The Alliance of Women Philanthropists has awarded five Giving Circle Grants to programs at the UTM this year, including the departments of nursing and music as well as the Hortense Parrish Writing Center.
The Alliance of Women Philanthropists is a group of women with connections to the University of Tennessee System who seek to “educate, empower and inspire women to be philanthropic leaders.” The Giving Circle Grant Program was created in 2007 and aspires to fund innovative projects with compelling needs. More than 20 UT programs have received more than $200,000 through the grant program since its inception.
The UTM Department of Nursing received three of the five grants given for the 2017-18 academic year.
Dr. Gloria Browning, associate professor of nursing, received funds to support the department’s home-visit simulation room, which will allow nursing students to experience in-home medical crisis situations before they occur in clinical settings. The simulation will reflect a typical home setting for a client with chronic illnesses and limited mobility and require nursing students to navigate environmental hazards to perform appropriate clinical tasks.
Dr. Julie Floyd, associate professor of nursing, received two grants to fund two simulations for the use of a crash cart and the administration of medications. The automated crash cart simulation will be located at the UTM Parsons Center and allow students there to practice using an up-to-date crash cart system in a non-life-threatening simulation.
The medication administration simulation will be located on the university’s main campus and help students overcome anxiety and uncertainty regarding the usage of client medications. The use of a simulation is intended to decrease possible medication errors during clinical rotations and develop student competencies using an automated medication dispensing system.
The UTM Department of Music and the UTM Percussion Studio also received funds to purchase traditional Trinidadian steel drums and cases for use in the Roots of Rhythm community performance series. This entertaining program educates local schoolchildren and community members about the migration of West African musical traditions to the rest of the world via the Atlantic Slave Trade. The Roots of Rhythm performance tours West Tennessee each semester and performs at various university and local events throughout the year. The ensemble is directed by Dr. Julie Hill and Dr. Shane Jones, professor and assistant professor of music, respectively.
The Hortense Parrish Writing Center, under the direction of Dr. Kelle Alden, assistant professor of English, received the final award to convert its paper attendance system to an electronic format. This process will improve communication between center staff and university faculty and allow accurate reporting of student needs and progress.
For more information, contact the UTM Office of Research, Grants and Contracts at 731-881-7016.
The UTM Percussion Ensemble is one of five programs to receive funding through the Alliance of Women Philanthropists’ Giving Circle Grants Program for 2017-18. The ensemble will use the funds to purchase new steel drums for their Roots of Rhythm performance set. Pictured playing in a recent Roots of Rhythm concert are students (l-r) Logan Hays, of Newbern; Abby Shear, of Waverly; Hohner Porter, of Trenton; Nathaniel O’Neal, of Burns; and Andre Espinoza, of Murfreesboro. (Photo Credit/ University Relations)
