2025 Fall ACL SPEAKER SCHEDULE

September 16-October 30, 2025

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 | KIMBERLY McCORKLE
Update on Happenings at East Tennessee State University

Dr. Kimberly McCorkle will present a review of what is going on around campus: new building construction, new walkways to enhance a safer campus, new renovations to old buildings, and new programs of study, among others. There are also a few challenges and new solutions of interest. As always, she welcomes community feedback and questions.
Dr. McCorkle is the Provost and Senior Vice-President for Academics at East Tennessee State University. She has been in that role since 2021. Prior to joining ETSU, she was Provost at the University of West Florida for 19 years. She graduated from Louisiana State University and earned her JD from the University of Florida School of Law.


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 | SELENA HARMON
The Johnson City Public Library Story - A Tradition of Excellence and Service

Ms. Selena Harmon is the new Public Experience Manager at the Johnson City Public Library (JCPL). Her natural enthusiasm will excite, educate, and inspire us.
Ms. Harmon is a native of the Bluegrass state, but has happily called Tennessee home for the past eighteen years. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English from East Tennessee State University and a Master's degree in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee. Her professional experience in the field spans twelve years and a variety of roles in archives, government, public, and special libraries. When not dedicating time to public service, she enjoys reading (surprise!), gardening, and travel.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 | ARUNA KILARU AND TIANHU SUN
Bioengineering the Future: How Synthetic Biology is Shaping Our World
Green Power: Plant Metabolic Engineering and Molecular Pharming

Dr. Kilaru will introduce the fascinating world of synthetic biology and bioengineering-how scientists are designing and building biological systems to address real-world challenges in medicine, agriculture, and sustainability. She will also share examples from ongoing research at ETSU and discuss how the university is working to build regional capacity through education, workforce training, and the establishment of a new center focused on advancing these technologies in Appalachia.
Dr. Kilaru is a Faculty Fellow for Interdisciplinary Innovation in the Biosciences and a Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at ETSU. Her research focuses on understanding how plants respond to stress and how they produce oils, with the goal of improving crops through bioengineering.

Hidden hunger is a significant global health issue, impacting billions of people worldwide caused by lacking essential micronutrients such as vitamins in daily diet. Dr. Tianhu Sun will share how efforts to employ cutting edge methods can enhance multiple vitamin content in crops and how plants can be used to facilitate cancer research.
Dr. Sun is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at ETSU. He earned his PhD from Nanjing University, China in 2015 and completed post-doctoral training at Cornell University. His research focuses on plant synthetic biology and metabolic engineering, using advanced methods such as AI and gene editing to improve crop nutritional quality. Another project utilizes plants as a synthesis platform to produce products such as monoclonal antibodies and cancer cell-targeting peptides.


THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 | ROBERT SORRELL
Historic Theaters of the Tennessee Tri-Cities

Mr. Sorrell will be discussing his new book Historic Theaters of the Tennessee Tri-Cities which details the history of iconic theaters in our region, past and present, and their influence on their communities.
Robert Sorrell is an award-winning author, historian and journalist whose works explore history, travel, crime and culture in our region. He is the author of several books on the Appalachian Highlands and is a reporter for the Bristol Herald Courier, where his coverage has earned multiple honors. He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a BA in journalism.



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 | DAVID JAMES HRIVNAK
Summer Teaching Experience at the Chautauqua Institution and Green Energy Highlights

David J. Hrivnak has just returned from Chautauqua after teaching three Special Studies courses entitled: (1) Electric Cars: Hype, Deception, and Facts; (2) Solar Basics: Harnessing the World's Fastest Growing Energy Source; and (3) Driving to Net 0.
David has always had a passion for sustainable living. He designed and built two passive solar homes, the first of which was earth bermed. His second home has rooftop solar to power the house and his vehicles. He has also converted a Jeep and a Miata to electric drive. David has a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Virginia Tech, and a MBA from ETSU. He retired from Eastman Chemical Company, working mostly in Information Technology.



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 | PAUL SIMS
Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering: Careers with Bright Futures

Dr. Paul Sims will overview undergraduate and graduate programs in Engineering Technology at East Tennessee State University, and then turn the focus on Manufacturing and Mechatronics Engineering. He says, "I will explore careers and look at the automated factory of the future and its impact on the way we manufacture goods. Today's student from these programs will change the way we produce almost every product."
Dr. Sims is Program Coordinator, Undergraduate Coordinator, and Professor of Electronics and Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Technology, Interior Architecture, and Surveying.

THERE WILL BE NO CLASS MEETING AT FOOD CITY ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, NOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9.
ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED CAN MEET AT THE GRAY FOSSIL SITE, 1212 SUNCREST DRIVE, GRAY, TENNESSEE 10 A.M. FOR A DISCOVERY TOUR AND TESLA EXPERIENCE. FEES PAID BY ACL FOR MEMBERS.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 | BRYAN STEVENS
Adventures in Birding and Nature Watching

Bryan Stevens has loved nature, birds, and wildlife all his life. We are happy that he is returning to speak with us this fall on these topics, which are so dear to all people living on planet Earth.
Mr. Stevens is the managing editor of The Erwin Record, Unicoi County's weekly newspaper. He has also worked as an editor at The Elizabethton Star and at The Herald & Tribune of Jonesborough. He has written about birds, birders, and birding since 1995. He also served as a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of Literature and Language at East Tennessee State University from 2014 to 2021. He taught composition, research, and early American Literature.


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 | CHAD DUNCAN, LCSW
Frontier Health's Community-Based Services for the Tri-Cities

Mr. Duncan is the newly appointed Vice President of Community-Based Services for Frontier Health. He will discuss the array of critical services available to individuals in our region through their organization.
Mr. Duncan has 25 years of experience with Frontier Health as a case manager, program manager, and therapist, and he is a previous Senior Director for Outpatient Addiction Services. He has a Masters of Social Work from East Tennessee State University.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 | JOHN BOSSAER
Immunotherapy: What it is exactly?

The media advertisements for new drugs treating cancer sound promising, but how do they work on the immune system? Is curing cancer on the horizon? Dr. Bossaer will provide an overview of the immune system and how it is being used to prevent and treat disease states.
Dr. Bossaer is a professor in the College of Pharmacy at ETSU and maintains a practice site in Hematology and Oncology at the Johnson City Medical Center and the Regional Cancer Center specializing in clinical oncology and research. He has a doctorate in Pharmacology from Purdue University and did his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.


THURSDAY, October 23 | FRED SAUCEMAN
Closer to Canada than Memphis: The Campaign for a Medical School at East Tennessee State University

The Tennessee General Assembly's passage of legislation in March of 1974 to create what would become ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine was the culmination of one of the most contentious political battles in the state's history. It was a David and Goliath story. It was a story of courage and commitment. The success of today's Quillen College of Medicine is a tribute to visionary people who risked their careers to create it.
Fred Sauceman is a popular, frequent speaker for ACL, known for his work on Appalachian foodways. Before retirement, Fred was the Executive Assistant to the President for University Relations. He is a graduate of ETSU with a BA in English and History and an MA in English. He was present in 1982 to see the first class of graduates earn their MDs from the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28 | WAYNE WINKLER
MELUNGEONS: An Appalachian Mystery

Wayne Winkler is the author of Walking Toward the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia (2004) and Beyond the Sunset: The Melungeon Outdoor Drama (2020).
A former president of the Melungeon Heritage Association, Mr. Winkler is the retired Director of Public Radio Station WETS-FM (89.5 Mhz).



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 | ROBERT SAWYER
Mary Shelley and Shakespeare: Monstrous Creations

Dr. Sawyer's presentation considers Mary Shelley's intertextual relationship with Shakespeare, as well as her interactions with the current social conventions as she was writing her novel, Frankenstein. Specifically, he will demonstrate how the creature in her book was informed by both Shakespeare's Caliban character in his final play, The Tempest, and also by the ongoing slave trade during Shelley's own lifetime.
Dr. Sawyer is a Professor of English at ETSU and teaches Shakespeare, Victorian Literature, and Literary Criticism, among other topics. He has authored or co-authored many books, essays, reviews and other publications on these subjects. He has degrees from Stetson and Western Carolina Universities, and a PhD from the University of Georgia.

No meetings at Food City October 7th or 9th. A fieldtrip to the Gray Fossil Site is planned for October 9th.