University Development recently welcomed three new members to the fundraising team.
Clockwise from left:
Slade Dale will support the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, College of Agriculture and Human Ecology, and College of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Jason Anderson joins longtime Development team member Tiff Rector, and the two will focus their combined efforts on planned giving.
Sara Pierce Ramey will support the College of Business.
After 12 years of service to Tennessee Tech, Barbara Fenlon is retiring. She has been known for the delivery of high-quality service with a friendly attitude and contagious smile, supporting both the Electrical and Computer Engineering department and the Center for Energy Systems Research! Contact lthurman@tntech.edu for questions.
Please join us in celebrating this special occasion!
Thursday, February 8, 2024
3:00-4:30 pm
Prescott Hall 225
The Department of Chemistry would like to recognize Iroda Abdullaeva for receiving the American Chemical Society (ACS) 2024 Student Leadership Award. Iroda is a junior pursuing dual degrees in Chemistry and Biology. She is one of the 18 students selected by ACS to receive this award. Recipients are selected from competitive pools of students from around the world based on their leadership skills and they possess the potential to become future leaders within the ACS professional society. As part of her selection Iroda attended the ACS Leadership Institute, which is an invitation-only conference where she attended workshops and networked with ACS leaders from around the world.
Sarah Dickenson and Kathryn Dye, two Human Ecology students and leaders in the Child and Family Sciences (CFS) Club, were recently awarded a $250 grant from Upper Cumberland Council on Children and Youth (UCCCY). The pair, empowered by financial support from UCCCY, provided period supplies to the Genesis House, a local domestic violence shelter. Their objective was to ensure that shelter residents have access to the necessary period supplies and to reduce the shelter’s financial burden, as well as provide a sense of dignity and security to those in need. The supplies included pads and liners and were delivered on Wednesday, December 6th. For more information about this project or the CFS club, please contact Sarah Dickenson at sbdickenso42@tntech.edu.
We’re excited to invite you to the Tennessee Tech Clerical & Support Holiday Luncheon, hosted by President Phil Oldham and First Lady Kari Oldham. This festive gathering will be held on December 13, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the RUC Multipurpose Room. It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the holiday spirit, share a meal, and make merry with colleagues. President and First Lady Oldham are looking forward to celebrating with you. Mark your calendars and join us for a delightful afternoon. All Clerical & Support staff are welcome to join the fun! For questions, contact smuncy@tntech.edu.
Michele Niec, a master’s candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies, recently showcased her work at the 109th National Communications Association (NCA) Annual Conference held this year in National Harbor, MD. Michele’s presentation, entitled “Going Beyond Words to Teach Responsible Online Behavior: Exploring the Power and Freedom of Developing Students’ Non-Verbal Computer-Mediated Communication Skills,” was part of the G.I.F.T.S. (Great Ideas for Teaching Students) segment. Over 60 communications educators from universities across the U.S. joined Michele for insightful discussion and a review of the detailed lesson plan she presented.
Erin Hoover (Department of English @tntechenglish ) recently published a second poetry collection, “No Spare People,” to critical acclaim. The book’s publisher is Black Lawrence Press.
Cate Marvin wrote, “Erin Hoover’s second collection, No Spare People, recalls to me the sobering effect of encountering Adrienne Rich’s work in the late ’80s. These poems deal in reality, eschewing the fantastic … This is a deeply intellectual and expertly wrought collection.”
Poet Kaveh Akbar wrote, “These are hard poems in that they press far past the facile reductive binaries of good and evil, savior and saved, and into something—a lyric, a voice—that feels a little more complicated, a little more like our own world.”
You can find more about Erin at www.tntech.edu/cas/english or www.erinhooverpoet.com.
As part of his ongoing outreach efforts, Dr. Bradley Cohen’s (biology) lab coordinated and led a three-day workshop with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entitled, “Wetland Management for Wintering Waterfowl and other Wetland-dependent Birds.”
This was an in-class and in-field workshop focused on practical aspects of wetland management for wetland-dependent birds during the non-breeding period. Cohen and his students gave talks throughout the series. The goal was to empower National Wildlife Refuge staff to perform management activities that follow the best-available science, are adequately documented for The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and contribute directly to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and other international conservation initiatives. Pictured are (from left to right) master’s degree student, Cole Howard and Ph.D. candidate, Nick Masto, giving presentations.
Congratulations, Dr. Cohen, on another research project partnering with a State or U.S. Agency and for including students on your research. These first-hand research and presentation opportunities are priceless – Wings Up!
Tennessee Tech’s Office of Research & Economic Development (ORED) announced the appointment of Dr. Hayden Mattingly as interim director for the university’s Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources (Water Center). Dr. Mattingly is currently professor and director of the School of Environmental Studies in Tech’s College of Interdisciplinary Studies. Over his more than 20 years at Tech, he has mentored and served on committees of over 80 graduate students, and his research has garnered more than $3 million in external funding.
ORED also extends its thanks to Drs. Justin Murdock, Tania Datta and Alfred Kalyanapu for their service as co-chairs of the Water Center over the last year.
The Water Center’s mission is to enhance water quality, water security and aquatic biodiversity in Tennessee, and to provide pioneering scientific information to better protect, manage, and utilize water resources from local to global scales. Learn more: https://www.tntech.edu/research/wrc/index.php.
Elizabeth Sofia has been named Director of Development for Tennessee Tech’s College of Engineering.
From her sales work at Ideal Distributing to her service as executive assistant to the Director of North America for Delivery Service Partners and Director of Onboarding and Acquisition for North America with Amazon, Elizabeth has a strong knowledge of using strategic processes to build and enhance relationships. Elizabeth also has university experience, previously serving as the executive assistant to Tennessee Tech’s Provost.
Elizabeth also currently serves as the President of Wags and Whiskers Pet Rescue, a local nonprofit dedicated to operating the Major Michael Shipley Spay and Neuter Clinic in Putnam County.
She holds three degrees – a bachelor’s in psychology from Troy University, a master’s in public safety from Tech and an Ed.S. from Tech. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in exceptional learning at Tech.