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School Mission

Your future drives our mission at Tennessee State University. As an Historically Black College/University (HBCU), TSU fosters scholarly inquiry and research, lifelong learning, and a commitment to service.

Building on our heritage of strong instruction and solid research, we prepare you for leadership, professional success, personal achievement, and service to local, national, and international communities in our global society.

At Tennessee State University, you’re the focus of our motto—Think. Work. Serve.—and the beneficiary of our core values:

  • Excellence
  • Learning
  • Accountability
  • Integrity
  • Shared governance
  • Diversity
  • Service

Through the liberal education you receive at TSU, you’ll grow and develop as a person who appreciates cultural diversity, embodies a sense of civic and social responsibility, and is well prepared to fulfill your life’s goals.

Watch the video about our Dare to Dream STEM Saturday, a NASA/TSU Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP).

College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Sciences

The faculty of the College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Sciences are engaged in conducting innovative research to solve problems facing our state, nation, and the world. The focus is on finding solutions to challenges faced by socially and economically disadvantaged groups and contribute to the prosperity of all. Research areas include global food security and hunger, food safety and security, plant genetics, nursery genetics, entomology, hemp research, childhood obesity prevention, climate change, sustainable energy through renewable biofuels.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering faculty are conducting research in nanoscience, signal and image processing, intelligent control systems, robotics/mechatronics, machine learning/artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, data analytics, computational biology, structural engineering, aeronautics, health monitoring, cloud datacenters, biosensors, systems engineering, wireless communication, visualization, virtual reality, mixed reality and cybersecurity.

College of Health Sciences

The faculty of the College of Health Sciences are engaged in conducting research that includes speech pathology and audiology, human performance and sports science, nursing, cardio-pulmonary science, physical therapy, occupational therapy along with innovative approaches to reduce health disparities in obesity, diabetes, breast cancer and seeking innovations in the  treatment of those.

College of Life and Physical Sciences

Department of Chemistry

Research from the faculty of the Department of Chemistry is focused on environmental science, cancer, viruses, drug design, the synthesis of novel inorganic materials, and the interactions between different biological systems and membrane constituents.

Department of Biological Sciences

The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences are engaged in research endeavors in the broad area of cellular and molecular biology. Research activities involve studies of cancer cell growth and function, neuroscience, D3 receptors in neuronal development, studies of collagen assembly and trafficking, and studies of global change ecology.

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Research interests from the faculty of the Department of Mathematical Sciences include applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, graph theory, functional and numerical analysis, algebra, mathematics education, wavelets, molecular physics, quantum physics, astronomy and interferometry.

Interdisciplinary Research Centers and Institutes at Tennessee State University

Center for Aging: Research and Education Services (CARES)
Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
Center for Prevention Research
Center of Excellence for Battlefield Sensor Fusion
Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences
Center of Excellence in Information Systems Engineering and Management
Cooperative Extension Program (CEP)
Institute of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Research (IFAER)
Institute of Government
Nanoscience and Biotechnology Core Facility
Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center (McMinnville, TN)
TSU Interdisciplinary Graduate Engineering Research (TIGER) Institute
  • Advanced Visualization and Computing
  • Bioinformatics
  • Cybersecurity
  • Mechatronics
  • Nano-materials
  • Renewable Energy Systems
Hargrove, S. Keith - photo

S.Keith Hargrove, PhD, CMfgE, PE, MBA

Dean & Professor, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
School of Engineering

Read more about Dr. Hargrove »

Learn More

Contact us if you want to learn more about our program and the progress we are making to support the goals of the Science Consortium of Minority Schools.

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