College Town Talk

This week on College Town Talk, we’re joined by Jennifer Williams — proud two-time Tennessee Tech graduate, local actress, director and producer, former educator of 31 years, and owner of Father Tom’s Pub, a staple of Cookeville’s WestSide dining scene. Jennifer shares some of her favorite memories from her years as a high school science teacher, the behind-the-scenes work that went into opening h...

This week on College Town Talk, we're joined by Kelly McCallister, dean of the Volpe Library at Tennessee Tech University. Dean McCallister tells us about making the transition to Tennessee last year from her previous home in North Carolina, her passion for animal rescue, her recent meeting with former Tech First Lady Jennette Volpe, and the quirky Tech history behind a famous cockroach that inspi...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Whitney Robinson, a junior at Tennessee Tech pursuing a degree in special education and one of the newest appointees to the Tennessee Tech Foundation Board of Directors. Whitney shares about the inspiration that first drew her to Tech's campus, the fulfillment she finds from serving as a Student Orientation Assistant (SOA) and partici...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Joy McCaleb Poteet, a Tennessee Tech alumna, graduate student and adjunct instructor who is also a talented local actress and the former longtime theatre teacher at Upperman High School. Joy tells us about her best memories from her years in the classroom, her special friendship with the late Dr. Angelo Volpe and his wife, Jennette, t...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Dr. Mark Cramer, associate professor of clarinet in the Tennessee Tech School of Music and principal clarinetist in the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Cramer shares how his music has turned up in unexpected places - such as television commercials, theme park attractions and video games - and discusses his involvement with music therapy...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Dr. Brenda Wilson, professor of journalism at Tennessee Tech. Dr. Wilson shares stories from her nearly 30 years as a Tech faculty member and her memories as a Tech student. She also discusses last year's centennial anniversary of Tech's student newspaper, The Oracle, and next year's centennial anniversary of Tech's yearbook, The Eagl...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Tanner Cox, a 2020 Tennessee Tech political science graduate now serving as field representative for U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty. Tanner explains how Tech's expansive alumni and faculty network helped him land a fulfilling career serving his fellow Tennesseans and offers his advice to current Tech students eyeing a role in the political...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan hear from Melissa Ellis, a Tennessee Tech alumna and professional musician of more than 30 years who serves as marketing and development director of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra and music director for HIP Cookeville. Melissa shares what concertgoers can expect from the Bryan Symphony Orchestra's 62nd season, how her early years at Tennessee Tech as...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Amanda Juetten, a recent Tennessee Tech graduate and current master's student who serves as president of the Upper Cumberland chapter of the National Federation for the Blind. Amanda talks about pushing through obstacles to graduate from Tech magna cum laude and discusses the valuable assistance she and other students receive from Tec...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Sherrie Cannon, associate director for professional development and adjunct instructor in Tennessee Tech's College of Business. Sherrie tells us about her passion for mentoring the next generation of business professionals, the importance of experiential learning and her heroic efforts recently saving the life of a colleague who went...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan hear from Ricky Shelton, the former mayor of Cookeville and a proud Tennessee Tech alumnus. Ricky tells us about helping organize Tech’s recent “College Town Kickoff” block party and concert, leading Cookeville through the March 2020 tornadoes and the early days of COVID-19, his years as a Golden Eagle baseball player and all about his latest ventu...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Karen Lykins, vice president for enrollment and communication at Tennessee Tech. Karen shares the latest numbers on Tech's growing student population, looks back on favorite memories from her more than 25 years at the university and shares a personal story of why accessibility is important to her. She also helps us get to know her col...

This week on College Town Talk, we're joined by Tennessee Tech's 2025-2026 Student Government Association (SGA) President Cheyenne Bare. Cheyenne tells us about the moment she learned she was elected class president and recounts the unconventional path that led her to enroll at Tennessee Tech sight unseen. She also discusses her passion for serving as a Tech "Trailblazer," her favorite local busin...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are catching up with Melinda Mott Leftwich, a Tennessee Tech alumna with a passion for making sports accessible for all. Today, Melinda is the founder and executive director of Game On Accessible Tennis, a nonprofit offering free tennis programming to children and adults of all disabilities and skill levels. Melinda shares about discovering tennis...

On the season three premiere of College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Brad Sells, a Tennessee Tech alumnus and award-winning wood sculptor whose handiwork has been displayed in the Smithsonian and it multiple public art installations around town, including the beloved "Spokes" bicycle arch in Cookeville's WestSide. Brad recalls his early years as a student at Tech's Appalachian Center...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Elizabeth Sofia, a two-time Tennessee Tech graduate and current doctoral student serving as a director of development in Tech's Division of University Advancement. As one of Cookeville's foremost animal advocates, Elizabeth also helped relaunch the region's local spay and neuter clinic and serves as a board member for "Carin' About th...

This week on College Town Talk, we're catching up with Michele Niec, a two-time Tennessee Tech graduate, current doctoral student and instructor of communication. Michele shares about the surprising path that brought her to Cookeville and her passion for supporting nontraditional students and lifelong learners like herself. Then, we're speaking to Brent Young, a 2002 Tech graduate recently named d...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan talk with Jeremy Crabtree, a Tennessee Tech alumnus who owns "Poet's Coffee," Cookeville's longest-running local coffee shop. Jeremy talks with us about the decision to become the owner of a beloved local hotspot and tells us all about the newest Poet's Coffee location inside the Volpe Library on Tech's campus. Then, we're chatting with Professor K...

This week, Jonathan and Shan talk to a living legend of Tennessee Tech and the Upper Cumberland, Marc Burnett. Marc is a three-time Tech graduate, TTU Sports Hall of Famer, and served the university for 36 years, including 28 as vice president for Student Affairs. Marc is also a Cookeville Lifestyle magazine 2024 "Most Influential People" honoree. Then, we're joined by Tennessee Tech MBA candidate...

To kick off 2025, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Dr. Katie Aikens, Tennessee Tech's dean of students and assistant vice president for strategic initiatives. Dr. Aikens shares about her path to working in higher education, the significance of becoming Tech's first female dean of students, and the fulfillment she finds through her involvement with a local nonprofit. Then, we're chatting with Dr. St...

On our last episode for 2024, Jonathan and Shan catch up with Chris Savage, a proud Tennessee Tech alumnus and co-owner of the iconic Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee House in Cookeville. Then, we're chatting with Brittney Herman, the winner of the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association's 2024 Outstanding Young Alumna Award and founder of the nonprofit organization We Will, which is dedicated to sexual as...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan are joined by Candyce Clifft, a proud Tennessee Tech alumna and former student body president. Today, Candyce is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and has been the morning anchor for WDRB News in Louisville, Ky. for more than 20 years. She shares with us the secret to her longevity in broadcasting, her advice for aspiring young journalists, and take...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan speak with Tina Francis-Hodges, a four-time Tennessee Tech graduate and the 2023-2024 Principal of the Year for the State of Tennessee. Then, we're catching up with Matt McClanahan, a Tennessee Tech alumnus and adjunct instructor who also serves as executive director of the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts and won the American Farm B...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan talk with Jameson Wharton, a Tennessee Tech junior and defensive back for the Golden Eagle football team who founded the nonprofit "Football for the Cure" to raise money for cancer research. Then, we're joined by Rachel Wingo, cultural arts superintendent for the City of Cookeville and former executive director of the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. Rach...

This week on College Town Talk, Jonathan and Shan sit down with Trudy Harper, the chair of Tennessee Tech's Board of Trustees. Trudy is a two-time graduate of Tech's College of Engineering, a devoted philanthropist, and the former president of Tenaska Power Services Co., the power marketing affiliate of Tenaska - one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. Then, we're joined...