Tag Archives: Grant

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TSU to change lives of young adults with intellectual disabilities, receives $284,000 in grant award

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University has received $284,000 from the TN Department of Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (DIDD), becoming the first public institution in Middle Tennessee and HBCU in the nation to offer the program.

A check presentation took place Tuesday morning as DIDD commissioner Brad Turner and his team joined TSU President Glenda Glover, Dr. Anita McGaha, TSU director of disability services, Rep. Harold Love Jr., Senator Brenda Gilmore and staff for the historic event.

Dr. Anita McGaha, TSU director of disability services, says the TigerEDGE Program will help students succeed. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)

TSU’s grant will be spread over two years to create TigerEDGE (Educate, Develop, and Grow for Employability) a non-degree certificate program for students ages 18-26.

“We are fulfilling our mission to provide a college education and experience to a population that is often overlooked and underserved,” said President Glover. “We are indeed proud. We will work to change the lives of the program participants and their families.”

Commissioner Turner, who stated that he is a parent of a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), said it is an honor to present the grant to TSU. “It speaks value about the importance you see in students with disabilities and creating a brighter future for them,” he said.

“Once again Tennessee State is leading the charge … inclusive education is the key for all,” said Rep. Harold Love Jr. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)

Turner said being able to tell students that there is a public institution suitable for their education is the beginning of something great. “There are schools that you can go to that believe you have every right to have a 4-year college degree if that is what you want to do. And TSU is once again, leading that in higher education.”

Dr. McGaha said the program is currently targeting enrollment of eight students for the Fall semester. The unique program will provide the students with a residential and academic ambassador on campus, and mentors to assist the selected students.

“We all want to see our students, our children to succeed in life and we believe that this program is a tool to provide that,” Dr. McGaha said.

President Glenda Glover speaking with Andy Kidd, Deputy Commissioner of Fiscal and Administrative Services. (Photo by Aaron Grayson)

TSU is among four higher education institutions to receive the Tennessee Believes grant from DIDD, which is a program that provides funding to colleges to create or expand post-secondary opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For more information about the TigerEDGE Program or how to apply, contact Dr. McGaha at amcgaha@Tnstate.edu.

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TSU College of Education Receives More Than $560,000 US Department of Education Grant for Academic Support Services

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Services) – Students in the TSU College of Education will soon receive increased academic support services, thanks to a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant of $569,250.

Dr. Jerri Haynes

The college will use the funding to develop a Global Education Student Support Services Lab intended to increase student learning across the curriculum, as well as hire new career advisors, academic coaches and a program coordinator.

“This is an exciting time for the College of Education,” says Dr. Jerri Haynes, dean of the college and principal investigator for the grant. “Our goal here is to provide support services for students to be successful in their journey to getting their degree.”

With the aim of transforming the existing curriculum lab, Haynes says the Global Education Student Support Services Lab will be student friendly, with 21st century technology. It will streamline services, integrate career planning, and increase retention. The lab will also have kiosks where students can hold one-on-one meetings with advisors, as well as docking and privacy stations where students can relax and read.

Dr. Graham Matthews, Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning, teaches Introduction to Early Childhood Education to students who will be among many to benefit from the Global Education Student Support Services Lab. (Photo by Emmanuel Freeman, TSU Media Relations)

“Advisors and academic coaches in the lab will provide support and mentoring to students who may be struggling with licensure exams, or others who may need career advising on their chosen pathway in education,” she says. “Our psychology department will also benefit greatly, by catering to students who may be struggling academically or need extra help.”

Students in the college are excited about the news. Kayla Dawson, a freshman psychology major and a work-study student in the old curriculum lab, welcomes the new changes.

“I am in this building a lot, and usually with a lot of work to do after class. To have a place with the right resources and to be able to relax and focus, will be a great help,” says Dawson, who is from East St. Louis, Illinois. “I am a technology person, so I am just excited about the kinds of resources that will be available.”

Jaylon Jones, also from East St. Louis and a freshman criminal justice major, agrees.

“The enhancement will definitely be a wonderful thing,” says Jones, also a work-study student in the curriculum lab. “What was here before was great, but most of it was not up-to-date.”

Previously, the curriculum lab consisted of books and reading materials, which have all been removed and are being replaced with more advanced technology that was not available to students.

Debra A. Jackson, director of the COE Curriculum Lab, says the vision for the new lab is for students to be able to come in and take advantage of different media and computer resources that will enhance their learning.

“The dean (Haynes) has talked about the possibility of having kiosks where students can go in and access different things,” says Jackson. “This is a positive change where students can come and create, while being able to access things with technology, as well. I am very excited about these new enhancements.” 

The Global Education Student Support Services Lab will be completed and ready for student use January 2020, according to TSU officials. For more information about TSU’s College of Education, go to http://www.tnstate.edu/coe/

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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

Council on International Educational Exchange selects TSU to receive Generation Study Abroad Access Grant

unknown1NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The Council on International Educational Exchange has awarded Tennessee State University a $20,000 grant to help first-generation and minority students study abroad.

The grant will support an innovative faculty-led study abroad program in Paris in 2017 led by TSU professors, Dr.  Rebecca Dixon and Dr. Jennifer L. Hayes. 

Students in this program will examine the historical contexts that have led African-American men and women to travel abroad to resist various levels of oppression in the United States. The program is designed to enhance students’ appreciation for global exchange and hopefully change their perspectives in ways that allow them to see themselves as a part of a global community.

hayes
Dr. Jennifer L. Hayes

“Many of our students are first-generation students and are from underserved minority groups who have not traveled outside of the United States,” said Hayes, an assistant professor of English and Women’s Studies. “They are highly motivated and seek to improve their life chances through education. We believe this experience will provide our students with a unique opportunity to see the connections between their experiences at TSU and the global community.”

Dixon, a professor of English and Women’s Studies, agreed the program should be enlightening.

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Dr. Rebecca Dixon

“My hope is that the students’ sense of the literature, history, and culture that informed African-American expatriate artists will be enriched by this experience,” she said.

CIEE created the Generation Study Abroad Access Grant to recognize innovative programs that increase access to international educational opportunities for students in groups that are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. The grant program is part of CIEE’s pledge to break through the barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture to double the number of students from all backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and majors who study abroad by 2020.

“CIEE is excited to award the second annual Generation Study Abroad Access Grant to Tennessee State University,” said Maritheresa Frain, executive vice president of study abroad at CIEE. “TSU has an illustrious history of enriching the lives of underserved minority groups who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. We’re proud to work with Drs. Hayes and Dixon and the university to continue in this tradition by making it possible for more TSU students to gain the knowledge, intercultural skills, and global perspectives needed for success in today’s world.”

Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving more than 340 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools, and 35,000 international exchange students each year.

For more information about CIEE’s Faculty-Led & Custom Programs, visit: https://www.ciee.org/faculty-led-study-abroad/.

Department of Media Relations

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

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 25 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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

TSU Receives $447,000 Federal Grant to Mobilize Students Across 10 HBCUs in MLK Day of Service Activities

Students plant
A group of TSU students plant trees as part of their assignment during a community service day in metro Nashville. (Submitted photo)

Linda
Dr. Linda Guthrie

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students will be part of newly established collaborations that will engage more than 50,000 student volunteers and stakeholders, and 17,000 community members in service activities during the observance of the MLK Day holiday. This is the result of a $447,000 grant that the TSU Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement received from The Corporation for National and Community Service to undertake programs geared toward the Day of Service held each year across the nation in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The total amount of the grant is a combination of federal and matching funds.

Established in 1993, the CNCS is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through different programs each year. The funding is intended to mobilize more Americans to observe the MLK Federal Holiday as a day of service in communities. The goal is to encourage those who serve during the holiday to make a long-term commitment to community service, and to bring people together to focus on service to others.

Davis
Shirley Nix-Davis

According to Shirley Nix- Davis, director of the Youth Empowerment Program- College Access Now at TSU, and one of the project directors for the grant, the funding will be used to implement a one-year Spread the Service Mini Grant Competition through collaboration with the Center for Service Learning and the HBCU Coalition, beginning in October.

“The project seeks to align the missions of HBCUs and The Corporation for National and Community Service’s mission with MLK Jr.’s legacy to invest in community solutions, create collaborations that value diversity, and improve educational outcomes for the economically disadvantaged,” Nix-Davis said.

Tequila M. Johnson
Tequila M. Johnson

Tequila Johnson, project assessment coordinator in the CSLCE, who along with Nix-Davis procured the grant, said the project will bring together about 10 HBCUs in the southeast region through community service and capacity building initiatives that strategically address disaster services, economic opportunity, education, and capacity building. TSU students, who participate in several service activities as part of course requirements, and area community participants, will be integral to the implementation of the project, Johnson said.

Last year, through 156 community partnerships, 4,013 TSU students logged a total of 47,316 hours in the classroom and in various activities around the metro Nashville area. Many students say the experience has given them a better outlook on life.

“The Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement has allowed me to connect with the community in many capacities throughout my collegiate career,” said Jalen Hussey, a senior Computer Science major from Memphis, Tennessee. “As a mentor for the YEP/CAN (Youth Empowerment College Access Now Program), I have had the opportunity to assist young at-risk males with college access and academic success. This experience has instilled a commitment to service within me.”

Dr. Linda Guthrie, director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, said the MLK Day of Service connects students with their community by challenging them to think critically about issues going on around them.

“Tennessee State University has a long history of service to others, which is central to the institution’s mission and academic curriculum,” Guthrie said. “Our students come to TSU with the expectation to serve. They often find opportunities to do that through day-ofservice events, community organizations or in the classroom. Through events such as this our students have the opportunity to not only serve, but to create and lead projects that change their lives and the lives of others. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to engage several HCBUs in service.”

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.

GRANTS, NEWS, RESEARCH, Research and Sponsored Programs, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

TSU College of Engineering Research Focus Prepares Graduates for Employment; Receives $1 Million DHS Grant for Data Sciences Study

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The College of Engineering is aggressively pursuing research in strategic areas that complement the engineering curriculums and prepare graduates for careers in emerging areas for employment and entrepreneurship.

One of those emerging areas is the field of Data Sciences and Analytics, a key focus of the college, which, according to Dean S. Keith Hargrove, meets the “huge” industry demand to manage “big data” and helps businesses optimize their operations to meet the needs of their customers.

“We have responded to this industry demand with the development of advanced courses, industry partners, and qualified faculty to create a curriculum for this discipline and concurrently conduct research for cyber-security, analytics, and data storage,” Hargrove said.

Graduate student Adrian Parker develops multi-physics simulation models for lithium ion batteries and uses special equipment for battery devices. (courtesy photo)
Graduate student Adrian Parker develops multi-physics simulation models for lithium ion batteries and uses special equipment for battery devices. (courtesy photos)

Adrian ParkerThis effort has yielded positive results, he noted. Recently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded the College of Engineering a $1 million grant to develop an integrated research and education program in data analytics. The award will be implemented in two phases over a period of six years.

Dr. Martene Stanberry, assistant professor of Mathematics, and Dr. Sachin Shetty, assistant professor of Electrical Engineering, will manage the program by combining their expertise and experience in cyber security and control systems research, as well as leveraging resources and facilities already available to them under the TIGER (TSU Interdisciplinary Graduate Engineering Research) Institute, directed by Dr. Hargrove.

Also, another team of researchers in the college has received funding to examine ways to improve the life of batteries. The team, including Drs. Lizhi Ouyang, Landon Onyebueke, Mohan Malkani and Hargrove, received $150,000 from the Naval Engineering Education Center of the U.S. Navy Sea System Command, and $80,000 from the Crane Naval Warfare Center in Indiana. The team will conduct multi-physics modeling of lithium ion batteries, and perform testing of electro-chemistries for performance and reliability. Also a part of the TIGER Institute, the project will involve undergraduate and graduate students.

Under the DHS program, the thrust of the study will involve the development of data analytic approaches for anomaly detection in critical infrastructure, that are based on the prior work of the faculty in scalable machine learning and optimal control systems, Hargrove said. He added that the education thrust would enhance the existing undergraduate Mathematical Sciences and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs through curriculum enhancement, student recruitment and retention, outreach, and collaborative relationships with DHS Centers of Excellence, industry, federal labs, and academia. Students will receive training in statistical analysis, machine-learning methods, and cloud computing and storage technologies used in manipulating, storing, and analyzing cyber data.

According to Hargrove, the need to capture, store, manage, and interpret massive amounts of data for decision making in today’s high-tech environment, is expected to grow exponentially within the next decade.

“The spending in ‘big-data’ is projected to increase from $27 billion from 2012 to $55 billion by 2016,” the dean said, adding, “It is therefore our responsibility to help train and educate a diverse workforce to enter these emerging career fields.”

 

 

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 42 undergraduate, 24 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

Tennessee State University to Screen National Documentary on African-Americans and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

375652_537889596246236_36807159_nNASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –The New Black, a documentary, which tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent same-sex marriage movement and the fight over civil rights, will be screened at Tennessee State University on Thursday, Oct. 16.

In collaboration with the Gay Straight Alliance, a TSU student group, and the Nashville Black Pride, the University has planned a number of weeklong activities to coincide with the screening as part of TSU’s first celebration of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) History Month in October.

According to Tiffany Cox, the director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, the screening and celebration are a result of TSU receiving part of a $4,000 grant from the Human Rights Campaign. TSU is one of four historically black colleges and universities that received the grant to use the award-winning documentary “as a tool to advance on-campus LGBT inclusion.”

“Because of our strong commitment to ensuring a campus climate of equality and inclusion, we saw the announcement requesting proposals for this grant and we applied for it,” said Cox “We were elated when we received notification in the summer that TSU had been selected.”

The New Black, directed by Yoruba Richen, explores how race, faith, justice and identity intersected in Maryland’s politically powerful African American community in 2012 as the state prepared to vote on marriage equality. It comes on the heels of recent reports showing that while many majority-white colleges and universities have embraced the call for LGBT inclusion, HBCUs have been notably slow to extend their historical mission of social justice to the success of their LGBT students.

rainbow fist-1“TSU is very pleased to screen this documentary, and to host discussions and activities that promote the equal treatment of all students on our campus,” Cox said, reminding the community about the University’s “strong policy” against harassment or discrimination of any kind.

Visibly pleased and upbeat that TSU is screening The New Black documentary and hosting programs to mark LGBT History Month is Iesha Milliner, president of TSU’s Gay Straight Alliance, who contributed in developing the proposal for the HRC grant.

“I am glad that for the first time TSU is showing such support for the Alliance in its 10 years on this campus,” said Milliner, a junior Art Education major from Nashville. “The campus screening of The New Black will bring the student body together and provide answers to many questions that are asked on a daily basis. My greatest hope is that this event will open the eyes of this community to the LGBTQ issues that exist on this campus.”

The New Black has screened in more than 85 cities around the country through ITVS’s Community Cinema public education and civic engagement initiative. The documentary has garnered numerous awards, including the Audience Award at Philadelphia QFest, AFI Docs and Frameline International LGBT Film Festival, where it also received an honorable mention as Outstanding Documentary Feature. At New York City’s Urbanworld Film Festival, it won the jury award for Best Documentary Feature.

Other HBCUs that received funding to screen the documentary are Alabama State University, Johnson C. Smith University and Spelman College.

The screening at TSU on October 16 is at 5:30 p.m., in the Floyd Payne Campus Center Forum. Other events marking LGBT History Month will begin October 13-17. They will include displays, nationally recognized motivational speakers, panel discussions, free HIV screenings and workshops. For registration and more information, go to: http://www.tnstate.edu/eeoaa/tsusafezone.aspx

 

 

 

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 42 undergraduate, 24 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.

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Funding to Help TSU Students, Professors Promote Fair Housing Practices in Tennessee

Dr. Joan Gibran
Dr. Joan Gibran

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Housing discrimination is a serious problem in the United States, and students and professors at Tennessee State University will soon be part of a program to promote fair housing practices in the middle Tennessee area.

As part of a $1.7 million federal grant awarded to Tennessee, TSU will receive nearly $100,000 as a result of a grant proposal submitted by three professors in the College of Public Service and Urban Affairs.  The funding will allow TSU to incorporate fair housing education and research into the Urban Studies curriculum, as well as partner with state, local government and nonprofit organizations in promoting fair housing.

According to Dr. Joan Gibran, assistant professor of Urban Studies and principal investigator of the TSU grant, the funding will also help prepare students for future fair housing careers and provide them with internships in organizations involved in battling housing discrimination.

“This will be accomplished through engaged learning, collaborative housing education outreach, research, and knowledge sharing,” said Gibran.

She said “engaged learning” activities will include five paid internships with partner organizations during which interns will develop fair housing professional skills by participating in educational, research and outreach activities, as well as knowledge sharing with the professional community.

TSU faculty and students will also collaborate with partner organizations through workshops and other educational events aimed at reducing the barriers to fair housing choice in Metro Nashville.

“This grant is part of our College mission,” said Dr. Michael Harris, dean of the College of Public Service and Urban Studies. “We at the College are focused on educating learners who lead, serve and make a difference in our communities. This grant will allow us to continue to develop an intentional curriculum in Urban Affairs that will provide our students a meaningful collaborative learning experience.”

He said research from the grant would impact the lives of many in the community through better fair housing policies and implementation.

TSU will collaborate with the Metro-Davison Housing Authority, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and the Tennessee Fair Housing Council to identify fair housing learning objectives to be addressed in the curriculum, as well as develop performance measurement for the program, according to Gibran.

“We will be working with the TSU office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement to develop structured service learning activities with our community partners,” she said.

Curriculum changes are expected to begin rolling out in fall 2014, Gibran added.

Assisting Dr. Gibran on the project as co-principal investigators are Dr. Cara Robinson, and Dr. Kimberly Triplett, both assistant professors of Urban Studies.

Funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the $1.7 million is part of a $38.3 million grant awarded to 95 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 38 states and the District of Columbia, to reduce housing discrimination.

Other agencies in Tennessee receiving funding are the Tennessee Fair Housing Council, which will use these funds to combat housing discrimination in Davidson, Cheatham, Dickson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties.

Also sharing in the Tennessee grant is West Tennessee Legal Services for two separate projects.

Department of Media Relations
Tennessee State University
3500 John A. 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, coeducational, 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 celebrates 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu