ETSU Today - Summer 2021

AFTER 43 YEARS AT ETSU, DR. WILSIE S. BISHOP BIDS FAREWELL

ETSU’s New Provost A Dose of Hope

ETSU Goes Prime!

PHOTO BY RON CAMPBELL

COVER PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

Throughoutmy time as President of East Tennessee State University, I have enjoyed the privilege of working with many great leaders – individuals who have distinguished themselves as legends in Tennessee higher education. Having the opportunity to continue the legacy of Dr. Paul Stanton was one of the greatest honors ever bestowed upon me. My arrival at ETSU also allowed me to reconnect with Dr. Bert C. Bach, who at the time was the institution’s Provost. He and I had worked closely together during my tenure at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and we had collaborated on many initiatives. Dr. Bach is a true champion for higher education, a steadfast patron of the arts, and a prolific authority on the subject of baseball. In 2019, Dr. Bach retired after 43 years of distinguished service in Tennessee higher education.

And there was Dr. Wilsie Bishop, a longtime employee at ETSU who not only was a highly respected leader across the state, but who had garnered regional and national recognition for her work with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and also for being one of higher education’s greatest champions for interprofessional health professions learning. Dr. Bishop began her career at ETSU as a nursing faculty member and rose through the ranks, serving in such capacities as an Associate Vice president, Dean, and Chief Operating Officer before becoming Vice President for Health Affairs. Following Dr. Bach’s retirement, she stepped into the role of Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics.

During the 2020-21 year, after more than 40 years as a member of the ETSU family, Dr. Bishop announced her plans to retire. I invited her to be one of our guest speakers at Commencement this past May, where she gave her “last lecture,” to members of the Class of 2021. One of Dr. Bishop’s greatest achievements at ETSU was to help position the institution as a national model for interdisciplinary health professions education. In the late 1980s, she was part of the ETSU team that helped bring a major grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the university that set up rural training sites in Mountain City and Rogersville for medical, nursing, and public and allied health students. That was the first chapter in a long, ever-evolving story of ETSU’s work in interprofessional health education – a story that Dr. Bishop has helped pen every step of the way. Because of Dr. Bishop’s leadership, colleges and universities across the country have turned to ETSU for guidance on how to shape and expand their health professions programs. A few weeks ago just before her departure, our Board of Trustees voted to name our interprofessional education and research center on the VA campus in honor of Dr. Bishop as a lasting tribute to her work in this area.

Every season brings new faces to our campus community, and with every season also come times we must say farewell. Our graduates cross the stage with new destinations ahead. Our faculty and staff depart as they retire or leave to pursue other opportunities. Saying goodbye is never easy, but our graduates and retirees will always be part of the ETSU family. Like Dr. Bishop, they leave a legacy – a legacy that has forever changed our campus and a legacy that has transformed the lives of others.

Sincerely,

Brian Noland President

PHOTO BY LARRY SMITH

TAKE A SLIDE

OR A

STROLL THROUGH ETSU’S NEW PARK, UNIVERSITY COMMONS

The ETSU Fight Song echoed between the D.P. Culp Student Center, Carter Hall, and Stone Hall. It was the first in-person celebration on ETSU’s campus in more than a year.

“In March of 2020, we cut the ribbon on the D.P. Culp Center and weeks later the campus was closed,” ETSU President Brian Noland said to the crowd gathered around the Marching Bucs. “Today is symbolic and allows us to look forward toward a season of hope. I want to thank the campus for all everyone has done to not give up hope, but persevere and move forward. I hope we never have another year like the one we just experienced and I hope today we can turn the page and celebrate.”

The special concert was part of a celebration culminating Spring Homecoming Week and unveiling University Commons, ETSU’s new central park with abundant gathering spaces and activities for students and alumni. Following the completion of the D.P. Culp Student Center major renovation last year, crews began transforming asphalt and parallel parking spots on South Dossett Drive into pedestrian-friendly walkways and greenspace.

Jeremy Ross, Chief Operating Officer, said the concept for University Commons was envisioned decades ago.

“One of my mentors is here today, my father, Ken Ross. We drew up this concept many years ago and now we are here to see this come together.”

Those attending the celebration had a chance to try out some of the new activities in University Commons. Horseshoes, a putting green, shuffleboard, and swings are all part of the fun.

“Why are we here today? There is one simple answer: A gift,” Ross said at the University Commons unveiling. “Sonia King made a major gift for this project because she wanted to do

PHOTO BY TANNER CLEMENTS

PHOTO BY RON CAMPBELL

PHOTO BY ROB KING

PHOTO BY RON CAMPBELL

something for everyone at ETSU. Throughout her life, she contributed to athletics programs, study abroad, the Martin Center, and the student experience. Her spirit will overlook this treasured space for a long time.”

A plaque dedicating the space in King’s memory is displayed on the side of Carter Hall facing University Commons. Carter Hall is the oldest residence hall on ETSU’s campus and will house a new candy shop this fall. Sodexo, ETSU’s food service provider, offered a sneak peek of the shop with free samples of cookies, candies, and ice cream.

Ross also surprised the First Family with the naming of “Noland’s Canyon,” a series of embankment slides on the hillside near Stone Hall. He read the text from a plaque honoring Brian, Donna, and Jackson Noland.

“While stairs are the common way to descend a hill, Noland’s Canyon represents the need for all of us to seize moments of opportunity and to experience excitement every single day.”

During the celebration, President Noland also revealed the special dedication of two trees in University Commons. The Alexandra Tree recognizes the individuals who remained dedicated to protecting and defending the health and safety of the ETSU community and entire region throughout the pandemic, and the Cameron Tree recognizes the personal losses the university family has experienced over the last year.

A plaque was also uncovered in the D.P. Culp Student Center in honor of Dr. Karen King, Chief Information Officer, for her innovative efforts to launch the ETSU esports team and for leadership of the Information Technology Services staff, who were fundamental to the successful transition of ETSU’s operations from in-person to online last March.

Lori Erickson, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, unveiled the names engraved on a new post clock located at the corner of Ross and Dossett drives honoring the 110 people with the longest service to ETSU.

“I cannot express to you how rare this is to have 110 people who have more than 29 years of service at an institution,” she said. “It says so much about ETSU and the place we call home.”

Before the crowd dispersed to explore University Commons and soak in the sunshine and faceto-face interactions with colleagues and friends, Ross shared a quote from a mutual friend he and Sonia King shared.

“This is the power of gathering. It inspires us delightfully to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful, and in a word, more alive.”

“I hope everyone feels more joyful, hopeful, and alive in this space,” Ross said.

Amanda Mowell is Director of Communications in the Office of University Relations.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

A DOSE OF Hope

Q

ETSU HEALTH ON FRONT LINE OF VACCINATION

From the earliest COVID-19 vaccines administered in hospitals across the Appalachian region to ongoing vaccination efforts throughout the community, ETSU Health has been on the front lines of getting shots into arms to combat the pandemic.

In December 2020, student pharmacists from Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy began assisting with the region’s first COVID-19 vaccines at hospitals across the region in collaboration with Ballad Health.

By January 2021, fourth-semester nursing students in ETSU’s College of Nursing also began serving in COVID-19 vaccination PODs (point of distribution) at Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center.

“Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, especially while in nursing school, has given me a whole new perspective on school and life in general,” said nursing student Savannah Johnson. “Personally, receiving the vaccine and now being able to administer the vaccine makes me feel like I am doing my part to protect others. As a nursing student, I have been training to be on the front lines and now to contribute firsthand is historic and something that I feel confident will shape me into a better nurse.”

As the year progressed, additional opportunities arose throughout the community for ETSU Health to assist with vaccines. Student pharmacists and faculty volunteered at independent pharmacies, grocery stores, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and health departments.

On March 6, Gatton partnered with three area community pharmacies to hold a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at First Baptist Church in Greeneville, Tennessee. Jonathan Brewster, a student pharmacist from Kingsport, helped triage patients as they came to the mass vaccination event.

“There are a lot of people who come in who haven’t left their house in a year now and are really excited to get the vaccine and get some semblance of normalcy back, despite everything that’s going on,” said Brewster. “Just getting that vaccine out there and protecting the public has been a really good experience.”

ETSU Health took on a larger role in community vaccination efforts when it received its own supply of Johnson &

Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccines in March. That began a series of community ETSU Health vaccine clinics that were held at ETSU’s Millennium Center and later at the D.P. Culp Student Center.

Dozens of student, faculty, and staff volunteers from ETSU’s Gatton College of Pharmacy, Quillen College of Medicine, College of Public Health, and College of Nursing volunteered hundreds of hours at the ETSU Health clinics, which were held throughout the spring.

Appointments for the first ETSU Health vaccine clinic filled up in a matter of hours, and in the first weekend alone, volunteers administered nearly 500 doses of the vaccine. As of early May, ETSU Health clinics had administered more than 1,800 doses of the vaccine and planned

additional vaccination efforts at ETSU’s new student orientations.

Another result of the ETSU Health vaccination clinics was an opportunity for members of ETSU’s Street Medicine Group, an interprofessional student organization, to coordinate a vaccination clinic for persons experiencing homelessness in the region.

“This is just another example of how ETSU is serving the people of our region. The collaboration of so many disciplines to combat this pandemic is impressive,” said Dr. Adam Welch, Associate Dean for Assessment and Academic Affairs at Gatton College of Pharmacy.

Melissa Nipper is Director of Health Sciences Communication at ETSU. | Photos by Matthew Carroll

Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, especially while in nursing school, has given me a whole new perspective on school and life in general.

Savannah Johnson

THE NEXT CHAPTER

ETSU LAUNCHES COMMITTEE FOR 125 CHAPTER

II

“What if…?”

In the early 1900s, the specific question was “What if there was a school in East Tennessee that prepared teachers?” The response to that question ultimately led to the establishment of East Tennessee State Normal School.

For more than 100 years, the presence of ETSU has allowed people of the region to dream, to have hope.

To ask “what if…?”

For example, the region came together in the 1970s to dream about having a medical school at ETSU that prepared rural primary care physicians. The question – “what if ETSU was home to a regional arts center?” – began to rise in the mid-1980s and would gain momentum for a quarter-century.

The campus and the region never stopped asking the question “what if…?” Today, many dreams have been made possible: the Gatton College of Pharmacy, the Johnson City Community Health Center, the Niswonger Digital Media Center, the newly renovated D.P. Culp Student Center, the Basler Center for Physical Activity, state-of-the-art residence halls, and many new academic programs.

“What if…?” is a question that will continue to set the course for ETSU as it approaches its 125th anniversary in 2036. A new strategic visioning process for ETSU was launched this spring: the Committee for 125 Chapter II.

The initiative will build upon the foundation of the Committee for 125 effort that began in 2012. The goal of the new initiative is to develop a future-focused vision for ETSU that maximizes the power of the collective talent of the university and surrounding community to improve the lives of the people in Appalachia.

As ETSU President Brian Noland explained, ETSU is presently at the

midway point of its current strategic plan, and 10 years have passed since the first 125 initiative began. Since those two processes have occurred, significant changes have taken place.

“For example, ETSU now has its own governing board that has matured and must be included in this process to ensure solid alignment between the board’s expectations and the university’s strategic direction,” Noland said. “Externally, the public is questioning the necessity of a college education while the university is approaching a demographic cliff in the college-aged population. The new pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced us to evaluate practices and policies in ways that were never imagined – and some that were imagined but never given due attention in preference for tradition.

“The university has developed a strong sense of connectedness, perhaps to a larger extent than at any time in recent history, despite the distance we are currently forced to endure. If we are to achieve prominence at the levels required for continued stewardship of the region, we must focus now on our strengths and opportunities that can be leveraged to grow the impact of our mission,” he added.

Six task forces in the areas of Academics; Equity and Inclusion; ETSU Health; Student Success and Experience; Research and Scholarship; and Fiscal Sustainability have also been appointed and have begun meeting.

The Committee for 125 Chapter II will conduct its work throughout the summer and will hold meetings and forums with students, faculty and staff, and multiple community groups. The fall semester will bring town hall events to gather further input from the campus and community. Noland will present a draft report during his State of the University address in October.

From staff reports

To learn more, visit etsu.edu/125.

Dr. Brian Noland, Chair, Committee for 125 Chapter II

Dr. Mildred Garcia, President, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Dr. Mike Hoff, ETSU Staff Lead

Dr. Linda Latimer, ETSU Board Trustee

Alan Levine, President, Ballad Health

Ron Ramsey, ETSU Board Trustee

Dr. James Votruba, President Emeritus, Northern Kentucky University

Dr. Rob Anderson, President, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association

Louis H. Gump, Committee for 125 Chapter I Representative

Scott Jenkins, Strategy Director, State Policy, Lumina Foundation

Rev. Lester D. Lattany, Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church

Scott Niswonger, ETSU Board Trustee

Melissa Steagall-Jones, ETSU Board Trustee

Dr. Alisa White, President, Sam Houston State University

POMP. CIRCUMSTANCE. AND IN-PERSON!

Following a year of virtual commencement ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ETSU graduation returned to an in-person format in May 2021. During the course of a four-day period, seven ceremonies were held in addition to ROTC commissioning, the College of Nursing pinning ceremony, and other special celebrations.

Also as part of the occasion, members of the Class of 2020 were invited back to campus for their own special ceremony where they had the opportunity to participate in the important rite of passage of crossing the Commencement stage.

Keynote speakers for these events included Dr. Brooks Pond, Aamir Shaikh, Dr. James Ellzy (see story), Beth Bass, Dr. Wilsie Bishop (see story), and Dr. Lisa Piercey (see story). Photos by Ron Campbell and Charlie Warden.

COMMISSIONER PIERCEY RETURNS HOME

On Saturday, May 8, we welcomed back to the campus of East Tennessee State University one of our institution’s most distinguished graduates. During the past year and a half, she has become a familiar face to Tennesseans from Memphis to Mountain City. Into our homes via television and social media, she has brought knowledge and reason and comfort as we have dealt with the challenges and the suffering caused by COVID-19.

Dr. Lisa Piercey became the 14th Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health in January of 2019. Dr. Piercey is one of ours, traveling from her native West Tennessee to earn her M.D. degree and complete her residency training in pediatrics at our Quillen College of Medicine.

Before answering Governor Bill Lee’s call to become commissioner, Dr. Piercey spent a decade in health systems operations, most recently as Executive Vice President of West Tennessee Healthcare, a public, not-for-profit health system with over 7,000 employees serving 22 counties.

Dr. Piercey is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in both General Pediatrics and in the specialty field of Child Abuse Pediatrics. She has remained active in evaluating children for suspected abuse and neglect and serves in a volunteer capacity as Medical Director for the Madison County Child Advocacy Center and as a faculty member at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Dr. Piercey addressed our graduates during one of our spring 2021 commencement ceremonies. Here are some excerpts from her speech:

AT THIS INFLECTION POINT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIVES and in our society, I would like to highlight one particular habit that I hope you continue. That is the practice of showing up. Even before the pandemic, there were a growing number of tools and practices that made impersonal communication tempting and commonplace. How many of us are guilty of sending birthday wishes by text message, instead of delivering a cupcake, or supporting a cause only on social media, instead of sacrificing our Saturday to serve meals at a local shelter or advocating for the vulnerable? I implore you not to default to what is easy and convenient, but to rather make a habit of showing upprofessionally, socially, and personally.

AS YOU EMBARK UPON YOUR CAREERS, I ENCOURAGE YOU to seek out opportunities to show up professionally. Much like you’ve already experienced in your higher education, simply filling the chairs and checking the boxes do not ensure success. You must engage fully, explore curiously, and repeat endlessly. It is not enough to dream and hope - instead, you must become. To be a writer, you must write. To be a servant, you must serve. Ultimately, you can’t be the noun, without doing the verb.

OUTSIDE OF OUR PROFESSIONAL LIVES, THE LAST YEAR HAS exemplified the need to show up for social causes. But this, too, requires stretching beyond our comfort zones and putting in the work. Take a moment to contemplate….has the vitriol of a Twitter fight ever resulted in real change? I don’t know about you, but no one has really ever converted me to their position through rage and insults. Get off of social media and get out onto the streets.

AS I REFLECT ON THE SOCIETAL CHANGE THAT HAS transpired over the course of the last 12 to 18 months, I am inspired by this generation’s fortitude to not sit by and see injustice happen around them. You should continue to be emboldened to use your time and your heart, not just your keyboard.

AND ABOVE ALL, REMEMBER THAT THOSE WHO DISAGREE with you are not your enemies.

FINALLY, IN YOUR QUEST TO EXCEL PROFESSIONALLY AND societally, remember that there is no more important place to show up than for your faith, your family, and your friends. Beyond all others, these are the relationships that support you, inspire you, and comfort you. I would submit that, without this solid foundation, your professional achievements and your best advocacy efforts are hollow, at best.

WHILE THEY WERE NECESSARY FOR A WHILE, WE HAVE ALL learned firsthand that Zoom calls or Facetime family reunions just don’t lead to the same connections. We know that deep human relationships require time and presence. So, attend worship services, go to weddings and funerals, and enjoy all of the daily and sometimes mundane things that we’ve been missing. And certainly, don’t forget to thank those who show up for you.

THIS IS NOT JUST A CALL TO ACTION FOR TODAY’S graduating class. As all of us begin to navigate this new season in our postpandemic world, there is much talk of “returning to normal.” But, let us decide today to emerge better than normal, by showing up for the work, the causes, and the people we love.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

THE FUTURE OF SUBSTANCE USE RESEARCH

ETSU LAUNCHES INTERDISCIPLINARY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

East Tennessee State University has launched its inaugural ETSU Mentored Substance Use Research (EMSUR) training program, designed to train substance use researchers across multiple disciplines in order to improve health outcomes in Appalachia.

During the spring 2021 semester, 10 ETSU graduate students from multiple colleges and disciplines were selected for the inaugural cohort and were paired with a faculty mentor to train them in substance use research. Ten faculty members participated as mentors in the program, which was led by Dr. Manik Ahuja, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the ETSU College of Public Health.

Ahuja, a trained substance use researcher, spearheaded the EMSUR program at ETSU after he was selected as one of five faculty members from across the country to attend New York University’s Substance Abuse Research Education and Training (SARET) Visiting Development Mentor Program.

SARET, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), trains future professionals in substance use disorder (SUD) research. NYU’s Visiting Mentor Development Program prepares faculty to create similar programs at their home institutions.

“I came away from this program excited and prepared to begin a similar program at ETSU,” Ahuja said. “My vision was to recruit students who are new to the field and who are interested in substance use research, not necessarily those who have already had experience in this area. The goal is to train new researchers. We’re bringing in people who have the aptitude and the interest to make a big impact in the region because the region is burdened with some of the highest rates of substance misuse and drug-related overdoses in the nation.”

Ahuja partnered with ETSU’s Addiction Science Center, putting out a call for applicants early in the spring semester. He originally planned to select five students for the inaugural cohort, but the response

was so overwhelming that he was able to expand to 10 students. These students were matched with faculty mentors based on their interests. In addition to doing mentored research over 12 weeks, they also completed a modular, web-based curriculum through NYU, which prepares them for SUDrelated research careers.

Third-year Quillen College of Medicine student Nelly Grigorian applied and was accepted into the inaugural EMSUR cohort. She was mentored by Dr. Brooke Schmeichel, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Quillen College of Medicine.

Madeline Standbridge is a student in ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine and College of Public Health. She is working on her MD/MPH with a concentration in health services administration and policy. She was paired with Dr. KariLynn DowlingMcClay, Assistant Professor in ETSU’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the women of Appalachia and have seen firsthand the devastating effect the opioid epidemic has had on many mothers, often even impacting their ability to care for their babies,” said Grigorian, who hopes to practice in OB/GYN. “For a woman to lose the right to care for her child due to addiction is a horrible tragedy and something I want to work against in my career. I know that my work with the EMSUR will be a great way to introduce me to the wide breadth of research currently taking place to lessen the burden of this disease to my patients, and allow me to network with other researchers currently working to fight this epidemic.”

One aspect of the program that Ahuja was especially excited about is its crossdisciplinary, interprofessional approach. Not only were students from multiple colleges and disciplines selected, but many of them were paired with faculty mentors from different colleges.

“The opportunity to get involved with the Addiction Science Center was a major factor that drew me to ETSU for medical school, so I was thrilled to hear about the EMSUR program. As a future physician, I applied to the EMSUR program to better understand ways to increase access to treatment, improve health outcomes, and better advocate for individuals who use substances,” said Standbridge. “I am most excited about the opportunity to be mentored and learn alongside such a wonderful, interprofessional group. Each member of the EMSUR faculty has made such an impact within substance use research. I am looking forward to learning further about the role I can play, through interdisciplinary research, in improving health outcomes within Appalachia.”

We’re bringing in people who have the aptitude and the interest to make a big impact in the region because the region is burdened with some of the highest rates of substance misuse and drug-related overdoses in the nation.

Manik Ahuja

Melissa Nipper is Director of Health Sciences Communication at ETSU. | Photo by Ron Campbell

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT

ETSU PARTNERS WITH BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD TO DELIVER ACCELERATED COMPUTING DEGREE THROUGH NEW BLUESKY TENNESSEE INSTITUTE

Imagine the first day of college, walking onto campus and navigating between tall academic buildings after leaving the locker-lined halls of high school just a few months prior. This familiar memory for many ETSU graduates will be a bit different for the inaugural students selected to the BlueSky Tennessee Institute.

Earlier this year, ETSU announced a truly unique partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to provide the university’s ABETaccredited computing curriculum not within the brick-and-mortar academic buildings “in the shadow of the mountains” in Johnson City, but rather, the modern, reflective glass buildings that encompass the BlueCross corporate campus in downtown Chattanooga.

An added benefit is the opportunity for students in the BlueSky Tennessee Institute to earn an accelerated bachelor’s degree from ETSU and a job offer – all in just over two years. The program provides a new pathway into one of the fastest-growing careers in the nation and allows BlueCross to prepare the next generation of technology leaders.

“In developing BlueSky Institute, we sought out a program partner that recognized the high demand for technology jobs in Tennessee and shared our vision to meet that need with a new approach,” said JD Hickey, M.D., president and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “We’re excited to collaborate with ETSU to develop tech talent together, right here in our home state.”

Faculty in ETSU’s Department of Computing are passionate about developing students’ skillsets so that they may grow and adapt throughout their careers. Dr. Tony Pittarese, Interim Dean of ETSU’s College of Business and Technology, said he knew the idea of the

institute presented challenges, but the opportunity to work directly with a major employer in the state and make an impact on workforce readiness far outweighed any concerns.

“When BlueCross approached us with the urgent need to fill technology positions, we immediately went to work looking at how we could adapt our curriculum to support this innovative institute,” he said.

ETSU BlueSky Institute students will complete accelerated coursework toward a B.S. in Computing with a concentration in Information Systems while becoming part of the diverse and inclusive workplace community at BlueCross. They will gain real-world experience by learning and working in paid internships and creating a portfolio of projects. After successfully completing the program, students can earn a rewarding job offer at BlueCross.

“Our students will get personal support every step of the way, including mentorship from BlueCross employees,” said Scott Wilson, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations, who helped spearhead the initiative. “We’re committed to making it easy for BlueSky Institute students to focus on their futures.”

Brad Leon, the institute’s Executive Director, and ETSU are placing special focus on identifying and recruiting high-potential students from Hamilton County’s most challenged high schools. Leon is an education expert who most recently served as Chief of Strategy and Performance Management for Shelby County Schools and brings with him more than a decade of experience in blended online and teacherdriven instruction and leading effective improvement efforts at some of Tennessee’s most challenged schools.

The inaugural class will begin in the summer of 2022 and spend the first few weeks participating in a Summer Bridge Program on ETSU’s main campus connecting with peers and those brick-and-mortar academic buildings and community they can also call home.

To learn more about the BlueSky Tennessee Institute powered by ETSU, visit blueskytn.com.

Amanda Mowell is Director of Communications for ETSU. | Photo contributed

FROM SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO DEAN: DR. JANNA SCARBOROUGH

It is a journey that all began with a visit to Asheville, a place she once called home.

At that time, Dr. Janna Scarborough had moved on to Syracuse University where she was teaching and “doing just great.” While on a pre-tenure, non-instructional leave assignment, she decided to reconnect with some of her Western Carolina acquaintances.

During her tenure as chair, the human services program underwent extensive growth in the number of students and graduates and continues to be listed in a number of national rankings as one of the best programs in the country.

Scarborough went on to become an Associate Dean for the Clemmer College and, in the late fall of 2020, she was appointed as the college’s new Dean after serving as Interim Dean for a year and a half.

“I’m surrounded by wonderful people who are passionate about their work,” Scarborough said. “They are very open to collaboration and to working together to ensure that each unit can be successful.”

The roots of ETSU’s history begin in the Clemmer College where, in 1911, the university opened as a teacher-training program. As the university expanded, so did the Clemmer College, and today, in addition to the highly respected K-12 educator preparation programs, the college houses academic programs in counseling, human services, special education, sport and exercise science, school leadership and administration, early childhood education, and sport and recreation management. It is also home to University School.

“A common thread that emerges throughout these programs is the commitment of our faculty and staff to the overall growth, development, and well-being of Clemmer students,” she said. “Across these disciplines we are teaching our students high-impact best practices, and every program we have, from the undergraduate to graduate to doctoral levels, has a required internship experience. This allows them to make a strong difference before they cross the stage.”

She had been to Johnson City a few times but was not familiar with ETSU. While visiting Asheville, she learned more about the school from an ETSU student who happened to be an intern for one of her friends. Scarborough became intrigued about this university in the mountains of East Tennessee – so intrigued that by the time she made the very snowy trek back to New York, she looked online to see, by chance, if there were any jobs available.

Turns out, ETSU had an opening for a faculty member in the counseling program.

A phone conversation with Dr. Patricia Robertson, then chair of the former Department of Human Development and Learning, led her to apply, and by the time the fall 2006 semester rolled around, ETSU had become her new home.

“I was impressed with the resources that were available and the collaboration that was taking place among the faculty,” Scarborough said. “Everything was right about this opportunity.”

Scarborough arrived as assistant professor but she soon assumed other leadership roles. After a year on the job, she was appointed graduate program coordinator for the counseling program. In 2012, her department split and she became Interim Chair of the Department of Human Services, a position that became permanent a year later.

A graduate of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, Scarborough holds a B.S. degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a master’s degree in School Counseling from Western Carolina University. She was awarded her Ph.D. degree in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia. While a doctoral student, she served as Director of Counseling for the UVA Women’s Center.

Scarborough began her professional career as a school counselor for the Buncombe County School System in North Carolina. In 2013, she received the Counselor Educator of the Year award from the Tennessee School Counselor Association.

Her research has also has earned an award and has been published in such journals as the Journal of Counseling and Development, Professional School Counseling, Family Science Review, Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, and the Romanian Journal of Counseling Her instrument, the School Counseling Activity Rating Scale, has been translated into multiple languages and has been used widely in studying school counseling practice and perceptions.

Prior to becoming Dean, Scarborough spent a semester as a Presidential Fellow working closely with President Brian Noland and the ETSU senior administration team.

Joe Smith is ETSU’s Chief Communications Officer.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE FOR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL

The A. Richard Wilson University School Endowment will provide resources for University School to supplement public funds in support of capital improvements, technology upgrades and maintenance, staff and faculty professional development, and for scholarships for graduates attending ETSU.

The endowment was created by Wilson, who is an alumnus of University School and ETSU. Wilson credits the University School’s faculty with laying the foundation for his success in life and business. Keeping the University School among the top programs in the state and providing opportunities for faculty and students motivated him to establish this endowment.

“I went to school there along with my brothers and my sister, and the faculty at the University School when we were there were all just excellent. It was an incredibly special place to grow up and learn, and I want to make sure it stays that way well into the future,” Wilson said.

“I’m giving back to an institution that helped me become who I am, and it feels good knowing that it’s helping young people continue to succeed.”

Wilson, who resides in Houston, Texas, is a member of the University School Class of 1959 and graduated from ETSU in 1963. While a student at University School, he was a member of the baseball, basketball, and track teams and was named “Best All-Around

Athlete.” During his undergraduate career at ETSU, he played baseball, was President of the freshman class, and was elected Vice President and later President of the Student Government Association. Wilson was also active in a number of campus and community organizations.

He co-chaired the University Status Committee at the time the college achieved university status in 1963. That same year he received the Wall Street Journal Economics Award.

A member of the ROTC, Wilson served in the U.S. Army as Captain and Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for the state of Mississippi from 1964-66 and was later accepted at Harvard Business School, graduating in 1969.

He served as Vice President for Alodex Corporation in Memphis, coordinating a planned $400 million commercial complex in Chicago. Wilson later co-founded a venture capital firm called New South Investment Company and was an initial investor of Federal Express Corporation.

Wilson was active in politics, serving as Chief Election Inspector for Memphis/Shelby

County from 1972 until 1978 and serving as the campaign coordinator for Tennessee Congressman Bill Jenkins in 1996.

Upon moving to Houston, he became Vice President of Harry R. Jones Company and later Senior Investment Broker with the Home Company, where he developed procedures for marking large incomeproducing properties and has marketed some $1 billion in real estate during his time in Houston.

In 1988, Wilson created The Property Group, a real estate investment and development firm and currently serves as President and CEO. Between 2005-2020, he worked with corporations and investors to develop 1,500 apartment units and luxury condo units.

Wilson says he hopes his endowment will encourage other alumni to give back to University School and ETSU.

“It’s important to give back,” he said. “It’s an investment in our legacy and East Tennessee’s future through the students who come through the University School and ETSU.”

For more information about the A. Richard Wilson University School Endowment, contact ETSU University Advancement, at 423-439-4242.

PHOTOS BY CHARLIE WARDEN

Passing the Torch

BISHOP RETIRES AFTER

43 YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

During her 43 years of service at East Tennessee State University, Dr. Wilsie Bishop has attended more than 100 commencement ceremonies. However, on Sunday, May 9, 2021, she crossed the stage for the last time as ETSU’s Senior Vice President for Academics and Interim Provost.

Bishop retired on June 30, 2021, leaving an imprint on the university’s academic programs and the people with whom she worked for more than four decades.

As part of the May 9 ceremony for the class of 2021, ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland introduced Bishop as the commencement speaker and reflected on her contributions and impact on the university.

“It has been my distinct honor and privilege as President of East Tennessee State University to work almost every day with Dr. Wilsie Bishop,” Noland said. “I have learned volumes from her about higher education, life, relationships, and humility.

And it is with a profound sense of loss that I know that those opportunities are soon drawing to a close as Dr. Bishop enters her well-deserved retirement.”

During her commencement speech, Bishop reminisced about her own educational journey and shared with the graduates some of the lessons she has learned throughout her career.

“While my parents were not college graduates, they believed with all of their hearts that a college education would open doors of opportunity,” Bishop said. “My parents believed correctly that education would open doors, that education would provide opportunities, that education would give me richness of work, career, and life that was not available to them.”

Bishop’s college education began with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she later earned her Master of Science in Nursing. She went on to earn a Master of

Education, Master of Public Administration, and Doctor of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

In addition to reminding the graduates of the importance of education, Bishop conveyed several life lessons she has learned throughout her career, including the value of risk-taking, seizing opportunities, and embracing challenges.

“Know that you have the power within you to make a difference when you say ‘yes’ to an opportunity,” she told the graduates. “As you step forward into growth, take with you a set of values that will keep you centered and guide your decisions. Do not be silenced by the crowd, but reach within yourself to seek truth and justice. In doing so, you will find ways that will make a difference in your work, in your personal lives, in your communities, and indeed, even in the world.”

Bishop began seizing opportunities at ETSU when she came to the College of Nursing as a temporary faculty member in 1978. She earned tenure and progressed through the faculty ranks, serving in administrative roles including department chair, dean, and assistant/associate vice president prior to becoming a vice president in 2005. While serving in various administrative roles, she continued to be a classroom teacher as well as a mentor for doctoral and graduate students.

Throughout her career at ETSU, Bishop observed and was a part of many important changes at the university. After 11 years of serving as Dean of the College of Public and Allied Health, she was appointed Vice President for Administration and Chief Operating Officer of the university in 2005. This role took her out of the academic arena and into university operations when she assumed responsibility for Athletics, Facilities Planning, Human Resources, Information Technology, Public Safety, and Student Affairs. However, her academic background provided a context for decisionmaking and communication with faculty and staff that was invaluable for her and in many ways for the university.

In 2007, she transitioned to Vice President for Health Affairs, becoming the first non-physician to hold the VPHA title. In this position, she embraced and led the university’s Interprofessional Education

Dr. Wilsie Bishop

Initiative (IPE) and the team-based care that it embodied as the future of quality health care delivery.

Through the IPE efforts, ETSU not only created opportunities for shared classroom experiences, but was able to create a building where team-based learning is the priority and students can work and study together in preparation for their future careers as health care providers. The Interprofessional Education and Research Center (Building 60) on the Veterans Administration campus is a physical symbol of vision becoming reality.

In 2019, Bishop also oversaw the launch of the ETSU Health brand, which unified the educational, clinical, and research pursuits of ETSU’s five health sciences colleges, more than 250 providers, and 35 clinical sites.

In her most recent role as Senior Vice President for Academics and Interim

Provost, Bishop focused on bringing together under one management umbrella the academic affairs and health affairs colleges of the university.

“During the course of time, she has earned respect and admiration of colleagues at every level of this institution,” Noland said. “Dr. Bishop has provided sound and wise leadership across the campus. Throughout her tenure at the university, her leadership and vision have been recognized nationally. She has been cited for her advocacy of interprofessional education and team-based care.”

In 2013, she was inducted into the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame, and she has been recognized by both of her alma maters for career achievements. Active in

peer review accreditation, in 2019, Bishop received the James T. Rogers Distinguished Leadership award from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the highest award given by the Commission.

As she looks back over four decades of service in higher education, Bishop said she is grateful for the opportunities and the people she has met along the way. Even in retirement, she will continue to heed the advice she shared with the Class of 2021 at commencement: “Step forward with confidence into your future.”

While my parents were not college graduates, they believed with all of their hearts that a college education would open doors of opportunity.

Melissa Nipper is Director of Health Sciences Communications in the Office of University Relations.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

MEET ETSU’S NEW PROVOST

Following an extensive national search, Kimberly D. McCorkle, J.D. has been named as ETSU’s new Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. She assumes this new role in July.

McCorkle comes to ETSU from the University of West Florida, where she has spent the past 19 years and is currently Vice Provost and Professor. She was named Interim Vice Provost in 2017 and assumed the role on a permanent basis the following year.

“I am honored to join ETSU as Provost at such an important time in the university’s history,” McCorkle said. “As we move forward with our strategic visioning process, I am dedicated to supporting our outstanding faculty as we continue to focus on the mission of supporting student success while providing high quality academic programs and advancing our research contributions.”

As Vice Provost at UWF, McCorkle has had responsibility for academic program development and oversight, strategic planning efforts, faculty development, accreditation and institutional effectiveness, undergraduate research, student grievance processes, and compliance and policy review. In addition, she has served as the university’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges liaison and has managed all institutional accreditation efforts.

“Since the mid-1990s, the role of ETSU’s chief academic officer has been held by only two people – Dr. Bert C. Bach and Dr. Wilsie Bishop – both of whom are legends in Tennessee higher education,” ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said. “Now, a new era begins under the leadership of Dr. McCorkle, and we are very fortunate to have her as part of our campus community, particularly with the level of expertise and experience she brings in program development, accreditation, student research, and faculty development. Dr. McCorkle will be a tremendous asset to ETSU as the work of the Committee for 125 Chapter Two advances and new opportunities and initiatives for the institution are identified.”

Her major accomplishments in recent years include the implementation of 10 new academic programs in areas of strategic emphasis as identified by the Florida Board of Governors, and leading university-wide efforts to implement a 2+2 articulation agreement with Pensacola State College. McCorkle assisted with UWF’s efforts to be recognized in the Florida State University System Performance Based Funding allocations in 2018 and 2019, and she led the collaborative effort to create the 2017-2022 UWF Academic Affairs Strategic Plan.

She spent seven years with the UWF College of Education and Professional Studies, including three years as associate dean and another three as an assistant dean. For 15 years, she held a faculty appointment in criminal justice and legal studies, and, prior to moving to the Office of the Provost, she served as Chair and Professor in the Department of Legal Studies, Public Administration, and Sport Management.

While she served in college and departmental leadership roles, she continued to teach and act as faculty sponsor for the UWF Mock Trial Team, which she led for over 15 years.

A noted criminal justice scholar, McCorkle is the author of the textbook American Homicide, now in its second edition from SAGE Publications. Her research has been featured in such scholarly journals as The Journal of Higher Education Management, Homicide Studies, Southern Journal of Business and Ethics, Policing: An International Journal of Police Management and Strategies, and American Journal of Criminal Justice

McCorkle is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where she earned a B.A. degree in English and was selected for Phi Beta Kappa. She later earned her J.D. degree from the University of Florida College of Law. Before joining UWF in a faculty role, she practiced criminal law as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

CELEBRATING ‘A BOY FROM ELIZABETHTON’

DENNIS DEPEW RETIRES AS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

PHOTO BY RON CAMPBELL

It is May 1975 and Dennis Depew stands proudly in cap and gown in front of Wilson-Wallis Hall where he had collected countless memories, knowledge, and know-how the prior four years as he worked toward a bachelor’s degree in Technology Education. His mother snaps a photo to commemorate graduation day.

A Ph.D., three daughters, and two deanships later, Depew returns with a burning question. Is East Tennessee State University still teachingcentered? As a first-generation student returning from active duty in Vietnam, he fondly remembers the professors who offered guidance and prepared him for graduate school, first an M.A. in Technology from ETSU followed by a Ph.D. in Industrial Technology from Purdue University. In fact, it was his mentors at ETSU, Dr. Carroll Hyder, Hugh Broome, Dr. Jerry Eggers, and Ben Lyle, who inspired him to pursue a path of teaching and research.

“I am a boy from Elizabethton. My grandfather was a coalminer,” he said. “I am absolutely grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that have come my way.”

His return to ETSU and quest for answers was not by happenstance. Depew was interviewing for the dean position in the College of Business and Technology and arrived with slight hesitation as to whether he could “go home again.” However, what he discovered was a campus that had certainly changed, but still felt familiar, with faculty who proudly taught freshman-level courses and beyond. He encountered a college that, under the leadership of Dr. Linda Garceau, had achieved separate AACSB accreditation in business and accounting, a rare feat in higher education.

Ultimately, Depew says it was a pull, rather than a push, from his and wife Donna’s alma mater and their hometown in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee that brought the Depews “home again.”

“This place certainly changed my life for the better,” he said. “It is where I was first challenged to think and begin searching for truth. To have the opportunity to circle back where it all began is a blessing.”

Prior to returning to ETSU, Depew served as dean at both Purdue University and Western Carolina University. For the last seven years, he has led the College of Business and Technology through a period of expansion, including enrollment growth, particularly in the MBA and Computing programs as each have added new concentrations in high-demand fields such as Cybersecurity. Additionally, Depew played a pivotal role in establishing a joint Bachelor of Science in Engineering with Tennessee Tech University, which graduated its first students in spring 2020. He also advanced Digital Media into a new department within the college that is likely to experience further growth once the MFA in Digital Media launches this fall.

On a spring day in May, Depew stood proudly, once again, for a photograph in front of WilsonWallis Hall. He was again reminded of the countless memories and interactions with mentors and colleagues first as a student, and decades later, as dean. Earlier this spring, Depew announced his retirement as dean. He returns to his faculty position this fall as Professor in the Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Surveying.

Depew says he will continue to be an ambassador for ETSU just as he has supported regional partnerships and economic development. During his deanship, the college launched STRIVE, a free entrepreneurship program for veterans and service members, and iBucs, a business pitch competition for students. In 2019, the college played a key role in organizing the Northeast TennesseeSouthwest Virginia Regional Economic Forum.

Amid all the successes he has experienced, the “boy from Elizabethton” admits that his life could have played out much differently. He made it home safely following his service in the Marine Corps and married a young woman named Donna Polk who has made the journey even sweeter.

“It has been an incredible ride. I completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Ireland and traveled to China three times, but more important than any accomplishment is family. Family is everything.”

Amanda Mowell is Director of Communications in the Office of University Relations. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY DR. DENNIS DEPEW

MEET THE ETSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES: KELLY WOLFE

DEVELOPER AND FORMER JONESBOROUGH MAYOR CONTINUES TRADITION OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Kelly Wolfe continues a long tradition of public service as one of the newest members of the ETSU Board of Trustees. Although he never attended ETSU, he says he has been greatly influenced by the university throughout his life.

The Jonesborough native and David Crockett High School graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University in 1992 before embarking on a career in construction and land development.

Wolfe has been around the construction business his entire life, having grown up with a grandfather who was in the industry. “The occupational expertise I gained from him involved utilizing the skill set I developed in college,” he said. “Pretty much anything you do in this world requires you to have the ability to communicate and express yourself effectively in order to be successful. I took that part of my education to the job site, worked with my grandfather for three and a half years, and then started Wolfe Development with my wife Jennifer in 1994. We’ve been in business ever since. We’re equal partners and have been since day one – equal in the sense of ownership, but of course, I consider her to be the superior member of the organization just because she’s so darn smart!”

Wolfe served as Mayor of the Town of Jonesborough for nine years, starting in 2008. During his tenure, the town addressed numerous infrastructure projects, including a wastewater treatment plan, street paving, construction of a new senior center, establishing a farmer’s market, starting the effort to revive the historic Jackson Theatre, restoring the Chuckey Depot, and more.

“I have great pride in the teamwork it took to get those things done, and in being part of such a great team,” he said. “I was blessed to work with some very good board members, some of whom are still on the Board (of Mayor and Aldermen) today. There were a lot of different projects, a lot of different quality-of-life and economic development initiatives, but none of them was done by any one person. They were the result of a lot of very passionate people coming together with shared goals.”

Wolfe is thankful for the opportunity to serve ETSU and the region as a member of the university’s Board of Trustees.

“My father took me to sporting events at the school, especially basketball games, and I got to know that great tradition of excellence

that’s so revered to this day with that basketball program,” he said. “And ETSU is a tremendous engine of economic activity in our region. In Jonesborough alone, there are so many people who came to the area and chose to live in our town because of a job at the university, or the university having a role in some other business or occupation.

“I thought I would be able to maybe have some positive influence on the school as they make plans for the future, and that my background in government service and in building and development would enable me to play a role and provide insight into the effectiveness of efforts to further the interests of our school and the region as a whole.”

Wolfe gives accolades for the many recent accomplishments at the university, starting with the way ETSU weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was definitely a heroic effort by Dr. Noland and his staff, and a team effort by everyone involved,” he said. “The worst is behind us, and we can return to a semblance of normalcy and growth for the school like we’ve seen in the past.

“The University Commons certainly breathes new life to the campus,” he continued, “and the renovation of the D.P. Culp Student Center was well-executed and contributes greatly to the quality of life for the students.”

Wolfe also looks forward to future initiatives, including other improvements to campus facilities and the addition of a new humanities building, for which the state approved planning funds this spring. He also believes efforts underway near campus, including Johnson City’s West Walnut Street corridor redevelopment project, will enhance student life.

“I would say that the school is greater, obviously, than any one person, or any one group, or any one cause, or any one program,” Wolfe continued. “It is truly a regional university. It instills a great deal of pride in our community, and we have historically enjoyed a great deal of community support. I hope that continues in the future.”

Jennifer L. Hill is Assistant Director for Communications in the ETSU Office of University Relations. | Photo by Larry Smith

DATELINE:

ETSU

 DECEMBER 16

Dr. Adam S. Green, ETSU Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, is named to the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and midcareer professionals.

 JANUARY 2

Former FBI agent Jeffrey Blanton is named Assistant Vice President for Administration and Director of Emergency Management.

 JANUARY 13

ETSU’s bachelor’s program in Human Services earns a sixth-place ranking at Learn.org.

 JANUARY 19

ETSU announces plans to start Rocket League esports varsity team in fall 2021.

 JANUARY 21

A study using fossil teeth to explore how the North American climate has changed over millions of years is published by an ETSU paleontology alumna and Geosciences faculty.

 JANUARY 25

President Brian Noland announces the launch of the ETSU Research Corporation and that the board has appointed David Golden (at left) as the Chief Executive Officer.

 JANUARY 26

The College of Nursing is ranked among U.S.News & World Report’s 2021 Best Online Programs: number 16 in “Best Online Master’s in Nursing Administration Programs” and number 75 for “Best Online Master’s in Nursing.”

 JANUARY 31

Dr. Virginia Foley (Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis) and Janet Stork (Public Health) are named to the All-Star Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team.

 FEBRUARY 16

The U.S. Department of Education announces that ETSU will receive a federally funded Student Support Services (SSS) grant totaling $348,002 annually for five years to help more first-generation and lowincome students and students with disabilities succeed and graduate.

 MARCH 1

Joy Fulkerson (Leadership and Civic Engagement) is named to the board of directors of the National Conference on Citizenship.

 MARCH 25

Dr. Chassidy Cooper (Equity & Inclusion) and Dr. Nicholas Hagemeier (Gatton College of Pharmacy) are selected for the 2021 EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellowship.

 MARCH 30

U.S.News & World Report’s 2022 “Best Medical Schools” listings rank the Quillen College of Medicine high in several key categories that reflect the medical school’s mission to educate future physicians.

Dr. Michael Kruppa, a Quillen faculty member, receives a grant to study a global emerging fungal infection, Candida auris

 MARCH 31

The College of Nursing is named the number one RN to BSN program in the state of Tennessee by NursingProcess.org.

 APRIL 7

Dr. Cathy Galyon (Educational Foundations and Special Education) is elected incoming chair of the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES).

Dr. Daryl A. Carter (History) is selected to serve a three-year term on the Tennessee Historical Society Board of Directors.

 APRIL 12

ETSU’s College of Public Health launches a new research center that aims to reduce cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors in Appalachia, while addressing the health disparities and health care inequities experienced by residents of the region.

Dr. Chassidy Cooper Dr. Nicholas Hagemeier

Dr. Michael Kruppa

Dr. Cathy Galyon Dr. Daryl A. Carter

 APRIL 13

The Department of Appalachian Studies announces launch of new online publication, Appalachian Places

 APRIL 16

A study published by ETSU alumna Julia Schap and faculty member Dr. Josh Samuels (Geosciences) gives science its first look at the oldest known rabbits in the Appalachians.

 APRIL 22

The Quillen College of Medicine reports that it will increase its class size by 10 percent, providing additional students with the opportunity to pursue their dream of a medical education at ETSU.

 APRIL 27

Dr. Natalie Smith (Sport, Exercise, Recreation, Kinesiology) is co-author of the new book Organizational Behavior in Sport Management: An Applied Approach to Understanding People and Groups.

 APRIL 28

Intelligent.com ranks the Online Archival Studies Certificate Program, part of the university’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree, 15th in the nation’s “Top 43 Master’s in Liberal Arts Degree Programs” for “Best Archival Studies Focus.”

University School is ranked 11th in Tennessee by U.S.News & World Report in its “Best High Schools” listing published this week.

 APRIL 30

Dr. Sarah Melton (Gatton College of Pharmacy) is awarded the Harold Love Outstanding Community Service Award by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

 MAY 3

Dr. Keith Johnson, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, is among 32 higher education leaders in the U.S. selected by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) as a 2021 protégé for its Millennium Leadership Initiative.

 MAY 5

Dr. Kimberly McCorkle is named Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at ETSU (see related story).

 MAY 11

Two faculty members (Whitney Bignell and Elizabeth Hall) and a student (Peter Malanowski) from the Department of Rehabilitative Sciences Dietetics Program receive honors from the Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (TAND), state affiliate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

 MAY 15

ETSU begins the transition to have the majority of employees working 100 percent on campus.

 MAY 20, 2021

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission grants final approval for three new academic programs at ETSU: the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Media; the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD); and the Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics.

Julia Schap Dr. Josh Samuels

Exceptional

SPRING HOMECOMING MARKS RETURN TO GREATER IN-PERSON ACTIVITY

ETSU students and alumni were disappointed to not be able to celebrate Homecoming as usual in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the world, nation, state, and university gradually began moving toward normalcy, students were able to “click their heels” and say, “There’s No Place Like Homecoming!” this spring.

Homecoming was held from April 10-17, and with the exception of some activities being virtual, and of course, spring flowers rather than fall leaves coloring the natural surroundings, Homecoming did not look very different in the spring than fall.

Even though the traditional Homecoming football game was cancelled when the rival team from the University of TennesseeChattanooga ended its season early due to COVID-19, a variety of in-person activities for students took place throughout the week.

“Doggy Yoga was very successful,” said Carter Warden, Director of Student Organizations and Activities. “We had great participation for banners. Canned Food Creations brought in over 8,000 pounds of food items (for Second Harvest Food Bank), and groups donated over 600 items to Bucky’s Food Pantry. And the University Commons Celebration was a good way to end the week, since there was no football game.”

Other events included concerts, a field day event, “silent disco,” a cornhole tournament, and a drive-in movie featuring “The Wizard of Oz.” Cole England of POLO (Preview and Orientation Leaders Organization) and Ashtyn Fritz of Alpha Delta Pi were crowned Homecoming King and Queen, respectively, and the overall Homecoming point champions were Circle K International among independent student organizations and Alpha Xi Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon from Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Students experienced a special kind of excitement for this spring Homecoming following the past year of virtual classes and extracurricular programming.

“It was kind of strange to not have a Homecoming in the fall,” said Caleb Atkins, Student Government Association Secretary of State. “Since high school, I’ve always been a part of Homecoming and always loved to see what’s going on with it. I love going to the game and things like that. It seems like the greatest opportunity for people on campus at any particular school to get to be together and show their school pride in a way that I don’t think is displayed in any other way during the school year.”

As a transfer student from Durham, North Carolina, whose community college did not have sports or Homecoming, Morgan Colley was also disappointed not to get to experience this special celebration in the fall. But along with Atkins and other students, Colley worked in planning this spring’s festivities. “It meant a lot to students to be

in person for such an important event,” she said. “We were all sad about the football game, but we made the best of it with all the other events. The students really seemed to enjoy the concerts that were held in person, and they loved being able to sit outside of their vehicles during the drive-in movie.”

Student planners chose this year’s Homecoming theme with particular care. They wished for it to reflect the past year’s experience with the pandemic without being hokey. Atkins said that after tossing around a few ideas, they thought of making it “like we all just woke up from a dream.” Someone said “We’re not in Kansas anymore” could be “We’re not in 2020 anymore,” and those thoughts related to the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” led to “There’s No Place Like Homecoming!”

The theme’s natural allusion to the legendary film’s “Yellow Brick Road” fit perfectly with the gold (and blue) of ETSU’s Pride Walk, the paved walkway through the center of campus which is painted regularly by student organizations for Homecoming and other major campus happenings.

One of the most significant aspects of spring Homecoming is that it marked an uptick in ETSU’s efforts to safely return to in-person programming. Some campus activities had already been taking place with strictly limited attendance in prior months, and the numbers allowed to attend certain events increased for Homecoming.

Planning is underway for this fall’s Homecoming, which will be held October 30 through November 6.

“I am super-excited to be able to help plan from the beginning this year and help create an amazing event for students,” Colley said. “We are planning to be as normal as possible, meaning more in-person events and fewer restrictions, so that should make it exciting! We will also have fall football, so we will get a Homecoming game, as well!”

Jennifer L. Hill is Assistant Director for Communications in ETSU’s Office of University Relations.

PHOTO LARRY SMITH

PHOTO CHARLIE WARDEN

ETSU GOES PRIME!

STORIES OF ETSU STUDENTS FEATURED ON AMAZON PRIME AND ROKU’S ‘THE COLLEGE TOUR’

COVID-19 safety restrictions have led to new opportunities to expand access for college visits beyond traditional in-person tours. A new nationally broadcast TV series created by Emmy-nominated and multiaward-winning producers, The College Tour, has released an episode featuring ETSU as told through the stories of eight students and two alumni who share their unique experiences and offer an inside look at life on campus and within the Johnson City community.

The first season of The College Tour is streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Roku. Host Alex Boylan, who was part of the winning team on the second season of the reality TV show The Amazing Race, guides viewers on an exploration of what life is truly like

on college campuses. The idea for the show came from Boylan’s 16-year-old niece.

“Because of the pandemic and finances, she wasn’t able to travel to tour colleges, so using our skills as executive producers we created a series inspired by her and millions of other young people who are interested in attending college,” he said. “This series has been so fun to produce and we are excited to bring ETSU into homes across the world.”

The College Tour is a cutting-edge approach to reaching prospective students through the voices and experiences of actual students and graduates.

“No matter how far away someone is from Johnson City, Tennessee, they can learn about the exciting academic programs and experiences awaiting them here,” said Heather Levesque, ETSU Director of Undergraduate Admissions. “The episode also highlights affordability, which we know is the first question for families as students navigate their future after high school.”

Morristown native KeiAndra Harper, who is featured in The College Tour episode, tells viewers how she faced paying for college on her own and discovered scholarship opportunities that will allow her to graduate from ETSU debt-free. Sarah Hamilton explains how she is reaching her dreams of becoming a physician and Spanish interpreter right in her hometown of Johnson City.

ETSU appeals to many students living outside the Appalachian region, as shown in stories featuring Jaquae ‘Quay’ Holmes of Marietta, Georgia, and Carly Brewington of Coral Springs, Florida. Holmes found his ETSU family not only on the football field, but also through shared connections with other student-athletes, such as Brewington, a member of the ETSU Women’s Triathlon team. Brewington has received support from mentors and students as she completes her teaching residency program at ETSU’s University School.

ETSU alumna Amythyst Kiah came to ETSU to study Bluegrass, OldTime, and Country Music under musician, writer, and program founder Jack Tottle. In the episode, she talks about starting her music career at ETSU and receiving a Grammy nomination for a song she wrote entitled “Black Myself,” which she also performs.

Like Kiah, Caitlin Maupin left her hometown of Chattanooga to attend ETSU. She immediately connected with the local art community and was selected to paint a mural representing Johnson City that she shares in The College Tour episode. Another Chattanooga native, Jaylen Malik Grimes, discovered his passion for student engagement through ETSU’s Preview and Orientation Leader Organization (POLO) and is working toward a master’s degree in Education, Leadership, and Policy Analysis. He gives viewers some important advice about how to be successful at ETSU.

“One of the best ways to learn about a college and if it is a good fit is to learn through another student’s experience,” Levesque said. “The College Tour is a collection of first-person stories that almost anyone can relate to and provides the connections students seek when searching for the campus they can call home. We hope people see themselves as part of the ETSU family after watching, and schedule a visit to see campus in person.”

Anthony Salas of Kingsport also appears in The College Tour. He transferred to ETSU from a community college and shares with viewers many of the hands-on learning opportunities available in the Radio, TV, and Film Program, including BucTV News, the East Tennessean, creating short films, and traveling with student groups. Joseph Mora talks about a different opportunity to create what we see and interact with on screens. During his Digital Media studies at ETSU, the Nashville native has created and successfully launched his own 2-D game, Chiaroscuro.

Alumna Kayla Carter shares her passion for the outdoors and growing the community through her role as the outdoor development manager for the Northeast Tennessee Regional Economic Partnership.

“Here, the people are as sweet as the tea and traffic is hardly an issue,” she says in The College Tour episode. “I have a very rewarding job because I get to give back to the beautiful southern Appalachian landscape and community I have lived in my whole life.”

Amanda Mowell is Director of Communications for ETSU. | Photos Contributed

Kayla Carter To view ETSU’s episode, visit etsu/edu/episode or catch The College Tour on Amazon Prime Video and Roku.

Jaylen Malik Grimes KeiAndra Harper

Carly Brewington

Anthony Salas

ESPORTS FINISHES YEAR ONE

ROCKET LEAGUE ® TO BLAST OFF IN FALL 2021

On the last day of the fall 2019 semester, ETSU announced plans to enter the world of esports competition.

In the 12 months to follow, the university would host open tryout sessions for its new Overwatch® and League of Legends® teams. Renovations for a new esports arena and a 32-foot video display wall would be completed. A new head coach would be hired. The team jerseys would be unveiled.

One team would earn a spot in the playoff competitions during its first season.

As Head Coach Jeff Shell describes, it was a year of firsts.

“There are many moments from the past year that stand out…moments that made all of this feel very real,” said Shell, who became the founding head coach last October after serving as interim for several months. “Of course, I will always remember our first tryout session. We had a group of students in one room, all doing something they love, and it was so rewarding to see it all come together going from a concept to reality.

“And, there was the day we learned our Overwatch® team had made the National Association of Collegiate Esports playoffs,” he added. “Keep in mind, this was a group of students that barely knew each other and spent part of their practice and training in remote settings, yet they were able to quickly come together and solidify themselves as one of the top teams in the nation.

“Our students have formed an incredible bond,” Shell said.

Twenty-two students – most of whom were already highly ranked in the nation for their respective games – were selected for the Overwatch® and League of Legend® teams.

Overwatch played its inaugural season this past fall, finishing 8-1 in their group and earning a spot in the NACE playoffs where they made it to the final 16.

Shell says the Overwatch® team members gave up part of their Thanksgiving holiday to play in the “12 Days of Wishmas” charity tournament to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. For spring training, the Overwatch® Varsity and Junior Varsity teams competed in the NECC conference. The varsity squad made it to the NECC playoffs and finished in their division’s top 8. Overwatch® will return to competition in the fall after a summer training to compete in the NACE regular season, with roster changes aimed at improving the team’s 2020 top 16 performance in the NACE national championship.

League of Legends® spent the fall in pre-tournament gaming and began their official season this past January. The team finished the Collegiate League of Legends® with a season record of 4-2. They also placed second in the Battle at Buff Nation and placed in the top 8 at Drury League of Legends invitational.

In addition to team successes, Captain Lucca Weber and Shirui Tao both ended the semester ranked in the top 300 players in the country.

This fall, two becomes three as a third varsity team is added.

“From the very beginning, everyone has asked when ETSU was going to start a Rocket League® team,” Shell said. “Rocket League was already one of the most popular games available prior to last September

when it became available for free to play. The popularity of that game has risen tenfold.

“In addition to growing our fan base, the presence of our Rocket League team will be a major recruiting draw for ETSU,” he added. “There has been a lot of interest in Rocket League from prospective team members, including some who are nationally ranked.”

Among them: Tyler Gregory of Greenville, South Carolina.

Gregory is a 2021 graduate of J.L. Mann High School and will be the founding captain of ETSU’s Rocket League® team. Gregory is listed in the Supersonic Legend, which is the highest competitive rank a gamer can achieve in Rocket League®.

Later this summer, ETSU will announce the remaining members of the Rocket League® team.

Ashe Greenberg, who was the founding captain for the Overwatch® team during its inaugural season, signed as captain for the team’s second year. Weber also signed for a second season as captain of the League of Legends® team.

Joe Smith is ETSU’s Chief Communications Officer. | Photo by Charlie Warden

THE BAY OF PIGS: 60 YEARS LATER AN

ETSU PROFESSOR REMEMBERS

“I am convinced that we were going to be executed.”

Although I have known Dr. Eduardo ZayasBazán since 1977, I had never heard him say those exact words, until we sat down together late last winter for a radio interview about his experiences during the Bay of Pigs Invasion 60 years ago.

He clearly remembers the lament of colleague Jorge Suárez-Rivas on that beach in Cuba in April of 1961. With an arm around Eduardo’s shoulder, his buddy told him, “We have had it, Eddy. The Americans have abandoned us. They are not coming, and we are going to die here.”

For Eduardo, the immediate fear of death may have passed on that April day, but the suffering had only started.

The future East Tennessee State University Spanish professor was shot just below the kneecap of his right leg on the third day of the invasion. Fortunately, the bullet exited without hitting a major bone.

“I saw a group of our men going to a bar, which was being strafed by Castro’s planes. I was trying to warn them to get away from the bar. They thought I was one of Castro’s men, and four of them shot at me. It was what you would call ‘friendly fire.’”

Eduardo and his family had been direct victims of Castro’s revolutionary tactics. As Eduardo’s sister Marisa told me, “Castro took away everything we had.” Hard-earned family assets were seized as “property of the state.”

With cattle farms, shrimp boats, wellappointed residences, and a long history of political involvement in the Cuban province of Camagűey, the Zayas-Bazán family had been wealthy. But all that disappeared from their control, prompting Eduardo to begin conspiring against the government.

“Castro had taken hold of the means of communication, confiscated farms and businesses, and Cuba had become a totalitarian country,” Eduardo said. Private property was no more.

Throughout his childhood, Eduardo had taken part in swim meets, and his first job in Cuba was as a swimming instructor. After he left Cuba in September of 1960 as a member of the underground intent on removing Castro from power, he learned, in Miami, that the Cuban insurgent organization was looking for frog men. Because of his swimming ability, he joined an underwater demolition team composed of 11 men.

Recalling the spring of 1961, Eduardo said, “We had the total support of the Americans. We were convinced we were going to win. America had never lost a war. Americans were like supermen to us—the FBI, the CIA— they were heroes to us. We were being funded by the American government, and we had a CIA man landing with us. Destroyers were going to Cuba next to us, with aircraft carriers a few miles from us. We were told not to worry about the air. But that didn’t happen.”

According to Eduardo, one of the main reasons for the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion was a reduction in the number of air strikes that were supposed to occur before the exiles landed.

“There was only one strike, two days before we landed. We lasted three days before our planes were shot down. Castro’s planes sank two of our ships. The rest of our ships were ordered to leave Cuba. They never came back. Over 1,200 of us were left stranded.”

Because of his wounded leg, the totally demoralized Eduardo was one of the first of the Cuban exiles to be taken prisoner. About 80 of them were transported to Havana, where they spent 2 ½ days at a large military fort, before being mysteriously hauled back to the Bay of Pigs Invasion site in two buses.

“I think they were going to execute us and say that we had died fighting. But when the international press began to arrive, I think someone likely told Castro that he could not execute this many people, so we were returned to Havana and imprisoned.”

Eduardo says the invasion only served to empower Castro. “He had not defeated 1,250 men, Cuban exiles like myself, he had defeated the Americans.”

Eduardo describes the first place he and his fellow exiles were taken as a “dungeon,” where they had to stand in line, with tin plates and utensils, for food. “The long, tedious days were passed reading and playing cards we made from cardboard and chess sets with pieces made from cigar boxes.”

Back in Miami, Eduardo’s wife Elena was anxious to give him news about their young son Eddy, who was only two months old when his father left for the invasion, but authorities returned Elena’s letters, saying there were no prisoners in Cuba.

Eduardo spent a year in prison before Castro permitted 60 prisoners who were wounded and needed medical treatment to come to the United States in April of 1962. At the Miami airport, Eddy, walking by that time, was unsure about the strange man who wanted to hug and kiss him.

“All the prisoners had a price on their heads,” recalls Eduardo. “They were either sentenced to 30 years in prison or ransomed by the American government, for $53 million in baby food and medicine.”

For the wounded, the cash ransom paid by the U.S. was $100,000 per prisoner. “So you paid $100,000 for me in 1962, which is quite a figure.”

Eduardo’s son Eddy, who now operates the popular Greg’s Pizza establishments in Johnson City and Elizabethton, once told

me: “My parents always explained to me how proud we should be of being Americans, but they never let me forget that we are Cubans, too.”

Only two months after he was released from prison, Eduardo and his family visited Johnson City, Tennessee, for the very first time. Elena’s father, Dr. Roberto Pedroso, a urologist like his father Dr. Gonzalo Pedroso, had taken a position with the Veterans Administration hospital at Mountain Home. Eight months later, Eduardo and Elena’s daughter Elena was born. She now teaches at Kingsport’s Dobyns-Bennett High School.

The Zayas-Bazán family became enchanted with the mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, which led Eduardo first to a position as a Spanish professor at Appalachian State University. In 1968, he was hired by ETSU, where he remained on the faculty for 25 years, 10 of them as Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages.

At ETSU, Eduardo instituted an annual, twoday foreign language festival for area high school students and established summer study abroad programs in Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, France, and Germany. He became deeply involved in Johnson City’s Sister Cities program and was named President of the organization in 1971. His Spanish textbooks, published by Prentice Hall, have been adopted by schools and colleges throughout the United States and Canada.

In 2009, Eduardo and the late ETSU English professor Dr. Robert J. “Jack” Higgs collaborated on an historical novel, The Flying Fish, about the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

And the reason for our radio interview this year was the publication of Eduardo’s autobiography, which he calls, simply, My Life. I asked him about the compelling reasons for documenting his life story in book form.

“I am 85 years old. I want my descendants to know about my life in Cuba and the United States. My father died in 1979, unexpectedly. He had no autobiography, so we lost many of his memories.”

Strangely enough, during the fifth year of the Cuban Revolution, Eduardo’s father, Manuel Eduardo Zayas-Bazán Recio, was also imprisoned. Once Governor of the province of Camagűey, he was caught up in an alleged conspiracy against the government, of which he really had no part. He served 7½ years of a 10-year prison sentence, even though he was totally innocent of the charges.

Eduardo and his wife Lourdes now live in Miami, but he remains very close to his family, celebrating a string of recent successes. Grandchildren Lauren and Will (whose parents are Elena and Ed Allen) are now medical doctors. Lindsey Treviño (daughter of Eddy and his wife Cindy) and her husband Luis, an attorney, are the parents of Eduardo’s first great-grandchild, Santiago, born on September 27, 2019.

Eduardo’s first wife Elena is deceased, but he is still very close to her family, and they join him every fall for one of my favorite East Tennessee traditions, the roasting of a pig, Cuban-style, on the grounds of the Allandale Mansion in Kingsport. In 1971, when Eduardo roasted his first pig in East Tennessee, he could not find sour orange juice, so he did what Cubans have always done. He improvised, using grocery store grapefruit juice.

In addition to blending the special meat marinade of the grapefruit juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, Eduardo is the master of black beans. “You cannot have a pig roast without black beans,” he asserts. He adds that his take on black beans is not found in restaurants, for, as Eduardo says, “We make them with too much love.”

The recipe is an inheritance from his first wife’s grandfather, Dr. Gonzalo Pedroso,

who was famous for his culinary skills in Cuba.

Over 100 people usually attend the pig roast. Eduardo’s sister-in-law, Irene Pedroso Mitchell, always brings flan and often one of the dishes from the olive-oil stained notebook her mother purchased at the Woolworth’s in Havana, Cuba, in 1960. Full of hand-written recipes, it was one of the few things the family was allowed to take out of the country when they were preparing to come to America, along with photo albums and the baptismal robe.

At the conclusion of the pig roasts, Eduardo proclaims the pig “better than ever.”

“You might accuse me of saying that every year, but I truly believe it. This year was the best.” The statement captures his philosophy of life: Things always get better.

As much as he enjoys playing dominos with fellow Bay of Pigs veterans in Miami or serving as an officer of the Municipality of Camagűey in Exile or celebrating birthdays at the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, the East Tennessee pig roast is one of the highlights of his year. He sends out notices to his friends months in advance.

Son Eddy, who tends the fire, adds, “The pig roast is tremendously important. It’s an emotional event for me.”

On those evenings in late fall, Eduardo Zayas-Bazán is in his element as he celebrates his connection to two homelands. Exiled from the land of his birth, he made a new and fascinating life in East Tennessee. As his late colleague Jack Higgs once said, “Uprooted, displaced, your very country taken away from you—that’s a terrible thing. But heroism is recovery. I’ve known Eduardo all these many years, and I think he stands for recovery of sanity in the hemisphere.”

Of East Tennessee, Eduardo concludes: “I truly believe this is God’s country.”

Fred Sauceman is Executive Editor of ETSU Today and producer of the documentary film Mountain Mojo: A Cuban Pig Roast in East Tennessee.

ELLZY CREDITS QUILLEN MENTORS FOR HIS FOCUS ON FAMILY MEDICINE, PERFORMING ARTS

CLASS OF ‘96 GRADUATE, NAVY VET DISCUSSES IMPORTANCE OF HAVING “LIFE IN ADDITION TO MEDICINE”

“I’m a little bit of an overachiever,” Dr. James Ellzy quipped with modesty as he looked around the recently cleared auditorium at Stanton-Gerber Hall.

Moments earlier, he administered the Oath of the Commissioned Officer for soon-to-be graduates of the Quillen College of Medicine. Later that day, he was guest speaker at their commencement ceremony.

To attend those events on the dais with past mentors and colleagues at his side, Dr. Ellzy, a 1996 Quillen graduate, drove from Washington,

D.C., where he lives with husband Franc O’Malley and serves as lead physician for the Department of Defense in global deployment of a commercial electronic health record. A family physician and associate professor of medicine, the retired Navy veteran is also a clinical liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs as it unifies veterans’ medical records with the Department of Defense.

Alongside his extensive list of medical experiences Dr. Ellzy maintains a separate résumé for what he calls his “hobby,” dance and theatre. He credits his Quillen years as a catalyst for such an ambitious career, one that is equal parts medicine and performing arts.

“The reason I went into family medicine is Dr. Reid Blackwelder,” recalled Dr. Ellzy of the current Quillen chair and professor.

Ellzy said he originally planned a career in ophthalmology but clinical experiences at ETSU put him on a different course. His parents, Drs. Rena and James Ellzy, Sr., are retired professors in Nashville where he grew up alongside younger brother Kenneth. Higher education was always at the forefront.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW CARROLL

“It was never a matter of if we were going to college. It was where we were going to college,” said Dr. Ellzy with a laugh. “I was very strong in science and it was also important for me to be a role model, especially for the Black community. But after about 25 cataract surgeries, I said, ‘I don’t want to do this.’”

He followed up with an OB rotation, but didn’t like the idea of giving up mother and baby after seven to nine months either.

“It came down to family medicine, but I was concerned about practicing because there’s so much to know,” recalled Dr. Ellzy. “Then Dr. Blackwelder said, ‘It’s a matter of knowing what you know, knowing what you don’t know, and knowing either who to talk to or where to look it up when you don’t know something.’ I said, ‘That I can do.’ What he said to me that day set me on the right path for the rest of my career.”

Exploring the knowns and unknowns of a career in family medicine was a challenge for which Ellzy was prepared, but as with any career path, fatigue from the journey can happen despite one’s passion. Facing potential for such an obstacle, Ellzy said he learned his most valuable life lesson—how to find a work-life balance. For this he acknowledges the late Dr. Charles Votaw, who, as ETSU’s Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, was instrumental in establishing Quillen’s medical curriculum.

“Something Dr. Votaw told us the very first day was, ‘There’s a lot of burnout in medicine. One of the best things you can do is have a hobby and stick with it,” said Dr. Ellzy. “Dancing is my hobby. There are times in your medical career when you think, ‘I shouldn’t be doing other things.’ But because Dr. Votaw said that, I allowed myself to have something more. He gave me the freedom to say, ‘Yes, I need to have a life in addition to medicine.’”

Today, Dr. Ellzy’s dance résumé is as strong as his medical CV. Besides medicine, he has studied ballet and tap at Northwestern University and modern dance under Jean Isaacs at San Diego Academy of Performing Arts. For five years he danced with the California Ballet Company, as well as the San Diego Dance Theater, and with three other dance companies in San Diego. In addition to his theatre and chorale work, which includes choreographer and dance captain for 17th Street Dance, director-at-large for Federal City Performing Arts Association, and panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Dr. Ellzy’s hobby has taken him across the U.S., as well as to Europe, Canada, and Australia. In Queensland, he was international judge for the Showcase National Dance Competition.

Locally, Dr. Ellzy performed for Theatre Bristol in a 1994 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel during his Quillen OB rotation. For anyone wondering about his work life balance, “I got an ‘A’ on my OB rotation,” he said with a smile.

“Even now, I have balance in my life,” added Dr. Ellzy. “That was my core takeaway from ETSU. Medicine is very important, and I felt very privileged to be a physician but you need to step away from the medicine at times and not let it consume you. If you do, then you’re not going to belong in it.”

Reviewing his achievements, Dr. Ellzy said he believes each prepared him for where he is today.

“My last two jobs on active duty and my current job were all about the electronic health record. The Department of Defense has tried multiple times to change to a more modern, commercial medical records system but was unable to do it. This time we’re very successful and a third of the way deployed. Getting to this point in the project has been one of my crowning achievements.

“Especially now, working with the Veterans Administration, I feel like my entire career on active duty was getting me ready for this job. Not many people can ever say that. I’ve done administrative medicine, so I understand the business. I was chief of a department with a residency program and a fellowship, so I understand the needs of academic medicine. I was in charge of clinical quality and metrics for reporting to The Joint Commission, so I understand their requirements. I was in charge of the formulary for the DoD, so when someone in pharmacy asks questions I understand what they’re asking. I’ve been a practicing physician, so I understand what it means to be in the operating room and throughout the hospital. This is one of the wonderful things about being a family physician. When someone asks a question, I can lean on past experiences to answer them. Everything has been getting me ready for where I am now and it’s a wonderful feeling.”

In addition to being one of the clinical leads for the DoD’s EHR deployment, Dr. Ellzy said he is also most proud of serving on the board of directors for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), representing more than 131,000 physicians, residents, and students.

“Being on the AAFP board has really been another crowning achievement,” added Ellzy. “Interestingly, Dr. Blackwelder is also a past president, so it’s been wonderful to see him at annual meetings because he was my inspiration for becoming a family doctor.”

On returning to ETSU as presenter and guest speaker to lead ETSU’s new physicians into their future, said Dr. Ellzy, “It feels like coming home. It’s not the same physical space, but seeing some of the faces who helped mold me into the physician I am, that definitely feels ‘home,’ and to sit on the dais with Dr. Blackwelder is an amazing feeling.”

Joel Spears is a member of the ETSU classes of 2001 and 2020.

Even now, I have balance in my life. That was my core takeaway from ETSU.

Dr. James Ellzy

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

WHO’S GOING TO ETSU?

DAVID CARNEY

A “storymap” telling the story of the Gray Fossil Site using maps of fossils clarifies how the site formed and improves paleontological research.

“Spatial Analyses of the Gray Fossil Site Vertebrate Remains,” a study combining geographic information systems (GIS) and vertebrate taphonomy—the study of what happens to animals after death and burial—was created as his master’s thesis by David Carney, a May graduate of ETSU’s paleontology master’s degree program.

Carney won three awards for his work this spring from the Tennessee Geographic Information Council: Best Student Map Submission, Best Interactive Map, and Viewer’s Choice. Winning all three categories is rare, according to ETSU Department of Geosciences Chair Dr. Arpita Nandi, who said this feat has brought statewide exposure to the Gray Fossil Site.

After studying GIS as an undergraduate at Eastern Connecticut State University, Carney joined the National Civilian Community Corps through AmeriCorps. He later worked with the Forestry Service in Bozeman, Montana.

While in Montana volunteering with the Museum of the Rockies, he rediscovered a longtime love of paleontology and realized how his past educational and field experiences help shape him for work in that field. He was glad to find ETSU, with its rare combination of graduate programs in both paleontology and geospatial analysis.

For his thesis, he wanted to analyze spatial patterns in paleontological data using GIS software. ETSU’s Gray Fossil Site was the perfect fit. Paleontologists

there have collected spatial information on fossils since the site’s discovery in 2000. Every fossil has been mapped using surveying equipment before being removed from the ground.

With 20 years’ worth of data, Carney had an opportunity to apply new techniques to improve interpretations at the site.

“We are looking for spatial trends to get an idea of how these things were preserved,” he said. “That falls in the field of taphonomy, a sub-field within paleontology that studies what happens to an organism after it dies, all the way up to how we find it as a fossil. Taphonomy considers many post-death processes, but I was interested in spatial taphonomy, which looks at the spatial organization of the bones.”

Carney said different things influence the way fossilized bones are organized. For instance, if animal remains were deposited in a river setting, the remains would be oriented with the water flow direction.

So he looked at the patterns of bone placement to begin making hypotheses about the pits and about how the Gray Fossil Site formed. One of the most interesting things he studied is the mastodon that was discovered in 2015.

“This is the biggest animal they’ve discovered at the site so far, and one of the more complete specimens,” Carney pointed out. “This site represents a sinkhole environment where animal and plant remains collect and preserve exquisitely in layers of black clay. The mastodon material, however, was highly fragmented and identified in a poorly sorted geologic deposit where the fossils are mixed with different-sized rocks, including large boulders. These types of deposits generally indicate a rapid debris movement such as a landslide.

“Curiously, the mastodon was found near the bottom of this deposit near where it meets back up with the black clays below. So when they discovered this they started to think, ‘Was this mastodon at the edge of this sinkhole, maybe getting water or something, and triggered this event?’ And ‘Was it kind of captured in this landslide that basically led to its death?’”

Carney made three-dimensional models of the deposit’s boulders and the mastodon fossil fragments in ArcGIS software to look at trends. Based on the models, the boulders and mastodon elements were intertwined. While some bones were nicely articulated, such as the arm bone with the shoulder, others were fragmented.

“The relationship between the boulders and the mastodon definitely highlights that these things were deposited together,” Carney said. “We can’t say for sure whether it was alive when this happened, but the skeleton was definitely swept up in a debris flow.”

Carney believes his work with the ArcGIS software could have an impact on the way paleontologists work in general.

“Because a lot of these techniques are new and no one’s really done this before, I hope these techniques I’ve used will start taking off in paleontology. This could show paleontologists that GIS can help them investigate fossil sites in a detailed manner that wasn’t necessarily possible even 10 years ago. It’s easier to keep track of data, and so I think GIS is going to be a really valuable tool for paleontologists in the future. And, I hope that people who are experts in GIS will see this and realize this is another avenue for their work.”

Jennifer L. Hill is Assistant Director for Communications in the Office of University Relations. | Photo by Ron Campbell

GRAD STUDENT’S THESIS PUBLISHED IN CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT JOURNAL

AUTHOR HOPES FINDINGS WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED

SCREENING, HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE

ETSU graduate student Robyn Dolson has had her thesis containing new findings on childhood sexual abuse published in an international journal.

“Pocket ACE: Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Missed by the ACEs Study Questionnaire” appears in the July 2021 edition of Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal published by Elsevier. It is co-authored by ETSU Department of Psychology faculty members Drs. Diana Morelen, Julia Dodd, and Andrea Clements.

Dolson is a graduate student in ETSU’s doctoral program in Clinical Psychology, which is a dual M.A./Ph.D. program allowing students to earn their master’s degree while working toward the doctorate. Dolson, who holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology from Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon, graduated with her M.A. through this program in spring 2019 and anticipates completing her Ph.D. in May 2023.

What sparked Dolson’s research was some wording within an influential and widely used screening test that triggered her curiosity. A 1998 study on the relationship between health in adulthood and exposure to 10 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) found that if a child had at least four ACEs, their risk for the leading causes of death in the U.S. increased significantly in adulthood. Dolson said this test specifically asked about sexual abuse before the age of 18 committed by “an adult or person at least 5-years older than” the subject.”

“For me, this wording didn’t sit right,” she said. “I wondered where the ‘person at least 5-years older than you’ came from and whether age mattered. To me, a lack of consent seemed more important than the age of the abuser. Plus, this likely meant that anyone assaulted by a peer, friend, sibling, or young adult was not having their abuse counted toward their total ACE score and may not have an accurate picture of their health risk.”

As she began her thesis, Dolson did a “deep dive” on ACEs and the origin of that wording and traced it to the opinion of two sociologists in the 1970s. She said that although it was only an opinion, it was incorrectly cited in the 1998 study as having scientific support; as a result, this wording became common in the assessment of childhood sexual abuse.

For her thesis, Dolson wanted to learn whether the “5-years or older” wording had caused some survivors of childhood sexual abuse to be missed. She also wanted to see if such survivors were at the same increased risk for poorer health in adulthood as those found in the ACEs study, and if being missed kept survivors from receiving health risk information or community resources for those with high ACE scores.

Dolson and her faculty co-researchers asked 974 women from around the world about their ACEs with all original items, but they also asked the women about childhood sexual abuse without the “5-years or older” wording.

“The findings were striking,” Dolson said. “We found a group of sexual abuse survivors were completely missed

by the original ACE question because their abusers were less than five years older than them. Further, this group was nearly as large as the group of survivors who were identified by the original survey, and our missed group was at the same increased risk for poor health as those identified. In addition, for many survivors in our study, being able to answer ‘yes’ to this question without the ‘5-years or older’ requirement meant they did have an ACE score of 4, which had implications for their access to services.

“Applying these findings to the U.S.,” she continued, “means that there are potentially 18 million women in this country who have experienced childhood sexual abuse but remain hidden on current surveys used to screen for this. Therefore, these women likely do not know they are at a higher risk for depression and symptoms of chronic illness and may not have access to community programs that could offer help.”

Dolson hopes these findings will encourage researchers and medical providers, as well as government agencies that use an ACE score to influence funding decisions, “to rethink how they assess childhood sexual abuse and remove the ‘5-years or older’ requirement.

“Without changes, these survivors of childhood sexual abuse could continue to remain lost in the cracks between status and quo, not be able to access needed resources, and might not receive adequate health counseling about their increased risk of death and illness.”

Dolson was pleased to learn her thesis was accepted for publication.

“It fills me with hope,” she said. “In the short term, publication in a multidisciplinary journal such as this one that is read by medical providers, public health professionals, social workers and psychologists means these findings will have a wider reach. With a wider reach, the potential for meaningful improvements within practice, research, and policy based on this research increases.

“The better we’re able to assess childhood sexual abuse, the more we’re able to help at-risk patients, trust research findings on childhood sexual abuse, and create enough well-funded programs to provide resources to all of those who need it. With so many injustices in our world, it feels good to be able to have a small part in rectifying this one by making these previously invisible survivors visible.”

Dolson, who was born in Colorado Springs and grew up throughout the Pacific Northwest, anticipates completing an internship and post-doctoral fellowship after earning her Ph.D. at ETSU.

“With any luck and a few more years, I’ll be a practicing psychologist and clinical researcher within a teaching hospital or academic medical center,” she says.

Jennifer L. Hill is Assistant Director of Communications in the Office of University Relations. | Photo by Ron Campbell

EXUBERANCE!: FROM AN AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

The Reece Museum collection at ETSU provides touchstones that connect us to our stories and to the stories of those who came before us. For 93 years, community members have donated personal items to the university. Since 1965, many of those items have found a permanent home in the Reece. The communal nature of the collection has created a diverse and eclectic regional story, which received a significant boost when the museum was recently bequeathed an art collection from the Sammy L. Nicely Estate.

Nicely, an artist and educator, embraced his cultural heritage as an African American man from Appalachia. The youngest of seven children, he was born in 1947 in Russellville, Tennessee, and developed a love for the arts at an early age. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Art Education, he continued his graduate studies in sculpture at The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg.

Nicely served as the Reece Museum’s artist-in-residence during the 2014-15 academic year, when he worked with youth at Johnson City’s North Side Elementary School, the Carver Recreation Center afterschool program, and students in the Department of Art and Design at ETSU. During his residency, he also curated two exhibitions for the museum in 2015: EXUBERANCE! Kids Make Art about Art and From an African American Perspective, an exhibition that included artworks from the collections of Jan and Sylvia Peters of Knoxville; Dr. Jerome Wright of Savannah, Georgia; and Nicely’s personal collection of African and African American art. Most of the Sammie L. Nicely Estate-donated artwork was first seen locally in From an African American Perspective

To Nicely, his collection represented a “vehicle of empowerment,” shared in order for others to know him, both as a person and an artist. He first began collecting images he found “visually and emotionally exciting” and that depicted “images that are the same color as me.”

Included in the donated collection are works by Nicely, his nephew Calvin Nicely, and renowned artists like Bessie Harvey, Mose Tolliver, Lonnie Holley, and John Preble. The collection also consists of works by unknown artisans and artists purchased during Nicely’s African and Caribbean travels. Represented materials include acrylic and oil paintings, prints, metal and wood sculptures, mixed media, glass, ceramics, beaded cloth, and stone. A catalogue featuring the 50 artifacts in this collection can be found on the Reece Museum website at https://www.etsu.edu/cas/cass/reece/sammie-nicelycollection.php.

In 2023, the museum will present an “in-person” exhibition from the Estate of Sammy Nicely.

Rebecca Proffitt is Collections Manager and Randy Sanders is Director at the Reece Museum on the campus of ETSU.

PHOTO BY LARRY SMITH

PHOTO BY REBECCA PROFFITT

ALUMNI HOSTS ASSEMBLY SESSIONS

Inform. Celebrate. Engage.

That was the theme of a series of virtual town halls hosted by the ETSU Alumni Association during the month of April.

President Brian Noland and Alumni Association Executive Director Whitney Goetz led the sessions. More than 135 alumni participated.

“For my first year on the job, having these gatherings with our alumni was at the top of my list – pandemic or no pandemic,” said Goetz, who took over the Alumni Association in July 2020. “Clearly, the online format was our best option, and we hosted them in areas where we had the greatest concentration of graduates.”

The 2021 Alumni Assembly Series included sessions in East Tennessee (Knoxville and Chattanooga); Middle Tennessee/Atlanta; Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia and Maryland; Charlotte and Raleigh, North

DAY OF GIVING 2021

etsu.edu/give 423-439-4242

Carolina/Greenville, South Carolina; and Appalachian Highlands/Asheville. During the sessions, Noland provided a number of ETSU updates, including the institution’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, campus projects, academic and athletic initiatives, the outlook for the fall 2021 semester, the Martin Center for the Arts, the Committee for 125 Chapter Two, and a report on the search for the new Provost. He was joined by Goetz, Pam Ritter, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the ETSU Foundation, and Associate Vice President John King in discussing progress with The Campaign for ETSU, the 2021 Day of Giving, and opportunities for alumni engagement such as the regional clubs, volunteer opportunities, and Homecoming.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our alumni to connect with other Buccaneers in their community while hearing President Noland share stories from our alma mater. The series was a great success, and we

$320,400 raised

1,135 gifts

could not have done it without our alumni host committee members in those regions,” Goetz said.

A great way for all alumni to further engage with ETSU is to join one of the regional clubs. Presently, clubs are located in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, and Washington, D.C., and a new club in Charlotte will launch soon.

“The clubs are great for networking,” Goetz said. “We have social events, often when the Bucs are competing in those cities, and these are great opportunities for the entire family to attend. Our regional clubs also have a service component, as members help with recruitment events and even write letters to incoming students. It’s a great way for our alumni to pass along best wishes and encouragement to students who are following in their footsteps.”

Interested in joining a regional alumni club? Contact alumni@etsu.edu.

1,000 commitments from donors

FORMER ETSU FIRST LADY DIES

Ann Nicks was as in love with the ETSU community as it was with her. Initially, when her husband, Dr. Roy S. Nicks, became President of ETSU, she continued her work as Director of Academic Affairs at the corporate office of Education Corporation of America in Nashville. But she very much desired to be an active member of the ETSU community and moved to be with Dr. Nicks in Johnson City. Almost immediately, she enrolled in the master’s program in the College of Applied Science and Technology, with a minor in Human Relations in the College of Education. She earned her master’s degree in Engineering Technology from ETSU in the fall of 1993, one year after becoming First Lady. Working on that degree gave her an up-close view of the daily activities of our faculty, staff, and students, which she promoted widely and enthusiastically.

Mrs. Nicks took great delight in opening up Shelbridge, the presidential residence, to the campus community. Before Dr. Nicks’ tenure ended in January of 1997, she had planned and hosted over 100 events at Shelbridge, where she had dedicated a room to showcase Appalachian art created by area artisans. In her quiet and endearing way, Ann Nicks became one of ETSU’s most ardent advocates, a relationship that lasted far beyond the Nicks’ return to Middle Tennessee.

Ann Nicks was born in Ennis, Texas, on May 11, 1943, and died in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 2 of this year, after a 21-year battle with multiple sclerosis.

In addition to her master’s degree from ETSU, she held an undergraduate degree from North Texas State University. She had taught in the Texas public school system and served as a teacher and Dean of Executive Secretarial School in Dallas.

In 2010, ETSU honored Mrs. Nicks as an Outstanding Alumna.

The family has requested that memorials be made to the Hermitage United Methodist Church or to the Roy and Ann Nicks Honors Scholarship Endowment at ETSU.

PHOTO BY LARRY SMITH

ETSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW OFFICERS, MEMBERS

In February, the ETSU National Alumni Association announced the election of alumni board officers and appointment of new members during its annual board meeting.

The Alumni Association elected Bryan Daniels of the classes of 1995 and 1997 to serve as President. He is the CEO of the Blount County Partnership in Maryville. Tom Tull, class of 1995, Chief Experience Officer of Ballad Health, Johnson City, was elected President-Elect. The board elected Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Virginia Bieber, a three-time graduate (1990 – B.S. Home Economics, 1993 – M.S. Clinical Nutrition, and 2003 Ed.D. Educational Leadership) who lives in Knoxville. Continuing his service to the board as Past President is Lawrence Counts. The 1979 graduate is an attorney and owner of Mountain States Title Co., Johnson City.

The newest alumni to serve four-year terms on the board include Dr. Gaurav Bharti, Charlotte, North Carolina; Dr. Dorsha James, Nashville; and Paul Bashea Williams, Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Bharti graduated from ETSU in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and received his M.D. from the Quillen College of Medicine in 2006. He is a co-owner and managing partner of HKB Cosmetic Surgery in Charlotte. A nationally recognized expert in aesthetic plastic surgery, Bharti focuses on modernizing the patient experience, driving innovation in the field, and providing consultative guidance for practices. In addition, he is a board adviser, mentor, speaker, entrepreneur, fellowship director, investor, and influencer.

James graduated from ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine in 2005. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis in 2000 and was the first African American female to matriculate into the Department of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt

University Medical Center. The emergency medicine physician is also an entrepreneur who started her own telehealth company, myURGENCYMD. She and her wife, Judge Rachel Bell, also have a non-profit organization called The Ring the Bell Foundation, which brings positive awareness and action to several social issues.

Williams, a member of the classes of 2003 and 2006, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work from ETSU’s College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences. He is the author of the best-selling book Dear Future Wife: A Man’s Guide and A Woman’s Reference to Healthy Relationships

Williams is a licensed clinical social worker and celebrity therapist providing mental health therapy, public speaking, and corporate coaching. He owns and operates Hearts in Minds Counseling. He has appeared in an HBO documentary on African American men and mental health and made a number of appearances on major news networks. He speaks internationally on the importance of mental health and healthy relationships.

Returning board members include Renee Bays Lockhart, Bluff City; Don Raines, Gray; the Hon. Kenneth N. Bailey Jr., Greeneville; Andrew Hall and Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gary Harrell, Johnson City; Pauline Douglas, Jonesborough; Michael Fishman, Morristown; Tammy Hawes, Nashville; Dr. Kyle Colvett, Piney Flats; Tammy Arnett Morreale, Jacksonville, Florida; and Jan Brown, McLean, Virginia.

Bryan Daniels Dr. Dorsha James

Tom Tull

Dr. Gaurav Bharti

Dr. Virginia Bieber

Lawrence Counts

Paul Bashea Williams

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN APPROACHES FINAL YEAR

The Campaign for ETSU – East Tennessee State University’s comprehensive campaign – is an opportunity for alumni and friends to write the next chapter for the university.

“When we envisioned this initiative several years ago, the concept of ‘campaigning for ETSU’ was already well-established, as it built on a tradition that dates back to the early 1900s,” said Pam Ritter, Vice President for University Advancement and President/CEO of the ETSU Foundation. “The roots of our history began with a campaign for stronger education in the state, and for more than a century, people have campaigned for ETSU.”

The Campaign for ETSU launched in the spring of 2017 with an ambitious goal of raising $120 million to support four primary areas:

• Student Support: ($21 million) to provide scholarships, study abroad opportunities, graduate student stipends, and other experiential learning

• Faculty Support: ($23.5 million) to empower faculty through distinguished professorships, chairs, and endowments

• Program Support: ($35 million) to fund exciting new programs to attract students and ultimately transform their lives

• Facility Support: ($40.5 million) to breathe new life into campus through critical matching funds required for future buildings and renovations

To date, The Campaign for ETSU has raised $112,652,737.

“This accomplishment reflects the loyalty and the deep respect our alumni and friends have for East Tennessee State University,” Ritter said. “Our donors are able to designate their gift to what is important to them.

“With The Campaign for ETSU, we are building new relationships with our alumni and listening to their dreams for where they want to see the institution go,” she said. “This campaign provides a pathway to see those dreams fulfilled and for the university to succeed.”

The campaign was launched less than 36 months before the COVID-19 pandemic began. While the campaign continued its course, ETSU launched a separate initiative to raise funds to assist students and other services on campus. The Bucs Helping Bucs project raised over $132,000 for the Buccaneer Student and Staff Crisis funds, Bucky’s Food Pantry, and the ETSU Counseling Center.

As the campaign approaches its final year, Ritter invites others to share their dreams for the future of ETSU.

“You can help write the next chapter,” she said. “There are so many opportunities for giving. Student scholarships are always our highest priority, but there are ways donors can support the endeavors of our faculty. We are also excited about the discussions of some of the new building projects potentially on the horizon, such as the new academic building in the center of campus and the addition to Sam Wilson Hall.”

The Campaign for ETSU is set to conclude in 2022. To learn more about ways to contribute, visit etsu.edu/CampaignforETSU or contact Ritter at ritterp@etsu.edu.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

ETSU GOLF PROGRAMS MAKE HISTORY IN 2020-21

April 20, 2021 was a memorable day for both the ETSU men’s and women’s golf programs.

A year after COVID cancelled their spring seasons, both Buccaneer golf programs captured the 2021 Southern Conference Championships, marking the first time in school history the ETSU men’s and women’s golf teams won the conference crown in the same season.

“Our guys were in control the whole time and did a professional job getting the win,” stated Coach Jake Amos, who earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors. “It was tough on the back nine and we did what we had to do in order to win. I’m proud of them for handling the fact that they were favorites coming into the event and embracing the pressure all week. It was a great win to start our postseason play.

“Archie turned into a leader on this team,” added Amos. “He had a slow start to the year, but over the winter break he worked hard and came back to campus so much better. He solidified himself as our number-one player and showed up every week. He was knocking on the door for a win all spring, so it was only a matter of time. He plays golf like a 35-year-old veteran. I know this was one of his main goals this season to win but also to win the conference as a team. So, he was delighted to have achieved both.”

The men, who were playing The Oconee Course in Greensboro, Georgia, led wire-to-wire en route to capturing their 26th conference title (21st SoCon), while 275 miles to the east in Kiawah Island, the women had far more drama to claim their fourth conference title and first-ever SoCon crown.

The women saw their three-shot lead at the start of the final round evaporate before making clutch shots on the back nine to end Furman’s five-year run of sitting atop the SoCon pedestal. Senior Tereza Melecka – the SoCon Golfer of the Year – ignited the rally with three consecutive birdies on holes 11-13, while the championship came down to the final hole.

With ETSU and Furman tied atop the leaderboard, it all came down to the par-4, 360-yard 18th-hole. As her teammates watched on, graduate transfer Julia Goodson sank a par putt, while Furman’s Sarah-Eve Rheaume – the individual champion – bogeyed, sending the Bucs into a championship celebration. After Rheaume hit into a hazard off the tee box, she was forced to take a drop and made a 10-foot bogey putt. Goodson chipped one inside five feet of the hole and sank the par putt for the win. Goodson’s putt posted the Blue and Gold at 12-under-par 876 for the tournament, while Furman finished at 13-over-par 877.

“It was unreal and didn’t really hit me after I made the putt,” said Goodson, who transferred to ETSU from Kent State. “We knew it was close (heading to the final hole), but I didn’t know the score. I was nervous walking up to my final putt as there were a lot of people around the green. I kept telling myself, ‘Treat it like any other putt.’ That helped calm my nerves and not worry about the score. Afterwards, it helped the result and as I was walking towards Coach (Stefanie) Shelton, she said, ‘I think that putt may have just won the championship.’”

The men cruised their way to a an eight-shot win over Western Carolina with Archie Davies – the SoCon Golfer and Freshman of the Year – making it a clean sweep by claiming medalist honors. The Bucs were the only team to finish below par at 5-under-par 859, while Davies won his first collegiate tournament with a score of 9-under-par 207. Davies won by three strokes and became the first player in SoCon history to win Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the same season.

The women capped off a historic season where they recorded a program-record three wins, including back-to-back titles to end the campaign. The Bucs also posted five straight top-three finishes to end the season.

“This team continued getting better as the season went on,” said Shelton, whose Bucs won their first and last tournament of the season. “I don’t think we’ve ever had it this powerful. This was a fun and special group to coach.”

Overall, the Buccaneer men and women totaled 13 SoCon postseason honors with ETSU sweeping Player and Coach of the Year honors. Goodson and Warda Amira Rawof joined Melecka on the all-SoCon team, while Davies, Shiso Go, and Trevor Hulbert landed allconference accolades on the men’s side. Grace Chin and Davies both added all-freshman team honors to their résumé.

With nearly 90 combined years of competition and 30 conference championships, the Bucs hope to add to that success and not have the 2021 season mark the only time the men’s and women’s golf teams sweep the SoCon title in the same year.

Editor’s note: The ETSU women’s golf team received the SoCon automatic bid to the NCAA Regional, but due to inclement weather in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from May 10-12, the Regional was cancelled and the top six seeds advanced to the NCAA Championship. On the men’s side, the Bucs won the Cle Elum (Washington) Regional, marking their first regional win since 2001. ETSU advanced to its 18th NCAA Championship appearance in program history, while Shiso Go earned medalist honors, becoming the first Buccaneer to do so since 2008 when Rhys Enoch captured the NCAA East Regional.

Kevin Brown is Director of Communications for Intercollegiate Athletics. | Photo Courtesy of SoCon

STALLWORTH CAPS OFF STELLAR CROSS COUNTRY CAMPAIGN

Over her career, ETSU’s Lindsey Stallworth has had many ups and downs. The Buccaneer redshirt junior distance runner suffered an injury in 2017 and most-recently in 2019, but after keeping a positive mindset and staying the course, Stallworth’s hard work made the 2020-21 season one to remember.

Like most things, it looked like COVID was going to impact Stallworth’s cross country season as the Southern Conference postponed fall competition just weeks before the start of the year.

But with a lot of uncertainty in the air, Stallworth stuck with what she knows best – running.

“Being a runner is therapeutic because it allows you to get outside and clear your mind,” said Stallworth. “Running is such a big stress reliever for me and a lot of people in general. It’s probably the only thing over quarantine that got me out of the house. I definitely relied on running.”

Staying in shape and working out all summer was something that caught her coach’s attention when she returned to campus in the fall.

“Lindsey did a great job training this summer,” said ETSU women’s cross country head coach

Catherine Layne. “She ran 65 miles per week and came back to school super fit.”

Keeping up with her training regimen and having a positive mindset paid off because two months after the league office postponed fall sports, the SoCon announced it was going to hold the Cross Country Championships in November.

“When we learned about the conference championship I was excited,” said Stallworth. “We had a lot of freshmen on the team and I was glad they experienced running in a conference championship meet. I was happy everyone got the opportunity to display all the work they put in. We’re always training for something –each other, to get faster, to improve – but the conference meet gave us an immediate goal for everything we have done. It helped motivate everyone and made it feel more normal. We needed that sense of normalcy.”

As the conference announced the news, ETSU Director of Cross Country/Track & Field George Watts was prepared to get his squads tuned up. He was able to get the Bucs scheduled to run in the Newberry Invitational on October 30 in South Carolina.

The meet was a huge success as the Blue and Gold swept all four titles – both teams

and individuals – including Stallworth capturing her first collegiate title with a personal best time of 17:36 – which was an entire minute faster than her nearest competitor. Even more impressive, this marked Stallworth’s first collegiate cross country meet in 722 days.

“It was great to race in grass and on hills again,” said Stallworth, whose last cross country meet prior was on November 9, 2018, at the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Florida. “I missed that a lot. I knew it had been a while, but it didn’t sink in that it was that much until later. I was happy we were able to go out there and be given the opportunity to race again. It felt so good.”

The result came as no surprise to Coach Watts.

“Lindsey had a great run and looked really strong at Newberry,” said Watts. “She didn’t miss a step. I wasn’t surprised at all. She has a competitive mindset and knows how to prepare for races and championship meets.”

Next on Stallworth’s horizon was the SoCon Championship, which was just a few weeks away at the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course. The Buccaneer leader was looking to become just the second ETSU female individual winner in program history – joining current Coach Layne (formerly Berry) as she won in 1997. Ironically, that win also came in the Peach State.

With a race and a victory under her belt, Stallworth was looking to make it 2-for-2 in the fall of 2020.

After missing the entire 2019 cross country season with a fractured fifth metatarsal, Stallworth joined Coach Layne as a SoCon Champion, as she finished with the top time of 17:15.62.

“It was a really cool moment to win the SoCon Championship,” said Stallworth, who was named SoCon Runner of the Year at the post-race ceremony. “I want to thank my coaches and teammates for all of their support. I was nervous all week leading into the race, but being with my teammates and coaches, I just felt happy to be with them at the meet. Those nerves went out the window once we got to the meet and I felt the atmosphere. I couldn’t have done this without their support and it was special to share this moment with them because I am going to know them for the rest of my life.”

PHOTO BY CLAY BILLMAN, OKLAHOMA STATE

Stallworth snapped a streak of 8,422 days between her title and Coach Layne’s, while Stallworth’s time was 18 seconds faster than her coach’s mark.

“It was exciting to see Lindsey accomplish,” said Layne. “She ran extremely well and stuck to our plan. She went out with the lead runners and stayed close with them. Immediately, the top three runners broke away from the pack, and at about the 3K mark, Lindsey made her move and the other two runners didn’t respond. It was great to see her win as easily as she did.

“For both of us to be the only two individual conference champions in school history is really special since I was able to be her coach. It made the moment even more exciting. I told her she will always have her name in the record book and it’s a moment that you will cherish forever.”

Following the conference win, Stallworth received a bid to the NCAA Championship. However, the Buccaneer leader would

CLASS NOTES

1960s

Rex B. Yates, Class of 1964, retired as an Administrator for the western-area Juvenile Services Division of North Carolina Courts. He is currently enjoying volunteering with Christian service organizations, gardening, and traveling to many parts of the world with his wife, Vivian. His degree is in Public School Administration.

Eleanor E. Yoakum, Class of 1965, has been awarded the 2021 Good Scout Award from the Smoky Mountain Council of Boy Scouts of America, which serves 21 counties in East Tennessee. Her degree is in Speech and Hearing.

have to wait as the championship meet was scheduled for Monday, March 15, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

After having months to train and get familiar for the largest run at the collegiate level, Stallworth was ready to showcase her talent on the national stage and continue to add to her historic season. Being the lone Buccaneer runner in the 256-participant field, Stallworth used a late charge to place 38th overall with a time of 20:58.5, earning All-American honors.

“The race went well. I went out according to the race plan and stuck to it,” said Stallworth. “The course was definitely challenging, but I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any other way. The terrain made the experience exciting.”

Coach Watts credited Lindsey’s dedication and commitment to her success. “Lindsey ran like a champ. For her to earn AllAmerican honors in her first NCAA Championship is even more impressive,” said Watts. “Her dedication and attention to detail made a huge difference in the success she’s had so far in her career. I couldn’t be happier for Lindsey and Coach Layne.”

Stallworth plucked off runners over the 6000m course en route to becoming the ninth female Buccaneer in ETSU Cross Country/Track & Field history to earn AllAmerican honors – the first doing so as a cross country runner.

Following the first 1000m, Stallworth sat in 186th place, but she then started making moves. Over her next 1000m, Stallworth climbed 35 spots and sat in 110th place at the midway point with a time of 10:21.8. At the 4000m mark, Stallworth moved into the top 100 (86th), while she was in 72ndplace with 1000m left in the race. Needing to take down at least 32 runners to capture All-American honors, Stallworth hit another gear and sprinted past 34 competitors to place in the top 40 – the highest finish by an ETSU runner in the NCAA Cross Country Championships since Coach Layne finished 33rd at the 1997 meet.

“I knew when the final two hills were coming, and at that point, the objective was to reel in as many runners as possible,” said Stallworth. “I had no idea where I was exactly in terms of place, but I did know that each spot was critical.

“It felt surreal to earn All-American (honors),” said Stallworth. “I know it’s something I’ll look back on years from now and be proud of. On the line, before the gun went off, I was never more happy to be wearing our colors out there.”

William B. Bowen, Classes of 1965 and 1970, penned the first novel in his series. Jews of Babylon: The Parable of Job tells a story of the people who, after being in captivity for 70 years, gain their freedom. His degrees are in History and Educational Administration.

Hulet M. Chaney, Class of 1966, was honored with the designation Significant Sig by Sigma Chi’s national fraternity. This award recognizes those alumni members whose exemplary achievements in their fields of endeavor have brought great honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi. Chaney is the CEO Emeritus of Farm Bureau of Tennessee. His degree is in Biology.

1970s

Charles “Peck” Gill, Class of 1973, was selected for the 2021 Class of the Order of Constantine for Sigma Chi Fraternity. Selection to the Order is the highest

honor in Sigma Chi and is based upon a brother’s service to Sigma Chi. Gill has served his ETSU chapter in multiple capacities including house corporation, treasurer, and member of the reunion and golf committees. He also served as an advisor to the Clemson, South Carolina, chapter in the late 1970s. Gill’s degree is in Industrial Technology.

J. Mark Hansen, Classes of 1975 and 1977, was named the Collierville Person of the Year by the Collierville, Tennessee, Chamber of Commerce. As the first School Board chair, Hansen worked tirelessly with fellow school board members to establish and develop a school system where students could thrive and excel. Hansen also served for 16 years on various boards and commissions, along with other community endeavors. His degrees are in History and Political Science.

David A. Lawrence, Classes of 1975 and 1996, has accepted a position as a Brewing Chemist with Tennessee Hills Brewing and Distilling. His degrees are in Chemistry and Business Administration.

1980s

Stanley H. Shoun, Class of 1980, is Chief Executive Officer of Rankin Technical College, where he is responsible for strategic planning of programs and partnerships which integrate education and workforce solutions. His degree is in Political Science.

Mary Frazier Barnes, Classes of 1981 and 1987, retired from her position as a Spanish teacher at Sullivan East High School. Her degrees are in History and Education/Supervision.

Stephanie McClellan Houk, Class of 1982, is the new Editor of the Johnson City Press. She has been a journalist for more than 25 years and was most recently editor of the Kingsport Times- News. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Kevin Brown is Director of Communications for Intercollegiate Athletics

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCON

Tammy Smith Hawes, Class of 1983, was a panelist at the Rise and Shine – Celebrating Women’s History Month event. She was involved in the discussion on the importance of women entrepreneurs in the salesforce ecosystem. Hawes is CEO and Founder of Virsys12. She is also an active member of the ETSU National Alumni Association Board of Directors.

D. Scott Williams, Class of 1983, has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of the Newport Medical Center, a Tennova Healthcare facility. He has over 25 years of nursing and healthcare administration experience. His degree is in Nursing.

Cecilia M. Whittington, Class of 1985, was recently spotlighted by LHP Capital as their featured team member for her exemplary work connecting residents to supportive social services and resources within the community. Whittington is also an officer with the ETSU Knox Alumni Club. Her degree is in Social Work.

John W. Blevins, Classes of 1986 and 1988, accepted a position with Fairfax County Virginia Government as Deputy Director of the Reston Community Center. Prior to that, he worked for Arlington County Parks and Recreation for 30 years. His degrees are in Physical Education.

Dr. Joe D. Moore, Class of 1987, has been commissioned to write the official fight song for the new West Ridge High School, a new high school in Sullivan County, Tennessee, combining Sullivan North, Central, and South high schools, which will open in the fall of 2021. Dr. Moore currently serves as ETSU’s Director of Athletic Bands. His degree is in Music.

Mark A. Bowman, Class of 1988, is working as a Recruitment Consultant at TargetCW. His degree is in Mass Communication.

Lisa Hogue Moffett, Class of 1988, has been promoted to Member Services Director for the Tennessee State Employees Association. Her degree is in Political Science.

David T. Reynolds, Class of 1988, is the new President of First Horizon Bank for the Tri-Cities market. His degree is in Finance.

Richard V. Gray, Class of 1989, has been named Controller for Crenlo Manufacturing. His degree is in Accounting.

John A. Harman, Classes of 1989 and 1993, has joined Oregon Institute of Technology as Vice President for Finance and Administration. Harman recently served as Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans. His degrees are in Accounting and Business Administration.

1990s

Anthony M. Gragg, Classes of 1990 and 1995, has been named Track Coach for the new Sullivan County high school, West Ridge, which will open in August 2021. His degrees are in Mass Communication and Physical Education. Mark Anthony Davis, Class of 1991, has started a new position as Site Supervisor for Allied Universal. His degree is in Health Education.

Judge Kenneth N. Bailey, Jr., Class of 1992, was awarded the 2020 Volunteer Spirit Award presented by The Greeneville Sun in cooperation with the Youth Builders of Greeneville, Tennessee. Judge Bailey also serves on the ETSU National Alumni Association’s Board of Directors. His degree is in Political Science.

Dr. Kellie Dubel Brown, Classes of 1993 and 2001, wrote a book entitled The Sound of Hope: Music as Solace, Resistance and Salvation During the Holocaust and World War II. She conducted research for 17 years regarding music during the Holocaust. She currently serves as Chair of Milligan University’s Department of Music, a Music Professor, Director of the Milligan Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of the Johnson City Symphony. Her degrees are in Music and Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

Dr. Christopher M. Hampton, Classes of 1995, 1997, and 2007, was named Kingsport City Schools 2021 Principal of the Year. He is currently Principal at Dobyns-Bennett High School. His degrees are in Special Education, Counseling, and Educational Leadership.

Jessica C. Johnson, Class of 1995, has been promoted to Vice President at PDS Tech in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas. Her degree is in Business Management.

D. Chad Pickel, Class of 1995, has been named Vice President of Corporate Development for AMCON Distributing Company, the nation’s 7th largest convenience wholesale distributor based in Omaha, Nebraska. His degree is in Biology.

Rory E. Stallard, Class of 1995, is working as the Senior Manager of Asset Protection at Home Depot Corporate Office in Atlanta. His degree is in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Robert “Bob” Chikos, Class of 1996, recently had his column “Culturally Responsive Curriculum will help Suburban Teachers” published in the Daily Herald and Northwest Herald, both in Illinois. Within a week of publication, the new curriculum standards proposed by Chikos were adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education. His degree is in History.

Joel W. Davis, Class of 1996, is the Content Supervisor for Ripley P.R. in Maryville, Tennessee, after spending 20 years as a newspaper reporter. His degree is in Mass Communication. Catheryn R. Nester, Classes of 1996 and 2002, has been hired by Sullivan County Schools as the new Supervisor of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction. Her degrees are in Early Childhood Education.

Heather Clever Hill, Class of 1997, has accepted a position with Baird Financial as a Client Associate. Her degree is in History.

Jocelyn A. Mills, Class of 1997, is the new Principal at Carter G. Woodson Preparatory Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. The school will feature a science, technology, engineering, and math-focused curriculum, which will be taught through the lens of AfricanAmerican history and culture, using culturally responsive teaching and learning strategies. She has a Master of Arts in Secondary Education degree from ETSU.

Miranda Gray Cooper, Class of 1998, is the new Director of Marketing for Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union. Her degree is in Mass Communications.

Joy L. Fulkerson, Class of 1998, has been selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Conference on Citizenship for a four-year term. Fulkerson currently serves as Director of ETSU’s Leadership and Engagement office. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Col. Joseph C. Bilbo, Class of 1999, was recently honored as a Significant Sig by Sigma Chi’s national fraternity. This award recognizes those alumni members whose exemplary achievements in their fields of endeavor have brought great honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi. Col. Bilbo previously worked at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he was responsible for leading the security cooperation with Georgia, a NATO aspirant country on Russia’s border. He recently moved to Warsaw, Poland, to be the Army Attaché and be the senior Army Officer at the Embassy. His primary responsibility will be coordinating the future Army force structure in Poland. His degree is in Accountancy.

Christinia Hensley-Cable, Class of 1999, is working as a Producer for Kernal, a division of Spectrum Reach. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Heather Robinette Starnes, Class of 1999, has been promoted from Director of Digitalization to Chief Digitalization Officer for General Shale. In her new role, Heather will continue to have oversight of all corporate IT functions while also leading integration efforts related to the company’s plans for future expansions. Her degree is in Marketing.

2000s

Dr. Daniel S. Lewis, Classes of 2000 and 2004, has been named President of the Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians, which is a medical specialty association with a membership of 2,500 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students throughout Tennessee. His degrees are in Biology and Medicine.

Marcus D. Satterfield, Class of 2000, is the new Offensive Coordinator for the University of South Carolina’s football team. Satterfield played wide receiver at ETSU from 19951998. His degree is in History.

Chuck Steele, Class of 2000, has been named Director of Construction at Methodist Retirement Communities. His degree is in Construction Management.

Bucky M. Mabe, Class of 2001, has partnered with the Food Network’s Guy Fieri to open Downtown Flavortown, a 43,000-squarefoot restaurant, arcade, duck pin bowling enterprise, and tiki bar coming to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Mabe is CEO and Founder of FACE Amusement. His degree is in Finance.

Samir Jash Patel, Class of 2001, was appointed District Attorney in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit by Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia. His degrees are in Information Sciences and Business Management.

Matthew C. Wilhjelm, Classes of 2001 and 2004, is the new Chief Financial Officer for State of Franklin Healthcare Associates. His degrees are in Finance and Business Administration.

Dr. Gaurav Bharti, Classes of 2002 and 2006, has co-authored a book for surgeons entitled Augmentation Mastopexy, Mastering the Art in the Management of the Ptotic Breast. His degrees are in Biology and Medicine.

Dr. Lisa Finch Piercey, Class of 2002, has been honored with the William Schaffner, MD Public Health Hero Award for 2020. This award is given every two years by the Tennessee Medical Association in partnership with the Tennessee Public Health Association. Her degree is in Medicine.

Samara R. Bolling, Classes of 2003 and 2012, participated in an Alumni Return to the Classroom virtual event with Dr. Chase Mitchell’s class in ETSU’s Department of Media and Communication. Bolling is Vice President of Strategy and UX for Ntara. She discussed B2B marketing with Media Strategy students. Her degrees are in Mass Communication and Professional Communication.

John F. Hunter, Class of 2003, has been accepted into the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for

Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and mid-career professionals while fostering a greater understanding of Tennessee. He currently serves as CEO / President, Beacon Financial Credit Union in Johnson City. His degree is in Marketing.

James W. Maskew, Class of 2003, is now the Street Sales Development Manager for Ecolab. His degree is in Human Development and Learning.

Candice M. Neeley, Class of 2003, is now a Manager at Model N. Her degree is in Public Health/Healthcare Management.

Dr. John G. Robinson, Class of 2003, published his first novel, an adult fiction thriller entitled Forces of Redemption. His degree is in Medicine.

January Mullins Tankersley, Class of 2004, is now a Graphic Designer, as well as doing social media for YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Her degree is in Art.

Dr. Jennifer Hodge Barber, Classes of 2005 and 2018, is now leading the Enrollment Marketing department at Bay Path University in Massachusetts. Her degrees are in Mass Communication and Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

Whitney Calhoun Goetz, Class of 2005, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently Executive Director of the ETSU National Alumni Association. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Courtnee Turner Hoyle, Classes of 2005 and 2008, has written a book entitled My Brother’s Keeper. Her degrees are in English, Finance, and Elementary Education.

Brandy Stykes Bradley, Classes of 2006 and 2007, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She works for Blackburn, Childers & Steagall, PLC. Her degrees are in Accountancy.

Dr. Daryl A. Carter, Classes of 2006 and 2008, was recently elected Chair of the Board of Directors of Humanities Tennessee and selected to serve a 3-year term on the Tennessee Historical Society Board of Directors. Carter, a Professor of History and Director of the Black American Studies Program at ETSU, joined the university faculty in 2008. His degrees are in Political Science and History. In June of this year, he was also named Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion in ETSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Aaron D. Fielden, Class of 2006, completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. His degree is in Business Administration.

Kristina Durkee (KJ) Gulson, Class of 2006, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently AVP of Operations at Ballad Health. Her degree is in Public Health/Healthcare Administration.

Scott E. Hammerbacher, Class of 2006, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. He is currently a Compliance Officer at Citizen’s Bank. His degree is in Finance.

Dustin T. Hill, Class of 2006, is working as a Customer Success Manager at Red Points, the fastest growing brand protection company in the world. His degree is in Business Administration.

Dr. Jay Andrews Irvin, Class of 2007, is Kingsport City Schools’ Teacher of the Year for grades 9–12. His degree is in Educational Policy Analysis and Administration.

Tiphaine Gury Raphalen, Classes of 2007 and 2011, is a Category Manager at IAM chez Stellantis, which is a leading global automaker and mobility provider in France. Her degrees are in Finance and Business Administration.

Chase A. Wilson, Class of 2007, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. He is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Ballad Health. His degree is in Finance.

Ashley M. Graham, Class of 2008, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently a Business Development Officer and Vice President at Bank of Tennessee in Kingsport. Her degree is in Digital Media.

Dr. Deidre Murry Pierce, Class of 2008, is an Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in the Quillen College of Medicine. She previously held numerous positions with the Medical College of Georgia/Augusta and Hamilton Health Care System. Her degree is in Medicine.

2010s

Sean P. Anderson, Class of 2010, is working as the Regional Chief of Information Technology for the National Park Service for the South Atlantic-Gulf Region, covering nine states and the Caribbean. Anderson oversees the IT needs of 74 national parks while focusing on IT security, modernization, and the standardization of systems that are critical to enhancing the user experience for the region’s 3,000 employees and

nearly 20 million virtual visitors annually. His degree is in Computing.

Robert Jeremy Bell, Class of 2010, is the new Coordinator of Financial Assistance for the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Elizabethton. His degree is in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Taylor Hartley Bostwick, Class of 2010, has been named President and CEO of the Speech and Hearing Center of Chattanooga. Bostwick will act as the voice of the Center – communicating its mission and services to the community. Additionally, she is tasked with managing the staff, ensuring the fiscal health of the nonprofit agency, and overseeing program delivery and expansion. Her degree is in Mass Communications.

Tyler L. McCann, Class of 2010, is now Business Development Officer at First Community Bank. His degree is in Sports and Leisure Management.

Michael E. Parker, Classes of 2010 and 2012, has been accepted into the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and mid-career professionals while fostering a greater understanding of Tennessee. He currently serves as Director of Economic Development of NETWORKS in cooperation with the Sullivan Partnership. His degrees are in Political Science and Public Administration.

Avery McManaway Swinson, Classes of 2010, 2014, and 2019, has been accepted into the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and midcareer professionals while fostering a greater understanding of Tennessee. She currently serves as Director of Admissions and Enrollment Development at Walters State Community College. Her degrees are in Psychology and Educational Leadership, and she received a certificate from ETSU’s Clemmer College in Community College Leadership.

Jessica Brooke Denton, Class of 2011, is working as a Business Technology Specialist at Eastman Credit Union. She has a Master of Business Administration degree.

Ryan F. Lloyd, Class of 2011, has been promoted to Vice President of Operations and Business Development of KAG Specialty Products Group. His degree is in Business Administration and Management.

Timothy J. Pharis, Class of 2011, has been promoted from Park Ranger to Park Manager at Rocky Fork State Park. His degree is in Park and Recreation Management.

Sara Samples Baldwin, Classes of 2012 and 2014, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently the Finance Senior Manager at Food City / KVAT Foods Inc. Her degrees are in Economics and Business Administration.

Amythyst Kiah Phillips, Classes of 2012 and 2015, was featured with the musical group Our Native Daughters on the Smithsonian Channel. The documentary, Reclaiming History: Our Native Daughters, showed the group from the studio to the stage as they created a Smithsonian Folkways Recordings album. In March 2021, her original music video release “Black Myself” was featured on Viacom CBS’s Times Square Billboard in New York City. Additionally, she was spotlighted on an episode of theCollegeTour.com where she reminisced about her time at ETSU and her recent Grammy nomination. Most recently, she performed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a nationally syndicated nighttime talk show on ABC. Her degrees are in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies and Appalachian Studies.

Chelsea Bergland, Class of 2013, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently Director of Learning and Development at Luttrell Staffing Group in Kingsport. Her degree is in Human Resources Management.

Leeann Kimiko Brothers, Class of 2013, is the new Media Account Coordinator at Maryland Public Television. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Jonathan (Jonny) Campbell, Class of 2013, is playing professional soccer with the United City Football Club. He is a former ETSU soccer player. His degree is in Business Administration.

Luke D. Champouillon, Classes of 2013 and 2016, is now Senior Manager, Clinical Supplies at Sierra Oncology. His degrees are in English and Business Administration.

Brenton R. Fleming, Class of 2013, has been promoted to Staff Auditor at ScanSource. His degree is in Accountancy.

Dana N. Glenn, Class of 2013, is a member of the Young Talent Cabinet, a working cabinet/think tank, which gives ongoing advisement to TVA Economic Development. Her degree is in Business Management.

Dr. Shiva Kumar Y. Gosi, Class of 2013, is currently serving as Chair of the Department of Medicine at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona. Recently, he was appointed a member of the Arizona Medical Board by the Governor. He has a master’s degree in Public Health and completed a Family Medicine Residency from Quillen College of Medicine.

Dr. Jama McMurtery Grove, Class of 2013, participated in a Career Readiness Workshop virtual event with ETSU history students. Dr. Grove was named tenure track Assistant Professor at Centenary College of Louisiana. She shared her experience of completing her Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas and seeking academic employment in today’s job market. She received a Master of Arts degree in History from ETSU.

Zachary R. Walden, Class of 2013, has been elected Secretary/Treasurer of the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers. He is a former member of the ETSU National Alumni Association Board of Directors and served as Student Government Association Vice President. He double majored in English and Business Management.

Samantha McKemy Adams, Class of 2014, is now a Senior Consultant at Model N. Her degree is in Public Health.

Aiko Nils Bresinsky, Classes of 2014 and 2017, has been promoted to Business Manager, Office of the Global Partner Organization. His degrees are in History.

Sean D. Elliott, Class of 2014, is a Product Manager, Google Cloud at SYNNEX. His degree is in Business.

Dr. Retha Hess Gentry, Class of 2014, was recently named a 2021 Tennessee Rising Star Nurse Leader as part of the 40 Under 40 Nurse Leaders program. She is currently an Associate Professor with ETSU’s College of Nursing. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree.

Brittany Jo McGuire Pearce, Classes of 2014 and 2019, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently an Executive Recruiter/Tennessee Employment Center Supervisor for Ballad Health. Her degrees are in Public Health.

Brooke Hatcher Tittle, Class of 2014, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently a Commercial Lending Officer at Citizen’s Bank in Bristol. Her degree is in Accountancy.

Dr. Eleanor Fleming, Class of 2015, has been named by the American Dental Association one of this year’s recipients of its 10 Under 10 awards, which recognize 10 new dentists who demonstrate excellence early in their careers. Dr. Fleming is Director at the Center for Educational Development and Support at Meharry College and an Associate Professor at its dental school’s department of Dental Public Health. Previously, she spent nine years as a dental epidemiologist at the CDC as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service to oversee the oral health component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey at the National Center for Health Statistics. She has a Master of Public Health degree from ETSU.

Kimberly Woods James, Classes of 2015 and 2020, is now the Community Health Worker Program (Prenatal/Perinatal) Manager for Ballad Health. Her degrees are in English and Education.

Alicyn R. York, Class of 2015, has been accepted into the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and mid-career professionals while fostering a greater understanding of Tennessee. She currently serves as Director of Special Events and Executive Assistant at Ayers Branch Office, LLC. Her degree is in Political Science.

Rentsenkhand (Handaa) Enkh-Amgalan, Class of 2016, authored a book entitled Stigmatized, which is a creative nonfiction memoir about her story growing up in Mongolia, overcoming tuberculosis and the associated stigma, as well as her educational pursuits. Her degree is in Business Administration/Marketing.

Alexandria Quillin Brizendine, Class of 2016, has been promoted to Senior Research Analyst of Smarty Pants Market Research Consultancy, a youth- and family-focused market research firm. Her degree is in Mass Communication.

Cassandra D. Stamper, Class of 2016, is now working as a Project Manager for Mosaic Life Care. Her degree is in Communications Studies.

Rachel D. Stiltner, Class of 2016, was recently hired as a Community Engagement Specialist for Ballad Health. Her degree is in Communication Studies. T. Chase Brashears, Class of 2017, and his wife Carly Fields Brashears, Class of 2017, have joined the South Boston Speedway staff as Assistant General Manager and Assistant Office Manager, respectively, through the 2021 season. In 2022, Chase is slated to become General Manager and Carly will be in charge of the track’s marketing, sales, and administration. Chase’s degree is in Sport and Leisure Management; Carly’s degree is in Early Childhood Development.

Paige N. Davis, Classes of 2017 and 2019, has accepted a position as Research Analyst with Smarty Pants Market Research Firm. Her degrees are in Media & Communication and Brand & Media Strategy.

Dakota C. Love, Class of 2017, is working as a Customer Relationship Advocate for Fidelity Investments. His degree is in Finance.

William H. Quinlan, Class of 2017, is a Budget/Research Analyst in the Executive Budget Office for the State of South Carolina. His degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Daniel Scherer-Emunds, Class of 2017, is an Access ETSU program coordinator in Educational Foundations and Special Education. Formerly, he was a program director and program communications coordinator with Opportunity Knocks. He has a Master of Special Education degree from ETSU.

Amber Williams, Class of 2017, was recently honored with the Business Journal’s 28th Annual Class of 40 Under Forty award. She is currently a Marketing Communications Representative at Eastman Chemical Company. She has a Master’s degree in Brand & Media Strategy.

Rachel E. Asuelimen, Class of 2018, has been promoted to Project Management Specialist at Southern Gas Company. She has a Master of Science degree in Engineering Technology.

Romario O. Briscoe, Classes of 2018 and 2020, has been named Optimization and Engagement Specialist for Corporate Marketing, the marketing and advertising division of Corporate Image, an integrated communications firm headquartered in Bristol, Tennessee. His degrees are in Mass Communication and Brand & Media Strategy.

Cory A. Dillard, Classes of 2018 and 2020, is working as the Patient Access Team Leader at Novant Health. His degrees are in Microbiology and Health Sciences.

Peyton L. Harold, Classes of 2018 and 2020, is working as an Account Specialist for Enterprise Truck Rental in Asheville, North Carolina. His degrees are in Marketing and Business Administration.

Emily A. Armstrong, Class of 2019, has accepted a position as Design Assistant for Karen Hendrix Couture. Her degree is in Media and Communication.

Hannah Allen Ford, Classes of 2019 and 2021, married Austin T. Ford, Classes of 2019 and 2021, on September 27, 2020. Hannah is working as a Paid Social Media Buyer at the Tombras firm. Austin has accepted a position as Senior Revenue Manager at Cabins 4 U. The couple is residing in Cosby, Tennessee. Her degrees are in Marketing and Business Administration. Austin’s degrees are in Marketing and Business Administration.

A. Dominique Haun, Class of 2019, Madison P. Bolin, Class of 2019, and McKenzie Smith Perry, Class of 2019, were featured in a video for the Apparel

OBITUARIES

1940s

Linda C. Barnes, Butler, Tennessee, and Emerald Isle, North Carolina

April 3, 2021

BS ’42 Education

Emma B. Ellis Lee, Hockessin, Delaware

March 18, 2021

BS ’49 Home Economics

Clara J. Longbrake, Kingsport

January 5, 2021

BS ’49 Physical Education and Health

Dr. Mary Louise McBee, Athens, Georgia

March 2, 2021

BS ‘46 Physical Education

Market Recap on the Americas Mart website. Their degrees are in Marketing.

Justin C. Hill, Class of 2019, is the new Marketing Manager for Tennova Healthcare. His degree is in Media and Communication.

Michael P. O’Hagan, Class of 2019, has been accepted into the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early- and

mid-career professionals while fostering a greater understanding of Tennessee. He currently serves as Interim Director of the Kimball Site at Chattanooga State Community College. He received a certificate from ETSU’s Clemmer College in Community College Leadership.

Jessica N. Woodby, Classes of 2019 and 2020, is working as a Tax Accountant at Crowe. Her degrees are in Accounting.

Traci E. Wyant, Class of 2019, is now a Producer at WJHL, the CBS affiliate in

Joann I. Boyd, Johnson City

January 2, 2021

MA ’59 Education

Johnson City. Her degree is in Media and Communication.

2020s

Bobbye L. Carothers, Class of 2020, is now a Social Media Coordinator at East Side Elementary. Her degree is in Media and Communication.

E. Tyler Carver, Class of 2020, is a realtor with Hurd Realty Company, LLC. His degree is in Corporate Finance and Investment.

Dr. Rebecca Teresa (Terrie) Clark, Class of 2020, was published in the Journal of Doctorate Nursing Practice. Her article was entitled “Monitoring Prediabetes Screening in Two Primary Care Offices in Rural Appalachia: A Quality Improvement Process.” She has a Doctorate in Nursing Practice degree.

Colton J. Fenner, Class of 2020, has accepted a position as a Marketing Coordinator for the AAM Group, an automotive accessories marketing firm. His degree is in Brand and Media Strategy.

Dr. John S. Fray, Class of 2020, joined the University of Arkansas’ Development and External Relations team. He will focus on building and maintaining relationships with College of Engineering alumni. His doctoral degree is in Global Sports Leadership.

E. Elizabeth Vickers, Class of 2020, has accepted a position as a Coordinator in the Tennessee Child Support Education and Parenting Program. Her degree is in Human Services.

Joyce S. Van Benthuysen, Auburn, Alabama

December 24, 2020

BS ’47

Robert N. Van Benthuysen

December 23, 2020

BS ’48 Education

1950s

Robert E. Barnett, Johnson City

January 21, 2021

BS ’55 Biology

William E. Blankenship, Farragut, Tennessee

November 23, 2021

BS ’52 Business Administration

Marvin Aldrich Blizard, Springfield, Virginia

June 9, 2021

BS ’58 Mathematics and Physics

Jo Ann Hughes Campbell, Elizabethton

April 19, 2021

BS ’55 Physical Education

William E. Christopher, Cashiers, North Carolina

October 22, 2020

BS ’57

Anita R. Crawford, Johnson City

January 28, 2021

BS ’52 Education, MA ’58 Elementary Education

Wanda B. Dugger, Johnson City

January 7, 2021

BS ’56 Chemistry, MA ’67

John “Jack” Sherman Elledge, Wilkesboro, North Carolina

April 7, 2021

BS ’56 Biology

Madge Jones Essary, Bristol, Tennessee

October 2, 2020

BS ’53 Geography

Glenda Estep, Elizabethton

July 27, 2020

BS ’59 Elementary Education

James R. Green, Maryville, Tennessee

December 15, 2020

BA ’56 English

Donald L. Hilton, Colonial Heights, Tennessee

February 7, 2021

BS ’58 Art, MA ’70 Art

Jewel D. Edwards Hood, Chattanooga

January 2, 2021

BS ’56 Physical Education

Laurie McAndrew Lakey, Chestnut Hill, Tennessee

March 25, 2021

BS ’50 Physical Education

Donald R. Lobertini, Atlanta

January 2, 2021

BS ’58 Economics, BBA ’58 Business Administration

Clyde H. Mann, Fairfax Station, Virginia

January 26, 2016

BS ’56 Business Administration

June R. Wolfe Masters, Erwin

January 8, 2021

BS ’51 Social Science

Rose W. Misamore, Bluff City

August 20, 2009

BS ’53 English

Mamie W. Odom, Blaine, Tennessee

March 3, 2021

BS ’54 Business Administration

Marian D. Onks, Johnson City

April 24, 2021

BS ’55 Elementary Education

Donald E. Phipps, Johnson City

December 21, 2020

BS ’56 Chemistry

Mary B. Purvis, Greeneville

December 19, 2020

MA ’59 Chemistry

James (Jim) Pyne Sr., Rogersville

February 5, 2021

BS ’59 Industrial Arts/Technical Education

Orbin Taylor, Kingsport

February 20, 2021

BS ’54 Business Administration

Stanley L. Underwood, Knoxville

March 22, 2021

BS ’59 English

Callie D. Waddell, Wilmington, North Carolina

February 1, 2021

BS ’59 Mathematics

George B. Walker, Kernersville, North Carolina

March 6, 2021

BS ’55 Business Administration

Elizabeth E. Elliott Wilborn, Louisville, Kentucky

September 28, 2020

BS ’52 Chemistry

1960s

Ahmad R. Abdulwahab, Tripoli, Lebanon

BS ’68 Biology

Donald R. Baker, Banner Elk, North Carolina

March 22, 2021

BA ’64 English

Billy J. Birchfield, Roan Mountain

February 19, 2021

BS ’65 Physical Education

James B. Brinkley, Jacksonville, Florida

March 14, 2021

BS ’60 Business Administration

Roy D. Brookshire, Chattanooga

January 29, 2021

BS ’63 Accountancy

Patricia M. Brown, Johnson City

March 1, 2021

BS ’62 Nursing

Samuel B. Burchfield, Knoxville

December 29, 2020

BS ’66 Special Education

William H. Burnette, Raleigh, North Carolina

February 7, 2021

BS ’69 Business

Daisy B. Campbell, Roanoke, Virginia

January 21, 2021

MA ’66 Education

Delano “Del” James Carroll, Gray, Tennessee

April 14, 2021

BS ’66 Elementary Education, MA ’78 Secondary Education

Dora E. Crumley, Johnson City

March 26, 2021

BS ’67 Home Economics, MEd ’88 Special Education

Elaine W. Dunkelberger, Johnson City

January 28, 2021

BS ’64 Elementary Education

Michael E. Fugate, Franklin, Tennessee

January 6, 2021

BS ’66 Geography, MAT ’73 Education

Carl E. Furches, South Boston, Virginia

January 19, 2021

BS ’61 History

Patsy J. Edgeman Gant, Ten Mile, Tennessee

January 16, 2021

BS ’63 Elementary Education

Martha Cash Hodge, Johnson City

March 12, 2021

BS ’64 Mathematics

Wade G. Holder, Spruce Pine, North Carolina

March 5, 2021

BS ’67 Physical Education

Mary J. Horne, Lebanon, Virginia

December 18, 2020

BS ’63 Music

Mary A. Williams Houston, Lake City, Florida

January 7, 2021

BS ’60 Health Education

William L. Johnson, Greensboro, North Carolina

April 18, 2021

BS ’63 Biology

James D. Jones, New Port Richey, Florida

February 2, 2021

BS ’63 Economics

Violet A. Ketron, Bristol, Tennessee

December 26, 2020

BS ’68 Education

Arthur L. Lockrow, Roanoke Island, North Carolina

January 3, 2021

BS ’68 Speech Pathology

Ronald L. McCloud, Elizabethton, Tennessee

December 22, 2020

BS ’66 Industrial Arts Education

William B. Miller, Johnson City

December 30, 2020

BS ’69 Physical Education

Lillian N. Nichols, Nashville

April 30, 2002

MA ’69 Reading

Paul B. Osborne, Moravian Falls, North Carolina

February 3, 2021

BS ’61 Social Science

Chapman L. Porterfield, Johnson City

February 22, 2021

BS ’69 Political Science

Prezzle O’Brien Quillen, Kingsport

January 31, 2021

BS ’63 History, MA ’71 History, EdS ’76 Education

Douglas L. Routh, Salem, Virginia

December 30, 2020

BS ’65 Geography

Marilyn J. Shanks, Johnson City

March 21, 2021

BS ’60 Business Education

Elizabeth S. Shumate, Kingsport

December 27, 2020

BS ’67 Business Education

Bobby R. Sluss, Libertyville, Illinois

January 12, 2021

BS ’61 Industrial Arts Education

Charles K. Smith, Johnson City

January 1, 2021

BS ’63 History

Eugene Willard Smith, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

February 13, 2021

BS ’67 Elementary Education

Charles C. Speer, Boone, North Carolina

February 1, 2021

BS ’66 Accountancy, MBA ’68 Business Administration

Ronald D. Spire, Dandridge, Tennessee

March 16, 2021

MA ’64 Reading

Gary M. Stafford, Gray, Tennessee

March 3, 2021

BS ’64 Mathematics, MS ’82 Mathematics

Gordon W. Tingle, Woodbridge, Virginia

December 19, 2020

BS ’64 Business

Mary L. Clevinger Tylenda, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

April 16, 2021

BS ’66 Political Science

Emma M. Wagster, Columbia, Tennessee

March 26, 2021

BS ’63 Elementary Education

Barbara M. Wallace, Raleigh, North Carolina

February 2, 2021

BS ’61 Speech Pathology

Clarke L. Ward, Lake Lure, North Carolina

January 20, 2021

BS ’66 Management

David F. Williams, Johnson City

January 14, 2021

BS ’61 Economics

B F. Young, Columbus, Georgia

March 29, 2021

BS ’63 Business Management

1970s

Thomas “Tommy” A. Aker, Jr., Wise, Virginia

February 11, 2021

BS ’72 Management

Dan D. Bandy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

October 25, 2020

BS ’75 Political Science

Diane W. Bartchy, Johnson City

January 10, 2021

MA ’76 Guidance and Counseling

David L. Baucom, The Villages, Florida

January 25, 2019

BS ’73 Industrial Arts Education

Timothy J. Bubenchik, Westerville, Ohio

November 27, 2020

BS ’70 Business

Myra D. Edwards Bumpers, Kingsport

April 23, 2021

MAT ’76 Elementary Education

Linda Kay Chafin, Johnson City

April 5, 2021

BS ’74 History

Johnny P. Coleman, Afton, Tennessee

October 25, 2020

BS ’71 Management

Edward J. Cowell, Jonesborough

January 25, 2021

BS ’71 Journalism, MA ’72 Business Education

Linda M. Puckett Crigger, Kingsport

April 1, 2021

BS ’71 Political Science

Larry D. Crumley, Johnson City

February 24, 2021

BS ’73 Physical Education

Patty J. Corder Duffield, Dacula, Georgia

December 29, 2020

AS ’77 Nursing

Betty J. Clayton Gouge, Erwin

December 20, 2020

ASN ’74 Nursing

Joseph P. Gilreath, Madison, Alabama

February 26, 2021

BS ’79 English

Richard E. Harris, Duluth, Georgia

July 29, 2020

BS ’70 Business

Victoria Hatch, Bristol, Tennessee

December 3, 2020

BS ’72 Biology, MA ’77 Psychology

Donald D. Hazelwood, Hampton

December 28, 2020

BS ’72 Special Education

Douglas W. Headrick, Sevierville

March 6, 2021

BS ’79 Journalism

Dennis G. Hensdill, Castlewood, Virginia

April 14, 2021

BS ’70 History

Horton W. Horton, London, Kentucky

June 12, 2019

BS ’71 Accountancy

George Christopher Hunnicutt, Decatur, Georgia

January 6, 2021

BEH ’70 Environmental Health

Alexander C. Hunt, Wilmington, North Carolina

March 8, 2021

BS ’71 General Psychology

Russell J. Husted, Grand Blanc, Michigan

April 14, 2021

BS ’70 Physical Education

Gary W. Jennings, Taylorsville, North Carolina

January 10, 2021

BSW ’70 Social Work

Clark E. Justis, Mosheim, Tennessee

October 17, 2020

BS ’70 Physical Education, MEd ’86 Education

Barbara A. Ellis Melton, Elizabethton

March 4, 2021

BFA ’79 Art

David L. Miller, Kingsport

December 14, 2020

BS ’77 Business

Charles D. Overton, New Tazewell, Tennessee

December 2, 2020

BS ’74 Business

Patricia R. Parris, Hamilton, Ohio

March 22, 2021

BS ’73 English, MA ’81 English

Vernon J. Phillips, Erwin

December 29, 2020

BS ’73 Management

Samuel D. Redd, Johnson City

December 19, 2020

BA ’79 Sociology, MA ’81 Guidance and Counseling

James W. Reel, Jonesborough

May 1, 2021

BS ’58 Geography

Gary D. Robertson, Jonesborough

February 18, 2021

BS ’71 Industrial Technology

Ilene P. Scheinbaum, Schenectady, New York

March 2, 2020

MS ’74 Microbiology/Biology

Joseph W. Snodgrass, White House/ Nashville, Tennessee

January 26, 2021

BS ’73 Industrial Arts Education

Wilma W. Snyder, Bristol, Tennessee

December 24, 2020

AS ’79 Nursing

Mollie W. Teilhet, Watauga

March 8, 2021

BS ’70 Accountancy

Dana J. Travis, Morristown, Tennessee

January 4, 2021

BS ’76 Accountancy

Terry L. Treadway, Elizabethton

March 22, 2021

BS ’79 Real Estate

Jimmie L. Vicars, Sullivan County, Tennessee

April 24, 2021

BS ’70 Geography

Johnnie Carol Moore Waddell, White Pine, Tennessee

January 24, 2021

BA ’70 History

Norma E. Collingswort Walker, Kingsport

April 4, 2021

ASN ’74 Nursing, BSN ’85 Nursing

Philip G. Whitehead, Duncan, South Carolina

January 6, 2021

BS ’73 Accountancy

John T. Williams, Bristol, Tennessee

January 4, 2021

BS ’70 Mathematics

1980s

Michael H. Akers, Bristol, Tennessee

January 28, 2021

BS ’80 Industrial Technology

James E. Bates, Kingsport

March 27, 2021

MACC ’85 Accountancy

Verna J. Bates, Knoxville

January 15, 2021

BS ’86 Criminal Justice and Criminology

Dallas F. Bell, Sr., Newport

March 28, 2021

MEd ’84 Educational Administration

Carol Yvonne Blakely Cantrell, Kingsport

March 16, 2021

MA ’83 Elementary Education

Robert J. Boillot, Westphalia Hills, Missouri

February 11, 2021

MBA ’86 Business Administration

James C. Brickey, Jr., Marion, Virginia

February 1, 2021

BS ’88 Engineering Technology

Lewis W. Cantrell, Greenville, South Carolina

January 22, 2021

BS ’80 English

Augustus B. Chafin, Lebanon, Virginia

January 1, 2021

BA ’82 Political Science

Cynthia D. Morrisett Coleman, Richmond, Virginia

April 18, 2021

BS ’81 Computer and Information Science

Sidney H. Cox, Elizabethton

January 14, 2021

BBA ’88 Accountancy

Kandy L. Smith Dillon, Big Stone Gap, Virginia April 24, 2021

BA ’82 Elementary Education

Thomas B. Dougherty, Syracuse, New York

March 28, 2021

BBA ’82 Business

Maybrey S. G’Fellers, Chuckey, Tennessee

January 11, 2021

BS ’80 Business Education

James A. Hamilton, Kingsport

March 27, 2021

BS ’89 Biology, MA ’00 Psychology

Eugene Haskins, Tampa, Florida

January 1, 2021

MBA ’82 Business Administration

Debra A. Kidd, Lynchburg, Virginia

March 8, 2021

BS ’82 Speech and Hearing

Linda R. Aker Lane, Abingdon, Virginia

March 24, 2021

MA ’80 Elementary Education

Mary S. McCarley, Bolivia, North Carolina

February 4, 2021

BS ’80 Environmental Health

Mary E. Noyes, Cornelius, North Carolina

February 26, 2021

BS ’85 Mathematics

Joseph C. Seward, Johnson City

January 25, 2021

BBA ’82 Marketing

Howard D. Shelton, Greeneville

July 11, 2019

BS ’86 Engineering Technology

Emma L. Shelton, Johnson City

March 19, 2021

AS ’82 Dental Laboratory Technology

John D. Sherrill, III, Piney Flats

December 27, 2020

College of Medicine Residency ’87 Family Medicine

Mark A. Sword, Lebanon, Tennessee

January 13, 2021

BBA ’83 Management

Kenneth D. Thomas, Elizabethton

February 22, 2021

BS ’88 Mass Communication

Diana W. Thompson, Erwin

April 23, 2021

BA ’89 Foreign Languages and Political Science, MEd ’95 Counseling

Vicki L. Taylor Viers, Bristol, Tennessee

February 22, 2021

BS ’82 Criminal Justice and Criminology

Samuel N. Wagner, Elizabethton

March 23, 2021

BM ’80 Music

Pamela Wiseman, Erwin

January 26, 2020

BS ’85 Elementary Education

1990s

Rebecca B. Akers, Parker, Colorado

March 20, 2021

BS ’98 Nursing

Roger D. Allen, Erwin

January 6, 2021

BS ’99 Engineering Technology

Kenneth E. Bowen, Pompano Beach, Florida

January 8, 2021

BS ’91 Engineering Technology

Jennifer L. Clevinger Brewer, Bristol, Virginia

April 18, 2021

BS ’90 General Psychology

Joan D. Falise, Lawrenceville, Georgia

January 2, 2021

BFA ’93 Art

Mark Fertig, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

April 6, 2021

MFA ’97 Art

Allana R. Mitchell Hamilton, Blountville

February 23, 2021

MS ’91 Biology, EdD ’11 Educational Leadership

James J. Kevin, Jr., Johnson City

December 27, 2020

MEd ’95 Storytelling and Reading

Michael M. Knight, Cody, Wyoming

December 25, 2020

MS ’98 Geography

Terry W. Noel, Franklin, Kentucky

October 13, 2018

BA ’91 Political Science

Thomas V. Palmer, Kingsport

January 16, 2021

MS ’94 Computer and Information Science

Charlotte Y. Fuller Rhoton, Bristol, Tennessee

October 13, 2020

BFA ’91 Art

Tuomah Sahawneh, Oneonta, Alabama

August 14, 2020

RES ’93 Family Medicine Residency

Brian T. Smith, Roanoke, Virginia

March 16, 2021

BBA ’96 Finance

Scott C. Solomon, Mosheim, Tennessee

January 30, 2021

BS ’98 Physical Education

Pattie S. Sowders, Cumberland, Kentucky

December 15, 2020

MEd ’92 Educational Administration and Supervision

Perry T. Stokes, Clearwater, Florida

January 15, 2021

BBA ’90 Finance

2000s

Tammy M. Arrowood, Elizabethton

March 30, 2021

BS ’00 Early Childhood Development

Regina L. White Benedict, Knoxville

March 31, 2021

MA ’00 Criminal Justice and Criminology

Terry E. Johnson Bomyea, Brunswick, Georgia

June 2, 2021

BSW ’03 Social Work

Michael L. Dillow, Johnson City

March 3, 2021

BS ’00 Public Health

Eric M. Elzea, Jonesborough

March 16, 2021

BS ’01 Environmental Health

Robin L. Leonard, Johnson City

January 29, 2021

BS ’01 Human Development and Learning, BS ’01 General Psychology, MA ’05 Psychology

FACULTY AND STAFF OBITUARIES

Mary Rose

Christensen, December 19, 2020, in Johnson City. Rose worked as a secretary in the University Press at ETSU.

Dr. Forrest Lang, December 20, 2020, in Johnson City.

Dr. Lang joined the faculty of the Department of Family Medicine in ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine in 1984. For 27 years, he worked as a physician, educator, researcher, and mentor. At the time of his retirement in 2011, he was Professor and Vice Chairman and Director of Medical Education. Among many other accomplishments, Dr. Lang conceived of, developed, and implemented the Appalachian Preceptorship, an integrated clinicalclassroom experience of rural medicine and Appalachian culture, which still brings medical students from all over the country to ETSU.

Lena D. Andrews, December 24, 2020, Elizabethton. She had retired from Facilities Management at ETSU.

Dr. James C. Pleasant, January 3, 2021, in Johnson City. Dr. Pleasant was hired in 1966 to teach mathematics at ETSU. He served on the faculty for 37 years, retiring from the Department of Computer Science in 2003.

Arlene Bennett, January 4, 2021, in Johnson City. Arlene had worked in the Quillen College of Medicine’s OB/GYN department.

Nelson L. Hall, January 14, 2021, in Kingsport. Nelson retired from ETSU after 27 years of service in the student teaching office.

Annie Mae Hall, January 19, 2021, in Gray, Tennessee. Annie retired from ETSU’s Department of Facilities Management after 42 years of service.

Colleen Trenwith, January 24, 2021, in New Zealand. Colleen earned a bachelor’s degree in General Studies with a minor in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies at ETSU as well as a graduate certificate in Appalachian Studies. She taught a wide range of courses within the Department of Appalachian Studies, including fiddle instruction, bluegrass and country student bands, artistic seminars, and American Roots Music.

Pamela J. Reising, January 25, 2021, Jonesborough. She had retired as Receptionist for the ETSU Department of Psychiatry.

Robin Leonard, January 29, 2021, in Johnson City. She was a lecturer in the Department of Psychology after receiving her master’s degree from ETSU in 2005. She also taught courses in the departments of

Joseph W. Lewis, Talbott, Tennessee

February 8, 2021

BBA ’09 Marketing

Robert S. Martin, Erwin

January 1, 2021

MS ’07 Computer and Information Science

Andrew M. McFalls, Johnson City

February 10, 2021

BS ’05 Mass Communication

Chad E. Long, Church Hill

December 31, 2020

BBA ’04 Management

Sheila D. Morris, White Pine, Tennessee

March 29, 2021

MALS ’03 Liberal Studies

Jami J. Ritger, Johnson City

January 17, 2021

MA ’02 Counseling, EdS ’07 Educational Leadership

2010s

Aaron “Frosty” Foster, Elizabethton

February 10, 2021

BS ’17 Interdisciplinary Studies

Department of Appalachian Studies

Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator

Kayleigh A. Neilson, Morristown

February 21, 2021

BS ’17 Radiologic Science

Sociology and Anthropology and Human Development and Learning.

Dr. Jack Mooney, February 8, 2021, in Johnson City. Dr. Mooney taught journalism at ETSU for 40 years, where he founded El Nuevo, a Spanish-English newspaper. He authored the book Printers in Appalachia: The International Printing Pressmen and Assistants’ Union of North America, 1907-67

Colonel Troy E. Burrow, February 10, 2021, in Johnson City. Colonel Burrow served as Professor of Military Science and Buccaneer Battalion Commander at ETSU. After his retirement from the Army in 1993, he returned to ETSU to teach in Public and Allied Health until 2010.

Dr. Brian Odle, February 15, 2021, in Kingsport. Dr. Odle was Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, where he had taught since 2007. A scholarship fund in his memory has been established by the College of Pharmacy.

Joseph B. Gray, February 17, 2021, Roan Mountain. He had retired from Facilities Management at ETSU.

Jerry Vanhoy, February 28, 2021, in Johnson City. He retired after serving for 29 years as Physical Plant Coordinator. The Clack-Vanhoy Chiller Plant on the ETSU campus was named for him.

Dr. James M. Turnbull, March 6, 2021, in Kingsport. Dr. Turnbull served as Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry in the Quillen College of Medicine from 1983 to 1989.

William B. “Bill” Campbell, May 27, 2021, in Johnson City. Bill taught English, Speech, and Drama for many years at University School.

Nathan Tino, May 29, 2021, in Knoxville. Nathan was employed by ETSU Facilities Management for 13 years.

Dr. Perry D. Counts, June 5, 2021, in Johnson City. Dr. Counts retired in 1986 after a long career as Director of Financial Aid at ETSU and as a faculty member in the College of Business.

East Tennessee State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 300334097, telephone 404-679-4500, or http://www.sacscoc.org, for questions about the accreditation of East Tennessee State University.

ETSU is an AA/EEO employer. ETSU-UR-0103-20 99000

ETSU TODAY P.O. Box 70709 Johnson City, TN 37614-1710

2021 ETSU Football Schedule

October 9 vs. The Citadel

October 16 at Chattanooga The Rail Rivalry

ETSU National Alumni Association

September 4 at Vanderbilt

September 11 vs. UVA Wise

September 18 vs. Delaware State

September 25 at Samford

October 2 vs. Wofford Family Weekend

October 23 at Furman

October 30

OPEN WEEK

November 6 vs. VMI

Homecoming

November 13 at Western Carolina Blue Ridge Border Battle

November 20 vs. Mercer

Home Games Away Games

Game times to be announced at a later date

For tickets, call the ETSU Ticket Office at 423-439-3878

2021 Alumni Awards Banquet

November 19, 2021