Tennessee lawmakers to experience wave of Tiger Blue at TSU Day at the Capitol

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee lawmakers will experience a wave of Tiger Blue at the state Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Tennessee State University administrators, faculty, students and alumni will converge on Legislative Plaza and the Hill to showcase the university’s research and other innovative initiatives at the annual TSU Day at the Capitol.

TSU President Glenda Glover will kick-off the event with a ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Senate Chambers. TSU visitors will have a chance to meet with lawmakers, who will see displays from the school’s various colleges and departments that will line both sides of the hallway in the Legislative Plaza.

Robotics, red maple trees, research presentations and goats will be among the booths showcasing the university’s diverse academic offerings.

Tennessee State is coming off a stellar year that saw numerous national headlines about its research and other initiatives, and TSU officials expect the same – or better – this year.

“TSU Day at the Capitol is always an exciting day for TSU,” said Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of TSU’s College of Engineering. “It allows us to display Tennessee’s investment in higher education, and the great things that are happening here at TSU.”

In addition to its leading research in cybersecurity, TSU’s College of Engineering recently drew national attention when its Computer Science Department partnered with Google.

TSU is one of 10 historically black colleges and universities participating in the Google in Residence Program, which uses the technology giant’s engineers to teach introductory computer science classes, as well as help students further develop soft and technical skills.

“The GIR program will further make our program and students stronger with understanding of state-of-the-art technical skills and intense interview processes of top software engineering companies,” said Dr. Ali Sekmen, chair of TSU’s Computer Science Department.

Google said in a statement that it’s pleased to be at TSU “as part of our commitment to encouraging greater diversity in the tech sector.”

Also on display at the Capitol on Wednesday will be nationally recognized goat research in TSU’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Sciences. It’s 15-year study of goats and how to address the demand for goat meat in the U.S. is one of the most extensive on that particular topic in the country.

“I probably give 10, 12 talks a year across the country on the research,” said Dr. Richard Browning, who leads TSU’s goat research. “We have a lot of ethnic groups that have goat as a main part of their diet, and that’s why there’s a demand for goat meat. But we don’t produce enough here. A lot of it is imported from other countries.”

Rep. Harold Love, Jr., whose district includes TSU, said he hopes young people in attendance will become more interested in the legislative process, and even try to have a voice in policymaking.

“When we talk about active citizen engagement and forming policy, this is a prime example of what we would like to see from all of our students at colleges and universities across the state,” Love said. “This is what citizens are supposed to do, come down and be actively involved in policy formulation when laws are being passed or proposals considered.”

To learn more about the event and what’s happening at Tennessee State, visit http://www.tnstate.edu.

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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 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.