UT MARTIN RECEIVES FIVE GIVING CIRCLE GRANTS
UT MARTIN RECEIVES FIVE GIVING CIRCLE GRANTS
MARTIN, Tenn. – The Alliance of Women Philanthropists has awarded five Giving Circle
Grants to programs at the University of Tennessee at Martin 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 UT Martin 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 UT Martin 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 UT Martin Department of Music and the UT Martin 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 UT Martin Office of Research, Grants and Contracts at 731-
881-7016.
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