JOHNSON CITY— East Tennessee State University’s Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
program has announced Dr. Cerrone Foster and Dr. Mary Mullins as the 2022 recipients
of the Notable Women of ETSU Award.
The two award recipients will be honored at the annual Notable Women of ETSU Colloquium
on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 5-7 p.m. via Zoom. The event highlights the expertise
and accomplishments of women at ETSU, provides a forum for the exchange of ideas,
research and projects generated by faculty, and identifies faculty whose work advances
understanding of lived experiences.
The public is invited to this free event, and current and former students of the honorees
are especially welcome. The Zoom meeting ID is 841 3233 9338. Guests will be asked
to register after accessing the meeting ID.
Foster has been an active member of ETSU for 22 years and currently serves as the honors-in-discipline coordinator and associate professor with the Department of Biological Sciences. She is also the interim director of Undergraduate Research. Foster has been awarded several grants to implement evidence-based teaching tools to assess and improve student learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics. Her class motto is, “What you are learning is not for you. One day you will make decisions that affect the lives of others. Therefore, my job is to help you become prepared in doing this.” Her nominator wrote that “overall, Dr. Cerrone Foster is a beacon of hope … especially to women of color, first-generation college students and anyone who is intimidated to pursue a STEM field.”
Mullins currently serves as an associate professor and chair of the Department of
Social Work. Her research focuses on work quality and integrity in social workers
serving the LGBTQ+ community and support for those workers. Mullins is the founder
and editor-in-chief of the “Journal of Interprofessional Practice with Social Work”
and serves on the SACSCOC reaffirmation report committee. She is an ETSU faculty facilitator
for Interprofessional Education, part of the Department of Social Work Self-Care Initiative
and serves on the Home for Youth Advisory Board with the Johnson City Housing Authority.
In 2021, Mullins received the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences
Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award and was nominated for ETSU’s Distinguished Faculty
Teaching Award. Mullins’ nominator wrote that “Dr. Mullins’ focus on a culture of
collaboration, respect, communication, teamwork and feedback has been transformative
… she is a shining example of what leadership should look like.”
For more information, contact Dr. Judith Slagle, interim director of the ETSU Women’s,
Gender and Sexuality Studies program, at (423) 439-4135 or SLAGLE@mail.etsu.edu.