Although our traditional way of thinking about a marching band has been impacted by Covid-19, we have re-imagined our inaugural season, and have an innovative program to offer. We especially want to highlight our Freshmen Marching Bulldogs. None of our freshman scholars are native to Nashville, and their willingness to move to a new city to start their collegiate careers, while also participating in a new marching band, is courageous! Their commitment to being trailblazers is unmatched and we are looking forward to seeing how their contributions will serve as an asset to the University and carry us into the next 154 years!

Professor Spann interviewed two Marching Bulldogs from the Freshman Class; Erin Allen and Ché Patterson about what has inspired them to come to Fisk and pursue opportunities in the band.

Professor Spann: What city are you from?

Erin Allen: Oklahoma City, OK

Ché Patterson: I’m from Covington, Georgia, where I attended Newton High School.

Spann: What inspires you to play music at Fisk University?

Allen: I love the fact that Fisk University Marching Band is a new and growing program, it reminds me of home! I am familiar with being in a growing band program from my time in my high school marching band. We were also in the early stages of growing a band program which allowed me to learn a lot and bring my knowledge and experiences to Fisk’s new program.

Patterson: What inspires me to play is not too different from what inspires me to listen. When I listen to music, I’m able to hear artists communicate exactly how I’m feeling which helps me I know that I’m not alone. That feeling of connection between two artists is unlike any other. I get so inspired by hearing these artists’ stories through their music. I play because I have my own story to tell that can inspire people. It’s therapeutic for me, and it can be just what somebody else needs to hear.

Spann: How did you start playing music, and get involved in a marching band?

Allen: I started music and band in the 5th grade, I was playing percussion at first, and then transitioned to alto sax in the 6th grade. I then became section leader and first chair in saxophone during middle school. I went on to high school and became a Drum Major during my freshman year!

Spann: Who were your musical influences back home?

Allen: My Dad played saxophone at the same high school I attended, and several other of my family members also played in the band during high school. Being a part of marching band and playing music for my family was an important thing for us back home.

Spann: What are your past experiences as a leader in marching band?

Allen: At my high school I had the chance to conduct and teach band under my band teachers, as a student-teacher which gave me a lot of great leadership experience.

Spann: What is your major and what are your career aspirations?

Allen: I am majoring in Biology and I want to go into the medical field, specializing in pediatrics.

Spann:  Why did you choose Fisk?

Allen: I looked at different colleges and chose Fisk because of their scholarship offer. Seeing Fisk University reminds me of my high school and community back home, as it’s like a close-knit family! I saw a flyer for the Fisk University Marching Band Auditions and recruitment, which encouraged me to audition and join the marching band program!

Patterson: I chose Fisk because I wanted the HBCU experience to connect with my roots and culture. Fisk offers that with its rich history that it keeps alive. Another reason is that Fisk is located in Nashville, “The Music City”. I have so much opportunity around me. I really love this city and I’m excited to see what I accomplish here.

We are excited to welcome our freshmen band scholars to Fisk University, and to Music City! The Fisk University Bulldog Marching Band will continue to cultivate these scholars’ aspirations to carry on the legacy of timeless music. Fisk University family, let us welcome and encourage our band scholars to continue to be trailblazers and press forward musically.

Our Freshman Band Scholars are listed below:

Erin Allen: Oklahoma City, Ok

Ardria McDonald: Huntsville, AL

Ché Patterson: Covington, GA

Mallory Franks: Birmingham, AL

Lauren Swasey: Stone Mountain, GA

We leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson,

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

PLEASE NOTE THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN MODIFIED FOR CLARITY

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On September 2, 2020, the University received notification from Officials with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (Commission of Colleges), that Fisk University’s three-year process to settle its accreditation has concluded. Probation has officially been lifted.

According to Interim President Vann Newkirk, “This is a great day, and it would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other supporters of the University. We also would like to thank members of the Commission for recognizing the strength of our finances, and the value of our educational product.”  According to Frank Sims Chair of the Board of Trustees, “This exciting news is the product of a deliberate plan to build a sustainable and scalable business model for Fisk University. We have strengthened each of our major revenue streams, set fundraising records, grown enrollment, lowered the discount rate, improved the academic quality, strengthened our balance sheet and this SACS decision is a wonderful acknowledgment of Fisk’s outstanding progress.”

Fisk University was also granted permission to operate its first off-campus location in Clarksville, TN.

Fisk became the first historically black college to gain accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1930.

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The Board of Trustees of Fisk University has named Dr. Vann Newkirk Sr. as Interim President. Dr. Newkirk received his doctorate in history from Howard University and has been a proven leader in higher education for more than 20 years. Dr. Newkirk served as Provost for three years at Elizabeth City State University before joining the Fisk team as Provost in 2018. Dr. Newkirk has held numerous senior administrative and academic positions throughout his outstanding career. His expertise in accreditation matters and programmatic development is nationally recognized, and he has established himself as a leader in the education technology space.

Dr. Newkirk has substantial experience managing budgets, overseeing major grants, supervising enrollment management, and spearheading the research. In addition to his administrative accomplishments, Dr. Newkirk is a published scholar and recipient of the Willie Parker Award. Since he arrived at Fisk, Dr. Newkirk has not only launched several highly successful new programs including bioinformatics, data science, and social justice, he has also been instrumental in the University’s accreditation process. According to Board Chair Frank Sims, Fisk has benefitted greatly from Dr. Newkirk’s leadership and we are confident he will lead the University to new heights in the coming years.

I am honored by this opportunity and look forward to the days ahead, said Dr. Newkirk. I am excited about the existing momentum and Fisk is poised for a great future. According to Dr. Newkirk, Fisk has a critical role to play both in Nashville and across the country. Our students are excellent, our faculty outstanding, our board insightful, our alumni/supporters invigorated, our finances sound and our partnerships inspiring, concluded Dr. Newkirk.

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The post Kevin D. Rome, Sr. Departs as President of Fisk University appeared first on Fisk University.

Dr. Hussain joined Fisk University in 2009 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science. Prior to coming to Fisk University, he worked as an Associate Professor at the Jodrey School of Computer Science, at Acadia University, in Canada 2005-2009. Over the years he has published more than 70 refereed journal, conference, and workshop papers. His research is financially supported by several grants and contracts such a: $2.25 million NSF implementation award to promote quantitative and computing initiatives in STEM programs; $281,056 NSF/HBCU/TIP infusing machine learning in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Bias Analysis; $394,954 NSF/ HBCU/ Tip to transform CS curriculum for increasing undergraduate majors; and $1,018,114 from NIH. Dr. Hussain holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba in Canada. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Hussain to his elevation to this important role.

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Opening Convocation will be held On Thursday, August 20th at 10 a.m. CST. Due to Covid-19 and social distancing requirements, this year’s convocation will be held virtually, and we encourage you to use the Zoom link to register. Although this will be a new experience for all of us, we ask the entire Fisk family to join us in receiving and affirming the members of the class of 2024. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow to celebrate this historic event.

REGISTRATION LINK for Opening Convocation:

Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvdOytrTkoHdCzfWxB88SuwgzUt9C-JryY. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you are in need of additional assistance, please email Lakiesha Griffin at lgriffin@fisk.edu. Thank you

*If you missed out on this amazing virtual event here is our video: 

Click here for the Convocation Link

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Dr. and her team have also recently published a study, which was led by Masters’ student Ashley Colemon and Fisk MARC Scholar Taylor Harris. Ashley is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Duke University and Taylor at Wash U. The importance of the study is that it tells us that environmental factors can contribute to the expression of these cancer-specific genes and this could allow us to detect cancer sooner rather than later.

The post Fisk Assistant Professor Recently Awarded an Almost a Half-Million Dollar Grant from The National Science Foundation appeared first on Fisk University.

“We are so excited about our ever-increasing corporate partnerships and the unique opportunities this will provide our students in terms of internships and job placement,” said Senior Vice President Dr. Jens Frederiksen.

Earlier this year, Tractor Supply launched the African Americans on the R.I.S.E. (Relationships, Inclusion, Support, and Education) Team Member Engagement Group (known as R.I.S.E.). The group’s mission is to engage, empower and facilitate the growth of African American Team Members; provide visibility to and address issues and challenges which impact African Americans; and support causes of importance to the broader African American community. In light of the recent national focus on racial and social justice, the Tractor Supply Company Foundation worked with the R.I.S.E. group to identify organizations that are uniquely working to achieve these goals, giving out more than $125,000 total.

“At Tractor Supply, we are committed to being a champion for equality and respect,” said Hal Lawton, Tractor Supply’s President, and Chief Executive Officer. “By way of the Tractor Supply Company Foundation and with the direction of our African Americans on the R.I.S.E. group, we are proud to support organizations like Fisk University that are doing important work to advance opportunities for African Americans and other minorities in our schools, our communities and in the field of agriculture.”

The post Fisk University RECEIVES DONATION FROM TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANY FOUNDATION TO ADVANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITIES appeared first on Fisk University.

Dr. Newkirk has a 25-year career in creating innovative educational programs. He joined Fisk in 2018 and in that time his leadership has been outstanding. Some of his most notable achievements at Fisk include:
• Led the successful June 2020 on-site special committee visit by SACSCOC
• Guided Fisk’s COVID-19 response and school re-opening plan for fall 2020 semester
• Launched the Fisk Learning and Development Program (FLDP), a training and development platform for faculty and staff
• Successfully transitioned to a hybrid virtual campus by facilitating remote access through specialized software.

“Dr. Newkirk has made tremendous contributions as provost and we look forward to his continued leadership,” said Board Chair Frank Sims. “Fisk has experienced several outstanding years and we are convinced the next few years will be the best in the University’s esteemed history.”

Fisk has seen many successes over the years. In just the past two years it has
• Increased enrollment by more than 32 percent
• ACT/SAT scores for incoming freshmen have improved from the 55th percentile to the 73rd percentile nationally.
• Produced two Rhodes Scholar finalists
• Launched multiple new academic programs
• Increased corporate internships by 41%
• Grown academic grants to over $8,500,000 for this past year
• Raised over $21,500,000 including an increase in endowment.

Fisk University has stood the test of time. For more than a hundred and fifty years, the school has enabled students to pursue their futures and realize their dreams. We are confident that all of our alumni, friends, and supporters will help us continue in our mission to positively change student lives and reach new heights.

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