Monday, February 28, 2011

[333] MTSU Donates Books To Bangladesh University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 28, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU DONATES BOOKS TO BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY
Student Exchange on Agenda as International Partnership Grows

(MURFREESBORO) - A second shipment of books is on its way to Chittagong University in Bangladesh through the efforts of MTSU’s Yunus Program and Dr. Richard Hannah, professor of economics and finance.
In December, Hannah spent two weeks in Bangladesh talking to students at CU, one of MTSU’s international partners, and making contact with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former MTSU professor and founder of the Grameen Bank in the capital city of Dhaka.
Yunus and the bank won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for their success with microlending, the awarding of low-interest loans to poverty-stricken entrepreneurs. Yunus was an assistant professor at MTSU from 1969 to 1972.
Hannah says the first shipment, some 400 pounds of books, was collected with help from the Honors Student Association and sent to CU last spring.
“Here, after a student is done with a course or faculty members aren’t using the books, they’re of very low value,” he says. “We want to transfer them to an area where they’re valued extremely highly.”
In addition, Hannah met with the executive staff at Grameen to discuss expanding internships at the bank. The first MTSU student to intern with Grameen, Steve Sibley, is in the second year of a doctoral program at Purdue University. Hannah says, like Sibley, future students have to be willing to live among the poor and experience a quality of life that is probably unlike anything they have ever known.


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“These have to be very resilient students who really want to get involved in world poverty studies—and I mean ‘boots on the ground,’” Hannah says.
In the meantime, Hannah and Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, manager of MTSU’s Yunus Program, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Finance and advisor to the president and the provost on Asian affairs, are looking for grant money to sustain the internship drive and bring another CU student to Murfreesboro. The first student, Md. Alauddin Majumber, is working on his second master’s degree.
Majumber is an assistant professor in CU’s Department of Economics. His graduate assistantship is funded with a grant from the MTSU Foundation and a national government subsidy from Bangladesh.
Hannah says the two weeks he spent in Bangladesh has prompted him to rethink how he teaches from a cultural context, not just an economic context.
“If we truly want to internationalize, it requires something more than theorizing,” Hannah says. “You have to go. You have to encourage students to go. You have to bring it back. You have to share.”

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos of Dr. Richard Hannah in Bangladesh, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Friday, February 25, 2011

[331] Cobb's Best of Show Leads MTSU's Parade of Student ADDY Award Winners

Release date: Feb. 25, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Art Dept./Graphic Design contact: Jean Nagy, 615-898-2963 or jnagy@mtsu.edu

Cobb’s Best of Show Leads MTSU’s Parade of Student ADDY Award Winners

(MURFREESBORO) — Five gold awards – including Best of Show by senior Stefanie Cobb – and two silvers led to a spectacular night for the MTSU art department at the 2011 Nashville Student ADDY Awards Feb. 22 in Nashville.
Cobb, a native of Anderson, S.C., now living in Hermitage, Tenn., earned a Gold ADDY and Best of Show for her “American Ladies Feline Fellowship Society Annual Report” entry.
“It’s a fairly involved piece,” says Cobb, who will graduate May 7. “I made everything from the copy to the illustrations. I tend to really get into the details of a project, so there are a lot of little elements that I wanted to include to make the piece really fun, like the cat jingle bell along the spine. It was a lot of work, but I had a lot of fun creating it.”
Cobb, a past president of AIGA (the professional association for design), also earned a Silver Student ADDY for a mixed media campaign titled “Streets in the Sky: The Rise and Fall of Brutalist Architecture.”
“If I had a whole class of Stefanies, it would be a dream world,” says Noel Lorson, associate professor. “She’s creative, talented and dedicated. Basically, her passion for design is what helps her find time to make every project successful.
“When I graded the annual report that won her the Gold Student ADDY and Best of Show awards, I wrote, ‘This project will get you any job you want.’ It had fabulous design, illustration, photography and copy writing.”
In addition to Cobb, the following received Student ADDY awards:
• Cody Newman of Nashville, who earned a gold in the television category for his submission titled “Ten to Two”;
• Eric Pavol of Franklin, Tenn., who earned a gold for an interactive website submission titled “A Field Guide to Benches in Nashville”;
• Nathan Henris of Franklin, who received a gold for a mixed media campaign titled “Vintage Walls Museum Exhibit”;
• Whitney Mortimer of Chattanooga, who captured a gold for a package design titled “The Weather Witch Doctor Voodoo Doll”; and
• Michael Slattery of Goodlettsville, Tenn., who earned a silver for an animation titled “The Beasties.”
In the Nashville Student ADDY Awards, MTSU competes against students from Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville; Watkins College of Art, Design & Film; O’More College of Design; Nossi College of Art; and other public and private colleges.
“The Student ADDY competition gives our students a chance to experience competition for their design work and see how their work stacks up from the other regional universities,” says Jean Nagy, department chair and associate professor. “The MTSU Department of Art is proud that our students’ work stacks up to the scrutiny of design professionals within the American Advertising Federation-Nashville.”
This marks the first of three tiers of competition. Nashville Gold and Silver winners compete next at the district level against winners from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Winners from 14 American Advertising Federation districts then will advance to compete at the National Student ADDYs, and a chance to win $1,000, which is awarded for the Student Best of Show.
The art department’s graphic-design program, which is a part of the College of Liberal Arts, features more than 220 student majors and is one of the largest and most successful in the state, said Seth Johnson, associate professor.
“We have hundreds of graduates throughout the country working in the graphic-design industry that graduated from our program over the last 30 years,” Johnson says. “”Naturally, we are excited about this honor and our student accomplishments.”
Professor Barry Buxkamper joins Nagy, Lorson and Johnson as faculty mentors.
The graduating graphic design senior capstone projects from the program will be on display in the Art Department Todd Gallery from April 11 through May 5.


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Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of the group is available. To obtain, please contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Media Relations by calling 615-898-5616 or 898-2919, or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu

In Brief

Six MTSU art department graphic-design students combined to earn five golds and two silvers Feb. 22 at the 2011 Nashville Student ADDY Awards in Nashville. The students included seniors Stefanie Cobb (one gold, including Best of Show, and one silver), Whitney Mortimer (gold), Eric Pavol (gold), Cody Newman (gold), Nathan Henris (gold) and Michael Slattery (silver). Their winning entries advance to the district level against winners from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Department chair and associate professor Jean Nagy, professor Barry Buxkamper and associate professors Noel Lorson and Seth Johnson serve as faculty mentors.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[330] National Women's History Month 'Springs' Forward At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 24, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH ‘SPRINGS’ FORWARD AT MTSU
‘Breaking Boundaries and Breaking New Ground’ Theme of Multifaceted Schedule

(MURFREESBORO) –“Breaking Boundaries and Breaking New Ground” is the theme of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month observance, a celebration so jam-packed with events that it encompasses not only the traditional month of March, but parts of February and April, as well.
The keynote speaker for the celebration is Angela Davis, the Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department at Syracuse University. She is slated to speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Davis, a political activist whose unyielding commitment to social justice movements made her a target of governmental and educational retaliation in the 1960s and 1970s, is retired from the History of Consciousness program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
An interdisciplinary conference, “Global Discourses in Women’s and Gender Studies,” is slated for March 23-26 on campus. Somaly Mam, a Cambodian author and human rights activist, will deliver the keynote lecture, “The Road to Lost Innocence: Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery,” at 3:15 p.m. Friday, March 25, in the Tom H. Jackson Building.
Meghan McCain, author of Dirty Sexy Politics and daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), will help kick off SpringOUT with a speech presented by MT Lambda and Scholars Week at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in Room 221 of the MTSU Learning Resources Center. MT Lambda is a student organization which strives to support and raise awareness about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
“When Civil War is Waged by Women” is the title of the final Women’s and Gender Studies Research Series presentation of spring 2011. Dr. Nancy Rupprecht, professor of history, will deliver the presentation at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Room 100 of the James Union Building.
The featured individual on the 2011 National Women’s History Month button is Frida Kahlo, a dynamic catalyst in the “neomexicanismo” art movement and subject of Salma Hayek’s 2002 Academy Award-winning motion picture “Frida.” Kahlo burst out from under the shadow of her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, to become a national hero in Mexico.

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The entire MTSU National Women’s History Month calendar is available at http://www.mtsu.edu/jac/. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise indicated. For more information, contact Terri Johnson, director of the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students and chair of the Women’s History Month Committee, at 615-898-5989 or trjohnso@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a copy of the National Women’s History Month logo, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[329] Nontraditional In Every Way, MTSU Student Loves Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 24, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

NONTRADITIONAL IN EVERY WAY, MTSU STUDENT LOVES CHALLENGE
Photography Major Shoots to Thrill after Surviving Army, Air Force, Divorce Court

(MURFREESBORO) - In an era that rewards homogeneity and punishes critical thinking skills, Christopher Hamrick not only shatters the mold. He takes piercing aim at it in a rambuctious life held together by one strong thread—the search for truth.
The 32-year-old photography major from Hermitage served a four-year stint in the U.S. Marines from 1996-2000. After Sept. 11, 2001, he signed up for another four years of service—this time, in the U.S. Air Force.
Between the military periods, Hamrick got married. After a tumultuous five-year relationship and painful divorce and custody battle, he remains a devoted dad to his eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old twin boys. It left him with an unshakeable feeling that men are often shortchanged in custody issues.
“It has been difficult to fight someone you actually care for,” Hamrick says.
He admits it has been difficult to handle the breakup of his family while juggling classes, but he finds occasional respite at the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students.
“I guess I just mostly needed a place between classes to rest,” Hamrick says. “There were other people my age who had been through similar experiences, whether military, single parent or whatever.”
The June Anderson Center merged last year with Off-Campus Student Services. Its expanded mission enables it to embrace students like Hamrick and gives them a place where they feel they belong.
“The center is a place where all kinds of students can feel welcome and secure,” says center director Terri Johnson. “Christopher is an amazing nontraditional student, and there are many more who we serve every day.”
Hamrick initially listed engineering technology as his major since he had performed so much electronic engineering work in both military and civilian life. However, his experimentation with infrared photography during his custody dispute combined with a wealth of amateur photo experience led to a change of major and a change of perspective.
“As I was taking these photographs, I realized how surreal and beautiful they were and very different from anybody else was doing,” Hamrick says. “I noticed that I had a very good eye for framing the shot and then getting a picture.”

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Hamrick has yet to decide whether photography is to become his latest occupational adventure. But he insists that whatever he does must be unique, whether climbing Mount Whitney in California or getting that incomparable shot of a burning building that can only be achieved through great risk.
“I’ve already faced that whole dying aspect and it’s one of those inevitable things,” Hamrick says. “Being a veteran, I don’t have to worry about people fighting over it. They can just plant me and be done with it. But, up until that point, it’s what you do in the world that people remember.”


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpegs of Christopher Hamrick, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[328] MTSU's Bangladesh Connection Subject On WMOT-FM Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 24, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU’S BANGLADESH CONNECTION SUBJECT ON WMOT-FM PROGRAM
Interest in Nation, Muhammad Yunus’ Work Discussed on ‘MTSU on the Record’

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Richard Hannah, professor of economics and finance, will discuss MTSU’s partnership with Chittagong University in Bangladesh on “MTSU on the Record” at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 27, with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Hannah visited Bangladesh in December 2010, lecturing at Chittagong University and visiting Grameen Bank in the capital city of Dhaka. Grameen Bank was founded by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize-winning economist who taught at MTSU in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Yunus is a pioneer in the practice of granting low-interest loans to poverty-stricken people so they can establish their own businesses.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.



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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[327] Renowned Banjoist Bela Fleck Visits MTSU March 15

RENOWNED BANJOIST BELA FLECK VISITS MTSU MARCH 15
‘Throw Down Your Heart’ Documentary on Feb. 28 to Whet Interest

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Connie Huddleston, 615-494-7628, chudd@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—Grammy-winning, genre-bending musician Béla Fleck will play MTSU’s Windham Lecture Series in Liberal Arts into its second decade when the renowned banjoist serves as guest speaker on Tuesday, March 15, in Tucker Theatre.
“A Conversation with Béla Fleck,” which will mark the Windham Lectures’ 20th year, will begin at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the general public.
MTSU will whet audiences’ appetites for Fleck’s lecture on Monday, Feb. 28, when the Student Programming Films Committee offers a free public showing of the documentary on Fleck’s pilgrimage to Africa to learn about the banjo’s origins. “Throw Down Your Heart” will be screened at 4 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Keathley University Center Theater.
Fleck just received his 14th Grammy Award, the “Best Contemporary World Music Album” for “Throw Down Your Heart, Africa Sessions Part 2: Unreleased Tracks.”
Fleck began his career on the guitar, but he was struck by the bluegrass sounds of Flatt & Scruggs, particularly Earl Scruggs' banjo style, while watching “The Beverly Hillbillies” on TV. He began playing a banjo his grandfather bought him when he was 15 and, taught by artists as varied as Erik Darling, Marc Horowitz and Tony Trischka, Fleck was soon playing in bands and made his first solo album, “Crossing the Tracks,” at age 19. His second album, “Natural Bridge,” teamed him with David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Ricky Skaggs, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall and other great players.
In 1981, Fleck was invited to join New Grass Revival, reuniting with an old pal, mandolinist Sam Bush, and adding Pat Flynn on guitar and John Cowan on bass to chart new territory with their blend of bluegrass, rock and country. During Fleck’s nine years with NGR, he continued to record solo albums for Rounder Records and collaborated with Bush, O’Connor, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer in an acoustic supergroup, Strength in Numbers.
Toward the end of the New Grass years, Fleck met keyboardist and harmonica player Howard Levy and connected with bassist Victor Wooten and his brother, percussionist Roy “FutureMan” Wooten. That one-shot appearance on the PBS “Lonesome Pine Specials” became the first performance of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, whose “blu-bop” jazz-bluegrass synthesis has led to best-selling CDs, multiple Grammy nominations and international tours. Levy left the Flecktones after three albums and was replaced by saxophonist Jeff Coffman. The group will be touring again this year with Levy as Béla Fleck and the Original Flecktones; Coffin will join the tour later, and the Flecktones plan a stop at Bonnaroo 2011 in Manchester, Tenn., on Friday, June 10, as well.
In the midst of tour preparations and countless side projects, Fleck also is working on his first standalone banjo concerto, commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, which is set for a September premiere.
Fleck’s most recent Grammy awards came as a result of his 2005 excursions to Mali, The Gambia, Tanzania and Uganda to study the African origins of the banjo. He has been nominated in more different categories than anyone in Grammy history—bluegrass, classical, contemporary Christian, country, gospel, jazz, pop and spoken-word.
MTSU’s Windham Lecture Series in Liberal Arts was established by William and Westy Windham through the MTSU Foundation. Dr. William Windham was a member of the MTSU faculty from 1955 to 1989 and served as chairman of the Department of History the last 11 years. The late Westy Windham (1927-91) earned a master's degree in sociology at MTSU and was the founder of the Great American Singalong.
The inaugural Windham Lecture in 1990 featured Drs. Dan T. Carter of Emory University and Dewey W. Grantham of Vanderbilt University, who spoke on “The South and the Second Reconstruction.” Since then, the Windham Lectures have addressed topics spanning from American music to presidential rhetoric to gambling to U.S. foreign policy.
The Windham series is sponsored annually by the College of Liberal Arts and its departments. For more information, please contact the college at 615-494-7628.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: Grammy-winning, genre-bending musician Béla Fleck will play MTSU’s Windham Lecture Series in Liberal Arts into its second decade when the renowned banjoist serves as guest speaker on Tuesday, March 15, in Tucker Theatre. “A Conversation with Béla Fleck,” which will mark the Windham Lectures’ 20th year, will begin at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the general public. MTSU will whet audiences’ appetites for Fleck’s lecture on Monday, Feb. 28, when the Student Programming Films Committee offers a free public showing of the documentary on Fleck’s pilgrimage to Africa to learn about the banjo’s origins. “Throw Down Your Heart” will be screened at 4 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Keathley University Center Theater. For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/events or contact the College of Liberal Arts at 615-494-7628.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.




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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Fleck, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Media Relations via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

[326] Feb. 26 Regional Science Olympiad Draws 400 Competitors

Release date: Feb. 23, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085 or ppatters@mtsu.edu

Feb. 26 Regional Science Olympiad Draws 400 Competitors

(MURFREESBORO) — Dr. Pat Patterson calls Science Olympiad “the best STEM tournament in the nation,” and the annual Regional Science Olympiad once again will bring 400 boys and girls and 100-plus volunteers to MTSU Saturday, Feb. 26.
The middle- and high-school competitors have been preparing for weeks and months for events like Awesome Aquafiers, Battery Buggy, Junkyard Challenge and Microbe Mission in the middle-school division, and Sounds of Music, Disease Detectives, Mousetrap Vehicle and Sumo Bots in the high-school division.
“Even the president (Obama) is talking about STEM,” said Patterson, an associate professor of chemistry and the Science Olympiad coordinating regional director, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“This is such a wonderful opportunity. Some of the building events the students are working on are wonderful. They are doing science, not just memorizing.”
Rutherford County high schools planning to send teams include La Vergne, Siegel, Blackman, Eagleville and Riverdale, along with Central Magnet School. Other high-school teams will include Hume-Fogg Academic Magnate (two teams) and University School of Nashville; Fred J. Page and Ravenwood from Williamson County; Spring Hill; and Chattanooga McCallie.
Eleven middle-school teams will compete; Blackman, Spring Hill and Stewart’s Creek plan to enter two squads each. Local middle schools also will include Cason Lane, Central Magnate, Smyrna and St. Rose of Lima. The final participating team is St. Henry’s of Nashville.
The top five schools in each division will advance to the State Science Olympiad in Knoxville on Saturday, April 2.
Numerous MTSU faculty from many campus disciplines and others are serving as coordinators for all 23 events in both divisions. Preservice teachers in Patterson’s physical science classes (PSCI 4030), MTeach and other students will volunteer their time to assist throughout the day.
Dr. Amy Phelps, an MTSU chemistry professor, has helped Patterson as associate director for years. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/MTScienceOlympiad.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

More than 400 middle- and high-school science enthusiasts from Rutherford, Davidson, Williamson, Maury and Hamilton counties will participate in the annual Regional Science Olympiad this Saturday, Feb. 26, at MTSU. Each division has 23 events. Many MTSU faculty and others are serving as event coordinators, with more than 100 volunteers also assisting.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[323] The Latest Dirt On MTSU Construction

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 22, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919


THE LATEST DIRT ON MTSU CONSTRUCTION

MURFREESBORO—It’s nothing short of a marvel to watch as the Education Building and Student Union on the Middle Tennessee State University campus seem to be in daily transformation; so much so that one can almost hear the hustle-bustle of pedestrian traffic in and out of the doors of both facilities.
The Education Building (Brasfield & Gorrie), slated for completion by the middle of June of this year, is nearing completion on the exterior work. The interior walls along with the mechanical, electrical and plumbing are 90 percent finished. The interior work and AV infrastructure are in progress.
Workers are installing ductwork in the Student Union (Messer Construction), which is projected for completion in the spring of 2012. The brick is going up on the columns, fireproofing materials are being placed, and sprinkler lines are currently being installed.
The Parking Garage/Student Services (one-stop-shop) is in design. Messer Construction is construction manager and general contractor. The work will include a 980-space parking garage, a bridge connecting it to the new Student Union and an administrative space for Financial Aid, Admissions, Bursar, Campus Tours, Registrar, College Advising, Enrollment Technical Services, ID Office, and a Quick Service Desk. There will be vehicular access to MTSU Boulevard and pedestrian access to the main east/west pedestrian walkway.
The renovation of Deere and Nicks halls includes replacing the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, architectural improvements such as window framing and providing ADA accessibility. The work, performed by Denark Construction, should be completed this May.
Hardcastle Construction is making improvements to the Dairy Farm, including road work and shed construction. Improvements should be finished by this May.
The new fencing along MTSU Boulevard signals the extensive parking and transportation improvements carried out by Rock City Construction. A new roundabout will be constructed at the corner near Scarlett Commons along with a new entrance to campus from Greenland Drive. There will be two–lane traffic from the Recreation Center roundabout to Founders Lane, at which point traffic will have to turn right. The one-way street by Jones Hall will be widened but remain one-way traffic heading east. This project will continue through mid-December of this year.
The modernization of campus lighting and energy systems will continue through early spring of this year. New lamps for walkways and parking lots will utilize lower wattage sources. New lighting will be installed in some areas to address safety and security concerns and to provide better overall visibility. Elmore Electrical & Mechanical is doing the work. Siemans is working to provide temperature-control and energy-management capabilities for HVAC and lighting systems campuswide.
Jolly Roofing will install a new roof on the Business and Aerospace Building. Following a pre-construction meeting in February, the work is slated to be completed in early June of this year.

Completed projects include: Tucker Theatre renovation (Doster Construction), Jones Hall HVAC improvements and updates (Four Seasons), fiber optic installation for data centers and node locations (Black Box), Rutledge Hall porch reconstruction (Olympian Construction) and roof replacements on the Tom Jackson Building, Jones Hall, Ellington Human Sciences, Fairview Building, Jean Jack Flight Center and the Photography Building (Don Kennedy Roofing).

Other projects in design include:

The Media Convergence Center entails work in two locations—the Mass Communication and Fairview buildings. Bids will go out April 1 of this year, with a projected completion date of August of this year. Space will be renovated in Mass Comm to accommodate WMOT-FM and WMTS-FM radio stations, Sidelines, MTTV cable and student record label, MTSU Records. The existing space in Fairview (Greenland Drive) will be renovated to house Creative and Visual Services and related areas under the Office of Marketing and Communications.

• Learning Resources Center for the Department of Human Sciences

• Underground Electrical Update, Phase 2

• Campus Lighting Upgrade

• Todd Hall Indoor Air-Quality Upgrades

• Demolition of Woods, Felder, Gore and Clement halls, which will begin in May or June of this year.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

[322] MTSU To Host District Competition of National History Day Friday

Feb. 22, 2011
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU TO HOST DISTRICT COMPETITION OF NATIONAL HISTORY DAY FRIDAY

MURFREESBORO—The College of Liberal Arts and Department of History at Middle Tennessee State University will play host to the Middle Tennessee History Day District Competition of National History Day, Friday, Feb. 25, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Youngsters in grades 6 through 12 will display their contest entries, which fall into five general categories: documentary, websites, papers, exhibit and performance. Topic categories must be in keeping with the annual theme, “Debate and Diplomacy.” Special awards also will be given in five categories: Women’s History, History of the Middle East, African American History, Holocaust History and the History of Science.
A total of 249 students representing 20 schools and two home schools will be participating.
The general public is invited to campus this Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to view the students’ work.
The Middle Tennessee district competition allows each school to send two entries each in the categories of documentary, exhibit and performance. Additionally four entries are permitted from each school in each category for papers and website design.
District winners will advance to the state competition in Nashville on April 2. Those placing 1st and 2nd at that level will advance to the national contest at the University of Maryland in June.
The NHD competition is the nation’s oldest and most highly regarded history program for students in grades 6 through 12, according to the National History Day Fact Sheet (www.nhd.org). More than a half-million students participate every year. Students have gone on to careers in business, teaching, law and medicine, disciplines that require the skills that NHD strives to nurture and develop in young people.
MTSU and the Department of History have joined other universities, historical societies, humanities councils and other agencies in encouraging young Tennessee scholars to become engaged in history and civic affairs.
NHD began in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1974, and became a national organization in 1980. In 1992, NHD headquarters moved from Ohio to Washington, D.C.

####
Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.




For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

Monday, February 21, 2011

[321] MTSU Center to Present Workshop on Reading Disabilities

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 21, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: 615-494-8880, dyslexia@mtsu.edu


MTSU Center to Present Workshop on Reading Disabilities
Workshop is designed for educators

(MURFREESBORO)— A workshop designed for educators will provide an overview of the reading disability, dyslexia, on Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, located at 200 North Baird Lane on the MTSU campus.
Information will be presented on the characteristics of dyslexia, methods used to identify dyslexia and how students with dyslexia may be served in school. Leaders will provide information on the types of instructional materials recommended for intervention and classroom accommodations that will help students with dyslexia.
The cost is $30 per person, and space is limited to 24 participants. Breakfast and take-home materials are included.
You must call 615-494-8880 by March 16 to register. Reservations are not secured until payment is received. Please make checks payable to MTSU; school purchase orders will also be accepted.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.




For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

Friday, February 18, 2011

[320] Expert On Bullying To Address Hot Topic At MTSU March 17

Feb. 18, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; Dr. Jackie Gilbert, 615-898-5418

EXPERT ON BULLYING TO ADDRESS HOT TOPIC AT MTSU MARCH 17

MURFREESBORO—Dr. Gary Namie, nationally recognized expert on bullying, will speak at Middle Tennessee State University on Thursday, March 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building.
The title of his presentation is “Take a Stand: Stop Bullying.” The event, sponsored by the Distinguished Speaker Series and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, will be free and open to the public.
Namie directs a national network of citizen lobbyists, which is working to pass into law the anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill. He taught the nation’s first university course on workplace bullying and was an expert witness in the nation’s first “bullying trial” in Indiana.
Namie and his wife, Dr. Ruth Namie, produce information on eight public websites devoted to education about bullying for citizens, lawmakers, unions and employers. Their work has been featured on Today, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR and in newspapers across the country.
To alleviate locating convenient parking on the main campus, visitors may park in the large lot east of Rutherford Boulevard and ride the shuttle to the Business and Aerospace Building.
For more information, contact Dr. Jackie Gilbert in the Jones College of Business at 615-898-5418. Also, check out Gilbert’s blog on bullying at http://www.organizedforefficiency.com.

####

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[319] MTSU Professor Review Summer Vacation In Middle East

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 17, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU PROFESSORS REVIEW SUMMER VACATION IN MIDDLE EAST
Larry and Kathy Burriss Recall Experiences in Egypt, Jordan and Israel

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Larry Burriss, professor of journalism, and his wife, Dr. Kathy Burriss, professor of elementary and special education, will talk about their summer vacation in Israel, Jordan and Egypt at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 20, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
The Burrisses will focus on their conversations and experiences with Egyptians while in country and their reflections in light of the subsequent unrest that resulted in the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30years in power.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

[318] Award-Winning Pianist Chih-Long HU Sets Free Concert At MTSU

AWARD-WINNING PIANIST CHIH-LONG HU SETS FREE CONCERT AT MTSU
Performance Planned for Feb. 23 in Wright Music Building on Campus

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 16, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493, tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—International award-winning pianist Dr. Chih-Long Hu will perform in a free public recital on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
A native of Taiwan, Hu has won numerous awards for his artistry, including the Taipei National Concert Hall Arising Star and the Chi-Mei Artist Award, and prizes from the Mauro Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy, Concurs Internacional De Piano D'Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra, Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan and the Russian Music International Piano Competition in San Jose, Calif.
Dr. Lynn Rice-See, the coordinator of keyboard studies at the MTSU School of Music, said Hu will perform works by Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Liszt.
“I am particularly excited that Dr. Hu will perform the Rachmaninoff etudes in his program,” said Rice-See. “My first experience hearing him was a performance of the Rachmaninoff B-flat Minor Sonata in 2008, and it was indeed memorable.”
An active pianist, Hu has performed extensively in Asia, Europe and throughout North America, appearing as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. His performances have been broadcast in "Performance Today" through National Public Radio stations across the country and televised in Taiwan, China and Japan. His CD "Formosa Caprices" received critical acclaim and was nominated as “Best Crossover Album,” along with Hu as “Best Performer,” for the 2009 Golden Melody Awards—the Taiwanese equivalent of the Grammys.
Hu has been a member of the music faculty at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City since 2006.
For more information on Hu’s Feb. 23 performance or other concerts by the MTSU School of Music, please call 615-898-2493 or click on the “Concert Calendar” link at www.mtsumusic.com.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

-------

IN BRIEF: International award-winning pianist Dr. Chih-Long Hu will perform in a free public recital on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. Dr. Lynn Rice-See, the coordinator of keyboard studies at the MTSU School of Music, said Hu will perform works by Frédéric Chopin, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Liszt. For more information on Hu’s Feb. 23 performance or other concerts by the MTSU School of Music, please call 615-898-2493 or click on the “Concert Calendar” link at www.mtsumusic.com.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

[317] Celebrate President's Day with Honors College Open House Feb. 21

mtsunews.com


Release date: Feb. 16, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu

Celebrate President’s Day with Honors College Open House Feb. 21

(MURFREESBORO) — Prospective students from high schools across the region and their parents or guardians are invited to the second University Honors College Open House on Presidents’ Day, Monday, Feb. 21.
The open house will be held from noon to 4 p.m. in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.
University advisers from all the colleges, financial-aid office personnel, housing staff, the study-abroad office and Honors College staff and students will be available to assist visitors.
The Honors College features small classes, dedicated faculty, unique curricular and extracurricular experiences, an award-winning arts and literary magazine, an honors credit for study abroad, the Governor’s School for the Arts and advanced-placement and International Baccalaureate credits. High-school students must have a 25 ACT score and a minimum 3.5 GPA to be qualified.
Attendees can drop in and meet the Honors College staff, visit the information booths, receive answers to financial-aid and scholarship questions, take a campus tour at 1:30 p.m., tour the Lyon Hall living and learning center for honors students and attend the 3 p.m. Honors Lecture Series.
For more information, call 615-898-5464 or go online to http://www.mtsu.edu/honors/OpenHouse.shtml.

###
Media welcomed.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.
For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

[316] ISR Group Supports Development of UAS Program at MTSU

Release date: Feb. 15, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Aerospace contact: Dr. Wayne Dornan, 615-898-2788
or wdornan@mtsu.edu
ISR Group contact: Bob Boggan, 731-926-4188 (ext. 5007)
or bboggan@isrgroup.com

ISR Group Supports Development of UAS Program at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) — Middle Tennessee State University and ISR Group, based in Savannah, Tenn., have signed a multiyear collaborative agreement to develop an unparalleled Unmanned Aerial System program in the southeastern United States, officials from both MTSU and ISR Group said.

The agreement ties MTSU’s nationally ranked Department of Aerospace with ISR Group’s industry-leading UAS experts, facilities and flight range to create a powerful academic presence in the unmanned aircraft industry.

The ISR Group and MTSU partnership capitalizes on each organization’s expertise to create a world-class UAS technology, research and academic program to support the emerging UAS market, help spur economic development, provide educational opportunities for the local work force and create high-tech jobs for Tennessee and the region.

ISR Group and MTSU make a great team to carry out collaborative training and research, officials with both said in a joint statement. ISR Group’s expert staff of UAS operators, maintainers, instructors and managers is working with MTSU’s aerospace faculty and staff to provide a solid foundation to develop a curriculum for UAS technology in the MTSU aerospace department and to help guide the development of a national UAS curriculum.

With an already high demand for defense and homeland security applications, unmanned systems are experiencing a significant increase for state, local and commercial use, such as law enforcement, emergency management and agriculture.

The largest challenge today is safely integrating unmanned aircraft in national airspace. MTSU’s aerospace department is working to assist the Federal Aviation Administration with defining the standards for small UAS flight operations and training certifications, as well as manned and unmanned next-generation air traffic management.

ISR Group’s privately owned 10-square-mile range complex and 32 square miles of available UAS airspace offer prime operational flight training and flight research capabilities. ISR Group also offers logistics and maintenance support along with state-of-the-art training equipment and facilities.

ISR Group’s generous donation to MTSU established the Director of UAS Programs position for which Kyle Snyder recently has been hired. MTSU and ISR jointly will pursue several UAS projects using expertise from both organizations.

“It is truly exciting to be a part of the first unmanned aircraft systems university-to-business program in the southeast United States. ISR Group and MTSU have created a powerful alliance that supports this rapidly growing industry segment and that positively contributes to economic development in the state of Tennessee,” said Alfred Lumpkin, CEO of ISR Group.

“This is a wonderful example of joining two Tennessee treasures (ISR and MTSU) in an academic/business partnership with national significance,” said Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

###

Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo is attached and/or available. To obtain, contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Media Relations by calling 615-898-5616, 615-898-2919 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Alfred Lumpkin, left, CEO of ISR Group in Savannah, Tenn., and MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee sign documents establishing the multiyear collaborative agreement to develop an Unmanned Aerial System program.

About ISR Group

ISR Group is headquartered in Savannah, Tenn. (Hardin County). It is a leading provider of unmanned aircraft system services and support to customers worldwide. Full life cycle support solutions include training systems, technical services, logistics and depot level maintenance and range facilities. Other strengths include a strong customer base, multiplatform experience and a highly skilled work force with exceptional technical capabilities. ISR Group is the second-fastest growing mid-cap company in the Southeast region of the United States and has business relationships with Boeing, Northrop Grumman, AAI Corporation, L-3 Communications, INSITU, the U.S. Department of Defense and others.

About MTSU’s Department of Aerospace

MTSU’s Department of Aerospace, housed in the Business and Aerospace Building on campus and Flight Operations Center at Murfreesboro Airport, is considered one of the elite programs nationally and one of the University’s signature programs. The program, established in 1942, includes 14 full-time faculty, 35 flight instructors and more than 750 students majoring in any of five concentrations (professional pilot, flight dispatch, maintenance management, administration and technology). Through the efforts by the state of Tennessee, MTSU’s administration and department leaders, the program has remained on the cutting edge in technology, and has one of the most modern fleets of planes as a training ground for current and future graduates working all across the U.S. and abroad.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[315] More Diabetes Workshops Available In Rutherford County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 15, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MORE DIABETES WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY
Sessions Coming up at Primary Care and Hope Clinic and Patterson Park Center

(MURFREESBORO) – Time is running out to make reservations for the next “Yes I Can!” Diabetes Self-Management Workshops Feb. 17-March 24 at Primary Care and Hope Clinic, 1453A Hope Way, and March 1-April 5 at Patterson Park Community Center, 521 Mercury Blvd., in Murfreesboro.
The workshops at the St. Clair Senior Citizens Center and MTSU were filled to capacity very quickly. In fact, plans are in the works for a second series of workshops at MTSU in May to accommodate people who find that venue most convenient.
“Yes I Can!” is a free six-session workshop series to help diabetics and people with pre-diabetes symptoms in Rutherford County improve their quality of life with techniques and strategies to help them manage their disease. Focal points include healthy eating, exercise, medications, preventing complications, medications, communication skills and more.
The Center for Health and Human Services at MTSU is supervising the workshops, which are funded through a $75,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Health.
The sessions are limited to 20 people each. Participants must be 18 years of age or over. A doctor’s referral is not required to attend.
Workshops at Primary Care and Hope Clinic are slated for Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The workshops at Patterson Park are scheduled for Tuesdays from noon to 2:30 p.m.
For more information or to register, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/achcs/YesICan.shtml or contact Cindy Rhea at 615-904-8342 or crhea@mtsu.edu.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Monday, February 14, 2011

[314] Final Challenging Phase of Work Begins Along MTSU Boulevard

FINAL CHALLENGING PHASE OF WORK BEGINS ALONG MTSU BOULEVARD
Construction Will Cause Changes in Parking and Traffic Until Fall 2011

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Ron Malone, 615-898-5002, rmalone@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)— The final and possibly the most challenging phase of construction has begun on MTSU Boulevard, which connects the interior of campus to Rutherford Boulevard.
Construction has begun along MTSU Boulevard and will cause some changes in traffic and parking along the thoroughfare, said Ron Malone, assistant vice president for events and transportation services.
Workers are placing new fencing along both sides of the street between the Roundabout and the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. Pathway accessibility will be created north of the fencing to allow pedestrian access from the parking lots to campus buildings located within the fenced area.
Malone said all parking along the street, and even some parking in adjacent parking lots, will be affected and will be temporarily relocated. Campus officials are recommending that commuters park in perimeter lots, such as those along Rutherford Boulevard and ride the Raider Xpress shuttle bus into campus. Faculty and staff will find white-decal parking available in the lot south of the Honors Building.
Plans are to maintain one lane of traffic along the construction route, Malone said, but vehicular travel between the Blue Raider Drive/MTSU Boulevard intersection and the Rutherford Boulevard campus entrance/exit will be affected throughout the project until it is completed in fall 2011.
“MTSU will provide periodic updates concerning future road closures, and we appreciate the cooperation from the campus and community as we continue to improve our campus accessibility,” Malone said.
For more information or questions, contact the Office of Events and Transportation at 615-898-5002.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.


For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

—30—

[313] Film Festival Returns To MTSU In April

FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO MTSU IN APRIL
11th Annual Event Features Week of Student-Filmmaker Screenings

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tyler Adkins, 615-898-2551, mtsufilms@yahoo.com

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University’s Films Committee will conduct its 11th Annual MTSU Student Film Festival Monday through Friday, April 4-8, in the Keathley University Center Theater.

The festival will have nightly screenings at 7 p.m., showcasing MTSU’s best up-and-coming student filmmakers. The MTSU Student Film Festival has been running since 2000.

“We are glad to continue the tradition of upholding an event where students can put their academic and extracurricular skills to use and showcase their talent,” said Tyler Adkins, chair of the MTSU Films Committee.
“We look forward to the eleventh year of the festival, and hope it will be our best yet.”

Submission packets are available now in the Office of Student Unions and Programming, located in Room 308 of the KUC, or online at www.mtsu.edu/events.

The festival will accept entries only from projects in which a current student holds a substantial role. Submissions for the festival are due on Friday, March 25, with prizes ranging from gift cards to a Nashville Film Festival patron-level pass. Prizes, which are being donated by the Nashville Film Festival, are subject to change; entrants will receive prior notification.

For more information about the film festival, contact Adkins at 615-898-2551 or mtsufilms@yahoo.com or visit www.mtsu.edu/events.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

-------

IN BRIEF: Middle Tennessee State University’s Films Committee will conduct its 11th Annual MTSU Student Film Festival Monday through Friday, April 4-8, in the Keathley University Center Theater. The festival will have nightly screenings at 7 p.m., showcasing MTSU’s best up-and-coming student filmmakers. Prizes will be awarded to the top three films at the festival. Submission packets are available online at www.mtsu.edu/events and are due on Friday, March 25. For more information about the film festival, contact Tyler Adkins, film committee chair, at 615-898-2551 or mtsufilms@yahoo.com or visit www.mtsu.edu/events.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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[312] MTSU To Present 'MEDEA' Feb. 23-26 In Tucker Theatre

MTSU TO PRESENT ‘MEDEA’ FEB. 23-26 IN TUCKER THEATRE
Performances Planned for 7:30 Nightly

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Justin Durham, 615-898-2181, jdurham@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—The 2010-11 MTSU Theatre and Dance Season continues Feb. 23-26 with Euripides’ “Medea” in the newly renovated Tucker Theatre inside the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building on the university campus.
Each performance is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Greek tragedy, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea, was originally produced in 431 B.C. The plot centers on Medea as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened and ultimately follows through with an horrific act of revenge against her husband, Jason, as a result of his betrayal.
General-admission tickets are $10, and tickets are $5 for MTSU faculty and staff and for students in kindergarten through 12th grades. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID.
MTSU Theatre and Dance asks that members of the audience not use cell phones or flash photography during the performances to ensure that everyone can enjoy the show.
Tickets for MTSU’s performances of “Medea” may be purchased via phone by calling 615-494-8810 or by visiting the Tucker Theatre box-office windows weekdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are also available at the door one hour before each performance, or they may be bought online at www.mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: The 2010-11 MTSU Theatre and Dance Season continues Feb. 23-26 with Euripides’ “Medea” in the newly renovated Tucker Theatre inside the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building on the university campus. Each performance is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. General-admission tickets are $10, and tickets are $5 for MTSU faculty and staff and for students in kindergarten through 12th grades. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID. For ticket information, call 615-494-8810 or visit www.mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre.


For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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[311] Piano Professor Arunesh Nadgir To Perform Free Recital At MTSU

PIANO PROFESSOR ARUNESH NADGIR TO PERFORM FREE RECITAL AT MTSU
Event Slated for Feb. 21 in Wright Music Building on Campus

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493, tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—MTSU Assistant Professor of Piano Arunesh Nadgir will present a free public piano recital on Monday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. in Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
The program will include Liszt’s “Funérailles,” Mozart’s “Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576” and several works by Chopin, including his “Polonaise-Fantasie.”
“These are three of the most important composers to write for the keyboard, and I’m looking forward to presenting some of their greatest masterpieces here in Murfreesboro,” said Nadgir.
Nadgir has performed as a soloist and a chamber musician in the United States, Europe and Asia and in venues that include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Eastman Theatre and Jordan Hall. He has participated in several international music festivals, including the Millennium International Piano Festival, The Moulin d’Ande Festival and the Kneisel Hall Summer Music Festival.
Nadgir began taking piano lessons at the age of seven with Michael Thomopoulos and later studied under Wha Kyung Byun, Robert McDonald and Natalya Antonova. He holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School and the Eastman School of Music.
For more information on Nadgir’s performance or other concerts by the MTSU School of Music please call 615-898-2493 or click on the “Concert Calendar” link at www.mtsumusic.com.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

-------

IN BRIEF: MTSU Assistant Professor of Piano Arunesh Nadgir will present a free public piano recital on Monday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. in Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. The program will include Liszt’s “Funérailles,” Mozart’s “Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576” and several works by Chopin, including his “Polonaise-Fantasie.” For more information on Nadgir’s performance or other concerts by the MTSU School of Music please call 615-898-2493 or click on the “Concert Calendar” link at www.mtsumusic.com.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


—30—

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Professor Nadgir, please contact Tim Musselman via e-mail at tmusselm@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2493.

Thanks!

[310] Religion Scholar Chronicles Biblical History On WMOT-FM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 10, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

RELIGION SCHOLAR CHRONICLES BIBLICAL HISTORY ON WMOT-FM
Nationally Honored Bart Ehrman Explains Discrepancies in Biblical Text

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Bart Ehrman, who is slated to speak at MTSU on the subject of “Misquoting Jesus,” will be the guest at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 13, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Ehrman, the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, is the author of more than 20 books, including Misquoting Jesus; Jesus, Interrupted; and God’s Problem.
His lecture, which is slated for 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building, is free and open to the public. It is part of the annual Applied Philosophy Lyceum sponsored by the Department of Philosophy with appreciation to the Distinguished Lecture Committee.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

[307] Giles County Farm Join Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 9 2011
CONTACT Info: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


GILES COUNTY FARM JOIN RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Matt Gardner Homestead Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Matt Gardner Homestead, located in Giles County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous production for at least 100 years.
The Matt Gardner Homestead is one of seven certified Century Farms in Tennessee that was established by an African-American. Matt Gardner was born into slavery in 1847, and in 1862, he and his family and 74 other slaves were sold by Richard Vasser of Limestone County, Ala. to Richard C. Gardner, a Nashville merchant who owned a plantation in Elkton, Tenn. a rural community in southern Giles County near the Alabama border.
After Tennessee abolished slavery in 1865, Matt began to save money. In 1877, he posted a $1,250 marriage bond to make Henrietta Jenkins his wife. The couple had 11 children and raised cotton, corn, hay, sorghum, vegetables, cattle, and pigs. Gardner and John Dixon purchased 106 acres in 1889, and Matt paid the note off in 1896, becoming the sole owner.
Matt was a successful farmer who added acreage through the years and also worked tirelessly for his community. In the late 1880s, he established the first school for blacks in Elkton, boarded the teachers at his home and paid their salaries. He served as a minister and purchased a 15-acre gravel island in the Elk River to conduct baptisms. He traveled and preached at various churches in Giles County as well as in Limestone County, Ala.
During World War I, Matt helped to organize the Elkton Negro Army Comfort League, which contributed money for African-American soldiers. The women in the organization also knitted sweaters, wristlets and caps for the soldiers.
He received a certificate from the Tennessee Home Food Supply Program, signed by then-Gov. Prentice Cooper, in 1942 “for having grown 75 per cent or more of all the food necessary for the family and livestock and in leadership for better living in the community.”
Matt’s death in 1943 was deeply felt by the community. His obituary reads, “His influence upon his race was noticeable, and he commanded the respect of all the hundreds who knew him while here. No one could be more missed from the walks of life in our section than he, for so many years a familiar figure, with his happy smile and cheerful attitude, his rugged honesty and devotion to his numerous friends of both races.”
Fifty-four years after the founding of the farm, Matt and Henrietta’s son, John Gardner, acquired 95 acres of his father’s farm. Married to Lera Driver and then to Alma McClaurine, John had seven children. He continued to raise the same crops and livestock as his father. His brother Raymond, like their father, served as a minister and became the pastor for four churches in the area.
The third owner of the farm was James Gardner, John’s son beginning in 1970. He and his wife, Eunice Gardner had four children. Keeping in family tradition, he raised the same crops as his father and grandfather. Another grandson of Matt Gardner, Buford Gardner, served as the second African-American alderman in Giles County from 1984 to 1996. The bridge across the Elk River at U.S. Highway 31 and Dixontown Road was renamed in Buford Gardner’s honor.
The current owners of the Matt Gardner Homestead and Farm are Gary D. Gardner, Jewel Bailey and Carla Jones. On 52 acres of the original farm founded by their great-grandfather, Gary and his brother Stanley and nephews Stanley Jr. and Kalab raise hay and cows. Three generations live on the farm today. Gary and his wife, Tilda, also have completed the Tennessee Master Gardner volunteer certification program.
The house built by Matt Gardner in 1896 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and also is on the Tennessee Quilt Trail. The family has established a nonprofit organization to oversee the Matt Gardner Homestead Museum, which interprets farm life in rural Tennessee and tells the story of the transition from slavery through Reconstruction into the 20th century. For more information on the Matt Gardner Homestead and its history and future, go to www.mattgardnerhomestead.org or call Carla Jones, president of the organization, at 317 547-9386.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its website at www.tncenturyfarms.org.The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[306] Union County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

CONTACT Info: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


UNION COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

McCarty Jones Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The McCarty Jones Farm, located in Union County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous production for at least 100 years.
In 1877, Henry Berry purchased around 550 acres near Sharp’s Chapel in Union County, paying around $1.10 per acre. Henry and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Ellison Berry, were the parents of five children. One daughter, Sarah, who was married to Madison Dossett, acquired 93 acres of the farm in 1893. The Dossetts and their three children raised cattle, hogs and corn.
As the farm continued into the 20th century, the Dossetts’ son, John, acquired the farm in 1919. John farmed 93 acres and raised primarily cattle and hogs. John and his wife, Alice, were the parents of 10 children.
It was, however, John Dossett’s niece, Bessie Dossett Ellison McCarty--a great-granddaughter of the founders who acquired the farm in 1936. Bessie and her husband, William Horace McCarty, farmed the 93 acres and raised cattle, hogs, chickens and tobacco. William and Bessie had three children, including the present owner, Lillian McCarty Jones.
Lillian McCarty Jones and her husband, Everett, have owned the farm since 1977. With the help of Bruce Brantley, who manages the acreage, the Joneses raise cattle, hogs, hay, tobacco and a vegetable garden. The McCarty Jones Farm is the eighth certified Century Farm in Union County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

[305] MTSU Researchers Prep for Feb. 9 Posters at the Capitol Event

Release date: Feb. 8, 2011

News and Media Relations contacts: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or ttozer@mtsu.edu

College of Basic and Applied Sciences contact: Dr. Tom Cheatham,
615-898-2613 or cheatham@mtsu.edu

MTSU Researchers Prep for Feb. 9 Posters at the Capitol Event

(MURFREESBORO) — Twelve MTSU students will provide seven presentations being showcased Wednesday, Feb. 9, during the sixth annual “Posters at the Capitol” in Nashville.
Along with their mentors, the MTSU student presenters will be joined by research peers from the other Tennessee Board of Regents schools — Austin Peay, East Tennessee, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and University of Memphis — and those from the University of Tennessee campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin.
An expected 61 poster presentations are scheduled to begin around 10 a.m. in the Legislative Plaza hallway. MTSU’s contingent will stay until about 3 p.m. The public is welcome to view the posters and talk to the young researchers.
“It should be a great day for the students,” said Dr. Tom Cheatham, College of Basic and Applied Sciences dean. “Sen. (Bill) Ketron is helping us make arrangements this year. The only change for us is that UT-Martin is joining the UT contingent for the first time, and we have more posters than ever.”
The MTSU students include co-collaborators Ryan Nichols of Nashville and Catherine Chokuba of Franklin; Katrina A. Smith of Murfreesboro; Lindsey Bailey of La Vergne; Samuel Mitchell of Nashville; collaborators Jessica Taylor of Manchester, Nikhil Reddy of Murfreesboro and Daniel Gouger of Chattanooga; Daniel Messick of Shelbyville; and collaborators Matt Cooley of Camden, Jason Pomeroy of Lascassas and Kyle Wiseman of Murfreesboro.
Ian Hajizadeh of Nashville and George Carter of Kingsport are alternate co-presenters.
The students expect to discuss their research with their respective state legislators. After lunch, they will pose for photos with new Gov. Bill Haslam.
Dr. Andrienne Friedli, Undergraduate Research Center director and professor of chemistry, and Emily Born, coordinator of the Faculty Research and Creative Activity Grant and URC coordinator, are spearheading the MTSU students’ participation at Posters on the Hill.
Assisting Cheatham with set-up preparations are academic advisers Jennifer Danylo, Travis Tipton and Andrew Symonds and executive secretary Sheila Bleam.

A listing of MTSU student presenters, their faculty mentors and abstract titles includes:
• Nichols and Chokuba with faculty mentor Dr. Daniel Erenso, abstract title “Studying Elasticity by Zapping, Trapping and Stretching Red Blood Cells Extracted from Normal Mice with Sickle Cell Disorder”;
• Smith with Dr. Ngee S. Chong, “Characterization of Aminobiphenyl Isomers and Their Interactions with Calf Thymus DNA and Nucleotide Bases”;
• Bailey with Dr. Scott Handy, “One Pot Halogenations and Cross-Couplings in Ionic Liquids”;
• Mitchell with Friedli, “Porous Silica Films as a Reliable Medium for Sensing Protein-Antibody Binding Events”;
• Taylor and Reddy with Dr. Norma Dunlap, “Synthesis of Cyclopropyl Daniel Gouger, Peptidomimetics with Potential Anti-HIV and Alzheimer’s Activity”;
• Messick with Dr. Nate Phillips, “The Effects of Daminozide on Flower Production and Sex Ratios in Hydroponic Greenhouse Cucumbers”; and
• Cooley and Pomeroy with Dr. Mark Abolins, “Movement of Groundwater Along Fold Hinges in Central Rutherford County, Tennessee.”
The alternate poster presenters are mentored by Erenso on “Efficacy of Gene Therapy in Sickle Cell Mouse Model as Measured by the Red Blood Cells’ Elastic Response.”

###
Media welcomed.

Media note: MTSU News and Media Relations Director Tom Tozer will be attending the first part of Posters at the Capitol on Wednesday. He is available to assist you in setting up interviews with any of the MTSU student researchers. His cell phone number is 615-653-6209.


In Brief

Twelve MTSU student researchers will be participating in the 2011 Posters at the Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 9, starting at 10 a.m. at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. MTSU’s 12 students, who are part of 61 total poster presentations from across the state, will meet their individual state legislators, and explain and answer questions about their research with the lawmakers or others in attendance.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[304] MTSU Commission Makes Curriculum Grant Money Available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU COMMISSION MAKES CURRICULUM GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE
Professors Infuse Courses with Gender, Race, Class, Sexual Orientation Contexts

(MURFREESBORO) – The President’s Commission on the Status of Women has set Monday, Feb. 28, as the deadline for submission of proposals for its 2011 Curriculum Integration Grants.
Three summer grants of $1,800 each are available. The stipends may be used for the revision of a course, the revision of a general education course for study abroad, the creation of a new course, the reconceptualization of a current minor or the creation of a new minor.
Successful proposals have incorporated innovative teaching techniques and integrated women’s concerns with issues of race/ethnicity, class and sexual orientation. Priority will be given to courses that are developed or revised for the undergraduate curriculum and those that can be implemented within two years.
The 2010 PCSW grant winners are Dr. William H. Leggett, assistant professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Dr. Leah Tolbert Lyons, associate professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures; and Dr. Jennifer Woodard, assistant professor, Department of Electronic Media Communication.
Woodard created a proposal for a course titled “‘Black’ Feminisms/Womanism: Mediated Theories, Representations and Lives.” The course would focus on mediated images of African American women, as well as global images of marginalized women in other regions of the world.
“This is really a class on media literacy, and we will practice being literate citizens in our analysis of images of women, application of cultural theory and appreciation of media activism as we examine how women of color combat negative images and promote a more positive idea of who they are and who they can be through the media,” states Woodard in her submission.
Lyons’ entry was for the revision of “Topics in 20th Century French Literature,” an existing course. It would be titled “Femmes au Carrefour (Women at the Crossroads).”
“This course has traditionally been taught with emphasis on canonical male authors from hexagonal France,” writes Lyons. “My aim is to design a topic that shifts the focus to French-language texts written by women who represent a broader purview of the French-speaking world, including authors from Guadeloupe, Haiti, Iran and Senegal so that students may experience this diverse body of literature that is often overlooked in established curricula.”

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Leggett received his grant for a proposal to revise “Immigration and Globalization in the American South,” another existing course. He says his version of the class “examines, from an anthropological perspective, the specific effects of globalizing forces on the southern United States.
“My goal is to more fully address gender issues as they relate to immigration, particularly immigration to the southern United States,” writes Leggett.
This year’s proposals will be reviewed by selected members of the commission’s Academic Issues Subcommittee. Applicants should send seven completed grant proposals (the original and six copies) to Dr. Samantha Cantrell in the MTSU Office of Research Services. The guidelines for grant proposals have been revised this year and are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/pcsw/grants.shtml.
For more information, contact Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.



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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[303] Pioneering Poet Subject Of Women's And Gender Studies Talk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

PIONEERING POET SUBJECT OF WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES TALK
MTSU English Professor Rebecca King Explains Anne Bradstreet’s Life and Work

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Rebecca King, an associate professor of English at MTSU, will present “Anne Bradstreet: Colonial Poet” at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, in Room 227 of Andrew L. Todd Hall.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is the latest in the spring 2011 MTSU Women’s and Gender Studies Research Lecture Series.
Bradstreet (1612-1672) was the first North American to publish a book of poetry. Her work chronicles the struggles of Puritan life in the New World. She also wrote about her husband, family and faith. In an atmosphere in which the intellectual curiosity Bradstreet displayed was considered an affront to God, she is considered by some to be an early feminist.
For more information, contact Dr. Pat Bradley at 615-904-8128 or pbradley@mtsu.edu.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[302] Gilman Scholarship Propels MTSU Students To Europe, Asia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP PROPELS MTSU STUDENTS TO EUROPE, ASIA
Franklin, Sevierville Natives Venture to Far-off Lands to Learn Language, Culture

(MURFREESBORO) – Barbara Corley and Anna Yacovone are MTSU’s spring 2011 recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. Corley is using her $5,000 stipend to study abroad in Romania, while Yacovone is using her $2,000 allocation to study in Thailand.
Corley, a 30-year-old philosophy major who grew up in Franklin and now lives in Nashville, says the folklore, music and dance of the Transylvanian region intrigue her. A professional dancer and dance teacher for seven years, she has taken students to Brazil and Argentina to teach them about different types of dances.
“The woman (I’m) living with speaks absolutely no English, and she has been with a Romanian folk dancing group for about 20 years,” Corley says. “I didn’t want to be on campus with a bunch of students speaking English. I wanted to struggle.”
She found her in-country host through an intermediary. Corley says she understands that, like her, the Romanian host likes to talk with her hands. That skill might come in handy since Corley wears hearing aids in both ears due to a condition called otosclerosis, the abnormal growth of bone near the middle ear.
Corley is attending Universitatea Babes-Bolyai in the city of Cluj-Napoca, where her class schedule includes Romanian, French, Eastern European history and policymaking. She’s considering a variety of post-graduation options, including working for a museum, a library or a government agency involved with information collection.
“I’m not going to be a professional philosopher,” she says. “I’m simply using those roots of thinking and writing and understanding the world as ways to filter everything I’ll be learning—and the same with dance.”
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Yacovone is studying Thai culture and language at Thammasat University in Bangkok, living in an off-campus apartment and sending occasional dispatches to her hometown newspaper, The Mountain Press of Sevierville.
Yacovone says she had a difficult time deciding whether to go to Thailand or Estonia, the home country of her maternal great-aunt and grandfather. She settled on Thailand because it has a warmer climate and seems to offer more adventure, but she intends to make it to Estonia one day.
Winning the Gilman Scholarship could not have been more fortuitous for Yacovone, who had to cobble together money from different sources to realize her goal.

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“I worked two jobs this summer,” Yacovone says. “Though it was backbreaking, it helped me save a little for cushion room just in case the Gilman didn’t come through. Luckily, too, Thailand’s very inexpensive, so you can get by with very little.”
In addition, Yacovone benefitted from an MTSU study-abroad scholarship, an Honors College scholarship and contributions from a family friend.
A senior majoring in global studies and organizational communication, Yacovone studied in Italy two summers ago. She was well versed in the options available through her work as a peer adviser in the MTSU Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange. But she cautions interested students not to presume that study-abroad is a vacation in the guise of education.
“I think people underestimate just how intense study-abroad is,” she says.
In fact, Yacovone says she is looking forward to coming home “a different person.” Whoever she is when she returns, she says she will consider a wealth of post-graduation options ranging from graduate school to the Peace Corps.
Funded by Congress and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship program provides “grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad,” states the program’s Web site.
Recipients are selected competitively for these grants, which are used for such expenses as “program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.”
To find out more about MTSU’s study abroad opportunities, contact the MTSU Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the Gilman Scholarships, go to www.iie.org/gilman.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For jpeg photos of Gilman Scholarship recipients Barbara Corley and Anna Yacovone, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Monday, February 07, 2011

[301] 'Coach' Pledges $1 Million To Promote Education In Rutherford County, Enhance MTSU Women's Basketball Program

Feb. 4, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; 615-653-6209

‘COACH’ PLEDGES $1 MILLION TO PROMOTE EDUCATION IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY, ENHANCE MTSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM

MURFREESBORO—Ken “Coach” Shipp, a 1947 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and namesake of the Ken Shipp Endowed Scholarship at MTSU, has made a commitment of $1 million to his alma mater through the MTSU Foundation. A formal presentation of the gift took place during halftime of Saturday afternoon’s basketball game between MTSU and South Alabama.
A significant portion of the funds will further enhance the endowed scholarship that Shipp established in 2009 to benefit students in Rutherford County who commit to enrolling at MTSU. The remainder of the gift will be earmarked for the renovation of the coaches’ office space in Murphy Center for the Lady Raiders basketball program.
Shipp, who just celebrated his 83rd birthday, said he had been thinking about making a pledge of this kind for a long time.
“I mainly wanted to help those who need the money to have the opportunity to go to MTSU,” he said in a phone conversation. Regarding his support of MTSU women’s basketball, he added, “I’m proud of the team and the coach.”
“Ken Shipp’s gift to this university reflects his long-standing support and devotion to both athletics and academic achievement,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said. “His generosity will make it possible for us to provide the finest athletic facilities for our coaches and also offer the opportunity of a college education to students here at home in Rutherford County. When we can challenge our young people to pursue learning at an even higher level, our state and nation are the beneficiaries. We are grateful to alumnus Ken Shipp, whose success as a person and a professional will serve as an example to thousands of MTSU students in years to come.”
Shipp’s endowed scholarship at MTSU has already opened the door to college for Rutherford County students, said Joe Bales, MTSU vice president for development and university relations.
“’Coach,’ as everyone calls him, wanted to make sure that money was not the determining factor in whether or not students with promise and potential were able to go on to school,” Bales noted. “He wanted to make sure that opportunity was available.
“Coach is also very fond of our Lady Raiders program and very excited about what has happened with the program over the last several years,” Bales added. “He just wanted to help them have an office space that is reflective of the quality program they have.”
Chris Massaro, MTSU athletic director, emphasized Shipp’s far-reaching influence.
“This gift will make a tremendous difference for our women’s basketball program,” Massaro said. “This is typical of Coach Shipp. His whole career he has always put the needs of others above his own, and this gift exemplifies that quality of his character. This will be an invaluable legacy for generations to come.”
An entire section of the ground floor of Murphy Center will be opened up to accommodate a large office complex for the women’s basketball coaches, Bales said. Dividing walls will come down, and the area will be transformed into an office suite “that will put our program on par with any coaching program in the country.
“When recruits come in, they will see really nice facilities for the players,” Bales said, “and the coaches will be right next door. The coaches will be all together instead of in separate offices.”
Renovation will begin after this basketball season, and the new space will be operational by next fall, Bales noted.
Shipp was born in 1928 in Old Hickory, Tenn. He was an assistant coach in the National Football League and during the 1975 season was interim coach of the New York Jets. He has coached both Archie Manning and Joe Namath. During his stint with the New Orleans Saints, Manning described him as “a smart man and a good coach.” Before working in the NFL, Shipp coached in several college programs including Trinity, Florida State, Tulsa, South Carolina and Miami. In addition to earning his undergraduate degree in physical education at MTSU, Shipp received a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College.
“Coach is an extremely generous person in a very quiet way,” Bales said. “He’s never asked for the limelight, which makes him the kind of person you like to recognize. Most people would not realize how many people, especially young people, who coach has impacted in Rutherford County. We’re delighted and grateful that he has chosen to give this gift.”

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NOTE: Rendering of renovated office space included. Photo to come tomorrow afternoon.

Friday, February 04, 2011

[300] Middle East Expert Achilov Discusses 'Can Islam and Democracy Coexist?"

Release date: Feb. 4, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: John R. Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu

Middle East Expert Achilov Discusses ‘Can Islam and Democracy Coexist?’ Feb. 10 During Special MTSU Honors College Lecture


(MURFREESBORO) — Middle East researcher and expert Dr. Dilshod Achilov will be guest speaker for a special lecture at the University Honors College.
Achilov, assistant professor of political science at East Tennessee State University, will discuss “Can Islam and Democracy Coexist?” It will be held Thursday, Feb. 10, starting at 3 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Honors Building.
Achilov’s research has specialized on the Middle East with a focus on the dynamics of coexistence between Islam and Democracy in the Islamic world, said Dr. John R. Vile, Honors College dean.
“Dr. Achilov’s topic is particularly timely in light of recent controversies about expanding the local mosque in Murfreesboro,” Vile said.
Achilov earned his bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Maine after completing his undergraduate training in international diplomacy at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent, and subsequently earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in political science at the University of Arizona.
Vile said Achilov received funding for his research efforts from the International Research Exchange Board.
The lecture is jointly sponsored with the Society for Universal Dialogue and the Honors College.
The event is free and open to the public. The Honors College will reserve parking for members of the community who wish to attend, Vile said.
For more information, call 615-898-2152.

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Media welcomed.

Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of Dr. Dilshod Achilov, Middle East researcher and expert from East Tennessee State University, is available. To obtain, contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Media Relations by calling 615-898-5616 or 615-898-2919.


In Brief

Middle East researcher and expert Dr. Dilshod Achilov will be guest speaker for a special lecture at the University Honors College. Achilov, assistant professor of political science at East Tennessee State University, will discuss “Can Islam and Democracy Coexist?” It will be held Thursday, Feb. 10, starting at 3 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Honors Building. The lecture is free and open to the public.



Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree — the only one in Tennessee — as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.