deep incline deep within the Tennessee Guard Volunteer Training Site,” said Parker. “The competition and the teams were supported by a number of experienced Air Force pararescuemen from around the country – who performed work under the load for the student teams, as instructed by the respective student team leader.”

The team from Tennessee State University developed and designed two solutions to the problem. According to Yao, the first solution was entered and competition along with the solution provided by the Prairie View students. Both were able to execute the required lifting task successfully.

Ultimately, the team from Auburn University delivered a design solution that met the objective while also achieving significant progress in many of the additional design constraints. Their solution consisted of a mixed air bag system, built of Kevlar and Vectran in their own laboratory.

Regardless of their performance on the field trial, there were portions of each entry that offered further opportunity for creative development. There were mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and hybrid solutions developed and demonstrated, said Parker.

“Engineering designs and team creativity were all put to the test,” he said. “Regardless of individual results, every team came away with a more profound understanding of why it is essential that engineers leave their office desks and get their hands dirty when working on a problem.”

Even though the joint TSU/Prairie View A&M team did not win the competition, it provided valuable design experience for the students.

“It is this type of first-hand experience that enables engineers to fully comprehend the scope of any problem,” said Yao. “It allows them to work more effectively as part of any product development or problem solving team.”

Dr. Landon Onyebueke, professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Dr. Saleh Zein-Sabatto, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, assisted Yao and the Challenge team.

 

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

EVENTS, NEWS

TSU Student Affairs Administrators Receive State, National Career and Professional Development Opportunities

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Two senior staff members of the Division of Student Affairs at Tennessee State University have been selected to participate in separate prestigious state and national programs that offer career-enhancing and professional development opportunities.

Green
Dr. Cheryl Green

Dr. Cheryl Green, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, has been named a Maxine Smith Fellow with the Tennessee Board of Regents; while Dr. Jame’l Hodges, assistant dean of Student Life and Engagement, has been selected to participate in the Mid-Manager’s Institute at Texas Christian University this summer.

As a Maxine Smith Fellow, Green will have the opportunity to experience how decisions are made at the TBR senior administrative and governing board levels.

The fellowship, established as a TBR central office Geier initiative, is designed to provide African-American TBR employees the opportunity to participate in a working and learning environment that enhances work experience and career development. The objective is to increase the academic and professional credentials of the fellows, as well as help to increase the number of qualified applicants from underrepresented groups for senior-level administrative positions at TBR institutions.

Hodges
Dr. Jame’l Hodges

For Hodges, his summer experience with the Mid-Manager’s Institute will give him and other mid-level professionals from around the nation the opportunity to develop skills, relationships and dispositions that distinguish them, as well as help them make more meaningful contributions to the programs and people they serve.

“This institute is an amazing opportunity to learn from the best in higher education,” Hodges said, upon hearing of his selection. “I am excited to learn about innovative programs, policies and procedures from those who will attend and I am equally eager to teach others about the best practices here at TSU.”

The institute is sponsored by Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and the Southern Association for College Student Affairs.

Called the 2014 NASPA Region III/SACSA Mid-Managers Institute, the five-day (June 1-5) program will discuss topics such as navigating politics and campus climate, strategic planning, synergy between academic affairs and student affairs, and exploring professional competences and career planning.

 

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

EVENTS, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

In Spite of Inclement Weather Threat, TSU Outdoor Spring Commencement Goes on Without a Hitch

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A graduating senior at TSU’s Spring Commencement Ceremony Saturday holds a sign that expresses the sentiments of the more than 1,100 who received their degrees at the program. (Photo by Rick Delahaya, TSU Media Relations)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – After a brief delay Saturday, Tennessee State University dodged an inclement weather forecast to hold its spring commencement at a packed Hale Stadium.

More than 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students received their degrees in various disciplines under a clear, sunny day, with their names and faces in digital displays projected on two massive jumbotron screens during the outdoor ceremony on the main campus.

Prior to the commencement, students, family members and other invited guests who had arrived early for the planned ceremony in the stadium, took cover in nearby Gentry Center to wait out a rain shower. The crowd went back to the “Hole” after the brief downpour and the commencement went on without a hitch.

“We got exactly what our family came here for,” said Gina Benton, of Dayton, Ohio, responding to an apology from TSU President Glenda Glover about the brief inconvenience posed by the weather. “We came here with about 20 family members to watch my son graduate and that’s exactly what we got. With such a beautiful outcome, the weather was a minor issue.”

Benton’s son, Erik, received his degree in Business Administration with honors.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, the commencement speaker, apparently not fazed by the weather threat, told the graduates that 55 percent of available jobs in the state would need people with college degrees and the necessary skills to fill those positions.

“Tennessee State University has prepared you to compete for those those jobs and the challenges in life,” Haslam said. “Those challenges will help you handle potential disappointments that come with success.”

The Governor reminded the students to face life with humility and remember those who helped them achieve their higher education goals.

“You did not get to this day by yourself. Thank those who were there with you,” Haslam added.  “Learn to celebrate others. You have been called to play a role that will require your full potential. To fulfill that role will require you to continue to improve yourselves by being lifelong learners.”

Before the conferring of degrees, President Glover presented Gov. Haslam with a special plaque for “accepting our invitation and for inspiring not just these graduates but all of us.”

The President also recognized and presented special awards to this year’s group of Vintagers, former TSU graduates who celebrated their 50th year of graduation from TSU.

Dr. Glover announced an over $55,000 contribution from the group to their alma mater.

“We thank you for your generous contribution and for returning to celebrate with us,” the President said.

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

NEWS

TSU Grad Becomes “Inside Man” With CNN Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock

Remziya Suleyman, policy and administration director for the American Center for Outreach, and TSU grad (left) had the opportunity recently to work with CNN documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock for an upcoming episode of "Inside Man" airing Sunday, May 11 at 10 p.m. ET.
Remziya Suleyman, policy and administration director for the American Center for Outreach, and TSU grad (left) had the opportunity recently to work with CNN documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock for an upcoming episode of “Inside Man” airing Sunday, May 11 at 10 p.m. ET. (courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University graduate was seen recently in Nashville with documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock and CNN is keeping vague about his visit to the Music City.

Remziya Suleyman, policy and administration director for the American Center for Outreach and an advocate for Muslim rights was spotted with Spurlock, and most assume it has something to do with the city’s broad religious landscape.

“It was definitely an incredible experience working with him,” said Suleyman, who holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and certificate in Nonprofit Management from TSU.

Spurlock, who is best known for his documentary Supersize Me, now hosts “Inside Man” on CNN, and gives viewers an insider’s view of diverse sectors of American life, delving deep into hard-hitting issues like medical marijuana, the elder care industry, migrant farm workers, gun ownership, union workers, bankruptcy, education and the drought.

According to Suleyman, Spurlock spent a few days in Nashville during the legislative session in February lobbying with her for an upcoming segment that will focus on religion in America. The program will air Sunday, May 11 at 10 p.m. ET.

“Not only did he accompany me to the legislative sessions, he also visited local mosques and really learned about our community,” said Suleyman, who is known for her political activism on immigration issues, interfaith organizing, and her work in the Kurdish community to raise awareness on the ‘Kurdish genocide.’ “He was very down to earth and cared about the issues.”

While Suleyman could not give out many details about the program, CNN did confirm the filming, stating that they “like to keep the specifics of the episodes under wraps until the show is edited.”

“It was exciting to be recognized as an advocate for our community,” added Suleyman. “He was able to get a good grasp on the issues facing the Muslim community today.”

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

NEWS

TSU Professor Helps Provide Solutions to Future Challenges of Natural Resources

Researcher Coauthors Roadmap to Guide Nation’s Research, Education and Policy Decisions

 

Dr. Dalia Abbas
Dr. Dalia Abbas

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A professor from the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences at Tennessee State University has coauthored a report that helps outline solutions to the challenges facing natural resources in the U.S. with a “roadmap” to help guide policymakers over the next 10 years.

Dr. Dalia Abbas, assistant professor of Forestry, coauthored the report, Science, Education and Outreach Roadmap for Natural Resources released by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities on May 1. The report outlines six “grand challenges” facing the U.S. in the areas of sustainability, water, climate change, agriculture, energy and education, and recommends a series of research, education and outreach activities to help meet those challenges.

“This is a unique project in that it deals with natural resources as an integrated network,” Abbas said. “Many of the existing strategic plans focus on specific disciplines, neglecting their interrelation and function as a whole.”

Part of a 35-scientist team who authored the roadmap after receiving feedback from more than 130 scientists at public and land-grant institutions across the country, Abbas worked specifically on the sustainability portion of the roadmap due to her forestry expertise.

“There’s an extraordinary opportunity to improve the sustainability of our forest ecosystem,” she said. “For instance, a more balanced approach to forest ecosystems could help compensate for decades of high-grading practices and respond to an emerging market for lower quality wood.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsored the report through a grant to Oregon State University, which then partnered with APLU.

“Scientists at our public and land-grant universities have developed this report to more clearly identify the challenges we face and prioritize our research, education and outreach efforts,” APLU President Peter McPherson said. “It provides a needed framework and should help guide policy decisions in the coming years.”

Founded in 1887, the APLU is a research, policy and advocacy organization representing 235 research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems and affiliated organization, with member institutions in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Canada and Mexico.

 

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

NEWS

TSU History Professor, Author Wins Humanities Fellowship to Study Medieval Religious Spaces in England

Dr. Elizabeth Dachowski
Dr. Elizabeth Dachowski

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University History professor will participate in a four-week seminar on “Arts, Architecture and Devotional Interaction” at the University of York in York, England, this summer.

Dr. Elizabeth Dachowski is one of 16 teachers selected nationwide as National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholars to attend one of 30 seminars and institutes supported by the NEH.

The Endowment is a federal agency that supports enrichment opportunities at colleges, universities and cultural institutions each summer to help faculty work in collaboration and study with experts in humanities disciplines.

Dachowsky, author of First Among Abbots: The Career of Abbo of Fleury, who also teaches world history and upper-division courses in pre-modern Europe, said the seminar will focus on medieval religious spaces.

“York’s archival resources will be very useful in my current research project, which grew out of my book on Abbo of Fleury,” Dachowski said. “Recent research on how communities used spaces is very exciting, and this seminar will give me a chance to develop materials that will fill out my medieval and early modern history courses.”

Her research interests include ecclesiastical politics in France around the year 1000, cross-cultural interactions in monastic communities, and hagiographical writings as historical sources.

At the York Seminar, Dachowski will work on cross-cultural interactions among medieval monks, as well as study the alien priories and cells of Yorkshire, and search for references to foreign monks in English houses.

“York is an incredible city, and I’ve long thought that it would be a great base for exploring the historical sites of Britain,” Dachowski added.

Topics for the 30 seminars and institutes offered for college and university teachers this summer include Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia: literature, the arts, and cinema since independence; American Maritime People; America’s East Central Europeans: migration and memory; arts, architecture, and devotional interaction in England, 1200–1600; black aesthetics and African diasporic culture; and bridging national borders in North America, among others.

According to the NEI, the nearly 437 summer scholars who participate in these programs of study will teach over 113,925 American students the following year

Additionally, Dachowsk and her fellow scholars participating in the summer program will each receive a stipend of $3,300 to cover travel, study and living expenses.

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

NEWS

TSU Professors Receive Invitation by Tennessee Arts Commission To Serve on Advisory Panel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Two professors from Tennessee State University had the opportunity recently to have a voice in statewide arts programming and planning when they took part in the Tennessee Arts Commission’s 2014 Citizen Advisory Panel.

Dr. Robert Elliott
Dr. Robert Elliott

Dr. Robert Elliott, professor and Chair of the Department of Music, along with Dr. Patricia Reeves, associate professor and coordinator of Music Education, offered advice on program planning and reviewed grant applications, as well as served as advocates for the arts in their communities.

“Working with music professors and professionals in reviewing Tennessee Arts Commission grant applications from across the state provided a unique opportunity to take the pulse of arts and music integration in communities throughout Tennessee,” said Elliott. “This experience will aid in helping to assure that students at Tennessee State University are provided appropriate instruction and preparation for careers in our state and across the country.”

Reeves agrees, stating that arts education is, without question, valuable and important in helping to shape and enhance the lives of children and adults.

“I am honored to have been asked to serve as a grants panelist for the Tennessee Arts Commission, both this year and last year,” Reeves said. “I am pleased to be able to help promote the wonderful work of our arts educators and the organizations that support them throughout the state of Tennessee.”

Dr. Patricia Reeves
Dr. Patricia Reeves

The annual meetings were held in Nashville throughout the month of April. Panels are divided into different categories including: Arts Education, Arts Access, Community Arts, Folk Arts, Literary Arts, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theater, Inter-Arts, Funds for At-Risk Youth, and Rural Arts. Panel members are appointed to two-year terms, and generally consist of professional artists, arts administrators, patrons, sponsors, educators, and community leaders.

“Our citizen panels consist of dedicated, informed and impartial individuals from across the state who provide an invaluable service to the arts in Tennessee,” said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission. “The caliber of individuals serving on the panels is impressive, and their nomination for the panel is a testament to their expertise in arts-related fields. We are so appreciative of their time and effort—they are critical to making arts investments in every Tennessee community.”

In 2013, $6.3 million in arts grants was invested in every region of the state. The Tennessee Arts Commission, a state agency that cultivates the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities, made grants to more than 600 non-profit organizations, over half of which were schools.

The panel process is open, fair and based on independent peer reviews who are nominated. In order to be selected, panelists are required to include a statement of their individual qualifications to serve on the advisory panel. Nominees are contacted to confirm their interest and commitment to attend specific meetings and their willingness to serve as arts advocates in their areas. Panelists are expected to make a commitment to participate in an area orientation and to attend the grant applications review meeting.

 

 

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

NEWS

TSU’s Oldest Spring Graduate Set to Receive Degree at Age 67

James Bowen
James Bowen

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – James Bowen is proving that college isn’t just for students age 18 to 22. Bowen is part of a growing population of older students returning to college, and will be the oldest student at Tennessee State University to receive his degree at the upcoming 2014 Spring Commencement at age 67.

“This is all part of me reinventing myself,” said Bowen, who will graduate with a master’s degree in Educational Technology. “I would like, in the long run, to encourage people to keep on learning. Our education is never complete.”

Bowen first stepped onto the TSU campus in the mid 1960s and played defensive back on the football team under Coach “Big John” Merritt while pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology. He went on to graduate in 1968.

“Things were a lot different back then,” added Bowen. “We were a wild bunch back then and not as dedicated to our studies as students today. Heck, we even had a curfew.”

Bowen left TSU after graduation and pursued different career opportunities, including teaching, but ultimately ended up in sales, where he became one of the top 50 car salesmen in the country. “I was enjoying life and making lots of money while raising a family but there was something missing,” he added. “At age 65, I decided I needed to go back to school to start on my next business venture.”

Bowen is part of a growing trend of older students returning to college and wants to help those returning “navigate the waters” of the admission process and how to approach “younger America.”

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the most significant shift of student growth is probably the massive increase in the adult-student population in higher education in the past 20 years. Thirty-eight percent of those enrolled in higher education are over the age of 25 and one-fourth are over the age of 40. The share of all students who are over age 40 is projected to increase another 23 percent by 2019. It is that growing population Bowen wants to target.

“I want to help others make that leap and provide them some insight on the application process and dealing with students more that half their age,” Bowen added.

Life on campus, added Bowen, as well as students have changed in the 46 years since he left the University. “I want to serve as an inspiration to students age 65 or older who want to return but don’t know where to start.”

Students are more disciplined today, said Bowen, but the biggest challenge he, and perhaps those returning have to deal with, is the advancement of technology. He has been required to learn everything from computers to mobile devices and social media.

“It’s was tough at first,” said Bowen. “I started the process early so I could prepare myself for what would be thrown my way. I started with an email address, which I never had, bought a computer and started teaching myself the basics. I then slowly learned about the different social media platforms and how they all connected.”

Now that he is ready to graduate, Bowen is not only ready to share what he learned with others, but remain on campus with other students and continue learning. A life-long learner, he eventually wants to teach.

“Since being here at Tennessee State University, I’ve acquired this hunger and thirst for education,” Bowen said. “I would love to continue my studies and go into agricultural education and go into teaching. It’s a passion.”

At graduation on May 10, family members from around Nashville will file into Hale Stadium and turn out to support Bowen. They include his children, ex-wife, grandchildren and various other family members.

“I want to show my family members and anyone else that if you dream it, you can do it,” said Bowen. “I am proud to be an inspiration to others, whether they’re in their 30s, 40s, or even their 90s, and let them know that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.”

 

 

READ more student success stories including:

Johnathan Fitzgerald
Annette Scruggs
Karen Munoz

 

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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

EVENTS, NEWS

Held Together by Screws, Nuts and Bolts, ‘Ultimate Bionic Woman’ to Graduate from Tennessee State University

Karen Munoz
Karen Munoz

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Fresh out of an abusive marriage with no money, mounting bills and three children to care for, Karen Denese Munoz had no where to go but down, at least so she thought.

With a last gasp for relief, the college dropout turned to her father, Leo Ronald Summers Sr., for advice on how to cope.

“Don’t complain when you don’t have; learn to improvise,” the retired Army lieutenant told his daughter.

While Munoz said her father’s response was not exactly the answer she was looking for, it gave her a different perspective on life and how to find strength in the face of difficulties and unfortunate circumstances.

No doubt that renewed sense of determination has worked well for Munoz, who will accomplish a journey she started more than 32 years ago.

In spite of multiple surgeries and operations to repair a crushed vertebrae, head injuries and a broken neck and back, that left her in constant pain and in a state of severe depressive disorder and anxiety, the Fort Hood, Texas, native will receive her college degree when Tennessee State University hold its spring commencement May 10.

“I live by trying to improvise as my father told me,” Munoz said about how she was able to maintain a near 3.0 GPA to graduate with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Human Resource Management, despite her disorder, which has left her unable to fully concentrate, think or remember “as others.”

“I had to study twice as hard as the average person to concentrate and retain,” said Munoz, who keeps sticky notes “everywhere” to help her remember.

Munoz’s college journey began in 1983 at TSU as an Architectural Engineering major. Three years into her college work, things began to unravel for the young, promising student. Married at the time, with children and a physically and mentally abusive husband, who insisted she seeks full-time employment, she quit school to work with the Metro Public School Harris Hillman as a Para Professional.

Although Munoz eventually walked out of her marriage, having to care for her children alone, a series of unfortunate events soon began to unfold that would change the course of her life forever. Because of the seriousness of her neck and vertebrae injuries, she was reassigned to several different departments in Metro. Finally she received permanent placement at the Transportation Department.

One day while getting something from the supply closet at work with the door opened, Munoz said, a coworker (who was not aware of her presence) pushed the door, apparently trying to open it while she was behind, the knob on the other side hit her directly in the tail bone. The force sent her crashing, head first, into the door paneling ahead, crushing her vertebrae.

As if fate had an unfinished business with Munoz, while recovering from that injury, she was in a car accident that left her with a broken back and neck.

“I was in a concussion that lasted two years,” she said. “My vertebrae had to be fused from the top to the bottom through a process called spinal track titanium fusion. That’s the only thing that’s holding my head up. I do not have any peripheral view because I cannot move my head side to side. I can only look ahead.”

For Munoz, being able to cope through all her pain and suffering have not come without a good sense of humor.

“I am the ultimate bionic woman,” she said.  “If you move all of the titanium from my body I will never move again. My condition is irreversible.”

Saying that she is being held together by modern technology, Munoz is thankful to God, her family and the doctors at Vanderbilt Hospital for giving her a chance, although she laments the constant pain from screws, nuts and bolts in her body.”

“The pain never goes away; I have to take medication to sleep. This is something I live with,” she added.

But with all of what seem to be impairments, and getting out of yet another physically and mentally abusive relationship, in addition to losing her job with Metro, Munoz said she was constantly haunted by her desire to complete her college work.

“These disabilities from my injuries affected me so much at work that I asked for an IOD (Injured while on Duty and or Medical Disability) waiver, which Metro denied and fired me,” Munoz said, adding that the denial and subsequent dismissal gave her more inspiration.

With five children (including a step son and a nephew), no job, her house in foreclosure and no money, Munoz said she applied for and was granted financial aid loan at TSU.

“When they checked my record they told me I was a senior and I had only few credits to complete my college work,” she said.

Munoz immediately went to work, with the deeply imbedded thought of the advice her father had given her, and the urging of her mother to leave her second abusive husband and return to school. She registered with a full load of college work.

“I decided I would pursue my degree in the hopes of changing my circumstances. I studied twice as hard, using my sleeplessness to my advantage to take in as much as I could,” she said.

Even at that, Munoz, whose father is also a TSU graduate, said many times she wanted to quit, having been out of school for nearly 32 years, but a sign on the Business Information board at the Avon Williams campus that read, “You are never too old to achieve your goal,” inspired her to press on.

“It was at that moment that I went full steam ahead stopping at nothing to achieve this goal which I had dreamed of all these years,” she said.

And so she did.

Munoz, 48, who is now married to Lugo San Munoz, a Salvadoran native, said she plans to go to graduate school and open a preparatory college in El Salvador for underprivileged high school students who have graduated high school but have no where to go. The school will be named Summers International Integration College of Excellence, after her father and mother who have been her inspiration.

“The hope is to partner with El Salvador to send their students to TSU and after they graduate they will return to their country where they will teach others.

“This is my lifelong dream. This is what God has sent me forth to do, and I intend to improvise in anyway possible to accomplish that ….screws, nuts, bolts or not.”

 

READ more student success stories including:

Johnathan Fitzgerald
Annette Scruggs

 

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

 

About Tennessee State University

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