Lipscomb College of Leadership & Public Service Report 2022 by Lipscomb University

COLLEGE OF

Leadership & Public Service 2022 DEAN’S REPORT

Where Tennessee Turns for Leadership

ABOVE: Renowned presidential historian and biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke at the annual Don R. Elliott Distinguished Presidential Lecture Series this past fall, sharing her thoughts on leadership in turbulent times with Lipscomb President Candice McQueen.

College of Leadership & Public Service 2022 DEAN’S REPORT

Contents 4 —

College of Leadership and Public Service Based in Nashville, but impacting the entire state and beyond.

New facilities, new leaders-in-residence and new engagement opportunities for the community.

8 —

School of Public Policy Turning passion into powerful statewide action.

Regional Scholars is growing, more sponsors added in 2021-2022.

12 —

Institute for Conflict Management Celebrating 15 years of addressing the world’s most pressing conflicts. Students from five continents learn hands-on international conflict resolution.

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Institute for Sustainable Practice Exporting proven, sustainability leadership throughout the U.S.

Updated curriculum, highest credentialed faculty, additional online options.

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Environmental Sciences Instilling the skills to live out a calling in any profession.

Impactful student capstones, new faculty in transportation, water and corporate governance.

20 —

Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society Expanding reach and impact in 2021-22.

A changing of the guard, a tried and true partnership.

24 —

Urban Studies Nashville as a laboratory to study challenges and opportunities. First graduate, diversity leader shares expertise in the classroom.

DEAN College of Leadership & Public Service Steve Joiner SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Lipscomb University Janel Shoun-Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lipscomb University Will Mason

MANAGER OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS College of Leadership & Public Service Jessica Williams WRITERS Janel Shoun-Smith Kim Chaudoin PHOTOGRAPHY Kristi Jones DESIGN Emily Kinney

View this issue and more at lipscomb.edu/leadership

LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP

Where Tennessee Turns for Leadership The 2021-22 school year has been an exciting time in the College of Leadership & Public Service at Lipscomb University. In addition to enhancements within the college itself, the university began the school year with the addition of new leadership of its own. In September, the university welcomed Dr. Candice McQueen as its new president of Lipscomb. As a nationally recognized leader in education who led the Department of Education for the state of Tennessee under the Gov. Bill Haslam administration, there is little doubt that Dr. McQueen will prove to be a tremendous supporter and asset to our college as we seek to prepare people to serve in leadership roles throughout the state. We appreciate and look forward to her continued vision and leadership. Later in the school year, Dr. Kenyatta Lovett joined the college as our first scholar-in-residence for the college’s Center for Public Scholarship, designed to research and publish in the field of public leadership with a special interest in statewide leadership (see page 6). Dr. Lovett is currently managing director for higher education within Communities Foundation of Texas’ Educate Texas initiative, and he previously served as assistant chancellor for community colleges in Tennessee, launching Tennessee Promise and Tennessee ReConnect. Dr. Lovett joins Mike Krause, former Tennessee Higher Education Commission executive director and Tennessee legislator Rep. Mark White (R-District 83), to bring expertise in every aspect of leadership to the new center. This fall the college celebrated both Doris Kearns Goodwin, bestselling and internationally respected author and scholar, speaking on “Leadership in Turbulent Times” at the Don. R. Elliott Distinguished Presidential Lectures on Nov. 4 (see page 7), and the addition of Amazon as a Regional Scholars program sponsor (see page 11).

LIP SCOMB.E D U/L EA DERSHIP

All this occurred on-campus, while off-campus students and graduates of the college continue to engage their communities at the cutting edge of societal change. Through Fulbright placements around the globe, working with the Tennessee Department of Corrections to educate prison residents, holding free legal advice clinics and much more, our undergraduate students and alumni are re-making the face of public service today (see page 18). Through mediation on an international as well as a neighborhood scale (see page 13), through C-suite leadership at national companies leading the way in sustainability (see page 15) and through creative, innovative thinking in both urban and rural areas (see page 8), our graduate-level alumni are bringing the latest in leadership thought and practice to organizations throughout the state and the world. I wish congratulations to our 85 2021-2022 graduates, and look forward with confidence that they will continue to make the Lipscomb College of Leadership & Public Service the place Where Tennessee Turns for Leadership.

Dr. Steve Joiner D E A N , C O LLEG E O F LE A D E R S H I P & P U B LI C S E RV I C E

LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP

Lipscomb graduates ‘do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God’ Stepping into the Lipscomb president role this year, I am honored to lead a community of faculty, staﬀ and students who love the school, believe in its mission and are committed to its future success. We are leaning into the mission our founders established over 130 years ago— to magnify the best in our students through a well-rounded education rooted in Christian faith. As I have told our community many times, we are a light that shines brightly on campus, throughout the region and around the world. As an educator, I understand that the value of Christian higher education is not only personal career advancement but also to advance the common good. Lipscomb is fully dedicated to preparing students for a purposeful life to positively impact a global society. At Lipscomb, students integrate their faith with rigorous studies and transformational experiences in ways that equip them to pursue their career goals while becoming servant leaders with integrity. Responding to the call in Micah to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God,” many Lipscomb graduates pursue careers in local and state government, the justice system, education and other areas of public service. They enter their studies with curiosity, creativity and character, and we make sure they leave equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to change the world.

As you will see in the following pages, Dean Steve Joiner and his team at the College of Leadership and Public Service are elevating the student experience both inside and outside of the classroom through engagements with prominent statewide leaders, activities and events. Students are learning from faculty-mentors who are not only experts in their fields but are also committed to supporting their academic and personal growth. The college is on the move with the faculty and staff pursuing our university-wide goal to hold ourselves accountable to a high bar and to bring our best every day because our students deserve our best. I look forward to sharing more with you as together we embark on an intentional path to becoming a top tier institution while deepening our Christian mission and bringing our best to our students. Lipscomb’s future is bright, and its best days are ahead! Sincerely,

Dr. Candice McQueen P R E S I D E NT, LI P S C O M B U N I V E R ST Y

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COLLEGE OF LEADERSHIP & PUBLIC SERVICE

Based in Nashville, but impacting the entire state and beyond ust six years after the university gathered all of its community-facing degree programs into one college to maximize not only the education of a new generation of leaders, but also the direct impact on current local and state public leadership, the College of Leadership & Public Service continues to exert a powerful inﬂuence well beyond what would be expected for its size. The college is on its way to being recognized as a national model in advancing local and state leadership, with a new scholarship symposium in the works, numerous public-private partnerships under its belt, an innovative approach to strengthening leadership in the underserved areas of the state and new programs on the way.

LIP SCOMB.E D U/L EA DERSHIP

At a time when rural America is both receiving additional resources and suffering a “brain drain,” these underserved areas need creative, enthusiastic leadership to manage discord and make the most of opportunities. There is no better time than now to become equipped in public leadership.

COLLEGE OF LEADERSHIP & PUBLIC SERVICE

College relocates graduate programs closer to the heartbeat of Tennessee’s statewide leadership In the 2021-22 school year, the College of Leadership & Public Service enhanced its visibility in the state’s capital by locating its graduate staff and classrooms at Lipscomb University’s Downtown Spark Idea Center. By moving the graduate programs to an expanded Downtown Spark, Lipscomb not only provided the college with room to grow for the future, but also brought its public leadership students to study just two blocks from the State Capitol; brought its sustainability students to meet within two blocks of six LEED-certified buildings; and brought all its graduate students within walking distance of countless companies both involved in and influencing the future face of the State of Tennessee. The college’s undergraduate students and faculty remained at Lipscomb’s Green Hills campus with renovated facilities that are outfitted with both in-person and remote learning capabilities, and help the college to make its mark on campus with better signage and common areas for students to gather.

Equipped to serve students well during pandemic times, the new classrooms at Downtown Spark are spacious and well-equipped to oﬀer learning in-person and online, especially useful as many graduate students live out-of-state (below, left).

The Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society now has a more visible and interactive classroom with furniture designed to promote collaboration and the ability to teach in-person and remotely at the same time, when needed.

A new oﬃce layout, new common spaces and better signage are helping the leadership college make its mark on campus in Lipscomb’s Ezell Center.

New oﬃces for graduate faculty and administration at the Downtown Spark Idea Center has provided the college with plenty of room to grow.

COLLEGE OF LEADERSHIP & PUBLIC SERVICE

ON LEADERSHIP

“In my work in public service, I observed often that taking the time to understand a situation and not jump to a conclusion is important... Often, particularly in a crisis situation, the ﬁrst report is almost never the reality of a situation. Calmly assess and then form a response. In the midst of a demanding situation, a leader’s most important addition to the team is to stay even-keeled.” Mike Krause LEADER-IN-RESIDENCE AND FORMER THEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rep. Mark White (left) and Kenyatta Lovett (right)

Two in-residence faculty appointed to Center for Public Scholarship Former THEC executive director Mike Krause and higher ed innovator Kenyatta Lovett join faculty Two statewide leaders have been named as inaugural in-residence faculty for the College of Leadership & Public Service: Mike Krause, former Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) executive director, was named leaderin-residence, and Kenyatta Lovett, managing director at Educate Texas, was named scholar-in-residence. Working together with Tennessee legislator Rep. Mark White (R-District 83), who serves as director of leadership and public service, these three make up the staff of the Center for Public Scholarship, an initiative designed to incorporate every aspect of leadership: innovative scholarship, mentoring, partnerships and vision. Krause served as the chief advocate before the legislature and executive branch for the state’s $2.1 billion higher education budget and successfully launched multiple workforce training programs resulting in Tennessee being recognized nationally as a leader in education opportunity and economic development. His tenure culminated in THEC being named as the top higher education agency in the nation in 2020 by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

In his role at Lipscomb, Krause shares his experiences and expertise with students, serves on the college’s board of advisors as well as an instructor and mentor, develops internships and partnerships, serves as a liaison across the state and helps with visioning for the college. At Educate Texas, Lovett serves as the primary leader of the higher education and workforce development portfolio, helping to improve post-secondary education outcomes across the state. He came to that role after years working in higher education and workforce development in Tennessee, including at the Tennessee Board of Regents as assistant vice chancellor for community college initiatives, implementing the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010. Lovett teaches courses in public budgeting and applied finance and will focus on the scholarly research aspect of the center’s mandate, including coordinating a symposium for scholars around the nation interested in state leadership.

One Goal. One Day. One Herd: 2022 Day of Giving Lipscomb University’s annual Day of Giving has raised over $4.4 million for the university, given by more than 14,000 donors in the past four years. Each year, the Day of Giving has met its goal and unlocked a matching gift.

$26,182

Designated for CLPS in 2022 6

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Donors contributed to CLPS

38%

Of CLPS gifts were from alumni

NELSON & SUE ANDREWS INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin poses with college staﬀ at the annual Don R. Elliott Distinguished Lecture.

Leadership lessons for today drawn from history Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin shares successful leadership traits of past presidents “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” a particularly apt sentiment for today’s world, was the theme for the College of Leadership & Public Service’s annual Don R. Elliott Distinguished Lecture Series this past fall. The 2021 speaker was Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose latest book, Leadership: In Turbulent Times, served as the topic of discussion for both Lipscomb’s undergraduate and graduate students and community members. Goodwin is the author of seven critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling books, including No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II and Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Leadership: In Turbulent Times draws upon her five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, specifically on Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson, to explore the early development, growth and exercise of leadership. “I’ve often been asked is there a master key to leadership. They all share patterns of behavior that I think are relevant to leaders in all fields.” For the student forum held earlier in the day, Goodwin reflected on these traits—humility, empathy, resilience, selfawareness and self-reflection. “I think empathy is one of the most important,” she told the students, describing Teddy’s Roosevelt’s journey from a young man from a wealthy family seeking adventure through politics to becoming a leader with a keen understanding of other people’s way of life.

ON LEADERSHIP

“Empathy,… is critical. When you’re with people who not only disagree with you, but who lead diﬀerent ways of life…, if you can somehow put yourself in their shoes you will gain empathy. I think for a leader, it’s an absolutely central quality.”

Doris Kearns Goodwin PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING HISTORIAN

Andrews Institute’s new director plans new engagement programs In 2021, the Nelson & Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership strengthened its focus on community engagement with a new director and a renewed focus on serving as a resource for public leaders who want to develop leadership skills and innovative solutions. Sara Eatherly (’12, ’19), who holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master of Arts degree in conflict management, both from Lipscomb, now serves as director of the Andrews Institute, which provides a robust offering of leadership development workshops, collaborative conversations and training programs for local leaders. Currently, Eatherly is planning to build additional continuing education opportunities, alumni outreach programs, partnerships in the community and specific certificates of learning to be offered through the institute in the near future. The development of a three-year plan for the institute, including new initiatives and community engagement opportunities, is also in the planning stages, Eatherly said.

S C H O O L O F P U B LI C P O LI CY BRENT EASLEY, AMAZON SCHOLAR NASHVILLE, TN TAYLOR DILL, AYERS SCHOLAR PARSONS, TN

Legislative Director for Tennessee’s Governor Tennessee’s Legislature handles about 2,900 bills impacting the state throughout a two-year period.

Data Manager, Ayers Foundation Through the foundation’s college access programs, students in 19 high schools in Tennessee and two in Missouri have gone on to 138 universities in 32 states across the nation.

KEVIN LAUER, FARM CREDIT SCHOLAR NASHVILLE, TN

WILLIAM RAWLS, AYERS SCHOLAR BROWNSVILLE, TN Mayor, Brownsville Rawls governs a city in Haywood County, future home of a Ford automotive plant expected to bring 5,800 jobs to the area.

Administrator, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency In addition to the statewide COVID-19 response, TEMA provided support and response on 135 missions involving severe weather, ﬁres and hazardous materials, among other incidents, throughout the state during 2020.

PATRICK SHEEHAN, EZELL SCHOLAR NASHVILLE, TN RENA PURDY, AYERS SCHOLAR WAYNESBORO, TN Director, Wayne County Joint Economic and Community Development Board This organization works to enhance economic development in Tennessee’s second largest county with a population of about 17,000 people.

Director, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency TEMA provides 24/7/365 support and response to every community in the state’s 95 counties.

KEELI SCHUYLER, AYERS SCHOLAR LAWRENCEBURG, TN Project Coordinator, Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce The chamber advocates for more than 400 businesses in Lawrence County.

Turning passion into powerful action statewide ction for the common good has become all too rare in today’s polarized society. The School of Public Policy works to achieve bold, courageous action for the common good by shaping current and future leaders who are looking to take a different approach to leadership and public service. The school’s master’s program in leadership and public service, with 21 students in the 2022 cohort, acts as a laboratory for innovative solution-finding by gathering engaged thinkers from around the nation to a matrix of academics, internships, mentoring and fieldwork, topped off with faculty and national thought leaders who are heavily engaged in experiential learning and active, deliberate community involvement.

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M. A . OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC SERVICE

CHASE INGLE, AMAZON SCHOLAR NASHVILLE, TN Director of External Aﬀairs, Tennessee Public Charter School Commission This state agency serves as the school district for over 1,800 Tennessee students across the state.

ALLISON WOODWARD, BOYD SCHOLAR ERWIN, TN Business Development Director Since 2015, the utility has brought ﬁber internet service to more than 3,000 people in Erwin, driving economic growth and enhancing modern life.

CHRIS PAYNE & KIMBERLY HENRY, BOYD SCHOLARS NASHVILLE, TN Trainers, County Technical Assistance Service This certification program provides training and development for 750 certified local government officials and their employees every year.

DAVE WORLAND, DEAN’S SCHOLAR CHATTANOOGA, TN Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiative The office strives to mobilize 28,000 faithbased and community nonprofits and 12,000 houses of worship to address societal issues targeted by the governor such as foster care, human trafficking and mentorship of former offenders through service and prayer.

MARK GILBERT, AYERS SCHOLAR JOHNSON CITY, TN Assistant Water/Wastewater Supervisor of Construction, Johnson City Water & Sewer This department treats 5.6 billion gallons of potable water and processes over 5 billion gallons of wastewater in Johnson City each year.

JENNA LAFEVER, AYERS SCHOLAR JOHNSON CITY, TN Director of Sales & Public Relations, Visit Johnson City Tourism stoked by Visit Johnson City saved every household in Washington County $481 in local and state taxes in 2019.

Regional Scholars export passion-fueled action throughout Tennessee’s three grand divisions Launched in December 2019 with its first academic partner, the University of Tennessee at Martin, the School of Public Policy’s flagship program, Regional Scholars, not only graduated its first cohort of 13 civic leaders in December, but also garnered six new sponsors, allowing the expansion of the 2022 cohort. The first batch of Regional Scholars included leaders in agriculture, business development and local government, among others, who are already hard at work in their local communities, armed with new skills gained from Lipscomb’s Master of Leadership and Public Service degree as well as the results of a graduate-level research capstone project directly influencing their community. Capstone projects of the first cohort included a look at executive authority in Tennessee during the Covid-19 pandemic, policies regarding mental health and the penal system, the state

education curriculum standards, the effectiveness of school-based mentoring programs and the importance of home ownership. Since its establishment, the Regional Scholars program has collected six sponsors: The Ayers Foundation, the Ezell Family Foundation, Farm Credit Mid-America, Amazon.com, the Randy & Jenny Boyd Foundation and the Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation, which have all made financial investments in the program. “Pandemic, social unrest and economic uncertainty are the new realities of public service, especially for leaders in rural communities,” said Steve Joiner, dean of the College of Leadership & Public Service. “The Regional Scholars program builds a unique partnership bringing together government, nonprofits, businesses and universities which are dedicated to building a bright future for Tennessee.”

The Regional Scholars program develops leaders across Tennessee with a particular focus on those from the state’s 70 rural counties. The program, which may be completed in one year, builds critical skills in leadership, communication and conflict resolution. Courses focus on innovative leadership in rural and statewide settings, data analysis, connecting the community to resources, negotiation and conflict management, working productively in cross-sector settings, communicating to diverse interest groups and budget management, among other topics. The program includes immersive learning experiences throughout the state in cities like Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, as well as many of Tennessee’s smaller cities, towns and rural communities to learn the dynamics of governance in a variety of contexts and to explore how the policy development process works from current leaders.

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S C H O O L O F P U B LI C P O LI CY

Get to know the 2021 inaugural cohort of Lipscomb Regional Scholars JOHN BUTLER (’21)

RYA N E G L E Y ( ’ 2 1 )

AMY NEW (’21)

FarmCredit Mid-America Scholar Capstone Project: The impacts of food insecurity. Focus on Shelby County.

Ayers Foundation Scholar Capstone Project: The health of Tennessee’s counties measured by job creation, growth metrics and allocation of state resources.

Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation Scholar Capstone Project: Policy recommendations for expansion and adoption of broadband services including incentives, public-private partnerships and assistance for rural and distressed communities.

As the president and CEO of Agricenter International and fifth-generation farmer from West Tennessee, Butler believes strongly that the agriculture industry is the most important segment in our nation’s economy. At the Memphisbased, nonprofit agricenter, Butler spends his days helping consumers better understand agriculture as well as growing and advancing the industry regionally, nationally and internationally. MAKING AN IMPACT Agricenter International boasts a $524 million annual economic impact on West Tennessee. In addition, Butler has served on several commodity associations and has been very active in numerous professional organizations such as the American and Tennessee Farm Bureaus, the United Soybean Board, the Tennessee Beef Industry Council, the Tennessee Soybean Association and the Center for Food Integrity, to name a few. Prior to his work with the agricenter, for 25 years Butler owned and operated Jones Creek Farms, his family’s diversified row crop and cattle operation in Dyer County. “I believe working in agriculture is more than a job — it is a calling, and it certainly is an opportunity to serve in a lot of different ways. Providing food and fiber to the American consumer and consumers around the world is an honor,” says Butler.

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Lawrenceburg, a city of just over 10,000 residents, is the place that Egly and multiple generations of his family have called home. It is also a place that he, as president and CEO of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, has devoted his career, time and energy to serving. “In rural communities, there is often a self worth issue. Just the term rural community often conjures up a negative connotation when you think about economics,” Egly explains. “So my passion for public service is really a quest to try to change the culture around what it means to be rural and to help people understand that there is opportunity in rural areas.” As a 12-year-old, Egly began working first at his parents’ convenience store and washing cars at his grandfather’s used car lot. “In my work with the chamber I saw an opportunity to link people to resources and help them dream a little bit about what can be,” he said. MAKING AN IMPACT The Lawrenceburg Chamber of Commerce advocates for more than 400 businesses in the Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, area. In his capstone project for the master’s program, he is looking to “hone in on what it means for a rural community to throw off the stereotypes so that people see that it’s worth investing in these communities. That students go off to college and they want to return to these communities … that I can start my business and operate it here.”

Farm-bred, Putnam County native New has always had a passion for rural development. Early in her career, she lived out that passion at the state level through positions as the state’s ThreeStar community development director and Tennessee’s first rural and community development assistant commissioner for the State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. But a series of 15 tornadoes that hit Nashville and Putnam County in 2020, leaving a path of destruction and killing 25, took New down a path that led her back home. After that tragedy, New took on the role of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce CEO, bringing her passion back to her hometown. The move also inspired her to fill her tool belt with public service and leadership tools. While at the state level, she worked to pass legislation, to carry out grant-funded community planning and infrastructure improvements and led a rural development task force. Now she brings all that experience to bear on her home county, strengthened even more by the master’s level training she has garnered at Lipscomb. “I believe strongly in supporting and empowering the local governments, businesses and organizations to make it a better place,” she said, “and that’s what I want to do for the community that has played such a large role in my life.” MAKING AN IMPACT The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce proves an economic impact of more than $60 million in capital investment annually and elevates value to its more than 1,100 stakeholders.

M. A . OF LEADERSHIP AND PUBLIC SERVICE

The place where Tennessee turns for leadership

New MPA degree begins Fall 2022

Sponsors helping to bring the passion for powerful action throughout Tennessee in 2021-2022

Applications are now open for the College of Leadership & Public Service’s newest graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Public Administration to begin in fall 2022.

“The Ezell family is honored to have the opportunity to support such an impactful program at Lipscomb. The Regional Scholars program will not only help cultivate a new generation of leaders but will also facilitate the growth and development of rural communities across the state of Tennessee.” M A R K E Z E L L FOUNDATION FIRST VICE PRESIDENT AND TENNESSEE COMMISSIONER OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT The Ezell Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation that gives to Church of Christ endeavors and related educational programs.

“Leadership matters. We are grateful for Lipscomb University’s commitment to fostering strong, thoughtful leadership. Their graduates are making a tangible diﬀerence across our great state.” R A N DY B OY D BOYD FOUNDATION FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE The Boyd Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation that gives to charitable causes, from entrepreneurship and education to child and animal welfare.

“As a signiﬁcant employer in the state and as a member of the broader Tennessee community, Amazon has a vested interest in helping to cultivate the next generation of local leaders. This program is an innovative initiative, and our investment will help expand its reach, extending its beneﬁts statewide to rural and urban communities.” C O U R T N E Y R O S S AMAZON SENIOR MANAGER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Online retailer Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking.

“Through our own Ayers Foundation Scholars Program, we have seen that the secret ingredient of improving both college access and completion comes from the personalized approach of college and career advisors.” J A N E T AY E R S THE AYERS FOUNDATION PRESIDENT The Ayers Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people of Tennessee through the ﬁelds of education, conservation and social welfare.

“They’re not only seeking to understand the challenges that rural communities face, but looking to turn those challenges into opportunities and innovative solutions that will help rural communities thrive.” T I M W I L L I A M S FARM CREDIT MID-AMERICA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Farm Credit Mid-America is a ﬁnancial services cooperative serving the credit needs of farmers and rural residents across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The MPA degree is considered to be the gold standard for young people pursuing the leadership field with the intent to enter public service, said college Dean Steve Joiner. “In essence, public administration is the study and implementation of government policy. This skillset is undeniably key for a successful career in public service both in government and non-profit sectors,” he said. “In 15 months, students will graduate with a degree to take them to the next level in their career of service.” The MPA degree program is ideal for individuals with less than five years work experience or seeking to make a career change. The small cohort model of 15 or less students and the hybrid in-person/online learning system with two Friday and Saturday weekends per class allows students to easily work fulltime while pursuing this degree. Lipscomb’s MPA coursework strongly emphasizes leadership development, as well as providing a clear understanding of state finance processes, data analysis and critical thinking to make impactful decisions. In addition to an outstanding education, each student will be assigned a mentor who works for state/local government or a nonprofit. This mentor will guide the student toward specific job opportunities upon graduation by providing guidance and networking opportunities.

For more information, visit lipscomb.edu/mpa.

I N STITUTE FO R CO N FLI CT MANAG E M E NT

Celebrating 15 years of addressing the world’s most pressing conﬂicts he 2021-2022 school year brought the 15th year that the Institute for Conflict Management has been preparing conﬂict professionals to improve lives and communities around the world. In addition to offering master’s degrees, the center has trained more than 1,000 dispute resolution professionals and attorneys through Rule 31 Mediator programs in Tennessee and beyond; has led Real Talks in Nashville to facilitate communication and understanding between citizens and local government; has trained community leaders in Memphis for its innovative Restorative Justice Program; hosts conferences in conflict management with national reach; and has led multiple difficult conversations and consultations with over 200 entities facing conflict.

Students from five different continents – from Canada, Colombia, Spain, Australia and Afghanistan – attend the ICM master’s program, multiplying its work around the world. This year, students will travel to Cusco, Peru, facilitating negotiations between villagers and mining corporations to ensure equity, prosperity and harmony in the lush and historic mountain region. Even as the pressures in our world have dramatically changed, ICM continues to teach courses which sit at the intersection of our world’s most current, pressing conflicts and needs. Jeﬀ Thompson, a crisis counselor, researcher, psychological autopsy investigator and law enforcement detective, has begun teaching a course on resilience, focusing on a scientificallyproven process to develop resilience and then pass that gift on to others. In addition, the course Gender, Race and Culture in Conflict, continues to provide the lens conflict professionals need to see a multi-faceted world and to employ the levers required to move us forward.

The ICM is making its mark around the globe training students from ﬁve continents in 2021-2022 CANADA SPAIN AFGHANISTAN

COLUMBIA

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AUSTRALIA

M . A . I N C O N F L I C T M A N A G E M E N T • G R A D U AT E C E R T I F I C AT E

Hands-on learning on an international scale Taking advantage of the expertise of Luis Ore, the Institute for Conflict Management plans to send master’s students to Peru in July to learn from the Peruvian government’s conflict management infrastructure and practice mediation alongside Ore.

One of institute’s first graduates diffuses conflict for national leaders, indigenous peoples and everyone in-between L U I S O R E ( ’0 9 ) International Mediator Former Deputy Secretary of Conflict Management, Office of the Prime Minister of Peru Luis Ore, one of the ICM’s earliest master’s graduates, has made his mark in South America as an international mediator and consensus builder who has worked for the Peruvian transitional government, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the World Bank Group, Mediators Beyond Borders International and the Consensus Building Institute. His work has taken him from Peru (his home country) to Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua and the U.S. ON LEADERSHIP

“Conﬂict management is similar to cooking, you mix the ingredients, season with tolerance, keep it warm and serve with respect.”

Luis Ore INTERNATIONAL MEDIATOR

After Lipscomb, Ore completed a program in negotiation at Harvard University and began work as a consultant in the U.S., which also brought him back to Lipscomb as a trainer in international mediation for the institute. In 2012, he returned to Peru and worked with government agencies, communities, indigenous groups and mining companies “to foster dialogue and develop and design processes and procedures to engage and identify solutions for all these problems that we have,” he said. His work drew the attention of the officials in the Peruvian prime minister’s office, which hired him to manage intervention and processes of dialogue, mediation and negotiation countrywide as the deputy secretary of conflict management during much of 2021 during Francisco Sagasti ’s presidency. “We were intervening in social conflicts that could jeopardize the governance of the country. We were really the guards, or defenders, of democracy,” said Ore. “What got the ball rolling was Lipscomb. Their program was a total immersion into conflict management,” he said. “Looking back, my time at Lipscomb was a breakthrough in my career path. I was inspired to spread the word to change the world with peacebuilding best practices and collaborative approaches.”

Institute Director Matt Milligan and graduate students will travel to Cusco, a mountainous tourist area within hiking distance of Machu Picchu, to observe and engage in mediation among the indigenous residents of the area, the government and large global mining companies working in the area. “The mining companies are removing ore from the earth, but the problem is they are not necessarily hiring local people, building roads or building schools, and they displace people who may or may not be fairly compensated,” said Milligan. “This first-time travel opportunity will provide our students the tangible benefit of actually facilitating negotiations on an international scale.”

ON LEADERSHIP

“Calmly oﬀer to share another perspective with language you wish others to use with you. Passion without diplomacy is a hand grenade—the very thing you are trying to avoid.”

Tracy Allen DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL MEDIATOR, ARBITRATOR AND ADR TRAINER

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ON LEADERSHIP

“During my ﬁrst week in the governor’s oﬃce in 1993, a supervisor said: ‘You and I will only manage two to three complex environmental issues a year because that is all that we can really understand and manage well.’ I realized then that leadership could be much better initiated through teams of experts and not just individuals.”

Dodd Galbreath INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER , WHOM THREE GOVERNORS AND FOUR MAYORS APPOINTED TO SUSTAINABILITY AND WATER POLICY PLANNING AND REGULATION ROLES, AND A RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 GOVERNOR’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Exporting proven, sustainability leadership throughout the U.S. limate change is gathering more serious attention than ever before due in part to behavior changes sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic and more frequent extreme weather that has turned emergency management into a year-round requirement. The more than 250 graduates of Lipscomb’s master’s programs and certiﬁcates in sustainability over the past 14 years are already well-placed across the nation to help society face and alleviate the negative impacts of climate change and learn to thrive in a new sustainable way. The Institute for Sustainable Practice finishes out the 2021-22 school year with the most diverse and highest credentialed faculty in its history, with seven of 11 faculty members holding terminal degrees, and all with extensive professional practice experience. To keep up with a rapidly evolving profession, the ISP launched a new curriculum in 2021 with nine updated and four new technical courses in the psychology of sustainability, food systems, metrics and water management. The ISP’s master’s course meetings are offered in combined HyFlex on-campus, online and recorded formats.

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“Approximately 67% of our alumni go into sustainability business-related jobs and at least 14 alumni have created new business services in corporate consulting, energy, food composting, food retail and health and waste management services that help other businesses earn savings, create new products and reduce liability and risk,” said Dodd Galbreath, director of the Institute for Sustainable Practice. Lipscomb sustainability alumni work for a variety of organizations nationwide including Nissan, Rivian, Tesla, Toyota, Balfour Beatty, Hospital Corporation of America, Lee Company, Gates Corporation, Lightwave Solar, the Tennessee

Valley Authority, Tempur Pedic, Bridgestone, Louisiana Pacific, Brown and Caldwell, the Epsten Group, WAP Consulting, Loes and Associates, Barge Design Solutions, URS/ AECOM and Deloitte. About 14 percent of the program’s alumni have entered public service and management roles. International graduate students have come from Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, South Africa, Hong Kong, Guatemala, Columbia, Great Britain, Canada and Panama. Fifteen alumni have entered higher education professions and five have earned terminal degrees.

M . S . I N S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y • G R A D U AT E C E R T I F I C AT E S • M S / M B A I N S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Through business, public service, education and the food industry nationwide, Lipscomb’s sustainability alumni are leading the nation to a better way of life in 21 states across the country. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CAT TOTIN BURRELL (’16) � GUIDEHOUSE INC. Consultant $743 million-revenue company providing energy, sustainability and infrastructure consulting

ARIZONA

KENTUCKY

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

JIMMY ROSE (’14) � TEMPUR SEALY INTERNATIONAL Vice President of Global Strategic Sourcing Holding a master’s in supply chain technology from MIT, he serves at a $3.68 billion-revenue bedding company

CALIFORNIA SAMUEL LEU (’13) � CITY OF SACRAMENTO DEPARTMENT OF UTILITIES Sustainability Program Analyst Serving a city with a population of more than 500,000

TENNESSEE

DONTA BUSCH (’16) � DELOITTE Supply Chain and Sustainability Consultant $47 billion-revenue audit and consulting company

DAN KAKABEEKE (’13) � BOSTON MARRIOTT CAMBRIDGE AND THE COURTYARD BOSTON DOWNTOWN General Manager General operations and sustainability

WASHINGTON D.C. JOHN STOWELL (’12) � U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Outreach Program Specialist Fosters carbon emissions-reducing, clean energy transition policy at the Bureau of Energy Resources

54 ALUMNI play pivotal roles in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Education, Tennessee Valley Authority, Bridgestone Americas, Encompass Health, the Tennessee General Assembly, Barge Design and more

DALLAS, TEXAS

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

PORTLAND, OREGON

SANDY DICKEY (’13) • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS Chief of Safety and Emergency Management Leads sustainability, health and safety for facilities serving 47,198 veterans

KARL KOCH (’20) Associate Project Manager Helps commercial real estate professionals measure value-added ESG data

MARNE ROWLAND DUKE (’10) � METRO REGIONAL Marketing and Public Aﬀairs Senior transportation planner managing commute options programming to reduce carbon emissions and increase equity and safety

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ISP students and graduates join the nation’s top corporations to make a global impact H A N N A H B L AC K

J E R RY FA B E R ( ’ 1 2 )

Nashville, Tennessee Candidate MBA/MS Sustainability

Design and Release Engineer at Rivian Automotive Detroit, Michigan Jerry Faber, an automotive engineer who came to Lipscomb to earn his master’s in sustainability, worked for two of the top names in electric vehicles before settling into his current job at Rivian Automotive, a company focused on developing electric on-road and off-road vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks.

Before collecting her two master’s degrees, Hannah Black of Nashville is already part of “making a global impact” through her internship at Trane Technologies, the parent company of Thermo King and Trane, nationally known leaders in climate-control systems. Already armed with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Black came to Lipscomb to earn a dual MBA and Master of Sustainability so she could “be in a position to mitigate environmental issues before they start, rather than treat such problems at the end of the process.” As one of the few master’s students in her cohort with a science background, she was well-equipped to take on her ongoing internship at Trane, where she gathered and used environmental, social and governance (ESG) analytics to support the company’s sustainability business strategy and prepare internal education material on sustainability for Trane employees. Her services were so valuable that the six-month internship was extended indefinitely in the fall. “Seeing an organization that truly is walking the talk regarding system thinking, sustainable practices and company culture has been incredible,” said Black. “Working with (Trane’s) Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability has shown me what a successful team looks like, and I have gained amazing mentors.” MAKING AN IMPACT Trane Technologies has committed to the Gigaton Challenge, a goal to reduce 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions (CO2e) from their customers’ footprint by 2030. Black first saw the benefits of green design while studying abroad in Scotland. She decided to pursue master’s degrees in both business and science in order to have the advantage of understanding both sides of the coin when developing profitable business strategies. She has a particular interest in green building and hopes to one day start her own consulting firm to help organizations with their sustainability strategies. “In my MBA courses right now, I am learning so much about teamwork and collaboration. Understanding how to work with others with different backgrounds and beliefs is key to working towards a common goal,” she said.

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He feels Rivian’s commitment to a holistic practice of environmental sustainability matches with his goals and is excited to help create a future where Amazon plans to place 100,000 Rivian electric vans on the roads as their delivery fleet. Faber first worked at Nissan. In an interview for the ISP podcast “Sustain It Forward,” Faber described Nissan as a large company that is committed to change, but it will be gradual change, as the company’s profits derive from both combustion and electric engines, Faber said. MAKING AN IMPACT Amazon plans to place 100,000 Rivian electric vans on the roads as their delivery fleet. Then Faber worked at Tesla, where the company is building an electric car from the ground up, but is also very profit-driven, he said. Rivian, established in 2009, fits Faber’s sensibility just right, he said. “It seems to be a very holistic approach that they’re taking. It’s definitely focused on our children’s children,” he said. “They look at things such as, ‘How can we do meetings without paper?’ Every aspect of the company is geared towards sustainability, which is definitely something I want to be part of.” For example, Rivian creates its shipping containers for supplies between plants out of plastic retrieved from the ocean, Faber said. “When you think about the amount of parts that come in and out of a plant, there are hundreds and thousands of these containers to ship parts around the country. And they took the initiative to use sustainable ocean plastic to make these,” he said. “There is not one thing we (humans) do that is not tied to sustainability. It’s all tied in together. And that’s definitely something that I learned when I was in the graduate program (at Lipscomb),” Faber said. “When you are working with other individuals in other aspects of sustainability, whether it is food or engineering or housing, there’s so much of our entire life that is connected through sustainability.”

E N V I R O N M E N TA L S C I E N C E S

Instilling the skills to live out a calling in any profession ocusing on three core principles— people, society and economic prosperity with social purpose—the Environmental and Sustainability Sciences program prepares students to successfully live out their calling as leaders in communities around the world. ESS graduates earn valuable skills in professional practice, public service and community engagement, making them eﬀective leaders not just in careers with “environment” or “sustainability” in their titles, but also in any profession, organization, culture, market and environment. Even while still students, two ESS majors were crucial in discussing a sustainability plan with Lipscomb University’s top leadership through the President’s Advisory Council. Another student conducted research and built a partnership that brought composting services to Lipscomb Dining Services. Alumni have gone on to establish their own companies and nonprofit organizations shaping public transit, native landscaping and organic gardening in the city of Nashville. This past year, the ESS program added three strong faculty who are practitioners in sustainable transportation planning; environmental, social and corporate governance; and water quality and transportation management. The program also routinely spreads the word about environmental sustainability across disciplines on campus, with more than 40 engineering students enrolled in sustainability courses, more than 80 students attending the Christians in Social Movements chapel service and BFA fashion students taking nine hours of sustainability courses as part of their curriculum.

Making a diﬀerence in the environment one pound of food at a time I S A D O R A KO C H ( ’ 2 2 ) Lexington, Kentucky Environmental and sustainability studies Each year in the United States researchers estimate that 80 billion pounds of food—or the equivalent of 1,000 Empire State Buildings— is thrown away and is the single-largest component taking up space inside landfills. Isadora Koch, a senior environmental and sustainability studies major who is passionate about reducing food waste, decided to work to solve that problem, starting in her own backyard by partnering with Lipscomb Dining in spring 2021 to launch a composting program. “I was also generally interested in promulgating sustainability on campus as I saw that the university had room to improve in its contribution to creation care as a Christian institution,” said Koch. “My studies in sustainability at Lipscomb and my fellowship with Youth Evangelicals for Climate Action provided the perfect opportunity to take action on my convictions.” Koch worked alongside Darry Huntsman, Sodexo Lipscomb Dining’s executive chef, and the Lipscomb Student Government Association to establish a partnership with Compost Nashville to compost all preconsumer waste from kitchen preparation as an initiative to address food waste. In the fall semester of 2020, Koch and Huntsman conducted a waste audit to determine the volume of food that would need to be managed. “We averaged about 1,100 pounds of food diverted per week, which was very impactful,” says Koch. “The kitchen staff has done a great job of adapting to the practice and it has been seamlessly integrated into the operations.” MAKING AN IMPACT By the end of spring 2021, 15,239 pounds of food from Lipscomb’s Bison Cafe, the main dining hall, had been composted, and thus diverted from the landﬁll. The outcomes of the project and subsequent advocacy by Koch resulted in Lipscomb contracting with The Compost Co. to provide composting to the dining hall full time. As Koch prepares for a career in global environmental policy or in environmental economics as it pertains to sustainable development, she says her studies at Lipscomb have had a tremendous impact. “I am very grateful for Dr. (Emily) Stutzman and her knowledge and passion for teaching sustainability,” says Koch. “The curriculum is developed to have a lot of overlap with real-world action, so I feel very prepared to contribute outside of the classroom.”

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E N V I R O N M E N TA L S C I E N C E S

Eiler’s passion for ‘work of humanity’ leads to a haven for those in need Lipscomb ESS graduate is making an impact through her senior project that led to a full-time job serving the Nashville community Cecelie Eiler (’21) is a healer. Not in the way one would normally think, in a hospital or a doctor’s office. Eiler brings healing through dirt and vegetables, through quiet mindfulness and flavorful herbs. Her title at The Village at Glencliff is administrative data analyst, but her passion in life is harvesting the powers of the environment to “serve the greater good.” Eiler, originally from Freeport, Illinois, discovered her love of earth sciences in community college. She refined and built on that love with her Bachelor of Science in environmental and sustainability sciences at Lipscomb. Then, while still a student, she used her passion to bring her vision of a healing garden at a local tiny home village for the medically vulnerable homeless into reality. And now, as an alumna and an employee at the Village of Glencliff, she has brought together volunteers from

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throughout Nashville to help the garden bloom and grow, bringing an extra level of healing to the village residents and whole foods to Nashvillians. The Village at Glencliff is located on the campus of Glencliff United Methodist Church in Nashville. It consists of 22 micro homes and its mission is to provide a hospitable medical respite and a bridge housing community for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. Eiler was introduced to the community in the fall of 2019 when Emily Stutzman Jones, assistant professor of sustainable practice and director of the environmental and sustainability studies program, took her class to visit the site. The class met with Rev. Ingrid McIntyre, founder of The Village at Glencliff. Eiler and McIntyre’s relationship grew over the next year, until in the spring of 2020, when McIntyre mentioned the idea of establishing a community garden for the residents of the village as an internship role for Eiler.

B . S . I N E N V I R O N M E N TA L A N D S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y S C I E N C E • M I N O R I N E N V I R O N M E N TA L A N D S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y S C I E N C E

At Stutzman’s urging, Eiler took on the project for her senior capstone project beginning in August 2020. Eiler worked with another intern at the village, Will Compton, a Master of Divinity candidate at Vanderbilt University, to establish a master plan. McIntyre connected them with Will Hargrove at Farmer Morgan, a design firm specializing in the creation of memorable places, who helped develop a conceptual layout, a master plan and a planting plan. Compton established a partnership for the garden with Nashville Foodscapes, a design firm specializing in landscaping used to grow food. “After we solidified these two partnerships, we decided it was time to give the garden a name. Since the beginning of the planning process, Will (Compton) and I had used the word ‘haven’ as a descriptor for the garden, and when it came time to give it a name it only felt natural to name it The Haven,” says Eiler. The master plan for The Haven included ADA-accessible raised beds (for residents), an herb garden, a rain garden, ground-level raised beds (for church members, community members and residents), communal spaces and a remembrance garden. The garden encompasses greenery from flowering to food producing plants. The goal is to provide a space for residents to rest, reflect and reap the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of being one with the Earth. “Our hope is that The Haven becomes not only a community garden, but also a resting place and a site of healing for our most vulnerable friends,” Eiler said in May 2021, just before her graduation. Volunteers who became familiar with the project through FoodScapes and coordinated by Eiler have continued to work on the garden every other Saturday, she said. By this past fall, a courtyard section with berry bushes and fruit trees had been added along with additional plantings to make the garden more lush. Raised beds with all food-producing plants have been planted, and volunteers who care for the garden and members of the Methodist church have been taking home plenty of tomatoes, squash and peppers. Many of the plants and herbs can be used medicinally by the residents and volunteers, Eiler said.

Lipscomb’s ESS students are accepted into the nation’s top graduate schools V E R M O N T L AW S C H O O L T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M O N TA N A DUKE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E N N E S S E E AT K N O X V I L L E LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY

“I am passionate about this work because it is the work of humanity. The opportunity to coordinate a safe space, a haven, for residents who are experiencing homelessness, has allowed me to serve in ways that go beyond my physical being,” admits Eiler. “This project is so beautiful because it’s founded in the healing power of nature, while it simultaneously provides a physical benefit to those who will reap the harvest and to the greater ecology of the space.” While the bulk of the garden is now in place, Eiler plans to add the ADA-accessible raised beds (hip height growing beds that allow wheelchairs to roll in under them) and has hopes of adding a micro-food forest (an area of planting that provides food at seven height layers from the tops of the trees to below the ground), something she learned about while studying at Lipscomb. “The story of this garden is a story about justice, love, compassion and growth,” Eiler said. “…I think it’s important to dig in the dirt, get our hands dirty, and pay attention to those who rarely get looked in the eye. If we are going to speak about walking as Jesus walked, then I think we ought to start here.”

Cecelie Eiler coordinated creation of The Haven garden at the Village of Glencliﬀ, a Nashville micro home community for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.

F R E D D . G R AY I N S T I T U T E F O R L A W , J U S T I C E & S O C I E T Y

Fred D. Gray Institute expands reach and impact in 2021-2022 ipscomb’s Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society is built on a 15-year-old undergraduate program that has produced a steady stream of alumni actively engaged in the legal community, nonproﬁt organizations and public service sector in the region. Launched in spring 2007, the institute is based on the principle that legal change is one of the surest means to effect social change. Students are encouraged to consider America’s legal system from a multidisciplinary perspective to get a fuller understanding of its mechanisms, practice and consequences. Under the leadership of new director Kimberly McCall, this past school year brought the institute’s first dual enrollment partnership with Nashville’s Goodpasture High School, offering an LJS introductory course to high school students for college credit. In addition, plans are in the works to offer the LJS major to Lipscomb’s LIFE students, residents at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center who take courses weekly with traditional students at the prison. With a heightened focus on law school preparation, the institute joined the American Moot Court Association in fall 2021 in order to offer students the opportunity to compete against universities across the country in appellate advocacy competitions. In spring 2022, the LJS program is offering for the first time a special topics course called Advanced Legal Reasoning, which will guide students through the LSAT-preparation process. Lipscomb is the first university to partner with LSAT Demon to offer a fully immersive online and in-class preparation for the LSAT and the law school admissions process.

Institute graduates have a nearly 100 percent placement rate in law school or law-related professions. LJS alumni started law school in 2021 at prestigious schools across the country including: VA N D E R B I LT U N I V E R S I T Y WA K E FO R EST U N I V E R S I T Y UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY BA R RY L AW UNIVERSITY OF AKRON N E W E N G L A N D L AW MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

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B . A . I N L AW, J U STI C E & S O C I E T Y • B . S . I N L AW, J U STI C E & S O C I E T Y

Looking backwards or forwards, student focus is the strength of Fred Gray Institute In January 2021, the Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society took on new leadership, when eight-year program director Randy Spivey (’98) (right) left Lipscomb and longtime adjunct professor and staff attorney at the Tennessee Supreme Court Kimberly McCall (left) became the new academic director for law, justice and society. Spivey began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge David H. Welles on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. He left the court to practice law at a commercial litigation firm in Nashville for seven years. Following that, Spivey was disciplinary counsel for the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Responsibility, the ethics board that governs lawyers in the state of Tennessee. In 2011, McCall began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jeff rey S. Bivins in the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals and remained clerking for him upon his appointment to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2014. She then served as a staff attorney for the Tennessee Supreme Court from September 2016 through December 2020. In honor of the institute’s marking its 15th year of preparing young professionals to make impactful social change, these two leaders came together to reflect on the past and to envision the future of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society. How did the institute originally get started at Lipscomb? SPIVEY: As part of the effort to engage the broader community that former Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry brought with him, the law, justice & society undergraduate program was started soon after he arrived at Lipscomb. Charla Long, who was faculty in the business department at the time, was also a lawyer and was tasked with starting this program with an eye towards engaging the community and engaging students who clearly had an eye towards justice issues and possibly law school. The skeleton of the program that she built still exists right now.

M C CA L L : The mission behind starting the program was to provide a unique pre-law major for undergraduate students that really isn’t available at most undergraduate institutions. It was designed to expose students to many aspects of the legal system that they might not encounter unless or until they went to law school, and to explore areas of the law that they might not encounter even if they did go to law school. S PI V EY: If you look around, there are lots of other social justice type programs and pre-law type programs at other universities. But you’re not going to find a justice program like this at many faith-based universities with an eye toward justice and how they think about their faith, and that was very different, especially almost 15 years ago when the program started.

From that point on, the program went very quickly from a handful of students the first year, then over the course of the next three to five years, it grew to about 60 to 70 students, and they quickly became a presence on campus. Our students were so engaged in the issues that were going on on campus. What Charla brought to the program was an intense focus on the experience of the students. She began to reach out really intentionally to organizations involved in issues that she cared about and began involving the students. They saw how she cared about the issue, and then sought out their own issues, their own populations to serve in the same kind of way. So that tone of empowering students, showing students how to be engaged and involved, and how to be of service started very early in the program.

How did the decision get made to name the institute after Fred Gray? SPIVEY: Over the years, there was an ongoing conversation at Lipscomb

about how we could honor Mr. Gray, who had a complicated history with Lipscomb in regards to race and the university’s actions in the past. A lot of hard work and humility by a lot of people at Lipscomb, including President Lowry and the then-chair of the Board of Trustees David Scobey, culminated in Lipscomb giving Mr. Gray an honorary degree and the chair of the board apologizing on behalf of the university. 2 0 2 2 D E A N ’S RE P ORT

F R E D D . G R AY I N S T I T U T E F O R L A W , J U S T I C E & S O C I E T Y

That was a powerful night, and conversations began at that point about naming something at Lipscomb after Mr. Gray. The LJS program had already started using Mr. Gray’s book (Bus Ride to Justice) in some classes. We were talking about the things that his career has been all about. We were, at that time and have mostly been until today, one of the more diverse majors on campus. Mr. Gray wanted (the namesake) to be something that reflected his career and something that would push the university forward. LJS seemed like a good fit. Getting to know Mr. Gray has been one of the great thrills of my life. I think he is the smartest lawyer I’ve ever met. When you get into his legal work, you see that there are things he did that are just genius, just brilliant. There were little things he did that showed he isn’t just an activist or an advocate. This is someone with an intense understanding of the law and how it works.

Why is it important that students continue to learn about Mr. Gray’s legacy? MCCALL : I learned about him when I was in law school. When he came to speak at a luncheon, I was just blown away. Hearing him tell about his role during the civil rights movement, it made it real to me. The impact that he made on me is the same thing that I want to provide for our students, to realize this is not ancient history we’re talking about.

The institute is based on the philosophy that legal change is one of the surest means to affect social change. What does that mean for undergraduate students as they study and begin their careers? S PIVEY: For undergraduate students, all the

issues the students care about are immediately right there in front of them all the time, but they have no real sense of what it would take to solve those issues. We try to shift the substantive conversation to the root causes of a particular issue, and begin from there. They see how immediate change can be within the legal context, but they also need to see how carefully you have to build for that to happen. MCCALL : I think that for many students who are coming into this program, there’s a passion that brought them here. That passion may look different for each student, but it is

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what’s driving them. Even if they graduate with that exact same passion, there must still be a foundation of understanding that they need to acquire. They need that equipping, so that their passion can be enhanced, narrowed and shifted.

How have our alumni tangibly lived out this idea? M CCA L L : Our students are good at finding those unique things that really match their skill set and their passion and finding a way to live missionally here and all over. SP IV EY: We have one alumna from early on who wanted to do something with food deserts. Charla allowed her to craft her electives in a way where she took nutrition classes, and she now is one of the leaders of the National Food Project, making sure people get healthy meals where they need it. One student helped start Open Table Nashville, and he’s worked for the public defender for a while as an investigator.

We have a student who worked for a religious organization on Capitol Hill in D.C. leading marches and organizing the policy wing to talk to senators and congresspeople. We have students who have become press secretaries for senators and congresspeople both in Tennessee and in D.C., and many at the Tennessee Capitol who are working in legislative offices. We have at least three who have graduated with a Master of Divinity.

And we’ve had several folks go on to earn a Master of Social Work and have become social workers either in the direct service provision, or the broader policy context. We’ve had several get a Master of Business as well. And that’s before I even mention the people who went to law school, who are all over the place.

Where do we see LJS growing in the coming years? M C CA L L : I think that it will very much be shaped by the students. I’m going to remain student-focused, helping to equip them for where they specifically want to go. If I’ve got some students who are wanting to dig into a certain area of research, that will shape what I pour myself into. We’re going to partner with each other. For instance, some incoming students were really interested in doing a mock trial, so I looked into that.

We have an amazing alumni base for such a young program, so I want to focus on mentoring our current students with our alumni base as much as possible and try to increase that interaction. Even our upperclass students could partner with our incoming students to equip them for success. I’ve got a couple of teaching assistants this year in Society and the Law in order to mentor our incoming freshmen. I’m just hoping that building those relationships can improve the student experience from start to finish.

To learn more about the Fred D. Gray Institute of Law, Justice & Society, log on to lipscomb.edu/ljs.

B . A . I N L AW, J U STI C E & S O C I E T Y • B . S . I N L AW, J U STI C E & S O C I E T Y

History making civil rights attorney Fred D. Gray and Lipscomb share special relationship through LJS institute Fred D. Gray is a quiet man. But don’t mistake that quiet demeanor for a lack of strong determination, will and fervent belief that young people can change the world. The famed civil rights attorney has been at the forefront of changing the social fabric of America regarding desegregation, integration, constitutional law, racial discrimination in voting, housing, education, jury service, farm subsidies, medicine and ethics, and improving the national judicial system. At 90+ years of age, Gray is still making an impact. One of those ways is through Lipscomb’s Fred D. Gray Institute for Law, Justice & Society, named for the legal icon in 2016. Gray, now a Tuskegee, Alabama, resident, began his legal career as a sole practitioner and less than a

year out of law school at age 24, he represented Rosa Parks after she refused to give up her seat on a city bus, which began the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Gray was Martin Luther King Jr.’s first civil rights lawyer, represented the Freedom Riders and filed the lawsuits that desegregated Alabama schools. He was also counsel in preserving and protecting the rights of persons involved in the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1972. Gray is the principal founder of the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center, which serves as a memorial to the participants of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and educates the public on the contributions made in the fields of human and civil rights by Native Americans, Americans of African descent and Americans of European descent.

ON LEADERSHIP

“We must encourage young people to have an optimistic spirit, to seek help when needed, accept advice and never stop learning, never stop dreaming. Grab hold to a star and great things may happen.” Fred D. Gray ICONIC CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

Professional politics and passion go hand-in-hand for graduate, even while still in college MASON BORNEMAN (’19) Greeneville, Tennessee Law, Justice & Society major Law student at the University of Mississippi For Mason Borneman, politics and passion have always gone hand-in-hand. He sports a long list of notable jobs, internships and accolades earned even before graduating. And still, his major in law, justice & society at Lipscomb opened his eyes to even more endless professional possibilities in his future in the public sector, he said. “From the very beginning of the major I was going out into the community, establishing connections with other professionals on top of learning inside the classroom,” said Borneman, currently a law student at the University of Mississippi and recently a paralegal at Nashville civil litigation firm McKellar Smith. “My career success is a product of great professors and a great program.” Beginning in his freshman year at Lipscomb, Borneman interned with the Tennessee Democratic Party, followed by bagging a highly competitive congressional internship with Rep. Jim Cooper, (D-TN). A third experience as a legislative intern for House Minority leader Rep. Craig Fitzhugh (D-TN) followed that. Building on his internship experiences, Borneman became a paid professional as the deputy director of scheduling for former Governor Phil Bredesen during his 2018 campaign for the U.S. Senate. Then, during his senior year, Borneman worked as the deputy scheduler for Nashville Mayor David Briley. Regardless of what work environment Borneman has been placed in, “the skills of building community, utilizing advocacy and persuasion techniques, clearly communicating a mission and garnering public support has made me a more confident and effective leader,” he said.

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URBAN STUDIES

Urban Studies uses Nashville to examine challenges, opportunities of big cities aunched in 2018, Lipscomb’s Urban Studies program combines academic approaches with real-world experience to understand cities, suburbs and other settlements. It examines questions such as what factors make a city struggle or thrive, how individuals shape cities and how they shape individuals, and how to live harmoniously together in urban spaces. Lipscomb’s location in Nashville, a metro area with a population of nearly 2 million, is a primary case study for students. The curriculum was shaped by public officials, neighborhood activists and business owners. The program’s interdisciplinary bent draws on fields including sociology, history, geography, urban planning, political science, sustainability and data science. The program graduated its first student, who minored in urban studies, in May 2021. Students learn research and analytical skills, communication, planning, community development and problem-solving all in the context of ethics and Christian values.

One student’s opportunity to see the city with new eyes led to unique awareness opportunity for students M AY H A R T N E S S ( ’ 2 1 ) Nashville, Tennessee Law, Justice & Society May Hartness, now a program coordinator for Lipscomb’s law, justice & society program, was already bringing eye-opening programs to Lipscomb’s campus even before she graduated. In December 2019, Hartness organized an on-campus Sleep in the Square event to raise funds to support local charities that work with the unhoused population in Nashville as well as to raise awareness of the homelessness crisis in the world. Lipscomb students and supporters chose to sleep outside for one night in December to get a taste of what it feels like to be unhoused in Nashville. Both her law, justice & society major and her urban studies minor informed Hartness’ passion and skills to coordinate the first-time event on Lipscomb’s campus. “Around the time that I was getting involved in the urban studies program, I was also becoming really involved with nonprofits focusing on the unhoused population in Nashville,” recalls Hartness. “Through my involvement in the urban studies program, I felt more competent to speak about those subjects and was equipped to go into the community and learn about the issue in Nashville.” Hartness says her urban studies courses challenged her to deconstruct the things she thought she knew. “The way that Dr. (Michelle) Steele (director of the urban studies program) teaches about gentrification and walks you through specific areas in Nashville that have been affected by predatory development or predatory infrastructure, allowed me to see the city with such new eyes,” admits Hartness. “It has also made me feel such a connection to the city of Nashville. I want to do what I can to contribute to making it a better place to live,” she said.

Michelle Steele, director of the urban studies program

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To hold the Sleep in the Square, Hartness partnered with various local nonprofits including Open Table Nashville, Shower the People, Nashville Rescue Mission, We Are One, Souls United, Green Street Church and The Contributor.

B.A . IN URBAN STUDIES • B.S. IN URBAN STUDIES

ON LEADERSHIP

“What is in front of us as a country, city and state is bigger than any one program. The work that needs to be done has to be grounded with stakeholders and people who truly understand what equity work looks like.”

Andrea Blackman ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AND CHIEF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF NASHVILLE

Leadership students taught by Nashville’s chief diversity officer Andrea Blackman continues her long relationship with Lipscomb developing future leaders in the classroom For today’s community development and leadership students, diversity, equity and inclusion will be a crucial aspect of their future roles in nurturing healthy, vibrant communities for all. So it’s fitting that Lipscomb’s current students can learn from one of Nashville’s most active and innovative community advocates, who now serves as the city of Nashville’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, to help them create a better society. Andrea Blackman, formerly the 18-year director of the Nashville Public Library’s civil rights center, was appointed in April 2021 to her position with the finance department of the city. She is also an adjunct professor at Lipscomb, where she brings her experience of crafting a more diverse and inclusive city to benefit Lipscomb students who will be leading the cities of tomorrow. Blackman said she sees her role with the city as a champion, a convener and a catalyst who will “leverage local connections to make sure the city is bringing to light the things

we have done well and shedding light on the things we can do better in terms of equity and inclusion.” When Blackman began her job at Nashville’s civil rights center in 2003, she saw the job as a “blank canvas,” and she proactively worked to paint that canvas with engagement with students. She saw a chance to “engage a new generation of historians,” she said.

with Fisk University and American Baptist College. In 2010, she helped students collect interviews for the Flood 2010 Oral History Project and in 2014 when they helped to carry out Nashville New Faces, a StoryCorps@your library project to record, share and preserve oral histories from people of all backgrounds. Later, Goode pulled Blackman into the classroom through the Lipscomb Initiative For Education, the LIFE program, that he established to bring for-credit higher education to the women of the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center (formerly known as the Tennessee Prison for Women).

In 2014, following increased national media attention on the contentious interaction between law enforcement and African American citizens, she launched the Civil Rights and Civil Society program, a cultural engagement education curriculum rooted in lessons learned from the civil rights movement, to be used not just by educators, but to engage police officers, firefighters, community leaders and public officials.

This past school year, Blackman taught Wealth, Poverty and the City in the urban studies program and Community Development in the leadership and public service graduate degree.

Throughout the years, she has also often partnered with Lipscomb University to bring the lessons of the civil rights movement to local college students. She partnered with Lipscomb Professor Richard Goode, to coordinate various joint academic projects

With her unique experience in diversity advocacy through education and now in public service, Blackman says. “I am hoping I will bring a different perspective in terms of human development and leadership in that program.”

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