Winkelmann receives South Atlantic Conference President’s Award

Lukas Winkelmann

Tusculum College men’s tennis student-athlete Lukas Winkelmann is this year’s recipient of the South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award, following a vote of the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives.

Winkelmann is the male recipient of the SAC Presidents Award, while Newberry College volleyball player Elayni Stokes is this year’s female honoree.

The SAC Presidents Award is the most prestigious honor the conference awards to its student-athletes. It exemplifies the finest combined qualities of excellence in athletics, academics and community leadership. During the year, the league recognizes 18 Scholar Athletes, representing each of the conference-sponsored sports. The top male and female SAC Scholar Athletes from each represented member school are then nominated for the SAC Presidents Award.

In the classroom, Winkelmann sported a 3.96 cumulative grade point average as a pre-medicine major. The three-time SAC Men’s Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year has earned selections to the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, the TC President’s List, the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List, the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the ITA All-Academic Team. He graduated from Tusculum last month with summa cum laude honors.

Winkelmann finished the season ranked 19th in the ITA singles rankings, becoming the first player in program history to garner All-America distinction. He also becomes only the ninth SAC singles player to earn ITA All-America honors, fifth during the NCAA II era (since 1994) and the first since 1996.

The Böblingen, Germany native spent most of the season ranked in the top-20 of the ITA/NCAA Division II national singles rankings, including as high as 10th this spring. He finished the season with a perfect 18-0 singles record at the top flight and finished his collegiate career with a 50-match regular season winning streak.

He was named the SAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Year for a third consecutive season, becoming the first three-time winner in league history. He also ended the year listed sixth in the ITA Southeast Region singles rankings.

On the doubles side, Lukas teamed with his brother Jonas as the duo compiled a perfect 19-0 record while earning All-SAC first team doubles honors in back-to-back seasons. The Winkelmann brothers also finished the year listed ninth in the ITA Southeast Region doubles rankings.

Winkelmann finished his collegiate-career with a 70-7 singles record and was a four-time All-SAC performer and was the SAC Freshman of the Year in 2012.

Winkelmann is a two-time Capital One Academic All-America® At-Large first team selection and is a national nominee again this year.

Winkelmann has served in numerous leadership roles, including as team captain and as a representative on the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

In the community, Winkelmann has served as a volunteer at a local hospital and has spent time with Project “Tennis in Schools” to promote the sport of tennis at area elementary schools. Winkelmann assisted in caring for a local community member’s horse after they were in a car accident during his sophomore season and has helped with the Tusculum Tennis Adopt-a-Family initiative to help a local family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. A member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, Winkelmann donated and delivered Christmas presents to children in the community.

Winkelmann has also stayed busy helping out on the Tusculum campus. He served as a volunteer with the Tusculum College Haunted House as a freshman to assist a TC athletic department fundraiser. During his senior year, Winkelmann volunteered with the Remote Area Medical Clinic hosted by Tusculum College as a dental assistant and was a member of the Biology Club and the President’s Society. Winkelmann also served as treasurer of Alpha Chi during his junior and senior years.

Winkelmann has been accepted to the Pennsylvania School of Medicine to continue his pursuit of becoming a dentist.

During his collegiate career, Winkelmann led the Pioneers to a combined 63-22 overall record, including 32-8 on South Atlantic Conference play.

He was named the 2014-15 Tusculum College Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the first three-time winner of the award in school history and only the second TC student-athlete overall to be named Athlete of the Year three times (woman’s basketball player Susan Starnes was a four-time winner).

This marks the seventh straight year and eighth of the last nine that a Tusculum student-athlete has garnered SAC Presidents Award honors. Tusculum’s 10 total SAC Presidents Award winners are the second most by one school and tied for the most since the College joined the league during the 1999-2000 academic year.

Past Tusculum honorees of the SAC Presidents Award include: Julie Maples (Women’s Basketball: 2004-05), Glen Black (Football: 2006-07), Jarrell NeSmith (Football: 2008-09, 2009-10), Simon Holzapfel (Men’s Cross Country: 2010-11), Taylor Rakes (Baseball: 2011-12, 2012-13) and Ashley Sarmiento (Volleyball: 2012-13, 2013-14).

Leadership workshop for high school students scheduled for June 25-27

A workshop designed to help high school students develop their leadership skills will be held June 25-27 at Tusculum College.

The workshop is open to all high school students and is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, June 25 and 26, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 27. Sessions will be held all three days in Chalmers Conference Center in Niswonger Commons. The workshop is hosted by the Tusculum College Band Program.

Joel Denton, director of bands at Ooltewah High School, will be leading the workshop. Denton is also the founder of Covenant Consultants, which works with bands and organizations to help them develop leadership and team building skills among their members.

Participants will be actively engaged in developing their leadership skills during the sessions. Areas to be addressed in an active-learning environment include setting high standards of excellence, effective communication principles, behavior modification versus motivation, self-discipline fundamentals, value of risk and dealing with insecurities.

The workshop’s activities are designed to strengthen participants’ skills in independent carry through, sensitivity to peers, development of a positive attitude, increased level of cooperation, understanding of I/Me versus We/Us, understanding the consequences of complacency and commitment to self-improvement.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Cost is $70 per person. A discounted rate of $65 is available to groups of 10 or more. Adult group leaders are admitted free with student registrations. The fee includes all materials and instruction, as well as snacks and lunch on Thursday and Friday and snacks on Saturday.

For more information or to register, please contact David Price, director of music programs at Tusculum, at 423-636-7303 or email daprice@tusuclum.edu.

Tusculum’s Arbogast wins Virginia Carter Smith Scholarship to persuasive development writing conference

Michelle Arbogast, associate director of foundations and corporate relations at Tusculum college was one of five national winners of the Virginia Carter Smith Scholarship to attend a national persuasive development writing conference in Denver, Colo.

Arbogast will attend the event, sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, in early June.

The conference is a hands-on training workshop designed to strengthen fundraising skills for professional education development staff. Featured training will include revision and review of writing samples, strengthening writing skills and an opportunity to expand writing resources networks.

“This is an amazing opportunity to hone my writing skills to and improve our future applications for grants that go a long way in helping the college meet its goals. Many of the grants we receive provide scholarships or program support for a wide variety of academic and co-curricular programs,” said Arbogast.

According to Heather Patchett, vice president of institutional advancement for Tusculum College, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education is an excellent resource for fundraising and development professionals.

“Having the opportunity to have one of our staff attend this reputable professional development experience is incredibly valuable,” said Patchett, and particularly well-timed as we are moving full-speed into our Tusculum First Campaign efforts.”

Tusculum First is designed to address the college’s areas of greatest need including a new center for science and math, growth of academic programs, endowed scholarships, student life improvements, technology, an environmental resources and facilities center and support to the Tusculum Fund.

The campaign, which follows the college’s long line of firsts, “was initiated to improve and expand Tusculum College and its programs for the benefit of both the internal and external community. It is designed to improve the areas that most affect student success and inspire them to be contributing members of society,” said Patchett.

Tusculum named to Presidential Honor Roll for Community Service for ninth time

Tusculum College has been honored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the ninth year in a row. The designation recognizes colleges and universities for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities.

Tusculum College was selected for the Honor Roll for its work in education, hunger, homelessness, environmental stewardship, economic empowerment and youth development in the East Tennessee region. Students have worked with Rural Resources, Greene County Habitat for Humanity, the Greeneville and Greene County school systems, the Boys and Girls Club, Opportunity House, the United Way of Greene County, the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park and many other groups.

“Since 1794 Tusculum College has desired to teach its students to serve their communities and to develop strong values that included service to humankind,” said Tusculum College President Nancy B. Moody.

She added that service projects and service learning experiences are part of the core of Tusculum College’s mission that includes the Civic Arts and service to others as part of its overall mission.

“I am delighted Tusculum has been honored with this distinction; service and civic engagement are an integral part of campus life and campus culture,” said Ronda Gentry, director of the Center for Civic Advancement at Tusculum College.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

In addition, numerous projects have been completed by staff, faculty and other volunteer groups associated with Tusculum College.

The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is presented during the annual conference of the American Council on Education.

College students make a significant contribution to their communities through volunteering and service, according to the most recent “Volunteering and Civic Life in America” report. In 2012, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 118 million hours of service across the country — a contribution valued at $2.5 billion.

The complete list of schools recognized is at http://www.nationalservice.gov.

Tusculum student lands prestigious internship at Northwestern Mutual

Kevin Jerome

Kevin Jerome is a junior at Tusculum College whose hard work and determination is unmatched by most of his peers. Jerome is a first-generation American whose parents came to the United States from Haiti. He grew up in Queens, N.Y. , with 14 family members in a two-bedroom apartment. Despite these beginnings, on which Kevin looks back with fondness, he has persevered and has chosen to take full advantage of all that Tusculum College has to offer.

A former Tusculum College football player who broke a weightlifting record at Tusculum his freshman year, Jerome is an international business and economics major. Through an on-campus recruiting event, he landed a prestigious internship with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance and Financial Services. After only a few months, he was ranked nationally as Northwestern Mutual’s seventh leading intern in productivity.  He is currently working on his Series Six and Sixty Three certifications to obtain his securities license by the end of his junior year. His lofty career goals include becoming a certified financial advisor and building his client base at Northwestern Mutual. He dreams of one day building an organization from the ground up and being heavily involved in philanthropy.

He works an average of 30 hours a week in his internship and has a full load of classes, but he still finds time to volunteer with the Young Professionals of Tri-Cities, Habitat for Humanity and Pou Yi Mou’n Yo, a charitable organization for children.

Robin Lay, the director of Career Services at Tusculum College, helped Jerome apply for his internship and said, “Kevin has the unique confidence to ask very successful (people) for career advice—mixed with enough humility to make him teachable—which means that he will continue to grow personally and professionally.”

With the help of several mentors and leaders, each of whom he believes owns a piece of his success, Jerome has been able to say “yes” to many opportunities. But like many students at Tusculum College, he also depends on the scholarship support that is made possible by gifts from alumni and friends of the College.

Alumni and friends create opportunities for students like Kevin by giving to the Tusculum Fund.

Class of 65 members celebrate 50th reunion with activities at Commencement

Members of the Class of 1965, the newest Golden Pioneers, were welcomed back to campus to celebrate their 50th reunion on May 8-9 with special activities that included participation in the spring commencement ceremony.

Sixteen members of the Class of 1965 returned to campus for the festivities that began with a reception hosted by Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody at the President’s House on the afternoon of Friday, May 8.

Returning were 1965 alumni Sanda Montgomery Abramson, Al Ballinger, Dixie Blake, Ray Collins, Shirley Duncan Cutshall, Dick Dufty, Elizabeth Ellis, Fred Johnson, Jim Kave, Charlie Kling, Fox Madsen, Glenn Miller, Lynn Nellius, Bob Pollock, Mort Plumb and Walter Shepherd.

Members of the Class of 1965 (and one from 1964) gather for a photo on the front steps of the President's House following the reception May 8.

 

During the reception, the alumni were able to reminisce and catch up with what has been happening in their classmates lives while enjoying hors d’oeuvres. A video presentation featuring photos of the class in the 1960s also gathered a crowd and sparked conversations about their classmates.

Following an update of the College from Dr. Moody, each of the members of the class were presented a medallion and pin by the President.

At the conclusion of the reception, the class members gathered for dinner at the Whistle Stop, a popular local restaurant located in the building that housed Dobson’s Grocery during the 1960s.

The activities for Saturday, May 9, began with a breakfast for the Golden Pioneers in the Pioneer Perk inside the Niswonger Commons. After enjoying the food and more fellowship, the class members donned their golden robes and wore their medallions to prepare for commencement.

 

The class of 1965 lead the procession into a packed Pioneer Arena for the spring commencement ceremony.

During the ceremony, the class members were recognized and asked to stand as their name was called with the crowd applauding the group.

Mort Plumb joined Class of 2015 member Ryan Barker on stage to present a combined class gift of $8, 513 to Dr. Moody. Gifts from the graduating seniors and the Class of 1965 were combined and will be used to start a scholarship for future Tusculum students.

The Class of 1965 have a history of making contributions to their Alma Mater. A gift from the class as seniors were the two brick entrance signs for the College, one near Gilland Street and the other in the side lawn of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building. The metal signage was replaced a few years through another class gift, but the plaque telling of the Class of 1965 gift is affixed to the brick of one of the signs.

Following the ceremony, the Golden Pioneers returned to the Perk for lunch before saying their farewells.

Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody accepts the class gift from Mort Plumb, 1965 Golden Pioneer Committee Chairman, and Ryan Barker, chair of the 2015 Graduate Philanthropy Council.

Learn the latest news about Tusculum alumni

 

 

 

 

 

 

’80s

Mike Fulkerson ’88 of Kingsport, TN, has been named principal of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in the Kingsport School System. He had served for six years as principal of Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School and previously been an assistant principal at Dobyns-Bennett High School and an assistant to the principal, teacher, coach and athletic director at John Sevier Middle School. Mike chaired the initial Kingsport City Schools’ Coordinated School Health Advisory Council, has served as an examiner for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence and was named the school system’s 5th-8th Grade Teacher of the Year for 1997.

 

Marianne W. Lewis ’89 has been named the new dean of the Cass Business School at the City University London. Previously, she was a professor of management and associate dean of the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati.

 

’90s

Willie Anderson ’94 was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year award during the Volunteer Spirit Award ceremony hosted by the Volunteer Center of Greeneville and Greene County. Willie volunteers at least 16 hours a week or more in programs that aid youth at Free Will Baptist Family Ministries. He spearheads and runs a life skills program, which provides tools for at-risk youth to become better equipped to become productive citizens in the community. Willie has also introduced a music program to the youth, helping them to learn self-discipline and time management skills. In addition, he organizes special events and graduations at Family Ministries. Willie also serves as a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville and Greene County and with the Greeneville Lions Club.

’00s

Jessica Smith ’04 has been appointed as principal of Halls Middle School in the Knox County School System. Her previous position was as the interim principal at Carter Elementary School in the system. She has been with the school system since 2004 and has taught language arts at the middle school level and served as an assistant principal at that level.
Leah Walker ’04 is the new director of the Rogersville Heritage Association. Leah served as site manager for the Doak House Museum at her Alma Mater for the past seven years. She is a member of the board of directors for the Tennessee Association of Museums and chairman of the board of directors for the Northeast Tennessee Museums Association.

 

Jennifer Headrick ’05 of Maryville, TN, has been named special assistant to the director special assistant to the program director for PEAK Technical Institute’s Professional Household Management and Social Decorum. Jennifer recently served as the executive assistant to the founder of Blackberry Farm, where she managed both personal and professional communications and arrangements. She has also previously worked for Quintium Advisors, Blount County Library and Ruby Tuesday headquarters.

 

Tonia Hale ’07 has been named chief nursing officer at Danville Regional Medical Center in Danville, VA. She will begin her duties on June 8. Tonia has served in executive nursing positions at a number of hospitals. Most recently, she served as chief nursing officer for Tennova Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown, TN.

 

Anup Kaphle ’07 has been named senior world editor at BuzzFeed. Kaphle had served for the last four years at the foreign desk at The Washington Post.

 

Jennie Scott ’07 has been named to the 2015-16 Leadership Academy, a collaborative venture between the University of Tennessee and Knox County School System that prepares talented individuals to become new school principals through a full-time, intensive 15-month fellowship program. Jennie is an assistant principal at Adrian Burnett Elementary School and has previously served as an early literacy coach at Mount Olive Elementary School and in many roles at A.L. Lotts Elementary, including third grade teacher, professional learning community facilitator, first grade teacher, grade level chair and member of the leadership team. She has also served as a mentor for all new first grade teachers in the school system.

 

’10s

Tyler Bright ’13 has been promoted to business system analyst with Mountain States Health Alliance. He was previously employed with Mountain States as corporate business office follow-up representative.

 

 

 

 

’40s

Emma Eilene Kyker Grubbs ’48 of Auburn Hills, MI, passed away on January 5, 2015. Mrs. Grubbs was an elementary teacher for 19 years, teaching mostly fourth and fifth grade in the Pontiac, MI, school system. She was a charter member of Grace Brethren Church in Lakeland, FL. She enjoyed quilting, sewing, puzzles, playing pinochle and spending time with her family. Her survivors include sister and Tusculum alumna Mary Kyker ’48.

 

’50s

Homer H. Clevenger ’54 of Kingston, TN, passed away May 17, 2015. He had graduated from the Santa Clara University School of Law and was admitted to the California Bar in 1983 and the Tennessee Bar in 1994. During his career, Mr. Clevenger served as director of industrial relations for Kingsport Press in Kingsport, TN, vice president of industrial relations for Arcata National in New York City and vice president and general council for Ricoh Corporation in San Jose, CA. He was a veteran of the Air Force, having served as a radar technician from 1951-55. Mr. Clevenger was a member of the Kingston Rotary Club for many years. He enjoyed golf, private aviation, building and flying remote control plans, visiting Europe with his wife and boating with his grandchildren.

‘

’80s

Dennis E. Crow ’89 of Elizabethton, TN, passed away on April 8, 2015. Mr. Crow was retired from Sprint after 25 years of service as an equipment supervisor. He was a veteran, having served in the Air Force in Germany.

 

Faculty

Thomas J. Harville of Johnson City, TN, passed away on March 26, 2015. Mr. Harville was a career educator, serving in public schools in Carter County as well as an adjunct instructor for Tusculum College. He was one of the directors of the first team-teaching experiment in the southeastern United States and supervised the revision of the curriculum mapping at Elizabethton High School. He was a trustee of Thankful Baptist Church and awarded its “Man of the Year.” He received a lifelong achievement award from the black faculty of East Tennessee State University, was a News Channel 11 “Hometown Hero” and a member of the Elizabethton-Carter County Educators Hall of Fame. He served on the boards of the Washington and Carter counties chapters of the American Red Cross, the Broadside TV Commission, Senior Citizen Advisory, Watauga Mental Health, Housing Authority Commission and Pro-To-Club Inc.

 

 

Doak House Museum to present ‘Drop-In’ History Camp June 8-12

The Doak House Museum is offering a history camp option in June for youngsters who want to attend fun, educational activities over the summer but may not be able to commit to a week-long camp.

The “Drop-in History Camp” is scheduled for June 8 -12 and will offer participants an opportunity to enjoy fun, educational and interactive games and activities each day. The camp is designed for children ages six through 12 years of age.

Each day will offer a different focus for activities. On Monday, June 8, the focus will be on cooking and crafts as participants will make baked apples, churn butter, create recycled planters and practice the art of tin punching.

Activities on Tuesday, June 9, will provide youngsters a glimpse of what school was like for their counterparts in the 19th century. They will be making their own paper, creating a marbled paper journal and writing a story using a quill pen.

Every day life in the 1800s will be explored on Wednesday, June 10, as participants will dip their own candlesticks, craft a candlestick holder, make corn husk dolls, piece together a paper quilt and play 19th century games.

On Thursday, June 11, participants will get creative as they put on a shadow puppet play, learn the art of decoupage, cut out silhouettes and make holiday ornaments.

The camp will conclude with a day of fun and games on Friday, June 12. Participants will make a mop horse and then use their creations in a mop horse race. They will go on a marble hunt and learn to shoot marbles with their finds. Youngsters will make their own checkerboards and play jackstraws.

The camp will be led by Kim Crowell, who is a second-year student in the University of Florida’s Museum Studies Master’s program. Her disciplinary focus is in education. Crowell earned bachelor of fine arts degree in fine art with a minor in business from Columbus State University.

Parents are asked to drop off their children at the museum between 9:30 and 10 a.m. on camp days and pick them up by 3 p.m. The fee is $15 per day and no sign-up, deposit or reservations are required. A snack will be provided but participants will need to bring their own lunch.

For more information contact the Doak House at 423-636-8554 or email kcrowell@tusculum.edu.

The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are operated by the Department of Museum Program and Studies of Tusculum College. In addition to the museums, the department is responsible for the College Archives and offers one of the few undergraduate Museum Studies degree programs in the country. The two museums are also part of the National Historic District on the Tusculum College campus. Follow the museums on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest news and upcoming events or visit its website at www.tusculum.edu to learn more about the variety of programs offered at the museums.

Margaret Simpson Gaut honored with Distinguished Service Award

Tusculum College presented Margaret Simpson Gaut the Distinguished Service Award during the annual Tusculum College President’s Dinner on Friday, May 15. She was recognized for her service and support of Tusculum College.

Tusculum President Dr. Nancy B. Moody and Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman, chair of the Board of Trustees and 1970 alumnus of the college, presented the award. In addition to the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, guests heard remarks from Ryan M. Barker, a 2015 graduate of the college and winner of this year’s Bruce G. Batts Award.

The Distinguished Service Award is given to an individual or individuals who have a history of outstanding support of Tusculum College. The award is presented at the President’s Dinner, which honors the college’s major donors.

Gaut, a 1940 graduate of Tusculum College, has lived most of her life less than half a mile from Tusculum College. She grew up on the ancestral family farm in Tusculum, and her dedication to education and community has changed the lives of innumerable students and others fortunate enough to cross her path.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in home economics and went on to post graduate study at the University of Tennessee. While at Tusculum, she was a member of the Cicero Society. She spent a life dedicated to education in the East Tennessee region, retiring after serving 31 years with the educational systems of Bristol, Va. and Greeneville. She served at the state level on the Board of Tennessee Classroom Teachers and remains an active member of the Retired Teachers Association.

From her early youth Gaut was a dedicated member of Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where she began her career of teaching in Sunday school classes. She later became a member of the Greeneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church and was active in its Sunday school program. She served as the Worship Committee Chairman and established and chaired the Heritage Ministry for the church.

Throughout her life, she maintained a connection with Tusculum College, supporting its students and programs, and serving as president of the Alumni Association. She remains an active member of the Alumni Executive Board. She has served on a presidential search committee and was a member of the External Relations Committee of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees. She has served as a class representative and as a phonathon volunteer. In 2001, she received the Pioneer Award, the highest honor given by the Alumni Association.

“With her commitment to education in the community and at Tusculum College, Mrs. Gaut has made a significant impact on the education of students, said Dr. Moody “She is an amazing person, and her legacy will continue to impact the lives of thousands of students for many, many years to come.”

In his remarks to guests, Barker talked about how his life had been changed at Tusculum College and how those he encountered during his time there has imprinted upon him the importance of working to improve the world around him.

Presented in memory of a beloved educator at Tusculum who helped define the college’s civic arts curricular focus, the Bruce G. Batts Award is presented to a student who clearly demonstrates the qualities that reflect the civic arts ideals. The Civic Arts embrace such things as active and empathetic listening, the ability to present one’s thoughts clearly in speaking or writing, the ability to analyze situations carefully and solve problems creatively, consistent use of the virtues embodied in the traditions for personal and public decision making and respect for one’s own cultural heritage, as well as those of others.

“This desire to influence my environment, to create the place I want to live in, is possibly the most distinguishing trait of my Tusculum experience. More than the experiences in and out of the classroom, the civic arts notion that one should create the environment he wants to live in is one of the strongest beliefs I have taken from Tusculum,” he said.

Barker graduated cum laude as a double major in history and English: creative writing. Coming to us from Laurens, S.C. Barker has repeatedly earned spots on both the Dean’s List and the Charles Oliver Gray List. He was named to the Alpha Chi National Honor Society for his academic achievement, one of the highest academic honors offered at Tusculum College.

Among his other successes, Barker served as the 2013-2014 president for Tusculum’s Student Government Association and as SGA Senior Senator. He presented three research papers at conferences, while also completing several internships. He has taken the initiative to study abroad with a class on Medieval Europe in 2013. He is the type of student who was fully engaged in the Tusculum College experience, enriching his academic and extracurricular success.

“I went out of my way to be active and involved in my time at Tusculum. As a result, Tusculum paid me back for my time and energy. I’m now getting ready to move to Charleston, South Carolina and enter a master’s program in history,” he added.

“This was an amazing night, featuring two particularly amazing people who, while graduating 75 years apart, both embody the civic arts and the desire to serve their communities, and who both credit Tusculum College in large degree with helping to develop these value systems,” said Dr. Moody.

Also recognized at the event were Dr. Angelo and Dr. Jeannette Volpe and Dr. Judy and Fred Domer, both of whom recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversaries. Dr. Angelo Volpe and Dr. Judy Domer are members of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees. Dr. Domer graduated from Tusculum College in 1961.

 

Margaret Simpson Gaut (center) was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by Tusculum College at the annual President’s Dinner. At right is Dr. Ken Bowman, chair of the Board of Trustees. At left is Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of Tusculum College.

 

Ryan M. Barker, 2015 graduate of Tusculum College, spoke to guests at the Tusculum College President’s Dinner about the impact his college education had on his development into a civically engaged adult.

Museum hosting traveling exhibit about Emancipation and Reconstruction through June

Kim Crowell, a graduate student intern at the Doak House Museum this summer, reads one of the "Free at Last!" exhibit panels now on display at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library.

The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area has expanded its traveling exhibition, “Free at Last!” to include the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library at Tusculum College. The exhibit expansion comes with the concluding year of the multi-year celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

“Free at Last!” tells the story of the transition from slavery to freedom and the development of citizenship among formerly enslaved African-Americans. Doubled in size to eight banner stands, the exhibition now has panels focused on each of Tennessee’s three grand divisions.  “Free at Last!” will be on view at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library on the Tusculum College campus from May 4 to June 30.

“As the sesquicentennial of the Civil War draws to a close, we are gratified to be continuing the exploration of our history,” said Dollie Boyd, director of museum program and studies at Tusculum College. “In this region we are still feeling the effects of the Reconstruction period even 150 years later, this exhibit helps us understand why. We want to thank the outstanding staff at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University for creating such an outstanding exhibition. We are pleased to host it this summer and offer it free of charge to visitors.”

More than 40 venues across Tennessee have hosted “Free at Last!” Sites will now have the opportunity to share even more of the story with visitors.  New panels on East Tennessee look at that region’s legacy of emancipation before the Civil War and consider how emancipation has been remembered in the region since the war.

The Heritage Area has also published a driving tour of Reconstruction sites across the state.  “The driving tour goes hand in hand with the expanded exhibition to provide Tennessee residents and visitors with in-depth knowledge about this significant and often misunderstood period in Tennessee’s history,” says Leigh Ann Gardner, interpretive specialist for the Heritage Area.

For more information, please contact Boyd at 423-636-8554 or dboyd@tusculum.edu.

The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area receives funding from the National Park Service and is administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.  For more information about the exhibition, please contact Antoinette van Zelm at (615) 494-8869.

More than 270 receive degrees Saturday during spring commencement

Graduating from Tusculum College during spring commencement were 277 individuals in a ceremony held on Saturday, May. 9.

On Saturday 72 students earned Bachelor of Science degrees and 144 earned Bachelor of Arts degrees. In addition 46 graduates earned Master of Arts degrees and 15 received Master of Business Administration degrees.

Graduates included 14 who represented the first class at Tusculum to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and three representing the first class at Tusculum to graduate in the new criminal justice major.

Walking with this spring’s graduates were 16 representatives of the Tusculum College Class of 1965 who are celebrating their 50th anniversary year. Representatives walked in the procession, clothed in golden caps and gowns and were recognized during the ceremony by Dr. Moody.

The Golden Pioneers, represented by Mort V. Plumb, and the Class of 2015, represented by Ryan Barker, creative writing and history major from Laurens, S.C., presented a check to Dr. Moody for $8,513 as a gift to the college.

The new graduates were addressed by Tusculum Chaplain Mark Stokes, who recognized the hard work of the path to graduation, saying “you have made a commitment and stuck with it to the point that you have forever changed the direction of your life for the better.” Adding, “I am confident that you learned to think critically, not to accept at face value everything you read, hear, or see. You demonstrated your ability to debate ideas and to see both sides of an argument before making judgment. These are a few of the qualities of an educated person.”

He told the group, “May you be fortunate enough to earn in the years ahead, and may you be wise enough to return some of your blessings to those who aspire to follow in your footsteps.”

Two student speakers addressed the graduates, representing the graduating class. Anjelica Bolden is a member of the very first nursing class to graduate at Tusculum College. She lives in New Tazewell with her husband, Brandon. Bolden’s goal is to become a registered nurse working with children, and she has accepted a position with the East Tennessee’s Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.

Bolden told the graduates while the journey was long, they have been rewarded. “We have made friendships that will last a lifetime and obtained an education that will set us up for success.” She talked about her path to becoming a nurse, learning to deal with the emotions of the health care experience, as well as the technical skills. “I have become what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

Also speaking was Steven Hutson, representing the Graduate and Professional Studies programs. Following his graduation from high school, Hutson briefly attended Walters State Community College before going into manufacturing where he experienced much success. Having been with Phoenix Closures, Inc. for 10 years, Hutson was informed that if he wished to achieve a manager’s position he would have to either have a degree or be actively working on one.

This incentive brought him to Tusculum College where he began classes in June 2010.  In December 2011 Hutson was promoted to plant manager.

His advice to graduates was to keep learning and sharing what they have learned with others. He said that education is the one thing that can never be taken away, and graduates should share what they know freely. “Having the opportunity to learn is a gift, and it’s never too late.”

Jo Ann Soderquist Kramer, the first woman to receive a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, was the keynote speaker. Kramer earned the aerospace engineering degree from The University of Virginia in 1967. She holds an undergraduate degree from Sweet Briar College, where she majored in physics.

Kramer’s mother, Mabel F. Soderquist, is a 1937 graduate of Tusculum College, and Kramer attended Tusculum as well.

She began her career as an aerospace engineer with Martin Marietta Corp. in Orlando, Fla., then with Lockheed Martin Corp. in Burlington, Vt. She retired in 2011 from her position as director of air and naval defense system programs for General Dynamics Corp. in Burlington.

Kramer is affiliated with Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, the National Defense Industrial Association, and Women in Defense. She has worked on the Board of Directors for Sweet Briar College and the North Country Federal Credit Union, and also served on the Sweet Briar College Alumnae Association Board.

Recently, Kramer served on the Sweet Briar College Board of Directors and has been a leading fundraiser for the College. With the school’s recent announcement of its closure, she is heading the efforts of the “Save Sweet Briar College” campaign.

In her career, she told the graduates, she had spent a good deal of time reflecting on what made a good leader and what skills the leaders she admired possessed. Among them, she said, were honesty and personal integrity, the ability to “cut to the chase” and speak clearly and that they were passionate about everything they did, both in and out of the realm of work.

Receiving the Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership award for the Residential College was Dr. Brian Pope, faculty moderator, chair of the psychology department and professor of psychology. Receiving the award for the Graduate and Professional Studies program was Dr. Jennifer Harper, associate professor of psychology.

 

Walking with this spring’s graduates were 16 representatives of the Tusculum College Class of 1965 who are celebrating their 50th anniversary year. Representatives walked in the procession, clothed in golden caps and gowns and were recognized during the ceremony.

 

 

Tusculum College graduation speakers representing the Class of 2015 included from left Anjelica Bolden, Jo Ann Soderquist Kramer and Steven Hutson.

Tusculum President Nancy B. Moody accepts the class gift from Mort Plumb, 1965 Golden Pioneer Committee Chairman, and Ryan Barker, chair of the 2015 Graduate Philanthropy Council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Brian Pope, left, professor of psychology, left, and Dr. Jennifer Harper, right, assistant professor of psychology, received the Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Awards. Dr. Lisa Johnson, associate vice president for student success, presented the awards.

 

 

Jo Ann Soderquist Kramer advises Tusculum College graduates on becoming leaders

Jo Ann Soderquist Kramer, the first woman to receive a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the  University of Virginia, was the keynote speaker at the Tusculum College May Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9.

Kramer earned the aerospace engineering degree from The University of Virginia in 1967, making her the first female from UVA to earn any type of degree in engineering. She holds an undergraduate degree from Sweet Briar College, where she majored in physics.

Kramer’s mother, Mabel F. Soderquist, is a 1937 graduate of Tusculum College. Kramer also took several courses at Tusculum College.

During her time at UVA, Kramer was the only female in the engineering department, but said she always felt confident and prepared because of her undergraduate experience at a liberal arts college.

JoAnn Soderquist Kramer, the first woman to receive a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, advised Tusculum College graduates on becoming leaders at Spring Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday.

“I was treated with a great deal of respect,” she said. Adding, “There is nothing like a liberal arts education. If you have that you are able to speak and talk and write, and you will succeed. If you perform well, you will be respected.”

She began her career as an aerospace engineer with Martin Marietta Corp. in Orlando, Fla., then with Lockheed Martin Corp. in Burlington, Vt. She retired in 2011 from her position as director of air and naval defense system programs for General Dynamics Corp. in Burlington.

During her commencement speech, Kramer focused on the key traits that she has admired through the years that were shared by successful leaders. Among those traits were honesty and personal integrity, being able to “cut to the chase” and communicate clearly, the ability to speak and write well, being available and accessible and treating people fairly.

“Nothing is more important than personal integrity,” she said. “You never get a second chance to be trusted and respected.”

She added that while work should be taken seriously, that is not the same as taking oneself seriously. “Enthusiasm and optimism is contagious,” she said. Likewise, she added, negativity and pessimism spreads in the same way.

She encouraged the graduates not to be afraid to make tough, unambiguous decisions that will impact the fate of their organizations and to encourage conflict in order to promote an environment that is open to opposing opinions.

“Embrace change and uncertainty. Use your best judgment and act quickly. Good leaders realize if you ask enough people for permission, you will inevitably find someone to say no.”

Recently, Kramer served on the Sweet Briar College Board of Directors and has been a leading fundraiser for the College. With the school’s recent announcement of its closure, she is heading the efforts of the “Save Sweet Briar College” campaign. She resides in Essex, Vermont.

For the past two months she has put in innumerable hours in the effort to save her alma mater. “We believe we will prevail,” she said. “Sweet Briar alumnae are very passionate.”

She added, “If you go into business – any business – and talk to the leaders, they will tell you that their best performers come from a liberal arts education. All the talk about it being endangered is wrong.”

Kramer is affiliated with Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, the National Defense Industrial Association, and Women in Defense. She has worked on the Board of Directors for Sweet Briar College and the North Country Federal Credit Union, and also served on the Sweet Briar College Alumnae Association Board.