148 SEIVERS, TRAIL, PRINCE NAMED DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Release date: Oct. 16, 2007


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Office of Alumni Relations contact: Michelle Stepp, 615-898-2922


SEIVERS, TRAIL, PRINCE NAMED DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI;
BARNETT RECEIVES YOUNG ALUMNI RECOGNITION


(MURFREESBORO) — Dr. Lana Seivers, Sandra Trail and Gale Prince have been named 2007-08 MTSU Distinguished Alumni and Brady Barnett the 2007-08 Young Alumni Award recipient, the National Alumni Association announced through the Office of Alumni Relations recently.
Seivers (B.S. ’72), a Nashville resident formerly from Clinton, was named Distinguished Alumni in the category of Professional Achievement. Trail (B.S. ’72), a Murfreesboro resident, was named Distinguished Alumni in the category of Service to the University. Prince (B.S. ’57), a Murfreesboro resident, was named Distinguished Alumni in the category of Service to the Community.
Barnett (B.M. ’97, B.S. ’97), who lives in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., was named Young Alumni Achievement recipient.
All will be formally recognized next spring during the 2008 President’s Celebration of Excellence. The date and details of the event will be announced later.
Seivers serves as Tennessee Commissioner of Education for the State Department of Education, an appointed position by Gov. Phil Bredesen. Previously, Seivers was superintendent of Clinton City Schools from 1988-2003, and was a teacher and administrator in the Oak Ridge School System from 1972-88. She has served on the Tennessee Board of Regents, University of Tennessee Board of Trustees, Tennessee Workplace Development Board, 2003-06 MTSU National Alumni Association Board member and held many other advisory capacities.
L. Quentin Lane of Ooltewah nominated Seivers for the award “for her professional achievements including her services as a teacher, principal, director of early childhood education, superintendent and commissioner of education for the state of Tennessee.”
Trail has been in private law practice since 1983. Using her legal and accounting background, she has spent many hours revising many of the organizational documents for
the MTSU Foundation and Alumni Association as well as helping prepare numerous
contracts and agreements on the university’s behalf – all free of charge. Trail served as National Alumni Association president, and was involved in the negotiating and preparing of the agreement between the association and MTSU relating to the purchase of the Alumni House.
“She represents the very best of those qualities we want to see in our graduates, excellent leadership, intelligence, integrity, and a deep loyalty to the university,” alumnus Ross Speilman (B.S. ’55, M.A. ’66) wrote when nominating Trail, who also was nominated by Circuit Court Judge Don R. Ash (B.S. ’77).
Prince, a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, has devoted his life to community service in Murfreesboro. His greatest service has been in serving the Murfreesboro Lions Club. He personally took on the challenge of battling amblyopia in young children. This eye disease eventually causes low vision and blindness. Prince has traveled the state speaking to Lions Club members, explaining the challenge and raising financial support. He devotes endless hours to photo screening children throughout the town. He has screened more than 12,500 children, with 446 of them referred for some degree of vision care. Prince is a volunteer with other nonprofit organizations in the city.
“Gale has dedicated his life to serving others,” alumnus Andy Womack (B.S. ’70) wrote in his nomination of Prince.
Barnett, an independent producer and engineer in the recording industry field, has taken time to serve as an adjunct professor in MTSU’s recording industry department since 2000 despite his busy professional schedule. He spent several years at prominent facilities in Los Angeles. Barnett has engineered multi-platinum and Grammy-winning albums, and engineered for artists such as Keith Urban, LeeAnn Rimes, George Jones, Brad Paisley and others. He co-owns Of Sound Mind Productions, a full-service music production company outside of Nashville. Additionally, he has authored a book and a set of instructional videos for the recording industry.
“Brady Barnett’s experience as a recording engineer, producer and author include several years at prominent facilities in Los Angeles,” Dr. Bob Wood, recording industry professor, wrote in nominating Barnett. “He has helped our department develop new courses. Brady would be a worthy recipient.”
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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Note: Photos of the recipients will be sent as attachments.