GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University will recognize Dr. Nancy Moody’s excellent service as the higher education institution’s president for eight years by placing her name on a prominent space in a major academic building she shepherded through the construction process.
The university will hold a ceremony today at 1 p.m. to celebrate the naming of the Dr. Nancy B. Moody Lecture Hall inside the Meen Center. Her family members will join Tusculum’s Board of Trustees and administration and other university representatives to unveil the plaque that will officially rename the space. Community members are invited to attend, and no reservations are required.
“We are proud to memorialize Dr. Moody in a building she played such a vital role bringing to fruition,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “By attaching her name to the lecture hall, people will be able to reflect on her commitment to ensuring a high-quality education for our students. We are grateful for her positive imprint on the university and know faculty, staff and alumni continue to hold her in high regard.”
Dr. Moody served as president from 2009-2017 and was the first woman in Tusculum history to hold that position. She passed away Dec. 26, 2024.
During the ceremony, attendees will hear remarks from Dr. Hummel and other Tusculum family members. Dr. Hummel will then make a presentation to Dr. Moody’s family members. At the event’s conclusion, all participants can enjoy light refreshments and fellowship.
The Meen Center is Tusculum’s newest building. Dr. Moody guided the 100,000-square building every step of the way – from initial approval to funding to oversight of construction. She led the efforts that resulted in a $3.9 million gift for the naming of the Meen Center and two $1.5 million endowments to support faculty and students.
Located on one end of the campus, the Meen Center is one of the busier on campus. It is best known as the home for the university’s biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics and computer science programs, but the facility also houses the business faculty and courses and Tusculum’s TRIO program staff.
The lecture hall not only holds classes but is one of the places where students gather for various activities and meetings. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Arrowhead Church C+YA (College & Young Adults) conduct their weekly gatherings in that room. When Tusculum invites the community for lectures and other presentations on campus, they are typically held in that room.
“This is one of the most active spaces on campus, and we are pleased Dr. Moody’s name will be attached to it moving forward,” said Dr. Greg Nelson, chair of the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Moody was deeply invested in Tusculum’s success and the Meen Center’s construction, and we are thrilled she will be linked to a building that is so important to the university.”
During Dr. Moody’s presidency, Tusculum added several academic programs, including criminal justice and the Master of Business Administration, and started the men’s and women’s lacrosse and track and field teams. Tusculum reached articulation and affiliation agreements with regional community colleges and professional schools to increase enrollment in the bachelor’s degree programs and to provide expedited graduate school opportunities for the university’s alumni.
The Board of Trustees recognized Dr. Moody’s contributions to Tusculum by presenting her with the inaugural Founders Award in 2013.
Prior to coming to Tusculum, Dr. Moody served as Lincoln Memorial University’s president for seven years. She earned her associate and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Eastern Kentucky University, a master’s in nursing from the Texas Women’s University Institute of Health Sciences-Houston Center in 1978 and a doctorate in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Nursing.
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.
