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Tennessee LSAMP

Welcome to the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) program. TLSAMP is a collaborative effort sustained by a coalition of ten colleges and universities in the state of Tennessee to significantly increase the number of underrepresented minority students statewide. Students must complete undergraduate degrees in:

  • science,
  • technology,
  • engineering,
  • and mathematics (STEM) fields.

This will be accomplished through the implementation of a comprehensive and integrated series of recruitment and retention initiatives that address key transition points from undergraduate recruitment through preparation for graduate school.

Find the latest information on the TLSAMP24 conference here.

  • Goal

    The goal of the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) program is to increase the enrollment and graduation rate of underrepresented ethnic minority students (Hispanic, African-American, American-Indian, Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islander) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by at least 100% at the end of the five-year period.

  • Objectives

    The objectives to support the goal of the alliance are to:

    1. recruit underrepresented students to pursue science or engineering as a career;
    2. improve the quality of the learning environment for underrepresented science and engineering students at all schools; and
    3. ensure that a larger number of undergraduate students are prepared to enter graduate programs.
  • Criteria

    In order to participate in the TLSAMP, applicants must be admitted in full standing to the Tennessee Tech Undergraduate program (especially the College of Engineering), a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, demonstrate appreciation for and commitment to diversity, and meet at least two of the following criteria:

    • Belong to an underrepresented US racial/ethnic minority group (African-Americans, U.S. Hispanics/Latino Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Native, and Pacific Islanders from U.S. territories and outlying areas).
    • Be a resident of one of the educationally underserved/underrepresented areas (see list).
    • Belong to a U.S. underrepresented/under-served gender in technology and engineering.
    • Demonstrate character, motivation and ability to succeed in undergraduate studies based on academic record and a written essay.

    List of educationally underserved/underrepresented counties are: Bledsoe, Campbell, Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Grundy, Hamilton, Jackson, Macon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie, Smith, Trousdale, VanBuren, Warren, and White.

  • Research Conference

    Each year the TLSAMP Alliance hosts the TLSAMP Undergraduate Research Conference. The purpose of this conference is to bring together students, faculty, staff, administrators, and professionals in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The conference provides academic stimulation and disseminate information to TLSAMP at large. The conference will feature an undergraduate/graduate networking reception, motivational speakers, oral/poster presentations, breakout sessions, and much more. The conference also provides an excellent atmosphere to encourage students’ pursuit of undergraduate research and graduate school opportunities in STEM.

    Read more about the conference here

  • Alliance Members

    The Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP), supported by the National Science Foundation, is a partnership of ten major institutions of higher learning in the state of Tennessee.  Each partner institution is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies geared toward increasing undergraduate retention and graduation rates of its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors.

    In Phase I (2003-2008), TLSAMP started with six public and private institutions – LeMoyne Owen College, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, the University of Memphis, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Vanderbilt University – and this partnership continued into Phase II (2009-2013).  In Phase III (2014-2018), TLSAMP expanded its outreach by adding four additional colleges and universities, that is, Fisk University, Tennessee Technological University, Nashville State Community College, and Southwest Tennessee Community College. The addition of the community colleges helps the Alliance to strengthen its relationship with this sector and increase its recruitment efforts by helping community college STEM students to transition into the four-year institutions.

    Below is a brief description of the TLSAMP partner institutions.

  • Louis Stokes

    Louis Stokes potraitLouis Stokes (February 23, 1925 to August 18, 2015) was an attorney and politician from Cleveland, Ohio. He served 15 terms in the United States House of Representatives – representing the east side of Cleveland – and was the first black congressman elected in the state of Ohio. He was one of the Cold War-era chairmen of the House Intelligence Committee, headed the Congressional Black Caucus, and was the first black on the House Appropriations Committee.

    Former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, equality, and social and economic justice throughout his tenure in the Unites States Congress.

    Stokes was educated in the Cleveland Public Schools, graduating from Central High School. Following three years of service in the United States Army, he returned to Cleveland and attended Western Reserve University. He earned his Doctor of Laws degree from Cleveland Marshal Law School in 1953.

    Prior to serving in Congress, he practiced law for 14 years and was one of the founders of the Stokes, Character, Terry, Perry, Whitehead, Young and Davidson law firm. As a practicing lawyer, he participated in three cases in the United States Supreme Court and argued the landmark “stop and frisk” case of Terry v. Ohio. On November 6, 1968, he was elected to the United States Congress and became the first African American member of Congress from the State of Ohio. He served 15 consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, ranking eleventh overall in House seniority.

    During his tenure in Congress, he shared several important committees, including most notably, the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Ethics Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, HUD and independent agencies. He was the dean of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and he served on the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran. His work in the area of health led to his appointment as a member of the Pepper Commission on Comprehensive Health Care, and he was the founder and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust.

    When Stokes retired, he became the first African American in the history of the U.S. Congress to retire having completed 30 years in office. Following his service in Congress, he became senior counsel at Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey LLP, a global law firm, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. He has served as vice chairman of the PEW Environmental Health Commission at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and was appointed by former Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna E. Shalala, as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health.

    Through the years, he has received numerous awards and honors that recognize his national leadership and strong commitment to public service. A number of landmarks around the city of Cleveland now bear his name, including The Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Administration Hospital, The Louis Stokes Annex of the Cleveland Public Library and The Louis Stokes Health Sciences Center at Case Western Reserve University. Several national institutions, including Howard University in Washington, D.C., and the National Institutes of Health, have recognized Stokes by naming certain buildings on their campuses after him. He is the recipient of 26 honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities and on July 8, 2003 was honored by Congress with The Congressional Distinguished Service Award.

    Stokes and his wife Jay are the parents of Shelley, Angela, Louis and Lori. They also are grandparents to Brett, Eric and Grant Hammond; Kelley and Kimberly Stokes; and Alexandra and Nicolette Thompson.

    Louis Stokes bio taken from Case Western Reserve University Louis Stokes Bio

Funding for Tennessee LSAMP is Provided by

NSF logo

Alliance Members

Fisk University Logo  LeMoyne-Owen College  Middle Tennessee State University   Nashville State Community College logo  Southwest Tennessee Community College logo
 Tennessee State University logo  Tennessee Tech University logo  University of Memphis logo  University of Tennessee logo Vanderbilt University logo 

We're here. Let's talk.

Location:

Clay N. Hixson Student Success Center
Clement Hall 208

Hours:

Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT

Call or email:

931-372-3553
engineeringssc@tntech.edu


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