MOVING MOUNTAINS 2018-19 Annual Report
AT A GLANCE
ETSU FOUNDATION $103,637,090 TOTAL FUND BALANCE
$3,031,174
IN SCHOLARSHIPS WERE AWARDED FROM THE FOUNDATION IN 2018-19 AND 11 COLLEGES SCHOOLS
14,574 STUDENTS ENROLLED
FALL 2018
2,835
FACULTY AND STAFF
157 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
$437,680,900
OPERATING BUDGET WITH TUITION AND OTHER SOURCES SUPPORTING 65.75% OF GENERAL ACADEMIC BUDGET AND THE REMAINING 34.25% FROM STATE APPROPRIATIONS
97,290 LIVING
ALUMNI RESIDING IN 50 STATES AND 66 COUNTRIES
$53.2 MILLION
SECURED TOWARD THE $120 MILLION GOAL FOR THE CAMPAIGN FOR ETSU
$225,000
CUMULATIVELY RAISED FROM 790 DONORS DURING ETSU DAY OF GIVING
In November 2018, ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland was elected to the board of directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). 2 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
East Tennessee State University has called the mountains surrounding our campus home for more than a century. Students consistently tell us how this picturesque landscape is one of the reasons why they love being a student here and why ETSU has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Within these mountains our communities are being transformed – a transformation that began when this institution was founded in 1911 with a singular purpose to improve the quality of life for the people of this region. Quality of life is improved through access to education. In the beginning we only had one academic program, which was to prepare men and women to teach in public schools, but today we have over 150 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. These offerings draw students from across the region and around the world, and many of these programs have been ranked among the best of the best. Quality of life is improved through research that answers questions and adds new knowledge. Research taking place at ETSU covers a broad and extensive spectrum, ranging from how diseases and conditions can be prevented and treated, new teaching strategies in the classroom, and uncovering clues to our past, to learning more about our solar system, understanding human behavior, and addressing the national opioid addiction crisis. Quality of life is improved through the act of serving others. This is something we do each day through the dedicated efforts of our campus organizations, our service-learning programs, and other studentand employee-led initiatives. Quality of life is improved through the arts. Every year, thousands of individuals attend plays, concerts, gallery exhibits, musical performances, storytelling events, film screenings, and readings hosted by ETSU. Our efforts to enhance the cultural environment will be further heightened during the upcoming year when construction of the Martin Center for the Arts is completed. Quality of life is made better through improved access to health care. We have increased the number of primary care physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists, dental hygienists, audiologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists serving in this region and across the United States. We have added more public health experts to address population health issues. The presence of ETSU has meant that people can stay close to home and near loved ones when illness strikes. These are just some of many ways in which ETSU is “moving mountains.” The 2018-19 year was a celebration of many of those efforts. Thank you for all you do for ETSU.
Brian Noland President PRESIDENT’S LETTER | 3
MOVING MOUNTAINS:
STUDENT SUCCESS
Graduation begins every day on the campus of ETSU. During 2018-19, the university conferred
3,509
degrees.
4 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
STUDENT SUCCESS | 5
Quillen College of Medicine has the highest percentage enrollment of veteran and military students of any schools in America except for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
73.1% FALL-TO-FALL RETENTION RATE (FALL 2017 - FALL 2018)
OVER
500
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN 2018-19
3,897
ETSU football had its most successful season since its return in 2015, capping the season with a shared Southern Conference title and a spot in the 2018 FCS Playoffs, the team’s second playoff appearance in program history.
STUDENTS NAMED TO THE DEAN’S LIST (FALL 2018)
54
STUDENT LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS WERE RECOGNIZED AT THE SUMMIT AWARDS CEREMONY
6 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Austin Ramsey, McKenzie Templeton and Eliza Wampler (not pictured) were among the inaugural group of Twenty Under 20 Award recipients honored for their exemplary achievements in community service, entrepreneurialism, leadership and STEM activities.
3.5
AVERAGE GPA OF ENTERING FRESHMAN CLASS; AVERAGE ACT SCORE WAS 23
2,457
GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FALL 2018 (ANOTHER RECORD-YEAR)
The 76 members of the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy Class of 2019 celebrated an important milestone as the 10th graduating class. Appalachian Studies graduate student Aynsley Porchak received an Instrumentalist of the Year Momentum Award in the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. The alumna of ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies program previously became the first person ever to win both American and Canadian Grand Masters fiddle championships.
3
SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (FOOTBALL, VOLLEYBALL AND MEN’S TENNIS)
36
STUDENT ATHLETES WITH 4.0 GRADE POINT AVERAGE IN SPRING 2019
249
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
STUDENT SUCCESS | 7
A business concept presented by students Logan and Alexandria Craft called “Daily Eatz” was selected as the best pitch and among five startups to receive a cash prize at the iBucs competition, sponsored by the College of Business and Technology.
459
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN HONORS COLLEGE PROGRAMS (UNIVERSITY HONORS, MIDWAY HONORS, HONORS-IN-DISCIPLINE, FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS, PRESIDENTIAL HONORS COMMUNITY SERVICE)
2,251
APPLICATIONS FOR 72 SPOTS IN THE QUILLEN COLLEGE CLASS OF 2022
OVER
$39.6 MILLION
AWARDED IN INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2018-19
314
Kacie Hoyle Denton, a fourthyear student in Quillen College of Medicine’s Rural Primary Care Track, received the John Snow Inc. National Rural Health Association Student Achievement Award given to one student each year for commitment and excellence in the field of rural health.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE ETSU DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM IN FALL 2018 Patience Isinem, founding president of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) ETSU chapter, was among 19 students assisted by the Office of Equity and Inclusion to attend the NASBE Annual Convention in Detroit alongside 12,000 aspiring and practicing engineers. 8 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
The ETSU Volleyball team became the first team in the Southern Conference and program history to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
17
STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE INAUGURAL LAVENDER GRADUATION CEREMONY RECOGNIZING MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY
48
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL STUDENTS EARNED SCORES OF 30 OR HIGHER ON THE ACT EXAM ETSU’s Speech and Debate Team brought home first place in the Four-Year College Team Sweepstakes and numerous individual awards from a parliamentary debate tournament hosted by Bryan College. At the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament, in which over 100 students from 11 state schools competed, Braden Trent received Top Novice Speaker and Novice State Champion awards and Julie Hartung received a Novice Quarterfinalist trophy.
29
STUDENTS IN THE ROAN SCHOLARS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN 2018-19
99%
PASS RATE BY ETSU STUDENTS ON EDTPA EXAM FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES Three honors students, Jonah Devaney, Corey Phillips, and Austin Shaffer, participated in The Washington Center Academic Internship Program and Gabriel Simerly was selected to participate in the competitive Veterans’ Employment Trajectory (V.E.T. Initiative), open to only 25 students nationwide. STUDENT SUCCESS | 9
SERVING THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED
The ETSU Chorale was selected by audition to participate in the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in the summer of 2019. Held in Wales, this is one of the foremost world festivals of music, dance and culture, and includes competitions showcasing choirs and dance troupes from across the globe. The Chorale won the Youth and Adult Folk Song categories and placed second in Mixed Choir.
More military-affiliated students are choosing to attend ETSU as a result of student success initiatives implemented by the Office of Veterans Affairs to set itself apart from other institutions and increase enrollment of veterans and military-affiliated students to 1,000 by 2026. The Veterans Lounge, which offers tutoring, study and social spaces was relocated to a larger, renovated space in Yoakley Hall to accommodate the growing population (nearly 700 students in spring 2019). The Military Affiliated Student Resource Center (known as “The MARC”) opened in September and visits increased from 400 to 1,400 per month. The space is attractive to potential students searching for support and connection. “Veterans who have completed several tours of duties, combat veterans and families with loved ones currently serving are coping as best they can. This is a space for them. They know help is here,” says Col. (Ret.) Tony Banchs, director of Veterans Affairs (pictured far right). ETSU also intensified efforts to help students with prior military service reach their dream of a degree faster. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission awarded Veterans Reconnect Grants
10 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
to ETSU in 2017 ($80,000) and 2018 ($25,000) to study military training and coursework equivalencies. To date, the Office of Veterans Affairs has obtained approval to award 113 credit hours to Military Occupational Specialties in all five of the Armed Services. The office is also using part of the funds to build a Veterans Path to Education Portal where students can enter their military specialty and rank achieved to view the credit they may be eligible for at ETSU and suggested academic majors. Banchs says ETSU is the only institution in Tennessee offering 15 scholarships ($1,000) per semester for qualifying military spouses or children and 10 scholarships ($1,500) for militaryaffiliated student veterans who have exhausted or expired GI Bill® benefits. Eligible students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 GPA and cannot receive any other ETSU scholarships. The Office of Veterans Affairs prides itself on the personalized support it provides students and it shows. For 10 consecutive years, ETSU has been named a Military Friendly School by Victory Media.
STUDENT SUCCESS | 11
MOVING MOUNTAINS:
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Students in ETSU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, part of the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences, are enjoying the newly renovated academic space in Ed Allen Hall (building 2) on the VA Campus where the program began more than 20 years ago. Physical Therapy has grown from 19 to 120 students and doubled the number of faculty.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | 13
MAJOR RANKINGS
9
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL RANKED NINTH BEST HIGH SCHOOL IN TENNESSEE
NAMED AMONG 2019 BEST SOUTHEASTERN COLLEGES BY PRINCETON REVIEW
20
ETSU’S DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION IS RANKED AMONG THE TOP 20 ONLINE DOCTORATE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN THE NATION BY THE WEBSITE THEBESTSCHOOLS.ORG.
U.S. NEWS RANKS THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AMONG THE TOP THIRD OF SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH (CEPH).
THE ONLINE B.S. DEGREE PROGRAM IN HUMAN SERVICES AT ETSU HAS BEEN RANKED SEVENTH AMONG THE TOP 25 BEST ONLINE HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS BY THE WEBSITE THEBESTSCHOOLS.ORG.
ONLINE COURSE OFFERINGS IN ENGLISH HAVE BEEN RANKED 18TH IN THE NATION BY THEBESTSCHOOLS.ORG.
7
DESIGNATED A VOTER FRIENDLY CAMPUS
14 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
18
MILITARY FRIENDLY DESIGNATION BY VICTORY MEDIA
Scott Niswonger, ETSU Board of Trustees Chairman, and Jonathan Addleton, former U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia. The College of Public Health celebrated an expansion of its innovative, awardwinning Project EARTH curriculum at Niswonger VILLAGE, located at ETSU Eastman Valleybrook campus. The college unveiled a Mongolian ger, a traditional round-shaped dwelling that is part of the nomadic lifestyle of Mongolians. The Niswonger VILLAGE (Virtual International Living and Learning Across Global Environments) is a public health “simulation lab” that allows students to work and learn in a variety of low-resource environments.
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) awarded a $10,000 grant to the Surveying Program (Business and Technology) to assist with continued efforts to promote the importance and value of surveying licensure.
Sherrod Library and Center for Teaching Excellence created a two-year pilot Open Educational Resources (OER) Awards Program and awarded $30,000 to instructors, departments and programs wishing to adopt, adapt and create open or affordable resources.
The College of Nursing reported that 100% of its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) concentrations passed their certification examination in 2018.
Ten new educational offerings approved or implemented in 201819: Rehabilitative Health Sciences, Instructional Design, Film Production, Global Health, Health Care Genetics and Genomics, Cybersecurity and Modern Networks, Theatre Acting, Musical Theatre, Physical Theatre and Theatre Design/Production.
During 2018-2019, the number of health sciences students engaged in interprofessional education (IPE) programming grew five fold from the previous year. Faculty involvement in IPE increased six fold during the same time.
ETSU at Sevierville (Continuing Studies and Academic Outreach) witnessed record enrollments in its psychology, social work, business and nursing undergraduate programs in 2018-19.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | 15
ENROLLMENT SOARS IN BRAND AND MEDIA STRATEGY PROGRAM Drawing students from as far away as Ghana, the Master of Arts in Brand and Media Strategy in the Department of Media + Communication (MDCM) is one of the fastest-growing graduate programs at ETSU. Through interdisciplinary experiential learning, including real marketing projects for ETSU programs utilizing Adobe’s Experience Cloud, students gain web design, content strategy and management, audience research and analytics, testing, campaign 16 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
management, and other project management skills necessary in the relatively new and burgeoning field of digital marketing. The program started in 2016 with 24 students and expects to have nearly 100 in the fall of 2019. Key to this growth is a unique partnership with software giant Adobe. This first-ever partnership provides undergraduate, graduate, and certification courses that help current ETSU students
and members of the community to develop workforce-ready skills. Guided by more than 70 local, regional, and national industry advisors, MDCM takes an industry-first approach to give ETSU students real work experience that will carry over into their professional lives. This approach has been published in the Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness and highlighted in Forrester Research and other leading industry publications.
CONTINUING THE JOURNEY ETSU’s College of Nursing has expanded its presence and programs throughout Tennessee in order to meet the state’s growing health care demands. “The program that has seen particular growth over the past year has been our LPN to BSN program,” says Dr. Wendy Nehring, dean of the College of Nursing. “We get approximately 1,000 inquiries per week about this program, and we continue to add sites across the state to meet this demand.” ETSU is the only public university in Tennessee to offer an LPN to BSN program, giving licensed practical nurses (LPNs) an accessible, convenient way to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. When the LPN to BSN program started at ETSU in 2001, it was primarily accessible to working nursing professionals in the Tri-Cities area, with courses offered onground with traditional students on ETSU’s main campus in Johnson City. However, ETSU saw a need to offer the program remotely to meet the demand from students as far away as Memphis, so the College of Nursing began offering a hybrid format with 50% of coursework fully online and 50% of the courses conducted via instructional television (ITV) at other Tennessee locations. Currently, ETSU has been approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to offer the program at seven sites throughout the state (Johnson City, Crossville, Nashville, Sevierville, Chattanooga, Shelbyville, and Newbern) and is seeking THEC approval to add two more sites. In the fall 2018 semester, the College of Nursing enrolled 59 students in cohorts in three cities, with classes livestreamed from Johnson City to the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) in both Nashville and Crossville. In spring 2019, the program expanded to Chattanooga’s Erlanger Health System. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | 17
CAMPUS EXPANDS
18 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Without the use of heavy equipment or a construction crew, the campus of ETSU expanded its footprint across State of Franklin Road in 2018. At its September meeting, the ETSU Board of Trustees authorized the purchase of the Millennium Center from the Johnson City Building Authority. The 74,000-square-foot building provides much needed meeting and event space while the D.P. Culp University Center undergoes a $45 million renovation and affords academic expansion for the Department of Computing without the wait for a new building to be constructed. The pedestrian bridge and parking garage, also included in the $5.8 million acquisition, will be especially useful upon the completion of the Martin Center for the Arts next door. The Millennium Center was critical to the launch of ETSU’s new Cybersecurity and Modern Networks (CSMN) concentration. Experiencing 15% growth in two years, the Department of Computing lacked enough space in Nicks Hall to offer the new concentration and accommodate growth in existing programs. Renovations to create specialized labs and classrooms in the Millennium Center began in summer 2019. “Our approach to cybersecurity emphasizes software development, contemporary network applications, IoT (Internet of Things) and cloud computing. This blending of cybersecurity with modern networking makes our program unique,” says Dr. Tony Pittarese, chair of the Department of Computing. The new Cybersecurity concentration will have a selective admission process and the first cohort of undergraduate students will be admitted fall 2021 and graduate May 2023. To qualify for admission, students must complete two years of foundational computer science courses at ETSU. Therefore, students enrolled fall 2019 will be the first group eligible for the CSMN concentration. Coursework will cover secure coding, computer forensics, ethical hacking and other in-demand cybersecurity skills. Pittarese says many of the cybersecurity and advanced networking courses will be available to students in other computing programs outside the CSMN concentration. The additional classroom space in the Millennium Center will expand research opportunities and open doors for new partnerships with government agencies, such as the FBI, as well as law enforcement and business. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | 19
MOVING MOUNTAINS:
FACULTY AND STAFF
The 2018-19 year was a milestone one for Dr. Wilsie Bishop. In addition to celebrating her 40th anniversary at ETSU, Dr. Bishop also was honored for her leadership in interprofessional education during the opening of the new Interprofessional Education and Research Center, and she also received the Demetria N. Gibbs Outstanding Chair Award at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) annual meeting. She was also recognized as one of the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy’s 90 Pioneers. Dr. Bishop is now serving as Senior Vice President for Academics at ETSU.
20 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
FACULTY AND STAFF | 21
ETSU PROVIDED INSTRUCTION FOR
332,299
CREDIT HOURS WITH A STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO OF
16:1
.
40 19
FACULTY AWARDED TENURE AND
RECEIVED PROMOTION BY THE ETSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
3
RECIPIENTS OF 2018 ETSU DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD: FROM THE CLEMMER COLLEGE DR. KATHRYN SHARP (TEACHING) AND DR. CYNTHIA CHAMBERS (SERVICE) AND FROM THE COLLEGE OF CLINICAL AND REHABILITATIVE HEALTH SCIENCES DR. COURTNEY HALL (RESEARCH)
7
RECIPIENTS OF THE 2019 ETSU DISTINGUISHED STAFF AWARD: TIM ALTONEN, TONY BANCHS, SHERYL BURNETTE, TERESA CARVER, SHERRIE HARDIN, RICKY HOLMES, AND DR. CARLA WARNER
22 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
ETSU’s new Employee Benefits Center opened October 2, with over 400 people attending its ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Dr. Jerry Leger (Arts and Sciences) celebrated 45 years of service to ETSU during 2018-19.
An annual financial and compliance audit of ETSU (fiscal year 2017-18) by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury resulted in no findings.
Dr. Robert Pack, executive director of ETSU’s Center for Prescription Drug Abuse and Treatment, is one of 24 individuals who will serve on the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) newly formed Substance Abuse Advisory Council. Pack also was instrumental in ETSU’s partnership with Virginia Tech to establish the Opioids Research Consortium of Central Appalachia (ORCA), which will facilitate planning for a research blueprint on opioids in the central Appalachian region.
Dr. Lynn Williams (Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences) gained national recognition for her commitment to interprofessional education. The National Academies of Practice (NAP) inducted Williams as a Distinguished Fellow and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) invited Williams to speak about ETSU’s innovative IPE efforts at the Interprofessional Faculty Development Institute. Dr. Jasmine Renner (Clemmer College) received an Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholar Award from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia to spend a year at Bahir Dar University for research, assisting in creating a doctoral program, engaging in curriculum design and student mentoring, and more. Renner was one of eight recipients of this award.
Dr. Deborah Harley McClaskey (Clemmer College) was chosen to be a co-author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective College Students.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) honored Psychiatry Professor Dr. George Brown with the Lifetime Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award for advancing the knowledge and quality of care in transgender health through the research he has conducted over his entire career.
Drs. Chih-Che Tai, Renee Moran, Laura Robertson, Karin Keith and Huili Hong, all from the Clemmer College, were editors of Handbook of Research on Science Literacy Integration in Classroom Environments. Dr. Joseph Bidwell (Arts and Sciences) and Dr. Janna Scarborough (Clemmer College) were named as Presidential Fellows for the spring 2019 semester.
FACULTY AND STAFF | 23
Dr. Virginia Foley (Clemmer College) was elected by faculty to serve on The ETSU Board of Trustees for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2019. Foley joined the ETSU faculty in 2007 after serving many years as a K-12 educator and administrator in Georgia. As a faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, she has chaired over 80 doctoral dissertations.
Meg Stone (Clemmer College) was inducted into the Pac-12 Conference 2019 Hall of Fame. Drs. Kate Beatty and Nathan Hale, along with several members of the College of Public Health, contributed to a series of issue briefs that address some of the most important health concerns affecting Appalachia including opioids, obesity and smoking. The briefs were released by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Dr. Pamela Evanshen (Clemmer College) has been named President-Elect of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. Dr. Michael Whitelaw (Arts and Sciences, Honors College) was selected to receive a 2019 Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award for outreach efforts to bring hands-on science education into classrooms. He has introduced thousands of children to rocks, minerals and fossils found in Northeast Tennessee.
24 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Writing for Inclusion: Literature, Race and National Identity in Nineteenth-Century Cuba and the United States, a book authored by Dr. Karen Kornweibel (Arts and Sciences, Honors College) examines symbolic, narrative and sociological commonalities in the writings of four Afro Cuban and African American writers from that time period.
Dr. Jeff Howard (Student Life and Enrollment) testified before the U.S. Senate regarding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA).
The American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) recognized Dr. Keith Johnson (Business and Technology) with the 2019 Fredrick J. Berger Award for nearly two decades of visionary leadership in engineering technology education.
Ronda Gross (Scholarship Office) and Dr. Amy Greene (Clemmer College) were selected to the All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team based on their demonstrated service to the institution and contributions to campus life and the local community. ETSU launched a new Office of University Compliance led by attorney Ashley Leonard that provides oversight for Title IX of the Education Amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, as well as other civil rights matters.
Drs. Retha Gentry, Lisa Ousley and Candice Short (Nursing) won $7,500 for their first-place invention, Instructional Dermatology Surface Models, at the American Nurses Association’s NursePitch™ contest. Their 3-D printed skin lesions will lead to the first-ever patent for the College of Nursing. FACULTY AND STAFF | 25
Dr. Bert C. Bach presided at his final ETSU Commencement as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on May 4. Bach will retire in January 2020 following 43 years of service in Tennessee higher education. He has served in this role at ETSU since 1991 and was interim president during 1991-92. Bach’s presence in higher education extends beyond Tennessee. He has served with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Southern Regional Education Board, Tennessee Board of Regents, Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and Tennessee College Association. Bach received the Meritorious Service Award from SACSCOC and has chaired multiple accreditation teams.
David P. Atkins Bringing with him two decades of experience in higher education, David P. Atkins was selected as dean of University Libraries. Before his deanship of the Sherrod Library began January 1, Atkins worked for the University of Tennessee, also his alma mater where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. His most recent role was department head and professor in Branch Libraries and Collection Logistics following leadership roles in Resource Sharing and Document Delivery as well as Access and Delivery Services. Atkins is an active contributor to resource sharing and library exchanges and was awarded Tenn-Share’s Tennessee Resource Sharing Award in 2012. Atkins has a master’s degree in library and information studies with emphases in academic libraries and archives administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and served as a member of the American Library Association sectional committee on international interlibrary loan and was elected chair of STARS (Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section). In 2014, he was named a visiting scholar for the School of Business and Economics at the University of Tasmania in Australia. 26 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Dr. Bert C. Bach
Dr. William Block, a 1992 graduate of Quillen College of Medicine, is the first alumnus of the college chosen to lead the medical school. He was appointed dean in February after serving more than six months as interim dean. Block attended The University of the South in Sewanee. After earning a Dr. William Block bachelor’s degree in physics, Block came to ETSU to attend medical school. He completed his residency at the University of South Carolina and a fellowship at Wake Forest University. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Emory University in 2012. Block held numerous faculty positions at Quillen from 1998 to 2004. After working as the medical director for the Minnesota Perinatal Physicians in Minnesota, he returned to Quillen in 2016 as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology before becoming interim dean in 2018. Complementing his strong academic experience, Block also has an impressive clinical background. In addition to serving as the physician manager at Minnesota Perinatal Physicians in Minnesota, which was once the largest perinatal medicine practice in the country, Block also founded the Midwest Fetal Care Center at Minnesota Children’s Hospital. He also trained as a visiting fellow in fetal surgery at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Dr. Chris Keller was selected to lead the Honors College and provide oversight for five scholars programs, undergraduate research and international programs. He assumed the role of dean July 2019 and comes to ETSU from Western Kentucky University where he served as associate director for the Mahurin Honors College managing academics, undergraduate research, faculty development, advising and scheduling for 1,300 students. Prior to Western Kentucky University, Keller also held several leadership roles during a 12-year tenure at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, most recently as associate dean of the Honors College. He also directed the Office of International Programs and was interim chair for the Modern Languages and Literature Department and for the English Department. Keller is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council’s Place as Text Committee, its Publications Board, and the editorial board for the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council. He earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida and received a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin and Kansas State University, respectively.
Dr. Chris Keller FACULTY AND STAFF | 27
28 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
MOVING MOUNTAINS:
RESEARCH
Dr. Alissa Lange (Clemmer College) is completing a four-year research study related to professional learning for educators around STEM in early childhood education funded by the National Science Foundation, and she is also leading a study in the Northeast Tennessee region focusing on engaging children who are dual language learners in STEM in public libraries. In spring 2019, she co-authored her first book, “Teaching STEM in the Preschool Classroom: Exploring Big Ideas with 3- to 5-Year-Olds,� published by Teachers College Press.
Noah Lyons, Ahmed Elgazzar and Caroline Drury were the top presenters in the university’s first 180 Undergraduate Research Competition open to student presenters at the 2019 Boland Undergraduate Research Symposium. Participants were challenged to condense their research to 180-second video presentations.
OVER
$47.5 MILLION IN EXTRAMURAL FUNDING DURING 2018-19
293
STUDIES RECEIVED INITIAL APPROVAL AND 337 WERE REAPPROVED BY THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD IN 2018-19
198
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECTS IN THE HONORS COLLEGE
97 PARTICIPANTS
IN BOLAND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
162 THESES
AND DISSERTATIONS COMPLETED IN 2018-19 30 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
In his latest book, The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader, ETSU History Professor Dr. Stephen G. Fritz (Arts and Sciences) sheds new light on Adolf Hitler’s abilities as a military commander and strategist. ETSU teamed up with GiveCampus, a digital fundraising platform, to connect the community with active projects seeking financial support by faculty, staff or students.
Dr. Marc Fagelson (Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences) provided the lead article and edited an issue of the American Tinnitus Association’s journal, Tinnitus Today. His clinical and research interests focus on the relation between tinnitus and psychological injury, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder.
Researchers at Quillen College of Medicine are exploring ways to improve vaccine effectiveness in immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV-infected patients. Drs. Jonathan Moorman and Zhi Qiang (John) Yao, professors of Internal Medicine, lead the research on an R15-awarded project from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Joseph Kusi, a doctoral student in the College of Public Health, was selected as a winner of the 2018 Association of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) Student Research Competition for his research titled “Silver nanoparticles: Emerging environmental contaminants in the aquatic environment.”
Dr. Cerrone Foster (Arts and Sciences) received a two-year grant from the American Heart Association totaling nearly $154,000 to study the mechanisms of estrogen loss and its effects on the heart after menopause. The published research and recommendations of Dr. Timir Paul (Quillen College of Medicine) have resulted in changes to specific cardiology procedure guidelines. Paul’s investigative results published in Circulation: Intervention helped in creating guidelines on myocardial revascularization – a procedure to open blocked heart arteries for patients with ischemic heart disease. Dr. Chih-Che Tai (Clemmer College) is leading a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education that focuses on incorporating computation and digital learning with STEM and language arts in elementary school classrooms.
Dr. Russell Brown (Quillen College of Medicine) received a $435,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will help develop possible new treatments targeting smoking and the symptoms of schizophrenia. Brown hopes that the study will lead to clinical trials for better drug treatments.
OVER
2.7 MILLION DATABASE SEARCHES AT SHERROD LIBRARY
243 PARTICIPANTS Faculty members in the Department of Biomedical Sciences (Quillen College of Medicine) were awarded $6.7 million in new extramural funding. Agencies including the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Swiss National Science Foundation are funding research in the areas of heart disease, neurological and psychiatric diseases, infectious diseases and cancer.
IN THE 2019 APPALACHIAN STUDENT RESEARCH FORUM
49 PARTICIPANTS IN THE THESIS/ DISSERTATION BOOTCAMP
$277,430
AWARDED BY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TO FUND RESEARCH ACTIVITY IN 2018-19
RESEARCH | 31
The use of pharmacogenomics (PGx), or Precision Medicine, is shedding new light on the practice of pharmacy by analyzing patients’ DNA in order to predict how they will process a drug. Drs. David Hurley and Sam Harirforoosh obtained a grant to fund the complete PGx analysis of first-year students at Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy who chose to have the test done. Faculty from five departments within the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Business and Technology received a grant totaling nearly $1.2 million from the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to recruit and train high school teachers of science, mathematics, technology and computing. A new method of studying the behavior of salamanders was funded by the ETSU Research Development Committee. This method has the potential to become the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency standard by which permits to study these animals are issued. Under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Bidwell, (Arts and Sciences) and Dr. Daniel Connors (Business and Technology), graduate student Trevor Chapman designed and built a three-chambered device that records the movements of salamanders between chambers with different simulated environmental conditions. 32 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
A study conducted by three College of Public Health faculty members, Drs. Nathan Hale, Amal Khoury, and Mike Smith, was featured in Women’s Health Issues, a leading journal in women’s health care and policy. Selected “editor’s choice,” the article is based on their study of a federal Title X family planning program that allows providers to offer reproductive health services on a sliding-fee basis to clients with low incomes. Dr. Martha Michieka (Arts and Sciences) spent a sabbatical semester in Kenya collecting spoken data of the Kisii language in the Southeastern part of Kenya. Michieka also received a fellowship from the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. Dr. Dana Harrison (Business and Technology) is among a group of researchers to discover that consumer perceptions of business ethics and corporate social responsibility vary and ultimately have different impacts on brand attitude. Their findings were published in the Journal of Business Research.
Dr. Bill Brooks (Public Health) received a Major Grant award from the university’s Research Development Committee to conduct research using group and oneon-one interviews to identify factors influencing fentanyl-related overdose risk in Central Appalachian heroin user communities.
MORE CLUES, MORE ANSWERS, MORE TO COME The Gray Fossil Site continues to yield exciting new discoveries that give scientists a glimpse into the distant past. The latest new species from the site is the rhinoceros, Teleoceras aepysoma. At an estimated 4.5-4.9 million years old, these were among the very last rhinos in North America. This species is distinguished by its long front limbs that gave it a boost in height not seen in its cousins, allowing it to eat leaves from higher foliage rather than graze on grass. While most extinct species are known only from fragmentary remains, Gray has two practically complete T. aepysoma skeletons, as well as partial remains of at least four others.
thought that the Late Miocene/Early Pliocene Epoch environmental conditions at the site were fairly warm and wet, at least during part of the year. ETSU paleontologists continue to lend their expertise to projects elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad. Recent publications of such studies include underwater cave paleontology in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and ancient dogs in America. ETSU scientists and students also continue their excavations in Saltville, Virginia, where Ice Age fossils are recovered.
Two different extinct species of peccary never before seen in this part of the country – Mylohyus elmorei and Prosthennops serus – have been identified at Gray. Peccaries may look like pigs, but they are not. Like pigs, they are medium-sized omnivorous animals with small tusks. The peccaries found at Gray were identified by well-preserved remains of their skulls, with nearly complete lower jaws of both species. They would have been about the size of a German shepherd, which is a bit larger than modern-day peccaries. While the animals seem to get the most attention, ancient plants and other organic matter are also well-preserved at Gray. A recent study of three extinct types of fungus – two of which are the first of their kind found in North America – support the
Dr. Steven Wallace (Arts and Sciences) co-authored the study naming a new species of rhino discovered at the Gray Fossil Site. RESEARCH | 33
MOVING MOUNTAINS:
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Surgeon Dr. Joseph Lee (Quillen College of Medicine) is one of hundreds of faculty who are part of ETSU Health. Launched in April 2019, ETSU Health is the new outward-facing brand that encompasses the educational, clinical, and research pursuits of the Quillen College of Medicine, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, College of Public Health, and College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. The ETSU Health brand includes the comprehensive primary and specialty medical clinics (including Quillen ETSU Physicians and ETSU Family Medicine clinics), nurse-managed clinics, allied health clinics, and interprofessional care provided in the clinics.
ETSU Health is not a legal entity.
34 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 35
273,860
PATIENT ENCOUNTERS AT ETSU HEALTH FACILITIES, INCLUDING QUILLEN ETSU PHYSICIANS, COLLEGE OF NURSING FACULTY PRACTICE NETWORK, FAMILY MEDICINE, DENTAL HYGIENE, SPEECH AND HEARING AND AT OTHER AFFILIATED SITES.
133,064
COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS BY STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ALSO RAISED $296,730 FOR CHARITIES
18,800
MORE THAN VISITORS TO THE REECE MUSEUM AND CARTER RAILROAD MUSEUM IN 2018-19
158
TEACHER CANDIDATES PARTICIPATED IN A YEAR-LONG RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH TEACHERS IN 17 LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
12 NATIONAL TEAM ATHLETES TRAINED AT THE OLYMPIC TRAINING SITE IN 2018-19
36 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
OVER
25,900 ATTENDEES AT ETSU ARTS EVENTS, INCLUDING:
2,346 GUESTS AT 17 MARY B. MARTIN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS EVENTS
1,520+ ATTENDEES AT ETSUHOSTED STORYTELLING EVENTS
OVER 9,500 GUESTS AT DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC CONCERTS AND RECITALS
400+ AUDIENCE MEMBERS AT FILM SCREENINGS OF WORKS CREATED BY RADIO, TELEVISION, VIDEO AND FILM STUDENTS
3,000+ PATRONS AT DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE PERFORMANCES
1,207+ ATTENDEES AT PUBLIC EVENTS HOSTED BY LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE
8,000+ VISITS AT SLOCUMB AND TIPTON GALLERIES (DEPARTMENT OF ART & DESIGN)
PLUS OVER 80 PERFORMANCES BY THE ETSU BLUEGRASS, OLD-TIME AND COUNTRY MUSIC STUDIES BANDS IN 2018-2019
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics strives for 100% participation in community service activitiews from its student athletes, coaches and administrators. In 201819, student athletes and staff volunteered over 1,600 hours at 39 organizations and events.
The Office of Professional Development (Continuing Studies and Academic Outreach) created a new Hospitality and Tourism Management professional (non-credit) certificate in partnership with the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association.
The Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Archives of Appalachia in 2018-19. The College of Nursing will use a $1.4 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Association to train more sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE nurses) and expand patient access to sexual assault evidentiary exams. Dr. Judy McCook (Nursing) received her SANE-A (adult/adolescent) certification, becoming the only SANE-certified nurse in an eight-county region surrounding ETSU.
MORE THAN
$2.3M PROVIDED
IN UNCOMPENSATED CARE BY THE ETSU COLLEGE OF NURSING FACULTY PRACTICE NETWORK
89 ESTABLISHED PATIENTS AT THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY (ARTS AND SCIENCES)
1,245
VISITORS TO THE ETSU PLANETARIUM AND THE POWELL OBSERVATORY
924
Roan Scholar Cierra Linka wrote a children’s book inspired by her Roan Summer of Service internship with United Holston Home for Children’s equine therapy program. Peppy: The Easy-Going Racehorse was brought to life through the illustrations of fellow Roan Scholar, Clara Reynolds.
SESSIONS PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY COUNSELING CLINIC OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING AND HUMAN SERVICES (CLEMMER COLLEGE) ETSU installed a 62.6 kilowatt solar array consisting of 187 335-watt photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Sherrod Library. Funded by student Campus Sustainability Fees, the array is anticipated to produce annually the equivalent energy consumption of more than six homes.
$390,164 RAISED
IN LISTENER SUPPORT FOR WETS-FM (89.5) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 37
150 STUDENTS
PARTICIPATED IN THE JCPENNEY SUIT UP EVENT OFFERING DISCOUNT CAREER CLOTHING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICES
100
TAX RETURNS NEARLY COMPLETED FOR FREE BY ACCOUNTING STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) PROGRAM
ETSU officials signed an agreement guaranteeing admission for Bartleby college prep program participants at Elizabethton High School. Beginning fall 2019, Bartleby students can participate in dual enrollment and leadership development opportunities. ETSU President Brian Noland and Ballad Health Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Levine announced a partnership through which ETSU will seek to create a new fellowship program in addiction medicine. As part of its commitment to expand education and training in the region, Ballad Health will fund any un-reimbursed costs of the fellowship program, which, over a 10-year period, could cost more than $2.5 million. The new fellowship program will provide more avenues of treatment for people in this region who suffer from the disease of addiction.
5,911 – HIGHEST ATTENDANCE DURING 2018-19 SEASON ETSU BASKETBALL GAME ON FEB. 7, 2019 (ETSU VS. WOFFORD)
APPROXIMATELY
2,500 PEOPLE
RECEIVED NALOXONE TRAINING FROM GATTON RX IN 2018-19 University Woods, a 30-acre tract on the campus of ETSU, is now protected under an agreement with the Old-Growth Forest Network. 38 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy’s chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) earned Overall Chapter of the Year and nine other national honors at the organization’s annual convention. SNPhA is an educational service association focused on many health care initiatives, including serving the underserved and minority representation in the profession. In 2018-19, Gatton College of Pharmacy students provided over 1,600 service hours.
The Department of Family Medicine, with clinics in Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport, received the HIMSS Davies Award of Excellence for creating transitional care management clinics with interdisciplinary teams and improving quality scores and patient experience.
The Upward Bound program at ETSU used four supplemental awards from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $160,000 to enhance the science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. More than 270 students from 14 area high schools were enrolled in ETSU Upward Bound in fall 2018.
More than 200 students, faculty, staff and community members participated in the first Dula Day of Service, resulting in 600 hours of service. The event was established as a tribute to the late Dr. Chris Dula, a beloved ETSU professor who passed away in January 2019.
Approximately 970 students completed 16,906 hours of service at organizations across the region as part of ETSU’s Service-Learning Initiative.
NBA legend, author, filmmaker and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar visited the ETSU campus as part of Civility Week during the spring 2019 semester. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer shared his views on a number of timely topics, in a public Q&A.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 39
AN OATH OF ALLEGIANCE In September 2018, 91 individuals from 37 countries around the world were sworn in as official citizens of the United States during a Naturalization Ceremony at ETSU, which became the first school in East Tennessee to host such a ceremony on its campus. These men and women, who had completed all of the prescribed steps to citizenship, recited the oath of citizenship administered by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, who presided over the ceremony. Greer, an ETSU alumnus, noted that holding this ceremony at ETSU allowed the large number of new citizens to be sworn in at once rather than dividing that number into two or three ceremonies at the U.S. District 40 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT
Court in Greeneville. It also “underscores the importance of these proceedings and of immigrants.” “Admitting new citizens to citizenship is one of the most satisfying of all the duties I perform,” Greer says. “Immigrants from many countries, seeking a better life, have flocked to our shores, invigorating our armed forces, enriching our culture, making our democracy stronger.” Before administering the oath of citizenship, Greer invited several individuals to share their stories. Some came to the U.S. for education, some came via marriage, others came in search of work. Some were affiliated with ETSU as students or through marriage.
One was Ayesha Khan, who came to the U.S. from Pakistan with her physician husband. She earned both her undergraduate degree in biology and master of public health degree at ETSU and graduated in May 2019 with her M.A.T. Khan said one of the biggest reasons she pursued citizenship was her son. “He can speak his mind, say whatever he wants to, and he’s being brought up in an amazing way that I cannot even dream of in my country.” Dr. Van Phan, now a Quillen College of Medicine graduate, was doing out-of-town rotations as a fourth-year medical student and flew back to Johnson City for 36 hours to take her oath of citizenship. The daughter of a physician, she has been in the U.S. for 12 years and said she most looked forward to being able to vote.
President Brian Noland Editors Joe Smith and Amanda Mowell
CAMPAIGN for
ETSU
Writers Jennifer Hill, Amanda Mowell, Melissa Nipper, Joe Smith Photography Ron Campbell, Matthew Carroll, Dakota Hamilton, Larry Smith, Charlie Warden Design Jeanette Henry Published by Office of the President Office of University Relations
THE CAMPAIGN FOR ETSU During the Distinguished President’s Trust Dinner on April 12, President Noland and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ron Hite, who is chairman of the ETSU Foundation, launched the Campaign for ETSU, a $120 million comprehensive campaign that will transform the campus and provide new opportunities for students and faculty. Specific goals within the campaign include $21 million for student scholarships and other types of support; $23.5 million for opportunities for faculty, including distinguished professorships and chairs and new endowments; $35 million in support of new academic programs; and $40.5 million for future buildings and renovation projects. Already, the university had raised over $53 million during a silent phase of the campaign.
Office of the President Officeofthepresident@etsu.edu 423-439-4211 etsu.edu/president ETSU is an AA/EEO employer. ETSU-UR-0120-18 2,000
42 | 2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT