Fisk University’s scholarly, scientific, and creative endeavors
2020 Spring Issue / Vol. 2 1
Leaders. Scholars. World Changers.
Research & Innovation
ON THE COVER / SPRING 2020 3D reconstruction of the head neurons of the nematode C. elegans through confocal microscopy. Red marks neurons producing the neurotransmitter dopamine; green marks neurons expressing the transcription factor protein FKH-8, an important regulator of dopamine neuron function that has been identified and described by the Nelms Lab. Where these are both present, cells are yellow. Images captured by Dr. Brian Nelms and Dr. Zeinab Yadegari, Fisk University, using a confocal microscope at Meharry Medical College, access courtesy of Dr. Shawn Goodwin. research & innovation magazine team co-editors
Jamaal Sheats, MFA Assistant Professor of Art Arnold Burger, PhD Professor of Physics graphic design
Ivy Brown Design Consultant photography
Courtesy of the Fisk University Office of University Relations, Fisk Galleries and Frist Art Museum.
Research & Innovation Magazine is published by: FISK UNIVERSITY 1000 17th Avenue N. Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 329-8500
Research & Innovation Magazine at Fisk University is published annually by the Office of the Sponsored Research and Programs. The publication draws from the enormous range of current research and scholarly activities at Fisk University, comprising diverse projects supported by more than $9 million in annual funding in FY 2017. Opinions expressed do not reflect the official views of the University. Use of trade names implies no endorsement by Fisk University. For permission to reprint contact the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at 615/329-8516, or e-mail aburger@fisk.edu The 2020 Spring Issue of the Research & Innovation Magazine was made possible through partial support from The NSF/Fisk Center of Excellence for Biological Signatures and Sensing (BioSS) and the Fisk University Van Vechten Art Gallery.
Research & Innovation Magazine
Select Articles 5
Fisk University in National Rankings
6 9
in t h is is sue 16
Becoming North Nashville
Messages from the Fisk Administration
22
Rhodes Scholarship Finalists
Meet The Office of Sponsored Research
25
Fisk University Galleries
10
Funding Data
30
Faculty Capabilities
11
Recent Awards
36
First Metro Public School Rocket Expo
12
New Social Justice Institute
15
Outdoor Life Program
37
The IAM! Experience: Black Young Men Building Capacity (BYMBC)
message from the co-editors In the Spring 2020 issue of the Research & Innovation Magazine we have tried to introduce our readership to many of our student research activities and highlight their interactions with their Fisk mentors. We are also bringing stories of our outreach activities, new partnerships, and how our academic curricula is changing through the offering of new majors. The Office of Global Initiatives has also contributed an article on the scholarly experiences offered though the study abroad program.
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We hope you will enjoy reading this issue and we encourage our colleagues and students to keep contributing their success stories in the future issues of our Magazine!
Arnold & Jamaal Fisk University- February 1, 2020
Fisk University in National Rankings Founded in 1866, shortly after the end of the Civil War, Fisk University is a historically black university, and is the oldest institution of higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee. Fisk’s outstanding faculty and students continue to enhance the University’s national reputation for academic excellence, which is validated year after year by the leading third party reviewers, as well as, by the pool of talented applicants and the large percentage of alumni who complete graduate or professional degrees and become leaders and scholars in their fields. .
Our Mission recognizes the importance of research Fisk University produces graduates from diverse backgrounds with the integrity and intellect required for substantive contributions to society. Our curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts. Our faculty and administrators emphasize the discovery and advancement of knowledge through research in the natural and social sciences, business and the humanities. We are committed to the success of scholars and leaders with global perspectives.
1st
Historically Black college or university to gain accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
RANKED
#6
2020 U.S. News & World Report Ranked 6th HBCU in the nation
ACADEMIC
ATTAINMENT
Average High School GPA 3.4 Average ACT Score 22 Average SAT Score 1100
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Research & Innovation Magazine
Kevin D. Rome, PhD. Fisk President
Message from the Fisk University President Welcome to Fisk University! I welcome you to the new 2020 issue of Fisk’s Research Magazine. Fisk University was always renowned for its initiatives that help, inspire, and give back to community and we are passionate about telling our faculty, students, and administrators’ success stories that showcase our essential role in the creation of new knowledge and impacting society. It is towards that purpose that our Strategic Plan – Transformations 2022 is to promote a learning-centered environment through immersive educational experiences which facilitate excellence in teaching, research, and creative activity. Fisk University continues to earn top rankings in college guides and national publications. In the most recent 2019 Washington Monthly, by research expenditures, Fisk ranked 4th in the Nation among all liberal arts colleges. We have a rich history of innovative scientific pursuit, yet we are never satisfied with the status quo and strive to reach our full potential for producing top-tier research. I am proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students in the competition for external research grants and contracts that help us broaden our understanding of the world and improve the quality of life. I hope you enjoy reading the Magazine, and I thank you for supporting the research at Fisk University, which bring entrepreneurs close to us.
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www.fisk.edu
Be Fearless Think Fisk
Founded in 1866, Fisk University is a private, liberal arts university. Consistently recognized for academic excellence, Fisk is ranked among the Top 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report.
Fisk also ranked No. 1 in the nation among HBCUs for social mobility and No. 3 in the nation for research expenditures among small liberal arts colleges. Fisk University is deeply committed to student leadership, success and service. Fisk excels at preparing our highly motivated student body for elite graduate schools and outstanding careers. From the classroom to the boardroom, a Fisk education gives students the tools to turn their passions into careers and prepares them to make a difference in the world.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
Vann R. Newkirk, PhD.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Message from the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Greetings, I invite you to discover in this 2020 issue of our Fisk’s Research & Innovation Magazine some new and exciting initiatives in student-centered research, scholarly activities and outreach. Such activities are the cornerstone of the preparation of a new generation of students for successful and impactful 21st century careers. In the past year we have been able to elevate our research capacity through an increase by 4.3% in the total amount of grant and contract awards from diverse agencies. The National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, the US Department of the Army, UNCF, and many others agencies are entrusting their investment to Fisk University’s innumerable contributions to society and continued successes. We are grateful of this recognition that our university so greatly deserves and we are ready to address the current and emerging challenges and needs of our Nation.
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www.fisk.edu
meet the office of
Sponsored Research and Programs The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs (OSRP) at Fisk University is the centralized unit charged to coordinate research and sponsored program activities campus-wide. The unit strives to maintain a supportive environment for research and scholarly endeavors, and encourages the faculty and staff to seek external funding to support the mission of the university and to explore alternative means to advance their professional interest. Dr. Marcia J. Millet joined Fisk University in the spring of 2019 as the Director of Sponsored Research and Programs. She received her B.S. degree from Bennett College, M.A. degree in Elementary Education from The Ohio State University and Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University, Post-Doctoral work at Harvard University in the Women in Education Leadership Program. Currently Dr. Millet serves as a math consultant for Educational Testing Service and a CAEP site visitor. Dr. Millet was recently recognized as one of the top 90 alumni at Bennett College. Prior to coming to Fisk, Dr. Millet served as a tenured faculty member, Associate Dean and Director of Teacher Education. Dr. Millet has been an educator for over 25 years. During her tenure as a public-school teacher she received Teacher of The Year and was a state finalist for the President’s Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics for the state of Tennessee from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Millet and a team in collaboration with Educational Testing Service wrote and received an 8 million dollar grant for a STEM project for pre service and inservice teachers in Tennessee.
marcia j. millet
Dr. Millet’s research interests are teacher preparation, teacher retention, mathematical preparation of teachers, girls and STEM, STEM education, and diverse issues in education. Bri’Anna J. Baber joined Fisk University in the spring of 2019 as the Title III Coordinator and Assistant Director of Sponsored Research and Programs. She received her B.S. degree from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in and M.S. degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialization in Environmental Practices. Ms. Baber is a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Scholar, Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholar, and members of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and the American Planning Association. Ms. Baber’s research interests are creative placemaking, urban gardens, food deserts, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and recreational resources for children. In alignment with one her research interests, Ms. Baber’s Masters Terminal Research is titled, “Nature Deficit Disorder: A Recreational Resource Inventory of Madison County, Alabama Neighborhood Parks and Racial Disparities.”
bri'anna j. baber 9
Research & Innovation Magazine
OFFICE OF SPONSORED RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS
Funding Data
In Calendar Year (CY ) 2019, Fisk University’s Office of Sponsored Research and Programs has received a total of $24,307,214 in multi-year, active research awards. The top three federal agencies for our awards are: National Science Foundation ($10.8M), National Institutes of Health ($5.2) and The US Department of Education ($4.3M). The expected annual expenditures for CY 2020 will reach $6,657,276. This amount represents a growth of 4.3% over CY 2019. The Office of Sponsored Research and Programs will continue to work with first-time proposal submitters with the goal of increasing the number of grants and contracts including private foundations and industry.
Expected Annual Research Expenditures for CY 2020, by Funding Sources
Source: Fisk University Office of Sponsored Research and Programs, Activity Report 20192020, February 2020
An updated list of Upcoming Opportunities is available on the Fisk Website at:
www.fisk.edu/assets/files/122/upcoming-grantopportunities2020.pdf
2019 MULTI-YEAR ACTIVE RESEARCH AWARDS
$24M+
CY 2019 Active Awards by Funding Source
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www.fisk.edu
January 2020
Recent Awards Awarded to Fisk University
principal title of project investigator/program
agency
amount of award
Dr. Katherine Burnett
Becoming North Nashville
Council of Independent Colleges
$10,000
Dr. Vann R. Newkirk
Fisk University Outdoor Adventures Program
Maddox Charitable Fund
$25,000
Dr. Glenroy D. Martin
Establishing Pipeline Programs between the College of Pharmacy and HBCU Partners
University of Michigan
Dr. Michael Watson
Targeted Infusion Project: Infusing Machine Learning in Cognitive
National Science Foundation
$281,056
Dr. Qingxia Li
USTAR-M
UNCF
$15,000
Dr. Jessie C. Smith
Planning activities for a portal connect to collections about Julius Rosenwald
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
$90,000
Prof. Jamaal Sheets
Terry Adkins: Our Sons and Daughters Ever on the Altar
National Endowment of Arts
$50,000
Dr. Lee Limbird
R25 Bridges to the Biomedical Doctorate
National Institutes of Health
$1,585,400
Dr. Robert C. Wingfield, Jr.
University of Cincinnati Materials worker health and safety training, NIEHS: Application for continuation of funding
Dr. Arnold Burger
Innovative Halide crystals for Diode-Pumped Eye-Safe Lasers
Army Research Lab
$30,040
$355,000
$400,000
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Research & Innovation Magazine
(left to right) Fisk President, Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Dr. Charles Kimbrough, Ms. Willie Hughey, Dr. Blondell Strong Kimbrough.
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www.fisk.edu
New
Social Justice Institute at Fisk University
Like the rising of the legendary phoenix, this is the story of rebirth; the launch of Fisk University’s Social Justice Institute. As indicated in a recent article in the Tennessee Tribune the Social Justice Center is actually the relaunching of the historic Race Relations Institute under a different name. This historic think tank was created in 1942 to encourage social scientists, religious leaders, educators, government officials, and other notable figures to offer research and discussion on racial parity. It also created a standard method for holding a national dialog on race. It was in this spirit that acclaimed filmmaker and Fisk University graduate Rel Dowell, as a part of events around the University’s new Social Justice Institute Celebration previewed his acclaimed documentary “Where’s Daddy,” to an overflow crowd. “Where’s Daddy?” released in February 2018 examines America’s child support system and its specific effects and consequences to black families, with an emphasis on the experience of fathers as participants in the system. The film also examines legal challenges, social implications, cultural issues and the emotional impact of navigating the child support system as an African American father.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
(Social Justice Institute continued)
Provost, Dr. Vann Newkirk (left), Ilyasah Shabazz (center), Dr. Shirley Brown(right).
As a second component of Social Justice Institute’s opening the University held a symposium on “social justice, social change,” which featured award-winning author Ilyasah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X. The author of four award-winning novels, Shabazz urged the crowd to “fight injustice and to build the bridges need to improve this city and the nation.” During this portion of the program, the University also presented the Social Justice Medal of Freedom to Dr. Charles Kimbrough. Kimbrough was recognized for his work in fighting injustice and for his work with the NAACP in addressing civil rights in the African-American community. When fully operational the Social Justice Institute will house three academic programs: AA, BA, and MA in Social Justice. More importantly, said Fisk University Provost Vann Newkirk, “the Institute will create the change leadership needed to transform conditions in this country.” (top right photo: from left to right) Vann R. Newkirk, Dr. Shirley Brown, Rel Dowell, Frank Simmons; (bottom right photo: Screeening of "Where's Daddy" at Fisk University.
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Outdoor Life Program at Fisk University Kids Summer Fishing Program
“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime” (Chinese Proverb). While the goals of Fisk University’s, “Outdoor Life Program,” were not so lofty, the program nonetheless provided two weeks of fun-filled activities that taught middle schoolers the art of fishing. During the inaugural season 48 middle schoolers ages 9-13 participated in the program. Each camp participant received individualized instruction from Bass Pros provided by the BassPro Shop. According to the program manager Dr. Kenneth Jones, “the Outdoor Life Program is playing its part in creating the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
It also is ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds not only learn about outdoor activities, such as fishing, but that they also learn the value of ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabit such places.” Funding for the outdoor program was provided by an award from the Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Foundation in the amount of $25,000.00. Since 2009, the Maddox Charitable Fund has awarded over $21 million in grants to more than 150 organizations. 15
Research & Innovation Magazine
Becoming North Nashville “Becoming North Nashville” is a collaborative exhibit between Fisk University and Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School (MLK). Utilizing the photographic holdings in the Fisk University Franklin Library Special Collections and the Pearl High School archives located at MLK, students from Art and History courses at both institutions will work together to create a public performance in February 2020 and a short-term visual exhibit housed at MLK throughout the Spring and Summer 2020. The goal of the “Becoming North Nashville” project is to use institutional history and archival holdings as a way to create conversations and foster connections within the North Nashville community and between established institutions in the neighborhood. In highlighting the two collections, the “Becoming North Nashville” project examines the history of a community, how that community has shifted and changed over time, and what communal identity means in the midst of the current changes and dramatic shifts in the surrounding neighborhoods and city. The project is a collaboration between faculty, staff, and students at both institutions, including: Dr. Katharine A. Burnett, Associate Professor of English, Fisk University (principal investigator) Ms. DeLisa Harris, Special Collections archivist, Fisk University Professor Alicia Henry, Professor of Art, Fisk University Dr. Vann R. Newkirk, Provost, Fisk University Dr. Angela McShepard-Ray, Principal, Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School
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Dr. Katharine A. Burnett book, Cavaliers and Economists: Global Capitalism and the Development of Southern Literature, 1820-1860, was
published with LSU Press in May 2019. I've attached a copy of the cover.
Mr. Randall Norton, History instructor, Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School Mr. Melvin Black, Pearl High School Archives Ms. Alexandria Green, Art major, Fisk University ('22) Mr. John Davies, English major, Fisk University (‘20)
SEUSS Undergraduate Paper Competition Fisk Sociology Seniors Place First and Second Three senior sociology majors traveled to Morehouse University to present their senior research papers at the 37th Southeastern Undergraduate Sociology Symposium (SEUSS) held in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 22-23, 2019.. The SEUSS Fellows were Shelby Bullock, Teris Taylor, and Alaya Williams. Alaya and Shelby won awards in the undergraduate paper competition. Alaya won first place for her paper entitled, “The Portrayals of Black Men in the Media: A Comparison of Portrayals in Predominantly Black Television Shows Versus Portrayals in Diverse Television Shows.” Shelby won second place for her paper entitled, “How Family Structure Affects Children’s Academic Success.” Both papers were written in the senior sociology capstone course taught by Dr. Dani Smith.
Highlights Dr. Qingxia Li, is an Associate Professor in Mathematics at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He obtained his PhD in Applied Mathematics at Louisiana State University in 2010. Before he joined Fisk in May 2014, he was an Assistant Professor at Lincoln University from 2010 to 2014. His research expertise lies in Applied Mathematics and Mathematics Education. He served as PI for two NSF-BPR projects, co-PI for NSF-CREST, and was a recipient for UNCF faculty research grant and Henry McBay Faculty Research fellowships from UNCF. He was selected as an Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues of Higher Education in 2019.
Dr. ClarLynda Williams-Devane is a Bioinformatician and Chair of the New Data Science and Bioinformatics Department. She is also the PI of the campus wide NSF Computational and Quantitative Initiative. She is also the PI of the Williams-DeVane health disparity informatics (WDHDI) research program. The WDHDI has three aims 1. The biocuration of public metabolic syndrome related data to understand the race/ethnic group, gender/sex, and age disparities of metabolic syndrome and the contributing spectrum of diseases as well as differentiating biomarkers;
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Research & Innovation Magazine 2. The biocuration of public health information to understand the disparate contribution of obesity to obesity linked cancer risk between different race/ethnic groups, sex and gender classes, and age groups; and 3. The understanding of the theoretical biological potential of the integration of different 'omic technologies towards understanding the etiology of disease with the hope of better understanding health disparities. The WDHDI is a unique combination of bioinformatics, biocuration, and text-mining. Dr. Williams DeVane is also the cofounder of the Data Science club and Data Science Research Hub along with Ms. Willysha Jenkins. The Data Science club is a student group that meets on Friday evenings to explore the application of data science tools and methodologies to problems of interest to the group. In Fall 2019, the data science club focused on using the R statistical programming language to perform temperament analysis of the democratic debates with the assistance of Political Science professor Dr. Antwain Leach. Students used and continue to use the results to predict of the outcome of the democratic Caucus polls. The Data Science Research Hub is collaborative working group where faculty can bring their data for students to explore and make new discoveries.
2019 Community Archiving Workshop On Thursday, May 30, 2019, the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library held a day-long event in partnership with the Community Archiving Workshop, Metro Nashville Archives’ Audiovisual Heritage Center, and Appalshop. This project is part of the national Community Archiving Workshop Training of Trainers Program supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). From 2018 - 2020, archivists and communities around the country are gathering to share resources and preserve and provide access to endangered audiovisual heritage collections. This event brought volunteers from the community together with archives professionals from the Southeast to learn the essentials of archiving analog audiovisual materials. Kelli Hix AV Archivist at the Nashville Metro Archives giving a demonstration on film inspection.
Attendees inventorying, inspecting, and re-housing video collections from the Fisk media archive
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Participants gained hands-on experience by working with film and tape collections from the Fisk University Franklin Library Special Collections and Archives and had the opportunity to meet together in Fisk's beautiful library. The workshop began with an introduction to the Fisk University Franklin Library Special Collections and Archives, followed by training in essential AV archiving practices. The event was successful with 300 items from the Fisk media collection inventoried and re-housed. As a partner on this grant, Fisk University received $800.00 for digitization of media and an additional $3,000.00 to be used to address the media collections conditions.
www.fisk.edu
Vanderbilt Mellon Partners in Humanities Education Post-Doctoral Fellows In August of 2018, thanks to a $1.93 million renewal grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the second phase of the Mellon Partners for Humanities Education project began. The grant renewal supports Vanderbilt postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities and the humanistic social sciences during the next four years at four partner schools: Berea College, Fisk University, Tennessee State University and Tougaloo College. Fisk University currently hosts two post-doctoral fellows, Dr. Raquel Bostow and Dr. Patrick Raisco. Dr. Raquel Bostow’s research interests include feminist theory, gender studies, and women’s writing in French, as well as critical food studies and animal studies. She is currently working on a book manuscript titled “Medusian Apparitions: Sex and Sense in Contemporary Women’s Writing in French,” which uses the figure of the Medusa as a tool for the radical, feminist realignment of old relationships between female bodies, danger, and death. Raquelle has published articles in Literature & Theology and Modern Languages Notes. At Fisk, she teaches French and is also creating a digital archival exhibit using Omeka, featuring AfricanAmerican female artists and authors who received a Rosenwald fellowship between 1928 and 1948. The site titled. "Women of Rosenwald: Curating Social Justice Through the Arts (1928-1948)” will be completed in May 2020. Dr. Patrick Rasico’s research focuses on the relationships between the processes of empire formation, the production of representations of India by Europeans, and how Britons collected and circulated South Asian artwork and artifacts in South Asia and London during the latter part of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. His dissertation, “Arenas of Display and Debate: Britishness, Exotica, and the Material Counterflows of Empire in India, 1750—1825,” examined how Britons’ uses, circulation, and display of Indian artworks and antiquities reflected and engendered continuous British reevaluations of the “oriental” nature of Indian and British peoples and geographies throughout the Georgian period. He is presently developing his dissertation into a monograph. Rasico’s article, “Calcutta ‘In These Degenerate Days’: The Daniells’ Visions of Life, Death, and Nabobery in Late Eighteenth-Century British India,” appeared in The Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies in March 2019. At Fisk University, Rasico teaches courses on Modern Asian History and Global British Empire. He is collaborating with fellow Fisk scholars in the development of a digital humanities mapping project related to the Fisk Jubilee Singers’® travels during the late nineteenth century. His contribution will shed light on the little-known history of the Singers’ travels in British colonial Burma and India from 1889 to 1890.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
Highlights continued
Fisk Honors Debate Team Scores First Place
Members of the Fisk University W.E.B. DuBois Honors Program ended a successful trip to New Orleans Nov. 6-9, 2019 after participating in the National Association of African American Honors Programs Conference. The Fisk honors debate team took first place in their competition, and Vice Provost for Student Success Dr. Kenneth E. Jones became president of the organization for 2019-20. The debate team, which was only just established during the fall 2019 semester, was strongest among the seven HBCU participants. Before dueling to a win in the finals against host institution, Southern University of Baton Rouge, Fisk had already argued successfully against Florida A&M University and perineal debate powers Miles College, Birmingham, Alabama. Southern had outlasted Morgan State University and Hampton University before going up against Fisk. Debating for Fisk were sophomores Chidera Okeke and Paul Springer, Jr., and senior, Rammon Green. Alternates were Sonia Okekenwa, Bria Savoy, and Chideraa Akapama. Students competing in poster and oral research presentation competitions were Chisom Okwar, Imani Campbell, Tatyana Hayley, and Bria Savoy. Paul Springer, Jr. also competed in the oratorical contest. Legendary HCASC quiz bowl coach Dr. Stafford Cargill fielded a quiz bowl team in that competition from among the Fisk University Honors participants. Dr. Jones was elevated to the presidency of the organization as stipulated by its constitution and bylaws after serving as Vice President for one year. Consequently, the 2020 NAAAHP conference is expected to return to Nashville, Tennessee with Fisk University serving as next year’s host.
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(top) Chidera Okeke, Paul Springer, Jr., and Rammon Green (bottom) Chidera Okeke and Paul Springer, Jr., and senior, Rammon Green.
Alternates were Sonia Okekenwa, Bria Savoy, and Chideraa Akapama. Students competing in poster and oral research presentation competi-
tions were Chisom Okwar, Imani Campbell, Tatyana Hayley, and Bria Savoy.
Established in 1990, the National Association of African American Honors Programs is an organization whose mission is to address the specific needs of honors education for students enrolled at historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States. There are currently over 60 HBCU member institution.
www.fisk.edu
National Book Foundation: Writing Survival Comes to Fisk University On Monday, October 14th, 2019, award-winning writers Danez Smith and Brandon Hobson visited Fisk University for a reading and a dialogue with the campus community. The event was co-hosted by the Fisk University English discipline and the National Book Foundation, the organization that gives out the National Book Award, for which both Smith and Hobson were finalists. The theme of the event was “writing survival,” a topic engaged by both writers’ works. Smith is a Black, Queer, Poz writer & performer from St. Paul, MN, whose poetry collection Don’t Call Us Dead (Graywolf Press, 2017) was a finalist for the National Book Award. They are the recipient of fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, Cave Canem, and the National Endowment for the Arts, and their work has been featured widely including on Buzzfeed, in The New York Times, and on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They wowed the audience with a performance of poems from Don’t Call Us Dead. Brandon Hobson is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation Tribe of Oklahoma and a Pushcart-Prizewinning writer whose work has appeared in such places as Conjunctions and The Paris Review Daily. He read a section from his 2018 novel "Where the Dead Sit Talking", which was a 2018 finalist for the National Book Award, 2019 finalist for the St. Francis College Literary Prize, and Winner of 2018 Reading the West Book Award. His new novel is forthcoming from Ecco next year. He teaches creative writing at New Mexico State University and at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. The conversation was hosted by local Nashville poet Ciona Rouse. During the Q&A, Fisk English major Destiny Reed asked whether it is an author’s job to “write the hard stuff.” The panelists responded in the affirmative. Smith spoke about being HIV positive, about being a writer in the twenty-first century, and the importance of social media: one of their favorite poems, they told the crowd, was first published on facebook as a knee-jerk reaction to the death of Tamir Rice. Hobson spoke about growing
up in Oklahoma, amid a population with political views very different from his own. After the event La Tanya Rogers, associate professor of English remarked about how extraordinary it was that “not one but TWO National Book Award finalists would gather in an intimate undergraduate space at Fisk University to read from their work and engage the inquiries of our keen students who are, in their own right, budding national voices.”
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Research & Innovation Magazine
Two Fisk Students Named as
Rhodes Scholarship Finalists Anisha Mittal and Jesus Murillo, graduating seniors at Fisk University, in Nashville, Tennessee and members of the W.E.B. Du Bois General University Honors Program, have been named finalists for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Named after British colonial statesman Cecil J. Rhodes, the scholarship will fully fund 2-3 years of graduate study at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England, in any field of interest to the scholarship winners. Since its launch over 115 years ago, the Rhodes Scholarship has become the most coveted of international scholarships. Famous U.S. Rhodes Scholars include former President Bill Clinton, current presidential hopefuls Cory Booker and Pete Buttigieg, ABC newscaster George Stephanopoulos, and former U.N. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice. Mittal, who is from Dalton, Georgia, is majoring in biology with a minor in music and was named a Goldwater Scholar earlier this year. Murillo, a political science major from Visalia, California, serves as a student 22
government leader and a chaplain's assistant at Fisk. Dr. Patrick C. Fleming, Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Honors Program, remarked of the two honors students and Rhodes Scholarship finalists: “Anisha and Jesus are leaders on campus and in their community. Both are stellar students with the potential to be global leaders. Despite the university’s prestigious history and the superlative caliber of our students, no Fisk graduate has gone on to become a Rhodes Scholar – yet. The whole campus is pulling for Anisha and Jesus, and we wish them the best of luck!” Mittal and Murillo are among approximately 240 students from the U.S. who have advanced to the final round of the competition. From this number, a total of 32 Americans will be named U.S. Rhodes Scholars.
www.fisk.edu
HBCU Library Alliance Summer Library Conservation/Preservation Internship Program
Garrette Lewis-Thomas at Duke University with book enclosures she created for a rare book collection
Spring 2019 Garrette Lewis-Thomas, a senior psychology and sociology major, was selected as a 2019 Summer Intern for the HBCU Library Alliance Library Conservation/Preservation Internship Program. The Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, in partnership with the HBCU Library Alliance, provides eight fully-funded, eight-week summer internships in library and archives preservation at eight nationally recognized library preservation/
conservation laboratories. Ms. Lewis-Thomas was selected to complete her internship at Duke University Libraries (DUL). During her time at Duke, Ms. Lewis-Thomas received training in photograph preservation, disaster preparedness, and creating archival enclosures for books. Ms. Lewis-Thomas received a cost-of-living stipend, funds for travel, and assistance arranging travel and housing accommodations. Upon her return to Fisk University, Ms. Lewis Thomas received $1,500.00 23
Research & Innovation Magazine to complete a preservation/conservation project at the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library. Ms. LewisThomas is the Library’s third student to complete an internship with the Alliance and complete a project at Fisk University. For her project, she will update the library’s current disaster preparedness manual, build a disaster supplies kit, and host a workshop on how to address certain disasters like floods.
Re-housing Panorama photograph of African American Soldiers from WWI from the W.E.B. Du Bois Archive in the Franklin Library Special Collections and Archives
2020-2022 CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowship
We are happy to announce that Fisk University will serve as a host institution for the 2020-2022 CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowship in Data Curation for African American Studies. These fellowships are for recent Ph.D's with expertise in any aspect of African American and/or African Studies; salaries, a portion of fringe benefits, and these fellows’ participation in program activities are fully funded through the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for selected hosts. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports these fellowships.
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Report from Director of
www.fisk.edu
Fisk University Galleries Since my tenure as the Director of the Fisk University Galleries began in 2015, our primary goals have been to: 1. 1) develop new partnerships and programs to facilitate access and training for the next generation of artists, arts leaders and art advocates, and 2. 2) continue our efforts to advance in the preservation, protection, and promotion of our collections. We are actively pursuing these goals and have made major strides in doing so. With support from the Fisk University administration, faculty and students, community, and Friends of the Gallery, over the last 4 years we have opened 18 exhibitions, recruited and trained over 60 Gallery Ambassadors, welcomed over 10,000 visitors from across the world annually, and developed and sustained partnerships with museums, academic and community organizations. Our team has also given over 50 talks and participated in panels and conversations in the United States and abroad. Finally, Fisk University Galleries has been fortunate to secure funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Walton Family Foundation, Ford Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation, Sotheby's, and in partnership with the Frist Art Museum-- we received funding from National Endowment for the Arts. Needless to say, we have been busy, but there is always more to do to support the Fisk University's mission. In 2018, Fisk University unveiled its 20182022 strategic plan. The plan includes seven guiding principles: 1) Transformational Student Experience; 2) Academic Excellence; 3) Thrive; 4) Diversity and Social Justice; 5) Community Partnerships; 6) Continuous Improvement; and 7) Globalization. In an effort to further align with the strategic plan, we launched the Fisk University Museum Leadership Program (FMLP) with support from the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative funded by the Walton Family Foundation and the Ford Foundation. The goal of FMLP is to train, develop, and diversify the professionals within the museum field. In May our 1st cohort of scholars that included 10 students from 5 HBCUS completed 4 modules: Conservation, Curatorial and
Collection management, Museum Education and Engagement, and Development. Members from our 1st cohort has entered their fellowship year and, we are currently in the mist of training our 2nd cohort. The FMLP has enabled them to work with many museum professionals across the country. In conjunction with the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Galleries our partners include, Winterthur/University of Delaware, Lunder Conservation Center, Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Princeton University Art Museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Frist Art Museum, among others. In our commitment in raising the visibility of our exhibitions and programs-- we have not only enhanced our sustaining partnerships, and we have developed new ones. This Spring we opened Terry Adkins: Our Sons and Daughters Ever on the Altar, co-curated and co-presented by Fisk University Galleries and the Frist Art Museum. With the generous support from the NEA. The exhibition includes sculptures, prints, installations, and video by the multidisciplinary and multimedia artist and musician, on view in the Frist’s Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery from February 20 through May 31, and the Carl Van Vechten Gallery at Fisk from February 20 through September 12. Presented forty-five years after Adkins’ graduation from Fisk, the exhibition pays special attention to the influence that his time in Nashville had on the late internationally acclaimed artist. We are currently developing an exhibition in partnership with Cheekwood Estate and Gardens and Vanderbilt University—centered around Aaron Douglas and William Edmondson, scheduled to open in 2021. We are also organizing African Modernism in America, 1947-1967, with the support from the Andy Warhol Foundation, and an accommodation from Sotheby's Prize. The exhibition is scheduled to travel in partnership with the American Federation of the Arts-- set to open in Fall 2022. Stay tuned... there is more to come. —Jamaal B. Sheats, MFA 25
Research & Innovation Magazine
Meet Fisk University Galleries
curatorial fellow
Jordan Wright Supported by Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative funded by the Walton Family Foundation and the Ford Family Foundation: Jordan Wright is our Fisk University Galleries Curatorial Fellow. He is a graduate of Winston Salem State University with a BA in Art & Design. Jordan completed the inaugural year of the Fisk Museum Leadership Program, which included an overview and intensive at Fisk University and the following modules: an art conservation intensive at the University of Delaware and the Winterthur Museum, an art conservation intensive at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Lunder Conservation Center, a curatorial intensive at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, a museum education intensive at the Georgia 26
O’Keeffe Museum, and a museum development intensive at Fisk University in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission, MPYER Marketing and the National Museum of African American Music. In Summer 2019, Jordan received additional training in art conservation at Yale University during the Student and Mentors Institute for Technical Art History. Over the course of his fellowship at Fisk, Jordan has gained experience in curatorial and research, collections management, community engagement and museum education.
www.fisk.edu
perrin lathrop
African Modernism in America Profile fisk university research journal Perrin Lathrop was the Fisk University Galleries, Andy Warhol Foundation Curatorial Fellow for the 2018/2019 academic year. As a Fellow, she pursued research in Nashville, Washington, DC and Lagos, Nigeria for the exhibition African Modernism in America, 1947-1967, opening in Nashville in Fall 2022. One of the most important and comprehensive collections of African modernism in the United States resides at Fisk University, donated by the Harmon Foundation in 1967. Drawn from this collection, African Modernism in America, 1947-1967 will feature artists who produced art that responded to interlocking histories of civil rights, decolonization and the Cold War. The exhibition will expand understandings of modernism and African art by re-introducing American audiences to influential modern African artists who defied the narrative of African art as isolated to a ‘primitive’ past with their inventive and irrefutably contemporary work. In addition to support from the Warhol Foundation, the exhibition received a commendation from the Sotheby’s Prize in 2019. The show will travel nationally in 2023 through a partnership with the American Federation of Arts. Perrin first traveled to Fisk to conduct research for her PhD dissertation in 2016. She is a PhD candidate in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University, where she will defend her dissertation “A ‘Sublime Art’: Akinola Lasekan and Colonial Modernism in Nigeria” in 2020. The project positions Nigerian artist Akinola Lasekan as a colonial modernist and examines his career’s intersection with the intellectual histories of nationalism, pan-Africanism and modernism. Fisk owns an important collection of Lasekan’s work, including his remarkable history painting Ogedengbe of Ilesha in the Kiriji War (c. 1958-59). Perrin has returned to Fisk multiple times since 2016 to prepare for the exhibition
p e r r i n l at h r op African Modernism in America, which she is co-curating with Fisk University Galleries Director Jamaal Sheats and former Associate Curator Nikoo Paydar. The exhibition African Modernism in America, 1947-1967 will also include a newly commissioned contemporary art installation by the Lagos, Nigeria-based artist Ndidi Dike. Perrin and the artist began discussing the commission in Lagos in July 2018. Following in the steps of the Harmon Foundation and former Fisk University professor David Driskell’s mission to facilitate relationships between African artists and American audiences, Dike will travel to the United States in 2020 with the support of the Warhol Foundation to conduct research in the Harmon Foundation and Fisk University archives for her commission, entitled “The Politics of Selection.” 27
Research & Innovation Magazine Fisk University Galleries (cont.)
(Above) Akinola Lasekan, Ogendengbe of Ilesha in the Kiriji War, oil on canvas, ca. 1958-9. 27 x 34.75 in. Gift of the Harmon Founda-
tion. Fisk University Galleries, 1991.1121. (below) Perrin Lathrop examining illustrations by the Nigerian modernist D.L.K. Nnachy at Fisk during her 2016 visit to Nashville.
The artist will focus on the role of women in the development of modernism. Dike’s resulting immersive multi-media installation will examine the multiplicity of viewpoints, biases, prejudices, allegiances and omissions found in the archive to highlight the power in retelling histories of modernism today. While an artist-in-residence, Ndidi Dike will also engage with students and the campus community.
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www.fisk.edu
highlights from
The Office of Academic Affairs Faculty feature
Dr.
Jocelyn Imani Dr. Jocelyn Imani joined the Office of Academic Affairs as the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies and Academic Operations. She earned a BA in History from Fisk University and a PhD in African Diaspora and Public History from Howard University. Her research explores student activism and cultural production during the Black Power Era. An experienced public historian with over a decade of experience, she has worked with cultural and educational institutions including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Park Service, Howard University, Washington Adventist University, and Coppin State University. As Assistant Dean she plans to assist with the continued enhancement of the School for Graduate Studies in the
areas of marketing, infrastructure, and daily operations. She also supports the Provost as a project manager for the Office of Academic Affairs. Her primary function is support the implementation of initiatives identified in the strategic plan including the Social Justice Institute and the SACSCOC reaccreditation process.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
highlights
Faculty Capabilities Faculty Accomplishments Dr. Robert C. Wingfield, Jr., facilitated our Fisk University Environmental Health Workshop “Reducing Your Family’s Exposure to Toxic Chemicals at Home, Work and Play” on March 23, 2019 in the Multipurpose Room, of Spence Hall. The workshop addressed the following topics: •
Toxic chemicals of concern
•
Sources of exposure to toxic substance in the home and community
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Routes of exposure and health risks
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Steps to reduce use and exposure to toxic chemicals
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Proper disposal of household hazardous waste
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Going Green: “Safer Choices” and environmentally friendly chemicals for use in the home Dr. Sajid Hussain participated in the Google Faculty-in-Residence program in Austin, TX on March 22, 2019.
Dr. Lee Limbird is serving on the Review Pane22l for the National Institutes of Health Undergraduate training program (student stipends and tuition) to develop the next generation of neuroscientists currently underrepresented in Discovery and Leadership. 30
Congratulations to our Principal Investigators
Congratulations to our dedicated principal investigators. The list of grants and the associated Fisk faculty who brought these grants to Fisk: Targeted Infusion Project: Infusing Quantitative Biology Methods into Cognate and Upper Division Courses: Enhancement of the Life Sciences Curriculum at Fisk University Dr. Steven Morgan (Principal Investigator) Dr. Phyllis Freeman (Co-Principal Investigator) Dr. Steven Damo (Co-Principal Investigator) Targeted Infusion Project: Strengthening the Undergraduate STEM Curriculum at Fisk University through the Infusion of Computational-Biological content in Pre-Calculus Dr. Sanjukta Hota (Principal Investigator) Dr. Brian Nelms (Co-Principal Investigator) Dr. Lei Qian (Co-Principal Investigator) Research Initiation Award Grant: Synthesize and Characterize of Disulfonated Poly(arylene ether sulfone-tetrachlorocyclotriphosphazene) Hybrid Copolymers Dr. Natalie Arnett (Principal Investigator) Dr. Warren Collins (Co-Principal Investigator) Research Initiation Award: Revealing the Structural Basis for Calprotectin-RAGE Signaling Axis Dr. Steven Damo (Principal Investigator)
www.fisk.edu
TIP: Transforming Computer Science Education using 'upside down' Curriculum, Course- embedded projects, Integration with other STEM disciplines, and Peer Mentors Dr. Sajid Hussain (Principal Investigator) Research Initiation Award: Uncovering the Role of Germline-Specific MAGE-B2 Protein in Maintenance of Cellular Identity Dr. Saumya Ramanathan (Principal Investigator) HBCU-UP TIP: Integrating Innovative Polymer Chemistry Research into the Introductory General Chemistry Two Course Sequence- Fostering STEM Interest and Retention Dr. Natalie Arnett (Principal Investigator) HBCU-UP RIA: Isolation and identification of novel chemical entities from marine microorganisms Dr. Glenroy Martin (Principal Investigator) Broadening Participation Research Project: Investigating the Integration of Mathematics into Biology by Reciprocal Course Content Exchange Dr. Qingxia Li (Principal Investigator) Dr. Patricia McCarroll (Co-Principal Investigator) Implementation Project: Achieving Greater Confidence and Competence in Quantitative and Computational Skills in STEM Disciplines at Fisk University Dr. Lee Limbird (Principal Investigator) Dr. Brian Nelms (Co-Principal Investigator) Dr. Princilla Evans (Co-Principal Investigator) Dr. Sajid Hussain (Co-Principal Investigator)
Targeted Infusion Project: Development of an Undergrad Bioinformatics and Biomathematics Track at Fisk University to Enhance Undergrad STEM Education, Research, and Future Careers Dr. Sanjukta Hota (Principal Investigator) Dr. Brian Nelms (Co-Principal Investigator) Dr. Lei Qian (Co-Principal Investigator) HBCU-UP RIA: Genetic Evaluation of Structural Determinants of Dopamine Transporters Dr. Phyllis Freeman (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Steve Damo: The American Chemical Society (ACS) made a favorable evaluation of our periodic report (covering years 2013-2018). Thus, the Fisk University BS degree in Chemistry remains an accredited degree by the American Chemical Society. The committee requires that we acquire an optical atomic spectrometer (ICP-OES for example) and incorporate its use in the curriculum. Dr. Cathy Martin and Ms. Patricia McCarroll attended the 1st Annual TLSAMP Community College STEM Transfer Day at Nashville State Community College on April 23, 2019. they encountered 18 students in various stages of matriculation at Nashville State Community College who were interested in transferring to Fisk University. They were able to offer information in transferring to Fisk University and field questions on Fisk’s current programs and opportunities in our natural sciences and business administration.
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Research & Innovation Magazine Dr. Cathy Martin gives support for the College of Pharmacy’s proposal entitled “Establishing Pipeline Programs between the College of Pharmacy and HBCU Partners”. We began initial connections with the College of Pharmacy through their Sabbatical Connections Program and the participation of one of our Fisk students in their preview weekend and College of Pharmacy Research Forum. We are now excited to strengthen this relationship in support of our students by taking advantage of the research and graduate school opportunities that are being offered at the University of Michigan (U-M). As Dean of the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Business at Fisk and an alumna of University of Michigan, I am pleased to move forward in building our relationship with the University of Michigan. We believe that our students who are interested in biomedical research will greatly benefit from the professional and graduate programs. The success of this grant will help to bolster these efforts and build a sustainable partnership. I was delighted when I heard that our faculty member, Dr. Glenroy Martin, was selected by the U-M College of Pharmacy as their 2018 Sabbatical Scholar. His participation in this Sabbatical Connections Program has afforded him the opportunity to strengthen his research base as he works with U-M faculty who are experts in his field of research. —Fisk Forever. Go Blue.
Dr. Bryan Kent Wallace of the Physics discipline of the Department of Life and Physical Sciences has been very busy this academic year representing Fisk University. Dr. Wallace was appointed to a committee for the National Academy of Science (NAS) to review the NASA Science Activation Program (SciAct). Science Activation is a group in NASA which has over 23 research programs within its portfolio. The NAS was solicited by NASA to review their program and make recommendations on best practices in community engagement and broadening participation in STEM in America. Dr. Bryan Kent Wallace of the Physics discipline of the Department of Life and Physical Sciences has been very busy this academic year representing Fisk University. Dr. Wallace was appointed to a committee for the National Academy of Science (NAS) to review the NASA Science Activation Program (SciAct). Science Activation is a group in NASA which has over 23 research programs within its portfolio. The NAS was solicited by NASA to review their program and make recommendations on best practices in community engagement and broadening participation in STEM in America. Dr. Wallace was an invited speaker at Morrisville Middle/High School in Morrisville, Pennsylvania in the First week of May 2019. Dr. Wallace spent two 32
Faculty feature
Dr. Wallace gives a talk on Teaching Skills for the Center of Minority Serving institution’s ELEVATE Conference
www.fisk.edu
Students sit in the cockpit of the airplane donated
Dr. Wallace pictured here helping Morrisville Shop Students
Dr. Wallace received a certificate acknowledging his
to Fisk University. Once refurbished, the tentative
building rockets.
participating in the Air War College National Security
name of the aircraft will be the Fisk Flyer.
days building rockets with 4th-period Shop students and also spoke to first through seventh-period classes about subjects ranging from Black Holes to pathways for success for graduating seniors. Morrisville faculty wrote a grant to bring Dr. Wallace out annually to engage their students and inspire them to pursue careers in STEM-related fields. Dr. Wallace received a donation $89,000 worth of Drone and Aviation equipment from the Aerospace non-profit organization BASE 11 the semester. The Memorandum of Understanding is that the Fisk Rocket Team will use this equipment to engage K-12 youth in Aerospace related curriculum for two years. The Fisk Rocket Team is currently participating in the Base 11 Space Challenge where multiple Universities are competing to launch a liquid propellant rocket into space. Dr. Wallace was a guest at the United States Air Force’s Air War College National Security Forum. This forum was a three-day event that provided dialog between the Air Force, Air War College Faculty and, the Civilian population on the latest topics concerning National Security, National Cyber Security, and US Air War Power. Dr. Wallace had the opportunity to speak with the Secretary of the US Air Force, Heather Wilson, and was in attendance for a lecture by the Air Force Chief of Staff, David L. Goldfein. Fisk University was the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) represented at the Forum. Dr. Wallace received an appointment to a research committee sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review the NASA, Science
Forum.
Activation Program. This committee is made up of STEM experts at Universities, Research Laboratories, and Museums from around the country. Participants will meet with NASA officials to assess and make recommendations for enhancing program practices based on evidence-based research in STEM Engagement, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and engagement of diverse populations. The work will result in a report published in November 2019. Dr. Wallace is a participating mentor for the ELEVATE conference hosted by the Center of Minority Serving Institutions at Rutgers University. ELEVATE Fellows are 1st through 3rd-year professors at Minority Serving Institutions. Fellows of this three-day conference receive development in areas such as how to publish, getting tenure, work-life balance, and how to be a successful scholar. Dr. Wallace will host a talk on Teaching Skills. He is in his 5th year serving as a mentor for the ELEVATE conference. Dr. Wallace has been nominated and now appointed to be a Fellow in the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL). This program is an NSF funded Center tasked with documenting “the leadership styles and strategies” used by HBCU’s record in broadening participation in STEM curriculum, research, and workforce. This program is a 12 Month CASL Leadership Program organized around live webinars and four in-person residencies. Fellows will plan and implement a Leadership Learning Project to explore how leadership on our respective campuses related to broadening participation in STEM.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
Faculty Capabilities continued
Faculty feature
dr.brian nelms At the Spring Faculty Institute, Dr. Brian Nelms (Biology/BMB) shared open education strategies for augmenting or “flipping� the classroom using free online tools, games, interactive tutorials, and video production software. These included Nearpod, Kahoot, Screencast-o-matic, HHMI Biointeractive, Learn. Genetics, Khan Academy, and Crash Course. Dr. Phyllis Freeman provided a demonstration of several online virtual labs, and Dr. Sajid Hussain discussed adaptive learning tools. The Fisk University/National Science Foundation Implementation Project, led by Drs. Lee Limbird, Sajid Hussain, Brian Nelms, and ClarLynda Williams-DeVane, supported the Faculty Preview for the QEP Technology Literacy course. The course, which was developed and taught by Dr. ClarLynda Williams-DeVane, Willysha Jenkins, and Dr. Sajid Hussain (all faculty from the discipline of Computer Science), gave faculty a chance to learn what will be taught in a redesigned CSCI 100 (Technology Literacy), and how it will be taught, to increase faculty awareness and application of skills that will be expected of our students across all disciplines. Summer in the Nelms Lab was busy but enjoyable, with a significant cadre of students either gaining new exposure to research skills or continuing/returning to explore former projects in greater depth, supported by a variety of summer programs at Fisk. From the NSF CREST BioSS Center: Sidney Stuckett, Gisela del Valle, and Alexandra Desco; from the NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Program: Jasmine Brooks, Kofi Arthur, Kristen Oguno, and Jaia Holleman; from the NSF Targeted Infusion Program (TIP): Ashley Cosby and Vivian Iloabuche; from the NSF Implementation Project: Diamond Means, Terrance Hawkins, and Rishab Wadhwa; from the NIH MARC Program: MyKaila Jones. Also in the lab during the summer were graduate students Austin Anthony, Marina Hanna, Gustavo Garriga, and Jamarcus Robertson and postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Zeinab Yadegari. All projects were relevant to the Nelms lab goal of discovering new molecules that define the identity and function of dopamine neurons.
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School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics & Business continued
www.fisk.edu
The Nelms lab hosted its annual Worm Academy workshop from June 6th-7th, 2019 to introduce new students that were in the lab for the summer to essential skills used in the lab. Students from NSMB faculty labs, specifically Fisk Biology graduate students Austin Anthony (Nelms/ Damo lab), Briana Whitehead (Damo lab), and Ashley Colemon (Ramanathan lab) all successfully defended their Masters theses. Austin Anthony in now at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine pursuing an MD, Briana Whitehead is now at Johns Hopkins University pursuing a PhD, and Ashley Colemon is now at Duke University pursuing a PhD. Fisk Biology graduate students Gustavo Garriga (Nelms lab), Marina Hanna (Nelms lab), and Jodiene Johnson (Ramanathan Lab) earned Certificates in Computational Genomics from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (UIUC) after a week-long workshop hosted by the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at UIUC. The Boot Camp for Biology and Chemistry, an activity of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program was held for all incoming graduate students in the graduate programs in Biology and Chemistry. The Boot Camp, which ran from August 2nd- 8th, was organized and led by Dr. Brian Nelms with assistance from Dr. Saumya Ramanathan, Dr. Dina Myers-Stroud, Dr. Clar- Lynda Williams-Devane, and Bridge PhD students Kai Bracey and Isom Kelly. The workshops covered strategies and skills for reading the scientific literature, data analysis, mathematics and statistics, experimental design, and grad school expectations.
Members of the Nelms lab presented their work at the 2019 International C. elegans conference held at UCLA, which was attended by more than 3000 scientists, including 3 Nobel laureates. Those attending were Dr. Brian Nelms, Dr. Zeinab Yadegari, Marina Hanna, and Gustavo Garriga. Members of the Nelms lab presented their work at the Annual Program in Developmental Biology Re- treat held at Pickwick Landing State Park. This meeting typically brings scientists from across the region, including faculty and students from Vanderbilt, UAB, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, UT Health Sci- ences Center, and Fisk University.
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Research & Innovation Magazine
First Metro Public School Rocket Expo at Fisk University
In May 2019, Dr. Kent Wallace facilitated the 1st a Metro Public School Rocket Expo here on Fisk University’s campus. Students from several MNPS schools built and launched solid propellant rockets while learning about rocket construction, flight dynamics, and Newton’s Laws as it pertains to rocketry. Student, faculty, and parent responses were so positive that MNPS’s STEM office asked if Fisk would be willing to host another rocket expo next year. Plans for the 2020 Rocket Expo will take place in October. In August 2019, Dr. Kent Wallace was an invited presenter for Metro Nashville Public School’s (MNPS) Faculty Inservice. Faculty in-service is an event for MNPS Faculty to receive professional development in various areas of teaching & learning, problem-based learning, and various other areas of education. Dr. Wallace gave a talk entitled, “Changing Student Perceptions Through Rocketry.” This talk resulted in several MPS schools inviting Dr. Wallace to engage their students at their respective schools. This is yet another example of how Fisk University is substantively involved in the Nashville community. 36
www.fisk.edu fisk university's community based research in action
The IAM! Experience: Black Young Men Building Capacity (BYMBC)
The IAM! Experience1 is a collaborative effort between Vanderbilt and Fisk Universities in its fourth year. IAM! (the acronym stands for Inspired, Aware, and Making It Happen!) is a community-based research and intervention initiative designed to foster healthier racial, spiritual, and sexual identities among black men who have sex with men (BMSM) ages 18-24 years old in Nashville, Tennessee. Knowledge and strategies from the intervention program help combat HIV and Hepatitis C (Hep-C) among BMSM. Currently young black males (between ages 18 and 24 years old) have the greatest tendency to acquire and succumb to HIV and AIDS. Moreover, Hep-C rates are growing in this same population. In response to these health challenges, Dr. Sandra L. Barnes, Professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Development and the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University wrote and received a $1.5 million, 5-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement an evidence-based intervention tailored specifically for this target population. Dr. Leslie V. Collins, Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Education Department at Fisk University, serves as the Fisk University liason and Program Evaluator for the initiative.
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Research & Innovation Magazine The intervention is designed to prevent or reduce substance use, reduce sexual risk factors to prevent new HIV and Hep-C infection occurrences, and decrease transmission among BMSM. Project goals include the following: 1. Build on existing capacities of stakeholders to provide a coordinated continuum of culturally appropriate outreach and risk-reduction workshops 2. Provide access to services and care, for young BMSM 3. Leverage young men’s networks and social skills to raise consciousness about HIV, Hep-C, and available services
how the iam! experience works The IAM! Experience combines extensive outreach, awareness raising, and testing efforts with prevention education based on d-up: Defend Yourself ! (d-Up!) curriculum presented during an intensive two-day workshop. d-Up! integrates culturally relevant messages, materials, and activities to educate, equip, and empower participants (called opinion leaders) about healthier decision-making and the ability to engage in risk-reduction conversations about subjects such as proper condom usage, Prep, and self-care. d-Up! taps into existing social networks among BMSM to promote its message. After program completion, participants are better prepared to influence their peers to engage in healthier decision-making that reduces risk.
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In addition, the IAM! team’s strategic use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to recruit potential opinion leaders compliments the two-day workshops. After program completion, opinion leaders can collectively create public service announcements (PSAs) that are posted on the IAM! website. In addition to the weekend intervention, IAM! sponsors bi-monthly events focused on issues that specifically affect BMSM such as toxic masculinity, race and racism, spiritual health and self-care. These activities provide informal spaces where participants garner additional knowledge and skills, strengthen and maintain connections formed during initial meetings, as well as continue to develop networks. IAM! also includes a research component to evaluate outcomes and chronicle the project’s development and implementation. In addition to providing crucial administrative leadership on Fisk’s campus, Dr. Leslie Collins’ program evaluations help document and assess project effectiveness. Data are used in real time to tailor the program ensuring its relevance to IAM! participants.
the iam! experience participants Twelve cycles of the IAM! intervention has been completed; 169 BMSM have participated. Figures 1-3 summarize details regarding age, education level, and employment status for participants. Opinion leaders vary in age from 18 to 31 years old; the average age is 23 years old (see Figure 1 below). Ninety-six percent of participants identify their gender as male; 4% identify as transgender.
Participants education levels vary (Figure 2). However, most participants completed high school (n=78) and are full time college students from Fisk, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt Universities (n= 66). Fifty-six percent live in campus housing.
Moreover, most participants report being employed either full- (n= 57) or part-time (n= 35) (Figure 3). The majority of participants report being single and never married or permanently partnered.
Over the past four years, the IAM! staff have administered approximately 450 HIV and 100 Hepatitis C tests. They have also partnered with Tennessee State, Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt as well as community organizations such as My House and the First Response Center to extend the services available to BMSM. For more information about the IAM! Experience, refer to the website at www.iamexperiencenashville.com. 39
Research & Innovation Magazine
Dr. Sandra L. Barnes is a joint appointed Sociology Professor in the Department of Human and Organizational Development in Peabody College and the Divinity School. She is the Principal Investigator and lead advocate for the IAM! Experience project. Dr. Barnes oversees all aspects of the intervention and research project. The IAM! Experience is her brain child. Dr. Barnes obtained a B.S. in Economics and Mathematics from Fisk University, an M.S. degree in systems and industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, M.A. degree in Sociology of Religion and Christian Education from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), and Ph.D. in sociology from Georgia State University. Her research focuses on religion, urban sociology, inequality, education, and social justice. According to Dr. Barnes, “I am pleased to partner with Fisk University and work with young persons to hone their existing capacities. The entire IAM! team is committed and passionate about serving the BMSM community.” Dr. Leslie V. Collins has served as the Fisk University liaison for the IAM! Experience for a year and the project’s Program Evaluator since its inception. Dr. Collins’s primary responsibilities include data collection, analyses and producing information to enhance the intervention. Dr. Collins is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences and Education Department at Fisk University. Dr. Collins received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fisk University in Psychology and Philosophy, a Master of Education degree in Human Development Counseling as well as Master’s and Doctor of Philoso-
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phy degrees in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt University. She is “honored that she has been afforded the opportunity to use her education and training to serve the community.” Carlin Rushing has been the Program Coordinator for the IAM! Experience for the past 4 years. Carlin ensures that the day-to-day operation of the intervention runs smoothly. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Spelman College and a Master’s degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School with certificates from both the Carpenter Program in Religion and Sexuality and the Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies. She brings to this position over eight years of innovative programming experience, having served as the Program Coordinator for the Nashville Mobile Market and the Program Coordinator Fellow for the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. Antonio McFadden is the Lead Health Education Specialist and has worked with the IAM! Experience for 3 years. Antonio is responsible for implementing testing efforts, participant recruitment, facilitating weekend retreats, and outreach to participants on a daily basis. According to Antonio, the experience has given him the opportunity “to build community, connect and be a positive influence for young MSM.” Antonio works to create safe spaces for all persons who participate in IAM!
www.fisk.edu
Montez Holton serves as a Health Education Specialist at Fisk University for 1 year. His primary responsibilities include coordinating social media marketing efforts as well as co-facilitating weekend workshops, assisting with testing, and building relationships with community stakeholders. Montez is business administration major with a concentration in management and sociology at Fisk University. He plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration upon graduation. My career goals are to work in healthcare administration and then transitioning into an entrepreneur. When asked about his experience as working with the IAM experience, he replied, "It takes a village to make a difference and we are creating a village of resources and tools to make a positive impact with or various community partners and collaborators.
This article was written by Leslie V. Collins Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences Department
Faculty feature
dr. la tanya l. rogers Dr. La Tanya L. Rogers is a new Associate Professor of Literature and Drama at Fisk University, as of fall 2019. She is excited to join the English Department at Fisk where she has found the students to be engaged, inquisitive, and extremely talented. She holds the first-ever earned “Certificate in College and University Faculty Preparation” from Howard University in Washington, DC, and a doctorate in literature and drama from there as well. At Fisk University, Dr. Rogers teaches African American Literature, Black Masculinity, Modern Drama, Harlem Renaissance, and English Composition. She has been credited with revolutionizing the way her students approach writing, critical thinking, and contemporary world affairs. Guest speakers from all over the city of Nashville joined the course to share their professional expertise with students and to learn about how the students are using writing to impact global change. “There is no way to teach in the contemporary classroom,” Dr. Rogers notes, “without hearing from the experts. Plus, I am committed to facilitating learning by adding videos, geography lessons, critical investigations, group practice, and call and response to every class meeting.” 41
Research & Innovation Magazine Dr. Rogers’s Fall 2019 English Composition course explored the intersections of food, money, and world culture with experts from the Tennessee Department of Health, while the Black Masculinity class launched a speaker series called “R.E.P. Black Masculinity.” Very quickly, R.E.P. became a student favorite because it showcased Black male exemplars from around campus, including Joseph Watkins (Chief of Staff ), Willie Jude (VP of Student Affairs), and Jamal Sheats (Director & Curator of the Fisk U. Galleries). John Reese, former director of the National Head Start Association, kicked off the series. Through the speakers, R.E.P. allowed students to try on career and life possibilities without ever leaving the classroom. Dr. Rogers has lived, worked, and conducted research abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Madrid, Spain, where she served as an interpreter/translator for the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy. Because of this exposure, Dr. Rogers not only leads students on a literary exploration of African American Literature in her courses, but also on a global one to the countries where famous, Black-American writers held residence, such as Germany, Ghana, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. Dr. Rogers has led nearly 100 students on study-abroad tours to countries such as: France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Egypt. This May 2020, she will lead Fisk and University of DC students, administrators, and faculty on a 10-day educational tour of Italy and Greece. The Fisk Family is welcomed to enroll.
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Dr. Rogers has published articles on subjects ranging from economic status in Brazil to Harlem Renaissance writers in the United States. Her primary research interest, however, is in the work of contemporary female playwrights, such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Dominique Morisseau. Dr. Rogers is currently crafting a manuscript on Parks’ prize-winning plays: The America Play, Topdog/ Underdog, and The Red Letter Plays. Every semester, she takes her students to plays in the city, including to Once on This Island (with Professor Persephone Felder-Fentress) and to Pipeline, in which Belmont, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt University students convened for the fall 2019 performance. On campus, Dr. La Tanya Rogers is an active member of numerous, critical initiatives, including the SACS Reaccreditation Committee, Global Initiatives Committee, and the English Discipline Committee. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Sigma Tau Delta (International English Honor Society); and the College Language Association (CLA, life member). She is the regional vice president and conference planner for the College English Association – Middle Atlantic Group. Dr. Rogers—a former assistant dean of academic student affairs—is a founding member of the Edward Alexander Bouchét National Graduate Honor Society, a partnership with Howard and Yale Universities.
Leaders. Scholars. World Changers.
Research & Innovation Magazine, 2019 All Rights Reserved www.fisk.edu
