BRISTOL, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- Contura Energy, a coal supplier, issued the following news release on Jan. 22: Contura Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CTRA), a leading U.S. supplier of metallurgical products for the steel industry, today announced that it will change its name, effective February 1, 2021, to Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. The company expects its common stock, currently traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the CTRA ticker symbol, to begin trading under its new ticker symbol, AMR,  more

LEBANON, Tennessee, Jan. 22 -- Cumberland University issued the following news on Jan. 20: The Cumberland University Office of Advancement announced today that the Dr. H. Bert Coble Memorial Instrument Maintenance Endowment Fund has been fully funded at the goal of $120,000. The endowed fund was established by Mrs. Sue Coble following the installation of a custom-built pipe organ named in honor of her late husband, Professor Emeritus Dr. Bert Coble, to provide financial resources for the maint  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 22 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee issued the following news on Jan. 21: Dr. Daniel White, recently ranked the 4th best athletic director in the country by Stadium, will become the new athletic director at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Donde Plowman announced today. His consistent record of transforming college athletic programs to win championships, drive growth, and achieve success, have made him a rising star in college athletics. "Dan  more

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Jan. 23 (TNSPer) -- Texas A&M University Corpus Christi campus issued the following news: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi welcomes Dr. Hassan Aziz as Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Dr. Aziz will join the Island University on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Dr. Hassan Aziz is a tenured professor of medical laboratory science and serves as the Executive Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Ce  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: University of Tennessee AgResearch recently presented a 2020 Director's Award for Outstanding Professional Service to Brandon Beavers, farm manager at the East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center's Blount Unit. The award honors UT AgResearch employees who exhibit outstanding support service. Beavers, a resident of Blount County, has worked at the center sinc  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Sungwon Chae, a doctoral student in the Clemmer College at East Tennessee State University, is the recipient of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Minority Scholarship. The $2,000 scholarship provided by the NSCA Foundation is designed to encourage minorities ages 17 and older to enter the field of strength and conditioning. Chae is currently in his first year of pursuing a Ph  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 20 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news Team: East Tennessee State University's esports varsity program will soon add a new team. Plans were announced today to launch a Rocket League esports team, bringing the university's number of esports programs to three. Last year, ETSU began recruiting for its Overwatch and League of Legends teams, and esports Head Coach Jeff Shell said the search has already begun for the six students who will compri  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 22 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Olivia Ares, a senior at University School, is the winner of the Good Citizens Scholarship Contest hosted by the John Sevier-Sarah Hawkins Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. In addition to being the chapter winner, Ares is also the Appalachian District winner and will be part of the state competition. For the competition, Ares prepared an essay on a topic related t  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSJou) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news on Jan. 22: If you were planning a visit to Gray, Tennessee, five million years ago, you would want to dress like you were headed to Atlanta, Georgia, but pack rain gear like you would for Tampa, Florida. That's according to an estimate of the ancient climate of the Gray Fossil Site, part of the results of a new study that uses fossil teeth to explore how climate has changed across North Ameri  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: Thanks to the university's support for employees to improve their knowledge and skills through its educational assistance benefit, many at UTHSC have advanced their degrees. "At the UT Health Science Center, our employees and their spouse or dependents can take advantage of the tuition waiver benefit," said Chandra Alston, EdD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, associate vice chancellor of Human Resources  more

CLEVELAND, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- Lee University issued the following news: Lee University is set to celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Mark L. Walker on Friday, April 23, at 10 a.m. Walker, Lee's 17th president, took office on August 1, 2020, but due to health and safety concerns surrounding the pandemic, all inauguration festivities were postponed. Prior to his presidential appointment, Walker served as vice president for ministerial development and chair of the Department of Christian Minist  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- Lipscomb University issued the following news on Jan. 20: After a summer of racial unrest and a year of political dialogue that has been anything but civil, many Americans are searching for ways to bring positive change to the nation's future. Lipscomb University's ENGAGE Youth Theology Initiative, a pre-college program offering a deep dive into theology and contemporary issues, is showing today's teens how they can become the change they wish to see in the wor  more

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSPer) -- Middle Tennessee State University issued the following news on Jan. 20: When Kathleen Schmand was a student at the University of Pittsburgh, her father invited her to spend Thanksgiving with him in Murfreesboro, telling her she had to see Middle Tennessee State University during her visit. Schmand's father, a Navy veteran, had moved to Murfreesboro in 1995 because of his interest in the area's Civil War history and access to the Alvin C. York Vetera  more

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- Middle Tennessee State University issued the following news: Outlook for the future dropped among the state's business leaders following the November election and subsequent Electoral College certification, according to the latest Tennessee Business Barometer by MTSU's Jones College of Business. The latest Tennessee Business Barometer Index decreased to 212, a noticeable dip from 309 in October. The current online survey of 125 business leaders from across T  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 19 -- The Tennessee Democratic Party issued the following news release: "Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Personally and professionally, I cannot sum into thanks my admiration for the sacrifices of Dr. King and his family to create a path for people like me to continue to champion the rights of working class people. "As the first Black Chair of Tennessee's Democratic Party, I'm honored to be a part of a reckoning happening across our   more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 22 (TNSPer) -- Rhodes College issued the following news: Dr. Catie Welsh, associate professor of computer science at Rhodes College, is joining a distinguished roster of Fulbright U.S. Scholars this semester. She will be a visiting professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, teaching a course for the Digital Science Center and conducting research for her project titled "Bioinformatics With A Focus On Mitochondrial DNA Analysis." The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Prog  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 20 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: Lessons for youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics don't have to use robotics, rockets or geographic information system mapping, although all are often employed. STEM learning can be as simple as observing the natural world around us. And learning to do so turns youth into citizen scientists. Andrew Lantz, a 4-H youth development agent with Univ  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 22 (TNSPer) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: The East Tennessee State University Innovation Lab is starting off 2021 with a new member, Tendaya Technology. Founder Dr. Mutombo J. Muvundamina and a team of five advisors provide contract research, product development and manufacturing. Its mission is to develop and commercialize novel materials for applications in green energy technology and medical technology platforms with specific foc  more

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 20 -- Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III issued the following news: Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III and the Secretary of State's office announced a lawsuit against Michigan-based Labor Law Poster Service (LLPS, Inc.), Council for Corporations, LLC, ANS, Inc., and several members of a family that operate these entities: Joseph, Thomas, Steven, Justin, and Teresa Fata. The Fatas run a network of businesses from Michigan that the State alleges harmed Tenn  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 20 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following remarks: * * * Tennessee Governor Bill Lee addressed the General Assembly as part of the joint convention on education. His remarks as prepared for delivery are below: Thank you Lt. Governor McNally and Speaker Sexton, Speaker Pro-Tem Haile and Speaker Pro-Tem Marsh for the opportunity to convene on behalf of our students. I also thank Leader Johnson, Leader Lamberth, members of the education committee who hav  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. McNally, Speaker Sexton and members of the General Assembly closed a historic special session to address learning loss and the negative effects on student proficiency in reading and math marked by time away from the classroom due to COVID-19. "COVID-19 has severely disrupted education in Tennessee. Our decisive action to intervene on behalf of Tennessee students will eq  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 19 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University's world-renowned Aristocrat of Bands will be part of the "We Are One" virtual celebration for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The celebration on Tuesday, Jan. 19, is an evening hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which will celebrate and honor the Black community and African Diaspora. The event will feature performan  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover on Tuesday thanked the institution's employees for their dedication amid the pandemic, and re-emphasized that safety is a priority for the entire campus family. "Our number one issue right now is your safety," said Dr. Glover in a virtual address to the Spring 2021 Faculty-Staff Institute. "We are still working our way through the most unprecedented crisis o  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 22 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated chapter at Tennessee State University say they are proud to see Kamala Harris, a fellow member and HBCU grad, become vice president of the United States, but they're even more excited about the attention she brings to historically black colleges and universities. Harris was sworn in at a star-studded inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday with fo  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSGra) -- Trevecca Nazarene University issued the following news: Trevecca Nazarene University has received a grant of $1 million to establish a new program for pastors. Awarded by Lilly Endowment Inc. in November 2020, this grant supports the implementation of Laborers in the Vineyard (LiV), a program designed for pastors in their first five years of service--especially pastors of small congregations, diverse congregations, and church plants. The $1 million gr  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover and other members of the TSU family say U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and what she has the potential to achieve will impact generations to come. The world tuned in to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday to see the inauguration of Harris and Joseph Biden Jr., who became the 46th president of the United States. "Words cannot express how proud I was seeing Kamal  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 22 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Memphis issued the following news release: The University of Memphis' Herff College of Engineering recently received Bronze-level recognition from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Diversity Recognition Program, currently the highest level of recognition available from the program. According to the ASEE, the Bronze-level recognition means that a school is among the nation's leaders in inclusive excellence. "The He  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 22 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: When Andrew Griffith, MD, PhD, looks at the inner ear, he sees what he describes as "an engineering marvel." Just think about it, he says, the inner ear is intricately designed to process sound, which can travel faster than the speed of nerve cell signaling in our body. Yet, when he began his research career as an otolaryngologist and a molecular biologist, not much was known ab  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSGra) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: Shelley White-Means, PhD, a professor of health economics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is the principal investigator of a $298,368 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to examine whether health outcomes for low-income individuals will improve if primary care delivery focuses not only on physical and mental health, but also on the effects o  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Jan. 20 (TNSRes) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Nursing and West Tennessee Healthcare are collaborating on a study to better understand access to health care since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic for older, rural patients living with heart failure. Problems with health care access have been a side effect of the pandemic, and some people are delaying medical ap  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- The University of Tennessee's Chattanooga Campus issued the following news release: A safer city from the pedestrian perspective is the promise of a new partnership between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, the Chattanooga Department of Transportation and two global leaders in traffic monitoring and managing technology. Seoul Robotics, a Korea-based, worldwide developer of software that interacts with lidar-  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- The University of Tennessee's Chattanooga Campus issued the following news release: A collaboration involving the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of History and RISE Chattanooga, a community-based nonprofit organization, aims to preserve past and present African American culture in the Chattanooga area. The partnership with RISE, which stands for Responsive Initiatives for Social Empowerment, will combine the history department's mission and  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: Aaron Smith, University of Tennessee Extension crop marketing specialist, has received the Harley and Juanita Clark Irwin Award from the UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics for his outstanding service in the field of agricultural economics and agribusiness education. A team player, Smith works collaboratively and has cultivated a nationally recogn  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: David Bilderback, University of Tennessee Extension area specialist in the eastern region of the state, has received the Harley and Juanita Clark Irwin Award from the UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics for his outstanding service in the field of agricultural economics and agribusiness education. In 2019 and 2020, he made 10,746 contacts, complete  more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 20 (TNSRes) -- The University of Tennessee issued the following news on Jan. 19: Professor Michael Mason's idea for communicating with 18- to 25-year-olds with identified cannabis-use disorders is to text them. The texts ask questions like "How is your mood today?" and "What is your stress level?" At the start of 2020, Mason--the Betsey R. Bush Endowed Professor in Children and Families at Risk in the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's College of Social Work--recei  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSRes) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: The latest Vanderbilt Child Health Poll release found that many Tennessee parents are worried about the mental health of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and over 80% of parents had concerns about their children attending school remotely. The Poll also revealed that schooling practices and mental health concerns have varied widely among Tennessee families of different racial and economic group  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSJou) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: How can cognitive science principles support the deepening of mathematics education? A team of researchers from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of education and human development and Harvard University's graduate school of education explored how using a basic learning process--comparison--could lead to stronger outcomes for K-12 students in mathematics, and analyzed different approaches for incorp  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Michael Ashley Stein, co-founder and executive director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability and visiting professor at Harvard Law School, will present "Mental Health, Involuntary Treatment, Legal Capacity and Human Rights" on Friday, Feb. 5. The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Flexner Deans' Lecture will begin at noon CT. Stein is the co-founder and executive director of the Harvard Law Scho  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 23 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Ashley Brown, who has strong experience in social justice education and student engagement, is the new director of the Student Center for Social Justice and Identity. Housed within the Office of the Dean of Students, the center's mission is to promote a campus environment informed by cultural competency and inclusivity. Brown's responsibilities will include developing and executing strategic initiatives,  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news on Jan. 20: Franklin Ellis Jr., who has devoted his career in higher education to helping students of diverse backgrounds and identities succeed at the university level, has been named the new director of the Vanderbilt Posse Scholar Program. Douglas L. Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admissions and financial aid, announced Ellis' appointment today. Ellis, who joined Vande  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: On Feb. 15, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) will transition to the portfolio of Andre Christie-Mizell, the new vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. Moving forward, he will assume the title of director of the office. This placement will create direct connectivity and integration with the Office of the Provost to ensure the needs of postdoctoral scholars who are an   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 20 (TNSJou) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: There's a common adage that knowing the right people holds the secret to wealth and success. The flip side of that, however, is reminiscent of the country song, "Friends in Low Places": Sometimes social connections can prove detrimental. In a new study published in Social Psychology Quarterly, Lijun Song, associate professor of sociology in Vanderbilt University's College of Arts & Science, examines how   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 21 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente has appointed a new advisory task force comprised of faculty from across the university to holistically review the Trans-Institutional Programs initiative. TIPs, an internal faculty funding program, completed its sixth and final award cycle last academic year as part of the university's $50 million strategic investment. The task force member  more