Four Tusculum students made presentations at the 2017 Southern Regional Honors Council Conference to be held in Asheville, North Carolina, March 30-April 1.
“We are proud of and very excited for our stellar honors students who have been accepted to present at such as prestigious honors conference in Asheville,” said Dr. Troy Goodale, associate professor of political science and faculty liaison to the Tusculum Honors Program. “These are exciting times for the Tusculum Honors Program, and moving forward we anticipate taking advantage of more opportunities to highlight and showcase the undergraduate research that many of our best students are producing.”
Students Macy French, a senior English major from Kingsport; Hannah Arnett, a senior museum studies major from Butler; Shannele Sunderland, a senior sports science major from Austin, Texas; and Darian Tipton, a senior mathematics major from Shelbyville, represented Tusculum by presenting original research at the conference.
French presented “Ethics of Persona,” which deals with the controversial question of pseudonyms writers may use when submitting literary work for publication.
“I’m thrilled to represent Tusculum, as well as the Honors Program, at this event. It will be a great opportunity to network with other honors students from around the region and gain valuable experience giving a presentation on this level,” said French prior to the presentation.
Arnett’s presentation is about ethical implications in public history, and how public historians—museum professionals, specifically—can create open, inclusive dialogue about the past.
“People think about history differently, and they have their own unique, preconceived notions about the past that aren’t always accurate, or even true,” said Arnett. “I hope to offer some suggestions as to why these differences exist, and how professionals can better act as mediators between diverse public understanding and academic reality.”
Sunderland’s project focuses on the risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament tears and risk factors including, gender, sport played, location and field conditions.
“The Honors Program has given me the opportunity to complete research projects beyond what we are offered in our other classes,” said Sunderland prior to the conference. “I will have the opportunity to present in front of a large audience, and I am excited for this as it will push me outside of my comfort zone.”
Tipton will present on tutoring techniques of peer tutors that are currently being utilized in order to establish a standard for best practices.
Excited about the opportunity to present, Tipton said, “The Honors Program has provided me with both a sense of community and a sense of direction, which I believe directly contributed to me remaining in college even when that seemed improbable.”
Meagan Stark, director of the Honors Program, said everyone involved is incredibly proud of the quality of scholarly work our honors students are capable of producing.
“Their invitation to present research at SRHC indicates that our honors students are academically competitive inside and outside the institution,” she said.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Diving into Diversity: Opportunities and Obligations in Honors Education.”
According to Stark, Tusculum’s focus on civic engagement places the school’s honors students in an exceptional position to speak to the obligations honors students have as informed citizens and engaged leaders. “All of their projects demonstrate a desire to expand our understanding of the world for the betterment of all.”
The host institution for the 2017 conference was the University of North Carolina – Asheville.
Back from left are Dr. Troy Goodale, faculty liaison and Meagan Stark, director of the Tusculum Honors Program. From left, seated, are Shannele Sunderland, Macy French, Darian Tipton and Hannah Arnett. The students have been selected to present at an upcoming regional honors conference.