Tuesday, December 20, 2011

[208] MTSU Alumnus Lands Drummer Role for 'Queen Extravaganza' Tour

For release: Dec. 20, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
School of Music contact: Lalo Davila, 615-898-2803 or Lalo.Davila@mtsu.edu


MTSU alumnus lands drummer role for ‘Queen Extravaganza’ tour

MURFREESBORO — Tyler Warren, an alumnus of the MTSU School of Music and College of Liberal Arts, has quite a gig for the next year or so.

Warren, who earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2008 with an emphasis in music industry, will be the drummer for “Tfhe Queen Extravaganza Tour” across North America in 2012.

The tour, which celebrates the music of the classic arena-rock band that still thrills generations of fans, was announced Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.

Queen, a British rock band that formed in 1971 in London, has sold more than 300 million albums, recorded 18 No. 1 singles and played more than 700 live concerts worldwide.

“I grew up listening to Queen, memorizing songs, studying (drummer) Roger Taylor’s technique and just fully engulfing myself in all the aspects of their music,” said Warren, a native of Camden, Tenn. “Not many people get an opportunity to meet one of their childhood heroes and promptly get judged by them.”

Warren said he has a 15-month contract to play in The Queen Extravaganza.

Warren was selected as Queen Extravaganza drummer after an 11-week challenge in which judges reviewed online auditions, weighed votes from Queen fans worldwide and supervised a final in-studio audition in Los Angeles. Five others were selected for vocal, guitar and bass roles with the band.

“As the audition videos began posting, we could see right away that the caliber of talent was very high,” Taylor said in making the lineup announcement. “But when I got into the studio with the final 25 musicians, I realized that these guys are seriously good players. They went way beyond my expectations.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision to choose the final line-up. I wish I could’ve kept them all, but in the end, I’m very happy with this group of exceptional musicians.”

Taylor will be producer and musical director of the road show. His Queen bandmate Brian May will be involved later in production.

Warren credits his MTSU professor Lalo Davila, a veteran School of Music faculty member, and former faculty member Tommy Giampietro for helping him achieve success. Warren plays several instruments and says his “drumming technique is a little different from most drummers these days, especially those my age.”

Joining Warren on the tour will be vocalists Jennifer Espinoza of San Antonio, Texas, and Marc Martel of Montreal and Nashville; Tristan Avakian of Toronto and Brian Gresh of Tulsa, Okla., on guitar; and Fransois-Olivier Doyon of Quebec City, Canada, on bass.

For more information, visit www.queenextravaganza.com.


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Note: To contact Tyler Warren for a personal interview, call 731-707-1337.

Captions for photos:

MTSU alumnus Tyler Warren keeps the beat during a recent performance.
(Photo submitted)

Head-and-shoulders photo: Tyler Wilson


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

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

[207] Col. Jurgens to Address MTSU Fall Commissioning Ceremony Friday

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
Military science contact: Lt. Col. T.K. Kast, 615-898-2470 or Tharrel.Kast@mtsu.edu


Col. Juergens to address MTSU fall commissioning ceremony Friday

MURFREESBORO — U.S. Army Forces Command, or FORSCOM, inspector general Col. Richard A. “Rich” Juergens will be the guest speaker for the annual fall ROTC commissioning ceremony for the MTSU military science department.

Juergens will speak during the Friday, Dec. 16, ceremony, which will start at 10 a.m. and be held in the Keathley University Center Theater. It is expected to be an even more rewarding visit and experience for Juergens, whose oldest daughter, Elizabeth, will be one of four cadets commissioned into the Army.

Also to be commissioned as second lieutenants will be Lisa Hubert, Kelsey Kirby and Taylor Wall. The ceremony is open to family and friends of the commissionees; MTSU faculty, students and staff; and the general public.

Col. Juergens and his wife, Diana, have been married for more than 25 years, and two of their eight daughters are cadets in the MTSU program. Senior Elizabeth Juergens, a criminal justice major, is a degree candidate for Saturday’s second commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. in Murphy Center. Junior Hannah Juergens is a nursing major. Their other daughters are Mary, Annie, Grace, Katie, Ellie and Olivia.

Before his selection to the FORSCOM post, Juergens served as deputy commander of Brigade Modernization Command. Before that, he was chief of combat plans for the Joint Air component of the Joint Special Operations Command and commanded Joint Task Force Bravo.

Juergens served as a joint officer with U.S. Central Command (Special Operations Command, director of crisis plans and special activities).

A 1985 distinguished military graduate from the University of Delaware, Juergens received a regular Army commission as a second lieutenant in Army Aviation. His assignments include maintenance officer, platoon leader, company executive officer and company commander of the 1/9th Attack Helicopter Battalion; small group instructor and operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 145th Regiment; platoon leader, company commander and battalion operations officer with the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Juergens’ combat tours include two deployments to Afghanistan serving as joint special operations aviation commander as well as a tour in Iraq as joint special operations aviation component commander.

He is a graduate of three Army courses, the Command and General Staff College, the Joint and Command Warfighting School and the Joint Advanced Warfighting School.

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Media welcomed.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
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For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[206] First Candidates in New MTSU Master's Program to Graduate

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

FIRST CANDIDATES IN NEW MTSU MASTER’S PROGRAM TO GRADUATE
Revised Degree Prepares Students for Careers in Recreation, Sport Industries

MURFREESBORO—The first six graduates of MTSU’s new Master of Science in Leisure and Sport Management degree program will be among those receiving diplomas Saturday, Dec. 17, at Murphy Center.

They are Kelsey Dortch of Milan, Tenn.; Anthony Dudley of Franklin, Tenn.; Ryan Harper of Brentwood, Tenn.; Jacob McKissack of Pulaski, Tenn.; Jazman Swett of Antioch, Tenn.; and Bartley Webb of Springdale, Ark.

After three years of revision, the Department of Health and Human Performance updated its master’s degrees to reflect changing trends in the industry. The leisure and sport management degree track offers two concentrations: recreation and leisure services, and sport industry.

Dr. Steven Estes, department chair, says the field has expanded beyond the era when leisure, sport and recreation were almost solely concerned with the outdoors or sports.

Estes says academics in recreation at one time focused on the philosophy that we grow and become fully human in our leisure moments, literally “recreating” ourselves. Similarly, he says, academics in physical education focused on training teachers and coaches for public schools.

Today, techniques similar to those used in business schools are being applied to these fields, and research is more important than ever. Two core courses for this new MTSU master’s-degree track focus on legal issues and risk management and financial management and marketing.

Elective courses include “Leisure and Aging,” “Sport and Society,” “Administration and Supervision of Physical Education and Sport,” “Aquatic Exercise & Therapeutic Techniques” and “Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Leisure and Tourism.”

“We’re starting to recognize that things like tourism or getting a professional sports team have a huge impact on the way that people spend their leisure dollars,” says Estes.

To learn more about the MTSU Master of Science in Leisure and Sport Management, visit www.mtsu.edu/healthhumanperf/graduate_hhp.shtml or contact Deborah Williams, graduate analyst, at 615-898-2147 or deborah.williams@mtsu.edu.

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Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

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

[205] Curriculum Integration Grants Available To MTSU Faculty

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION GRANTS AVAILABLE TO MTSU FACULTY
President’s Commission Funds Infusion of Women’s Issues into New, Existing Classes

MURFREESBORO—Tenured and tenure-track faculty at MTSU can apply until Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, for grants to help integrate of women’s experiences and perspectives into the curriculum.

The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women will award three grants of $1,800 each for use in summer 2012 to revise an existing course, revise a general-education course for a study-abroad program, create a new course, revamp a current minor or create a new minor.

Winners of 2011 PCSW grants included Dr. Tricia Farwell, an assistant professor of journalism, who proposed a new course, “Sex and Gender in Advertising.” Farwell said she “hopes to assist the students in making connections regarding the impact on women (and men) of idealized beauty, overly sexualized images and other gendered topics.”

Dr. John Maynor, an associate professor of political science, received a grant to redesign “Human Rights,” a course that is taught each spring semester. The course’s current topics include human rights in relation to torture, war, economic globalization, international organizations and cultural relativity.

“The revised course will, in part, focus on the ways women’s experiences of human rights violations are gendered,” Maynor said. “To that end, the revised course will examine the roles of custom and law in compromising women’s dignity and equality.”

Maynor’s revised course will include a two-part service-learning component: sex-trafficking issues with the cooperation of Free for Life International and women’s empowerment issues with the help of Humans in Crisis International.

The third 2011 grant winner, Dr. Amy Sayward of the Department of History, proposed a revision of “History of Sport in America” to include an examination of “the way in which sports help to construct and challenge identities—national, ethnic, racial, gender, sexual and community identities.

“I would like to explore the ways in which American sports history has both reinforced and challenged gender roles, as well as ideas of sexuality, over time,” Sayward noted.

The PCSW’s Academic Issues Subcommittee will judge the proposals. Courses developed or revised for the undergraduate curriculum and those that can be implemented within two years will receive priority consideration.

Complete application guidelines are available at www.mtsu.edu/pcsw/grants.shtml.

For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell, PCSW chair, at 615-494-8751 or samantha.cantrell@mtsu.edu.

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Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"! Visit MTSUNews.com for MTSU news anytime.

[204] MTSU Set to Host 1st Forensic Science Symposium

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Forensic Institute for Research and Education, 615-494-7713

MTSU SET TO HOST 1ST FORENSIC SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM
Excellent Opportunity for Middle-, High-Schoolers to Exhibit Knowledge

MURFREESBORO—Youngsters in grades seven through 12 will be able to present their original projects in forensic science at the inaugural MTSU Forensic Science Symposium scheduled for May 12, 2012, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors College Building.

The science fair, which is open to students in Tennessee and beyond, will showcase original research performed in various fields of forensic science. It is organized in the form of a professional scientific meeting to introduce students to that experience.

Students should begin their research soon in order to submit applications and abstracts by the Jan. 15, 2012, deadline, organizers say. Students will be notified of their acceptance by Jan. 31.

The symposium sponsor is MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, which provides educational and training opportunities for law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, social workers and other groups in forensic science and homeland security.

Students will present their symposium projects in both written and poster formats, and the judging will take place during the poster session of the symposium. Judges will include community leaders and professionals in science and forensic science.

First-, second- and third-place finishers will receive cash awards. The first-place winner’s sponsoring teacher also will receive a special prize and recognition during the awards ceremony. Abstracts of all accepted projects will be printed in the official “Forensic Science Symposium Proceedings Journal.”

Applications can be downloaded at www.mtsu.edu/fire/Forensic_Science_Symposium.shtml. For more information, contact the FIRE offices at 615-494-7713 or email symposium coordinator Tiffany Saul at fire@mtsu.edu.

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Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!


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

[203] 1,780-plus Graduates Set to Participate in MTSU Fall 2011 Commencement

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Office of News and Media Relations, 615-898-2919

1,780-plus graduates set to participate in MTSU fall 2011 commencement

MURFREESBORO—More than 1,780 students are expected to receive their degrees during MTSU’s fall 2011 commencement ceremonies, according to a report from Cathy Kirchner of the University’s Registrar’s Office.

MTSU will again feature dual ceremonies and dual speakers beginning at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Murphy Center. Of the 1,787 set to graduate during the event, 1,494 are undergraduates and 293 are graduate students, including 273 master’s candidates, 15 education-specialist recipients and two doctoral candidates. Three graduate students also will be receiving graduate certificates.

Candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the College of Education and College of Mass Communication will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. That afternoon, degrees will be conferred on candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and the University College.

Tennessee State Sen. Dolores R. Gresham, R-Somerville, will serve as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. Gresham has represented the 26th District, which includes Chester, Crockett, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, McNairy and Wayne counties, since 2008. She also served as a state representative for the 94th District from 2002 to 2008.

Gresham, who is a farmer, small-business owner and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of the Incarnate Word and master’s degrees at George Washington University and Loyola University.

She currently chairs the Senate Education Committee in the Tennessee State Senate and is a member of the Senate Transportation, Finance and Commerce Committees, as well as the Select Oversight Committees on Children and Youth, Corrections, and the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., respectively. She also has served as vice chair of the Tennessee Homeland Security/Disaster Preparedness Task Force and as secretary of the Republican Caucus during her tenure in the state House of Representatives.

Gresham is a member of numerous organizations, including the Chambers of Commerce in Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Crockett, Wayne and Haywood counties as well as the Oakland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Tennessee Firearms Association, Tennessee Farm Bureau and Tennessee Right to Life. She is a former director of the Southwest Tennessee Community College Foundation Board and a member of the National Cattlewomen’s Association as well as a life member of the National Rifle Association and a a board member for the State Collaborative for Education Reform.

Emmy Award-winning journalist Karla L. Winfrey, an MTSU alumna, will speak to the graduates at the 2 p.m. ceremony. Winfrey, an independent multimedia professional, also is a partner with Black Box: A Winfrey-Giles Production, which creates documentaries, lifestyle programming, news features, talk-show segments and multimedia projects for television networks, nonprofits, faith-based communications companies, federal government agencies and private corporations.

She is a recipient of the MTSU Young Alumni Award and was among the first inductees placed on the College of Mass Communication’s Wall of Fame. The Nashville native spent her earlier career at some of the most revered television stations in the nation, including WABC in New York City, KDFW in Dallas, KUSA in Denver and WSMV in Nashville. She has garnered national recognition as a consumer investigative reporter, show host/news anchor and documentary/specials producer. Her work has also been featured on CNN, ABC News, BET, NBC, Shop At Home Television and The Black Family Channel.

Winfrey has received an array of media and community-service awards in addition to her Emmy, including the National Press Club Award for Consumer Journalism, National Association of Black Journalists Award and the American Red Cross Award for saving a co-worker's life. Winfrey also has been honored numerous times for her extensive work in promoting cancer awareness. As a longtime supporter of music and the arts, Winfrey is the managing executive producer for the Powerhouse Artist Breakout Series in partnership with the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is one of the co-authors of the children’s book “The ABC's of Etiquette with Ariel, Raquel and Friends.”

Graduation committee members emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for their entire scheduled ceremony. The ceremonies should last about two hours each, so graduation candidates planning celebration activities should be aware of this time commitment.

For more information about commencement, please visit the Records Office website at www.mtsu.edu/records/grad.shtml. Questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at 615-898-2600.


MTSU FALL 2011 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: Approximately 1,787 graduates* (1,494 undergraduates, 293 graduate students)
What: 2011 MTSU Fall Commencement
When: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17
Where: Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Commencement speakers:
• State Sen. Dolores R. Gresham, R-Somerville, 9 a.m. ceremony.
• Karla L. Winfrey, Emmy Award-winning journalist and MTSU alumna, 2 p.m. ceremony.

*— Approximate numbers as of Dec. 6, 2011.


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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

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

[202] MTSU Mock Trial Team Tops Field of 14 Teams

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU mock trial contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2596 or John.Vile@mtsu.edu


MTSU mock trial team tops field of 14 teams

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU mock trial team placed first among 14 teams from five states participating in a year-end scrimmage at Rhodes College in Memphis Dec. 3-4.

A team captained by Zach Barker of Woodbury, Tenn., and Heather Haggard of Greenbrier, Tenn., captured eight of eight ballots in four rounds of competition. They defeated teams from Rhodes College, Millsaps College, Washington University and Mississippi College to post the only undefeated record at the tournament.

In addition to Barker and Haggard, Constance Grieves of Nashville also played the role of an attorney on the team. Team members who played witness parts were Thomas Polombo of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Curtis Campbell of Murfreesboro; Alexa Sengupta of Ashland City, Tenn., and Jessica Seitz of McMinnville, Tenn.

MTSU students won several individual awards. Grieves received the second-place award for best attorney closing arguments and Polombo received the top award for best fact witness. The team also was runner-up for the Southern Hospitality Award, which was voted on by other teams.

Rachael Harmon of Atlanta, who was on a second MTSU team, received the “People’s Choice” Attorney Award. Other tournament participants voted on the award. Harmon and most of her team members recently came in first in MTSU’s own invitational tournament.

Brooke Borchering of Watertown, Tenn., also a member of the second team, was runner-up for the Best Fact Witness Award.

MTSU teams are coached by Dr. John R. Vile, dean of the University Honors College, and by local attorneys Shiva Bozarth and Brandi Snow.
Vile said this tournament experience “will give MTSU considerable momentum as it goes into the spring semester.”

MTSU teams will be attending two invitational tournaments in January followed by regional and national tournaments in following months.

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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
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For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[201] MTSU's 'Peace Felt' Sends Global Message of Love

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU’S ‘PEACE FELT’ SENDS GLOBAL MESSAGE OF LOVE
Human Sciences Students Send, Receive Tactile Goodwill through Textile Craftwork

MURFREESBORO—The seasonal spirit of “Peace on Earth” is reflected in the Peace Felt project by students in the MTSU Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program.

This annual combination of classwork and craftwork links the students of Nancy Oxford, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences, with two partner groups. One receives brightly colored felt creations from MTSU; the other gives MTSU its felt creations.

“Each student felted individual pieces that were combined to form a wall hanging symbolizing peace in other countries,” Oxford says of her students’ work. “Each student chose a letter of the words ‘Peace Be with You.’”

Oxford’s students sent their project to Foothills Fiber, a fiber-guild group in Nevada City, Calif. In exchange, the students received a Peace Felt project from Craftland, a shop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, specializing in needlecrafts, quilting, embroidery, dressmaking, knitting and crochet.

The Craftland participants hail from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Canada, South Africa and Russia.

Peace Felt is an organization that creates connections around the world by promoting love and peace through textile art. It also promotes awareness of the ancient art of felt-making for its qualities of earth-friendliness, versatility and ease of learning.

“The students were very excited to be involved in this worthy project to spread their thoughts on peace in a creative endeavor worldwide,” says Oxford.

For more information, contact Oxford at 615-898-5689 or noxford@mtsu.edu.


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PHOTO CAPTION: Students in the Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program at MTSU display segments of the Peace Felt project they created and sent to Foothills Fiber in Nevada City, Calif. Each student chose a letter of the phrase “Peace Be With You.” Top Row, L to R, followed by hometowns: Calvin Rose (Murfreesboro), Elizabeth Beasley (Camden), Alycia Gillaspie (Murfreesboro), Mikel Nguyen (Hendersonville), Daylin Taylor (Petersburg); Middle Row: (partially obscured) Drew Hulse (Lebanon), Jillian McDonald (Milan); Back Row: Taylore Massa (Smyrna), Professor Nancy Oxford, Leslie Stephens (Nashville), Erica Gaudin (Mt. Juliet), Courtney Williams (Lebanon), Rakia Johnson (Whites Creek).


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Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!


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

[200] Middle Tennessee Education Center Reaches Out to Region

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MIDDLE TENNESSEE EDUCATION CENTER REACHES OUT TO REGION
New Director Moore Looks Forward to Spring Semester and Beyond

MURFREESBORO—Readers in southern middle Tennessee will learn about “higher education in your own backyard” this week through a full-color eight-page insert about the Middle Tennessee Education Center in their local newspapers.

The “MTEC Messenger,” a new publication about the Shelbyville-based center, will be distributed inside the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, Tullahoma News, Columbia Daily Herald, Moore County News, Elk Valley Times and Winchester Herald Chronicle.

Middle Tennessee Education Center is a partnership involving Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College with the support of Bedford County government in Shelbyville. It brings undergraduate and graduate education closer to local residents by providing day and night classes as well as distance-learning opportunities.

The new director at MTEC, Lisa D. Moore, says her mission is to expand the center by recruiting more adult learners and developing a presence in area high schools.

“We’re working with the school systems to understand what the high-school students need, either to prepare them for graduation or dual-enrollment opportunities,” says Moore.

Two new MTEC offerings for the spring semester, which will begin Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, are General Psychology and Fundamentals of Speech. Both are Motlow general-education courses.

Moore, who assumed leadership of the center in August 2011, has been an instructor in MTSU’s Department of Speech and Theatre for the past 14 years. Her resume also includes stints in human resources with Monsanto Company in Greenwood, S.C., and Quantum Corporation in Colorado Springs, Col.

Moore says she intends to use this experience to help MTEC fill the need for a more highly qualified regional workforce.

“Because of my background in both human resources and teaching, students can talk to me about whether their choice of major and choice of career match,” Moore says. “I also can help (students) understand how to go about a job search and what prospective employers need.

“There is a need to have a major educational presence (in the region),” Moore adds, “because that is one of the attractions for new businesses to come in.”

Registration for the spring 2012 semester is now open. For more information, visit www.mteducationcenter.com or call 931-685-4444.

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Note: Photo of Lisa D. Moore is attached.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[199] MTSU's Confucius Institute Offers Chinese Language Courses

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU’S CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE OFFERS CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES
‘After School’ Introduces Children to Chinese Language through Songs, Games

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University will offer “After School at the Confucius Institute” on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, in Room 106 of Peck Hall.

Classes will be held from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m.

“After School” is a language and cultural enrichment program designed for children ages six to 12. It introduces the Chinese language and the colorful culture of China. The teacher is a native speaker of Chinese with a master’s degree in language teaching and many years of experience teaching language to young children.

The classes will focus on basic conversation, entry-level vocabulary and writing Chinese characters. Students will become familiar with the language and develop communication skills through traditional and nontraditional teaching and activities such as songs, crafts and games.

In addition to “After School,” 12 sessions each of Children’s Chinese I and II and 12 sessions each of Adult Beginning Chinese I and II are slated for 9-11 a.m. on Saturdays starting Jan 21, 2012.

Tuition for Children’s Chinese I and II and Adult Beginning Chinese I and II is $150. Tuition for “After School,” including materials, is $275.

For more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/cimtsu, email cimtsu@mtsu.edu or call the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696.

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Celebrating its 100th anniversary and faithful to its roots as a teachers' college, MTSU continues as a top producer of teachers in Tennessee. Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

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

[197] THEC's Rhoda to Address MTSU MTeach Meeting Tuesday

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTeach contact: Leigh Gostowski, 615-898-5786 or Leigh.Gostowski@mtsu.edu


THEC’s Rhoda to address MTSU MTeach meeting Tuesday

MURFREESBORO — Tennessee Higher Education Commission Executive Director Rich Rhoda will address THEC’s initiatives in math and science during an annual MTeach stakeholders’ meeting Tuesday, Dec. 6, at MTSU.

The meeting, which will run from 9 until 11 a.m., will be held in the James Union Building’s Hazlewood Dining Room. Rhoda’s session will start at approximately 10:15.

MTeach program coordinator/instructor Leigh Gostowski said she anticipates Rhoda will discuss initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, “and how MTeach figures into those goals and the wider agenda,” she said.

Gostowski will share the state of the three-year-old MTeach program at 9:15.

Eboni Eaton, Corey Horton and Caitlin Rainey will share student experiences at 9:30. Sally Millsap, Mark LaPorte and Robin Bollman will discuss their master teacher experiences at 9:45.

Dr. Rick Vanosdoll, professor in the College of Education’s Womack Family Educational Leadership department and former director of the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, will deliver closing remarks at 10:45.

Stakeholders include MTeach staff; deans Tom Cheatham (College of Basic and Applied Sciences) and Lana Seivers (College of Education); participating faculty from both colleges; and other STEM education faculty.

Also expected to attend are MTSU Provost Brad Bartel and Dr. Phillip Waldrop, associate dean in the College of Education

Representatives from Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City schools are invited as are principals from other partner school districts.

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Media welcomed.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.
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For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[197] MTSU Class Project Helps Save Lives as well as Educate Students

MTSU class project helps save lives as well as educate students

FOR RELEASE: Dec. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Catherine Crooks, ccrooks@mtsu.edu, or Gina E. Fann, gfann@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—They had everything they needed to catch students’ attention on World AIDS Day: sweets, balloons, fliers, great music and plenty of freebies.

Students in Dr. Catherine Crooks’s psychology class at MTSU had a few secret weapons, too, like a full-court-press marketing plan, a partnership with Nashville CARES and free HIV testing with a 20-minute turnaround on Dec. 1.

Working from a party-themed table in the Keathley University Center’s highest-traffic corridor, the students in PSY 4600, Psychosexual Adjustment, enthusiastically offered passers-by information about HIV prevention and escorted fellow students to a suite for testing by Nashville CARES staffers.

Before the five-hour project was over, nearly 300 students had their test results—and counseling suggestions and information— in hand.

“This is the only class that does a testing event as a project,” said a pleased Misty Ellis, youth education coordinator for the Nashville-based HIV/AIDS education and service organization. “This is one of the biggest events of our year. Last year we saw more than 250 students in the single day here at MTSU, so it’s always a huge opportunity for us.”

“I think everybody expects us to be here now,” added Derrin Mitchell, a psychology graduate student who served as one of the class’s project managers. “Dr. Crooks’s classes have been doing this service for about three years, and it’s become the norm. I’ve been surprised how many more people this year have said, ‘Oh, sure, why not? This will save me some time.’ That was our goal.”

The class isn’t formally a part of MTSU’s Experiential Learning initiative, which gives students special credit and recognition for classes offering hands-on learning through practical application and public service. Crooks said, however, that her courses always have an EXL component, and she’s considering adding this one to the program.

“I’ve seen firsthand how successful service learning can be, so I try to incorporate it into every class,” she explained. “The students get a lot more out of the class with a real-life learning opportunity. They work with an organization, they help others and do meaningful work, and they gain applied experience they can always use.”

The students have spent the last few weeks working up publicity plans, wrangling logistics and staffing, learning about HIV, signing confidentiality agreements to ensure testing privacy and setting up social-media outlets and a website (http://freehivtest.weebly.com). On the last day of class, each group will submit project summaries and make a presentation on their accomplishments.

They’ll probably include thanks to MT Lambda, the student organization supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and transsexual people, whose members passed out cupcakes and red ribbons and helpfully directed people to the HIV testing table, and Advocates for Youth, whose candy, cupcakes and condoms helped raise awareness for its “Great American Condom Campaign,” too.

“One guy opened his backpack up and said, ‘Dump ’em in!’” senior psychology major Jana Johnson said with a laugh while searching for refills for the class-project table’s free-condom display. “They’ve gone as fast as the candy and … wait a minute, we’ve run out of condoms! Well, that’s a good thing.”

“That’s the goal,” Nashville CARES’ Ellis echoed. “Our outreach is about prevention and reducing transmission of HIV, and these students helped give us a chance to do it.”

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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

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

[196] MTSU Flute Choir's New CD is Perfect for Holiday Season

MTSU Flute Choir’s new CD is perfect for holiday season

FOR RELEASE: Dec. 2, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—If you’re scrambling for the perfect holiday gift, stop right here. The MTSU Flute Choir’s first CD, “The Silver Sounds of Christmas,” will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, Dec. 15.

“The group embarked on this project with an Instructional Development grant through MTSU to create the CD,” said Dr. Deanna Little, MTSU flute professor and director of the group. “Our project has been a huge collaboration with the Lebanon First United Methodist Church singers and bell ringers.”

“African Noel,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Breath of Heaven” and “Night of Silence” feature Lebanon FUMC’s full choir with the MTSU Flute Choir.

Several FUMC choir members also are spotlighted as soloists and in small groups with the flutes. Additional performances with vocals include “Away in a Manger,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Labor of Love,” “Mary Did You Know?” and “There’s A Song in the Air.”

“The Lebanon FUMC Handbell choir also collaborated with the flutes in a wonderful arrangement of ‘Carol of the Bells,’” Little added.

The MTSU Flute Choir recorded several instrumental pieces as ensembles, small groups, solos and duets, including “A Christmas Overture,” “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Let it Snow,” “Rudolph,” “Fantasy on Two Christmas Carols,” “Dance of the Reed Flutes,” “Greensleeves,” “Ginger Snap!” and “O Holy Night.”

The newest member of the flute family, the contrabass flute, is introduced on the CD as well.

“The ensemble utilized all sizes of the flute family in this project: piccolo, C flutes, alto flutes, bass flutes and the largest of them all, the contrabass flute,” Little explained.

Five of the recordings were arranged and/or adapted for the specific ensemble by MTSU flute students Melissa Keeling, Kallie Rogers, Lauren Jolley and Jessy Fine. “Other students contributed to the creative process by transposing and transcribing their own parts,” Little said.

“The Silver Sounds of Christmas” will be available for download or purchase at CDBABY.Com on Dec. 15. Buyers also may contact Little at 615-898-2473 or deanna.little@mtsu.edu. Proceeds will offset the CD production costs and help to fund the MTSU Flute Festival in January.

“We are very excited to see the completion of our project,” the professor added. “The flute students have worked very hard and put an enormous amount of energy, creativity and dedication into this project. I am very proud of all the flute choir members.”


—30—


The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!

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

Thursday, December 01, 2011

[195] MTSU conducts College Goal Sunday on Dec. 4

For release: Dec. 1, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Scholarship Office contact: Bonnie McCarty, 615-904-8414 or Bonnie.Mccarty@mtsu.edu


MTSU conducts College Goal Sunday on Dec. 4

MURFREESBORO — As part of the annual College Goal Sunday, MTSU financial-aid officials have agreed to run a pilot program to see if they can help families prepare the FAFSA on their own in early January.

College Goal Sunday at MTSU will be Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2 until 4:30 p.m. in the south lobby of the Business and Aerospace Building.

All of the other 30-plus College Goal Sunday sites in Tennessee — including Nashville, Lebanon, Lynchburg, Clarksville, Cookeville, Columbia, McMinnville and Gallatin in middle Tennessee — will held in January or February.

FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the online method where families can submit their financial information to Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, in order to see how much aid prospective students might need beyond high school.

“MTSU’s College Goal Sunday FAFSA Prep Workshop will assist prospective college students in preparing to apply for financial aid in early January, in order to qualify for federal grants and loans, state grants and the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship,” said Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarships Office.

McCarty said many types of need-based aid, including a state grant of $1,000 to $4,000 per year, have very limited funding. Therefore, students are encouraged to file a FAFSA in early to mid-January. Funds for 2011-12 ran out in early February 2011, she said.

“MTSU’s FAFSA Prep Workshop will allow students to receive free assistance in preparing to file the FAFSA independently on Jan. 1, 2012, when the 2012-13 FAFSA first becomes available,” McCarty said.

The workshop is a 2½-hour series of sessions and not a drop-in event, she added.

For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/financialaid/cgs.shtml, call McCarty at 615-898-8414 or email BonnieMccarty@mtsu.edu. For other CGS locations, visit http://tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/locations.html.

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Media welcomed.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU is celebrating its 100th anniversary with special events and activities throughout the 2011-12 academic year.
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For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

[194] MTSU Accounting CPE Day is Dec. 8

Today’s date: Dec. 1, 2011

News and Media Relations contacts: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu
or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Thomas.Tozer@mtsu.edu
MTSU Department of Accounting contact: 615-898-5306


MTSU Accounting Continuing Professional Education Day is Dec. 8

MURFREESBORO — The 3rd annual Department of Accounting Continuing Professional Education Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall.

Seminars during the conference include presentations on accounting and financial reporting, auditing, taxation and ethics presented by Department of Accounting faculty. Participants can earn up to eight hours of CPE credit. The cost is $150, which includes all seminars, materials, and lunch.

The sessions include:

• “Financial Accounting Standards Board Update,” Dr. Paula Thomas, MTSU accounting professor;

• “Tennessee Ethics,” Mark Crocker, executive director of the Tennessee Board of Accountancy in Nashville;

• “How ‘Legal Thinking’ Can Aid the Auditor,” Dr. Sandy Benson, assistant professor of business law;

• “Tax Update and Tax Planning,” Dr. Tim Koski, accounting professor;

• “General Ethics,” Stan Clark, accounting associate professor;

• “Government Accounting Standards Board Update,” Dr. G. Robert “Smitty” Smith Jr., interim chair of the Department of Accounting;

• “International Financial Reporting Standards,” Dr. Jeannie Harrington, associate professor of accounting;
• “Audit Update,” Bill Mooningham, retired partner from Ernst & Young, MTSU alumnus and accounting instructor;

• “Leveraging Technology in the Modern Accounting Firm,” Eric Clements, Randall Matlock & Associates P.C. in Murfreesboro; and

• “Detecting Deception,” Daniel Porter, investigative auditor, Tennessee Department of State Audit in Nashville.

To register or get more information, visit the Department of Accounting web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/accounting or call 615-898-5306.

Also, the 21st annual Department of Accounting Alumni CPE Day at MTSU will held on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has recognized MTSU for its outstanding curricular engagement, community outreach and partnerships. As MTSU celebrates its 100th anniversary, Pride, Tradition and Excellence are the cornerstones of "Tennessee’s Best"!
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For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.