Tusculum English Professor develops program for University that identifies acts of kindness

Two people are heading for the same building at roughly the same time, and the first one to arrive holds the door open so the other can pass through the entrance first.

Consider other instances. A person notices some trash in the grass and stops to collect it and put it in a waste container. Someone learns another person is experiencing homelessness and steps forward to help him or her find a new place to live. A person knows someone who does not have transportation to a doctor’s appointment and offers to drive him or her there.

Each of these cases represents an example where someone has demonstrated kindness toward a fellow human being or their surroundings. They are noteworthy because they showcase the best in a person, but many times these acts of benevolence go unnoticed.

Tusculum University sees the value of recognizing individuals within the Tusculum family who show goodwill toward others or their environment. Based on a recommendation from Heather Elouej, an associate professor of English and the writing program coordinator at Tusculum, the university has established a new initiative called Caught You Being Good.

“We regularly see acts of kindness at Tusculum’s three locations but have not always thought about the importance of calling attention to them,” Elouej said. “Many do not seek recognition for good acts, but as a community, this program is a great reminder of the giving spirit alive in so many people. Caught You Being Good sets a positive tone and might encourage others to adopt this mindset.”

Tusculum has established a simple process to honor people for their actions. The university has developed a form that can be completed on www.tusculum.edu in which the nominator identifies the person who has demonstrated kindness and explains what transpired. Nominators also have the option of printing that form and placing it in collection boxes in the Thomas J. Garland Library or in the Tusculum cafeteria. They can also submit using a special email address designated for this program.

Good acts can happen at Tusculum’s locations in Greeneville, Knoxville or Morristown or anywhere in the community.

Besides recognizing wonderful behavior, Caught You Being Good will lead to a student earning a $500 scholarship. Tusculum’s executive cabinet will award a $500 scholarship each academic year for the act deemed most worthy in the spring and fall semesters.

“This exceptional initiative Heather developed reinforces the kindness so prevalent at Tusculum and our commitment to civic engagement,” said Dr. James Hurley, the university’s president. “When people help others in need or demonstrate basic kindness, they benefit just as much as the recipient. This creates an atmosphere that brings out the best in everyone and attracts students and staff members who want to study and work in a caring environment.”

Elouej was inspired by a similar program she saw firsthand when she was a fifth-grade student at Capitol Hill Fifth Grade Center in Oklahoma City. In that program, administrators, teachers and students were on the lookout for students who showed good behavior. The adults would detail the good acts on slips of paper, and the reward for students was candy.

For the Tusculum version, Elouej has expanded the eligible recipients of nominations to cover students, faculty and staff.

Established Monday, Jan. 14, Caught You Being Good has already generated multiple nominations. For example, student Jessica Small was caught for ensuring that three students – a mother and her two daughters – had a ride to classes at Tusculum because they did not have a vehicle that was operating properly. Jessica was also credited with helping the mother, Mae Jones, take her 3-year-old son to an emergency department.

“This lady goes out of her way to help anyone in need,” Jones said. “I was recently in the hospital, and she checked on me daily and even came to my home to help care for me. God has truly blessed me this year, and Jessica is one huge blessing to the Tusculum family.”

Student Emily Brinton was commended for using her class research project to discuss the need for better campus policies and procedures to help prevent teen suicide in junior high and high schools in Oregon. Her work led to legislation being drafted and presented to that state in the fall.

Others have been nominated for items such as carrying a case of large water bottles for someone, listening to students’ cafeteria meal preferences, assisting a fellow employee who was facing an unexpected addition to his workload and helping a student run an errand.

“It was exciting and heartwarming to receive our first nomination within two hours of launching Caught You Being Good,” Elouej said. “My goal is to produce healthy competition of kindness and help people to be more aware of the way they treat others and display empathy for other people. I am looking forward to hearing about other acts of kindness and seeing this initiative continue to grow.”

For more information, please watch an interview of Elouej by Dr. Hurley at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6-fMpyl2gc

Theologian-In-Residence Series Returns This Month

The popular Theologian-in-Residence program at Tusculum University will return for its 28th year in February to explore a range of religious topics for the community.

Tusculum will host the Theologian-in-Residence series on Tuesdays throughout the month. Each session starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until 12:30 p.m. in the Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons. Those who register will be eligible to enjoy a free luncheon afterward in the Tusculum cafeteria.

Dr. Jeffrey Perry, an assistant professor of history at Tusculum, will share his research at the Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 sessions, and Dollie Boyd, the university’s director of museums, will provide her insights at the Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 sessions. They will discuss subjects touching on Colonial America, the Revolutionary Era, the founders of Greeneville College and Tusculum Academy and the education of women in the 19th century.

Perry specializes in early American history, with a focus on the legal and religious elements of the post-Revolutionary period, according to a news release. His book “Envisioning Authority in America: Church Discipline and Local Law in Kentucky: 1780-1845,” is under contract for publication with Johns Hopkins University Press.

Boyd oversees the Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library. In her nine years as the leader, the museums have received several grants from multiple organizations and awards from the Tennessee Association of Museums. She has contributed to Tusculum’s continuing development by adding educational programs for children and adults. In March, she will become president of the state museum association.

“We’re thrilled to reinforce our close connections with the community and our Judeo-Christian heritage with highly informative presentations from our subject matter experts,” said Kim Kidwell, director of the Tusculum Fund, who is organizing the series. “Theologian-in-Residence has always provided a high-quality experience for our guests from the community, as well as members of the Tusculum family, and this year’s series will again enthuse our audiences and shed valuable light on the past.”

The session dates and their subjects are:

  • Feb. 5, “Religion in Colonial America” — This session will focus on religion’s role in England’s North American colonies from their settlement through the Great Awakening of the mid-18th century. This session will examine the variety of church-state relationships developed from Massachusetts to the Carolinas and the central role religion played in colonial society.
  • Feb. 12, “A Revolution in Church and State” — This session will explore the religious landscape of the Revolutionary Era and specifically address the rise of once marginal groups such as the Baptists and Methodists and the competition for souls on the frontier. Revivals of the mid-18th Century set the stage for Americans to question religious and civil authorities.
  • Feb. 19, “‘I will never make way for the Devil’: The Differing Presbyterian Theologies of the Founders of Greeneville College and Tusculum Academy” — This session will concentrate on Hezekiah Balch and Samuel Witherspoon Doak. Although they were both Presbyterians, they held differing views of religious ideology.
  • Feb. 26, “The Role of Presbyterians in the Education of Women in the 19th Century” – The 19th Century experienced an exponential rise in the number of colleges for women and previously all-male higher education institutions becoming co-educational. This movement was controversial. In an era when women could not vote and had little political and economic power, some saw the advanced education of women as wasteful or downright harmful. Tusculum admitted women for the first time in 1875.

All sessions are free, but Tusculum appreciates donations, organizers said in the release. Registrations are preferred for planning purposes.

To reserve a seat and lunch or for more information, call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 423-636-7303 or email kkidwell@tusculum.edu.

Tusculum receives award as a winner in 2018 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office honored Tusculum University Thursday, Jan. 24. The university was a winner of the 2018 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition. Pictured left to right are Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Tusculum sophomores Carmyn Tassone and Hanna Johnson, state Sen. Steve Southerland and state Rep. David Hawk.
The photo is courtesy of the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.

Facing a lecture hall full of Tusculum University students, Tre Hargett, Tennessee’s secretary of state, told them that someday one of them might be governor, a U.S. senator or the nation’s president.

If that is going to happen, he said, it is important they prepare themselves for this opportunity and participate in the electoral process. He encouraged students to not only register to vote but then to go to the polls and cast votes that reflect their views.

“Don’t vote my values and don’t vote the way you believe that I think you should vote,” Hargett said. “Vote the way that you believe you should vote based on your values and your principles. And don’t just accept what you see in 280 characters on Twitter or what’s a liked post on Instagram. Do your own research and vote the way you believe you should.”

Hargett was at Tusculum’s Meen Center Thursday, Jan. 24, to recognize the university as one of three winners in the 2018 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition. He presented an award to Hanna Johnson and Carmyn Tassone, two sophomores who led a voter registration drive in the fall. Joining them for the presentation were state Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, and state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, who represent Tusculum in the state Legislature.

Hargett said he was not surprised Tusculum won in the private school category because of its previous involvement in registration drives.

This year, Johnson and Tassone set up tables for two days in the Scott M. Niswonger Commons to help students register to vote. They also conducted a voting activity where they asked students what foreign language class they would like to see on campus. Helping the students with their activities was Dr. Mary Cooper, an assistant professor of political science and director of the honors program at Tusculum.

“It’s important to vote, and it’s vital that our generation knows that it’s important,” Johnson said. “This is really our voice in society. If we don’t act on it, then nothing will ever change and we won’t have our voices heard. I feel like it’s a duty as a citizen, but it’s also a right that we have and we’re very privileged to be able to have that right.”

Tassone and Johnson put special emphasis on recruiting freshmen to register because these students did not have an opportunity to participate in the previous year’s drive, but they also sought students in more advanced years at Tusculum. In addition, they visited a few first-year experience classes.

“It’s very important to have every single voice heard,” Tassone said. “That one vote can be a change in anybody’s life, so I feel that it’s very important for everybody to have their own voice because it really can make a change – maybe not in your life but in others’ lives. And that’s why I find it’s so important.”

Hargett had similar thoughts.

“When you don’t vote, all you do is hand the power in your community, your state and your nation to those people that do,” he said. “I just happen to believe that you are better off participating in the process and helping be a part of making those decisions. It’s important who you send to Nashville, it’s important who you send to city hall and it’s important who you send to Washington because they are making the decisions that don’t just affect your present but they affect your future for many generations to come.”

Valentine Dinner and Swing Dance

The Tusculum University Pioneer Jazz Band will provide an exciting way to celebrate Valentine’s Day and support a good cause with a benefit dinner and swing dance at the General Morgan Inn.

The reception begins at 6 p.m. and dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. Following the meal, the Pioneer Jazz Band will perform a wide selection of uplifting jazz standards and incorporate other special guests in the event. Dance lessons taught by Robin Beale will be available starting at 5:30 p.m.

The event will also feature a silent auction. Guests can bid on items until the start of the second dance set.

David Price, Tusculum University’s director of music, said the popular event, now in its sixth year, raises money for essential equipment to support the entire Tusculum band program.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to spend this special day with your spouse or someone else special in your life while supporting our efforts to provide high-quality musical events for the community,” Price said. “We look forward to this event every year and are grateful to bring the gift of music to our audiences.”

Ticket prices are $55 per person or $400 for a table of eight guests and include dance tickets, free dance lessons, the reception, dinner and a special dessert. Please call the General Morgan at 423-787-1000 in advance to request a vegetarian meal substitution. A cash bar will be available.

Special table reservations are available for larger-group seating by calling Price at 423-636-0550 or emailing daprice@tusculum.edu.

Tickets are available for purchase at the General Morgan or by contacting Price. A hotel package special is also available by reaching out to the General Morgan.

This year, in preparation for the event, Tusculum will hold swing dance lessons at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, and Thursday Feb. 12, in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons on campus. The lessons are free to anyone who has tickets to the Feb. 14 event. Dance lessons for those not attending the Valentine’s Day event are $10 per person.

Tusculum’s band program began in 2010 with the creation of the Pioneer Pep Band. Since then, the program has added a concert band, jazz band, marching band, handbell choir and several small ensembles. The groups play several events each year on campus and in the community.

 

Valentine Dinner and Swing Dance

Tusculum hosting talk on implicit bias; Tennessee officials to present voter registration award

A staff member of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati will deliver an informative talk Thursday, Jan. 24, at Tusculum University about the impact of implicit bias in society.

Ryan Wynett, manager of the implicit bias initiative at the freedom center, will deliver his talk, “OPEN YOU MIND: A Deep Dive to Understanding Bias” at 5 p.m. in the Meen Center lecture hall. The free event is part of Tusculum’s celebration of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and is open the university’s students, faculty and staff as well as the community.

In addition to Wynett’s presentation, Tre Hargett, Tennessee’s secretary of state, and state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, will attend to honor Tusculum as one of three winners of the 2018 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition. Carmyn Tassone and Hanna Johnson, two members of Tusculum Bonner Leaders Program who spearheaded a voter registration drive in September at Tusculum that added 39 students to the rolls, will receive the award from Hargett.

“We are thrilled to have Ryan join us and share valuable information about how bias can influence our thought process even if we are not conscious it is happening,” said Dr. Madison Sowell, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “It is also an honor to have Secretary Hargett and Rep. Hawk join us to celebrate the great work by our students to increase participation in the electoral process. Both of these activities are excellent ways to honor the legacy of Dr. King and demonstrate how we can make a positive difference in our community.”

Wynett graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in communications and then contributed to two self-help books – “You: Staying Young” and “You: Having a Baby,” both of which are rooted in cognitive and evolutionary biology. Both books made the New York Times best-seller list.

From 2009-2011, Wynett worked for the New York Consulting Practice in Manhattan, which is focused on furthering the legacy of the late management theorist, Peter Drucker. For the next three years, he pursued graduate studies in cognitive psychology at the University of Texas before he joined the freedom center staff in 2014 at the invitation of a former chairman of the freedom center’s board, who was looking for new ideas to incorporate into the facility’s offerings.

“My goal is to change the way people think about the way they think,” Wynett said.

For more information about this event, please contact Courtney Washburn at 423-636-7300 Ext. 5252 or Dr. Ronda Gentry at 423-636-7300 Ext. 5216.

Central Ballet Theatre presents “Ruth + Boaz: A Love Story”

Acts, Arts, Academia will proudly present Central Ballet Theatre’s production of “Ruth + Boaz: A Love Story,” Friday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. in the Annie Hogan Byrd Theatre.

General Admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students.

One free ticket is available for Tusculum University employees by reserving through the Arts Outreach Office at 423-798-1620, the direct campus extension 5620 or jhollowell@tusculum.edu. This is a reservation only. Reserved tickets must be picked up at the box office prior to the show you wish to attend. A valid TU ID required.

One free ticket is also available for Tusculum University students to attend. Student tickets must be picked up from the Arts & Lecture personnel swiping cards prior to the performance you wish to attend. A valid university ID is required.

Please note these performances have a tendency to sell out. If a particular show is sold out, free tickets will be unavailable to any Tusculum personnel. You are advised to arrive early.

Central Ballet Theatre will run the box office and will open one hour prior to each performance.

Dr. Sherry Dellinger named dean of students at Tusculum

Dr. Sherry Dellinger

Dr. Sherry Dellinger, a 30-year higher education professional who has blended teaching with administrative leadership, has been named dean of students at Tusculum University.

In this role, she has direct oversight of residential life, housing, multicultural affairs, recreational and student activities, behavioral education, counseling and disability services. She supervises the Office of Student Affairs’ professional staff and assembles and maintains Tusculum’s Title IX team.

Dr. Dellinger joined the Tusculum staff Wednesday, Jan. 2, most recently serving as assistant provost, assistant vice president of student affairs and Title IX coordinator and investigator at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.

“We’re delighted to bring aboard another high-caliber leader with an exceptional track record to partner with our administrative team and other members of the Tusculum family to provide the best possible experience for our students,” said Dr. Madison Sowell, Tusculum’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Tusculum will benefit from the best practices she will establish and the collaborative spirit she will use to help our university continue to demonstrate its leadership in higher education.”

Serving at the University of Dallas since 2016, Dr. Dellinger provided strategic planning, predictive modeling and leadership of all Student Affairs departments. Among her many duties were supervising and maximizing services for students in residence life, counseling, health and student activities. She also performed resilience leadership development and worked to prevent Title IX violations and to increase student success and retention.

Previously, Dr. Dellinger was dean of students at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., from 2011-2015 and at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio, from 2007-2011. She also worked in a variety of roles at Southwestern College in Phoenix, Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Dellinger has taught at many of these higher education institutions as well as others. Among her courses have been academic recovery for freshmen, leadership training, career development, English grammar and usage, college reading, business communications and presentation skills for managers.

“Tusculum is an excellent university with a long tradition of service, and I am thrilled to pursue this next stage of professional growth in a forward-thinking organization,” Dr. Dellinger said. “The university has created many pillars of success, and I am ready to build on our achievements to reinforce how Tusculum is a first-choice institution for students, faculty and staff. With a strong leadership team throughout the university, we will ensure students are poised to reach their full potential.”

Dr. Dellinger earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, with a concentration in English and speech, and a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs, both from Indiana University. She received her doctorate in educational leadership from Spalding.

Fall 2018 Term Honors Lists

TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY DEAN’S LIST FOR FALL 2018

Tusculum students are recognized for their academic achievement through three academic honors lists.

The Dean’s List includes full-time students who have earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher during a semester.

The President’s List includes those students who have earned a 4.0 grade point average during the semester. These students are also included on the Dean’s List.

The Charles Oliver Gray Scholars List recognizes students who have been named to the Dean’s List for two or more consecutive semesters

Key: President’s List (*), Dean’s and Charles Oliver Gray Scholars (+) List

Nabil Abugattas Hodali

Raymond Spencer Adams*

Mahmoud Ahmed Eslaid Ahmed

Adekunle David Akinpetide

Ashley Elizabeth Akins+

Oluwaseyi Sarah Alamudun

Caleb Alder*

Shawna Alder+

Landon Marcus Allen

Makenzi Lynn Alley*

Anna Catherine Alloway*+

Ivan Andabak*+

Katja Sabina Elisabeth Andersson*+

Alan John Andrzejewski

Alicia Renea Armstrong+

Raegen LeeAnn Aytes

Grant Bacon

Amber Leanne Bailey

Jasper Dylan Bailey+

Kevin Ray Ball*+

Brandon L. Ball+

Sonja Ballmert+

Meredith Elizabeth Barton+

Lohithaksha Bathrinath

Taylor Alexandria N. Battle

Courtney Michelle Beddingfield+

Grace Arin Beddingfield+

Cheyenne Nicole Beeler*+

Keegan Michael William Bell+

Timothy Christian Bell+

John Evan Bennett+

Paula Berlet

Gabriel Guell Bernardi+

Taylor McKenzie Berryhill

Heather Mae Bishop+

Caleigh Shae Blair

Lillian Elizabethany Blair

Shania Makalya Nicole Blair+

Taylor Y. Boles+

William Henry Boney

Wesley Lynn Book*+

Cassandra Marie Born+

Mary E. Boston

Ashley Bowers+

Ronnie Lynn Bray

Allison Elaine Brewer*

Keveon Waunez Broadwater

Brittani Allyn Brooks*+

Seth Allen Brown

Bobbi Jean Brown+

Timothy Adam Bumgarner*+

David Clark Burchett*+

Timothy S. Burnett

Riley John Burns

Tabitha Ann Burris+

Jacqueline Jordan Butler

Mackenzie Morgan Butler+

Brandi Leigh Campbell

Spencer Lynn Campbell-Garant*

Thomas Evan Carney*

Laura Kaye Carr*+

Abby Rebecca Carrick

Kaynashia Chanell Carter

Emma Casey+

Jackson M. Cauthen*+

Edgar Joaquin Cervantes+

Danika Kendall Chaney+

Georgios Charkoutsakis

Steve Cheney*

Riley Keith Church

Stephanie Anna Nicole Clayton

Kimberly Mae Click

Alyssa M. Clifton+

Catherine Lydia Clingan

Tiffany Rose Cockrum*+

Stephanie Leanne Cockrum+

Sara Alexandra Cole*+

Sarah D. Combs+

Alexander Dario Cooper+

Brenna Suzanne Cope

Nicholas Xavier Cowan-Banker

Samantha Rae Crowder

Adam Crowe

Olivia Grace Cunningham

Cheyenne Jade Cureton

Clement Dagorn+

Deniz Dalkiran*+

Dianna Kay Daniels+

Stacy Nicole Dash+

Nina Sierra Davis

Dustin C. Day

I’keriah Day

Stephanie Renee Day

Carter Andrew Delsorbo+

Kayli Ashton Dempster*+

Christina Dennison*+

Madison Cyrina Dentz

Henrique Sarmengue Devens

Guillaume Devries

Kelsea Morgan Dobbs+

William Lenard Drake

Dynah Ali Dunn

Garrett Scott Dupuis

Blaine Leroy Dykes*+

Anthony Chase Eason*+

Braden Lee Elam

Yago Fernandez+

Marissa Charlene Finger

Erica C. Fletcher+

Taylor Nicole Floyd

Hayden Kate Fobare+

Bryson Royce Ford+

Danielle Grace Forsythe

Andrew Joseph Cain Fowler

Aubrey Kelsey Franklin

Brittney R. Franse+

Genevive Frisbee+

Courtney Layne Fritts

Justin Michael Frye*+

Alissa N. Furches*+

Susanna Younger Galens

Isaac Lugue Gallegos

Kelsey Elizabeth Galloway

Gustavo Ituassu Gantus+

De’Erica Garrett+

Rachel Lynn Geier

Ross Geiger*

Manda Trista Gibbs+

Alexus Breann Gibson

Trenton George Gibson

Courtney Skyler Gibson+

Emily Ann Gleason*+

Tammy Fletcher Golden*+

Fabian Gonzalez+

Allison Gordon

Todd Lee Gould+

Hannah Marie Graham+

Angelica Marie Grant+

Jennifer Marie Greene*

Jeffrey Connor Greene+

Mathias Holstad Grimstad

Kayleigh Denise Grindstaff

Tyler Guffey+

Kate Guildford+

Skyellar Hall-Delarber

Symantha Rea Hammock

Jessica Nicole Harris*

Jimmy Wayne Harrison*+

Zachary Lee Hartle+

Dustin A. Hayes+

Randi Jean Hayes+

Lindsey Katelyn Haynes

Kacy Underwood Helton*+

Bryson Pierce Henley+

Ashley Hensley

Emily Elizabeth Hester+

Scott Hicks*

Sherri Shelton Hightower+

Randall L. Hinton+

Caleb Jordan Hodnett+

Trista Brooke Holder+

Rachel Evelyn Holmes+

Randy Lee Hooks

Beau Scott Hopkins

Christel G. Householder

Jennifer Nicole Houser

Alec Robert Howard+

Brittany K. Hoyle+

Kayci Lee Hubbuck+

Donovan Hunter Hughes

Jason Tyler Hunt*

Chloe Ann Hurd+

Sarah Hyder

Christopher Brian Iltshishin

Kaitlin Andres Irvin*

James Michael Malis Irwin*+

Katie Elizabeth James+

Milan Jankovic

Beimar Jijon Garcia

Julia Margareta Johansson*

Alyson Blake Johnson

Jamie Leann Johnson

J’Quen O. Johnson

Anna Marie Johnson*

Hanna Jean Johnson*+

Kyler William Johnson+

Andre Malik Jones+

Edna M. Jones

Katlyn Jones*

Matthew Ray Jones*

Jonathan Julien+

Sydney Paige Junker*

Trevor Jarod Kahland

Emilie Marie Kaysen Schiott Hansen*

Courtney Denise Kear

McKenna Rae Keltner*+

Bailey Caroline Kennedy

Stacey Danielle Kesterson

Jordan Aaron James King

Landon Andrew King+

Tomas Kmetko*+

Kelsi Hayden-Flaire Knox+

Dallas Douglas Kuykendall*+

Lisa Marie Lange*

Emily Lawless

Kaele Elizabeth Lawless+

Bailey Elaine Laws+

Matthew Travis Lawson

Arthur Le Gall+

Alvis Tyler Legg*+

Anna M. Lewis*+

Dario Ljubic*+

Trevor Scott Lloyd

Kohl Michael Lobsiger+

Amber Lynn Loggains+

Julia Lopez+

Bailey R. Lowery+

Brittany D. Lowery+

Emma Catherine MacDonald+

Liam Henry Martel MacDonald+

Morgan Mackenzie Mahaffey*+

Brittany Lashae Maness

Justin Parker Maney

Tina Marie Marascia+

Amber Lynn Markin

Matthew David Marlow

Rian Soares Marques

Martina Marras Segura

Daulton Ray Martin

Sullivan Martin*

Timothy Justin Mash+

James David Massengill+

Samantha Lian Massengill*+

Cory Melissa Mata*

Danielle Brooke Mathes*

Layci Katherine Mayton+

Melissa Elizabeth Mazur+

Mitchell Vance McCain+

Emily Ann McCarter

Shawn Tommie McClure

Emma E. McCuiston*+

Annie Beth McCullough*+

Caitlin McCullough*

Jarel Ray McDade

Sean Clement McDaniel

Jessica King McGill+

Elissa Marie McIntosh

Elizabeth Ann McIntosh

Indra Devi McKinney+

Quinn McKitrick+

Logan Shane McMahan

Nicole Sarah McMillen*+

Jacco Mensinga

Marco Meon+

McKenzie Ariel Miget

Felicia Regan Mikels*

Carly Elizabeth Mill+

Alexa Miller

Andrew Miller

Kaitlin Anne Miller*

Charles Richard Mills

Logan Scott Mitchell*

Claudia Amira Montes de Oca

Nathan David Montgomery*+

Caitlin MacKenzie Moore

Jacelyn Sierra Moore+

Jordan Michael Morelock*

Robert Lee Morgan*+

Alycia Marjorie Morong+

Devin Deandre’ Morton

Africa  Mota Izquierdo+

Monica Brooke Mullins*+

Lauryn Suzanne Munn

Halea Marie Murphy

Cydney Nicole Murrell+

Arricca Claire Myers

McKenzie Michelle Myers

Tiffany Allyn Myers+

Loyd Benson Napier+

Dillon Nash*

Mackenzie Grace Newsome+

Jacob Russell Nicholls

Micah Brianne Nicley

Kent David Noe

Caleigh Addison Norton

Brianna Chapman Oats

Fabian Paier*+

Hunter Elliot Parks

Allison Ruby Pate+

Callie Sierra Patterson+

Loren Danielle Peeters*+

Glenda Pegues

Pau Peiro’ Vila*

Tina M. Phillips*+

Emily Claire Pietzyk*+

Carli Ann Pigza

Zachary Sebastian Pike*

Connor Overton Pinkard*

Taylor Nicole Plemons+

Abbigail Poland

Chloe Alexandra Pollock

Timothy Earl Post

Jacob Perry Presley

Banks Reid Presson

Hunter Richard Price

Fabian Proesch*+

Angel Lynn Quay+

Gary W. Quinton*

Alejandro Quiriti+

Jessica Marie Raney+

Zachary James Redden

Kristin A. Reis

Joshua Melvin Renner+

Haylee Noelle Reynolds*+

Ivee Alexandra Richesin*+

Daniel Dean Ricker*+

Zachary Weston Rimer*

Leslie Nicole Rimmer+

Paige Ann Roberts+

Breanna Marie Robinson+

Katya Rojas Mazares*

Alyssa Nicole Rojas+

Kenneth Michael Romines*+

Vinicius de Fatima Rosario

Jared Seth Rowland*

Alex William Rudd

Olivia Lee Russell+

Nikita Rutherford*

Kayla Marie Sager+

Mindy Dawn Sams*

Hailey Marie Sanders

Rafael Sarasola

Nicholas Adam Scheve

Alex Scott*+

Benjamin Mariano Seguin

Shemar Shakespeare

Dennis Eugene Sharp+

Michael Avery Sharpe+

Sarah Rebecca Shipley*

Lucas L. Singleton

Christian Alexander Sisto

Tonya Leeann Skellinger*

William Tyler Skellinger+

John Matt Smerdel*

Brittany Leann Smith

Jordan Dianne Smith*+

James Allen Southerland*

Megan Amber Southerland*+

Bethany Kaye Spoone*+

Sarah Morgan Spradlin*

Clarissa Elaine Stanton

Paul John Stayskal+

Adam Christoper Stewart

Ethan Kent Stinson

John Frederic Storaska+

Melinda Lindy Sturm

Deborah Jean Swatzell*

Rachel Delaney Swatzell+

Tara Marie Swift+

Stephanie Dawn Tajen

Whitney Lynn Tapp

Joshua John Taylor

Mindy Lashea Taylor*+

Franz Fritz Temme*+

Tyler Jacob Terry+

Kelsie Leia Thomas

James Kenneth Thompson*+

Timothy L. Thompson

Raeghan Grace Tolliver

Elizabeth H. Tomassoni*+

Katherine A. Tomassoni*+

Donald James Townsend

Taylor James Tupps

Michael Alejandro Turk+

Danielle Madison Turner*+

Remola Wanavee Turner+

Everett Cole Underwood

Linda Upmale+

Justice Scott Upp

Samuel C. Urban*

Sarah Elizabeth Vanhook

Gabrielle Jean Vaughan

Skylar A. Vicars*+

Madelyn J. Vossen+

Lana Vujosevic

Kimberly Jane Wade

Hannah Elizabeth Walker+

Ivan Javon Walker

Lillian Katherine Wallace

John Starnes Wallin+

Ethan Hull Walling+

Jake Thomas Wapinsky+

Anna Marie Wardwell*+

Ashton Alexander Watson+

Samantha Ann West+

Victoria Kristine West+

Emily Marie White+

Jeremy Thomas White*

Taylor Lindsey White+

Rebekah Shay Wiggins

Ashley Willett

Jacob Daniel Willett

Bryson Lee Williams+

Gabrielle Madison Williams+

Randall James Williams*+

Stephanie Julie Williamson

Johnathan Cole Wilt

Casey Brooke Wininger*+

Jalissa Rae Winter

Jonathan George Winter+

Julie Ann Winters White

Kristin Wolfenbarger*+

Heather K. Woods+

Kathryn Elizabeth Woods

Remembering Margaret Gaut ’40

Tusculum University lost a dear member of its family on Saturday, January 12 with the death of Margaret Gaut, but in the midst of our sadness, we celebrate that she was an integral part of our institution for so long.

Remebering Margaret Gaut

This photo shows Margaret Gaut, left, with fellow 1940 graduate Ann Beeson Gouge on the Tusculum campus.

Margaret was a member of the Tusculum College Class of 1940, and she turned 100 in June. It is appropriate she achieved such an important milestone in her life just as Tusculum was about to embark on a new era as a university.

In fact, when she celebrated her birthday in June, the university was able to tie the two events together when Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president, presented her the first diploma bearing our new name. It was a fitting way to celebrate our rich history as we advanced our university to the next stage of development.

This was not the last time Dr. Hurley and Margaret connected. She was in the audience when the university celebrated his inauguration in October, and their smiles and First Lady Kindall’s when they took a group photo after the ceremony demonstrated how that moment added an extra measure of joy to the occasion.

Margaret graduated from Tusculum with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics and pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Tennessee. As a Tusculum student, she was a member of the Cicero Society.

After graduation, she continued to demonstrate a love for her alma mater, serving as Alumni Association president as well as a member of a presidential search committee and the External Relations Committee of the Board of Trustees. Even in the later years of her life, she was a member of the Alumni Executive Board. Margaret also served as a class representative and phonathon volunteer.

Tusculum recognized her contributions by bestowing the Pioneer Award, the Alumni Association’s highest honor, in 2001. And in 2015, Tusculum presented her with the Distinguished Service Award at the President’s Dinner.

Margaret’s relationship with the Tusculum community is all-encompassing. In addition to her involvement with the university, she was raised on her ancestral farm in the City of Tusculum. In 1946, she wed William King Gaut Sr., and they were married for 61 years before he died in 2008. They had two children, Elizabeth and William Jr.

During her youth, she was a member of Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church and later became a member of Greeneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. She accepted ministry roles in both churches. She was an active alumna in the community until she needed to move from her Tusculum Home to Morning Pointe Senior Living due to health concerns.

In her professional life, Margaret served for 31 years in the education programs in Greeneville and Bristol, Virginia.

Margaret was an outstanding representative of Tusculum in all respects, and we are grateful for the exceptional legacy she leaves us. We extend our condolences to all of her family and ask you to say a prayer of gratitude that God brought her into our lives.

Tusculum workers quickly transforming building that will house Niswonger College of Optometry

Dr. Andrew Buzzelli discusses the renovation of the Meen Center for the Niswonger College of Optometry.

Construction crews are moving quickly to transform the building that will house the pioneering Niswonger College of Optometry at Tusculum University when it is accredited.

As soon as fall semester classes ended in December, members of Tusculum’s facilities team descended on the state-of-the-art building to start the conversion of some classrooms and other spaces within the Meen Center to serve the Niswonger College of Optometry.

The first wave of renovation is scheduled to last about seven months, and other work will follow for another 1 ½ years. This activity will benefit not only the Niswonger College of Optometry but also other schools and programs within Tusculum’s College of Health Sciences and the rest of the university.

“We’re completing the work in stages to cause minimum disruption to the undergraduate and graduate programs that use classrooms in the building,” said Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, the Niswonger College of Optometry’s founding dean and executive vice president of the College of Health Sciences. “I am extremely pleased not only with the speed of the construction but also the quality and attention to detail. We’re using our exceptional Tusculum facilities team, which includes many skilled craftsmen, and that makes putting together a project of this size so much easier and at a greatly reduced cost.”

Tusculum’s Board of Trustees authorized the addition of the Niswonger College of Optometry about a year ago based on the recommendation of Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president. In November, the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education determined the College of Optometry had completed the first stage of the accreditation process. The Niswonger College of Optometry has to complete three stages before it can recruit and enroll students.

Tusculum is projecting fall 2020, pending the receipt of preliminary approval for accreditation, to enroll the first class of 70 students in the four-year program. The university would have the 24th college of optometry in the nation.

“We’re committed to stem the tide of ocular disease in Central Appalachia and improve the quality of life for those in this region who have been impacted,” said Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president. “To accomplish this, we’re assembling a team, second to none, that will ensure the Niswonger College of Optometry prepares our students in the most modern approaches to eye care. Tusculum is committed to building the best college of optometry in the country and further expanding the continuum of care in the region.”

The scope of work optometrists perform today is evolving and encompassing more than previously was standard. Besides conducting eye exams and issuing prescriptions for glasses and contacts, optometrists now prescribe eye drops or oral medications for more serious eye conditions.

Dr. Buzzelli said the Niswonger College of Optometry will be the first to train physicians exclusively in the contemporary practice of optometric medicine.

The Meen Center contains 100,000 square feet, and about 50,000 will be designated for the Niswonger College of Optometry, Dr. Buzzelli said. He said the Niswonger College of Optometry will share another 15,000 square feet with other Tusculum programs.

Renovation activity now underway is preparing the areas Tusculum needs for optometric examination labs, an optics lab, an anatomy lab, a primary care ophthalmic surgery suite and exam rooms. Dr. Buzzelli said it is essential for Tusculum to initiate renovation at this stage in the process.

“We’re proceeding with this work because of our pursuit of accreditation,” Dr. Buzzelli said. “One of the main functions of accrediting agencies is to ensure students are enrolled in an appropriate, comprehensive and state-of-the-art professional program. They can only certify a program based on the actions the applicant has already taken. When the accreditation team leaves our campus, they want to know students in the Niswonger College of Optometry can walk onto campus the next day and begin their education.”

In addition to the construction activity, the Niswonger College of Optometry has filled all of its administrative positions. The Niswonger College of Optometry has also already hired the faculty to teach students in the first year, and that roster will include many College of Health Sciences administrators. Other faculty members include community-based vision care providers such as Dr. Donny Reeves, medical physician, and Dr. Scott Gentry, optometric physician, who will continue to see patients in their practices.

In July, the Niswonger College of Optometry will begin the hiring of the next group of faculty members.

“The whole thrust of the College of Health Sciences is to be very efficient and to work as a team,” Dr. Buzzelli said. “Our philosophy is everybody works together, teaches together and learns together. We hire no one solely as a program administrator but rather use that person’s talents across the whole spectrum to support our students and the profession.”

For more information about the Niswonger College of Optometry’s construction, please view a video at https://bit.ly/2sdlYE6.

Information for the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education is: Address: 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63141 — telephone: 314-991-4100.

Dr. Gregory Moore named assistant dean for clinics at Tusculum’s Niswonger College of Optometry

Dr. Gregory S. Moore

A 30-year optometric professional with extensive experience providing medical eye care for the Chicago Cubs, teaching students, running businesses, serving on regulatory boards and conducting research has been named assistant dean for clinics with the Niswonger College of Optometry at Tusculum University.

Dr. Gregory S. Moore, who joined the staff in January, will also serve as the director of clinical and surgical education and will be an associate professor. The Niswonger College of Optometry is seeking accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education and learned in November that it successfully completed the first phase of that process.

In his role, Dr. Moore will establish the Niswonger College of Optometry’s clinical education programs with its multiple clinical partners in the region. He will ensure these programs run properly, smoothly and effectively and that the optometrists serving them perform at the highest possible level. The Niswonger College of Optometry plans to have clinics at about 30 sites in the region, including one on Tusculum’s Greeneville campus. Licensed providers will staff them, and students will complete rotations there.

“The Niswonger College of Optometry is going to accelerate the quality of and access to eye care in our region, and Dr. Moore will figure prominently in the development of this transformative program,” said Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, an optometrist and the college’s founding dean.

“He was one of the first members of the optometric profession designing and implementing a surgical curriculum within optometry. His knowledge will be critical as we move through the accreditation process and then teach and train our students when we receive approval. We are very fortunate to have him because he represents cutting-edge skill with the latest primary care optometric surgical procedures.”

Dr. Moore previously collaborated with Dr. Buzzelli and Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president, to create the Kentucky College of Optometry at the University of Pikeville. The two optometrists share the same vision for the optometric profession, and Dr. Moore is pleased with ideas Dr. Buzzelli developed to make students’ clinical training, particularly in optometric medicine, model the role of the modern optometric physician.

He is excited to join the leadership team in the Niswonger College of Optometry’s formative stages.

“Entering on the ground floor of the Niswonger College of Optometry’s development really allows you to play an influential part in building the foundation,” Dr. Moore said. “The curriculum, the integrated clinical training and the hospital-based clinical systems that we’re establishing all combine to give us a program that will be second to none.”

Dr. Moore earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis and completed training sessions at a private practice in St. Albans, W.Va., and at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon, W.Va. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from West Virginia State University in the Institute community.

Dr. Moore comes to Tusculum from the University of Pikeville, where he served as an assistant professor for three years. He also ran a private practice with locations in Kentucky and West Virginia for 29 years and owned or co-owned a laser eye center for 12 years that attracted patients from 36 states and four countries. Plus, he served as an adjunct professor at the Southern College of Optometry for 14 years.

In the early stages of his career – from 1989-1992 – Dr. Moore was the eye doctor for the Cubs organization.

“As a result of products I developed, which now have U.S. and international patents and pending patents and the success I had with the Cubs’ farm team in Charleston, W.Va., I was named the team eye doctor,” Dr. Moore said. “I provided eye exams for the entire organization, from rookies to major leaguers as well as all the coaching staff and employees of the organization, during spring training. During the season, all eye care issue or emergencies occurring with any player would be sent to my office in West Virginia or a local specialist I would arrange for the player to see.”

This connection to sports led to his involvement in another project that has applicability to the athletic field. In conjunction with the University of Cincinnati as part of a research project that will eventually will include the Tusculum athletic department, he has worked with college athletes suffering from complex traumatic brain injury.

Dr. Moore has made his mark on the profession in other areas. He has 15 years of experience as a board member of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry, which serves regulatory boards in 66 jurisdictions around the world, and the West Virginia Board of Optometry. Between the two organizations, he has served three terms as president.

In addition, he was one of 22 researchers the National Alliance on Eye and Vision Research invited to Washington in October to introduce their work to congressmen and senators and to encourage them to continue funding the National Institute of Health and the National Eye Institute. His research on complex traumatic brain injury was one of the subjects presented to lawmakers.

Dr. Moore’s numerous professional activities include membership in the American Optometric Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, the International Academy of Sport Vision, and the American Society of Optometric Surgeons.

As he pursues the next stage of his career, Dr. Moore is ready to adopt new philosophies and initiatives in the profession that will benefit patients.

“Throughout all of health care, there must be a continual paradigm shift to keep up with science and technology,” Dr. Moore said. “Optometry is not immune to that fact. For example, refractions will always be an integral part of the diagnosis and treatment optometry provides, but new technologies are making that service available on the internet. While they are in their infancy and not very accurate at this point, that will come. Therefore, we need to adapt our thinking and our professional training to take advantage of the improved delivery models information technology and artificial intelligence provide.”

“I look forward to these and other advances that are transforming our profession, all for the betterment of the patients we serve.”

Tusculum receives approval to add Master of Arts in Sport Administration

Tusculum University’s forward-thinking College of Education continues to progress with the addition of a new academic degree.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges recently approved Tusculum’s request to add a Master of Arts in Sport Administration. The university will begin offering the degree, which takes a year to complete, in the 2019 fall semester.

Tusculum already offers an undergraduate degree in sport management, and it will align nicely with the new master’s degree, said Dr. Tricia Hunsader, the College of Education’s dean.

“The sport management program is one of our larger programs throughout Tusculum,” she said. “The new master’s degree will offer a seamless transition for students in this program and provide an excellent option for others interested in this field. It will provide further reason for students to choose Tusculum for their academic needs.”

Adding this degree will enable Tusculum graduates to seek jobs in fields where openings are abundant. When they submitted paperwork to the SACSCOC, College of Education leaders identified about 300 sport management job openings listed on www.indeed.com in Tennessee. For the next six to eight years, employment projections for management occupations in the United States and Tennessee showed increases of 9.2 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively.

Dr. Hunsader said the College of Education believes it can attract 15 students into the program in the first year, with growth in future years that will bring the total to 20-22 each year. In addition to seeking Tusculum undergraduate students and recent graduates, the university will be a viable option for those from other higher education institutions that do not have a similar master’s program.

Students in the Master of Arts in Sport Administration will take classes almost exclusively in person versus online. Dr. Hunsader said that is particularly important for some students from foreign countries and veterans who might be required to take face-to-face classes. The new program will also benefit athletes who have an extra year of eligibility and have completed their bachelor’s degree.

All classes will be offered during the day.

“We’re excited about this new master’s degree, which we have spent considerable time refining for the benefit of our students,” said Dr. Sabrina Reed, program coordinator, who led the development of the degree’s curriculum. “We’re giving students the opportunity to seek their preferred jobs with the skills gained through this degree.”

Dr. Reed said the master’s degree will open the door to a large number of positions in sports, such as working in the business side of a professional team. She said graduates could propel their skill set for a career in sport and exercise facility management using the degree or take the next step academically by pursuing a doctorate.

The degree consists of 30 credit hours, with full-time students taking four classes in the fall and spring semesters and completing a summer internship. Admission requirements include:

  • Submitting a resume that includes sport-related work experience
  • Holding a bachelor’s degree in a related field or providing documentation of sport-related work experience
  • Having a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.25 — or at least a 3.0 for the last 60 credit hours

The university also offers options for conditional admission who do not meet the GPA requirements.

Dr. Hunsader said Tusculum will hire an additional faculty member prior to fall 2019 to supplement the two who are already scheduled to teach the graduate-level courses.

“Given the quality of the faculty who will teach in this program, our graduates will be in a good position to successfully pursue a career in sport administration,” she said. “This expansion of programs within the College of Education showcases the growth occurring at Tusculum and our ability to meet the needs of our students and the region.”