Why I Teach: Conversations with ETSU Faculty

Mathew Desjardins, a member of the College of Business and Technology, is overseeing ETSU's innovative new BlueSky Tennessee Institute. This groundbreaking program provides Tennessee students the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in computing and a job offer at BlueCross in just over two years. Podcast Transcript:  Professor Mathew Desjardins Because the end goal is when they are done with our degree in 27 months and they graduate and they shake your hand and they shake Dr. Noland's hand at graduation, they leave with a job offer. [Music] Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of our students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us, "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Mathew Desjardins from the ETSU College of Business and Technology. Matthew is part of our Computing faculty and is currently overseeing our Blue Sky Tennessee Institute. Enjoy the show. Professor Desjardins, welcome to our show. It's a pleasure to see you here today. First, I have to ask, did you drive the Tesla over today? Professor Mathew Desjardins I did drive the Tesla over today. Well, actually last night. I tried to come in the night before to get ready for an early day. So it's an interesting drive with a Tesla. You got to kind of let it go, its own control. But I, I trust it completely. It gets me from Chattanooga to here almost every week. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Now, well, I, I like how the Tesla is featured in, in a lot of what you do and the work that you do, so maybe we'll have a chance to talk more about that. Professor Mathew Desjardins Yeah, that'll be great. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle I like to start my podcast out with the same question for every guest: Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what's one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Professor Mathew Desjardins Man, I remember my first day teaching. Dr. Kelly Price, a former faculty member in the department, she gave me a chance to, as a graduate student, to teach for her, and at that moment, I was like, "Yeah, this is what I want to do." She really encouraged me to get to where I want, but I was kind of strict, I won't lie. You know, when you're first teaching, you're like, oh, oh man, all my other teachers were strict, right? I have to be strict. So if I can go back to Old Matt or Young Matt, I guess, I would

Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle sits down with Dr. Randy Wykoff, founding dean of the ETSU College of Public Health, to reflect on his decades of leadership, teaching, and service. From building Tennessee’s first accredited school of public health to preparing students for real-world challenges through hands-on learning and community engagement, Dr. Wykoff shares lessons from a career dedicated to improving health across Appalachia and beyond — just months before his retirement. Find out more:  ETSU College of Public Health: https://www.etsu.edu/cph/?utm_campaign=College-of-Public-Health Podcast transcript:  Dr. Randy Wykoff We believe from the beginning that we had to be world-class. I think it's critical for students to see how what they've learned works in the community. So all of our public health students, environmental health students, health admin students have to do an internship. And that's basically a semester-long opportunity for them to take what they've learned and see, "Oh, wait a minute, this really does work. I really can go out and help this agency do what they're doing." Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, I speak with Dr. Randy Wykoff, the founding dean of the ETSU College of Public Health and the longest-serving dean of public health in the United States. Under his leadership, the college became the first accredited school of public health in Tennessee and central Appalachia and has tripled its enrollment since 2006. During his tenure, the college has secured more than $50 million in research funding and earned national recognition for teaching, research, and community service. A Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the U.S. Surgeon General's Medallion, Dr. Wykoff has made a lasting impact on public health education, and practice across the region. Earlier this year, he announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. So before he retires, I wanted to make sure to feature his wisdom and his insights on "Why I Teach." Enjoy the show. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Dr. Wykoff, welcome to the show. This is a bittersweet episode for me as we're just a few short months from your retirement, which seems like a good time for reflection. You've spent more than two decades leading the College of Public Health. What originally drew you to public health, and what ultimately bro

In this episode of “Why I Teach,” Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), sits down with Dr. Kevin E. O’Donnell, Professor of English and recipient of the 2024 Stephen L. Fisher Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Appalachian Studies Association. With more than 30 years of experience teaching literature, composition, and environmental writing, Dr. O’Donnell shares insights on storytelling, writing pedagogy, the impact of technology in the classroom, and the power of honesty in writing. He also discusses teaching The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, Appalachian literature such as Serena by Ron Rash, and his upcoming book, The Woodlands of the Mind: Rambles Through Campus Forests. Find out more: ETSU Common Read: https://www.etsu.edu/provost/common-read.php ETSU Festival of Ideas: https://www.etsu.edu/festival/ ETSU College of Arts and Sciences: https://www.etsu.edu/cas/ Podcast Transcript:  [Music] Dr. Kevin O’Donnell I love John Green's writing for one thing. It's really accessible. His voice draws you in. He starts with these quirky topics. He'll be writing about Super Mario Kart. Within a few pages, he's talking about community and luck versus skill, and these bigger issues. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will sit down with Dr. Kevin E. O'Donnell, Professor of English and recipient of the 2024 Stephen L. Fisher Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Appalachian Studies Association. A native of Northeast Ohio, Dr. O'Donnell earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and has taught at ETSU for more than 30 years. His courses include Advanced Composition, American Literature, Literary Nonfiction, and Environmental Writing. He's the author of numerous publications, including Seekers of Scenery: Travel Writing from Southern Appalachia, co-authored with Helen Hollingsworth. This year, he looks forward to the release of a new book, co-written with his ETSU colleague, Dr. Scott Honeycutt, titled The Woodlands of the Mind: Rambles Through Campus Forests. Enjoy the show. Dr. O'Donnell, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to

In this episode of Why I Teach, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle sits down with Dr. Aaron Polichnowski, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine and recipient of the university’s 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award in Research. A nationally recognized expert in hypertension and chronic kidney disease, Dr. Polichnowski shares how curiosity-driven research, teaching medical students, and mentoring future scientists are deeply interconnected—and why helping students ask the right questions is at the heart of his work. Listen to more episodes of “Why I Teach,” where Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle explores stories of impact and success of ETSU faculty. Subscribe at https://why-i-teach-conversation-with-etsu-faculty.podbean.com/.   ETSU College of Medicine: https://www.etsu.edu/com/ Department of Biomedical Sciences: https://www.etsu.edu/com/dbms/ ETSU Health: www.etsuhealth.org Podcast transcript: Dr. Aaron Polichnowski I like explaining how it is rewarding to be able to ask a question that no one else has asked, to design an experiment, collect interpret data, and maybe shed some light on some pathophysiological process that we didn't have a clue about before. So that is a really rewarding process. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Aaron Polichnowski. Dr. Polichnowski is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine and the recipient of the university's 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award in Research. Dr. Polichnowski is nationally recognized for his work on hypertension and chronic kidney disease. His studies have advanced understanding of how blood pressure, genetics, and environmental factors influence kidney injury and disease progression. In addition to securing nearly $2 million in external research funding, Dr. Polichnowski is deeply committed to mentoring future scientists and physicians and has directed ETSU's Medical Student Summer Research Program since 2017. Today, he joins us to share not only what he studies, but why he teaches. Enjoy the show. Dr. Polichnowski, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me b

Join ETSU Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle in this inspiring episode of the “Why I Teach” podcast as she speaks with Dr. Kyle Leister, Assistant Professor and Program Director of ETSU’s new Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics program – the first in Tennessee and one of only 14 nationwide. Dr. Leister shares his unique journey into rehabilitative medicine – from treating NHL athletes with the Pittsburgh Penguins to working on Paramount Studios' medical team – as well as his passion for student mentorship and the human side of prosthetic and orthotic care. Listen to more episodes of “Why I Teach,” where Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle explores stories of impact and success of ETSU faculty. Subscribe at https://why-i-teach-conversation-with-etsu-faculty.podbean.com/. Other resources: ETSU College of Health Sciences:  https://www.etsu.edu/chs/ ETSU School of Clinical Sciences: https://www.etsu.edu/chs/clinical-science/default.php ETSU Master of Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics: https://www.etsu.edu/chs/rehabilitative-sciences/orthotics-prosthetics/default.php ETSU Health: www.etsuhealth.org   Podcast transcript:    Dr. Kyle Leister Probably the most important part of this question is why orthotics and prosthetics at ETSU. And I think that we can tie that directly back to ETSU's mission statement, the ability to be able to serve the people of the region and beyond. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Kyle Leister. Dr. Leister serves as Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Master's Program at East Tennessee State University. One of just a handful of experts in the world holding both a clinical certification in orthotics and prosthetics and a doctoral degree, he brings a uniquely broad background to his role. Originally from Pittsburgh, his academic and professional journey has taken him from serving the Pittsburgh Penguins as an athletic trainer, to working on the medical team on Paramount Pictures' lot, to earning degrees from Northwestern University, University of Houston, and

In this inspiring episode of Why I Teach, Dr. Christy Lawson, a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine, reflects on her journey from a rural community in Georgia to the operating room and classroom. Blending stories of family, mentorship, and personal growth, Dr. Lawson reveals how formative experiences—from learning through storytelling with her grandfather to assisting in surgery during a mission trip in Honduras—ignited her passion for medicine and teaching. She discusses the emotional complexities of surgical training, the power of individualized mentorship, and the importance of nurturing students as whole people. ETSU Quillen College of Medicine: https://www.etsu.edu/com/ ETSU Health: www.etsuhealth.org ETSU Department of Surgery: https://www.etsu.edu/com/surgery/ ETSU Great Lecture Series: https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/2025/01-january/great-lectures-feature-handy-herrmann-lawson.php   Transcript:  Dr. Christy Lawson Just knowing people is one of the most important parts of teaching. When you know them as an individual, you can help them tap into the things that renew them. Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Christy Lawson. Dr. Lawson is a trauma, critical care, and acute care surgeon and professor of surgery at ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. She was born in Ringgold, Georgia, and grew up learning the values of faith, integrity, hard work, drive, passion, and service to others from her family. Her mother went back to nursing school when she was in high school, and she remembers doing her homework during night school anatomy classes. This influence, a few key teachers, and a strategically placed surgical mission project in Honduras inspired her to work hard and open the horizon of medical school. Dr. Lawson obtained her college degree at Berry College, and then attended the Medical College of Georgia before landing in surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She trained there for residency and fellowship, and spent the first several years of her surgical practice there prior to moving to Johnson City and finding her home at ETSU in 2018. She w

In this episode of “Why I Teach,” Dr. Flo Weierbach, a seasoned nurse and professor at East Tennessee State University’s College of Nursing, talks with Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle about her journey from providing direct care to teaching the next generation of nurses. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Weierbach discusses her research on caregiver health, the challenges of rural health care, and the importance of interprofessional education for nurses. She also provides a snapshot of her experience with the Nurse Narratives Initiative. Transcript:  Dr. Flo Weierbach So when I think about what's most important that I want my students to learn is: how to be kind, how to share, how to listen, and how to meet people where they're at. Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Doctor Flo Weierbach. Dr. Weierbach is a Registered Nurse and professor at East Tennessee State University's College of Nursing. She has over 40 years of nursing experience in providing direct care to individuals and their families in community settings. She has served as the nurse on multiple interprofessional health care teams and has conducted research focused on caregiver health. Upon completion of her Ph.D., she completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship focusing on rural communities and chronic health conditions of rural residents at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Additionally, she was a Rural Health Fellow from 2012 through 2013 for the National Rural Health Association, a member of the American Nurses Association Public Health Scope and Standards Workgroup, and as the founding president of the Rural Nurse Organization Appalachian Region Tri-State Chapter. Enjoy the show. Dr. Weierbach, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Flo Weierbach I think the biggest thing I would say is that I need to relax. When I first entered the building, it was hard to find my office, and I was like, "Where is this?" It’s not what I remembered. And the first day I was in the classroom, I left my jacket in the classroom. So I would say, relax. Provost Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle   Yes, always great advice. You've had an extensive career in nursing with over 40 years of experience. What f

In this episode, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle talks with Dr. Joe Moore, Director of Athletics Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music, about the incredible ETSU Marching Bucs. In 2014, Dr. Moore was tasked with revitalizing the Marching Bucs, which had been dissolved a decade earlier. Under his leadership, the band has grown in both size and prestige. In 2024, the marching band became the first collegiate marching band from Tennessee in over 60 years invited to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Transcript:  Dr. Joe Moore So, I actually began applying in 2019. 2020, they did not have the parade. It was virtual because of COVID, and then continued applying and, then got the word that we were selected. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us “Why I Teach.” In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Joe Moore, Director of Athletic Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music. Dr. Moore joined the ETSU faculty in 2014 and was tasked with revitalizing the Marching Bucs, which had been dissolved a decade earlier. Under Dr. Moore's leadership, the group has enjoyed explosive, exponential growth year-to-year, from a membership of 165 students in its 2015 debut season to well over 300 active members at present, continually and consecutively breaking the record for the largest band in ETSU history. Along with a surge in membership, the Marching Bucs have quickly established themselves as a premier marching arts organization with national recognition. The group was chosen to represent the state of Tennessee in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the first time a collegiate band from Tennessee has been featured in over 60 years. Enjoy the show. Dr. Moore, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself? Dr. Joe Moore   Thank you for having me. Yeah. I remember at first feeling a little overwhelmed with the idea of totally starting a program from scratch, basically because it had been dormant for so long. But wh

In this episode, Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle talks with Dr. Melanie B. Richards, interim director of ETSU’s new School of Marketing and Media, about how her experience in the corporate world led to a career in academia – and how she is harnessing that experience to make sure her students get hands-on, project-based learning opportunities in her classroom. Dr. Richards also discusses how she incorporates AI in her instruction and recommends a book that she has used to guide her research and teaching in this area: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick. Listen to more episodes of Why I Teach, where Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle explores stories of impact and success of ETSU faculty. Subscribe at https://why-i-teach-conversation-with-etsu-faculty.podbean.com/. Dr. Richards’ Bio: https://www.etsu.edu/cbat/media-communication/facstaff/richardsm.php  ETSU’s Master of Arts in Brand and Media Strategy: https://www.etsu.edu/cbat/media-communication/academics/graduate-programs/brand-strategy.php School of Marketing and Media News: https://www.etsu.edu/etsu-news/schools/marketing-media.php/ ETSU’s Approach to Community-Engaged Learning: https://www.etsu.edu/teaching/teaching_community/cel_qep.php   Transcript:  Dr. Melanie B. Richards I hope that students leave my classroom with technical skills, critical thought ability, problem-solving, and creativity in how they approach problems, and that ability to make ethical decisions. But beyond that, I really hope that my students know that I care about them. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi. I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Melanie B. Richards. Dr. Richards is an associate professor in the ETSU Department of Media and Communications Brand Communication program. This fall, she was appointed interim director of ETSU's new School of Marketing and Media. She also serves as the graduate program coordinator for the Master of Arts in Brand Media Strategy. She's been working in the researc

This episode features Dr. Michael Anthony Fowler, Assistant Professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Design at East Tennessee State University. In addition to his work in the classroom, Dr. Fowler is an active collaborator on several international archeological projects and serves as the chair of Johnson City’s Public Art Committee. In this episode, he shares how these experiences impact his teaching, as well as some interesting observations and insights about incorporating hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches in his classes. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Michael Anthony Fowler I want to create culturally fluent, persuasive, compelling communicators; people with keen eyes who can be discerning; folks who are inquisitive, who value truth, and know how to identify right to make that distinction between fact and fiction. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle Hi. I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us “Why I Teach.” In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Michael Anthony Fowler. Dr. Fowler is an Assistant Professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Design. He also serves as affiliate faculty in the Classical and Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies programs. An art historian and classical archeologist, Dr. Fowler specializes in the art and material culture of the ancient Mediterranean and West Asia. He has earned master's degrees in several disciplines, including a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, an M.A. in classical archeology from Tufts University, and a Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy from Columbia University. He also completed his Ph.D. in art history and archeology from Columbia. In his teaching, which ranges widely across the history of art, Dr. Fowler is interested in introducing students to the diversity of visual cultures around the globe, and to the critical role that arts continue to play in expressing, shaping, and responding to peoples’ ideals and realities. Dr. Fowler is also an active collaborator on several international archeological projects. Locally, he is a commissioned member and chair of Johnson City's Public Art Committee, where he assists people with various projects aimed at integrating art into the everyday lives of people in this region, beautifying ETSU’s hometown, and building community through collaboration. Enjoy the show! Dr. Fowler, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a fa

This episode features Dr. Scott Jenkinson, Assistant Professor in Clemmer College of Education and Human Development and a faculty fellow for Community-Engaged Learning at the ETSU Center for Teaching Excellence.  He provides a wonderful snapshot of some of the ways in which community-engaged learning impacts our students and shares about his experiences with the ETSU Alternative Breaks program and some of the foundations for student success that he incorporates in his classrooms. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Scott Jenkinson Assistant Professor So critical reflection is the linchpin. It's the linchpin in any sort of community-engaged learning experience. It really creates the learning. You know, we can have community engagement all we want, but the reflection is where it transitions from just an experience to actually something that changes who you are. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Host/Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Scott Jenkinson, Assistant Professor in the Educational Foundations and Special Education Department in Clemmer College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Jenkinson earned his bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He joined the ETSU faculty in 2015 as a clinical instructor, teaching and supervising pre-service teaching students. He is a strong supporter for community-engaged learning, serving as a faculty fellow for community-engaged learning at the ETSU Center for Teaching Excellence. He was also instrumental in the development of our Go Beyond the Classroom QEP. In this episode, we will hear about his work in the classroom and beyond the classroom through community-engaged learning opportunities he facilitates. Enjoy the show. Dr. Jenkinson, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. And looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Scott Jenkinson Well, Dr. McCorkle, thank you so much for inviting me to join you on your podcast. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about teaching. I talk about teaching all the time in my career with pre-service teachers, so I love to talk about it. So I apologize if I kind of go a little lengthy with some things. But taking m

In this episode, Provost McCorkle talks with Dr. Colin Glennon, professor and chair in the Department of Political Science, International Affairs, and Public Administration. Dr. Glennon also serves as the faculty sponsor of ETSU’s award-winning Mock Trial Team. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Colin R. Glennon Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science, International Affairs and Public Administration: I really feel like compared to so many other disciplines, we have an advantage here in political science, right? Our stuff's in the news all the time. Right. And it's out there. And that gives us a chance that I think is really neat to kind of explain what it means, how it fits in, and that can help get students excited. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them. Our incredible faculty at ETSU. You hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Colin R. Glennon, Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science, International Affairs and Public Administration. Dr. Glennon joined the faculty at ETSU in 2013 after completing his PhD at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and teaching at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. He teaches courses in public law and American politics, and also serves as the pre-law advisor and coordinator of the Legal Studies minor for the university. Dr. Glennon’s research focuses on judicial behavior and judicial legitimacy. He has coauthored texts in the fields of constitutional law, American government, and American political thought. Dr. Glennon also serves as a faculty sponsor of ETSU's award winning Mock Trial team. Go, Trial Bucs! Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle:  Enjoy the show. Dr. Glennon, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Colin R. Glennon: Alright. Great. Well, first, thanks for having me. I appreciate it, and I'm looking forward to our discussion today. Thinking back on that first day, I think I probably think two things. The first would be to plan a little bit less and maybe what the class free flow a little bit more now, based on students’ interest, right, and the subject matter that's really landing with them. I don't think you maybe as a young professor, you feel more need to show your brilliance, right? And ye

This episode features Stephen Hendrix, a tenured instructor in the Department of Computing in ETSU’s College of Business and Technology. Mr. Hendrix is a three-time ETSU graduate. In addition to teaching, he is actively involved in service at ETSU, where he has represented his fellow faculty members in various leadership roles. Podcast Transcript:  Stephen Hendrix The basic process of coding is relatively simple. But understanding the whys and the hows and the logics and all of those things, that's really where it's impactful. So for me, one measure of success in a successful day in the classroom is the "aha moment." Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Stephen Hendrix, a tenured instructor in the Department of Computing and ETSU's College of Business and Technology. Mr. Hendrix is a three-time ETSU graduate earning his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Computer and Information Sciences here, as well as an MBA. He's currently completing his dissertation to earn his Ph.D. in Information Systems at Dakota State University. In addition to teaching, Mr. Hendrix is actively involved in service at ETSU, where he has represented fellow faculty members in various leadership roles. He has served as past president of the Faculty Senate, and he's the current chair of the Sub-Council for University Governance. He serves on various other university committees and councils such as University Council, the Budget and Strategic Planning Committee, the Strategic Resource Realignment Committee, and the Facilities Design Task Force. He also teaches a variety of computing and information systems classes ranging from health information systems to programing for data analytics. He's also taught ETSU 1020 Foundations of Student Success, which is ETSU's first-year experience course designed to help students on a successful path towards graduation. Enjoy the show. Stephen, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Stephen Hendrix Well, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. Looking back on that first day in 2013, coming to ETSU to teach full-time for the Department of Computing, there was this this feeling of excitement, nervousness, a lot of nervous energy. Thankf

This episode features Dr. Elwood Watson, Professor of History, Black American Studies, and Gender Studies at ETSU.  Dr. Watson is a prolific writer, the author and editor of dozens of journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews. He also authored several books, including a book of essays about race in contemporary America. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Elwood Watson Well, I think history is highly important because, first of all, we reside in history, okay, whether we are aware of that fact or not; anybody can get a book and read the facts, just saying this happened in 1895, this happened in 19, people say, okay. And so what? That's like a "Jeopardy" question. I want you to be mini historians, at least through my class in a semester, the how, the why, yes, you know the whats and whens, but let's incorporate and why and how this came about; causation, the significance of the event, and the end result. To me, that's how you should teach history. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi. I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty. Their passion for what they do. Their belief in the power of higher education. And the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us, "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Elwood Watson, Professor of History, Black American Studies, and Gender Studies at ETSU. Dr. Watson earned a bachelor's and master's degree at the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. in American history at the University of Maine. He began teaching at ETSU in 1997, and during that time, he has received multiple Distinguished Faculty Awards in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Watson is a prolific writer, the author and editor of dozens of journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews. He also authored several books, including a book of essays about race in contemporary America. He's a regular columnist and contributor to numerous national publications, where he applies his expertise in history to current events and issues. Dr. Watson's extensive research and expertise, spanning from history to popular culture, offer valuable insights that address numerous pressing issues encountered by Americans. I look forward to hearing how he engages his students in these important conversations and helps them to discover ways to connect what they learn in their classrooms to their communities. Enjoy the show. Dr. Watson, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself?<

Dr. Tabitha Fair has a long history with ETSU’s Dental Hygiene Program, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year.    She began as a student and this year she has been teaching for 20 years in the program.    In this episode, Dr. Fair describes the community-engaged, hands-on learning experiences students participate in as they offer affordable dental hygiene care to the community.    Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Tabitha Fair We are really proud of our 55-year history of educating students and providing dental hygiene care to those in the community. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us, "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Tabitha Fair, assistant professor and program director for the Dental Hygiene Program at ETSU. Dr. Fair has a long history with ETSU's Dental Hygiene Program, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene at ETSU and then continued her studies here with a Master of Public Health degree. She then completed a Ph.D. in Health Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. She began teaching at ETSU as an adjunct faculty member in 2004, and then joined the faculty full time in 2006. She served on editorial boards for several academic journals in her field, and she brings a combination of clinical, teaching, and research expertise to the classroom. In fact, the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences has recognized her contributions with several Distinguished Faculty Awards in interprofessional education, service, and teaching. I look forward to hearing more from Dr. Tabitha Fair about how our Dental Hygiene Program is not only making an impact on our students, but also on our community that benefits from the clinical services that we offer. Enjoy the show! Dr. Fair, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Tabitha Fair Thank you so much for having me here today. It's really an honor, and this is a really interesting question, and there are so many things that I wish I could go back and tell myself because I was so incredibly nervous that day. I don't really think I even remember what I said in class that day because I was just terrified. But if I could go back, I think the main thing I would say to

Dr. Tabitha Fair has a long history with the Dental Hygiene Program at East Tennessee State University, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year.

Dr. Brian Cross discusses the past decade of interprofessional education (IPE) at East Tennessee State University and plans to continue evolving the curriculum to train students for team-based care to improve patient outcomes. Cross is Assistant Vice Provost and Director of ETSU's Center for Interprofessional Collaboration. Podcast Transcript: Dr. Brian Cross This thing that has been discussed within the university so much with "Go Beyond,” and we think it's really important to move our students now out into the community and to take these skills as teams and find environments where they can engage patients, communities, families to improve the health. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberley McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "why I teach.” In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Brian Cross, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Center for Interprofessional Collaboration at the East Tennessee State University Academic Health Sciences Center. Dr. Cross has 30-plus years of clinical experience in many ambulatory areas, including the Indian Health Service, the VA health system, endocrinology and cardiology, academic practices, and multispecialty private practice medical groups. For most of the last 23 years, Dr. Cross has created advanced collaborative practice environments, mostly in primary care, integrating clinical pharmacy services within both large private practices, as well as academic practice models. Such collaboration will not only greatly assist our students, but it will help those they serve for generations to come. He has been awarded multiple teaching award from colleges of pharmacy, nursing and medicine at multiple universities, and he has spoken on the connection between collaborative practice and learning and training at national and international meetings. In 2018, he was a Fulbright Scholar at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, focusing on the bridge between interprofessional learning and collaborative practice. This year, he will be awarded fellowship status at the National Academies of Practice, the only interprofessional group of health care practitioners and scholars dedicated to supporting affordable, accessible, coordinated, quality health care for all. Dr. Cross has been an ardent supporter of the interprofessional education at ETSU, and I look forward to learning more about its progress and its future in our conversation today. Enjoy the show. Dr. Cross, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for eve

In this episode, Dr. Josh Reid, Associate Professor of English, talks about how he engages his students with classical and early modern literature. He also shares his favorite books of the year. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Josh Reid There's a certain way that encountering these stories from the past help us read our present. As Emily Dickinson puts it, Tell all the truth, but tell it slant. So that kind of slant-wise approach of going to the past to encounter our present is an effective way. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us, "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Josh Reid, Associate Professor of English and Associate Department Chair in the Department of Literature and Language. Dr. Reid earned his bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech and master's degrees in English and art history, as well as a Ph.D. in English, from the University of Kentucky. He joined the ETSU faculty in 2012. His areas of specialization include early modern literature, Italian romance epic, literature and visual art, translation studies, and textual editing. Dr. Reid has authored numerous publications and is the general editor for "The Manchester Spenser," Manchester University Press' monograph series on the life and works of Edmund Spenser. In addition to his research and writing, Dr. Reid is committed to teaching excellence. In fact, he is a 2019 recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award. Enjoy the show. Dr. Reid. Welcome to the show. Dr. Josh Reid Thanks so much for having me. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Josh Reid I would say to myself that you're not alone. When I started in 2012, I was a lecturer at ETSU at Kingsport, which is a wonderful place. I love the faculty, students, and staff, faculty, staff there, so shout-out to them, but it is a bit separated from the main campus and from the department. So, and the classroom itself can feel quite insular. It's wonderful to have control over the class that you have. But also you feel like you're alone there and in that space. And so learning to reach out to the broader teaching community and what it has to offer and the resources that it has has been transformative for me. So, for i

This episode features Dr. Sharon Bigger, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Bigger is a career hospice nurse and former medical interpreter who uses the lessons she has learned with her patients and her research to inspire our undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and in their research endeavors.  Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Sharon Bigger I would say I take more of an empowerment approach in education. It's one thing to dispense information to the students, but it's another thing to present issues and problems to the students and say, "What do you think about this given the tools that you have, given the readings that you have done? What's meaningful here, and what's going to work?" Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us, "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Sharon Bigger, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Bigger is a career hospice nurse and former medical interpreter. She holds bachelor's degrees in nursing and sociology with a minor in Spanish, a master's degree in philosophy and religion with a concentration in women's studies, and a doctoral degree in nursing. She completed her Ph.D. in nursing at ETSU in May of 2021 and became a full-time faculty member in the ETSU College of Nursing in August 2021. She now serves as the research representative on the College of Nursing Council. Her program of research focuses on communication about goals of care with diverse populations with chronic illnesses, with specific focus on transitions between home health and hospice. She has presented her research findings at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Dr. Bigger is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association's Research Advisory Council and is co-chair of the HPNA Emerging Scholars Special Interest Group. She serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Enjoy the show. Dr. Bigger, welcome to the show. Dr. Sharon Bigger Thank you for having me. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle I like to start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. And looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Sharon Bigger My first day of teaching at ETSU was in fall of 2021. And even though I teach primarily in the graduate program online, they like to have us

In this episode, Dr. Blair Reece, Assistant Professor in the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine, talks about how medical education has changed since she was a student at Quillen and her favorite subjects to teach her medical students. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Blair Reece: Students don't want to come to class and be spoon-fed information. Students want to learn that information on their own. They want to learn the physiology and the pathophysiology and the pharmacology on their own time. And then they want to come to class and they want us to challenge them and to help them integrate all of that information and learn how to really truly be a physician.  Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "why I teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Blair Reece, Assistant Professor in the Quillen College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Reece earned her medical degree from the Quillen College of Medicine in May 2012. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Prior to coming to ETSU Health, Dr. Reece was employed as a hospitalist with Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She also worked as an assistant professor of medicine with the University of Florida and as a teaching assistant with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Reece is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic medical illnesses that affect adults. She also serves as clerkship director at Quillen and has been nominated by her students and selected for multiple Caduceus Awards, which recognize those at Quillen, who consistently go above and beyond in medical education. Enjoy the show. Dr. Reece, welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself?  Dr. Blair Reece: Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me on the show. It really is an honor. And I think for me, that first day when you're in front of students and they're looking at you to have the answers, I think I felt like I was supposed to have the answers. And and that's really not the case in medicine. As a physician, I often don't have the answers. I look things up every single day. I call consults. I call my colleagues every single day. And and whet

Dr. Patrick Brown, Associate Professor in the ETSU College of Public Health’s Department of Health Sciences, is a past recipient of ETSU’s Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching and has received national recognition for his work with the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) method of instruction.  In this episode, he discusses online learning, ETSU's Center for Teaching Excellence, high-impact instructional practices, and more. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Patrick Brown: You know, we focus so much, rightly or wrongly, on career preparation -- yeah -- in higher ed. And are we, are we preparing them for their 21st century careers? But, you know, the purpose of higher ed is so much more than that. We're not just training students for a career. We are ideally preparing informed, compassionate citizens.  Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty: their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us Why I Teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Patrick Brown, Associate Professor in the ETSU College of Public Health's Department of Health Sciences. Dr. Brown is a past recipient of ETSU's Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching and has received national recognition for his work with the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, or POGIL, method of instruction. He earned a Ph.D. in cellular biology from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in biology from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. His research includes studies of the application of student-centered, active learning pedagogies in undergraduate science curricula. In 2015, Dr. Brown was ETSU's keynote commencement speaker, and he shared his inspiring insights with graduates. Today, I am pleased to have him here to share his expertise on teaching and preparing our students for graduation and success beyond the classroom. Enjoy the show. Dr. Brown, welcome to the show. Dr. Patrick Brown: Thank you. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself?  Dr. Patrick Brown: Probably slow down. Yeah, I'd already been teaching for a while.  Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: Yes.  Dr. Patrick Brown: I started out at what is now King University up in Bristol, and I was teaching A & P, Anatomy and Physiology I, for the first time. When I was at King, I'd only taught the second half of the course.  Dr.

Not only has Dr. Jessica Burchette taught at Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy since 2012, she also has the distinction of being a proud member of the college’s inaugural graduating class in 2010. In this episode of “Why I Teach,” she shares how community-engaged learning and interprofessional education are preparing ETSU’s student pharmacists to address the needs of their future patients. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Jessica Burchette: Medicine and health care turn over so quickly. And so the information that we teach in the classroom could be outdated before they even graduate. So we really want to, you know, to use the old adage, we want to teach them to fish. They have to know how to go out and teach themselves and keep up with the information and digest that information for their own lifelong learning and also for the benefit of their patients. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty. Their passion for what they do. Their belief in the power of higher education. And the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us Why I Teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Jessica Burchette, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Not only has Dr. Burchette taught at Gatton College of Pharmacy since 2012, she has also had the distinction of being a proud member of the college's inaugural graduating class from 2010. Upon her graduation from Gatton, she obtained further postgraduate training with a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, followed by an internal medicine residency with a secondary focus in academia at Gatton College of Pharmacy. She maintains a practice site at Holston Valley Medical Center, working with interdisciplinary inpatient family medicine teams. In addition to her practice, Dr. Burchette enjoys teaching students about pulmonary disorders and basic critical-care concepts in the classroom. Enjoy the show. Dr. Burchette, welcome to the show. Dr. Jessica Burchette: Thank you so much for having me, Dr. McCorkle. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle: I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Jessica Burchette: You know, that is such a great question and something that I think about as I grow further in my career and the things that I've learned over the years. And I think I would probably tell myself on that first day to be okay in the chaos. Learning to balance all the roles of being a faculty member with a clinical practi

Karen Brewster, professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, has shared her love of theater with ETSU students for almost 25 years. Podcast Transcript:  Professor Karen Brewster: It is a magnificent space. It is a state-of-the-art space. The tools that the students need to learn to use. We now have the appropriate tools for them to learn. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us Why I Teach. In this episode, we will talk with Professor Karen Brewster, chair of the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance. An ETSU alumna, Professor Brewster studied under the esteemed Daryl and "Bud" Frank while earning her undergraduate degree. She then earned an MFA in costume design from Michigan State University, followed by years of working in professional theater companies. After honing her talents as a professional artist, she joined the faculty at ETSU in 2000, where she now inspires students in her Theatre History and Theatrical Design courses. In 2017, Professor Brewster was named one of ETSU's Notable Women for her leadership, creativity, and commitment in the classroom and the community. Enjoy the show. Professor Brewster, welcome to the show. Professor Karen Brewster: Thank you. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself? Professor Karen Brewster: That's a great question and thank you Provost McCorkle for inviting me today. And yeah, it's to think back, it was August from 2000. So that's been a while ago. But yeah, I think the advice I would give myself is maybe trust yourself. If I'm talking to myself, "Trust yourself. You'll be fine. And also trust the students." I have learned that trusting the students is really an important aspect to remember. Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle: That's wonderful. So, at ETSU, as you know, we place a premium on getting hands-on experiences for students. You, like so many others in your department, bring real-world experiences to the classroom. Tell us how that shapes the way that you teach. Professor Karen Brewster: It's everything we do. Everything we do is hands-on. We have, as you know, our residence currently is in the Bach Theatre there in the Martin Center for the Arts. And so it's essential fo

ETSU alumnus Dr. Daryl A. Carter returned to his alma mater to teach in 2008. Over the past 15 years, he has instilled in his students an appreciation for history and the humanities and has led ETSU's Black American Studies Program for the past three years. Podcast Transcript: Dr. Daryl Carter Well, one, I think that students need to understand that STEM is important, but critical thinking is important too – soft skills are (as) important as hard skills – that they need to have the ability to engage the world around them, to ask smart questions, to study and research and discover truth, and that the humanities allows us to really make sense of who we are, what we are, where we were, and where we're going. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us Why I Teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Daryl Carter, who in 2021 became the ETSU College of Arts and Sciences’ first associate dean of Equity and Inclusion. An ETSU alumnus, Dr. Carter joined the ETSU faculty in 2008. He serves as a professor of history and director of ETSU’s Black Americans Studies Program. In addition to his work at ETSU, he is a member of the Tennessee Historical Society board of directors and served as chair of the board of directors of Humanities Tennessee. Enjoy the show. Dr. Carter, Welcome to the show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest: Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself? Dr. Daryl Carter Well, good morning, Dr. McCorkle. Thank you for having me today. I would say that my first memory... my biggest memory was being here on August 25th of 2008, which was 11 years to the day after I came here as a freshman. So that was really heavy on my mind that day. I was extremely nervous because I was in the classroom basically on my own for the first time. I had served as a graduate assistant here and at the University of Memphis, but this was my first class and I wanted to do well, and I didn't sleep well the night before, and I was still working on my Ph.D., so I was a little insecure about that. So those first memories were jitters, they were insecurity, I wanted to do well, and then just thinking, you know, just 11 years ago, I was here walking on the campus as a freshman going to English class. So. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle Wow. So, what would you tell yourself about those jitters, and sort of what to... what to make of that? Dr. Dary

Dr. Mary Mullins, chair of the Department of Social Work at East Tennessee State University, knows the value of ETSU’s commitment to interprofessional education. Before she joined the faculty at ETSU, she practiced social work in medical environments, where she saw the benefits of social workers practicing alongside other health professionals to improve outcomes for patients. In her classroom, Dr. Mullins shares her experiences from clinical practice, as well as her personal stories of advocacy to inspire the next generation of social workers.  Word Transcript:  Dr. Mary Mullins And I love working with students when they're in their internships because it’s really fun to just watch them blossom. And for some students, they land in the right spot and they find find their area. They sometimes find their home and get offered jobs there. So for other students, they find, you know, where they're going to be challenged as social workers. And so either way, it's a really powerful learning experience. Dr. Kimberly McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of our students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us Why I Teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Mary Mullins, one of two recipients of the 2022 Notable Women of ETSU Award. Dr. Mullins serves as an associate professor and chair of the ETSU Department of Social Work. In 2021, she received the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award and was nominated for the ETSU Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award. Enjoy the show. Dr. Mullins, welcome to our show. I start my podcast with the same question for every guest: Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice you would have given yourself? Dr. Mullins Oh, that's a really good question. When I think back to that first day coming on to a new campus, I really (wanted) to do a great job. I would say now: Just relax and enjoy the time with the students. I spent so much time feeling like I needed to be just overly prepared, and being prepared is important, but really just relaxing a little, allowing a little more flexibility in the flow of classes and learning from the students is where I am now. Dr. McCorkle I love that image of learning from your students. Why did you decide to become a social worker? And then from there, what led you to become a faculty member? Dr. Mullins Well, that was quite a journey. I think I always knew I wanted to work dire

Dr. Virginia Foley has decades of experience in education, first as an educator and administrator in the K-12 setting and then transitioning to higher education in 2007. As a faculty member in ETSU's Clemmer College, she prepares students to make a difference in the classroom. She is also making an impact in the boardroom, where she serves as the Faculty Trustee on the ETSU Board of Trustees. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Virginia Foley The big idea for our program is that leadership is a moral craft. And so I hope our students assume that responsibility for the moral purpose of leading schools and caring for students. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I've been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Virginia Foley, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the Clemmer College. Dr. Foley joined ETSU in 2007 after serving many years as a K-12 educator and administrator in Georgia. She is a past president of the ETSU Faculty Senate. As a faculty member, she has chaired over 100 doctoral dissertations. She also serves as the faculty trustee on the ETSU Board of Trustees. Enjoy the show! Dr. Foley, welcome to our show. I start every podcast with the same question for each guest: Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Virginia Foley I think the biggest piece of advice I would give myself is that you have time. Most of my students that I teach, I will work with over two years and so I don't have to hurry up and try to dump everything in them. I have time to watch them grow. I have time to grow myself. Starting here, I frequently said I was fluent in K-12, I understood the K-12 education world very well, but I was learning higher ed, and so I had to give myself time with that also. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle That's wonderful. So you spent several years as a public school counselor and a principal in Georgia before you began a second career as a faculty member here at ETSU. Talk about how your previous professional experiences have shaped your career in higher education. Dr. Virginia Foley I was a couns– school counselor for 20 years, and I think that those experiences and the training I received as a school counselor prepared me well for leadership roles because it's about building relationships and it's about listening – deep l

ETSU College of Public Health's Project EARTH, located at the ETSU-Eastman Valleybrook campus, has received national recognition for its curriculum. Dr. Mike Stoots describes some of the hands-on learning opportunities taking place there and why he enjoys teaching in this innovative program. Podcast Transcript:  Dr. Mike Stoots So Project EARTH started off making products. Now we have classes; we have community experiences. People come in and it's still centered around solutions to low-resource health challenges, but it focuses on team building, innovation, and resilience. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty. Their passion for what they do. Their belief in the power of higher education. And the way that they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us "Why I Teach." In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Mike Stoots with the ETSU College of Public Health. Mike is one of the longest-serving faculty members in the College of Public Health and is also the director of operations for the award-winning Project EARTH, located at the ETSU Eastman Valleybrook campus. Enjoy the show. Dr. Stoots, welcome to our show. Dr. Mike Stoots Thank you. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle I start my podcast with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that first day, what's one piece of advice you would have given yourself? Dr. Mike Stoots Well, I can certainly remember the first class. Not so much about the first day, but the first class I taught was in the ground floor of Lamb Hall. It was a – back then, it was a personal health course. So I had my book, my notes. I walked in. There were probably 40 people in the room. I remember going to the podium, opening the book, laying my notes out, grabbing both sides of the podium, and starting to talk. I think I looked up one time at the back wall, looked down, looked at my watch, and said, "Okay, that's it for the day." And walked out. First one out the door. Terrified. Yeah. If I could go back and be in the hallway that day, I would have one piece of advice with three parts. The first one I would tell myself is "Just relax." And treat all students with respect and appreciation that they're there. The second one would be there are sort of three ways to talk to a group. The first one is to talk at a group, and that's certainly what I did that first day. I was talking at people, and more, really, I was talking to the back wall, wasn't really talking to anyone. And I work with new faculty now, and I tell them that this is a proc

Dr. Alison Barton is the new Director of the ETSU Center for Teaching Excellence and an award-winning faculty member from the Clemmer College. Hear her discuss the importance of faculty members seeing their courses through the eyes of their students. Dr. Barton also talks about her use of specifications grading as well as the exciting and innovative resources offered by the center. Podcast Transcript:  [Music] Dr. Alison Barton Teaching isn't finite. There is just never an end point to it, and I think that's one of the challenges with being a faculty member. Is you don't have the article that's published at the end to show you've done something worthwhile. You just have this ongoing set of activities that you do to try to get better and better, and sometimes you try something and it's a step backwards. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way that they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Alison Barton from the ETSU Clemmer College. Dr. Barton is an award-winning faculty member at ETSU and recently was appointed Director of our Center for Teaching Excellence. Enjoy the show. Dr. Barton, welcome to our podcast. I want to first again by congratulating you on your new role with the Center for Teaching Excellence. Sounds like you have an exciting fall coming up. Dr. Alison Barton Thank you. Yes, I most certainly do. This fall I've actually put, hit the pause button on teaching so that I can get my feet under me as I learn more about the role of the Director for the Center for Teaching Excellence, and as we put together several new initiatives that we're rolling out from the center this fall. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle It's great, that sounds like a good plan. I start my podcast out with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member, and I think that was back in 2005. Looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Alison Barton That's hard to answer because there are so many pieces of advice I would give myself knowing how much I know now about teaching versus then. But probably the biggest piece of advice I could give myself at that time would be to look at my course and at my teach through my students’ eyes. Is the teaching engaging? Are the students allowed to be active in the class? Is the professor inviting versus suspicious of students? And you can see that in I'm sure syllabi that I wrote 100 years ago versus now.

Dr. Kelly Price is an award-winning faculty member in the College of Business and Technology and a two-time graduate of ETSU. In 2014, she helped launch our new M.S. program in Digital Marketing and continues to serve as one of the primary faculty for the program. Podcast Transcript:  [Music] Dr. Kelly Price And it It prepares them for the new jobs that are coming, the ones that aren't even really there yet, have been invented yet, right um, because those are happening all the time. And it prepares them for that working environment where they can take what they've learned with us, such as the analytics or whatever, and place it directly into their job, right then, right now. [Music] Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I've been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way that they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Kelly Price from the ETSU College of Business and Technology. Dr. Price is a two-time graduate of ETSU and helped lead the creation of our highly popular master's program in digital marketing. She's also a three-time recipient of the College of Business and Technology Excellence in Teaching Award. Enjoy the show. Dr. Price, thank you for joining me today. Did you ever imagine when you were a student here at ETSU that you would return as a faculty member and lead one of our most popular graduate programs? Dr. Kelly Price It's so great to be here with you today, Dr. McCorkle. What an honor it is to get to sit and talk with you about something that I love so much. But to be totally honest, no. I was too busy as an undergraduate anyway with my classes, in my sorority. I was in Sigma Kappa while I was here, and my friends and all of that stuff. But ETSU was such a great place. It is such a great place to be for a student. So, to be honest, no, I didn't imagine I was going to be a faculty member. But I did know even back then in my youthful days that I had wonderful professors here, and they've stuck with me for years. Um, so I'm very lucky. I even just moved forward a little bit on that, the two professors that were my favorite, I got to work with them recently. One retired, but I'm still working with one, but I get to work alongside of two of my favorite professors I had as an undergraduate. So is that crazy? Yes, it's awesome. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle   I like to start my podcast out with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a fac

Dr. Cerrone Foster first heard about ETSU when she was a summer research fellow in the Ronald McNair Program. Now, she is a highly respected faculty member in Biological Sciences and a true champion for student success. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I've been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Cerrone Foster from the ETSU Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Foster came to this campus several years ago while an undergraduate for a summer research fellowship. Now she calls ETSU Home, and a couple of years ago she was listed among 100 inspiring black scientists in America by the science blog Crosstalk. Enjoy the show. Dr. Foster, thank you for joining me today. I want to begin by talking about our McNair program, which prepare students for graduate school. You were a student in New Jersey when you first heard about the program here at ETSU. Will you walk us through what happened? Dr. Cerrone Foster Sure. I was in my junior year at the College of New Jersey, and I had an advisor who handed me a flier for the Ronald McNair program at ETSU; and someone gave it to him, so then he gave it to me. He thought that this program would be perfect for me. I did not know where Johnson City was located, so I pulled out a map to see where it was. But we thought that it would be a great experience to go to another institution for the summer, as well as engage in undergraduate research. And so I applied and I was accepted. And the coordinator for the program at the time, Mrs. Leslie Glover, she picked me up from the airport with the warm, welcoming greeting. And so that was my first introduction to ETSU and Johnson City, and it was perfect. And while I was here over the summer, I met so many other people here: Mr. Steve Ellis, who was in the College of Medicine, but now with pharmacy; Dr. Dorothy Dobbins is now retired but worked at the College of Medicine, and I think sociology; and then the students that I met as well that were ETSU students that were part of the program were also just warm and welcoming. And all of those individuals– we're still close. This was summer 2000. So 22 years later we still have a great relationship. And I actually talked with some of them just a few days ago and will see a few of them over the weekend. And so it was just a really great experience that I had. And then of course, my mentor can't forget him, Dr. Scott Champion. His teaching and hi

From teaching dosage calculations to understanding the intense demands of working on the critical care unit, Rhonda Brodrick from the College of Nursing is inspiring the next generation of nursing professionals. Podcast Transcript:  Professor Rhonda Brodrick And we would let them– we would have them watch it. And I said: I want you to look at the teamwork and the communication. These are skills that you didn't have when you were first semester, but now that you're fifth semester, look how far you've come. And it was really great to be able to let them watch themselves and to see the growth that had happened over the last two and a half years. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academics at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Rhonda Brodrick, an award-winning faculty member from the ETSU College of Nursing, and hear what it has been like teaching nursing students while working in the intensive care unit during COVID. Enjoy the show. Professor Brodrick, welcome and thank you for joining us today. A question that I always ask nursing faculty members: When did you first know that you wanted to be a nurse? Professor Rhonda Brodrick Well, first, thank you for having me. You know, that's an interesting question. My– my project this summer is, uh, is that I'm cleaning out drawers and doing all that accumulation stuff; and so I actually ran across a– a paper that I had done in elementary school, and apparently it was a paper about two career choices. And so I had written about a registered nurse and mortuary science. So it apparently was on my radar very early in life. I guess I'm a little thankful that I went the nursing route, rather than the mortuary science route – not that there's anything wrong with mortuary science – but my family's full of nurses and teachers. So I had an aunt who meant the world to me and she inspired me. She and her friend inspired me to be a nurse. So I think from a very early age, nursing was where I was destined to be. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle I love it. And you were inspired to be a nurse. I start this podcast with the same question for every guest: Take me back to your first day of teaching at ETSU as a faculty member. Looking back on that day, what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Professor Rhonda Brodrick Oh, I was– I was so nervous. I think my piece of advice would have been just to relax.

In 2021, a group of ETSU students decided to nominate their professor Dr. Sean Fox for a teaching award.  He went on to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest honor presented to an ETSU faculty member. Podcast Transcript:  [Music] Dr. Sean Fox Graduation is always a special time. You get to meet your students' families that you've been interacting with for the past four or five years. There was one student, a nursing student, and she was in one of the first classes I ever taught, so it was very neat to be able to see her in that whole transition from me being a brand-new teacher and her being a brand new student to us both being on the same stage at the same time many years [Music] later. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Hi, I'm Kimberly McCorkle, Provost and Senior vice president for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I have been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way that they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them, our incredible faculty at ETSU. Hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Sean Fox, an instructor and laboratory coordinator in the Department of Health Sciences in ETSU's College of Public Health. Last fall, we presented Dr. Fox with the highest honor ever given to an ETSU faculty member, the Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching. Dr. Fox, as I was driving into campus today and passed University School, I was reminded that you began your ETSU story there as a seventh grader and now you're a faculty member at the university. Dr. Sean Fox That's correct, yes. My family moved here, and I started seventh grade and finished through high school at University school, and I enjoyed it, and it's kind of surreal to come back here and teach. In fact, if you had cornered me uh back then and said I would be an instructor here at ETSU I probably would have laughed ’cause I I was like many teenagers: I wanted to go away from home and experience things and and so yeah it my roots brought me back here to ETSU. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle Now you have kids there at University School is that right? Dr. Sean Fox Yes, I have three kids, two of them are there. I have one that is in kindergarten and one that is in, ironically enough, seventh grade right now. Provost Kimberly D. McCorkle So I want to start this podcast out with the same question for every guest. Take me back to your first day at teaching at ETSU as a faculty member and looking back on that day what is one piece of advice that you would have given yourself? Dr. Sean Fox Well, I have two bits of advice I would give myself rather than one. One is a funny one, and one is a little more serious one. The funny one would be that you shoul

Dr. Tom Kwasigroch is one of the inaugural faculty members at the Quillen College of Medicine.  He has taught every medical school student since the school was established. Hear about his passion for medical education and how the instruction of gross anatomy has transformed during the past four decades. He also discusses the Human Anatomical Gifts Program and what it is like for medical students when they meet their first “patient,” which is a cadaver. Podcast Transcript: KWASIGROCH: (opening audio clip) The other project that I'm involved in is the Center for Surgical Innovation and Training. We have a unique embalming process. It gives us donors that are very lifelike, allowing our students, our fourth year students, to actually perform surgery. That's not done anywhere. Residents will be able to perform surgery on our donors before they have to do it on me. So, it's pretty selfish on my part. MCCORKLE: Hi, I'm Kimberly McCORKLE, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at East Tennessee State University. From the moment I arrived on this campus, I've been inspired by our faculty, their passion for what they do, their belief in the power of higher education, and the way they are transforming the lives of their students. This podcast is dedicated to them: Our incredible faculty at ETSU to hear their stories as they tell us why I teach. In this episode, we will talk with Dr. Tom Kwasigroch, who was one of the inaugural faculty members at the Quillen College of Medicine. He has served as the school's associate dean, having worked closely with curriculum planning and student affairs and has also taught the gross anatomy course for every class. Dr. Kwasigroch, welcome to our podcast. The first time I met you, we both talked about our love for teaching and I also learned that we share a hobby: Rollerblading. So out of curiosity, did you rollerblade here to the station today? KWASIGROCH: Well, Dr. McCORKLE, first of all, thank you for inviting me to do this. I'm honored to do it. And please call me Kwas. It's just easier to say than Kwasigroch, if you don't mind. As far as rollerblading here, It's all uphill; so that would have been problematic on the front end. The other thing is I haven't managed to teach my service dog how to rollerblade. That's a problem because she's here with me. And the other part of it is I have tried to eliminate all contact sports because of my advanced age. I'm no kid anymore. And so contact sports, things like basketball, I don't play it anymore even though I love it; and every time I try to play it again, it takes me about a month to recover. So basketball, hockey, which is– I love to– use to love to play hockey, and hockey, like rollerblading, it's– Rollerblading isn't a contact sport, but the contact part of it is you with the ground. So I look upon that as a contact sport as well.