TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES NEW LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY SYSTEM-WIDE ONLINE RESOURCE

Website Provides Access to Research and Extension Impact Statements Across State and University Lines

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Last week, Tennessee State University announced the official launch of and participation in the National Land-grant Impacts website a centralized online resource highlighting the teaching, research, and extension efforts by Land-grant universities.

Specifically, the website provides access to university or regional-specific impact stories, which document the research and Extension programming planned, performed and implemented by Tennessee State University and other Land-grant universities. The website is a cooperative effort of the Land-grant universities, represents a single voice for the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension arms of the Land-grant universities.

“The Land-Grant Impacts website is a new tool that will better inform the American people and the international community of the significant agricultural research, education and extension impacts taking place at land grant universities across our nation, which offer practical solutions to today’s critical societal challenges,” said Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. “The website will help policy makers and the public learn more about this work that is partially supported with NIFA funding.”

Impact statements relay the results and impact of research and Extension education programming. Information lists include contact information for university research and Extension project leads and updates on funding, project implementation, or Extension education impact.

Impact statements are categorized according to six focus areas: Food Security; Nutrition and Health; Youth, Family, and Communities; Environmental Stewardship; Agricultural Systems; and Energy and Bioproducts.

“Tennessee State University has been making a very deliberate attempt to integrate research and extension programs with academics to develop a talented and capable future workforce—particularly among African Americans,” said Dr. Chandra Reddy, dean and director of Research and Administrator of Extension for the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences. “We have had success in recent years and continue to build our capacity, in both the human and infrastructural aspects, to become a major source of agricultural knowledge. This website will be a tremendous help in continuing that goal.”

The website also informs users about the history of the Land-grant university system and how its mission has evolved since the systems’ founding. Tennessee State University, like all Land-grant universities, is committed to a three-fold mission of teaching, research and Extension. The website fully demonstrates why teaching, research, and Extension are interrelated and how they better Tennessee State University students, improve communities in Tennessee, and benefit the nation.

Tennessee State University is one of the 238 public research universities, Land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations represented by The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The Land-grant university system has affiliations in all 50 states, the four U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, Mexico, and Canada.

Tennessee State University was founded in 1912 as a result of the Second Morrill Act, which granted each state funding to charter a university with the purpose to teach agriculture, military tactics, and the mechanic arts as well as classical studies to help members of the working class obtain a liberal, practical education.

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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 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.