JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 22, 2021) – Dr. Sharon James McGee, dean of the East Tennessee
State University College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, was recently elected
to serve a two-year term as vice president of the Tennessee Conference of Graduate
Schools (TCGS), which will be followed by a two-year term as president.
Founded in 1977, the TCGS considers matters of common interest related to graduate study and research, articulates the needs of graduate education, and works to influence public opinion and legislation for the improvement and advancement of graduate education throughout the state.
“I am honored that my graduate dean colleagues across the state elected me to serve as president-elect of TCGS,” McGee said. “Central to the organization’s mission is supporting graduate education and the nearly 27,000 graduate students in Tennessee higher education institutions.
“As our world becomes more complex and interconnected, the need for graduate education grows. In my leadership role, I want to help TCGS do more to spread the word about the importance of graduate education on economic development, research advancements, and workforce upward mobility to Tennessee and its citizens.”
McGee, who also serves as a professor in ETSU’s Department of Literature and Language, was a faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville before returning to ETSU, where she earned her M.A. in English. She holds a B.A. from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. from Purdue University.
To learn more about the TCGS, visit its website, tcgsnet.org/.