The first class to graduate from Tusculum’s Master of Science in nursing, family nurse practitioner program has achieved a 100 percent certification pass rate on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Qualifying Exam, according to Dr. James Hurley, president of Tusculum.

“This is the pathway Tusculum has set to pioneer,” said Dr. Hurley. “Healthcare for rural America defined by excellence in health care education and in the selection of outstanding quality learners for our programs.”

The first class of Master of Science in nursing, family nurse practitioner concentration graduated in December of 2017.

According to Dr. Hurley, these newly-certified nurse practitioners “worked hard as students in an intense accelerated program to be successful. As students, they were trained to assess, to diagnose, to develop a comprehensive treatment plan and to evaluate outcomes for patients from birth to death.”

He added that for many patients, the nurse practitioner serves as their primary care provider and is a key player in assisting patients to traverse the complex healthcare system.

According to Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, executive vice president of the College of Health Sciences, “Dr. Linda Garrett, assistant dean of the Graduate Nursing Program in Tusculum’s College of Health Sciences, and her superb faculty have set the highest benchmark a school can have in achieving a 100 percent pass rate on the very challenging American Association of Colleges of Nursing qualifying exam.

“Certification is a significant milestone for graduate nurse practitioners. These new practitioners will contribute to answering the escalating problem of provider shortages, especially in primary care, which is a growing concern in the healthcare field. Tusculum’s first class of certified nurse practitioners are rising to the challenge of answering the provider shortage problem.”

Dr. Buzzelli added that all of the 2017 graduates have secured practice positions, and many will be serving in rural areas of need.

“Tusculum prepares nurse practitioners to thrive in culturally diverse practices and to improve the health and safety of the region’s communities,” he said.

The Tusculum Master of Science in nursing, family nurse practitioner program’s second cohort began in August 2017, with 33 students admitted into the program. The Graduate Nursing Program has state of the art facilities with excellent professors, who are experienced family nurse practitioners. Tusculum plans to expand the program and add other nurse practitioner specialties in the near future, said Dr. Buzzelli.

Two Tusculum students will spend the summer working on funded salamander research under the guidance of faculty member Dr. Conor Keitzer, assistant professor of natural sciences.

Tusculum recently received notification that the two students have been awarded research stipends through the Colonel Lee B. Ledford Scholarship program of the Appalachian College Association.

Megan Southerland, a junior biology major from Greeneville, and Levi Morgan, a sophomore environmental science major from Greeneville, will both be sponsored in their research by Dr. Keitzer.

Ledford Scholarships provide undergraduate students with summer stipends to conduct original research. Both Southerland and Morgan will be participating in separate research projects related to salamander populations of local mountain ranges.

Southerland will use her award to study the environmental factors that affect the distribution and health of woodland salamanders on Camp Creek Bald, known locally as Viking Mountain, one of the highest peaks in Greene County, Tennessee.

The research project will provide her with valuable experience using cover-board survey methods, GIS systems, the R programming language and the SPARCNet (Salamander Population Adaptation Research Collaboration Network) collaborative. She plans to continue to graduate study in biology or ecology and a possible career in agriculture and environmental resource management in Appalachia.

Morgan will use his award to study the impact of climate change on the Yonahlossee salamander. A potential “sentinel species,” the lungless Yonahlossee is dependent upon cool, moist microclimates to survive.

He will participate in a mapping project of the recently discovered population in Greene County, the southwestern most known extent of the species’ range. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in fisheries and wildlife biology and hopes to have a career in wildlife conservation and management in East Tennessee.

Competition for Ledford Scholarships was particularly fierce this year, according to Dr. Jason A. Pierce, vice president of Academic Affairs. He added that the Appalachian College Association, which consists of 35 small, private colleges and universities in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, received scores of qualified applications but could award only a fraction. The program provides funds for undergraduate students enrolled at ACA institutions to carry out summer research, with a strong focus on service to the local community.

“We are exceptionally proud of the work that Megan and Levi have put into these research projects,” said Dr. Pierce. “The Ledford Scholarship is the most prestigious student award made by the ACA, so to have two recipients in a single year is truly extraordinary and speaks to the quality of their work and to the quality of support provided by Dr. Keitzer.”

Tusculum, the first college in Tennessee and the 28th oldest in the nation, is committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately eighteen hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and two off-site locations in East Tennessee.

Tusculum students Levi Morgan and Megan Southerland have received summer research grants to work with Dr. Conor Keitzer on regional salamander populations.

Heather Keene, associate vice president for the College of Health Sciences, was recently selected as a member of Harvard University’s Women in Education Leadership development program.

As a member of the class of 2018 she was fully immersed in women’s leadership topics from top female Harvard faculty. The program convenes senior leaders in education from all over the world to strengthen their leadership skills to advance education initiatives.

Heather Keene

To apply for the highly competitive and rigorous program, Keene had to produce essays detailing her personal leadership style and how she felt the program would benefit her and the educational community she serves.  In her essay, she touched on the hardships that she’s faced that plague the Appalachian region and how she has conquered many barriers to become a leader in the initiative to bring health care education and health care services to an area where access is a major issue.

“My time at Harvard was well spent deep in discussion with my peers about our experiences in an often complex educational environment and how we can persevere through authentic leadership and passion. Being self-aware of one’s own personal and professional growth as well as our communication skills can empower us to be better leaders,” said Keene.

“One of the most important aspects I took away from Harvard was that demography isn’t destiny. This portion of the program really resonated for me. Even though I come from an economically distressed and underserved population doesn’t mean that I can’t achieve any goal I set out to.  This is the mindset I want to impart to the students and community of central Appalachia.”

Keene was selected as one of 74 women leaders to attend the Harvard Graduate School of Education out of thousands of applications from many different countries.  The residential program focuses on how female senior administrative leaders can effectively navigate responsibilities and constituencies, while providing a unique opportunity for growth and renewal among diverse yet like-minded women. The interactive program is designed to facilitate networking and self-reflection through workshops, lectures and case discussions.

“In all my years in the Air Force and higher education, I have never encountered a more motivated, hardworking individual as Heather,” said Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, executive vice president of Tusculum’s College of Health Sciences. “She is detail-oriented and results-driven.  Heather is often proactive in ensuring that anything she touches is done with quality, compassion and poise. Her being accepted to Harvard is no surprise to me.  Her acceptance to the program just speaks volumes about the type of individual Heather is. She combines intellect and talent, which inspires both those she is responsible for and those she works with.”

Keene was recently named associate vice president for the College of Health Sciences at Tusculum.  She assumed her role on January 1.

In her new role, she will aid in the efforts of creating the new Tennessee College of Optometry and Physician Assistant program, which are currently in the feasibility study stage.  She will serve as the associate dean of Academic Affairs and Student Success for Optometry and the director of academic administration for the Physician Assistant program.

Keene will function as chief liaison to the respective accrediting bodies. She will be responsible for creating and growing a professional academic environment for the intellectual, social and personal growth of students, staff and faculty and will spearhead the development and advancement of the curriculum for the health science programs.

Previously, Keene served as executive director of the College of Optometry at the University of Pikeville.  She has an extensive background in higher education and business management.  A native of the Appalachia region of Pikeville, Kentucky, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Morehead State University, where she graduated with honors.

“I am excited to be part of the Tusculum family, serving to create the new College of Health Sciences. With the creation of the health science programs, I will be helping a region that I am deeply connected to. Central Appalachia is vastly underserved in many of the health professions.  With my position at Tusculum, I can now make a difference in the everyday lives of some of those who need it the most,” said Keene.

Tusculum is anticipating enrolling the first students in the new optometry doctoral program in 2020, pending approval of all certifications and accreditations.

According to Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, executive vice president of the College of Health Sciences at Tusculum, he and other members of the Tusculum administration are already working on the process to institute a School of Optometry on the Greeneville campus.

Dr. Buzzelli, who joined Tusculum in early January, will lead the efforts to begin several new programs that are currently in the feasibility study stage and will fall under the new College of Health Sciences, including the School of Optometry, a Physician Assistant studies program, as well as Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs.

Tusculum will be seeking accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education, the national accrediting agency for optometry schools. Tusculum has applied for a “level change” with the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges, its regional accreditor, which would authorize the institution to award its first doctoral degree.

The School of Optometry and Physician Assistant programs represent the first phase of new health care degrees that will be added to the College of Health Sciences degree curricular offerings in the next two to three years, said Dr. Buzzelli.

“These initiatives are in the very early stages of seeking permission to proceed from the accrediting bodies of both professional organizations,” he said. Discussions are on-going and plans underway to complete an occupational therapy, audiology/speech therapy and physical therapy programs as part of the second phase.

“These exciting new programs further Tusculum’s commitment to serving the needs of our students, our region’s employers and population. In particular, we will provide care for the unserved and underserved citizens of Appalachia and rural America. The Tusculum community sees this civic development as a reflection of Tusculum’s growth and progress as a rising university.”

More information on the programs planned for the College of Health Sciences will be made available when the decisions of the accreditors to initiate the programs have been received.