QuickNotes | July 2026

At Southern, outreach to nearby communities is a key part of the educational curriculum. Last school year, both the School of Nursing and the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program encouraged students to meet needs within the Chattanooga population by using their unique skills.

Southern students in the psychiatric nurse practitioner doctoral program receive training in counseling, a unique component offered by few graduate programs in the United States. As part of their learning experiences, these nurses undertake counseling clinicals during the summer months. Each provides free weekly counseling services to willing clients.

“Our graduate students learn how to assess and evaluate patients’ needs, diagnose potential disorders, and treat as needed,” says outreach organizer Linda (Cannon) Peoples, PhD, ’80 and ’14, professor in the School of Nursing. “Clients always give very positive reviews and find our students helpful and respectful.”

During her clinicals, Bridget Scott-Fletcher, who is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice with emphases in nurse education and psychiatric mental health, met regularly with two clients. “I was privileged to establish wonderful, caring relationships with both and use the skills I’d learned in class to help each of them reflect and problem solve,” she shares. “It was an honor to be allowed into a very personal component of their lives. The sessions reinforced the critical skills of empathetic and active listening that I will continue to carry with me into my own practice of guiding patients’ care.”

On the other side of Southern’s campus, Amanda (Gray) Patton, DPT, ’09, professor in the PTA program, formed a connection with the nonprofit Catalyst Sports when she invited their volunteer coordinator, Ivanna Libre, to speak in her classes.

“As an outdoor activity organizer with 14 locations across the Southeast, Catalyst Sports offers adaptive abilities to individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have access,” Patton says. “This matches so well with our own mission to serve the community in a Christ-like manner.”

An orthotist and prosthetist, Libre fits patients with artificial limbs, braces, and splints. Twice a year, she shares her expertise with PTA majors during a full day of intensive training on campus. During the Winter 2025 semester, she offered students the opportunity to volunteer at a climbing event for individuals with physical disabilities coordinated by Catalyst Sports and High Point Climbing and Fitness in Chattanooga.

Student volunteers engaged with climbers ages 4 to 60, helping them register, navigate the gym, and manage their climbing gear. Held just before Southern’s students began their month-long clinicals, the event provided a valuable opportunity to put coursework into practice in preparation for real-world applications.

“PTA students were able to see individuals beyond their diagnoses and recognize that they are more than their disability,” shares Patton. “These organic settings allow our majors to start making connections and applying schooling in ways that don’t necessarily happen in a classroom.”

Ethan Reinoehl, who participated in the event before graduating in December 2025, reports, “It was incredible to witness the determination and joy the climbers brought to the event. Being part of their journey, even in a small way, was both humbling and inspiring.”

Reinoehl chose the outreach opportunity specifically for the chance to experience a new setting, speaking with climbers and volunteers alike. “I found it valuable to get different perspectives on how people with disabilities learn to reorient their lives to accommodate for their conditions,” he reflects.

The nursing and PTA programs represent just two of the many academic areas across Southern’s campus that provide practical opportunities for students to serve others while strengthening the skills they will need in the workplace.

- Chehalis Eno, ’26, adapted for QuickNotes

The senior capstone papers of four Spring 2025 graduates from Southern’s School of Computing were presented at the Fall 2025 Future Technologies Conference (FTC) in Munich, Germany.

Computer science majors Meg Ermer, ’25, Abishur Moses-Pakkianathan, ’25 and ’26, and Ivan Vakal, ’25, along with information technology major Edwin Regalado, ’25, earned the impressive honor while enhancing their professional development and preparing for future challenges.

“I feel incredibly grateful and humbled,” Vakal says. “This experience is a reminder of how faithful God is when we trust Him and work diligently.”

Each year, seniors in the School of Computing take on multifaceted capstone projects—ranging from research papers to presentations and creative works—that demonstrate mastery of their chosen discipline. Ermer and Moses-Pakkianathan collaborated on a paper exploring the role of artificial intelligence in studying, while Vakal and Regalado analyzed the business benefits of two virtualization software programs.

Both research papers were submitted to FTC and accepted, despite rigorous competition from graduate students and industry professionals. The achievement was particularly significant for Regalado, who became the first undergraduate information technology major from Southern to have a paper presented at a leading international technology conference.

In addition, a paper by Corbin Weiss, ’25, was accepted for presentation at the Computing Conference 2026 in London, England. Over the past four years, Southern students’ research has been presented at several prestigious international events, including FTC 2022 and 2024, Computing Conference 2023, and the Intelligent Systems and Applications Conference (IntelliSys) 2023 and 2024. Students’ papers have been cited in other academic works as well. Notably, a paper published by Brandon Gustrowsky, ’24, and Joel López-Villareal, ’24, while they were students, was referenced in the acclaimed Journal of Systems and Software.

At IntelliSys 2024, Ryan Downs, ’24, and Daryl Illangovan, ’25, virtually presented their research on an advanced technology designed to combat AI misuse. Their watermarking innovation helps prevent photographers’ work from being stolen to train AI image-generator models. Receiving high praise for their breakthrough technology, the pair won the Best Presentation Award, selected from among 181 other participants—an impressive accomplishment for two undergraduate students.

Professor Harvey Alférez, PhD, professor in the School of Computing and director of Southern’s Center for Innovation and Research in Computing on campus, expressed gratitude for his students’ success and the divine guidance evident throughout their projects.

“The Holy Spirit guided us to work on these projects,” Alférez says. “It’s amazing how all the dots connect and the pieces fit together when you put everything in His hands.”

Beyond the academic recognition, Alférez emphasizes the spiritual impact of these scholarly efforts. “The most important achievement with these papers is witnessing,” he says. “When people read these published papers, they will find Southern in the authors’ affiliation. They may ask, ‘What does it mean to be Adventist?’ and want to learn more. We can reach people in academic circles that we might not be able to reach in any other way.”

Looking ahead, Alférez has high hopes for the continued growth of the School of Computing as students engage in research that addresses real-world challenges. “In academia, books are very important,” he notes, “but it’s even more important that, as a university, we continue to generate knowledge.”

- Isabella Dixon, junior English major

Four finance majors from the School of Business at Southern placed second out of 11 schools at the annual Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge in February 2026. The invitation-only competition is the culmination of months of work from business students at universities in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.

In Fall 2025, the teams began researching a pharmaceutical company called Harrow, Inc., ultimately trying to decide whether to buy or sell the corporate stock. But the real work began that December, when quarterly reports were released. Seniors Weston Bredall, Marco Grijalva, and Ethan Demaree, along with sophomore Tanner Griggs worked tirelessly for three months to write a report and create a presentation for the CFA Challenge. At the Nashville competition, the team received perfect feedback from the judges on the Q&A section of the presentation and took second place overall.

“I am incredibly proud of our team,” says Joelle Akiki, DBA, faculty advisor for the CFA Challenge. “What stood out most to me was not just the final result, but the discipline, resilience, and growth I saw in our students throughout the process. It was so meaningful to see our students represent Southern so well, both in technical skill and in character. As their advisor, I always emphasize that finance is not just about performance, but about stewardship and integrity, and I truly believe they reflected that throughout the competition.”

David Harkins, CFA, CPA, Chair of the Greater Tennessee Research Challenge, says: “Through rigorous research, valuation analysis, and persuasive presentations, participants develop the skills and professional discipline that define our industry. We are proud to support and celebrate these outstanding students, and we congratulate this year’s winners for their exceptional achievement.”

Bredall credits God for leading the team through the challenge. “God was just a remarkable cornerstone through the entire thing and gave me the strength to speak in front of the judges,” he recalls. “I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to participate, and I want to encourage other business students to do it, too. You won’t regret it!”

“Experiential learning opportunities like the CFA Challenge play a key role in business education,” says Stephanie Sheehan, PhD, dean of the School of Business. “This active learning approach deepens understanding, boosts confidence, and cultivates the innovative mindset needed to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.”

- Isabella Dixon, junior English major

For nurses pursuing advanced degrees in adult-gerontology, the School of Nursing at Southern offers a nurse practitioner (NP) program currently cited among the best in Tennessee by RegisteredNursing.org.
“Rankings reflect a detailed evaluation of accredited programs, and Southern’s NP in this specialty stood out because of its breadth and depth,” says Sally Worthington, outreach coordinator for the online resources platform. “Students can pursue both primary care and acute care emphases within an adult-gerontology track at the master’s as well as doctoral levels, blending Christian-centered education with robust clinical experience.”

Annual scores highlight top institutions that equip students through personalized support and academic training from exceptional, dedicated faculty. Southern’s nursing program earned the No. 4 spot based on its emphasis on leadership, evidence-based practice, and hands-on patient care.

Holly Gadd, dean of the School of Nursing, notes, “Southern’s graduate NP programs have long been recognized as outstanding. Each one—acute care, family, and psychiatric/mental health—is as deserving as the adult-gerontology program of this accolade. We are very proud to have the quality of our education acknowledged.”

This prominence in rankings reflects the readiness of Southern’s students to step into advanced care roles. Michelle Murray, a graduate student pursuing her degree as an acute care adult-gerontology NP, chose to enroll at Southern both for its spiritual environment and for the strength of its academics. “The program is preparing me for my field by providing relevant and up-to-date information regarding advanced nursing practice,” she says, joining other students who also appreciate the university’s teaching philosophy of serving as the hands and feet of Jesus.

Students who have chosen the acute care adult-gerontology NP track have demonstrated a 100% pass rate on certification examinations in recent years. Additionally, each Southern student completing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in 2025 passed the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses on the first try, confirming Southern’s long-standing reputation as a leader in nursing education.