FALL 2024 ACL SPEAKER SCHEDULE
FALL 2024 ACL SPEAKER SCHEDULE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 | KENNY SHAFER
Johnson City Medical Center – State of the House - Where We Are Going
Mr. Shafer will address the current state of affairs of the Johnson City Medical Center, the challenges, the opportunities, and what is going well. He will also talk about the vision and goals for the future, and what the Johnson City Medical Center is doing now to move closer to achieving their goals.
Mr. Shafer is the Chief Operating Officer for the Johnson City Medical Center for the last years. He has held similar positions at other Ballad Health facilities, including Indian Path Hospital, Woodridge, and Niswonger Children’s Hospital. A Florida native, he has degrees in business administration from Gulf Coast University and the University of Florida.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 | BILL GREER & STEPHEN WAER
Past, Present, and Future of Milligan University
Dr. Greer will present an overview of Milligan University from its earliest beginnings to the present. Recent changes and additions of academic programs, student body demographics, progress and challenges will be topics of interest. Dr. Waer will continue the discussion with some of his visions for the future of the University.
Dr. Bill Greer is the outgoing president of Milligan University, a position he has held for thirteen years. A graduate of Milligan University, he continued his graduate studies at ETSU and the University of Tennessee. He has had a long and distinguished career not only at Milligan, but in leadership positions in community organizations.
Dr. Stephen Waer is the incoming president of Milligan University. He graduated from Point University in Georgia, received a Master of Divinity degree from Emmanuel Christian Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Marquette University.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 | Amy Wright
The Humbling Mystery of an Appalachian Sublime
Unlike the Romantic sublime, which contains an element of terror inspired by daring 17th-19th century hikes in the Alps, the Appalachian sublime embeds a subtler awe. It requires some understanding of erosion, the fragility of bodies – earthly and human – and the long arc of time. But it is no less a potential source of divine inspiration, music, poetry, and art. This presentation will discuss several example poems and passages that embody the elusive mystery hidden inside this ancient mountain range.
Dr. Wright is an Appalachian native, having grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. She is an Associate Professor in Creative Writing at ETSU and has won several awards for her writing, including ETSU’s Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence and fellowships, including one to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has authored several publications of poetry, book chapters, and essays. Dr. Wright has degrees from the University of Virginia and University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. from the University of Denver.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 | ANDREW JOYNER
The Tennessee Climate Office - An Overview of Products, Services and Goals
The Tennessee Climate Office (TCO) provides climate-related data and services to state and federal agencies and others across Tennessee. These services include a statewide multi-hazard climate risk assessment for the 2023 Tennessee State Hazard Mitigation Plan, county-level climate risk assessments for HMPs, weekly coordination, and input to the U.S. Drought Monitor feasibility assessments for a statewide network of research-grade weather stations. An overview of those services will be provided.
Dr. Joyner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences, the Director of the Geoinformatics & Disaster Science (GADS) Lab, and founder of the Tennessee Climate Office (TCO). He became the official Tennessee State Climatologist in January, 2021. Dr. Joyner earned his M.S. in Medical Geography from the University of Florida, and his Ph.D. in Geography (Disaster Science minor) from LSU.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 | BLAINE SCHUBERT
Underwater Caves: From the Gray Fossil Site to the Yucatan Peninsula
The Gray Fossil Site in northeastern Tennessee formed after a large cave system collapsed creating a sinkhole pond that captured the remains of animals for thousands of years. Similarly, flooded caves and sinkholes of the Yucatan Peninsula preserved descendants and cousins of these same animals that date to around 11,000 – 40,000 years ago. Go underwater with us and experience these fossils for yourself.
Dr. Blaine Schubert is the Executive Director, Center of Excellence in Paleontology and Director of the Gray Fossil Site and Museum. He is a full professor in the Department of Geosciences at ETSU. His research and that of his colleagues has identified over 40 new species of animals of the Cenozoic and Pleistocene periods of natural history.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 | LISA WARD and LUTHER WARD
Living in Haiti; Lessons Learned From an Unconventional Life
Drs. Lisa and Luther Ward will be discussing their paths from Peace Corps volunteers, to living with their four children in Haiti, to developing a Global Surgery Fellowship at ETSU which provides highly trained surgeons to resource poor areas. They will share their experiences improving the health and quality of living among Haitian communities.
Dr. Lisa received master's and doctoral degrees in environmental sciences from Tulane University, and Dr. Luther received a Doctor of Medicine degree and a Master of Public Health degree from Tulane. They began working as Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana and the Solomon Islands helping underserved communities. In Haiti, Dr. Lisa worked with the hospital operational team on water insecurity and infectious disease prevention, while Dr. Luther developed the first 24\7 surgical program. Today, Dr. Luther works at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Dr. Lisa continues to work on environmental issues in a hospital in Haiti.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 | CHADWICK (CHAD) BOGART
Turning the Tide of the American Revolution: Overmountain Men and The Battle of Kings Mountain
By the summer of 1780, the outlook was grim for the cause of American independence. General Washington had reached a stalemate in the North and the Southern colonies were quickly falling to the British. Then, a band of frontiersmen from what is now Northeastern Tennessee defeated a contingent of British loyalists in South Carolina and set into effect a series of events that would lead to American victory.
Chad Bogart (The StoryTeller of Sycamore Shoals) began work at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in 2004 as a seasonal Interpretative Ranger. He is a native of Carter County, and since 2015 has served as the Park’s Museum Curatorial Assistant (one of five such positions in the state), where he shares the story of one of Tennessee’s most historic places through interpretative exhibits, living history events, school field trips, historic house museum tours, and outreach programs.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 | FRED ALSOP
The Johnson City Railroad Experience
After many years at the ETSU location, the new model railroad museum will be at the corner of Boone and Spring Streets in downtown Johnson City. Dr. Alsop’s presentation of the museum exhibits will bring back the history of Johnson City through the lens of the railroad. He will also tell the story of how Henry Johnson’s water tank started it all.
Dr. Alsop is a retired Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences and a popular speaker on North American birds, as well as the early railroads of Northeast Tennessee. He is the founding director of the George L. Carter Railroad Museum and has constructed one of the largest model train exhibits. He is a graduate of Austin Peay and has graduate degrees from the University of Tennessee.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 | GHAITH HUSARI
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI in the Business World, and Social Engineering Impact, Methods, and Defenses
In this talk, we will explore the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a special focus on Generative AI, which is revolutionizing the business world by automating content creation, enhancing customer experiences, and driving innovation. However, we must be vigilant about the rise of social engineering, where malicious actors manipulate human psychology to breach security systems. We will explore various methods employed in social engineering attacks, such as phishing, and examine the potential impact on businesses. Finally, we will discuss effective defenses and strategies to protect against these threats, ensuring a balanced and secure integration of AI technologies in our professional environments.
Dr. Ghaith Husari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computing at ETSU. He has a Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Analytics, and he has been working at the ETSU Department of Computing for five years. He leads the cybersecurity programs on both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 | MICHAEL BUFANO
Hezbollah and its Transnational Activities
Dr. Bufano will give a presentation on Hezbollah and its transnational activities. This talk will be tied into what is happening in Israel\Gaza currently.
Dr. Bufano is an Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics and International Affairs in the Department of Political Science at ETSU. He has degrees from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (where he resided for eight years) and the University of Alabama, and he has conducted and published research on various political topics both nationally and internationally.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 | RYAN B. STEPHENS
Mammals, Truffles, and Trees: linking above- and below-ground interactions
Dr. Ryan Stephens is a community ecologist who has 15 years of research experience studying the interrelationships of small mammals, fungi, and trees to the health of our Eastern forests. He will present us with insights and data from his research on the ecosystems of our Southern Appalachian forests.
Dr. Stephens is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences in the School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics at ETSU. He has a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin specializing in wildlife ecology and a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire in natural resources and the environment.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 | DARYL A. CARTER
JFK: A Complicated Legacy
Dr. Carter will look back with the perspective of the past 60 years at the successes and challenges of the Kennedy administration and its “New Frontier”. How has JFK’s legacy been linked to the Great Society legislative victories of LBJ (Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, and the Voting Rights Bill of 1965)? Did JFK’s brief presidency set the framework for our bitter military entanglements in Southeast Asia?
Dr. Daryl A. Carter is a Professor of History, Director of Black American Studies, and Associate Dean for Equity/Inclusion at the ETSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has a B.S. in Political Science and a M.A. in History from ETSU, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Memphis. His area of expertise is 20th and 21st century American political history and the intersection of race, class, and gender in American political history.