Category: People

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.