Newsletter    Summer-­‐‑Fall  2012  

Welcome  to  the  first  EAP  newsletter  published  in  two  years.    We  are  excited  about  the  number  of  interesting  stories  and  articles  written  about  successful  UTK  EAP  and  McNair  students.    It  is  clearly  apparent  that  EAP  students  are  making  extraordinary  progress  and  achieving  exceptional  goals.    We  feel  especially  fortunate  to  have  Tiffany  Dellard  serve  as  Program  Counselor  after  the  unfortunate  departure  of  Dr.  Karnard  Jenkins.    I  also  want  to  take  this  opportunity  to  welcome  Taotao  Long,  Graduate  Administrative  Assistant  and  Lee  Anderson,  Graduate  Assistant.    We  are  and  will  continue  to  experience  critical  and  difficult  times,  as  the  federal  government  takes  aim  at  reducing  the  federal  budget.    We  must  continue  to  tell  our  story  as  congress  attempts  to  reduce  our  annual  expenditure.    The  students,  who  have  participated  in  the  Educational  Advancement  Program  over  the  last  15  years,  and  those  who  participated  in  the  McNair  Program,  should  be  tremendously  proud  and  willing  to  sing  the  praises  of  TRiO  as  you  give  witness  to  your  exceptional  retention  and  graduation  rates.    Remember,  the  funding  of  TRiO  programs  to    support  first  generation,  low-­‐‑income  students    is  an  investment  in  America’s  future.    Peace,    Ronald  B.  McFadden    

Greetings from the Director

In This Issue:

Special points of interest:

• A total of 140 students received a Master’s degree

• A total of 32 students enrolled in Ph.D programs

• A total of 25 students received a Ph.D

• A total of 18 students graduated from a professional school

UTK McNair outcomes 1990-2008

1

Educational Advancement Program

 

• Greetings  from  the  director  

• UTK  McNair  outcomes  

• TRiO  advocacy  

• EAP  participant  birthdays  

• EAP  graduates  in  2011-­‐‑2012  

• EAP  G.P.A  distributions  

• Courses  offered  in  Spring  2013  

• Tutor  recruitment  in  2012  

• In  memoriam  to  Cindy  Flanary  

• Johnson  Luma  receives  NSBE  BCA  Scholarship  

• Ebony  Lemons  honored  

• EAP  alumni  in  Law  School  

• Angelica  Manning  and  Shivam  Zaveri  travel  abroad  

• EAP  student  experiences  -­‐‑  Summer  2012  

• EAP’s  new  graduate  assistant  

• EAP’s  new  student  assistant  

• EAP  retention  rates    

The Case for TRiO Advocacy

The  TRiO community  continues  to  struggle  against  powerful  opponents  who  seek  to  eliminate  or  diminish  its  presence  as  the  leader  of  efforts  in  the  fight  for  access  and  opportunity  in  higher  education  for  first  generation,  low  income  students.    Recurring  themes  like  level  or  reduced  funding,  student  losses,  and  diminished  services  have  stifled  the  movement,  in  spite  of  minor  gains  here  and  there.    

Congress  recently  voted  on  a  Continuing  Resolution  to  fund  the  federal  government  through  March  2013.    In  dollars  and  cents,  this  translates  into  0.612%  increase  for  all  federally  funded  programs,  projects  and  related  activities.    For  TRiO  in  particular,  it  means  than  an  additional  $5.14  million  allocated  could  be  used  to  fund  (20)  additional  Ronald  McNair  Post  Baccalaureate  Achievement  Grant  awards  from  the  FY  2012  competition.    (Background;  The U.S. Dept of Education “re-allocated” the FY 2012 TRiO Appropriation by moving $10 mill ion from the McNair program to the Upward Bound Math & Science program, which resulted in a reduced number of grant awards from the previous funding cycle (from 200 to 151), and devastating student losses. )    

Another  hot  topic  that  would  adversely  impact  TRiO  is  the  issue  of  Sequestration.    This  is  being  widely  discussed  in  the  political  corridors  in  Washington,  DC,  and  would  consist  of  imposing  an  automatic  across  the  board  spending  cut  of  8.2%,  which  could  translate  into  a  $68.9  million  reduction  in  funding  for  TRiO ,  and  a  loss  of  possibly  69,000  TRiO  students  for  2013.    The  TRiO  community’s  stance  is  that  Sequestration  is  absolutely  unacceptable.    

TRiO  students,  staff,  parents,  alumni  and  supporters  are  being  urged to  contact  their  respective  Congressmen  and  Senators  to  urge  them  to  find  an  alternative  solution  to  address  the  federal  deficit.    An  investment  in  TRiO  is  a  sound  investment  in  the  nation’s  future.    Contact  your  legislator  today  in  support  of  TRiO !      

THE “KEY” PLAYERS Congressman  John  Duncan,  Jr.  (District  2  -­‐‑  TN)  2207  Rayburn  House  Office  Building  Washington,  DC  20515  (202)  225-­‐‑5435.  Office  (202)  225-­‐‑6440.  Fax  Congressional  Aide  -­‐‑-­‐‑-­‐‑  Patra  Wroten  (patrawroten@mail.house.gov)  

The  Honorable  Lamar  Alexander  United  States  Senate  455  Dirksen  Senate  Office  Building  Washington,  DC    20510-­‐‑4204  (202)224-­‐‑4944  .office  (202)228-­‐‑3398  .fax  Senator’s  Aide  –  Brian  Ball  (brandon_ball@alexander.senate.gov)    The  Honorable  Bob  Corker  United  States  Senate  185  Dirksen  Senate  Office  Building  Washington,  DC    20510  (202)224-­‐‑3344  .office  (202)228-­‐‑0566  .fax  Senator’s  Aide  –  Mark  White  (Mark_White@corker.senate.gov)    The  Honorable  Arne  Duncan  Secretary  U.S.  Department  of  Education  400  Maryland  Ave.,  SW  Washington,  DC    20202  www.ed.gov  

2

“Contact  your  legislator  today  in  support  of  TRiO!”  

September  Birthdays  Baumgardner Sarah 9/24 Brown Erica 9/19 Chavez Judy 9/19 Drinnon Jessica 9/18 Duncan Kendra 9/24 Green Kamesha 9/20 Hall-Vaughn Twyneshia 9/14 Hart Alyce 9/20 Jackson Imena 9/23 Listhartke Heather 9/3 Michaud Midou 9/6 Miller Treva 9/28 Short Harry 9/3 Stapleton Samantha 9/6 Williams Cheniqua 9/27 Woldeselassie Rahwa 9/15

November  Birthdays    Liggins Julian 11/15

Wedley D'Lessia 11/30 Pickett J.C. Bernard 11/5 Beztchi Seena 11/7 Ruff Sean 11/16 McClain Victoria 11/8

Happy birthday, EAP participants! (Summer-Fall 2012)

3

August  Birthdays    Bulla Miranda 8/31

Chears Bria 8/24 Curtis Jeremy 8/15 Hampton Breyanna 8/26 Hill Ashley 8/14 Jackson Whitney 8/19 Jeffries Mia 8/16 Johnson Chelsea 8/25 Jones Bethany 8/5 Jones Sophia 8/22 Jones Stephanie 8/21 Julius Brittany 8/2 Leonard Jamichael 8/24 Linville Sophia 8/22 Matthews Rayricus 8/8 Middlebrook, III Robert 8/24 Nollie LaKenya 8/20 Richmond Kierra 8/21 Sengbouttarath Pon 8/24 Simoneaux Brittany 8/5 Tarvin Jalen 8/7 Williamson Jeressia 8/25 Williford Kristy 8/7 Zaveri   Ashita   8/19     December  Birthdays  

 Burley Kimberly 12/2 Adams James 12/8 Adams Phillip 12/8 Walton Charles 12/8 Muhammad Jeremiah 12/13 Stargell Torria 12/15 Jones Brandon 12/18 Martin Sierra 12/22 Higgins Darrika 12/1 Sesay Hajie 12/5 Mayfield Ashley 12/6 Turner Jasma 12/15 Hines Tyler 12/16 Holmes Christian 12/24 Adams Alexis 12/1 Ha Kathy 12/21  

October  Birthdays    Boatwright Britany 10/6

Echols   Uniqua   10/8  Flair Cheyenne 10/4 Hernandez-Zuniga Emiliano 10/22 Hill Paige 10/6 James Finesse 10/16 Jones Jessica 10/20 Jones Terry 10/9 Lewis Raven 10/6 Long Frederick 10/15 Mayes Vanessa 10/2 Montgomery Kaadia 10/12 Moore Cevin 10/20 Moore Tevin 10/20 Neal Cassandra 10/13 Phillips Marquetta 10/13 Sanchez Mayra 10/14 Shah Sky 10/15 Smith Brandi 10/30 Spangler Kelsey 10/5 Sparks Akia 10/7 West Asia 10/14 Yohannes Tedros 10/5 Zaveri Shivam 10/20 Zimmerman Sarah 10/29  

 

 

NAME

COHORT

YEAR

MAJOR

1. Trevor Binkley 2009-2010 Electrical Engineering

2. Christopher Bishop 2008-2009 Exercise Science Interest

3. DeMichael Brown 2008-2009 Logistics

* 4. Britany Boatwright 2008-2009 Psychology

5. Andrea Davis 2008-2009 Communication Studies

6. Christian Donaldson 2009-2010 Political Science

7. Melanie Eskridge 2011-2012 Sociology Interest

8. Jasmine Fletcher-Green 2008-2009 Journalism & Electronic Media

9. Carlos Harbert 2008-2009 Economics

10. Megan Hensley 2008-2009 Studio Art

11. Chelsea Johnson 2009-2010 Nursing

12. Shandy Lewis 2008-2009 Journalism & Electronic Media

13. Heather Listhartke 2009-2010 English

* 14. Kristie Mantooth 2009-2010 Plant Sciences

* 15. Kenneth Merriweather 2008-2009 Political Science

* 16. Misty Parson 2008-2009 Child & Family Studies

17. Janie Prathammavong 2009-2010 Marketing

18. Amber Purcell 2009-2010 Communication Studies

19. Cadarious Reed 2008-2009 Plant Sciences

20. Trevor Shipp 2008-2009 Enterprise Management

21. Caroline Tester 2008-2008 Psychology

* 22. Carrera Thibodeaux 2008-2009 Political Science

23. Olivia Thompson 2008-2009 Biology/Anthropology

24. Delvin Tubbs 2008-2009 Political Science

EAP graduates in 2011-2012

4

“Congratulations!”  

Congratulations  to  the  following  22  EAP  students  who  graduated  in  2011-­‐‑2012!  Five  of  these  graduates,  Britany  Boatwright,  Kristie  Mantooth,  Misty  Parson,  Kenneth  Merriweather  and  Carrera  Thibodeaux,  will  be  enrolled  in  Graduate  School.    

*Enrolled in Graduate School  

EAP 2011-2012 Cum. GPA distributions

 

Cindy Flanary

“We  will  miss  Cindy  Flanary.”  

The  staff  and  students  of  the  Educational  Advancement  Program  take  this  opportunity  to  officially  mourn  the  death  of  Cindy  Jo  Flanary,  an  EAP  participant  from  2008-­‐‑2012,  who  passed  away  on  June  20,  2012.  We  celebrated  the  life  of  Cindy  Flanary,  who  was  one  of  our  most  active  participants  over  the  last  four  years.  A  frequent  visitor,  Cindy  utilized  every  one  of  the  program  services,  and  frequently  was  counseled  by  Mr.  Tom  Holcomb  and  Ms.  Tiffany  Dellard.  She  was  an  extremely  caring  and  compassionate  individual,  who  was  dedicated  to  becoming  a  professional  in  a  health  related  field.  She  was  enrolled  in  the  College  of  Social  Work.  A  delicately  warm  soul  with  a  heart  of  gold,  Cindy  flourished  in  EAP,  and  made  us  all  the  more  proud  of  her  strong  work  ethic  and  love  for  learning.  She  was  ever  present,  consciously  involved,  and  she  understood  the  historical  significance  of  the  TRiO  movement.  We  will  miss  her.  

 5

Courses offered Spring 2013 EAP  will  offer  Math  125  and  Chemistry  130  for  the  Spring  2013  semester.  EAP  students  can  sign  up  now.    

 

Math  125  Monday,  Wednesday,  Friday  2:30  pm  -­‐‑  3:20  pm  Instructor:  Malissa  Peery  

Chemistry  130  Monday  -­‐‑  Thursday  8:00  am  -­‐‑  8:50  pm  Instructor:  Christians  Bannes    

Chemistry  Lab  Wednesday  3:35  pm  -­‐‑  6:35  pm  

“Tutors Make a Difference” EAP  currently  staff’s  a  roster  of  27  tutors  for  the  Fall  2012  semester,  which  is  comprised  of  22  undergraduates  and  5  graduate  students.  Tutorial  requests  are  concentrated  more  so  in  the  areas  of  science  and  math,  but  students  are  also  being  assisted  with  humanities  and  social  science  courses  as  well.  Because  the  volume  of  requests  received  from  EAP  students  varies  from  semester  to  semester,  tutor  recruitment  is  “on-­‐‑going”.  EAP  tutor  positions  are  considered  “part-­‐‑time”  employment,  and  completion  of  an  “application”  is  required.  Contact  Celeste  Brooks,  EAP  Tutor  Coordinator,  at  (865)  974-­‐‑7900  or  brooksac@utk.edu  to  learn  about  tutoring  positions  available.  

 EAP  FALL  2012  TUTORIAL  STAFF  Hannah  Barker  (U),  Jackson  Butler  (U),  Michael  Chisholm  (U),  Michael  Clendenon  (U),  Emily  Dhalstrom  (U),  Austin  Dillon  (U),  Jennifer  Dobbns  (U),  Sarah  Drummond  (G),  Radha  Ganapathy  (G),  Laura  Hauk  (U),  Justin  Huseman  (U),  Trevor  Jackson  (U),  Sarabeth  King  (U),  Ben  Lovell  (U),  Robert  Lydick  (G),  Rebecca  Mabry  (G),  Meredith  McGinnis  (U),  Kenneth  Merriweather  (G),  Christina  Owens  (U),  Richard  Player  (U),  Samantha  Scott  (U),  Brian  Shin  (U),  Matthew  Vandergriff  (U),  Jessica  Velez  (U),  Jessica  Voiles  (U),  Joel  Wicecarver  (U),  Brandon  Woodmancy  (U)      *  (U)~Undergradaute,  (G)~Graduate  

Register  now!  

 

 

 

 

 

               EAP  congratulates  Johnson  Luma  on  his  receipt  of  the  NSBE  BCA  Scholarship,  in  the  amount  of  $3,000.00,  which  was  presented  at  the  38th  Annual  NSBE  Convention  held  in  Pittsburgh,  PA,  March  28  –  April  1,  2012.                  Johnson  is  a  civil  engineering  major  at  UT,  and  just  completed  his  freshman  year.    He  has  been  actively  involved  with  EAP  since  the  summer  of  2011,  taking  advantage  of  the  various  program  services  and  serving  on  EAP’s  Student  Advisory  Board.                  Johnson  shared  that  the  (BCA)  Board  of  Corporate  Affiliates  for  the  (NSBE)  National  Society  of  Black  Engineers  is  the  organization’s  top  corporate  and  government  strategic  partners,  working  with  the  NSBE  leadership  to  fulfill  the  organization’s  mission.    Each  BCA  member  has  committed  to  a  minimum    financial  contribution  of  $40,000  to  support  NSBE’s  programs,  scholarships  and  organizational  chapters.    Increasing  numbers  of  employers,  those  with  sound  recruitment  strategies  and  a  strong  commitment  to  increasing  the  pool  of  technical  talent,  have  found  NSBE  to  be  a  prime  resource  for  diversity  recruiting.                  For  this  reason,  NSBE  is  setting  a  precedent  for  continued  growth  despite  the  economic  downturn.    

Johnson Luma: NSBE BCA Scholarship Recipient

Ebony  Lemons,  a  senior  Educational  Advancement  Program  participant  majoring  in  Civil  Engineering,  was  recognized  as  the  most  active  NBSE  student  at  the  TLsamp  Annual  Recognition  banquet  on  Monday,  April  18,  2012,  at  the  Visitors’  Center.    TLsamp  is  the  Office  of  Diversity  Engineering’s  National  Science  Foundation  Program  that  promotes  minority  students  of  STEM  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  Math)  disciplines.    TLsamp  is  the  Tennessee  Louis  Stokes  Alliance  for  Minority  Participation  that  includes  University  of  Tennessee,  Knoxville;  Tennessee  State  University  University  of  Memphis;  Middle  Tennessee  State  University;  Lemoyne  Owen  College;  and  Lane  College.  

Ebony Lemons Honored

6

Angelica  Manning,  a  graduate  in  Hotel,  Restaurant,  and  Tourism  Management,  embarked  on  her  second  and  third  travel  abroad  ventures  this  summer.    Having  spent  the  summer  of  2009  at  the  University  of  Taiwan,  China, Angelica  traveled  to  Ghana,  West  Africa,  for  two  weeks  of  study  and  work  with  the  Africana  Study  Abroad  Program  coordinated  by  Dr.  Amadou  Sall,  an  instructor  with  Africana  Studies  and  French  departments.    Upon  her  return  in  late  May,  Angelica  traveled  to  Beijing,  China,  to  work  in  Tsinghua  University’s  English  Immersion  Summer  Camp  for three  weeks,  teaching  reading  and  writing  to  100  of  the  most  talented  students  from  all  over  China.      

Angelica Manning and Shivam Zaveri Travel Abroad

Kenneth  Merriweather,  and  Christian  Donaldson,  both  active  participants  in  EAP  over  the  last  four  years  are  enrolled  in  UT  Law  School.  Kenneth,  who  hails  from  Clarksville,  TN,  majored  in  political  science  also  serves  as  an  EAP  math  tutor.  Christian,  a  Memphis  native  also  majored  in  political  science.    

 

EAP Alumni Pursue J.D. Degree

Rising  junior,  Shivam  Zaveri,  Engineering  major,  spent  the  summer  in  a  study  abroad  program  in  London,  England.      

Ms.  Taotao  Long  joined  EAP  to  fill  the  new  position  of  graduate  administrative  assistant  in  June,  2012.  She  will  manage  the  database,  website,  and  newsletter  for  EAP.                    Ms.  Taotao  Long  is  a  doctoral  student  in  the  Learning  Environment  and  Educational  Studies  program  in  the  Department  of  Educational  Psychology  and  Counseling  in  UTK.  She  worked  as  a  graduate  research  assistant  in  her  department  before  she  came  to  EAP.  She  is  interested  in  helping  students  achieve  success,  and  felt  honored  to  contribute  to  EAP’s  work.                    Originally  from  China,  Ms.  Taotao  Long  has  obtained  her  bachelor  and  masters  degrees  in  Instructional  Technology  from  two  universities  in  China.  She  got  interest  in  database  management,  website  design  and  management,  and  media  technology.  She  also  worked  as  a  volunteer  in  organizations  similar  to  EAP  in  China.  She  came  to  UT  in  Aug  2010  for  her  doctoral  degree.    

EAP’s New Graduate Administrative Assistant

 

Recent  graduate,  Olivia  Thompson,  an  EAP  student  who  majored  in  microbiology,  participated  in  a  summer  internship  with  the  Volkswagen  auto  company  at  the  Oak  Ridge  National  Laboratory.  

 

EAP Students’ Experience in Summer 2012

Johnson  Luma,  a  sophomore  in  Civil  Engineering,  went  to  summer  school.  That’s  what  he  would  like  to  share:  

“During  those  two  months,  I  realized  how  lazy  I  can  be  and  have  been,  and  that  I  seriously  need  to  prioritize  my  time.  Summer  school  was  tough,  and  although  I  did  not  get  the  grades  that  I  wanted,  I  have  definitely  learned  that  sometimes  I  can  feel  like  I'ʹm  doing  a  lot  when  I'ʹm  not  doing  anything  and  also,  grades  are  not  the  most  important  things  in  life  as  I  have  treated  it  so  far.”    

 

Olivia Thompson: Summer Internship Johnson Luma: Attends Summer Sessions

   

Alesha Nolen: Tennessee Pre-Professionals Program Participant

Alesha  Nolen,  a  sophomore  in  kinesiology  pre-­‐‑medicine  concentration,  participated  in  the  Tennessee  Pre-­‐‑Professionals  Program  at  the  University  of  Tennessee  Health  Science  Center  and  Regional  Medical  Center  at  Memphis,  Shelby  County.    

               There,  she  shadowed  both  physical  and  occupational  therapists,  audited  graduate  school  lectures,  and  worked  in  a  local  hospital  tending  to  rehabilitation  patients.  This  summer  she  also  decided  to  go  pre-­‐‑med  with  her  major  after  sitting  down  with  the  assistant  dean  of  the  medicine  school  and  speaking  with  a  physiatrist  (doctor  of  physical  medicine  and  rehabilitation).  She  produced  an  environment  where  patients  felt  both  safe  and  comfortable.  She  also  learned  a  lot  whether  it  was  medical  terminology  or  exploring  different  career  paths  within  her  major.  She  learned  advanced  anatomy  that  focused  primarily  on  simple  yet  complex  movements  such  as  walking  and  running.    

7

8

EAP Retention Rates From 2001 to 2011

Rm 302, Greve Hall 821 Volunteer Blvd Knoxville, TN 37996 Phone: (865) 974-7900 Fax: (865) 974-7903 Hours: 8-5 M-F

Educational Advancement Program

The  Educational  Advancement  Program  (EAP)  is  a  federally  funded  TRiO  program  that  is  designed  for  students  with  demonstrated  academic  need  who  are  also  first-­‐‑generation  college  students,  from  low  income  families,  or  who  have  physical  or  learning  disabilities.    

The  EAP  assists  entering  students  deficient  in  the  basic  skills  and  academic  preparation  necessary  for  successful  university  work.    

• Offers  special  sections  of  math,  biology,  and  chemistry.  

• Offers  tutorial  assistance  free  of  charge  to  program  members.  

• Provides  academic  coaching  and  counseling.    

 

EAP’s new student assistant

Mr.  Lee  Anderson,  a  Memphis  native,  became  a  student  assistant  in  November,  2012.  His  duties  will  include  analyzing  the  data  on  past  students,  looking  at  their  accomplishments  since,  and  performing  other  tasks.  He  is  excited  to  be  working  in  EAP,  helping  students  succeed.                    Mr.  Lee  Anderson  is  a  first-­‐‑year  graduate  student  in  Anthropology  (Mediterranean  archaeology,  especially)  at  UTK.  He  received  his  B.  S.  in  Earth  Sciences  at  the  University  of  Memphis.