Noted Presenters to Highlight Fall Research Forum at Tennessee State University

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Speakers from the National Science Foundation and the Tennessee Department of Transportation will be the featured presenters at this year’s Fall Research Forum at Tennessee State University. The forum will be on Thursday, Sept. 25, beginning at 10 a.m., in the Research and Sponsored Programs Building.

Dr. A. James Hicks

Under the theme, “Research: Celebrating Excellence,” Dr. A. James Hicks, senior program leader at the NSF, will present as the keynote speaker, to be followed by Tanisha J. Hall, director of Long Range Planning at the TDOT.

TSU President, Dr. Glenda Glover, will bring greetings on behalf of faculty, staff and students during a luncheon in the Floyd-Payne Campus Center.

According to Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, chief research officer and associate vice president for Research and Sponsored Programs, the one-day forum will also feature faculty exhibitions and research on such topics as Cyber Defense for Attacks on Cloud and Mobile Systems; High Performance Computing Techniques; Safety Effectiveness Evaluation of Median Cable Barriers in Tennessee; and TDOT: Innovative Strategies for Public Involvement.

Tanisha J. Hall

Deans and directors of the various colleges and research centers are expected to make brief presentations, Crumpton-Young said.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Hicks, who is program director of the Louise Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, holds a B.S. degree in biology from Tougaloo College, and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Illinois-Urbana. He received postdoctoral training, at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri.

Prior to becoming the LSAMP program director, Hicks served as chairperson and professor of Biology from 1977 to 1988, and later Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1988 to 1997 at North Carolina A&T. As a scientist his research focus has been in the area of plant systematics. His work has been reported at various scientific seminars and in peer review journals.

Hicks has received numerous honors and awards for his achievements in science and for his efforts in promoting the advancements of underrepresented groups in science, engineering and mathematics. Most notably, in 1988 he received the White House Initiatives Faculty Award for Excellence in Science and Technology with a letter from President Ronald Regan.

Hall, whose division at the TDOT is charged with identifying transportation needs through research and analysis of travel and safety data, has more than 18 years experience in urban planning.

A member of the Tennessee American Planning Association, and the American Institute of Certified Planners, Hall holds dual degrees in Business Administration, and Transportation and Logistics. She also holds a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning.

For more information on the Fall Research Forum contact Nannette Carter Martin at (615) 963-5827, (615) 963-7631 or mailto:nmartin@tnstate.edu