Tennessee State University Students Win Top Honors at research conference

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students recently won top honors in research presentations at the Research Association of Minority Professors 36th annual Conference in Atlanta.

RAMP is an educational and scientific research organization that provides opportunities for minority professors to engage in culturally relevant research projects.

Undergraduate and graduate students from member institutions are also invited to the association’s annual conference to present research projects.

TSU student and faculty representatives at the RAMP 36th Annual Conference were, from left, T’Shana Carter, Germysha Little, Allen Ezigbo, Dr. Clara Young-White, Dr. Lucian Yates, III, Shabnam Brady, Sarah Iriogbe-Efionayi, Dr. Keisha Bryan, and Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young. (Submitted Photo)

This year, six TSU students were among 18 students selected from across the nation to make presentations at the RAMP conference last month at Clark Atlanta University. Three students placed, with one winning second place in the undergraduate category. TSU took the prizes for second and third places among graduate presenters.

Several TSU professors and administrators, including the university’s chief research officer, Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, accompanied the TSU students. The professors also presented at the conference.

For student research, Germysha Little, a senior biology major, earned second place for “An Investigation of the Experiences of Underrepresented STEM Graduate Students.”

In the graduate category, Shabnam Brady, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology, won second place for her presentation on “The Assessment of Underrepresented Minority Student Experiences in STEM Graduate Program.”

A presentation on “Examining Early Childhood Education Teachers’ Understanding of Self-Regulation Skills” won third place for Sarah Iriogbe-Efionayi, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

“Our students were outstanding,” said Dr. Clara Young-White, chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning, and immediate past-president of RAMP. “It was very important for our students to participate in these presentations because it gives them the opportunity to connect with other students and professors.”

Young-White said TSU will host the conference next year.

“We are bringing the conference here because we want more TSU students to participate in the competition,” she said.

Students interested in presenting at the RAMP conference must submit a 2,000-word abstract of their work that addresses issues and concern for minority populations. A committee that selects the presenters reviews the abstracts.

Iriogbe-Efionayi said her interactions at the conference were beneficial.

“It (the conference) was a treat for me,” she said. “I was able to meet and interact with students and professors with the same background and interest in preschool education.”

Other TSU student presenters were Lydia Davis, a political science major; T’Shana Carter, chemistry; and Allen Ezigbo, elementary education.

Other faculty members and administrators who attended the conference included Dr. Lucian Yates, dean of Graduate School and Research; and Dr. Kisha Bryan, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Department of Media Relations

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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.