NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 19 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following joint news with the University of Virginia: Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., along with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and retired Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., were the most effective Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the recently completed 116th Congress (2019-20), according to new research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking. The legislative effectiveness scores are at the core of the researc  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 16 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt scientists on the front lines of COVID-19 research will share their insights on the pandemic and subsequent vaccine development during a Chancellor's Lecture Series event on Tuesday, March 23, at 5 p.m. CT, hosted by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. The virtual event, "Vanderbilt in the Vanguard: The Decades-long Journey to a Coronavirus Vaccine," is in partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Cente  more

SACRAMENTO, California, March 16 -- California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued the following news release on March 15, 2021: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today joined a coalition of District and City Attorneys, led by Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, in filing a lawsuit against Tennessee-based Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. (Brookdale), the nation's largest senior living operator. Today's lawsuit, which concerns Brookdale's ten California skilled nursing facilit  more

BRISTOL, Tennessee, March 16 -- Alpha Metallurgical Resources, formerly Contura Energy, issued the following news on March 15, 2021: Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (NYSE: AMR), a leading U.S. supplier of metallurgical products for the steel industry, today reported results for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2020. "Despite the numerous challenges of the last year, we are proud of our accomplishments including significant operating cost reductions, refreshed board composition, and o  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 18 (TNSPer) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: If Andrew Kerwin, MD, FACS, DABS, experiences deja vu as he comes to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to join the faculty of the College of Medicine, it's because he trained at the university more than two decades ago. Now, however, he comes as the chief of the division in which he trained, instead of as a fellow. Dr. Kerwin is the new chief of the Division of   more

BUIES CREEK, North Carolina, March 13 (TNSPer) -- Campbell University issued the following news on March 12, 2021: Dr. Brian Kessler will be the next dean of Campbell University's Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mark Hammond announced today. Kessler was associate dean of clinical affairs for the medical school in 2011, two years before it opened its doors to students in 2013, and has spent the past five years as the vice pres  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 19 (TNSPer) -- Rhodes College issued the following news: The Rhodes College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Carroll Stevens J.D. as interim President of the College. He will begin serving this summer when President Marjorie Hass departs Rhodes. "Carroll will add depth, breadth and a generous, positive and creative spirit to our leadership team at Rhodes," Board Chair Cary Fowler '71 says. "As we carry out the search to replace President Has  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee., March 17 -- Chattanooga State Community College issued the following news release: Students in Chattanooga State's Advanced Pharmacy Technician Program (CPhT-Adv) will soon be using their immunization skills in the fight against COVID-19. As the U.S. death toll recently surpassed the 530,000 mark, the immunization training received by students in this program makes their future role in healthcare vital. "To help meet the critical hiring demand needed to assist with COVI  more

SPARTANBURG, South Carolina, March 15 (TNSPer) -- The University of South Carolina's Upstate Campus issued the following news on March 13, 2021: The University of South Carolina Upstate (USC Upstate) is pleased to announce that following a national search, USC System President Bob Caslen has named Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D., as its next chancellor. Harris currently serves as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement at the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia, a positio  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, March 16 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy partnered with three area community pharmacies to hold a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at First Baptist Church in Greeneville, Tennessee, on Saturday, March 6, administering over 500 vaccines. The independent community pharmacies included Atchley's Drug Center, Corley's Pharmacy and Corley's Pharmacy Solutions, all located in the Gre  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, March 19 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: A new strategic visioning process for East Tennessee State University - the Committee for 125 Chapter II - is being launched this month by President Dr. Brian Noland. The initiative will build upon the foundation of the Committee for 125 effort that began in 2012 outlining strategic goals the institution hoped to achieve upon its 125th anniversary in 2036. The goal of the new initiative is to develo  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 17 (TNSRes) -- Lipscomb University issued the following news on March 16, 2021: According to a 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, 40% of adults in the U.S. reported struggling with mental health or substance use, with 13% reporting starting or increasing substance use as a way of coping with stress or emotions related to COVID-19. Studies also indicate that the early months of the pandemic brought an 18% increase nationwide in overdoses compared w  more

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee, March 20 (TNSRep) -- Middle Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee's housing report data for the last quarter of 2020 "generally show positive growth in Tennessee's economy" with the housing market seeing "strong upswings" in single-family permits and tax collections, increased closings and home prices and lower inventories. The MTSU Business and Economic Research Center's statewide report for the fourth quarter tracked positive trends among ke  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 16 (TNSJou) -- Rhodes College issued the following news: Rhodes environmental science alumna Roberta Moore '14 is being recognized this month by The Conservation Fund for "Women Who Are Making Conservation History." The national environmental nonprofit is dedicated to protecting America's most important landscapes and waterways. Moore works as a conservation associate at the Atlanta, GA, office, where she implements conservation programs and services throughout the So  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 19 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: In early May of last year, soon after the United States reported its 1 millionth case of COVID-19 nationwide, Dr. Barney Graham, PhD'91, picked up his ringing phone with equal parts hope and trepidation. As deputy director of the National Institutes of Health's Vaccine Research Center, Graham knew the call could mean one of two things: a breakthrough that might spare the lives of millions around the globe, or a d  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 19 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Since the inception of the Vanderbilt I-Corps Site Program just three years ago, more than 20 teams of VU innovators have been accepted into the National Science Foundation's prestigious National I-Corps Program, turning their STEM ideas and research into novel inventions that improve health care, strengthen cybersecurity, produce clean energy, support people battling drug abuse and mental health disorders and mo  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 18 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news release: The Tennessee Department of Education announced that over 2,000 educators have been connected with school districts across the state through the TN Teacher Jobs Connection. Since May, this initiative has connected job-seeking individuals from 42 states and seven different countries with opportunities in Tennessee's schools and districts. "We are thrilled to have connected over 2,000 high  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 17 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee introduced legislation to require greater transparency for foreign investments on college and university campuses and prohibit the establishment of Confucius Institutes. "Colleges and universities are a place for the robust debate of ideas - not a place for foreign governments to operate in the shadows," said Gov. Lee. "After the federal government rolled back critical reporting  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 17 (TNSPer) -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University alumna Debbi Howard has returned to her alma mater as the new Director of Alumni Relations after nearly 30 years with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Howard, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, and lifetime member of the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association, and the President's Society, earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from TSU in  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 20 -- Tennessee State University issued the following news: Tennessee State University and the Nashville Predators say students are continuing to reap the benefits of their partnership, as intended, a year after it was announced. The two organizations formed the collaboration to promote student success through scholarships for retention, along with educational and employment opportunities. Last February, the Predators joined TSU in kicking off a campaign to raise $1  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 16 (TNSPer) -- Welch College issued the following news release: Tim and Kristi Johnson will serve as Missionaries-in-Residence at Welch College beginning in August. Tim will then transition into a full-time position with Welch College in August of 2022 as a faculty member and Program Coordinator of Intercultural Studies. Tim and Kristi Johnson were appointed as career missionaries in 1997. During their first years in Spain, they completed language school and began t  more

JACKSON, Tennessee, March 20 -- Union University issued the following news release: Union University's Faith in the Marketplace luncheon March 18 took on new excitement when Tom McAfee announced a lead gift from the McAfee family for a new academic building on the university's Great Lawn that will house the McAfee School of Business. Carolyn McAfee Bruner and her late husband, James T. McAfee Jr., were both Union graduates in 1961. Their son Tom (a 1994 Union graduate), chairman and president   more

JACKSON, Tennessee, March 17 -- Union University issued the following news release: Bobby and Shirley Cogdell of Lexington, Tennessee, donated $50,000 to create a scholarship fund for students in Union University's EDGE program. The Cogdells' granddaughter, Olivia Gaston, presented the check for the scholarship fund to Union President Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver March 15. The Union EDGE program provides a holistic, post-secondary education for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabil  more

JACKSON, Tennessee, March 19 -- Union University issued the following news release: The right to religious liberty is central to Baptist identity and conflicts with the modern view of rights without basis in truth, R. Albert Mohler Jr. said at the fifth annual David and Lanese Dockery Lectures on Baptist Thought and Heritage March 16 at Union University. Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Evangelical Theological Society, delivered two lectures on the topic "Reli  more

JACKSON, Tennessee, March 18 -- Union University issued the following news release: Union University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary have signed an articulation agreement in which certain credits earned by students in Union's Master of Business Administration program will also count toward a Master of Divinity degree at SBTS. Likewise, students in the Master of Divinity program at SBTS can earn credits toward their MBA degree at Union. The partnership essentially reduces the time it   more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 17 (TNSRes) -- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center issued the following news: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recently awarded Jonathan Wall, PhD, professor in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Graduate School of Medicine in Knoxville, a $1.79 million grant for his study titled "Developing a Theranostic Immunotherapy for Systemic Amyloidosis." Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when abnormal p  more

MARTIN, Tennessee, March 17 (TNSRes) -- The University of Tennessee's Martin Campus issued the following news release: Two University of Tennessee at Martin College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences students were selected to present research at the fifth International Conference on Climate Change 2021, which was held virtually Feb. 18-19. Anna Gafford, a junior agribusiness major from Smyrna, and Montana Wright, a junior veterinary health technology major from Murfreesboro, are undergraduate  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, March 17 -- The University of Tennessee's Chattanooga Campus issued the following news release: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of History and RISE Chattanooga have expanded an ongoing collaboration, partnering with Leadership Chattanooga on a new initiative: telling the stories of black churches. "Understanding the role of black churches in our communities is crucial to understanding the black experience more broadly. Our hope is that we tell the   more

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, March 17 -- The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture issued the following news release: The largest stimulus plan in U.S. history, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11. This relief package, among other helps, includes direct payments of up to $1,400 for qualifying individuals nationwide. With the anticipation of additional stimulus dollars, many families have begun thinking and dreaming of possible uses   more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 16 (TNSJou) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Vanderbilt astronomers have painted their best picture yet of an RV Tauri variable--a rare type of stellar binary, in which two stars orbit each other within a sprawling disk of dust. To sketch its characteristics, the scientists mined a 130-year dataset that spans the widest range of light yet collected for one of these systems, from radio waves to X-rays. "There are only about 300 known RV Tauri varia  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 18 (TNSPer) -- Vanderbilt University School of Nursing issued the following news: Associate Professor Debbie Arnow, DNP'11, MSN'96, has been selected as the new academic director for the Nursing and Health Care Leadership specialty in the master of science in nursing program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. "Debbie Arnow is an accomplished senior nurse executive with experience in delivering successful clinical outcomes, financial performance and personne  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 16 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: In preparation of an infrastructure and utility project planned for this summer in the historic core of campus near Kirkland Hall, Neely Auditorium and Benson Hall, hydro-drilling--a less invasive process using high-pressure water to dig--will occur at six to seven spot locations (along the route noted in the illustration below) starting on Monday, March 22. The purpose of this drilling is to verify the depth an  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 16 (TNSJou) -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: Over the course of several weeks in September 2020, second-year student Alice Lillydahl found herself not just embarking on a new school year during a pandemic, but also joining daily Zoom calls and working remotely for about 20 hours per week as a member of a humanities research team at The Center for Genetic Privacy and Identity in Community Settings (GetPreCiSe). More specifically, the team researched  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 18 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following agency statement: * * * We condemn racism and expressions of hate, bias and discrimination in all forms. We recognize how recent violent attacks on Asians and Asian Americans, including the horrific shootings in Atlanta overnight, have deeply affected members of our Vanderbilt community. The attacks follow an unfortunate reality that began at the start of the pandemic, when expressions of xenophobia and anti-Asian se  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 19 -- Vanderbilt University issued the following news: The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center will welcome Jonathan Jackson, founder and executive director of the Community Access, Recruitment and Engagement Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, as its next speaker for the 2020-21 Kennedy Center Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities. Jackson will present his virtual lecture, "The Challenge of Health Equity in Clinical Research," on Thursday, Apr  more