Mayor Madeline Rogero, an enthusiastic supporter of Pellissippi State Community College’s Magnolia Avenue Campus, was guest of honor at the unveiling of two new academic concentrations that will be available in the fall semester – Media Technologies/Audio Production Engineering and Computer Information Technology/ Networking concentrations.
Audio Production Engineering (nicknamed APE) particularly piqued Rogero’s interest.
“I’m going to be out of a job in about a year and a half, and this is a new skill I could learn…”
Dean Rosalyn Tillman invited Rogero to talk about the role Pellissippi’s expanded curriculum (it currently offers a business/management curriculum and a nursing program) plays in Rogero’s vision for East Knoxville development.
Rogero responded with an enthusiastic endorsement, saying that PSCC is a major reason why her administration chose to start the Magnolia Avenue Streetscape program in the school’s neighborhood, citing PSCC’s many contributions to the community and its proximity to Caswell Park, John T. O’Connor Senior Center, the KAT Station Transit Center, East Tennessee Public TV, and downtown in general.
“We in the city will do our part to leverage public dollars (for the project),” Rogero said.
Tillman thanked Rogero for validating the work PSCC does.
“We’ve spent 17 years in this building and seen people come through these doors who would never have come to college,” she said.