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Center Spotlight: The Water Center & Rural Conservation with Paper Mulch
The Water Center, a Rural Reimagined partner, is working with the Defenders of Wildlife reduce plastic waste in streams, specifically in the Walden Ridge on the Cumberland plateau – the only TN stream containing the Laurel Dace, one of the rarest fishes in the world. The area’s tomato growers use plastic mulch to prevent weeds, but plastic often ends up in streams after windstorms or during post-season removal. The Water Center is testing paper mulch, a safer environmental alternative, at Tech’s Shipley and Oakley Farms to rectify the problems caused by plastic mulch in our region. Director Schaeffer states, “Paper mulch is a novel product with potential advantages to both growers and the environment as it controls weeds but also eventually turns into compost.” Wings up, Water Center! Contact the Water Center for more information on how you can get involved, and view the full story here: https://www.tntech.edu/grand-challenge/news/articles/20200803-watercenterpapermulch.php
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University Drive Road Closure
University Drive will be closed Tuesday, August 4th, from Peachtree to Stadium Drive. This will be for Tuesday only, and will re-open for traffic on Wednesday.
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Website Update: Express Link
The Express link in the top navigation has been updated to link directly to Tech Express! In Tech Express, you have quick and easy access to resources and services such as Tech Email, iLearn, Self Service, Banner, and more. With this change, the drop-down menu (visible when you hover your mouse over “Express”) has been updated, as well as the Faculty, Staff, and Student Resource pages, to focus on campus resources and services.
If you have any questions about Tech Express, please contact the myTECH Helpdesk at (931) 372-3975 or helpdesk@tntech.edu.
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Spotlight: STEM Center Receives $50,000 Grant
Congratulations to PI Mr. Carlos Galindo (STEM Center) and Co-PIs Dr. Andrea Arce-Trigatti (College of Education) and Dr. Stephanie Jorgensen (Chemical Engineering) for being awarded the Science Olympiad Collegiate Scholars (SOCS) program grant of $50,000. The SERS-funded SOCS program will go through the Oakley STEM Center and will target underrepresented and minority student populations in the STEM fields. The program will recruit 20 undergraduate and 10 graduate students who represent these characteristics and who will gain skills that positively impact both their academic success and the communities they serve while working towards the goal of coordinating next year’s Regional Science Olympiad. Mr. Galindo states, “I am personally really excited to be able to work with students to develop their professional skills while at the same time working on a project that can positively impact k-12 students in the Upper Cumberland.” Wings up!
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New Campus COVID-19 Signs & Fliers Available
New signage and fliers related to health and safety precautions for COVID-19 are available for offices and departments to download and print. Custom signage is available upon request. Visit: https://www.tntech.edu/return/signage.php.
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Tennessee Tech Today this week
This week’s Tennessee Tech Today radio show: https://www.tntech.edu/news/files/TNTech_Today_Show_7-24-20.mp3
This week’s Tennessee Tech Today includes Michael Aikens explaining a $300,000 CARES Act grant for the TCRI CARES project; President Phil Oldham, Pingen Chen and Mohan Rao commenting on the EV Charging Station project; and, in-coming freshman Hailey Jennings and her mom Natalie talking about attending a SOAR session on campus.
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Cell Phone Stipends
Due to the budget reductions that Tennessee Tech is facing due to COVID-19 and international student declines, there were several items presented to the Board of Trustees. Effective immediately, phone stipend benefits will be eliminated. This means that no phone stipends will be processed or credited for July paychecks going forward.
While we understand this may not be the news you were hoping for, these reductions are necessary to allow Tennessee Tech to focus on our core values and mission, our students.
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Policy 803 Email Use
Effective May 1, 2020, TN Tech policy 803 Email Use was published. The purpose of this policy is not only to detail the appropriate usage of University email but also to add an additional layer of security to help protect the privacy of our students, employees, and University data. Specifically, this policy prohibits the “bulk forwarding of *tntech.edu emails to personal or private email addresses”
Examples of Violation
Creating a rule that sends your tntech.edu emails to another organization or to a personal address.
Forwarding student worker emails to a student email or vice versa.
Exceptions
Managers may request to have the email for individuals in certain job roles who have left the University or have retired to be forwarded to another email within the University.
Please note that all email forwarding rules violating this policy will be removed on 7/30/2020.
For clarification or questions, please contact the Information Security Office at ociso@tntech.edu.
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Seeking Feedback on the AVP of Facilities Candidates
The Search Committee seeks constructive feedback from the campus community as it relates to the candidate’s qualifications for the Associate Vice President of Facilities and Business Services position. The three candidates are:
Charles Roberts – Interviewed Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Brian Wilcox – Interviewed Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Daniel Papay – Interviewed Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Please complete the survey by July 24, 2020 at https://tntech.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7PT8Xl7PVBytZzL
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Tennessee Tech Today this week
Here is this week’s Tennessee Tech Today radio show: https://www.tntech.edu/news/files/TNTech_Today_Show_7-17-20.mp3
This week’s Tennessee Tech Today includes provost Lori Bruce discussing her lecture that reached more than 14,000 students and faculty world-wide; and, Tennessee Tech alum Scott Stallings talks about life on the PGA Tour, his mentor Bobby Nichols and a life-changing physical transformation.
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Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Training Program
Fostering diversity and cultivating inclusion is a core value of Tennessee Tech. The Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program is designed to provide employees with the knowledge and skills to help Tennessee Tech achieve our diversity goals and create an inclusive environment for everyone. This program will also provide employees with the skills to foster inclusive excellence in all they do.
The certificate program is an 8-week virtual program that partners with colleagues across campus. Each participant will be awarded a certificate, recognized in Tech Times, receive a specialty item, and invited to the Scholars luncheon. Participants must be able to devote a minimum of 2-3 hours a week for 8-weeks to complete the program and have supervisor approval to participate in the full program.
The next class starts August 3, 2020.
For more information and to register for the program visit: https://www.tntech.edu/hr/training/dei_training.php
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Congratulations to those who earned externally funded awards in June
The following individuals earned externally funded awards last month:
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- Jeff Boles (PI) and Jeremy Wendt (Co-PI): National Science Foundation
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- Adam Holley (PI): National Science Foundation
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- Martha Kosa (PI): Private Agency
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- Satish Mahajan (PI): Oak Ridge National Lab
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- Ambareen Siraj (PI): Private Agency
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- Daniel VandenBerge (PI): Private Agency
- Liqun Zhang (PI): Private Agency
Please visit https://www.tntech.edu/research/reports/grants-awarded.php for more information.
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Dinner with Dean Zagumny
Greetings College of Education Alumni!
Please join us for “Dinner with the Dean.”
Monday, July 27 | 6:00-6:30 p.m. (central)
Held in the comfort of your own home via Zoom! Prepare your favorite dish while your host, Dean Lisa Zagumny, prepares hers, and dishes on updates and good news about the College of Education!
For more information, please email education@tntech.edu
or call 931-372-3124.
For planning purposes, please register via the button below by
Friday, July 24. -
Steam and Hot Water Outage Wednesday, July 15
There will be no hot water or steam on campus Wednesday, July 15. Steam will be off from midnight until late Wednesday afternoon. This is necessary to connect equipment in the central steam plant. Wednesday was selected to minimize impact to SOAR activities.
Natural gas and electric water heaters will continue to operate at Tech Village, New Hall North, Southwest Hall, RUC (for food service only), East Stadium, West Stadium, APC, Foundation Hall, Hooper Eblen and Fitness Center.
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Volunteers Needed for PPE Distribution
If you are interested in volunteering to help distribute PPE on campus to students and your department will approve you to help, please sign up here: https://signup.com/go/xnAjErL
Masks, along with personal bottles of hand sanitizer, will be distributed on:
• Thursday, Aug. 20
• Friday, Aug. 21
• Monday, Aug. 24 (first day of classes)The following distribution centers will be located across campus to provide easy access to students:
• Memorial Gym
• Roaden University Center Multipurpose Room
• Volpe Library, Information Desk
• Hooper Eblen Center Concourse
• Bryan Fine Arts LobbyQueues at the distribution sites should incorporate proper social distancing (6 feet apart).
Distributors will be expected to wear masks during their volunteer shift.
Questions? Contact Michelle Huddleston (6120) or Dan Warren (3407)






