Colleges and universities have released the following information about area students, as well as announcements about their institutions.
Phi Eta Sigma welcomes Bartlett student
Kathryn Paine of Bartlett was among the 20 students initiated into the Phi Eta Sigma honor society on April 13 at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo.
Phi Eta Sigma is the oldest and largest freshman honor society in the nation. To qualify for membership, full-time first year students must attain a 3.5 cumulative GPA during either the fall or spring semester of their first year. Membership is by invitation only. Once students pledge membership to Phi Eta Sigma, they are members for life.
UT-Martin honors multiple local students
Several Shelby County residents received college or department-level awards from the University of Tennessee at Martin during the spring 2017 semester. They included Caleb Bell of Bartlett, who received the Outstanding Sophomore of Engineering Award; and Sarah Rohde, of Bartlett, who was recognized as a dean’s choice scholar in the College of Business and Global Affairs.
Arlington student joins ODK circle at Harding
Zachary Beasley of Arlington has been inducted into the Harding University circle of Omicron Delta Kappa in Searcy, Ark.
Omicron Delta Kappa is a national leadership honor society with 293 circles nationwide, composed of almost 300,000 scholars. Harding University is the only circle in Arkansas.
Beasley, a kinesiology major, was among the one percent of the student body invited to join the group this spring. Student membership candidates must rank in the upper 35 percent in scholarship of the University and must show leadership in at least one of five areas: scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social and religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts.
3 local students inducted into Phi Kappa Phi
The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.
- Jessica Brewer of Arlington, who was initiated at Samford University.
- Daniel Yarbrough of Bartlett, who was initiated at Mississippi State University.
- Tara Vancleave of Lakeland, who was initiated at Mississippi State University.
These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Bartlett student wins Harding University business award
SEARCY, Ark. — Emily Rowsey of Bartlett recieved the Junior Accounting Award at the Harding University Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration awards banquet April 27. One junior and one senior were selected for awards in each major.
To receive the award, Rowsey, N accounting major, was nominated by professors in the appropriate field of study. Students were recognized at the COBA banquet and were presented with departmental plaques to which their names were added.
Harding University is a private Christian universityin Searcy, Ark.
UT Martin awards degrees to local students
MARTIN — Several Shelby County residents were among students who received degrees from the University of Tennessee at Martin during spring commencement on May 6 in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on the UT Martin campus.
The students receiving undergraduate degrees included Jacquelyn Denae Hader of Arlington; Holly April Ann Bopp, Sarah Elizabeth Garner, Tiara Sherrell Morgan and Sarah Ann Rohde, all of Bartlett; Jeremy R. Greenburg, Adrianne S. Miller, Alexandria S. Miller and Kimberly N. Williams, all of Cordova; and John Nicholas Sciara and Drew B. Thomas, both of Lakeland.
Students receiving graduate degrees included Jessica Anne Myers of Arlington.
UT Martin to host Spring Preview Day May 13
MARTIN — High school students and their families are invited to find out what it’s like to be a Skyhawk on May 13 during the University of Tennessee at Martin’s final Spring Preview Day.
Attendees will find out about financial aid and scholarships, student organizations and housing options, as well as speak to faculty members and ask questions about potential areas of study. Families will also be able to speak with current students and tour UT Martin’s campus, which is a Level I Certified Arboretum.
The day will begin with registration and an administrative fair from 9-9:30 a.m. in the Boling University Center. An official welcome will start at 9:30, followed by a student panel discussion at 10. Departmental visits will begin at 10:45 and campus tours will start at 11:30.
Visit utm.edu/springpreview to register. There is no fee to attend.
For more information, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (731) 881-7020 or by email at admitme@utm.edu.
Jenny and Randy Boyd create Summer Scholars Institute at Southwest
Southwest Tennessee Community College, in partnership with Jenny and Randy Boyd, announces the Jenny and Randy Boyd Summer Scholars Institute. In collaboration with Tennessee Achieves (tnAchieves), Class of 2017 Tennessee Promise high school seniors will have the opportunity to participate in a 10-week program where scholars will receive up to 13 college credit hours at no cost. This free program allows students to enroll in English, reading and math classes with additional daily tutoring. The institute will be May 30-Aug. 7 at Southwest’s Whitehaven Center, 1234 Finley Road.
“TN Promise and tnAchieves are about creating opportunities for our youth, particularly those who never thought college was an option. The Institute seeks to increase the percentage of TN Promise students from south Memphis who enter college by building additional academic and social supports over the summer months,” says Randy Boyd. “We are excited to partner with Southwest to create a more confident and successful student population who ultimately earns a college degree!”
This pilot program targets Tennessee Promise students from high schools within a 12-mile radius of Southwest’s Whitehaven Center. The goal of this program is to increase the percentage of students who matriculate to post-secondary directly following high school graduation as well as to decrease the percentage of students requiring remediation. Students who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to the Tennessee Promise deadline and attended a mandatory meeting will receive offer letters to join the inaugural class.
Krissy DeAlejandro, Executive Director, tnAchieves says, “tnAchieves is excited to launch a pilot program with Southwest that seeks to eliminate summer melt! We are confident that with additional supports more students will not only enter the college pipeline but will also successfully complete a college credential. We are especially thankful to Randy and Jenny Boyd for continuing to invest in our students!”
Classes will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday with a daily mandatory hour of tutor/study time. The Friday schedule includes a one-hour lunch-and-learn session to cover topics such as career exploration and advising, as well as the opportunity to complete at least one hour of community service. All study materials and transportation will be provided to student,s and lunch will be served daily. tnAchieves will work to enroll 120 students in the first cohort. Enrollment will be contingent on attending the mandatory Institute orientation as well as completing the 2016-2017 FAFSA. Students will also be required to select a pathway upon registering for the Institute.
“We appreciate the Boyds’ generosity in choosing Southwest for this exciting pilot program,” says Dr. Tracy Hall, Southwest president. “The Institute will greatly assist TN Promise students in achieving their goal of earning a college degree or certificate.”
UT Pharmacy expands regional tuition program
The College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee’s Health Science Center is expanding its regional tuition rate program to pharmacy students living out of state within a 200-mile radius of the college’s instructional sites in Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, effective for fall 2017.
As the highest-ranked pharmacy school in Tennessee and the school ranked number 17 in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the college will now be more accessible to students from parts of 13 surrounding states. They will pay only 25 percent of the differential between in-state and out-of-state tuition. The expansion brings the out-of-state tuition for students in the 200-mile radius more closely in line with tuition paid by in-state students.
For example, out-of-state students currently pay approximately $41,100 annually in tuition. With the regional out-of-state tuition discount, they will pay approximately $26,500 annually in tuition, an amount that more closely aligns with the annual in-state tuition cost of approximately $22,000 for 2016-2017.
UTHSC’s College of Pharmacy already is the lowest-priced option for students in Tennessee. The expanded regional tuition program would be available to all eligible current and new enrollees from major cities, including Atlanta, Ga.; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; Jackson and Oxford, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; and Charlotte, N.C.
WGU launches bachelor’s in cybersecurity and information assurance
NASHVILLE — To help meet the increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals in today’s workforce, Western Governors University (WGU), parent university of WGU Tennessee, is now offering a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance (BSCSIA) degree program. This new program, which includes important industry certifications, will prepare students to use knowledge and experience in risk management and digital forensics to safeguard infrastructure and secure data through continuity planning and disaster recovery operations.
Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important industry, especially in Tennessee, where the need for technology expertise continues to grow,” said Dr. Kimberly K. Estep, chancellor of WGU Tennessee. “The program will equip our students with the skills they need to address the growing security challenges facing businesses today.”
Offered through WGU’s College of Information Technology, the BSCSIA was created in collaboration with industry and academic experts, ensuring that the coursework is relevant for today’s cybersecurity needs. Students can apply now and begin their BSCSIA program as early as June 1, 2017.
Coursework in WGU’s BSCSIA includes IT fundamentals, training in using software analysis techniques, web engineering, cloud management, and networking strategies to prevent, detect, and mitigate cyberattacks. This program also features nationally recognized, high-demand certifications in the field of cybersecurity from CompTIA, ISACA, Certified Internet Webmaster, and more, which BSCSIA students can earn at no additional charge.
“There is huge demand nationally for those who can navigate the increasingly important field of cybersecurity,” said WGU College of Information Technology National Director Myles Vogel. “Upon completion of WGU’s new BSCSIA degree program, graduates will be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and capabilities they need to succeed in the cybersecurity industry.”
The BSCSIA, like all WGU programs, is online and competency-based, allowing working professionals to study and learn on their own schedules and advance as soon as they demonstrate mastery of course materials. WGU’s affordable tuition of about $6,000 per year and flexible learning model make it possible for busy adult students to earn an accredited degree that includes industry certifications on a busy schedule.
For more information, visit the WGU Tennessee website, , or call (855) 948-8495.
