GREENEVILLE – A Tusculum University professor is proving that a passion for continuous learning will always produce positive results and is beneficial at all stages of life.
Dr. Lanna Monday celebrates the receipt of her doctorate.
Lanna Monday, associate professor of art and design, has earned her doctorate at age 55. She received her doctoral hood Saturday, May 10, during graduation ceremonies at Liberty University and will now be known in professional circles as Dr. Monday. She finished with high distinction honors and a 4.0 grade point average.
“Lifelong learning has always been a core value in my personal and professional life,” Dr. Monday said. “I’ve not looked at education as something that has a finish line but instead as a journey that continues to shape who I am and how I serve others.”
Dr. Monday, who began her doctoral studies in 2021, earned her Ph.D. in communication with an emphasis in strategic media. Her dissertation was “Exploring Higher Education Shared Governance Constitutional Documents as Potential Culture Building Contributors to Friction Between Faculty and Administration Through a Qualitative Analysis of Foundational Institution Documents.”
She also holds Master of Business Administration from Tusculum, a master’s in interactive media and communications form Quinnipiac University and bachelor’s degrees in communications and political science from East Tennessee State University. She has served as a Tusculum professor since 2017.
“One of the great things that each academic experience has provided is the opportunity to remain relevant in a fast-changing world,” Dr. Monday said. “I chose to pursue my doctorate not only to challenge myself but also to better serve my own students and colleagues. In the classroom, I want to model curiosity, resilience and a commitment to personal growth. Finishing a Ph.D. is part of that commitment and a reminder that it’s never too late to keep learning, even at the age of 55.”
Dr. Monday describes attaining her doctor as humbling and rewarding. Balancing full-time teaching and personal commitments can be a challenge, but she said her experience in this academic pursuit has reaffirmed that pursuit of knowledge is a mindset, a discipline and, in some respects, a calling.
Helping motivate Dr. Monday to seek her doctorate was a personal reason. She began her doctoral studies five months after her mother passed away from dementia.
“As she battled the disease in the final stages of her life, I watched her gradually lose her memory, the very thing that connects us to who we are,” Dr. Monday said. “That experience shaped my decision to go back to school while still working through the grief of losing her. While it aided in preoccupying my mind during bouts of depression, pursuing my Ph.D. would also become a tribute to her and her father, my grandfather, who also passed from dementia. It’s a way to honor the gifts of memory, knowledge and mental vitality that are often taken for granted.”
Dr. David Cook, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Tusculum, praised Dr. Monday for her achievement.
“Dr. Monday’s commitment to earn her doctorate at any point, but particularly at this stage in her career, is impressive and an outstanding example for our students about the power and value of education,” he said. “We are extraordinarily proud of her for turning a difficult moment in her life into something meaningful and inspiring. We congratulate Dr. Monday and are certain her story will inspire others to never stop seeking opportunities to learn.”
Additional information about Tusculum’s art and design program is available at https://site.tusculum.edu/art-and-design/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.