January 2024 marks the twenty-first annual National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM). An estimated 13.5 million people are stalked in the United States every year. Stalking impacts nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the United States, and young adults 18-24 years old experience the highest rates of stalking among adults. Most stalking victims are stalked by someone they know.
WHAT IS STALKING?
While legal definitions of stalking vary between jurisdictions, a good working definition of stalking is: a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others, or suffer substantial emotional distress.
Stalking is a violation of student conduct codes and Title IX, as well as a crime. Yet, too often, stalking is trivialized, minimized, and goes unrecognized and unaddressed. It takes all of us – victims/survivors and their friends and family, advocacy and support services, and legal systems – to better recognize and respond to stalking, and this month, the UT Health Science Center the Office of Access and Compliance invites you to join our efforts to spread awareness about “Stalking: Know it. Name it. Stop It.”
We all have a role to play in identifying stalking, supporting survivors, and holding offenders accountable. Learn more at www.StalkingAwareness.org and TN Stalking Laws Statutes
The Office of Access and Compliance will be holding two tabling events with information and resources for students, faculty, and staff. Stop by our table to sign a yellow ribbon, showing your commitment to help spread public awareness about stalking. Also, you will be able to sign up for our signature event, “Stalking: Know it. Name it. Stop It.”, to learn more about how to support victims and identify stalking behaviors.
Wednesday, January 8 | Madison Plaza Lobby 12:00 – 1:00 pm
“THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.”
– DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
On January 20, 2025, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 30th anniversary as a National Day of Service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
Stalking: Know it. Name it. Stop It.
A public awareness training, presented by OAC’s Civil Engagement Officer, Erin McElyea, created in part by the Stalking, Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC). This presentation will focus on identifying, addressing, reporting, and supporting persons who have experienced stalking.
Join us in person or virtually! Lunch provided for in person participants, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Wednesday, January 29 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
GEB A204 forms.office.com/r/ppEHb0cYrf
ENGAGEMENT MATTERS
Motivational Speaking event with Dr. Rochelle Stevens
Dr. Stevens will speak about the key moments that shaped her success, the obstacles she overcame, and how her relationship with a healthcare provider inspired her to push beyond her limits.
Celebrate Black History Month with a powerful story of resilience and achievement!
The Black Student Association will host its 33rd annual Awards Ceremony Friday, February 21, 2025, at 6:30 pm. This year’s event will be held at on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus in the Student-Alumni Center (SAC). We are excited to welcome Dr. Orpheus Triplett, Associate Dean for Extramural Clinical Education and Community Service and Associate Professor in the UT Health Science Center College of Dentistry, as the keynote speaker.
This tradition is an important one for students at UT Health Science Center. Not only does it provide an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of our graduating students, but it also provides our diverse University community an opportunity to forge stronger ties of friendship and mutual support. We hope you will join us! For more information, contact BSA advisor Dr. Dustin Fulton at dfulton2@uthsc.edu.
Friday, February 21 at 6:30 pm | Student-Alumni Center
For information, visit uthsc.edu/bsa
ENGAGEMENT MATTERS
NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY: Friday, February 7, 2025
From landmarks to online communities, neighborhoods to news anchors, this annual groundswell unites millions of people for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke.
Wear red to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease and help save lives. Why? Because losing even one woman to cardiovascular disease is too many.
2024 Impact Awards Illustrate University’s Service to Others
“Your commitment to the mission and vision of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is powerful,” Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Raaj Kurapati told faculty, staff, and students who gathered Friday in the Mooney Library for the 2024 Impact Awards.
Now in their fourth year, the Impact Awards are presented annually by the Office of Access and Compliance to recognize outstanding work done by members of the UT Health Science Center community.
The awards presented were the Thomas C. Lichterman Outstanding Employee of the Year Award, the Chancellor’s Exempt Staff Award, the Chancellor’s Faculty Award, and the Student Impact and Advocacy Leadership Awards. Winners of the Lichterman, staff, and faculty awards received $1,500, the runner up for the staff award received $500, and the student award winners received a $500 stipend for professional development in their areas of impact and advocacy in health care.
The Thomas C. Lichterman Outstanding Employee of the Year Award, given to a non-exempt employee who exhibits dedicated and enthusiastic service to UT Health Science Center, went to Jennifer Edwards, a senior custodian from Facilities Administration.
“It was stated by a coworker that the job is not the easiest, but she conducts it with so much grace and respect, and it is appreciated more than she would ever know,” last year’s winner Sharlet Alexander, executive administrative assistant in the College of Medicine, said in announcing the award. Alexander said Edwards is always positive regardless of the situation, has never met a stranger, always provides a word of encouragement, keeps a smile on their face, and “is known for saying, ‘I am here to work, so why would I complain?’”
Finalists were Ramona Jackson, a BSN program coordinator from the College of Nursing; David Clark Jr., a senior administrative services assistant from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Debbie Long, a benefits and training associate from the Department of Human Resources.
Julie Beeler, MA, CC-A/SLP, a program liaison for the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville,
received the Chancellor’s Exempt Staff Award for her outstanding dedication, resourcefulness and leadership in fostering collaboration and communication, improving patient care, and creating innovative solutions that have had a lasting impact on the community, said Liz Hall, PharmD, assistant vice chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs and a member of the Advisory Council for Access and Culture.
Most recently, Beeler’s efforts in increasing the clinic’s patient show rate through a new patient education system have resulted in improved outcomes and a more efficient learning environment for students, Dr. Hall said.
The first runner-up for the award was Jennifer Ferris, a director of Research from the Office of Research Support, Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville. Both Beeler and Ferris attended the awards ceremony via Zoom.
Other finalists included Megg Doolin, a lead digital projects analyst from Institutional Research, and Renetta Bell, EdD, a Banner Development Team lead from ITS Computing Systems.
The Chancellor’s Faculty Award went to Ian Molyneaux, MD, an assistant professor of Anesthesiology from the College of Medicine. Christie Manasco, PhD, RN, an assistant dean of Student Affairs from the College of Nursing, was a finalist.
Dr. Molyneaux has “demonstrated exceptional leadership, clinical expertise, and a deep commitment to education,” said Mona Wicks, PhD, RN, chair of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the College of Nursing, who presented the award. “A standout achievement was leadership in improving airway management training for fellows, which significantly enhanced their skills and patient outcomes at Regional One Health,” said Dr. Wicks, also a member of the Advisory Council for Access and Culture.
Student Impact and Advocacy Leadership Awards were given to recognize students whose actions demonstrate impact and advocacy supporting the university’s Strategic Plan for engaging communities, educational excellence, expanding research, advancing health, and developing talent.
Charles Snyder, vice chancellor for Student Success, announced the student awards.
2024 Impact Awards Illustrate University’s Service to Others (Continued)
The winners were:
• Amy Reeves, a second-year student in the College of Dentistry, who started the THRIVE project designed to be a peer-support organization to help struggling students with personal or professional challenges, including mental health, finances, and academics.
• Kimberly Houston from the College of Graduate Health Sciences’ Health Outcomes and Policy Research PHD program, who played a pivotal role in reinstating the UT Health Science Center Chapter of the International Society for Pharmacoeonomics and Outcomes Research.
• Faith Blanchard-Ludanga, a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the College of Health Professions, who serves as the student government liaison for the Tennessee Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She organized an APTA Local Advocacy Lunch and Learn for all three Doctor of Physical Therapy cohorts.
• Tyler Bruno from the College of Medicine, who is a cofounder of Bridge Care Outreach, a primary care clinic serving the unhoused. He also hosted a conversation with Memphis Mayor Paul Young focusing on health and wellness in Memphis.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
• Christian Phillips, a fourth-year student who has organized events including Pharmacy Weekend, which celebrates incoming pharmacy students.
Finalists for the student awards were also recognized. They included Rachel Austin, Margaret Bohm, Yanxin Chen, Wendy Effah, Chenyao Jiang, Paxton Nimrod, Jaime Ragos, Elizabeth Schneider, Kaiwen Wang.
“To all of you who were nominated, as well as the recipients, what a great honor,” said Cindy Russell, PhD, RN, vice chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs. “Every one of you has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people here and the people we touch.”
Following the event, one of the award recipients had an inspiring message to share with the university community.
“I was tickled to receive the award,” the winner said. “I am so proud to tell others I work for the university, and especially the Health Science Center, because I’ve always felt we embody service to others, which I personally feel is what we are all called to do.”
Zoolumination: Chinese Festival of Lights from Thursday, November 14, 2024, to Sunday, February 9, 2025, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at the Nashville Zoo. https://nashvilleguru.com/97032/zoolumination-chinese-festival-of-lights
Plan a visit to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum https://www.bessiesmithcc.org
CLARIFYING CONCEPTS
• Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended requires employers to take affirmative action to employ and advance disabled veterans and qualified veterans of the Vietnam era.
• You’re barking up the wrong tree (or, you’ve got the wrong end of the stick): Believing or following a mistaken or misguided line of thought. A different version of reality. You’ve got the wrong person
• Hung Up:
1. To be in conflict over a problem.
2. Also, the action one does with the phone when a conversation has ended.
• Presenteeism: refers to the lost productivity that occurs when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace because of an illness, injury, or other condition. Even though the employee may be physically at work, they may not be able to fully perform their duties and are more likely to make mistakes on the job.
• Feed a cold; starve a fever: Eating will help cure a cold; not eating will cure a fever.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
January 1: Feast of Mary Mother of God (Christian/Catholic)
January 6: Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (Sikh)
January 6: Epiphany (Eastern Christian)
January 7: Christmas - Eastern Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox/Christian)
January 14: Mahayana New Year (Buddhist)
January 14 – 17: Pongal (Hindu)
February 1: Imbolc (Pagan and Wiccan)
February 15: Parinirvana (Buddhist)
Campus Resources
Title IX Coordinator | 901.448.2112
UT Health Science Center Campus Police Department | 901.448.4444
Counseling support and assistance is available: Student Counseling Services (Students Only) – 901.448.5056 After hours: 901.690.2273
University Counseling Services: Students and Employees | 901.448.3168
Residents and Fellows | 901.448.2775
Office of Access and Compliance
Michael Alston, Associate Vice Chancellor 920 Madison Avenue, Suite 825 Memphis, TN 38163
The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services.
