ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
Dr. Natalie Shirley Awarded Research Grant from
the National Institute of Justice
Two decades ago the Daubert v. Merrell Dow
Pharmaceuticals ruling (1993) set a precedent
for relevant, reliable, and scientifically sound
expert testimony, but the enforcement of these
standards has been inconsistent and lies solely
with the court system. In 2009 the National
Academy of Sciences issued a report that effectively changed the face of research and practice
in the forensic sciences. The report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A
Path Forward, stressed the need for “rigorous
systematic research to validate the discipline’s
basic premises and techniques” and mandated
the formation of an independent federal entity
(the National Institute of Forensic Science) to establish best practices and improve research in the forensic sciences.
A recently funded National Institute of Justice grant proposal submitted by Dr.
Natalie Shirley in the LMU DCOM Anatomy Department answers this call for rigorous research to validate the basic techniques used in forensic anthropology to
determine the sex, ethnicity, and stature of unknown decedents. The NIJ
awarded Dr. Shirley $207,624 to complete the research over the course of two
years with the assistance of co-Principal Investigator Dr. Lee Jantz at the University of Tennessee. Dr Shirley and Dr. Jantz are forensic anthropologists, and they
have worked together on numerous forensic cases and publications.
Forensic anthropologists use their knowledge of human skeletal variation to assist law enforcement in identifying unknown decedents. Although forensic anthropologists can examine a skeleton and comment on the probable age, sex,
and ancestry (race or ethnicity) of the individual, these subjective assessments
do not meet the standards set forth by Daubert and the NAS report. Consequently, forensic anthropologists use skeletal measurements to back up their
morphological assessments with hard numbers. These measurements are
plugged into the widely-used computer program Fordisc, which stands for
“Forensic Discrimination” because the program uses discriminant functions to
estimate sex and ancestry. The Fordisc program was developed at the University of Tennessee by Drs. Richard Jantz and Steve Ousley, where Dr. Shirley completed her PhD as a student of Dr. Richard Jantz. The program relies on accurate
measurements to correctly assess the unknown parameters (sex, ancestry, stature). As the old adage goes “garbage in, garbage out.” However, little work has
been done to investigate the error rates associated with these measurements.
Information provided by Dr. Natalie Shirley
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
Dr. Natalie Shirley Awarded Research Grant from
the National Institute of Justice Continued
Dr. Shirley will work with Dr. Lee Jantz at the University of Tennessee to conduct seminal research in forensic anthropology that will guide future research
and practice in the discipline. The research will establish error rates for the
standard osteometric measurements used in forensic anthropology; these error rates will be used to evaluate the efficacy of these measurements and to
suggest alternatives for problem measurements. Particular focus will be given
to the measurements that interface with the Fordisc computer program; as
such, the error rates will provide a foundation for forensic case analyses and
research. Data collection will be done on the William M. Bass Donated Collection housed at the University of Tennessee. The Bass Collection is the largest
collection of modern human skeletal remains, consisting of over 1,000 skeletons and growing at a rate of 80-100 skeletons annually, as it is the final resting
place of the remains donated to the UT Forensic Anthropology Center for human decomposition research and training. During the two-year course of the
grant Dr. Shirley, Dr. Jantz, and two colleagues will take a total of 5,000 measurements each. A variety of statistical tests will be used to evaluate the metrics, and the results will be disseminated to the forensic community in the form
of a new edition of a laboratory manual designed to interface with the Fordisc
program (Data Collection Procedures for Forensic Skeletal Material). Dr. Shirley
will work with a graphic artist to update the Data Collection Procedures (DCP)
manual. This information will also be made available to the authors of the
Fordisc program for inclusion in the “Help file” of the program. In addition,
continuing education workshops on osteometric techniques and an instructional video demonstrating measurement techniques will be made available to the
scientific community via YouTube in order to maximize the dissemination of
the grant results and offer free training to practitioners.
For Dr. Shirley, this grant is the pinnacle of a productive relationship with the
National Institute of Justice that has spanned five years of her career. She has
worked on three prior grants with the NIJ. The first was a $20,000 grant that
funded her dissertation research. After that the NIJ funded her post-doctoral
research position at the University of Tennessee as part of a collaborative grant
between the Anthropology Department and the Department of Mechanical,
Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE). She is currently completing
work as a co-PI on a $500,000 grant under which LMU holds a sub-contract position. This collaboration with UT Anthropology and MABE is developing software to facilitate the reconstruction of fragmentary skeletal remains. As the
project wraps up at the end of the year, Dr. Shirley is excited to begin work as
Principal Investigator for the NIJ on her grant entitled Evaluation of Osteometric Measurements in Forensic Anthropology.
Information provided by Dr. Natalie Shirley
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
ALLM News
A Piece of the True Cross: Relics from Lincoln’s Pilgrims
Growing numbers of Americans became tourists after the 1850’s in response to
improved traveling conditions, greater income and urban work schedules. Travelers with the express purpose of visiting meaningful places in art, nature, or
sights of patriotic significance, appear strikingly similar to pilgrims on quests.
The memory and legacy of Abraham Lincoln contributed greatly to create the
modern tourist. Local community boosters saw Lincoln as their hero, but also
as the ticket to attract outside visitors to their community. His memory was
both adored and exploited.
A major part of heritage tourism became souvenir acquisition. Visitors taking
branches of trees, rocks, or even pieces of wood from historic properties often
vandalized the oldest museums in America. Residents at Washington’s Mount
Vernon sold walking sticks made from trees from the historic plantation to
make money and reduce vandalism. Visitors slipped pieces of Washington’s
tomb into their pockets for a special souvenir of this pilgrimage.
Historic places connected with Lincoln’s life swelled the ranks of national pilgrimage sites in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even before the first
Lincoln museum in Memorial Hall at the Lincoln tomb through the most recently opened Lincoln Legacy Museum, in Springfield Kentucky, visitors have expected to bring back a remembrance of their adventure. Some of these items
were very special pieces of memorabilia and others were casually collected.
Owning special Lincoln souvenirs marked a person as a collector of
“Lincolniana”, a believer in the American dream. The souvenirs can be broken
down into at least three classes of artifact based on their origins.
Relics: Visitors took these souvenirs casually from the grounds or building
because they were part of the historic place. Natural items such as
branches, bark, rocks or dirt were popular items to save from a visit.
Formal Relic: (items manufactured from local materials for sale). Formal
relics have the advantages of giving visitors a “piece of the true cross”
and limiting vandalism.
Manufactured gifts/souvenirs: These were made to sell to visitors to earn
income for further preservation. This larger range of items represents a
fully developed tourism market.
Information and photos provided by Tom Mackie
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
ALLM News Continued
A new temporary exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln
Library and Museum titled Relics from Lincoln’s
Pilgrims features a selection of Lincoln souvenirs
from many historic sites such as Sinking Springs
and Knob Creek, Elizabethtown, Springfield,
Spencer County Indiana, and World Fair exhibits.
Some of these items have never been on exhibition to the public. This display is located in the
MOLLUS Hall behind the Arnold Auditorium.
Figure 1 (left): New exhibit Relics from Lincoln’s Pilgrims
Figure 2: Historic sites that were only marginally connected with Lincoln still used souvenirs to build tourism.
Further reading on this subject see:
Jackie Hogan, Lincoln, Inc.: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary
America. (Lanham: Bowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.) 2011.
Merrill D. Peterson, Lincoln in American Memory. (New York: Oxford University
Press) 1994.
Article Information and photos provided by Tom Mackie
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
ALLM News Continued
Figure 3: Lincoln's New Salem became one of the most prominent Lincoln sites by the 1930's. Its mythical frontier image was very important in the national Lincoln legacy. This 1940 pamphlet is from the collections of the ALLM.
Figure 4: The modern age has not reduced the desire for relics and souvenirs. Books, novelty items and
art pieces are just as important to the commemoration of Lincoln as ever.
Article Information and photo provided by Tom Mackie
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
School of Mathematics and Sciences News
Caldwell and Rollins Published in Brenesia
Dr. Adam Rollins, Assistant Professor,
Biology, and Dr. Ron Caldwell, Professor, Biology/Director, Cumberland
Mountain Research Center, recently
received word that their manuscript
entitled, “Rapid ecological assessment
of land snails (Gastropoda) across a
disturbance continuum in a southern
Belize lowland rainforest” was accepted for publication in the journal Brenesia. Brenesia is a journal published
by the National Museum of Costa Rica
in Central America.
Article Information and photo provided by Dr. Adam Rollins
DCOM Research
Dr. Paul Wood Receives Renewal Award for Research
Dr. Paul Wood received a $25,000.
Unrestricted grant from Rhizo Kids International to continue his studies of
peroxisomal dysfunction in Rhizomelic
Chondrodysplasia Puncta. The ultimate goal of this research is to define
the optimal lipid precursor to treat
this childhood disorder. Dr. Wood has
received $51,000 to date in research
support funds from Rhizo Kids International for his research.
Article Information and photo provided by Dr. Paul Wood
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
School of Arts and Humanities News
Students Present Research at ACA-UNCA Undergraduate Research Symposium
Pictured from left to right is LMU Writer-in-Residence Darnell Arnoult, Hannah Wilson,
Christine Hickman, Julia Davis, Felicia Crockett, and Professor Elissa Graff. Not pictured is
Cheryl Stouts.
Five LMU students recently presented at the ACA-UNCA Undergraduate Research Symposium held
in Asheville, NC. The students were
accompanied by LMU Writer-inResidence Darnell Arnoult and Professor of Art, Elissa Graff, who collaborated on the class—Narratives
of Place. It was in this class that the
students developed the documentaries which they presented at the Symposium.
These documentaries will also be shown on LMU’s campus on Wednesday, October 9th from 6-7:30 pm in the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum.
Article Information and photos provided by Elissa Graff
ORGSP Newsletter
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July-August 2013
School of Arts and Humanities News
Dr. Charles Hubbard
Dr. Charles Hubbard, Professor of History and Lincoln Historian, had his article
“Lincoln’s Divided House: The Constitution and the Union” published in the
first issue (November 2012) of the LMU
Law Review. This work, based on President Lincoln’s “A House Divided”
Speech at Springfield, Illinois in June of
1858 explores Lincoln's views on secession, the Constitution and the role
of democratic governance . Lincoln is
persuaded that secession is unconstitutional and if successful will not only destroy the country but would likely destroy democracy. The democratic system of government respects the rights
of the minority but for the system to work effectively the minority must accept
the rule of the majority. Prof. Hubbard argues that in Lincoln's view secession
was a larger threat to democracy and representative government.
Abraham Lincoln Institute Research Fellow Paper Accepted for Publication
Natalie Sweet, an adjunct history professor and
research fellow at the Abraham Lincoln Institute for the Study of Leadership and Public Policy at LMU, recently had her article published in
the Journal of Abraham Lincoln Association.
In "A Representative 'of our people': The Agency of William Slade, Leader in the AfricanAmerican Community and Usher to Abraham
Lincoln," Sweet details how Slade was not just
the man who assisted Lincoln about the White House, but how he was a respected member of the African-American community who also led the push for
voting rights for African-Americans in the District of Columbia. The article was
born out assistance received from a grant from the White House Historical Society and from the Abraham Lincoln Institute for Leadership and Public Policy at
LMU. The paper is part of a larger work in progress that examines servants who
lived and worked in the Lincoln White house.
Information provided by Dr. Charles Hubbard and Natalie Sweet
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
Arts and Humanities News Continued
Department of Humanities and Fine Arts Convenes a Panel Discussion on Syria
On September 17th, the Department of Humanities and Fine Arts in the School of Arts
and Humanities sponsored a panel discussion
on the crisis in Syria. We were fortunate to
have knowledgeable and interesting panelists
among our faculty who could express their
understanding of the situation and respond so
well to student’s and other’s questions
The suggestion for such a forum was first presented by Dr. Charles Hubbard, Abraham Lincoln Historian, who indicated that he had discussed the idea with Dr. Martin Sellers, Dean of Arts and Humanities. Students who
were seeking information about the ongoing crisis in Syria were asking for such a panel
discussion. Many students felt that the information they received through the national
media was highly critical, often politicized, and provided no context for understanding
the current crisis as it relates to American history and politics. In particular, the students were unclear as to why the United States is contemplating military intervention.
It was in response to these concerns that the School of Arts and Humanities decided to
constitute a panel discussion in an attempt to provide some historical background and
context for the Syrian civil war and for possible U.S. intervention.
The panelists included Dr. Joanna Neilson, Assistant Professor of History, who provided
historical background, specifically the impact of colonialism in Syria and the surrounding region. Dr. Charles Hubbard, Professor of History and Abraham Lincoln Historian,
focused on the lingering influence of the Cold War alliances that shape politics in the
Middle East. Dr. Earl Hess, Associate Professor of History and The Stewart McClelland
Distinguished Professor in Humanities, looked at the precedents for US military intervention in the Middle East. Dr. Martin Sellers, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Government, covered the politics of U.S. intervention. Finally, Dr.
Phil Supina, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, discussed international law as it
relates to chemical weapons and intervention in general.
Dr. Michael Toomey served as moderator for the discussion and started off with opening remarks depicting the immediate background to the Syrian Civil War. Then, each
panelist spoke for ten minutes about specific aspects of the topic as indicated above.
At that point the floor was opened to questions from the audience. The audience consisted of about 80 people, including students, faculty, and staff. The quantity and quality of questions were very good and it was clear that those in attendance had listened
to the panelists’ presentations and were eager to participate in the discussion. The best
question presented to the panel was from a history student who asked, “What would
Lincoln do?”
Information provided by Dr. Martin Sellers and Dr. Michael Toomey
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
School of Business News
Dr. Xanshanta Polk, Assistant Professor of Business attended the Appalachian
College Association Teaching and Learning Institute. This summer the TLI took
place June 3rd – June 7th in Ferrum, VA on the campus of Ferrum College. This
year’s TLI focused on pedagogical strategies, assessment techniques, diversity,
and how to successfully move into administrative roles. The TLI introduced her
to a number of concepts. One of the most intriguing was the workshop on
“Flipped Classrooms” hosted by Robert Talbert of Grand Valley State University.
The TLI an opportunity to network and learn new concepts that can be applied
in the classroom.
Dr. Nick Oke, Associate Professor of Businss, received the news that his study
entitled: "A Cost Comparison of Living Conditions in the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, USA: An Archival Data Assessment", is now published in the 2013 Society for Advancement of Management Conference proceedings, September 2013. It was originally an idea that received funded from
by the LMU Mini-grant program. This article was also presented at the 2013 Society for the Advancement of Management International Business Conference
in Arlington, VA in March 21-March 24, 2013.
Information provided by Dr. Jack McCann
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
School of Business News
Dr. Daryl Green, a Knoxville resident
and LMU adjunct business professor,
is one of the first recipients of the
Amber Communications Group, Inc. /
Blacks In Government – Greater Orange County Chapter’s Annual Literary Awards. Dr. Green, along with six
other authors, who are members of
the National Black In Government
(BIG) organization, were honored at
this year’s National Training Institute
held in Dallas, Texas.
The Amber Communication Group
Inc. / Blacks In Government Literary
Awards recognizes the achievements of BIG members and friends who have
published books and other literary works that enriched the lives and professionalism of African Americans in the public sector and their respective communities. The Literary Awards Program is designed to encourage BIG members to
write and share their experiences and expertise with others. Dr. Green explains, “I was very humbled and excited about this prestigious award. There are
so many talented BIG members in the organization. Hopefully, I will be able to
carry this torch of excellence to others.”
Dr. Green is the author of “Writing for Professionals: The Definitive Handbook
for Gaining More Influence.” He is also lifetime BIG member, former a national
and regional trainer, and the past president of the Oak Ridge Chapter. He has
done extensive research on cultural issues impacting today and future leaders.
His last book, Job Strategies for the 21st Century: How to Assist Today’s College
Students during Economic Turbulence, has been rated number one on Amazon.com. Dr. Green works for the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge. He also
is an adjunct professor at Lincoln Memorial University.
Dr. Jack McCann, Dean of the School of Business
was invited this summer to peer review for the
African Journal of Businss Management. He is
also a peer reviewer for a number of other business journals.
Information provided by Dr. Jack McCann
ORGSP Newsletter
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September 2013
School of Business News Continued
Dr. Jack McCann and Mr. Matthew Sweet were notified
recently that their article had been published in the prestigious Journal of Business Ethics. The article abstract and
reference citation follow:
Ethical and sustainable leadership behaviors in business
have expanded in importance since the financial crisis of
2007-2009. This research examined the level of sustainable and ethical leadership behaviors as perceived by mortgage loan originators in financial institutions throughout
the United States. The relationship between the Perceived
Leadership Survey (PLIS) developed by Craig and Gustafson (1998) and the Sustainable Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) developed by McCann and Holt (2010)
was also examined. The level of ethical and sustainable leadership in this study
as perceived by employees proved to be high for both leadership behaviors.
Employees also felt their leadership was encouraging ethical and sustainable
behavior. However, correlations between the PLIS and SLQ did not prove to be
dependent or closely correlated.
McCann, J. and Sweet, M. (2013). The perceptions of ethical and sustainable
leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 115(3), 635-644. (DOI) 10.1007/s10551013-1704-4.
Information provided by Dr. Jack McCann
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
Foundation Corner by Martha Scheidler, Director of Foundations
I was at an Association of Fundraising
Professionals meeting in Knoxville the
other day. There were four separate discussion groups, one of which was on
grant writing. The discussion facilitator
was a free-lance grant writer, and we
talked about some of her clients and
which not-for-profit agencies they represented. I was surprised to learn that a
university in east Tennessee actually outsources grant writing. And another university does not apply for federal funding. Fortunately, LMU has been very successful in winning both federal and private foundation and corporate grants.
Here are some questions that came up in
the discussion: How do I know if a foundation will consider my proposal? What
should the budget include? How should overhead expenses be calculated? I’ve
got a department budget, why do I need a project budget? What’s a case statement and why do I need one? Why are foundations so concerned with and insistent on metrics/deliverables/objectives/goals and what are the differences?
Why would a foundation ask for three different levels of funding? What if the
grant is less than what I needed? Is it a good idea to contact the foundation
ahead of time? How much detail does a foundation really want? How can I describe a project if the on-line application only allows 500 words or less?
Those are all excellent questions and can all be answered by contacting Marca,
Pauline or me first! We can help get the proposal off to a good start and we will
be there to assist you through the process. Don’t let the questions deter you
from pursuing grant funding.
September Submissions
Kathy Francisco has submitted a request to the Walgreens Foundation for pool
equipment.
Jack McCann has submitted requests to the Kettering Foundation for partnership in the Center to Promote Public Life and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation for support of the Central Appalachian Center for Economic Development.
ORGSP Newsletter
Office of Research, Grants
and Sponsored Programs
September 2013
A Note From the LMU Institutional Review Board
Please remember that all research proposals and projects involving human subjects,
must have IRB approval prior to the presentation of any information gathered during
the course of the research.
Under federal policy, the IRB cannot grant retroactive IRB approval.
For more information regarding the LMU IRB, please visit
http://www.lmunet.edu/curstudents/ORGSP/IRB.shtml.
ORGSP Contact Information
pauline.lipscomb@lmunet.edu
or call (423) 869-6214
carolyn.gulley@lmunet.edu
or call (423) 869-6291
melissa.miracle02@lmunet.edu
or call (423) 869-6834
If your grant award, application, presentation,
or publication has not been mentioned in this
edition, please forward your information to us
using the contact information listed.
The ORGSP is located in Duke Hall, Suite 304
As a reminder, all applications for external funding must first begin by contacting the
ORGSP.
The ORGSP staff would like to thank everyone for their submissions to the newsletter!