A Professor’s Props

Spring

B.S. degree in Family & Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Fashion Merchandising:

Kevin Anderson Jr. Willie Avery Jayla Beason Derricka Becton April Chukwu Cherniecia Clark Ja’Quayah Cotner Brianna Davis Felicity Gurley Yori Latiker Tia McDonald Jevata Partridge Emeaya Powell Mariah Venzant

B.S. degree in Family & Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development & Family Studies:

Skyler Barbee Ron’Niecia Buford Cynthia Cole Ansona Donelson Taylor King Monica McAlpine Jakerria McDonald Zemzem Seraj Brianne Swanagan

B.S. degree in Family & Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Food & Nutritional Sciences:

Kayla Helms Jasmine Henderson Amber Jones

Dr. Matthew Blair poses with one of his favorite pieces in the office — a photograph, which was taken by Dr. Blair’s father, of Martin Luther King in Washington, D.C. when he gave the “I Have A Dream” speech. Photo by Joan Kite

What can you learn about your professors visiting them in their offices during office hours? Plenty. A Professor’s Props By JOAN KITE

We spent an afternoon with Dr. Matthew Blair, a professor who specializes in plant breeding and molecular genetics, examining items in his office to learn more about the man. He immediately confessed he was a bit of a hoarder when it came to collecting things over his lifetime, but he has also been the recipient of countless gifts from students all over the world. Here are some of the gems he shared with us.

At TSU, Dr. Blair specializes in the study of legumes and alternative crops such as amaranth. But it’s clear his second love is the world and the diverse cultures that it offers. His father was a photographer for National Geographic and his mother was a freelance writer. The couple met each other in Ethiopia “post-JFK’s and pre-MLK’s assassinations.” Dr. Blair and his twin brother were born in England.

Dr. Blair earned his bachelor’s degree in Agriculture at Cornell University, his master’s in Agronomy at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and his doctorate in Plant Breeding back at Cornell. He joined the staff at TSU in 2013 and quickly attracted a following of students.

It’s clear from his office surroundings that his parents had a huge influence on his life.

“We went as toddlers to the National Mall to protest,” Dr. Blair recalled. He said his parents covered and attended lots of protests when he was growing up. “I grew up in protests.”

Dr. Blair is affable and can often be seen on campus visiting with students and colleagues around trees he has planted.

TSU’s mascot is the tiger and Dr. Blair has acquired quite the collection over the years. Pictured above is his tiger of ferocity which has a place on the top shelf of his bookcase. Dr. Blair’s Chinese tiger (right) is a drawing he purchased while in China. In the bottom right corner is a sculpture of a circus tiger, tired and caged. Photos by Joan Kite

Dr. Blair purchased this sign (above) at a Nashville antiques show which came from a replica of a slave cabin where famed agricultural scientist George Washington Carver was raised. Carver invented numerous products including those made with peanuts, soybean, and sweet potatoes.

A can of Bush’s bean sits on the shelf of the professor who likes to be known as “The Bean Man” (top right). “Bush’s is a Tennessee company,” Dr. Blair added. Dr. Blair brushes off his diploma (above right) noting that the frame is in need of restoration work. Dr. Blair (left) is a Fulbright scholar. Totems (below) that his parents got while in India. Photos by Joan Kite