Tag Archives: Tennessee Tech University

Cookeville has received final approval to install gateway monument signs at the Interstate 40 exits on Willow Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. Community Development Director Jon Ward said the signs will read “Cookeville, Home of Tennessee Tech.” He said the project is part of T-DOT’s Gateway Monument program. Ward said TDOT has a significant list of reviews and requirements required for ... Read More »

A Tennessee Tech class project detailing death penalty data across the state could turn into a much broader project. Associate History Professor Troy Smith said six students in his Digital Humanities class created a website compiling data on the state’s death penalty history. He said the site breaks down how many people are put to death per county, what crime ... Read More »

The TSSAA would consider the possibility of bringing the high school football championships back to Cookeville upon the completion of Tucker Stadium renovations. TSSAA Assistant Executive Director Matthew Gillespie said a return has been discussed. Cookeville lost the State Championships in 2021. He said the TSSAA has maintained a strong relationship with Cookeville and Putnam County in the years since. ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech is once again ranked the number-one public university in Tennessee in student return on investment and career pay. Payscale’s 2023 College Salary Report shows Tech graduates make a median starting salary of some $66,000. The report shows Tech graduates achieve a 20-year return on investment of some $450,000, some $90,000 higher than any other public college in the ... Read More »

A Tennessee Tech student-edited magazine titled “The Iris Review” rated excellent at a national English teachers contest. Assistant English Professor Erin Hoover teaches a Literary Magazine Editing class where students learn to edit, design, and market the Review. She said the magazine includes student work as well as submissions from across the Upper Cumberland. “We aim to publish the best ... Read More »

Cookeville Police Chief Randy Evans has spent more than 40 years serving the Cookeville community. Evans started with the department in August 1983 and became chief in 2013. Evans said the quality of not only his job, but his life revolves around community and the people he is surrounded by. Evans said his career has been, in a word, blessed. ... Read More »

Two Ford Electric SUVs have joined the UCHRA public transportation fleet. UCHRA Transportation Director Holly Montooth said the vehicles were purchased through a $90,000 IMPROVE grant from the state. She said working alongside Tennessee Tech has helped the organization see the benefits of going electric. “Of course, we want to do all we can to support any initiative that’s going ... Read More »

Tennessee Tech’s Appalachian Center For Craft has a new life-sized bronze sculpture titled “Reverence.” Cookeville resident Bill Miller and his wife Sandy donated the sculpture. Miller said he hopes that its welcoming aura inspires Tech students and intrigues visitors. Miller said Cookeville’s dedication to crafts inspired him and his wife to contribute one of their most beloved pieces. “I think ... Read More »

A collection of short stories about African American women in a fictional Georgia town marks the writing debut of Tennessee Tech Professor Monic Ductan. Ductan is a Associate English professor. She said “Daughters of Muscadine” began during her graduate studies. She finished writing the book at Tennessee Tech. She said that experience helped her grow as a teacher. “One thing ... Read More »

The assassination of John F. Kennedy 60 years ago Wednesday shaped a generation and still cultivates perspective. That according to Tennessee Tech history professor Dr. Krystal Akehinmi. Akehinmi said when she asks, people who were alive in the 1960s can almost always tell her where they were when they heard the news that Kennedy had been killed. “As we think ... Read More »