24 September ICC dedicates SIM lab at the Tupelo Campus September 24, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College dedicated the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation Simulation Laboratory in the Health Science Education Center on its Tupelo Campus, Sept. 20. “Today we recognize our strong partnership with our friends at the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation,” ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said during the ceremony, which was abbreviated due to COVID precautions. “We have received approximately $175,000 over the past seven years for equipment and upgrades. The Carpenter Foundation understands our mission and the impact ICC has on our communities.” Gifts from the Carpenter Foundation have supported all of ICC’s Health Science programs with technology, equipment upgrades and student and faculty support. According to Dr. Dana Walker, director, ICC’s Associate Degree Nursing program has utilized the funds to purchase equipment such as bar code scanners to mimic medication scanners used in healthcare to improve patient safety, manikin replacement parts to reflect lifelike scenarios instead of utilization of the imagination that is sometimes limited and emergency equipment for students to have hands-on training to improve patient outcomes. “Studies show that collaborative learning across healthcare disciplines such as respiratory care, physical therapy, practical nursing and others leads to better communication and collaboration as well as better alignment to healthcare and improved practice, which can only improve patient care,” Walker said. “With your generous donations, our students are able to learn in a state-of-the art simulation lab with state-of-the-art equipment.” In the simulation lab, ICC’s healthcare students are able to practice basic skills that are taught in the classroom. Simulation helps students bridge the gap between the skills learned in the lab, theory taught in the classroom and real-life situations seen during clinical rotation. The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation was formed in 1975 as E. Rhodes Carpenter Foundation by E. Rhodes Carpenter, founder of the Richmond, Virginia-based company now known as Carpenter Company. Lee Tucker, division manager of the Carpenter Company, which is located in Verona, expressed his appreciation to ICC in his remarks. “Thank you for being a leader in education” Tucker said. “Everyone knows how vital education is. You do the important work. Writing a check is easy. Thank you for being a part of our effort.” “Because of their generosity, countless healthcare professionals have been trained to be on the frontlines of providing the best possible care for our region and beyond,” Allen said. “Specifically here at the Health Science Education Center, ICC continues to solidify its pacesetter reputation, both regionally and nationally through its visionary concepts to meet the accelerating needs of the healthcare industry. This state-of-the-art facility incorporates outstanding credentialed instructors and science’s always evolving technology to provide a cutting edge foundation for the health industry cluster in our region as well as serve as a key economic factor in support of the medical community,” Allen continued. “Thank you to Dean Rilla Jones (Health Science Instruction), Dr. Walker and our highly qualified health science faculty and staff who help make ICC the best community college in the state.” Related Articles ICC's Celebration of Unity programs set for Feb. 4 at both Fulton and Tupelo Itawamba Community College’s Student Government Associations and Student Activities have scheduled Celebration of Unity programs at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses, Feb. 4. The Tupelo Campus program will be at 12:05 p.m. in the student presentation room of the Student Support Center, and the Fulton Campus event will be at 7 p.m. in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center auditorium. Juanita Floyd, vice president of finance and administration for the CREATE Foundation and co-author of “Summer of 1969,” will be the speaker for both programs. She has been employed with the Foundation for almost 35 years. The Foundation established the Bernice Gambrell Endowment Fund in the amount of $10,000 to honor both Floyd on her 20th anniversary as well as her mother. She is active in community affairs, serving on several boards. Floyd was the Tupelo PTO President and was selected “Parent of the Year” in 2008. In August 2019, she was selected as one of Mississippi’s Most Influential African Americans. Her additional honors include Tupelo Trailblazer of the Year, and in 2016, she was the focus of a WTVA ... Alum Bishop Alexander to speak at ICC's Unity programs at Fulton, Tupelo Itawamba Community College alumnus Bishop Alexander, who is the director of Alumni Relations at the University of North Alabama, will be the featured speaker for Unity programs in Celebration of Black History Month, Feb. 24, at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses. The Tupelo Campus program is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Dining Hall of the Academic and Student Center, and the Fulton Campus program, 6 p.m. in the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center auditorium. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on seating, the general public is invited to participate via ZOOM. The registration links are Tupelo, http://bit.ly/ICCUnityTupelo and Fulton, http://bit.ly/ICCUnityFulton. The passcode is Unity. Registration is required in order to receive ZOOM meeting information. Alexander, who is currently a resident of Florence, Ala. is a native of Iuka. He served as ICC’s Student Government Association president during 2002-03. He earned the bachelor’s degree from UNA and will begin work toward his doctoral degree in higher administration leadership this fall. Bishop is a former Congressional aide for the United States House of Representatives. From 2002-07, ... ICC alumnus Jason Dickinson returns to become Campus Police Chief 28 years after he first enrolled as a student Itawamba Community College alumnus Jason Dickinson of Mantachie has returned to his alma mater to become Campus Police Chief 28 years after he first enrolled as a student. On July 1, Dickinson started his new job after spending 23 years working patrol and investigating. Dickinson said he applied because he wants to make a difference in the young lives of the students. Although he has never worked in the college environment, he wants to help or keep them on the right path and explain to them what a bad decision can bring. Dickinson earned two associate’s degrees from ICC, one in agribusiness and the other, in Law Enforcement Technology. “My first stint as a student was in 1993, and it was an adjustment straight out of a small high school. The best part was I met my wife of 25 years now in music appreciation class.” Dickinson’s second time as a student begin in 2015, when he enrolled to obtain a law enforcement degree. He was working full-time as an investigator with the Itawamba County Sheriff’s ... TAG Truck Center Tupelo facilitates rolling chassis donation to ICC's Diesel Equipment Technology program TAG Truck Center Tupelo (TAG Tupelo) recently facilitated the donation of a rolling chassis training aid to the Itawamba Community College Diesel Equipment Technology program for hands-on training while studying chassis repair during its core diesel curriculum. The chassis, originally used in Daimler Truck North America’s Service Training Academy, was in Tooele, Utah and was due for placement at a college or school which applied for it and would use it for training purposes. TAG Tupelo provided the logistics and transportation costs to have it delivered to ICC’s diesel shop. “Our program’s partnership with TAG Tupelo is strong, and we thank them and Higgins Logistics for facilitating this donation. It will allow for practical hands-on experience for our Diesel Equipment students, which is vitally important for their knowledge growth,” said Jason Gholston, director of ICC’s Diesel Equipment Technology program. ICC’s Diesel Equipment Technology program, which was created in 1985, is an instructional program that prepares students with competencies required to maintain and repair a variety of industrial diesel equipment. The program includes instruction in inspection, repair and maintenance of engines, power trains, ... ICC's Dickinson elected Mississippi Campus Law Enforcement Association president Itawamba Community College Campus Police Chief Jason Dickinson of Mantachie has been elected president of the Mississippi Campus Law Enforcement Association for a two-year term. Dickinson returned to ICC in 2021 to become Campus Police Chief 28 years after he first enrolled as a student. He previously spent 23 years working patrol and investigating in such roles as chief of police, chief investigator, captain patrol, commander special operation group, sergeant patrol and patrol officer. A graduate of Mantachie High School, Dickinson earned Associate of Applied Science degrees in Agribusiness and Law Enforcement at ICC. He has received numerous honors during his career in law enforcement, including the youngest Chief of Police (Mantachie) in 1998-99. In addition, his career has included serving as Patrol Sergeant for the Baldwyn Police Department and Chief Investigator for the Itawamba County Sheriff’s office. Among his certifications, Dickinson has earned the full-time Law Enforcement Certificate and every state teaching certificate. He is a nationally certified Active Shooter instructor and K-9 handler and state-certified Criminal Investigator and SWAT Operator. Dickinson and his wife, Amanda, have ... ICC to conduct mock safety training exercises at Fulton, Tupelo Itawamba Community College will conduct mock safety training exercises in coordination with local law enforcement agencies at both the Fulton and Tupelo campuses, Feb. 18. The Fulton Campus event will be from 8-11:30 a.m. at the Boggs Humanities Building, and the Tupelo Campus drill from 12:30-3 p.m. at the Student Support Center. “This will be a test of our emergency preparedness procedures at these locations just as we did recently at the ICC Belden Center,” said Dr. Brad Boggs, dean of students. “The normal operation of the facilities will not be disrupted since classes won’t meet on Feb. 18 due to Presidents’ Day.” The event is only a training exercise which will involve the majority of ICC’s faculty and staff at all locations. “This will provide local law enforcement, emergency responders and the College an opportunity to work together in the event of an incident. We want to ensure that all members of the staff understand their responsibilities as we strengthen our effort to maintain a safe campus environment and that the public is aware that this is ... Comments are closed.