Brendon Tiggs Shines a Light on ETSU’s Campus Community

For Brendon Tiggs, dancing is an act of public expression and self-acceptance. Hailing from New Orleans, he graduated from East Tennessee State University in December 2021 with a bachelor’s in psychology and minors in sociology and social work.

“I came to ETSU for a fresh start,” recalls Tiggs. “I’ll never forget the second week of classes, when I decided to go ahead and perform. I didn’t think it would get this far.”

Starting with only an ihome speaker and light-up shoes, Tiggs made a decision that put into motion something he never anticipated would happen: he began to dance, every single day. Through this act of individualism and perseverance, he inspired thousands of people on campus. Over time, he became an ETSU icon: Light Up Guy.

With his daily performances in high-traffic areas on campus, one would be hard-pressed to find a student who isn’t familiar with the name “Light Up Guy.” Known for his LED-adorned displays (and his incredible resilience to fickle Appalachian weather), Tiggs has managed to leave a lasting impression on the ETSU community.

It all started with a childhood dream. Inspired by performers he saw in the media, Tiggs began to pursue dance as a method of self-expression.

“Since I was little, I would watch videos of people dancing. It started with American dance crew Jabbawockeez,” recalled Tiggs. “And then, I really started to get into the dancers Les Twins. They really inspired me.”

Since then, Tiggs has been working to improve his performances. All of his choreography is self-taught, and he designs his own light equipment. Despite being self-made, he isn’t in it all alone. Tiggs created a community for himself not only on campus, but online. His Instagram account boasts nearly 16,000 followers, and there he flourishes in a community where he and other artists support one another. While he is known for creating his own tracks, he often boosts other artists up by incorporating their music into his performances. Tiggs said these communities have enabled him to grow.

Unfortunately, his journey to personal freedom was not always a pleasant one. Tiggs often struggled with being ostracized by those who reacted poorly, sometimes maliciously, to his unique methods of self-expression.

“When I was in high school, people used to bully me for dancing, for just being myself,” admitted Tiggs. “I almost gave up on everything, but a part of me kept saying, ‘No, don’t give up.’ A person only loses when they give in, so as long as I’m putting up a fight, I haven’t been beaten yet.”

While Tiggs said he initially came to ETSU in 2016 feeling reserved and withdrawn, it was only a matter of time before the support of the campus community began to help him shape and rebuild his confidence.

When I started at ETSU, everything changed. Everyone was friendly, and they supported me. That’s what got me to stay.”

Brendon Tiggs

“I used to be very introverted, very shy, unconfident. I didn’t know anyone, especially after having moved here from Louisiana. No one really knew who I was; I didn’t have any family here,” said Tiggs. “When I started at ETSU, everything changed. Everyone was friendly, and they supported me. That’s what got me to stay.”

Even after so much love and support from those on campus, Tiggs confessed that sometimes it’s still hard to believe that he’s impacted others in the way that they’ve impacted him.

“Feeling that I’ve inspired everyone is still a big deal for me,” said Tiggs. “I am very happy that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to motivate people.”

Looking back, Tiggs is in awe of how much his life has changed. He credits that to community support and an unyielding spirit.

“There’s no future except the one that you create. You have to be yourself,” said Tiggs. “Even if it’s a scary world. A lot of people don’t really expect change, but when you create, they can’t look away. They have to see, so I say, ‘Watch.’ This is who you are. This is your only life. Focus on what you want to do. Don’t do it to impress, do it to express yourself.”

Briar R. Worley is Marketing/Communications Specialist in the ETSU Office of University Marketing and Communications. | Photos by Ron Campbell

BUILDING THE FUTURE

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM ALMOST READY FOR FIRST CLASS

The steady progression of construction on the first floor of Charles Allen Hall, also known as Building 2 on the VA campus, is a visible reminder that ETSU is almost ready to welcome its first class of occupational therapy students to campus in May 2022.

ETSU’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program received approval in 2021 and began accepting applications for up to 30 spots in the first cohort. Just weeks shy of the December 1, 2021, application deadline, almost 300 applications were in progress and more than 60 were already completed for the indemand program.

“For so long, the program has been a concept, as we’ve worked through state, institutional, and accreditation processes,” said Dr. Rachel Ellis, Program Director. “To finally be able to see actual student names populate in that application system and to see the ongoing construction in Building 2 is exciting. We’re just a few months away from having a complete presence on campus.”

The first OTD class will be selected and notified by the end of February 2022 and will begin their studies in May.

ETSU’s program is an entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy, designed for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree, but do not necessarily have a master’s degree or professional experience in OT. Therefore, the students can come from many different backgrounds and majors, as long as they have the prerequisite coursework.

Currently, there are only two OTD programs offered in Tennessee. ETSU’s program will prepare graduates as generalists to help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

OTD students will participate in ETSU’s signature interprofessional education experiences, regional and national clinical experiences, and community hands-on learning opportunities so that they are well prepared for an in-demand career in occupational therapy.

ETSU already has letters of commitment from approximately 70 local, regional, and national clinical sites representing a variety of populations and settings. These sites will allow ETSU’s OTD students to get clinical experience in acute care, pediatrics, outpatient care, skilled nursing care, in-patient rehabilitation, and more.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

In addition to the new students, Ellis is excited about the faculty and staff coming on board to launch the program. In July, Dr. Ron Sheppard was hired as the academic fieldwork coordinator, and searches are currently underway for a capstone coordinator and additional faculty positions.

The new students and faculty will be housed in a state-of-the-art physical rehabilitative sciences hub in Building 2, which is also home to ETSU’s Physical Therapy Program on the second floor. A $4 million renovation project began in August 2021 to 14,000 square feet of space on the first floor, which will house the OTD program, as well as a Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics program currently in development.

Having the three physical rehabilitative sciences programs under one roof and on the same campus as the medical and pharmacy schools will create a natural interprofessional learning environment for the students, Ellis said.

“We are rounding out the rehab offerings that are already a successful part of ETSU,” Ellis said. “The arrival of our occupational therapy program creates a fuller picture of what we offer and fills a need for an in-demand field.”

The employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 16 percent from 2019-2029, nearly four times the national average growth rate of four percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“It’s evident that there is a growing need for occupational therapists, and ETSU is poised to help meet that need in exciting and innovative ways with our focus on interprofessional education and immersive community-based experiences,” said Dr. Jeff Snodgrass, Chair of the Department of Rehabilitative Sciences.

DRAFTING ASPIRING CRAFT BREWERS, ETSU LAUNCHES NEW MINOR

Across the United States, breweries have become incredibly popular. According to the Brewer’s Association, in 2020, taprooms alone produced over 1.8 million barrels containing more than 55 million gallons of beer.

Breweries are springing up in Appalachia. During the summer of 2021, Tennessee Hills Brewing and Distilling opened a new location on West Walnut Street, the site of a $33 million investment project by the City of Johnson City aimed at revitalizing the space that connects downtown with East Tennessee State University.

And now at ETSU, students have the opportunity to minor in Brewing and Distillation Studies.

“This exciting minor will enable our students to find success in the craft beverage industry,” said Dr. Sharon James McGee, Dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies at ETSU. “There is so much science and business training that students need to be successful in this field, and ETSU is providing it. The Division of CrossDisciplinary Studies is proud to be the home for this undergraduate minor that draws from courses across the university to provide students a grounding in all aspects of brewing and distillation.”

In the minor, students will enroll in a variety of courses. Fermentation science, business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and the cultural and historical aspects of brewing and distillation in this region and beyond are among the courses that students will take. In addition, those minoring in the new program will work through the legal, ethical, and social aspects of alcohol consumption, as well as the effects on both communities and economies.

Learning will go well beyond the classroom. At ETSU, students will get hands-on experience thanks to the university’s relationship with Tennessee Hills.

“Tennessee Hills is humbled yet very proud to help a great university like ETSU provide its students with worldclass experiential learning opportunities in the rapidly growing distillation and fermentation sciences fields,” said the CEO of Tennessee Hills Scott Andrew and President and founder Stephen Callahan in a joint statement. “Northeast Tennessee has been a cultured home to these craft sciences for over 200 years, and there is no better place than ETSU and these great ‘Tennessee Hills’ to make something like this happen.”

ETSU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle said the new minor is a key workforce development initiative.

“This is a unique educational program that we developed through listening to the needs of regional industries,” McCorkle said. “People are not necessarily training for this in Northeast Tennessee, so we are helping to fill that void. Meeting the workforce needs of the Appalachian region goes directly to the core of what this institution has been doing for more than 100 years, and we are grateful to Tennessee Hills for partnering with us on this venture and for investing in the future of our students.”

Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle

To learn more about the minor, visit etsu.edu/brds.

O.J. Early is Marketing/Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications. |  Photo by Ron Campbell

Inside the Martin Center for the Arts, students in ETSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance have found a new place to learn and a new place to perform. This fall, the Bert C. Bach Theatre opened its doors to its first production, Men on Boats, which enjoyed a completely sold-out run in November.

“Our students and faculty have been anticipating the opening of the Bach Theatre for years, while others have been waiting decades for this moment,” said Karen Brewster, Chair of ETSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance. “We have a truly state-of-the-art black box theatre, and we are so excited to welcome our patrons and the community to our new home.”

Some have asked: What is a black box theatre?

“As a black box theatre, the theatre is designed to be a flexible space that can be transformed into whatever we want it to be,” Brewster said.

“For example, this season began as the Colorado River during Men on Boats and will become a family living room in February for Straight White Men, and then transform to various locations across the mountains of North Carolina in Bright Star,” adds ETSU faculty member and Assistant Department Chair Cara Harker, who directed Men on Boats.

The theatre also allows for flexible seating for the audience. For Men on Boats, the audience was seated in the center of the Grand Canyon where the action takes place, but for other shows, arrangements can be made for theatre-in-the-round or the traditional proscenium setup.

“We have the technical capacity to do just about anything,” Brewster said. “Our lighting capabilities have no boundaries, and we worked with our consultants to create acoustic settings that are ideal for all of our performances. Plus, the specialized sprung floor setting provides support for our dancers and actors as they move across the stage.”

Located adjacent to the theatre, which is also a classroom for theatre and dance students, are the costume shop and scene shop, as well as dressing rooms and a green room.

The theatre is named in honor of longtime ETSU leader Dr. Bert C. Bach, who retired from the university in 2020 after spending nearly 26 years as the institution’s chief academic officer. Bach has been a champion for the arts at ETSU and the region.

Up Next in the Bert C. Bach Theatre: Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee, February 17-20. For tickets, visit etsutickets.com/martincenter.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE WARDEN

PHOTO BY LARRY SMITH

RENOVATIONS PROVIDE LIFTS AND LEAPS FOR DANCE PROGRAM

As dance students at ETSU anticipate performing on the new Bert C. Bach Theatre stage, the classrooms where they train have also undergone major upgrades.

Brooks Gym is home to the Lady Bucs basketball team, and it also provides space for ETSU’s aerial dance studio where dance students are learning to fly.

“The presence of our aerial dance program continues to draw more students every year,” said Cara Harker, Associate Chair and Professor of Theatre and Dance. “The popularity of aerial dance within the arts industry is booming, and our students are able to learn skills and techniques that will help them be competitive in auditions and as they pursue other performance opportunities.”

Recent upgrades to the studio include the installation of floor-to-ceiling walls, as well as acoustic panels that have improved sound.

“In teaching aerial dance, we primarily use silks and the lyra, or aerial hoop,” she said. “Previously, in order to change from one apparatus to another, we would have to make special arrangements to bring in ladders simply to move from hoops to silks. Now, we can make that switch in a matter of minutes.

“This has been a huge game-changer for us,” Harker added. programs like nursing, dental hygiene, and exercise science, are minoring in dance.

“They all share a common love for dance.”

Next door to Brooks Gym at the Ballad Health Athletic Center, or Mini-Dome, renovations also have been completed on the dance studio that has been housed there for many years.

The studio now has wall-to-wall mirrors and new acoustic panels, as well as new harlequin dance flooring, the industry’s top-of-the-line option for dance studios.

“The sprung flooring provides a safe space for preventing injuries, both immediate as well as over time,” Harker said.

Karen Brewster, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, says these renovations have transformed the classroom experience for students and faculty.

“Our ability to teach and our students’ ability to learn have been optimized,” Brewster said. “We greatly appreciate the university and our donors for making all of this possible.”

Joe Smith is Senior Director for Strategic Communications in ETSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications. | Photo by Ron Campbell

ETSU ANNOUNCES NEW CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

For years, East Tennessee State University officials have pondered how to expand the university’s influence worldwide. With the creation in 2021 of the Center for Global Engagement, ETSU took a major step toward realizing that goal.

The center will drive “comprehensive internationalization” across ETSU by infusing international perspectives within teaching, service, and community engagement missions, according to Dr. Christopher Keller, Senior International Officer at ETSU. The center will likewise be the hub for several international educational initiatives, including study abroad programs, as well as the ETSU Global Year Project that is scheduled to launch during the fall 2022 semester.

“Global learning can be obtained abroad, but we often forget that meaningful global educational experiences can also be gained on campus, in the community, and across the region,” said Keller, who is also Dean of the ETSU Honors College. “This continued movement toward comprehensive internationalization at ETSU is critical, given the global reconfiguration of economies, trade systems, research, communication, and the impact of global forces on our everyday lives.”

The center provides strategic leadership to ETSU on many internationalization efforts. Those include assisting faculty with developing internationalized courses and collaborating with campus partners to develop community engagement projects, including ones related to K-12 students, educators, and university alumni. The center is also facilitating “Internationalization at Home” educational programs for all students, particularly those who are unable to participate in education abroad programs.

Keller and his team also provide support to colleges and departments on building and enhancing international partnerships and collaborations.

“As we continue to see restrictions lifted on international travel, our study abroad activity will return to the robust level we experienced prior to the pandemic,” said Keller, who noted that the university has recently finalized agreements with American University Rome, the University of the West of Scotland, and the American College of Greece in Athens. A student plans to study at American College of Greece during the spring 2022 semester.

At present, ETSU has affiliations with over 50 schools in about 35 countries around the world.

“The mission of ETSU is to improve the quality of life for the people of this region, and this includes providing broader frames of reference regarding the world and opportunities to develop global learning and intercultural competencies,” Keller said.

O.J. Early is Marketing/Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications. | Photo by Ron Campbell

PLANNING UNDERWAY FOR NEW GLOBAL YEAR

With the launch of the new Center for Global Engagement in 2021, the university moved toward greater international influence. The ETSU Global Year Project, an initiative that begins during the fall 2022 semester, is another critical move in that direction.

“Our clear goal with the ETSU Global Year Project is to internationalize East Tennessee State University,” said Dr. Christopher Keller, Senior International Officer at ETSU and Dean of the ETSU Honors College. “There are so many positives that can come from this. Pushing ETSU’s global reach not only has the potential to bring more students to our university, but it will give our students and larger community opportunities to better understand the world.”

When the project began, officials said they would select a single South American country to focus on each academic year. For 2022-2023, planning members chose Ecuador, located in northwestern South America, with a population of more than 17 million. ETSU went with Ecuador for a variety of reasons. For one, officials preferred a country where relationships already existed.

“We also wanted a place where there would be some buy-in for this program, especially since this is our inaugural year,” Keller said. “We have some relationships that are already established in Ecuador.”

Dr. David Wood, with the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine and planning committee member for the ETSU Global Year Project, has worked to build partnerships and collaborations for years with the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, a liberal arts university in Ecuador.

Beyond those scholarly connections, there were other reasons to select the South American country. Johnson City has a more than 50-year-old relationship with the Ecuadorian city of Guaranda. It is one of Johnson City’s sister cities, a relationship created in 1963.

“Historically, there have been some Johnson City ties to Ecuador, another reality that helped us pick that country for our inaugural year,” Keller said.

How will the ETSU Global Year Project play out on campus?

Speakers will come to campus, addressing students, faculty, and the public. Displays about Ecuador will be up at ETSU. Workshops, too, will be open to faculty interested in including in their classes content about Ecuador.

“And we hope to work with the ETSU Dining Hall to have Ecuadorian food days,” said Keller. “These are some of the more visible elements to the project that students, faculty, and many visitors to campus will be able to see.” Another critical component of the project: the ETSU Faculty Seminar.

Faculty from across ETSU are taking part in the seminar. Those scholars will develop projects that relate to their fields of study. These projects will hopefully materialize into relationships with the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Keller said.

ECUADOR ETSU GLOBAL YEAR 2022-2023

The following faculty members, with research interests ranging from music to public health, are participating in the faculty seminar: • Roy Andrade, College of Arts and Sciences • James Boone, College of Clinical and Rehabilitative

Health Sciences • Lisa Dunkley, Clemmer College • Matthew Fehskens, College of Arts and Sciences • Andrew Joyner, College of Arts and Sciences • Karen Kornweibel, Honors College • Bethesda O’Connell, College of Public Health • Jean Swindle, Clemmer College • William Tollefson, College of Arts and Sciences • Ante Ursic, College of Arts and Sciences

“The aim here is to create sustainable relationships that truly help internationalize ETSU,” Keller said. “This is an exciting opportunity for our own ETSU scholars to work on.”

In addition to Keller, the project’s planning committee includes: Scott Jeffress, Roan Scholars Program; Amy Johnson, Center for Teaching Excellence; Hopelyn Mooney, Center for Global Engagement; Megan Quinn, College of Public Health; and David Wood, Quillen College of Medicine.

Members of the project are planning a trip to Ecuador in March 2022.

“From economics to communication, there are so many reasons to understand the effects of global forces on each of our lives,” said Keller. “We hope this project will touch ETSU and the world for years to come.”

O.J. Early is Marketing/Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications.

WORLD-CLASS IN A RURAL SETTING

LAUNCHING THE ETSU RESEARCH CORPORATION

The most cost-efficient way to improve a nation of islands is to build bridges among them. The ETSU Research Corporation applies this model to the university.

“The world can be viewed as an integrated, highly complex, non-linear value chain,” said Research Corporation Chief Executive Officer David Golden. “If we’re not careful, we teach and research at the university level something that is somewhat of an artificial world of disparate domains, and then we launch students into the real world, which is trans-discipline and non-linear. One of the things the Research Corporation is focused on is building bridges among these wonderful islands of academic

expertise by convening, collaborating, and driving experiential learning.”

ETSU President Brian Noland announced the launch of the ETSU Research Corporation in January 2021, repurposing the ETSU Research Foundation in order to expand its role to connect, convene, and create across the university, the region, and beyond.

“With all of the many opportunities in our region to establish partnerships, innovate, and help drive prosperity, I feel strongly that ETSU should play an even greater role in this effort,” said Noland. “The Research Corporation will be a dynamic and forward-thinking partner as we work to enrich the region and impact the world.”

The ETSU Research Corporation is a convener for research, innovation, and activation particularly in the areas of PK12 STEM education, entrepreneurialism, regional development, workforce development, and artificial intelligence/ machine learning. Underpinning these efforts is expertise in design, media, and marketing to enhance and promote the university and region’s success and create experiential learning opportunities.

After the launch, Golden began organizing the Research Corporation, making the organization’s first four appointments and bringing four new members to the board of directors.

The Research Corporation has become a focal point to coordinate the portfolio of such ETSU organizations as the ETSU Innovation Lab, Tennessee Small Business Development Center, and the ETSU-Eastman Valleybrook Campus.

“I hear from people outside of our region repeatedly that we have so many great ‘pieces and parts,’” Golden said. “Indeed, we have many wonderful assets across the campus and incredible educators, but systems work as designed. If you

want different outcomes, you generally have to redesign the system. Putting more pressure on the existing system to produce different results is rarely a successful model, so the Research Corporation is catalyzing a collaborative system redesign.”

The redesign also means helping the university move faster as it interfaces off campus with the business community. Through new off-campus partnerships, the Research Corporation has helped recruit early-stage companies, find angel funding for AI initiatives, and launch a professional certification program with Brand Storytelling beginning in January 2022, which will connect the university to the world’s top marketing and creative professionals.

Through partnering, the Research Corporation has hosted several worldclass events, including the 2021 MATE ROV World Championship in underwater robotics during August and the 2021 Bands of America Regional Championship in October. In addition to showcasing some of the brightest young minds in the region, these events brought thousands of high school students and their parents from around the world to the ETSU campus and community. The Research Corporation is also partnering with ETSU’s Clemmer College, the Strong BRAIN Institute, and Ballad Health to launch and develop educational resources as part of Finnegan’s Challenge (see page 33). To further the STRIVE program for veteran entrepreneurs, the Research Corporation collaborated with the city of Kingsport and the College of Business and Technology.

The Research Corporation helped create experiential learning opportunities for students in the MBA and Brand and Media Strategy graduate programs by recruiting real-world clients ranging from Eastman to MIT throughout the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, the Research Corporation announced new internships in marketing/brand communication, graphic design, video brand storytelling, and computing.

In spite of significant challenges in 2021, the ETSU Research Corporation is on an upward trajectory to enrich the region and impact the world and is optimistic about even greater progress in the coming year. If you would like to help drive this success, please consider a tax-deductible donation. Email innovate@etsurc.org for more information.

Raina Wiseman is Director of Operations and Marketing for the ETSU Research Corporation. | Photos contributed

MEET THE ETSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES: CHARLES ALLEN, JR.

Charles E. Allen, Jr., continues a longstanding family legacy of commitment at ETSU as one of the newly appointed members of the ETSU Board of Trustees. He attributes his success in the classroom at ETSU to the building blocks of a foundation that led to future entrepreneurial successes. “I cannot say enough good things about my college experience at ETSU. I received an education second to none. I spent most of my time in the College of Business taking accounting and finance classes.” Allen said he even met his wife, Barbara, in an accounting class.

Allen vividly remembers the path that placed him in the political arena in Nashville and the full-circle moment in which he would later return after being elected to represent Northeast Tennessee. “My earliest experience with the Tennessee General Assembly was in 1974 during the effort to establish the ETSU College of Medicine. I was made a page for the day and sat at the desk on the House floor of Representative P.L. Robinson. Little did I know that 16 years later I would sit at that same desk after being elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives at the age of 29.” He served two terms in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Allen’s calling to public service allowed him to showcase his entrepreneurial spirit, something he holds dear to his heart. “An entrepreneur must be able to figure out creative solutions to needs and problems when there are no obvious answers. There is nothing as satisfying as starting and building a business. I believe that small business people are the heart and soul of our economy and community,” he said. Allen helped start many small businesses during his career, spanning from self-storage, banking, and real estate to fintech and even an electric vehicle company. Currently, he serves as president of Stowaway Storage, which has developed 16 storage facilities throughout the region, and Charles E. Allen Company. Allen’s professional career also demonstrates his exemplary skills and highly respected expertise in finance and investments. “I hold three financial certifications, CPA, CFP, and CFA. Shortly after graduating from ETSU with a degree in accounting, I earned the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. A few years later, some of my clients were requesting financial planning, so I studied for and earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation,” he said. His educational journey did not end at graduation but rather flourished with time. Allen said he set a goal early on in his career to earn the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which requires the completion of a three-year program. “When I was 50, I fulfilled that commitment. What I learned earning the CFA designation has been immeasurably helpful, and I would highly recommend it to anyone entering the field of finance and investments.”

Allen encourages ETSU students to believe they can accomplish anything and begin by determining a goal to achieve before putting a plan in motion to then reach that goal. “Be grateful when your goal seems difficult to obtain and there are roadblocks in the way. If it were easy, everyone would be pursuing and reaching the same goal and then the goal would have little value. If you want something to happen, you must take the initiative to make it happen,” he said. Allen witnessed firsthand how determination and drive are key attributes to manifesting an idea from concept to completion when his father, Dr. Charles Allen, a prominent Johnson City physician, began working to establish a medical school at ETSU in 1963. “He realized there was a tremendous shortage of doctors as well as medical capabilities in our area. Over the next ten years, he and many other people throughout our region worked tirelessly against enormous odds to establish the school,” Allen said. “I believe this effort is probably the finest example of what our region can accomplish when we all work together. Fifty years later, I still have people tell me from all over the region they worked with my father on the founding of the medical school.”

The Quillen College of Medicine is now recognized as one of the top schools in the country for rural medicine and primary care training. Dr. Allen’s unwavering advocacy for the medical school will be remembered for generations to come after a building on the VA medical campus was named in his honor. Charles Allen Hall, Building 2, has served as the home of the Physical Therapy program since 1996 (see page 8).

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the appointment of Charles Allen, Jr., to the ETSU Board of Trustees on September 30, 2021. “I believe it is a large responsibility to serve on the board that governs ETSU and helps shape its future. I am very much looking forward to serving and working with the other trustees, Dr. Noland, ETSU faculty, and staff,” Allen said. He hopes to make a big impact in his new role, carrying on a family legacy that positively impacts students and his alma mater. “I would like to see ETSU recognized, throughout our region and the country, as an institution that provides a world-class education that is second to none. There is no doubt ETSU has a tremendous future.”

Allen and his wife, Barbara, live in Johnson City and have two sons, Chip and Wes. They also have two golden retrievers, Jack, who is Allen’s constant companion, and Cooper, who is the Stowaway Storage mascot.

Yasmeen Elayan is Marketing/ Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications. | Photo by Charlie Warden