The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | April 22, 2013addenda

Continued on Page 7

Youtm- Dr. Yi Gu, assistant

professor of computer science, has been informed

that her research report titled “Distributed Throughput Optimization for Large-scale

Scientific Workflows under Fault-tolerance Constraint” has been accepted for

publication in the Journal of Grid Computing.

FACULTY HONORED AT HONORS DAY - Several faculty members were honored during the recent Honors Day ceremony held in Watkins Auditorium. Pictured front row - left to right - Alex Wilson, vice-president of the Student Government Association; Dr. Chris Baxter, winner of Outstanding UTAA Teacher Award; Dr. Carol Eckert, winner of Cunningham Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award; Dr. Thomas Payne, Dunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking; Dr. Tracy Rutledge, winner of Coffey Outstanding Teaching Award; and Dr. Teresa Collard, winner of Outstanding UTAA Teacher Award. Back row - David Belote, assistant vice chancellor of student life; Dr. Jerald Ogg, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs; Dr. Julie Floyd, associate professor of nursing; Dr. Jason Roberts, winner of Outstanding Advisor Award; and Dr. Daniel Nappo, associate professor of Spanish.

UT Martin rodeo receives largest gift in program history

During his lifetime, Dave Wilcox changed the lives of many UT Martin rodeo team cowboys and cowgirls. He went out of his way to help those around him and through his charitable foundation, he will change the lives of many more in the years to come. Wilcox’s legacy will live on with a generous $100,000 pledge from his Betsy Ross Foundation to the University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo teams.

Wilcox, a fixture on the local rodeo scene before passing away in 2011, founded and was board chairman of Allegro Fine Foods in nearby Paris, Tenn., and established the Betsy Ross Foundation in 1987. The foundation, named in memory of his late wife, helped send Tennessee and Kentucky residents to college over the last quarter-century.

This donation is a one-of-a-kind offering that is the largest gift given to rodeo in UT Martin history. The Betsy Ross Foundation presented a check for the Wilcox Family Rodeo

Healthy Start-Northwest Tenn. targets child abuse preventionChild abuse and neglect are

preventable, yet approximately 3.2 million children are reported as victims of mistreatment each year in the United States, based on information provided by Healthy Start of Madison County. Years of research have provided promising and proven practices that improve child

safety and well-being and reduce child abuse and neglect.

Lalania Hilliard, program coordinator for Healthy Start-Northwest Tennessee, located at the University of Tennessee at Martin main campus, said that home-visitation programs such as Healthy Start encourage these positive practices. Healthy Start

is the child abuse prevention model selected by Prevent Child Abuse America to replicate nationwide.

“Healthy Start home visitation is essential as child abuse and neglect have pervasive and long-lasting effects on children, their families and society,” Hilliard

Continued on Page 7

page 2 | addenda | April 22, 2013

UT MARTIN HONORS OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES – Derrick Head (left) and Karen Elmore are joined by Dr. Jerald Ogg, university provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, after Head and Elmore received UT Martin Spring 2013 Outstanding Employee Awards. All reside in Martin, with Head receiving the exempt award and Elmore the non-exempt honor. The awards, presented during a special program at the Boling University Center on April 9, recognize outstanding service to the university and are presented each fall and spring semester to two employees. Head is assistant director of the UT Martin Office of Extended Campus and Online Studies. Besides assisting online students, Head has developed an interactive online math class in which he actively tutors class members and others who seek his assistance. Elmore is special collections and archives assistant in the Paul Meek Library. She assists special collections visitors and also serves as the library’s building manager. Elmore has been instrumental in getting library staff trained in first aid, fire prevention and safety procedures.

UT Martin hosted its first annual Academic Quiz Bowl, on Saturday, April 13. It was coordinated by Dr. Louis C. Glover.

Thirty-three teams, totaling 156 students, participated from 13 schools. There were 156 students.

The participating schools were South Fulton Elementary, Newbern Elementary, Henry School, Harrelson School, Dyersburg Intermediate, Sharon Middle, Three Oaks Middle, Martin Middle, Hillcrest Middle, Camden Central High, Dyer County High, Union City High and Dyersburg High.

Dyersburg Intermediate’s team 1 won the Elementary Division. The team consisted of members, Rachel Finley, Betsy Newbirth, Cole Jones, Salomon Rice and Lynley McCullough.

Martin Middle’s team 2 won the Middle School Division. The team consisted of members, Kaleigh Powell, Diego Ferrer, Robert Mehlhorn, Tray Hammond and Cole Justice.

Dyersburg High’s team 1won the High School Division. The team consisted of members, Laurie Williams, Kent Kirby and Suzanne Schultz.

UT Martin students assisting Dr. Glover in conducting the tournament were Andrew Eudy, Trevor Brittingham, Max Turner, Angela Ray, Clifford Jones, Ashely Prosser, Derrickia Payne, Chassisty Blade, Kimberly Hernandez, Marisa Franklin, Samantha Wheatley, Kieoshie Briannce, Katie Coker and Brody Stafford.

UT Martin anticipates hosting the quiz bowl tournament again in April 2014.

UT Martin hosts first annual quiz bowl

SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER – UT Martin’s Relay for Life event was held 6 p.m.-6 a.m., Friday, April 19-20, in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. Hall-Moody Administration Building staff mem-bers participated in Friday’s “Purple Out the Campus” day and gathered for a photo in the administration building’s lobby. Pictured are (sitting l to r) Judy Sandefer, chancellor’s office; Sheryl Simmons, business affairs; Diedra Walker, admissions; Kiara Champion, business affairs; (standing l to r) Stephanie Max-well, academic affairs, Charlene Thornton, student affairs; Dr. Jerald Ogg, academic affairs; Bud Grimes, university relations; Petra McPearson, finance and administration; Kayla Evans, admissions; and Nancy Yarbrough, finance and administration. The Relay for Life event raised in excess of $24,000, easily exceed-ing the $20,000 goal.

April 22, 2013 | addenda | page 3

The University of Tennessee at Martin’s Reelfoot Lake Environmental Field Station (RLEFS) in Samburg recently hosted a FrogWatch USA chapter coordinator training workshop.

FrogWatch USA is a program managed through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) designed to enlist the involvement of members of the community in the collection of information on frog and toad populations in the United States.

The program relies on citizen volunteers to select areas known to have active frog populations, and to record the types of frogs that are heard calling at the selected locations. The workshop held at RLEFS was designed to train chapter coordinators who, in turn, will train volunteers interested in participating in the program.

Instructors for the workshop included Rachel Gauza with

AZA and national coordinator of FrogWatch USA; Lisa Powers of the Nashville Zoo; and Dr. Tom Blanchard, UT Martin professor of biology. Participants in the workshop included representatives from the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education in Frankfort, Ky.; Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Ind.; Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Ill.; Nashville Zoo; Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies; Wolfe River Nature Conservancy; North Carolina Nature Center; Western North Carolina Nature Center; and the North Central Arkansas Master Naturalist program in Arkansas.

The Reelfoot Lake Environmental Field Station will be forming a Northwest Tennessee FrogWatch USA Chapter. Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Blanchard at tblanch@utm.edu.

Reelfoot Lake Environmental Field Station hosts FrogWatch USA workshop

The UT Martin chapter of Sigma Xi, scientific research society, will sponsor its first-ever “Hot Topics Cafe” from 6:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April

23 at the Obion Co. Library in Union City. A discussion on biofuels will be led by a team of faculty including Drs. Jennifer Greenwood, Tim Burcham and

Richard Shadden. The event is open to the

public, and participation is encouraged. Refreshments will be provided.

Sigma XI to sponsor Hot Topics Cafe April 23 addendaUniversity of Tennessee at Martin

Published weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin,

TN 38238

• Dr. Joseph DiPietro - President, University of Tennessee System

• Dr. Thomas Rakes - Chancellor •Casey Curlin Scarbrough - Addenda Editor

UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-013-12

EARN FIRST PLACE - Kayla Key (left) and Melody Sain, both biology ma-jors and recent graduates of UT Martin, were awarded 1st place in the Zoology Student Poster Presentation competition at the 122nd meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. The meeting was held in Novem-ber of 2012 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The title of the poster was “Using GIS to identify important habitat types for amphibians and reptiles at Lake Isom National Wildlife Refuge in Northwest Tennessee.” Dr. Tom Blanchard, professor of biology, served as the faculty mentor for the project.

CHAPTER HONORED - The UT Martin chapter of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education (CNAFME) was named “Chapter of the Year” for the state of Tennessee at the Tennessee Music Education Asso-ciation (TNMEA) Conference held in Chattanooga, April 10-13. Pictured is Dr. Johnathan Vest, chapter advisor, with Dr. Michele Paise, collegiate chair for TNMEA.

Merry Brown, lecturer of philosophy in the Department of History and Philosophy, recently published a young adult novel titled “Gold Manor Ghost House.”

The story follows Anna Rose Ellington, who is 16 and living in Hollywood, hoping to be a star. Anna just landed a major role on Ghost House, TeenTV’s new fall drama.

Her dreams are falling into place until she gets on set and begins questioning her sanity. It’s true she has an unusual dream life, where once in a while her dreams literally come true. But it’s been a while. On top of her dreams not staying put in her brain, including the guy she’d been dreaming of for years, the house they’re filming in, turns out it might be haunted.

Brown publishes young adult novel

page 4 | addenda | April 22, 2013

Drs. Tom Blanchard, Nancy Buschhaus, Jennifer Greenwood and Dawn Wilkins from the Department of Biological Sciences, along with sixteen UT Martin students, recently attended the joint meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists and Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society: Southeastern Region, in Charleston, W.Va.

Christine Hassell, senior biology major, presented a poster titled “The effect of habitat type on bat activity and species richness monitored via acoustic survey at Reelfoot Lake in Northwest Tennessee.” The poster was co-authored by Buschhaus.

Victoria Templeton and Vance Pounders, junior biology majors, presented a poster titled “Effects of light availability and temperature on Northwest Tennessee stream diatom community structure.” The poster was co-authored by Greenwood.

Tessa Stephens, senior biology major, presented a poster titled “The impact of a stream restoration project on condition factor and food habits of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus).” The poster was co-authored by Blanchard.

Wilkins presented a poster titled “Impact of avitourism

on the conservation ethic and culture of women in the Ecuadorian Cloudforest.” The poster was co-authored by Dr. Brad Ray, Department of Agriculture, Geosciences, and Natural Resources and Dr. Sue Byrd, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Katrina Moeller, junior biology major, presented a poster

in the District II meeting of Beta Beta Beta titled “Effectiveness of using silent counts and aural stimuli to detect Barred Owls in the area surrounding Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee.“ Moeller placed third for the John C. Johnson Award for excellence in undergraduate research presented in a poster session. The poster was co-authored by

Wilkins and Heather Meadors, senior biology major.

Other students attending were Megan Alford, Michael Beasley, Erica Burton, Lauren Childress, Gina Lowry, Laura Nicholson, Evelyn Nordberg, Jared Polk, Taylor Underwood and Tiffany Walker.

ATTEND CONFERENCE - Drs. Tom Blanchard, Nancy Buschhaus, Jennifer Greenwood and Dawn Wilkins from the Department of Biological Sciences and 16 students recently attended the joint meeting of the As-sociation of Southeastern Biologists and Beta Beta Beta Biological Honors Society: Southeastern Region, in Charleston, W. Va. Front row, left to right - Taylor Underwood, Megan Alford and Heather Meadors. Second row - Christine Hassell and Lauren Childress. Third row - Michael Beasley, Laura Nicholson, Gina Lowery, Tiffany Walker and Jared Polk. Fourth row: Wilkins, Evelyn Nordberg, Victoria Templeton, Erica Burton and Greenwood. Fifth row - Vance Pounders, Blanchard, Katrina Moeller and Buschhaus.

Students present biology research at joint conference

Katrina Moeller, junior biology ma-jor, presented a poster in the Dis-trict II meeting of Beta Beta Beta in Charleston, W. Va. She placed third for the John C. Johnson Award for excellence in undergraduate re-search presented in a poster ses-sion.

Christine Hassell, senior biology major, presented a poster titled “The effect of habitat type on bat activity and species richness moni-tored via acoustic survey at Reel-foot Lake in northwest Tennessee” at the annual meeting of the Asso-ciation of Southeastern Biologists.

Vance Pounders and Victoria Tem-pleton, junior biology majors, pre-sented a poster titled “Effects of light availability and temperature on northwest Tennessee stream di-atom community structure” at the annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists

Tessa Stephens, senior biology major, presented a poster titled “The impact of a stream restora-tion project on condition factor and food habits of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)” at the an-nual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists.

April 22, 2013 | addenda | page 5

calendarMonday, April 22

- 7:30 p.m. - Wind Ensemble Concert, Duncan Ballroom, Boling University Center

Tuesday, April 23- 5 p.m. - VTA Student Art Exhibition, April 23-May 4, Paul Meek Library- 3 p.m. - Skyhawk Baseball at University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Ark.- 7:30 p.m. - Student Voice Recital presented by students from the studios of Dr. Roberto Mancusi and Dr. Amy Yeung, Watkins Auditorium, Boling University Center

Wednesday, April 24- 11:45 a.m. - Administrative

Professionals Day Luncheon, Duncan Ballroom, Boling University Center- 3:45 p.m. - Grand Finale and Senior Walk, begins outside Boling University Center - 4 p.m. - Commencement practice, Elam Center- 8 a.m. - Skyhawk Golf at OVC Championship Golf Tournament, Tennessee State University, GreyStone Golf Course, Dickson, April 24 - 27- 4 p.m. - Skyhawk Softball vs. University of Memphis, Bettye Giles Field - 7:30 p.m. - Gospel Choir, Oak Grove Baptist Church, Martin

Thursday, April 25- 10 a.m. – Cherry blossom tree dedication ceremony, northeast

corner of Paul Meek Library - Noon - Honor Percussion Festival, April 25-27, Room 112, Boling University Center- 2 - 4 p.m. - Jerry Gresham Retirement Reception, room 206 A-B, Boling University Center- 7:30 p.m. - Andrew Moore, Piano Recital, Watkins Auditorium, Boling University Center

Friday, April 26- Classes End- 2 - 4 p.m. - Mary Lee Hall Retirement Reception, McCombs Center- 6 p.m. - Skyhawk Baseball vs. Indiana State University, Skyhawk Park

Saturday, April 27- 8 a.m. - SOAR, Boling University

Center- 1 p.m. - Skyhawk Softball vs. Eastern Illinois Univerisity, Bettye Giles Softball Field (DH)- 3 p.m. - Skyhawk Baseball vs. Indiana State University, Skyhawk Park- 7:30 p.m. - UTM Jazz Band, Duncan Ballroom, Boling University Center,

Sunday, April 28- 1 p.m. - Skyhawk Baseball vs. Indiana State University, Skyhawk Park- 1 p.m. - Skyhawk Softball vs. Eastern Illinois University, Bettye Giles Field- 3 p.m. - CONCERT SERIES: Department of Music, Watkins Auditorium, Boling University Center

Brandy Cartmell was recently named one of UT Chattanooga’s 2013 Outstanding Graduate Students for Learning and Leadership. She was selected based on collegiality, academic scholarship and creative activity by doctoral faculty.

“Ms. Brandy Cartmell exhibits the drive, focus and professionalism which exemplify the best of the Learning and Leadership Doctoral Program. As a scholar-practitioner in the program, Brandy utilizes a combination of professional experience, research skills, and a strong desire to contribute to others as a platform for

success. She engages each area of study with academic rigor and works tirelessly to weave her deep experiential learning with related theory and seminal concepts. Brandy demonstrates her commitment to learning and professional growth in all of the areas she pursues. She is a marvelous example of the type of engaged learner and contributor to the learning community who is a hallmark of our learner-centered doctoral program,” said Dr. David Rausch, director of the Kingsport Initiative, which offers a doctoral program in learning and leadership.

Cartmell named Outstanding Graduate Student

Cartmell

Send your Addenda news to Casey Curlin Scarbrough at ccurlin1@utm.

edu

During the summer months, Addenda is posted every other week.

page 6 | addenda | April 22, 2013

NURSES ATTEND CONFERENCE - Forty-four senior nursing leadership and management students and two nursing faculty attended the Tennessee Nurses Association-sponsored Legislative Summit on April 9 at the War Memorial Building in Nashville. Topics presented included “Current Health-care Issues in Tennessee” by Rep. JoAnne Favors, House District 28; Rep. Barrett Rich, House District 94; Sen. Mark Green, Senate District 22; and Sen. Becky Massey, Senate District 6; “Understanding the Legislative Process and Bill Review,” by Wilhelmina Davis, Tennessee Nurses Association Lobbyist; and “Your Profession: What Legislation Means to You” by Janet Habler, American Nurses Association associate director of state government affairs. Instruction was also provided on effective communication, identifying bills of interest and tips for contacting local legislators.Pictured at left are the attending senior leadership and management nursing students. Pictured at right are two attending nursing professors, Shirley Fry (left), assistant professor of nursing, and Esther Sellars, associate professor of nursing.

AAUW MEETS WITH GIRL SCOUTS - Members of the American Asso-citiation of University Women re-cently held a “Looking Your Best” workshop for Girl Scouts from troop #43001. Activities included collecting health, fashion, hygiene and nutrition tips; creating a per-sonal hygiene routine; aerobic ac-tivities; color party (deciding what colors look best on you); and cre-ating healthy snacks. Six members from AAUW were present to help the girls receive their Looking Your Best merit badge.

STUDENTS PRESENT TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATION - Criminal justice students Kayla Solowey, Maria Rodriguez and Cheryl Hensley presented the results of research conducted in Dr. Donna Massey’s methods and analysis in social research class to members of the West Tennessee Criminal Investigator’s Association (WTCIA) at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 10. The research was conducted in collaboration with FBI Special Agent Steven Champine and Lt. Andy Gibson of the Union City Police Department and examined how networking and intelligence sharing among and between local, state and federal agencies can facilitate contemporary law enforcement efforts. WTCIA members awarded the students this year’s Joey McDowell/WTCIA criminal justice scholarship in recognition of their contribution to West Tennessee law enforcement. Pictured left to right - front row - Gibson; Solowey; Champine; Rodriguez; Hensley; and TBI Special Agent Mark Lewis. Second row - FBI Supervisory Special Agent Eric McCraw; TBI Special Agent in Charge Jack van Hooser.

April 22, 2013 | addenda | page 7

Scholarship, which will annually give $20,000 for scholarships over a five-year span.

“We are so fortunate to have community leaders supporting our rodeo program,” UT Martin Chancellor Tom Rakes said. “This gift is a major benefit for our riders for years to come.”

Head rodeo coach John Luthi came to UT Martin in 1997 and quickly developed a friendship with Wilcox.

“Dave was the most kind-hearted man I ever met and was very supportive – he would do anything he could to help

us out,” Luthi said. “This kind of commitment is a solid base to build on and does a lot for recruiting. What a blessing.”

Wilcox valued family as much as anything, and that is evident by the board members of the Betsy Ross Foundation. The chairperson is Julie Williams, Dave’s middle daughter, who saw her own daughter Catlin attend UT Martin. The secretary is Ruth Conroy, Dave’s youngest daughter who attended UT Martin in the 1980s. The board also includes Mary Lou Reed (Dave’s oldest daughter), John

Fuqua (president of Allegro) and Thomas Harrison (executive vice president of Allegro, UT Martin graduate).

Fuqua and Conroy were instrumental in the gift process.

“What Ruth and I have done is one of the true blessings in life – executing a plan to remember people like that,” said Fuqua, who has been at Allegro for 30 years and was Wilcox’s first employee at Allegro. “Dave had such a genuine appreciation of character and work ethic for a cowboy or cowgirl. He was always partial to those who

raised cattle, had a genuine respect for the equipment and an appreciation for farm animals.”

Conroy also echoed Fuqua’s sentiments of her late father.

“I came to UT Martin around 1983 and was coming to rodeos with my father even before then,” Conroy said. “Dave was a very unique person and was very caring towards others.”

Among many of the lives Wilcox touched was David Pruitt’s. The public relations officer for the UT Martin Rodeo Booster Club, Pruitt was a member of the rodeo team at UT Martin before graduating in 1993.

“Dave gave me the confidence to come back to school and finish my degree,” Pruitt said. “He would always be there for you anytime you needed him – no questions asked.”

Fuqua, whose stepson Alan Chase played football at UT Martin in 2000-01, knew that the gift would carry on Wilcox’s heritage for many years to come.

“We are only here a short period of time and if you can continue to help people after you’re gone, you’re pretty successful then,” Fuqua said. “If you help a kid get an education, you help them for the rest of their lives.”

LARGEST RODEO GIFT - John Luthi (center), UT Martin rodeo coach, accepts a $100,000 pledge to the univer-sity’s rodeo teams from Ruth Wilcox Conroy of the Betsy Ross Foundation. Conroy is foundation secretary and the youngest daughter of the late Dave Wilcox, founder and board chairman of Allegro Fine Foods in Paris, Tenn. Wilcox established the Betsy Ross Foundation in 1987 in memory of his late wife. The foundation has helped send Tennessee and Kentucky residents to college over the last quarter-century. The gift is the largest ever made to the university’s rodeo program. Also pictured (l to r) are David Pruitt, public relations officer for the UT Martin Rodeo Booster Club; Dr. Tom Rakes, UT Martin chancellor; and John Fuqua, Allegro president.

Rodeo, continued from page 1

said. “The immediate damage done to children from child abuse and neglect is multi-faceted and includes physical, emotional, social and cognitive impairment.

“For many children, these effects extend far beyond childhood into adolescence and adulthood with the potential to negatively impact the victim and his or her productivity for

a lifetime.”Healthy Start-Northwest

Tennessee is a completely voluntary program offered to families in Weakley, Obion, Lake, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Benton and Carroll counties. Family support workers make regular home visits with the families enrolled to promote positive parenting behaviors, teach age-appropriate child

development and encourage bonding between parents and children from birth to age 3.

“The primary goal of the program is to reach parents early and help to point them in the right direction before negative parenting behaviors become routine,” Hilliard said. “Since community support is the key to success, the Healthy Start Program provides resource

referrals, encourages educational advancement and focuses on good health practices to ensure that Northwest Tennessee families and children have the best possible outcomes.”

Learn more about the program by contacting Hilliard at 731-881-7863.

Prevention, continued from page 1