Tag Archives: Tameka Winston

TSU Communications Department working to raise $100K for theater program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – TSU’s Department of Communications has embarked on a fundraising drive for its theater program, and is close to reaching its goal for this semester.

forgirlsDr. Tameka Winston, interim chair of the Communications Department, where the theater program is housed, said a goal of $6,000 was set for this semester, and so far $4,500 has been raised. The ultimate goal is $100,000.

“I’m very excited about this theater fundraiser,” she said. “However, after we reach our goal (this semester), we’re going right into the next fundraiser, because we still have a lot of work to do.”

Tennessee State’s theater presents a varied repertoire of theatrical productions featuring TSU students in all aspects of the performance. These productions provide students with basic fundamental skill sets and experiences in acting and theater production. The program, established in 1939 by Dr. Thomas E. Poag, is housed at the Cox/Lewis Theater in the TSU Performing Arts Center.

Winston said the theater program is special because it was in place before anything else in the department.

“The program laid the foundation for the department,” she said. “It was in existence before Mass Communications, or Communication Studies.”

The theater program, however, is struggling because of low enrollment. It currently has about 30 students enrolled. Department officials said funds raised will be used to attract students to the program.

“The low enrollment is in large part because we simply aren’t able to recruit the number of students needed for a vibrant, competitive program,” said Dr. Lawrence James, professor of theater and also theater coordinator.

The department hopes to raise $50,000 next year, and has a two-year strategic plan in place to eventually raise $100,000.

“We want to make sure that long after we’re gone, the theater will be fine,” Winston said.

Despite its small enrollment, department officials said the theater program still turns out great plays and performances, like the play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” which started showing March 29 and continues through April 1 at 7 p.m. in the Cox/Lewis Theater.

TSU freshman Ashley Johnson of Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the play’s performers. She said she’s glad money is being raised for the theater program.

“There’s so much life in the theater program; so much potential,” said Johnson, adding that she’d like to see the program do musicals. “The funding would definitely help. We’d be able to do so much more.”

James is the director of TSU’s version of the play “For Colored Girls.” He said it’s similar to the original play that was written more than 40 years ago.

While he hopes that young women will be educated and empowered by the play’s message, he said it makes an “important statement in regard to issues related to all women.”

“The play deals with a number of subjects that are very relevant today: love relationships, abandonment, rape, abortion, sisterhood, among other issues,” James said.

Students with IDs can attend the play for free; it’s $10 for non-students.

To find out more about TSU’s theater program, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/Communications/.

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.

 

TSU’s Tameka Winston Named 2017 Women of Influence Award Winner

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Dr. Tameka Winston, interim chair of Tennessee State’s Communications Department, has been named a 2017 Women of Influence Award winner by the Nashville Business Journal.

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Dr. Tameka Winston

Recognized for inspiring and mentoring students, Winston is among 32 honorees chosen for this year’s award, which will be presented at a luncheon on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

The Women of Influence Awards honor women who lead and make it a priority to give back, to encourage and to inspire.

Past winners include Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell, and Jacky Akbari, employer services director of the Nashville Career Advancement Center.

“It is a great feeling to be recognized with so many successful women in Nashville,” Winston said.

Winston’s passion for education and for inspiring students has earned her a number of accolades. She was a finalist for the 2016 Nashville’s Emerging Leaders Awards sponsored by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville. The award recognizes professionals younger than 40 who have made significant accomplishments in their chosen field and contributions to the community.

Nashville Lifestyle Magazine also named Winston one of Nashville’s 25 Most Beautiful People in 2016.

In 2015, she received the Woman of Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Women in Higher Education in Tennessee conference. Winston was also named College of Liberal Arts Professor of the Year for the 2015-2016 academic year.

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.

Two TSU Professors Nominated for Top Nashville Leadership Awards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Two Tennessee State University professors are among this year’s nominees for Nashville’s Emerging Leaders Awards.

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Dr. Tameka Winston

The awards are sponsored by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville. They recognize professionals younger than 40 who have made significant accomplishments in their chosen field and contributions to the community.

There are five nominees in each of the 15 categories.

DeEtraYoung_headshot
Dr. De’Etra Young

Dr. Tameka Winston, assistant professor of Communications; and Dr. De’Etra Young, assistant professor of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, were nominated in the Education, and the Environment and Sustainability categories.

A committee of community leaders and industry experts chose the nominees. Finalists will be announced at a reception June 22 at Cheekwood.

“We are excited to announce this talented group of finalists for the 2016 NELAs,” said Ralph Schulz, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. “These young professionals possess strong leadership skills, and their commitment to the community is important to the future prosperity of the Nashville region.”

Winston, a 2015 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 Award winner, called her nomination “a wonderful platform” to represent her university.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized with such a talented group of professionals,” she said.

Young said she is honored to be recognized as a nominee in the Environment and Sustainability category in a city with a number of environmental and sustainability programs and initiatives.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these programs and initiatives as a member of Metro’s Tree Advisory Committee, and Urban Green Lab’s Board of Directors,”  said Young, who is president of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.

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.

TSU Professor Tamika Winston Receives 2015 Women in Higher Education Award

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Dr. Tamika Winston received 3 other awards earlier this year including the College of Liberal Arts Professor of the Year for the 2015-2016 academic year. (Submitted Photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The accolades keep piling up for Dr. Tameka Winston. A Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 winner for 2015, she has received yet another award with statewide recognition.

Dr. Winston, a professor in the Department of Communications at Tennessee State University, recently received the 2015 Woman of Achievement Award in Higher Education in Tennessee. The award was presented at the 35th Annual Women in Higher Education in Tennessee conference in Murfreesboro.

Past award recipients include Dr. Shirley Raines who is the first female president of the University of Memphis. Dr. Raines won the award in 2012.

The Woman of Achievement Award is presented to a dedicated leader who has earned admiration and respect, has vision and leads by example, faces challenges with grace and courage, and lives with dignity, integrity and honor.

“It was an honor to be recognized by the Women in Higher Education,” said Winston. “WHET is a wonderful organization and many of the longtime members have served as great role models for me over the years.”

Since 1980, WHET has sought to meet the needs of women in the academy, according to Winton. The organization holds professional development seminars, partners with the statewide Women’s Leadership Conference for college and university students, offers annual scholarships, and supports members’ participation in national leadership conferences.

Winston also received 3 other awards earlier this year including the College of Liberal Arts Professor of the Year for the 2015-2016 academic year.

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.

Going the Extra Mile to Help Students Succeed Earns TSU Professor Nashville Business Journal’s Top “40 Under 40” Selection

WinstonPicture[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The 2015 winners of Nashville Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 were asked to share a hidden talent. Tameka Winston revealed that she has always loved fashion. In her spare time she enjoys serving as a fashion stylist for friends and family.

But while the Tennessee State University alum loves to see others look and feel their best, her passion is far from the glamour of style, lip gloss, clothes and the accessories that go with them.

“Teaching is what makes me the happiest,” said Winston, a professor in the Department of Communications at Tennessee State University. “I enjoy teaching my students. Just working with them, and seeing them succeed give me a special joy.”

That drive to help students be their best has earned the young professor the respect of not just her students and peers; the Nashville community has also taken notice.

Recently, the Nashville Business Journal selected Winston as one of the city’s “Top 40 Under 40” professionals for 2015. The paper described Winston, 36, and her fellow winners in the Class of 2015 as people “deemed to be making a difference” in their professional areas and the Nashville community.

“For starters, they are all making a difference in their industry and community, and they all have yet to reach their 40th birthday,” the paper added.

Winston, who teaches a variety of undergraduate-level courses in her eight-year career as a professor at TSU, also advises and mentors many students, something that has also earned her accolades from students and the College of Liberal Arts, in which she teaches.

In 2012 she was named “Professor of the Year” by the college. Colleagues and students say Winston’s passion for teaching goes beyond the classroom. Her personal touch, they say, makes her stand out even more.

“Dr. Winston shows great wisdom inside as well as outside of the classroom,” said Kimarcus Thomas, a junior Mass Communications major, who has known Winston for the last three years. “I remember having class with her for the first time my freshman year. Right then I knew that I wanted her to be my mentor. Dr. Winston strives in excellence and she pushes her students to do great things. She’s a blessing to the Mass Communications Department.”

Colleagues, especially those who have known Winston for a longer period are just as enthusiastic about her achievement, her approach to teaching and her “special touch” with students.

“I am extremely excited that Dr. Tameka Winston was selected as one of Nashville’s ‘40 Under 40’ for 2015,” said Joseph Richie, director of the Center for Media Arts and Production at TSU. “As a colleague who has witnessed her meteoric rise in higher education, she personifies what it means to be a professor, scholar and creator in the field of mass communication. Congratulations!”

“She is well deserving of this award,” another student, Brittiany Betts, a Communications major, added. “Dr. Winston is an exceptional teacher. She is someone I have grown very close to and really can talk to her about anything.”

Winston, an avid writer, is the co-author of a textbook, “Understanding the Speechmaking Process,” which is being used for a public speaking course at the University. She also developed the print journalism curriculum for the Communications department, which incorporates new media technologies and multimedia convergence.

In addition to teaching and scholarly research, Winston serves as the creator, executive producer and host for two radio programs on Sirius Satellite, “Black Docs” and “Tennessee State Talk,” which are intended to ensure active involvement in the community. The show, “Black Docs,” says Winston, offers an opportunity for a counter-narrative to the negative images of women in the media, while “Tennessee Talk” is designed to empower the TSU community and discuss matters related to the University.

As an academic auditor for the Tennessee Board of Regents, Winston says these involvements outside the classroom are all part of the combined process intended to develop students who are well rounded, by opening them to opportunities for successful careers. Winston will also be traveling to the Broadcast Education Association Conference In Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13-15, 2015 to present research.

“I strongly believe in helping students become their ‘best’ selves, identify their passion, and be able to live in their strengths,” said Winston.

The Mississippi native holds a doctorate degree and an Educational Specialist Degree from TSU. She has a Master’s Degree from Austin Peay State University, and a B.A. from Alcorn State University.

When This Nashville “40 Under 40” is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and traveling.

 

 

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 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.

SiriusXm Radio Shares TSU Radio Programs Starting in November

Beginning in November, SiriusXM subscribers will be able to hear programing from Tennessee State University on the satellite provider’s Channel 142 as part of the HBCU Network, including the Black Docs. They are (L-R) Drs. Iris Johnson Arnold, Heather O’Hara-Rand, Tameka Winston, Crystal deGregory and Keisha Bean. (courtesy photo)
Beginning in November, SiriusXM subscribers will be able to hear programing from Tennessee State University on the satellite provider’s Channel 142 as part of the HBCU Network, including the Black Docs. They are (L-R) Drs. Iris Johnson Arnold, Heather O’Hara-Rand, Tameka Winston, Crystal deGregory and Keisha Bean. (courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Subscribers to SiriusXM satellite radio will soon be able to listen to programming originating from Tennessee State University.

Beginning in November, Tennessee State Talk and Black Docs will be broadcast over the airwaves, online and through mobile devices on Channel 142 by the satellite radio provider.

Tennessee State Talk is an upbeat yet informative program that provides an in-depth look at University news, accomplishments and more, all while displaying the talents of the TSU community.

Black Docs features a panel of five African American trailblazing female doctors from different fields who will share their opinions on numerous subjects important to the community including HBCU history, mental health, healthy living, and much more. The program currently airs Thursdays at 10 a.m. on the University’s radio station, WTST.

Dr. Tameka Winston, assistant professor in the Department of Communications at TSU, as well as creator and executive producer of both shows, felt it was time for a show such as Black Docs.

“Each host and co-host brings her own unique experiences, which leads to informative yet fun and witty discussions,” explained Winston. “Whether you’re looking for information about education, relationships, health or current events, we’ve got a doctor for you. I think listeners are sure to connect with the five doctors right from the start.”

Along with Winston, co-hosts include Drs. Crystal deGregory, faculty member at TSU, and founder and executive editor of HBCUSTORY Inc., a nonprofit advocacy initiative preserving, presenting and promoting inspiring stories of the historically black colleges and universities; and Iris Johnson Arnold, associate professor with the Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology at TSU. Her areas of study include speech and language development and disorders with collateral areas in multicultural and psychosocial variables affecting communication.

Other co-hosts include Drs. Keisha Bean, a licensed psychologist for the state of Tennessee with a Health Service Provider designation, working as a psychologist for Deberry Special Needs Prison for incarcerated men, and sole proprietor of Bean Counseling and Consulting Services; and Heather O’Hara-Rand, a board certified physician in Occupational Medicine and board eligible in Preventive Medicine, and assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College.

Winston rounds out the panel, who teaches a variety of undergraduate level courses at TSU including newswriting, social media practices, multimedia storytelling, public speaking and introduction to mass communications. She recently won the College of Liberal Arts faculty award, and researched and developed the department’s new print curriculum. Winston has also authored and published a public speaking textbook, Understanding the Speechmaking Process, which is used by all students at the University.

In addition to teaching and scholarly research, Winston is also the creator, executive producer and host for both programs, and serves as the Director of TSU News Network. Joe Richie, radio operation manager for the Department of Communications, serves as the advisor for both programs.

The programs will debut on the HBCU Radio Network, one of the two channels leased to Howard University from SiriusXM radio December 2011. The HBCU Network will provide music and talk programs from historically black colleges and universities, including Tennessee State University.

 

 

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