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

TSU Joins Minor League Baseball to Host First Diversity Leadership Symposium

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Minor League Baseball® announced Nov. 2 it will host a Diversity Leadership Symposium on Nov. 6-7, 2015, in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will be co-hosted by Tennessee State University and held on its campus.

DLS_2015_SavetheDate_webTSU students are invited to attend the two-day event for a unique look into the business of professional baseball. Attendees will hear from industry leaders, gain insight on strategies to break into the industry and have the opportunity to network with Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball executives. On Saturday, attendees will take a tour of the newly constructed First Tennessee Park, home of the Nashville Sounds.

“When I created the Minor League Baseball Diversity Initiative, the goal was to attract and retain a diverse workforce,” said Pat O’Conner, president and chief executive officer of Minor League Baseball. “In examining the internal and external needs of our organization, and our industry as a whole, it was clear that diversity was an important piece of the puzzle. I want to thank Tennessee State University for co-hosting this event and providing an outlet for us to reach students.”

“Tennessee State University is excited about our partnership with Minor League Baseball and the opportunities for our students through this collaboration,” said Tennessee State University president Glenda Glover. “TSU students will get a chance to meet the heavyweights of this industry as it relates to sports management and administration as well as sports medicine and physical therapy. It is ideal that we can bridge the gap between classroom curriculum and real life employment experience.”

The symposium aims to engage undergraduate- and graduate-level students through a series of panel discussions, workshops and networking opportunities. One of the event’s goals is to increase awareness of baseball as a career option while offering an eye-opening introduction to the career opportunities within the industry. Each year, Minor League Baseball will look to partner with a historically black college and university (HBCU) in the Baseball Winter Meetings™ host city for this symposium. The 2016 Baseball Winter Meetings will be held in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C.

This is good news for April Bell, a TSU senior Human Performance and Sports Science major. Her dream is to be a sports executive but is not aware of career opportunities for minorities in baseball.

“I am looking forward to this symposium,” Bell said. “My dream is to be an executive, like a manager or a senior-level personnel, but as a female and a minority I am not sure of the chances available to me. I hope to meet and talk with people who can give me some direction.”

The Minor League Baseball Diversity Initiative is a comprehensive, five-category initiative designed to diversify Minor League Baseball by addressing race and gender diversity within its ownership, executive management, staff level employment, fan bases and business-to-business opportunities.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

Uncategorized

TSU Faculty, Staff, Students Give Backing to University’s 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan

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TSU President Glenda Glover announces the University’s 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan at a news conference Friday, as State Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr, and State Sen. Thelma Harper, both TSU alumni, watch. (Photo by John S. Cross, TSU Media Relations)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University faculty, staff and student representatives stood with President Glenda Glover Friday as she unveiled a 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan during a news conference. The plan emphasizes action, accountability and assessment. While expressing support for the plan, the group believes the campus shooting last Thursday was an isolated incident that could have happened anywhere.

Tarence Rice, a senior Electrical Engineering major, and the student representative on the university’s Campus Safety Commission, said safety has always been a major issue on campus. But like any secure environment, there are always elements trying to find ways around it.

“I feel like TSU is like any other campus,” Rice said. “There are going to be problems sometimes but as the president said, we are doing everything possible to make sure everyone is safe on campus.”

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Among those attending President Glover’s news conference were TSU alumnus State Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr., left, Jessica Gabriel, Chair of the Staff Senate, and TSU Police Director Anthony Carter. (Photo by John S. Cross, TSU Media Relations)

Prior to the news conference President Glover met with TSU faculty and staff to give an update on strategies that were being implanted immediately to ensure the campus is safe and secure.

“It is tragic that this happened at all,” said Dr. Michael Catanzaro, chair of the Faculty Senate. “We have joined the president to show that we care about what happened and what happens at our university. This is not just my university because I am a faculty; this is where I spend most of my time.”

“We have all come to join with the president as she presents this safety plan because this is our campus and the safety of students, faculty and staff is a major concern for all of us,” said Jessica Gabriel, chair of the Staff Senate.

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Media representatives listen to TSU President Glover as she announces the University’s 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan during a news conference on the main campus. (Photo by John S. Cross, TSU Media Relations)
The 10-point plan emphasizes a partnership with Metro Nashville Police and other law enforcement agencies, an increased police presence, enforcement of the university’s ID policy, the establishment of a TSU Police satellite office, centrally located on the campus where there is high student traffic, and a Student Safety Patrol.

“I have spent time with (Nashville) Police Chief Steve Anderson, Metro Police North Precinct Acting Commander Blair, and Mr. Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to develop additional strategies that deal specifically with the incident,” President Glover said.

Below are the Tennessee State University 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan:

  1. Increased visibility of the TSU police force.

We have a partnership with Metro Nashville Police, who have already joined with TSU PD in providing increased patrols on campus. We have also begun the process of hiring more TSU Police and Security Officers to fully implement the increased activity.

  1. The opening of a new TSU Police satellite office in the Floyd Payne Campus Center, near the courtyard area.

This satellite office will be fully operational beginning November 1, 2015.

  1. Strict enforcement of the TSU ID policy, requiring students, faculty, and staff to wear IDs at all times.

We will strictly enforce TSU’s ID policy, which requires students, faculty, and staff to wear their campus-issued ID at all times. IDs must be worn visibly and not contained in a pocket, book bag, or handbag.

Fines will be imposed for individuals not wearing IDs. (The first time there will be a warning or referral. The second time is a $25 fine, and the third time is a $50 fine).

The same policy will also apply to parking. Students and employees must show a campus-issued decal and ID to come on campus. Special IDs and parking passes will be issued to campus visitors.

  1. The incorporation of a tip hotline, through our Red Flag System, that will allow individuals to report information anonymously. We also have a mobile TSU Safety App which can be downloaded to cellular phones.
  2. We are offering cash awards to students as a part of our See Something Say Something

This initiative encourages students to report suspicious activity to the TSU PD.

  1. The initiation of a Student Safety Patrol staffed by volunteers from male student organizations—which include fraternities, service organizations, and other related campus groups—
    to accompany individuals across campus.

The TSU Student Safety Patrol will consist of uniformed volunteers that will be strategically located across the campus for added patrol and provide assistance to students when requested. Recruitment has begun and will continue throughout the semester.

  1. More frequent room inspections in campus housing.

Room checks are randomly conducted if there is reasonable cause to believe that a student is using a residence facility for purposes that are illegal, constitute a hazard, or would seriously interfere with campus discipline.

  1. Enhanced surveillance on campus, including cameras and lighting will continue.
  2. Increased access control on campus through proximity readers.

We began this initiative with our classrooms and expand the program to include the Floyd Payne Student Center in approximately 3 weeks. Other campus buildings will come on-line throughout the year.

  1. The completion of Phase II of the fence project on TSU’s campus.

Phase I is approximately 75% complete. It is the existing fence with gates and access control from Kean Hall on 33rd to Hale Hall on Albion.

 In Phase II – we will continue the fence to other parts of the campus. It will start from the existing chain link fence behind the Torrence Hall Engineering Building to the TSU steam plant area.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

 

 

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

TSU President Announces Aggressive Push To Enhance Campus Safety

Tennessee State University is leaving no stone unturned as the campus begins an aggressive push to enhance safety measures. In a press conference held this morning, President Glenda Glover announced a plan that included new initiatives while upgraded others to assure students, parents, alumni, and the public TSU is a safe and secure campus.

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TSU President Glenda Glover announces the University’s 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan at a news conference Friday, as State Rep. Harold M. Love, Jr, and State Sen. Thelma Harper, both TSU alumni, watch. (Photo by John S. Cross, TSU Media Relations)
Glover laid out a 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan developed in consultation with security and law enforcement experts, including Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson, Metro Police North Precinct Acting Commander Gregory Blair, Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Director, Mark Gwyn, and a cross-section of individuals who represent the university in various capacities, to develop additional strategies for safety improvement. The plan addresses key concerns such as increasing visibility and patrols by police officers, strict enforcement of TSU’s ID policy, an active tip hotline, more frequent room inspections, and enhanced campus surveillance measures, among other crucial steps.

“The administration is taking a multifaceted approach to further enhance safety measures that strategically address the issue of insuring that there are no weapons or other illegal activity on our campus,” Glover said. “Having a weapon on campus is immediate grounds for expulsion from the university.”

Joining President Glover at the news conference were leaders from the University family including the student representative from the Campus Safety Commission Tarence Rice, Faculty and Staff Senate Chairs Jessica Gabriel and Dr. Michael Catanzaro, TSU Police personnel, members of TSU’s National Alumni Association, TSU Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Dwayne Tucker and Kevin Williams, alumni Senator Thelma Harper and Rep. Harold Love, Jr., and other community leaders.

“This plan calls for action, accountability and assessment by all, and all three are equally as important. And it starts with me,” Glover said. “Police, staff, faculty and students as well as the President will be held accountable for ensuring that this plan is implemented in a timely and professional fashion. This plan goes into action, not next week, not next month, and not next year, but now.”

The 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan birthed out of two Town Hall meetings held with students who voiced their concerns about the TSU Police Department and other campus activities. Effective immediately, the TSU Police Department now reports to Glover.

“Metro police, particularly the North Nashville Precinct officers, have been a tremendous help in providing resources that will assist with our safety enhancement plan. The university is also grateful for the outpouring of support for our students and TSU as a whole, from alumni and supporters across the country.”

Below are the components of Tennessee State University’s 10-Point Safety Enhancement Plan:

  1. Increased visibility of the TSU police force.

We have a partnership with Metro Nashville Police, who have already joined with TSU PD in providing increased patrols on campus. We have also begun the process of hiring more TSU Police and Security Officers to fully implement the increased activity.

 2. The opening of a new TSU Police satellite office in the Floyd Payne Campus Center, near the courtyard area.

This satellite office will be fully operational beginning November 1, 2015. 

  1. Strict enforcement of the TSU ID policy, requiring students, faculty, and staff to wear IDs at all times.

We will strictly enforce TSU’s ID policy, which requires students, faculty, and staff to wear their campus-issued ID at all times. IDs must be worn visibly and not contained in a pocket, book bag or handbag. Fines will be imposed for individuals not wearing IDs. (The first time there will be a warning or referral. The second time is a $25 fine, and the third time is a $50 fine). The same policy will also apply to parking. Students and employees must show a campus-issued decal and ID to come on campus. Special IDs and parking passes will be issued to campus visitors. 

  1. The incorporation of a tip hotline, through our Red Flag System, that will allow individuals to report information anonymously. We also have a mobile TSU Safety App which can be downloaded to cellular phones.
  1. We are offering cash awards to students as a part of our See Something Say Something

This initiative encourages students to report suspicious activity to the TSU PD.

  1. The initiation of a Student Safety Patrol staffed by volunteers from male student organizations—which include fraternities, service organizations, and other related campus groups—to accompany individuals across campus.

The TSU Student Safety Patrol will consist of uniformed volunteers that will be strategically located across the campus for added patrol and provide assistance to students when requested. Recruitment has begun and will continue throughout the semester.

  1. More frequent room inspections in campus housing.

Room checks are randomly conducted if there is reasonable cause to believe that a student is using a residence facility for purposes that are illegal, constitute a hazard, or would seriously interfere with campus discipline.

  1. Enhanced surveillance on campus, including cameras and lighting will continue.
  1. Increased access control on campus through proximity readers.

We began this initiative with our classrooms and expand the program to include the Floyd Payne Student Center in approximately 3 weeks. Other campus buildings will come on-line throughout the year.

  1. The completion of Phase II of the fence project on TSU’s campus.

Phase I is approximately 75% complete. It is the existing fence with gates and access control from Kean Hall on 33rd to Hale Hall on Albion. In Phase II – we will continue the fence to other parts of the campus. It will start from the existing chain link fence behind the Torrence Hall Engineering Building to the TSU steam plant area.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

 

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

TSU receives $1 million commitment from health care giant, HCA

Tennessee State University is adding more funds to its scholarship coffers thanks to a generous gift announced by HCA today.

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HCA Chief Operating Officer Samuel N. Hazen, left,; TSU Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Eloise Abernathy Alexis; TSU President Glenda Glover; and HCA Chairman and CEO R. Milton Johnson.

As part of the company’s annual Caring for the Community campaign, TSU President Glenda Glover joined with hundreds of HCA employees in Nashville’s Centennial Park to celebrate the company’s commitment to partners and projects across the city. The gift of $1 million, which will come in intervals of $250,000 over the next four years, will support scholarships for students in health sciences disciplines.

“It is not unusual for us to announce gifts to city and local institutions, and this year we are pleased to announce a four-year commitment to Tennessee State University of $250,000 annually totaling $1 million in schol
arships to benefit students in the College of Health Sciences,” said R. Milton Johnson, HCA’s Chairman and CEO. “We are proud to support our neighbor, TSU, and we have many graduates who have done an outstanding job for us.”

President Glover said the scholarship support is needed as the university continues its efforts in producing well-educated and trained students to work in the health care arena. The College of Health Sciences currently offers degrees in 11 disciplines.

HCA Check-3
Nashville Mayor Meagan Berry, Left; CEO R. Milton; and President Glenda Glover.

“Tennessee State University thanks HCA for their support and for consistently recognizing the talented young people we produce by investing in them,” Glover said. “This is not the first time HCA has backed TSU, and we appreciate yet another generous donation that will provide us the opportunity to recruit, graduate and prepare students for employment as top-notch health care professionals who deliver quality services across the country.”

HCA’s campaign encourages the elevation of four key pillars – learn, serve, give and lead – and has engaged 64 percent of HCA employees as volunteers with various organizations and causes, and 66 percent in giving, according to Johnson.

“HCA is woven into the fabric of communities,” Johnson said. “We are in the relationship business with our patients, physicians, vendors, each other and in our communities.”

Also, joining Johnson and Glover at the event were HCA Chief Operating Officer Samuel N. Hazen and Nashville Mayor Meagan Barry.

 

 

 

 

 

Alumni, Athletics, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU Alumnus, Michael D. Johnson, Jr., Focuses on Helping Youth Reach Their Greatest Potential

Michael D. Johnson
Michael D. Johnson, Jr.

Michael D. Johnson, Jr. has made a career of empowering, connecting and marketing youth culture by exposing his peers and young adults to their untapped potential and unchartered opportunities.

Currently, he is employed with the United States Department of Defense as a Student Training & Academic Recruitment Representative. In this role, he works with students and veterans interested in internship, co-op, scholarship and job opportunities with the federal government.

In September 2015, Johnson participated in Tennessee State University’s Career Development Center’s Fall Career Fair providing information to students on how to hone the skills necessary to bolster their academic and career opportunities. The informational session welcomed all majors and classifications to participate.

He is the founder and president of the National Brotherhood Chain, Inc., an organization focused on linking high school and collegiate men with successful professionals striving to propel African-American men into economic, social and political spheres of brotherhood and power worldwide.

“It is our duty and purpose to keep young brothers encouraged, focused and inspired to keep pushing themselves pass their potential,” according to comments on Johnson’s website. “Programs such as the Brotherhood Chain are specifically designed to grant young brothers those opportunities that are not commonly provided to them.”

Johnson is a Flint, Michigan native who made his way to Tennessee State University in 2010 after being recruited as part of the Men’s Track & Field team, where he later became an Ohio Valley Conference finalist and champion. In addition to his athletic achievements, high scholastic achievement has always been his top priority. In 2014, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology. Prior to graduating, he served as Mr. Tennessee State University for the 73rd Administration of the Student Government Association. In 2015, he earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice, also from TSU. He hopes to enroll in law school in fall 2016 with the goal of establishing his own law firm and becoming a sports/entertainment attorney.

He is an active member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, 100 Black Men, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

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

TSU Honors Students Prepare for Research, Networking Opportunities at NAAAHP Conference

Students from Tennessee State University will join more than 400 top Honors students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country to share their research and engage in networking opportunities during the 24th Annual Conference of the National Association of African American Honors Programs to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in Nashville.

TSU, along with Fisk University, will host this year’s four-day event, which will bring together HBCU representatives at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Under the theme, “The Audacity of Vision: Dare to Dream,” the conference will feature a debate, quiz bowl, model U.N., and scholarly research presentations.

2Chase Richard3 2
Chase Richard

Chase Richard, a sophomore from Little Rock, Arkansas, will be among the students who plan to present research at the conference. He has worked with mentoring support and collaboration from TSU professor, Dr. Michael Ivey, on research focused on the feeding behaviors of sea anemone, for nearly two years.

“I will be sharing how sea anemones react to different stimuli in their environments and how it affects physiological factors such eating habits,” Richard said of his research. The 4.0 Biology major plans to pursue further studies toward his goal of becoming a medical doctor specializing in neuroscience. He is currently active with the TSU Chapter of the American Medical Student Association.

This is not the first time Richard has made conference presentations. He also presented research at the 2015 Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) Conference, geared toward increasing undergraduate retention and graduation rates of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Additionally, he participated in TSU’s annual University-Wide Research Symposium last April. NAAAHP attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about his research finding on Saturday, Oct. 31, 7:30 p.m.

“I wanted to meet other people and gain more experience in researching and building on my presentations,” he said. “After this semester, I will probably go more in-depth with studying sea anemones and their reproduction stages.”

Anthony Moreland-3
Anthony Moreland

Also joining the NAAAHP conference will be TSU student Anthony Moreland, a sophomore from Knoxville, Tennessee. With a 3.5 GPA, Moreland is also a Biology major who plans to go into the field of dentistry with a concentration on oral surgery. Moreland said he wanted to be involved in the NAAAHP Conference, which brings together Honors students, faculty, staff and professionals, as a volunteer as a way to expand his network.

“I wanted the opportunity to meet other Honors students from the different schools and get to know some new people,” Moreland said.

Founded in 1990, the NAAAHP addresses the “specific” needs of honors education for African-American students. Dr. Coreen Jackson, interim dean of TSU’s Honors College, was elected to head the organization as president last October.

Among a few conference highlights include:

  • Presidential Address – Dr. Coreen Jackson, President, NAAAHP Saturday, Oct. 31, 3:30 p.m.
  • Inspirational Address – Dr. Glenda Glover, President, Tennessee State University
    Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
  • Career Fair and Graduate Expo
    Monday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-Noon
  • Awards Banquet – Dr. Bobby Jones, gospel artist and host of Bobby Jones Gospel, BET Network; and representatives for title sponsor, Kroger Co. through the African American Association Resource Group
    Monday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
    Tickets: $75

“We are extremely excited to be working with TSU and Fisk to bring this conference to Nashville,” Jackson said. “We expect this conference to be one of NAAAHP’s biggest and best because of the various elements we are bringing together. We invite businesses, corporations and graduate schools to participate in the various fairs showcasing some of the best and brightest students in the nation.”

For more information or questions on the 2015 NAAAHP Conference, contact Patricia Grace at (615) 730-1829.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

Alumni, EVENTS, FACULTY, FEATURED, NEWS

Metro Police Join Forces with Tennessee State University

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has increased campus patrol with the addition of Metro Nashville Police officers. This comes following a shooting on campus Thursday night involving two males not enrolled at TSU. The combination of TSU Police Department and Metro law enforcement is part of the on-going relationship between the University and NPD.

“I want to thank Mayor Megan Barry and Metro Police for this

TSU Dr Glenda Glover Fam Port 090513
President Glenda Glover

alliance to help provide a safe and nurturing environment for our students and peace of mind for their parents,” TSU President Glenda Glover said. “The last 48 hours have been a trying time for our University family, especially our students. My first priority is to assure them and their families that they are safe and will remain safe on campus. TSU’s partnership with Metro Police is not new. Chief (Steve) Anderson and I have talked in detail on many occasions regarding a strategic crime prevention initiative and have implemented phases of this plan to enhance what we are already doing on campus.”

Unknown
Mayor Megan Barry

Metro PD’s North Precinct began patrol Friday night with three walking teams of two officers under the supervision of a sergeant. The officers provided coverage around the residence halls and the immediate inner campus area. This included the student courtyard where Thursday’s shooting occurred. The increased walking patrol with the North Precinct officers will continue until a definite timetable has been established. The precinct will provide Flex Teams to increase visibility starting next week.

“This additional display of manpower should send a clear message to those individuals not associated with TSU that the University and City of Nashville will not tolerate you coming onto our campus to commit crimes or behave in an unlawful manner,” President Glover added.

TSU continues to assist Metro with the investigation. The University has turned over four-mounted surveillance cameras in addition to a thumb drive with video footage from the courtyard and adjacent areas. Metro released a portion of that video that showed two gunmen firing weapons into an open area near the courtyard. NPD has erected a “Sky Cop” camera until the cameras are returned and remounted.

“We are hopeful that the release of this video will encourage eyewitnesses to contact Metro Police via their tip hotline,” TSU Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Communications Kelli Sharpe said. “The TSU Student Government Association organized a town hall meeting on Friday where they asked fellow students to be a part of the University’s crime prevention measures.  This means coming forward with any information regarding this heinous crime and to report any suspicious or unlawful activity when they see it occurring. Like Metro, TSU has confidential systems in place to report suspicious activity before it escalates into something more.”

One of the biggest concerns for the University has been controlling and monitoring non-TSU student traffic coming onto campus, University officials said.  Over the past year, $1 million was spent on surveillance cameras and equipment, lighting, IT and TSU PD personnel, mobile application technology, emergency notification equipment and transportation. The University also erected a new physical barrier, a wrought iron fence, on the east side of campus that begins at Boyd Hall, a male residence, and ends at the Performing Arts Center.

“Reassuring students and parents that we are committed to their well-being is important,” President Glover added. “The University’s collaboration with Metro PD, along with our upgrades, helps us to fulfill that priority.”

Students are asked to install the TSU emergency app on all their mobile devices and program the TSUPD dispatch number in their phones. Any information regarding the campus shooting should be reported to Crimestoppers at 615-74CRIME. There is a $6000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

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

Tennessee State University Marks 103rd Birthday With Procession, Speeches and Music

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is 103 years old today.

Harold Love-2
State Rep. Harold M. Love Jr.

President Glenda Glover, accompanied by keynote speaker State Rep. Harold M. Love Jr., led a procession of faculty for a Founders’ Day celebration in Kean Hall, with cheers from the audience and selections from the University Wind Ensemble.

“This is a great day for Tennessee State University,” said President Glover, as she recounted events in the University’s history from its founding in 1912 to the role it plays today as a major center of education in the nation.

“From 1912 when the then-Agricultural and Industrial Normal School for Negroes, built to provide educational opportunity for blacks, opened its doors to the first 247 students, TSU has maintained a tradition of excellence in education for a diverse population,” Glover said.

Founders15
Members of the Student Government Association celebrate during the 2015 TSU Founders’ Day program in Kean Hall. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

In his keynote address, Rep. Love, a 1994 graduate of TSU, reminded administrators, teachers and students that they have a special role to play in maintaining the institution’s legacy of excellence. Teachers, he said, must learn to understand the special needs of each student to help that student succeed.

“Don’t be quick to give up on a student because he or she misses a class or two,” Love said. “That student may just grow up to become a state representative one day,” the Tennessee 58th District representative added, referring to his own path as a student.

Speaking on the theme, “Honor Our Legacy,” Love said those who laid the foundation for TSU, although under tough circumstances and with scarce resources, were determined to ensure that their students were well prepared for the world ahead of them.

“To honor that legacy, university administrators must learn to go the extra mile to help that student who may be late registering or in meeting his or her requirements for class,” said Love who has long ties to the university.

Love earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance from TSU before going on to earn a master’s degree in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Administration at TSU. His late parents, Harold Love Sr., and Mary Y. Love, also attended TSU and was an administrator at the university for many years.

He thanked President Glover, also an alumnae, for the invitation and her own legacy of excellence in earning multiple degrees. He called on students to be more focused and away from the “gadgets.”

“Students, don’t rely on TV and all the gadgets out there. Be focused on your learning as your way of honoring the legacy of this great institution,” Love said.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

Alumni, FACULTY, FEATURED, GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs

Tennessee State University joins Consortium to Improve the Nation’s Cyber Security in Energy Delivery Systems

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University will participate in a five-year, $28.1 million U.S. Department of Energy initiative to improve computer/communication networks for energy delivery systems like power grids and pipelines, the agency announced recently.

TSU researchers will join a consortium of 11 universities and national laboratories led by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to improve the resilience and security of the cyber networks. These networks serve as the backbone of the infrastructure that delivers energy to the nation – known as energy delivery systems – for the electric power, oil and gas industries.

Dr. Sachin Shetty
Dr. Sachin Shetty

The university will receive $930,000 to conduct studies in security risk assessment, software-defined networking, robust control systems, and detection and classification of the impact of attacks on cyber-physical systems. TSU researchers will also design controller procedures to protect against specific attack categories.

Dr. Sachin Shetty, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a cyber security and networking systems expert, will lead the effort as project director. He will be assisted by Dr. L.H. Keel, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as co-PI.

Keel
Dr. L.H. Keel

“The security of critical infrastructure, such as power grids, oil and gas refineries, nuclear power reactors and pipeline operations has attracted tremendous attention,” Shetty said. “There is growing awareness in the industry to safeguard cyber and physical resiliency and move beyond cyber security to ensure the nation’s energy delivery systems can operate in the presence of attacks caused by adversarial actions.”

The DOE has determined that the cyber network that supports many important functions within energy delivery systems is vulnerable to disturbances, Shetty added. He said the Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium (CREDC) is intended to identify and perform cutting-edge research and increase the resiliency of energy delivery systems. This includes helping industry identify reasons for investing in technology that increases cyber resiliency in EDS; developing, validating, and verifying high-impact solutions in partnership with industry advocates; and making developed solutions commercially available through development of open-source communities and licensing arrangements.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, called the partnership with the CREDC part of his college’s “strategic initiative” to train and educate a more diverse workforce in cyber security.

“The Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium will respond to the Department of Energy ‘s demand for detection, analysis, monitoring, and risk assessment technologies to protect energy delivery systems,” Hargrove said.  “It also will further enhance TSU’s capacity in cyber security.”

As part of an outreach effort, during the study, TSU will also focus on enhancing curriculum to incorporate EDS cyber security and cyber-resiliency issues, Shetty said. “The (TSU) team will focus on workforce development at undergraduate and graduate levels to provide a pipeline of well-trained engineers for these sectors.”

In addition to TSU and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, the consortium includes research experts from Argonne National Laboratory, Arizona State University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Rutgers University, University of Houston and Washington State University.

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

About Tennessee State University

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

Alumni, EVENTS, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

2015 TSU Homecoming offers Plethora of Exciting Events, activities and Fun

Kappas Unveil, Dedicate Alpha Theta Monument on Campus 

IMG_9449
President Glover, accompanied by several university officials, receives a check for $100,000 from Alpha Theta Network Affinity Chapter President Stephen C. Harvey, third from left, toward the Chapter’s endowment fund. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – With thousands expected to watch the parade along Jefferson Street, and the football game in Nissan Stadium against conference rival Eastern Illinois on Saturday, the weeklong 2015 Homecoming celebration at Tennessee State University is offering more excitement each day. There is no shortage of activities to keep the throng of returning alumni, students, faculty, staff and visitors busy on or around campus or in the Music City.

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The new Alpha Theta Monument, called the Kappa Colonnade, was dedicated on the main campus Oct. 16. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

The festivities kicked off on Sunday, Oct. 11 with the Robert N. Murrell Oratorical Contest, followed by a gospel concert in Keane Hall. On Monday, student housing held their annual Battle of Residence Halls. Tuesday was the much anticipated “Blue Sapphire Awards,” the students’ version of the Emmy Awards. Wednesday’s highlight was the coronation of the new Mister TSU and Miss TSU. That honor went to Delvakio Brown, a senior Mass Communications major; and Tyra Laster, also a senior Mass Communications major, respectively. The coronation followed the Non-Greeks Organizations Yard Show.

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The TSU Alumni Cheerleaders perform during the 2015 Homecoming Student Pep Rally at Hale Stadium. (Photo by Courtney Buggs, TSU Media Relations)

Class reunion, a key aspect of Homecoming, saw the reuniting of returning students from the Classes of 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. The reunion, along with the invitation-only Miss TSU Reception, and the Homecoming Concert with hip-hop superstar “Future,” rounded out the activities for Thursday.

On Friday, with the Ralph Boston Gold Tournament concluding after an early start, attention shifted to the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Its Alpha Theta Network Affinity Chapter of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Chapter unveiled and dedicated their new Alpha Theta Monument on the main campus.

Nearly 200 people, including TSU President Glenda Glover, other university officials and staff, as well as members of the 84-year-old chapter, were on hand to dedicate the monument called the Kappa Kolonade.

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Crowd estimated at more than 5,000 packed Hale Stadium Friday for the Homecoming Student Pep Rally. (Photo by Courtney Buggs).

Recognizing President Glover, a TSU alum herself, for her commitment to excellence and helping deserving students stay in school, Stephen C. Harvey, president of the ATN Chapter, said the monument is more than a “granite and concrete edifice.”

“it is a tribute to the hundreds of men initiated through the Alpha Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. since the chapter’s founding in 1931,” Harvey said. “It is also a continuation of our primary mission as a TSUNAA Affinity Chapter to grow our membership and raise money in support of TSU and its students.”

As part of their continuing financial commitment to scholarship and student support at TSU, the group presented a check for $100,000 to President Glover and thanked her for her vision to make TSU the best it can be. They also presented scholarships of $2,000 each to three students who are members of the chapter.

President Glover thanked the Kappas for their generous contribution to TSU over the years and for their dedication to helping students stay in school.

“We gather here to thank you for doing so much for TSU,” President Glover said. “We see you as dedicated people who, through this monument, have expanded their vision on this campus to ensure the continuing growth of this university and its students.”

As the dedication ended, attention shifted to the Student Pep Rally at Hale Stadium, where nearly 5,000 had gathered for music, dancing and a show like no other. The Charles Campbell Fish Fry on the President’s Lawn, another regular of Homecoming, went on simultaneously with the pep rally.

The evening rounded out with the annual Scholarship Gala at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville. Grammy-nominated and Tony Award winner Melba Moore was the featured guest, along with comedian, actor and entertainer Jonathan Slocumb, who was making his second straight appearance as celebrity host.

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

About Tennessee State University

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