WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- The Democratic Governors Association issued the following news: Do Republicans In Tennessee Support Efforts to Undermine the Results of Our Free and Fair Election? Nearly a quarter of Senate Republicans and close to 140 House Republicans have announced they plan to object to the certification of electors in Congress today in an extraordinary attempt to undermine American democracy. The move comes at the behest of President Trump and his allies, who have failed to provide  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- Chattanooga State Community College issued the following news release: Chattanooga State Community College will begin offering two 7-week terms during the spring 2021 semester that begins January 19. The 7-week format allows the student to take the same number of credit hours as they would normally take during a regular 15-week semester, only they are taking fewer at a time. The 7-week format splits in half the traditional 15-week semester. Students can take 2  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- Chattanooga State Community College issued the following news release: Military veterans at Tennessee's community and technical colleges were recently honored and awarded the inaugural Chancellor's Commendation for Military Veterans. Jack Chislett, a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) student in the Collision Repair Technology program, was selected as Chattanooga State's recipient. "Mr. Chislett exemplifies all of the characteristics we value, such  more

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- Middle Tennessee State University issued the following news: The MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences has something in store for aspiring scientists wanting to make a recruiting visit to the Middle Tennessee State University campus. In-person CBAS Science Saturdays will take place at 9 and 11 a.m. Jan. 30 and Feb. 20. The recruiting events are a collaboration between the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and the Office of Admissions. Dean Bud Fisch  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 8 (TNSJou) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Dr. Hadii Mamudu, professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy in the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, authored an article that examines the disproportionately burdened central Appalachian region's health literacy about cardiovascular disease. The article, which appeared in the October 2020 issue of the Southern Medical Journal, is titled "Card  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 8 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Samuel Garcia, a sophomore Roan Scholar at East Tennessee State University, was recently named a recipient of the U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Since 2001, Gilman Scholarships have assisted qualifying students with study or intern abroad experiences by providing them with skills critical to national security and economic prosperity. The program is administere  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 8 (TNSPer) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: A. Lynn Williams, PhD, CCC-SLP, took office this month as the 2021 president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). In her term, Williams will work to advance the objectives of ASHA and its more than 211,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support p  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- Lipscomb University issued the following news: This past fall Lipscomb University debuted the LipscombLEADS Virtual Conversation Series, a virtual forum that convenes national thought leaders who will share their insight on our changing world and the exciting future ahead. Each of the six sessions features an interview with a leading expert who motivates listeners to share ideas, explore future trends and engage with an empowering and inspiring mindset. The next  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- Lipscomb University issued the following news on Jan. 8: Join Lipscomb University for a special virtual event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. The forum, themed "Keeping Our Community Healthy," will explore health disparities in today's community and is free to view online, but viewers must pre-register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0HxeYTRMllN32Gr_bnUfp0q-HzlIYcfV8x3P4fveaooZyGQ/viewform Spea  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a new digital tool to help inform Tennesseans when they will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. "In addition to creating a strong infrastructure for distribution, we're currently one of the top states in the nation for total doses administered, vaccinating more than 150,000 Tennesseans in just two weeks," said Gov. Lee. "This tool is yet another step we're taki  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Clarence Carter will serve in his cabinet as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services. "Clarence has dedicated his career to helping children and families, and he joins my cabinet with extensive experience with critical programs like TANF," said Gov. Lee. "He will be an invaluable asset to our state and we welcome him to Tennessee." Carter currently se  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news on Jan. 8: After more than a year of discussions and negotiations with the federal government, Tennessee's Medicaid "Block Grant" waiver amendment received approval today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Tennessee is the first state in the nation to be granted approval for this type of block grant arrangement, which will result in an innovative, alternative financing arrangement for its  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: This week, the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) announced the Winter STE(A)M Resource Hub, which provides weekly challenges to guide students and families in problem solving, working collaboratively, and exploring different careers and pathways, is being extended through March. The Winter STE(A)M Resource Hub builds on the COVID-19 STE(A)M   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 5 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: The Tennessee Department of Education released details on a new $100 million statewide initiaitive, "Reading 360," to ensure Tennessee districts, teachers, and families are equipped with tools and resources to help students read on grade level by third grade. To help support literacy development in Tennessee, the state will leverage approximately $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 re  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: The Tennessee Department of Education announced $1 million will be awarded to Tennessee's six PBS stations- WNPT Nashville, East Tennessee PBS, WCTE Upper Cumberland, WKNO Memphis, West TN PBS, and Chattanooga WTCI- for their partnership to engage families and support quality education for students across the state. "The department is pleased to award the state's six PBS station $1 million  more

COOKEVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 8 -- Tennessee Technological University issued the following news release: Ambareen Siraj continues to be recognized for her efforts in cybersecurity. The Tennessee Tech computer science professor has been named the 2020 Cybersecurity Person of the Year by Cybersecurity Ventures. Siraj is the founding director of Tech's Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center. She is also founder of WiCyS (Women In Cybersecurity), the only non-profit membership organiz  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 5 -- Trevecca Nazarene University issued the following news on Jan. 4: Following the pattern set with the Fall 2020 semester, Trevecca officials announced today that students will return to campus in phases to begin the Spring 2021 semester. "There is reason to be optimistic about the ending of the pandemic in 2021 as we see the early distribution of the vaccine," said Dr. Tom Middendorf, University provost, in an email outlining the decision to students. "Having sai  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 5 -- The University of Memphis issued the following news release: The National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) has recognized former University of Memphis adjunct professor and two-time graduate A. Stephen McDaniel as an entrant into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Accredited Estate Planner Designation for 2020. The award was presented on Dec. 2 by NAEPC leadership during a special-election ceremony. McDaniel was one of only se  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: University of Tennessee AgResearch is planning a full calendar of educational field days for 2021. Most of the 19 events are currently scheduled to occur on site at UT AgResearch and Education Centers, with physical distancing and other arrangements in place to ensure a safe environment for attendees. The field days will take place at locations across the state, providing v  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: One of UTHSC's data scientists is applying her extensive expertise in informatics to a national effort to leverage big data in the fight against COVID-19. Charisse Madlock-Brown, PhD, MLS, a faculty member in Health Informatics and Information Management at UTHSC, is a co-lead for one of the clinical domain teams of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). The N3C is a partnership a  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: Becoming a nurse in one year sounds like an impossible task. But the 53 graduates of the first 12-month BSN cohort at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center achieved that goal during the COVID-19 pandemic and attained a 100-percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Exam-RN(R) (NCLEX). "This first-time NCLEX pass rate is a testament to the resilience and ded  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 6 (TNSJou) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: A paper written by Arash Shaban-Nejad, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor, and Nariman Ammar, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow, both at the Center for Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research - Medical Informatics. The paper discussed how an artificial int  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 6 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: Dustin Fulton, EdD, has been named assistant dean for Admissions in the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center effective January 1, 2021. Dr. Fulton has served as interim assistant dean since May 2020. Dr. Fulton most recently served as associate director in Student Affairs and Community Engagement, and previously held the position of senior equi  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 5 (TNSGra) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: The Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been awarded an RPB Challenge Grant by Research to Prevent Blindness to continue vision research initiatives conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology at UTHSC. The $300,00 grant will be distributed over four years. HEI holds one of three RPB Challenge Grants nationwide. Other Challenge G  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 8 -- The University of Tennessee System issued the following news release: The University of Tennessee System announced updated plans for in-person learning for the spring semester at campuses across the state today. "We continue to diligently monitor the situation across the state to make adjustments in the best interest of our students, faculty and staff," said UT President Randy Boyd. UT Knoxville The University of Tennessee, Knoxville will continue with plans t  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- The University of Tennessee's Chattanooga Campus issued the following news release: The black bear lives in Northwest Alabama, but it's hungry and food is getting kind of scarce, so it heads out. Moseying along the Tennessee/Georgia state line, it eventually turns north, rambling to the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It hangs out there for a while, but the same lack of food begins, so it turns around and heads back the same way it came. The bear's  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 7 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee issued the following news: The doors at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Thompson-Boling Arena are opening to a new director for the second time since its construction in 1987. Jason Pedone joins the arena leadership after serving as general manager of John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia. Pedone, a Jefferson City, Tennessee native who graduated from UT in 1998, discovered sports and facilities manageme  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 8 -- The University of Tennessee issued the following news: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has a new Global Ambassador Scholarship program for international students. Students chosen for the scholarship program will exemplify the spirit of being a Tennessee Volunteer and serve alongside the university's international recruitment team as ambassadors representing UT, their home country, and international students. "When I learned of UT's recent approval to ex  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: If you're a farmer interested in building or extending a value-added business, take notice. The University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture, together with specialists from UT Extension, USDA, AgLaunch and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture among others, will conduct a workshop that may help you get funding. The Developing Value-Added Agriculture Businesse  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 9 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt alumnus Graham Gaylor and Assistant Professor of Pharmacology Cody Siciliano have been selected for the 2021 Forbes "30 Under 30." The 10th annual list recognizes 600 entrepreneurs, scientists, activists and entertainers changing the world. Gaylor, BS'14, is the cofounder of VRChat, a social network that allows users to build virtual worlds to hang out in. According to Forbes, before starting h  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Take part in the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music adult online learning community. Join the discussion on Zoom from the convenience of your home as Mitchell Korn, senior lecturer in music and educational outreach, uses video, images, stories and listening guides to bring great music to life. Classes are two hours in length and held during the day. "Music and Civil Rights" is a six-session class that begins Jan. 1  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: One of the largest obstacles for patients seeking effective substance abuse treatment is a lack of transportation to the treatment facilities. Vanderbilt University researcher Janey Camp, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is working on a project to help clear those roadblocks. Camp is leading an 18-month, in-depth analysis of transportation investment opportunities that could help stem th  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news on Jan. 6: Vanderbilt University strongly condemns today's violent and deeply disturbing assault on the U.S. Capitol and on our democracy. Using violence to undermine and disrupt our democratic institutions and processes simply has no place in our country. Our divisions strain our ability to solve our nation's most difficult challenges. The United States faces many headwinds threatening to tear at the social fabric  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 8 (TNSGra) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt engineers have received a $1.49 million National Science Foundation grant to advance the science of organoids with cells that organize themselves and mimic development of human brain structures. Organoids are lab-produced groups of cells that serve as research models for human physiology in development and disease, including design and testing of drugs and other therapies. By using both induced  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 7 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: As the Vanderbilt community prepares for another semester of adaptive teaching, the Center for Teaching continues to create resources to help faculty and instructors teach effectively in a variety of contexts. "Instructors adopted many new teaching technologies and approaches in the fall, and we are now in a position to help them approach their online and hybrid teaching with even more intentionality," said Derek   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 5 (TNSRes) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: The fifth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey is collecting data about our universe for Vanderbilt University astronomers and other project members to use to explore the formation of distant galaxies and supermassive black holes, and to map the Milky Way. The SDSS-V will make full use of existing satellites, including NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, to lead to new discoveries.  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 8 (TNSJou) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Amid COVID-19, businesses will have to implement new procedures and training methods; Vanderbilt researcher Megan Lawrence examines what practices work best, and why. How do large, multi-unit firms effectively transfer knowledge about best practices to divisions around the globe? For large companies, a top-down "template" approach--where employees observe working examples of new practices--may be good, bu  more