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Table of Contents

  • 2: Bucs Go Beyond: Celebrating ETSU's Impacts
  • 3: Mapping Our Impact
  • 6: Bucs Go Beyond: In a War-Torn World, a New Master's Degree Goes Beyond Borders
  • 8: Learning That Sticks
  • 9: 5 Questions with Jason Bowers
  • 10: A Community to Proudly Call Home
  • 11: ETSU Alumni Excellence
  • 12: Go Beyond the Classroom
  • 13: Playing Forward
  • 14: Meet the ETSU Board of Trustees
  • 16: Setting the Standard
  • 17: Jordan Center: Finding Your Way Forward
  • 17: GEAR UP Opening Doors Across the Region
  • 18: Naughty or Nice, Bucky?
  • 19: Bucs Go Beyond: From Bristol to Brooklyn
  • 20: Bucs Go Beyond: Invested in Learning
  • 21: From Apples to AI
  • 22: Bucs Go Beyond: Turning a Newfound Passion Into a Career
  • 23: Nationally Ranked, Locally Rooted
  • 24: The Headlines
  • 26: Helping Future Teachers Cross the Finish Line
  • 27: ETSU Trailblazers: Presenting in Paris
  • 28: By the Numbers: Prestigious Awards
  • 30: From Appalachia to the World
  • 32: History Meets Home Plate
  • 33: Trailblazers: Solving Puzzles
  • 34: Nurse Empathy Heals
  • 35: Investing in Success
  • 36: Bucs Go Beyond: Local Roots, Buccaneer Pride
  • 39: Where it All Began
  • 40: Then & Now: The Path that Changed ETSU
  • 42: ETSU, Anywhere
  • 43: Class Notes
  • 43: The 1911 Society
  • 46: Obituaries
  • 49: Traditions

ETSU President

Brian Nolan

Executive Editor

Fred Sauceman; Jess Vodden

Creative Director

Jess Vodden

Managing Editors

Melissa Nipper

Art Director

Jeanette Jewell

Advancement/Alumni Editors

Howard Reddy; John King

Contributing Writers

Sammy Asbury; Karen Crigger; Lee Ann Davis; Kristen Early; O.J. Early; Yasmeen Elayan; Mike Ezekiel; Andy Fisher; Jennifer Hill; Rachel Howard; Noah Hughes; Hunter Mehaffey; Logan Mink; Ben Murphy; Melissa Nipper; Jonathan Roberts; Fred Sauceman; Joe Smith; Stephen Woodward

Cover/Graphic Design

Greg Nobles; Jeanette Jewel

Photography/Art

Samuel Adenekan; Scott Bowers; Ron Campbell; Yasmeen Elayan; Jeremy Gouge; Larry Smith; Steven May; Hunter Mehaffey; Logan Mink; Ben Murphy; Pavlo Rybaruk; Charlie Warden

Publication Date

Spring 2026

President's Message

Bucs Go Beyond

Celebrating ETSU's Impact


At East Tennessee State University, our pursuit of knowledge is inseparable from our commitment to service. That commitment is evident not only in our classrooms and laboratories but also throughout the region we serve. Through hands-on learning, cross-sector partnerships, and a deep sense of purpose, our students, faculty, and staff extend ETSU’s reach far beyond our formal campus borders.

This year, ETSU was honored with the Carnegie Foundation’s Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a distinction awarded to just a fraction of institutions nationwide. This recognition affirms the ongoing and intentional work taking place across the university to align teaching, research, and service with real-world needs. It reflects the strength of our relationships with community partners and the resolve of our faculty and staff to prepare students to lead, serve, and solve problems in meaningful ways.

The impact of these efforts shows across our region. Students in early childhood education design science lessons for local museums. Rehabilitative health sciences majors evaluate accessibility in public spaces. Future accountants assist community members with tax preparation . Each of these examples reflects a broader institutional commitment to connect academic learning with authentic, community-based experiences.

These experiences not only enhance student learning and retention, but they also contribute to the vitality of our region. They support local organizations, strengthen neighborhoods, and address complex challenges from health disparities in rural communities to workforce development in a rapidly shifting economy. They also embody ETSU’s long-standing mission to improve the quality of life for the people of our region and beyond.

Throughout these pages, you will find evidence of this work in action. You may discover that ETSU's physical footprint goes far beyond what you may have imagined. And you will understand the passion, compassion, tenacity, and vision that are central to the Buccaneer character.

Thank you for being part of this inspiring community.

Godspeed, and go Bucs!
Brian Noland, President

ETSU Today - Spring 2026

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