FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2008
CONTACT: Lynn Palmer, Admissions, 615-898-2111
550-PLUS STUDENTS EARN MTSU SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FALL 2008
County-by-County Listing of Scholarship Recipients Available for Media Download
(MURFREESBORO)—Admissions officials from Middle Tennessee State University have released their list of some 554 students who, as of May 30, 2008, have accepted scholarships to attend MTSU beginning in the fall 2008 semester.
To obtain the list of those students from your Tennessee county who were awarded scholarships for the upcoming academic term, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs Web site at mtsunews.com and click on the on the “Scholarship Recipients” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page. Next, click on the “2008 — June” link, which will lead to an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students from Tennessee who have been awarded and accepted scholarships to attend MTSU in the fall. (Scholarship recipients from outside Tennessee are listed following the county-by-county list.) This list may be downloaded and saved for editorial use by hometown media outlets.
In addition to being listed alphabetically by county, this list includes each student’s hometown, high school attended, name of scholarship and award amount. Also, please note that students are listed by county based upon the information they provided to MTSU's Records Office regarding their permanent address. It is the sole responsibility of the student to ensure that his or her MTSU records accurately reflect his or her permanent residence.
For more information about the admissions process for high-school seniors, contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissn.
###
Friday, May 30, 2008
[463]INAUGURAL MTSU ALUMNI SUMMER COLLEGE SET JUNE 25-27
Release date: May 30, 2008
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Office of Alumni Relations contact: Rhonda Wright, 615-904-8198
INAUGURAL MTSU ALUMNI SUMMER COLLEGE SET JUNE 25-27
Event Organizers Extend Registration Deadline to June 10
(MURFREESBORO) — The MTSU Office of Alumni Relations is looking forward to being host for its inaugural Alumni Summer College in late June.
“It is an opportunity for alumni and friends to return to campus, becoming reacquainted with the university and each other through a series of interesting classes and fun tours,” said Rhonda Wright, an alumni relations assistant director. “We have planned two-and-a-half days of activities, lectures and tours that are tailored for Blue Raiders.”
Alumni Summer College will be held June 25-27. Registration has been extended to Tuesday, June 10, Wright said.
“As we approach MTSU’s Centennial in 2011, we wanted to offer an event that
would tie the university’s past with its future,” she said. “This year’s theme of ‘Exploring Our Heritage’ does just that. We will study everything from the university’s history to photo preservation, equestrian traditions to genealogies and the turf of the football field to our area’s musical history.”
Wright, who is coordinating the event, said people started calling as soon as the event was announced in February.
“Excitement grew when the schedule was published,” she said. “Everyone is eager to return to campus. Some participants have not been on campus since the 1960s, while others are regulars at most MTSU events. Most of this year’s class graduated
in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and are traveling from six different states. They are all looking forward to renewing their ties to their alma mater and becoming a college student again. Only this time, there will be no quizzes in their classes.”
Wright said she has enjoyed “hearing the stories that participants have shared over the phone and know that forgotten memories will flood back to them when they walk on campus. I have learned about the sock hops, football rivalries, bus stations and professors of years gone by.”
“Our field trip to Nashville is sure to be a highlight,” Wright added. “After learning about country music from noted historian Robert K. Oermann, we will tour the
Ryman Auditorium and go backstage while the Grand Ole Opry radio show is on
the air (WSM-AM 650).”
The Alumni House, located at 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd., will serve as the home base for Alumni Summer College participants. Each day will start and end there.
Wright said she expects Alumni Summer College to become an annual event.
“Based on this year’s interest, we anticipate it will grow each year,” she said.
Alumni Summer College is open to all alumni, family and friends of the
university. Although space is limited, there is still time to enroll by the June 10 deadline, she said.
You can find more information about Alumni summer College and other alumni events by visiting mtalumni.com or calling 615-898-2922 or 1-800-533-6878.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Office of Alumni Relations contact: Rhonda Wright, 615-904-8198
INAUGURAL MTSU ALUMNI SUMMER COLLEGE SET JUNE 25-27
Event Organizers Extend Registration Deadline to June 10
(MURFREESBORO) — The MTSU Office of Alumni Relations is looking forward to being host for its inaugural Alumni Summer College in late June.
“It is an opportunity for alumni and friends to return to campus, becoming reacquainted with the university and each other through a series of interesting classes and fun tours,” said Rhonda Wright, an alumni relations assistant director. “We have planned two-and-a-half days of activities, lectures and tours that are tailored for Blue Raiders.”
Alumni Summer College will be held June 25-27. Registration has been extended to Tuesday, June 10, Wright said.
“As we approach MTSU’s Centennial in 2011, we wanted to offer an event that
would tie the university’s past with its future,” she said. “This year’s theme of ‘Exploring Our Heritage’ does just that. We will study everything from the university’s history to photo preservation, equestrian traditions to genealogies and the turf of the football field to our area’s musical history.”
Wright, who is coordinating the event, said people started calling as soon as the event was announced in February.
“Excitement grew when the schedule was published,” she said. “Everyone is eager to return to campus. Some participants have not been on campus since the 1960s, while others are regulars at most MTSU events. Most of this year’s class graduated
in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and are traveling from six different states. They are all looking forward to renewing their ties to their alma mater and becoming a college student again. Only this time, there will be no quizzes in their classes.”
Wright said she has enjoyed “hearing the stories that participants have shared over the phone and know that forgotten memories will flood back to them when they walk on campus. I have learned about the sock hops, football rivalries, bus stations and professors of years gone by.”
“Our field trip to Nashville is sure to be a highlight,” Wright added. “After learning about country music from noted historian Robert K. Oermann, we will tour the
Ryman Auditorium and go backstage while the Grand Ole Opry radio show is on
the air (WSM-AM 650).”
The Alumni House, located at 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd., will serve as the home base for Alumni Summer College participants. Each day will start and end there.
Wright said she expects Alumni Summer College to become an annual event.
“Based on this year’s interest, we anticipate it will grow each year,” she said.
Alumni Summer College is open to all alumni, family and friends of the
university. Although space is limited, there is still time to enroll by the June 10 deadline, she said.
You can find more information about Alumni summer College and other alumni events by visiting mtalumni.com or calling 615-898-2922 or 1-800-533-6878.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
[462]MTSU SUMMER CAMPS KEEP KIDS LEARNING, HEALTHY
MTSU SUMMER CAMPS KEEP KIDS LEARNING, HEALTHY
Campus Recreation Ready for Youth Sports, Swim, Adventure Camps
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Jenny Crouch, 615-898-2104
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU Campus Recreation kicks off its youth camp season Monday, June 2, to help keep young people healthy and fit this summer.
The Summer Youth Sports Camp, which begins June 2 and runs each week through Friday, Aug. 1, is for boys and girls seven to 13 years old. It will feature a variety of sports, leisure and fitness activities between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tuition for each weekly session is $150 with lunch or $125 if campers bring their own lunches.
Campers will be assigned to groups according to age, and all activities will be coed. Campers can enjoy swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools, basketball, soccer, flag football, racquetball, whiffle ball, kickball, dodgeball and ping pong, and they’ll also be offered wellness sessions to learn how and why to exercise and how to make healthy choices.
Swim Camp also begins June 2 and runs for four two-week sessions through July 25. The camp, which aims to help swimmers ages 8 to 17 improve efficiency and time and enjoy the training process, is set from 1 to 2 p.m. daily. Each two-week session costs $25 per participant, and swimmers may register for one session or all four.
And Campus Rec’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. A water bottle is a must, organizers say.
Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. Discounts are available.
Campers also must have received all school-required shots before attending the camps; parents will need to furnish proof of those shots as well as family medical insurance coverage.
For more details, visit www.mtsu.edu/~camprec or call 615-898-2104.
---------
IN BRIEF: MTSU Campus Recreation kicks off its youth camp season Monday, June 2, to help keep young people healthy and fit this summer. Summer Youth Sports and Swim Camps begin Monday, June 2, and Adventure Camp takes off June 23. For details including activities, dates, costs and registration requirements, visit www.mtsu.edu/~camprec or call 615-898-2104.
For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.
—30—
Campus Recreation Ready for Youth Sports, Swim, Adventure Camps
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Jenny Crouch, 615-898-2104
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU Campus Recreation kicks off its youth camp season Monday, June 2, to help keep young people healthy and fit this summer.
The Summer Youth Sports Camp, which begins June 2 and runs each week through Friday, Aug. 1, is for boys and girls seven to 13 years old. It will feature a variety of sports, leisure and fitness activities between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tuition for each weekly session is $150 with lunch or $125 if campers bring their own lunches.
Campers will be assigned to groups according to age, and all activities will be coed. Campers can enjoy swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools, basketball, soccer, flag football, racquetball, whiffle ball, kickball, dodgeball and ping pong, and they’ll also be offered wellness sessions to learn how and why to exercise and how to make healthy choices.
Swim Camp also begins June 2 and runs for four two-week sessions through July 25. The camp, which aims to help swimmers ages 8 to 17 improve efficiency and time and enjoy the training process, is set from 1 to 2 p.m. daily. Each two-week session costs $25 per participant, and swimmers may register for one session or all four.
And Campus Rec’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. A water bottle is a must, organizers say.
Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. Discounts are available.
Campers also must have received all school-required shots before attending the camps; parents will need to furnish proof of those shots as well as family medical insurance coverage.
For more details, visit www.mtsu.edu/~camprec or call 615-898-2104.
---------
IN BRIEF: MTSU Campus Recreation kicks off its youth camp season Monday, June 2, to help keep young people healthy and fit this summer. Summer Youth Sports and Swim Camps begin Monday, June 2, and Adventure Camp takes off June 23. For details including activities, dates, costs and registration requirements, visit www.mtsu.edu/~camprec or call 615-898-2104.
For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.
—30—
[461]MTSU NAMES JOHN VILE DEAN OF UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE
Release date: May 29, 2008
News & Public Affairs contacts: Tom Tozer or Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Executive Vice President and Provost contact: Dr. Kaylene Gebert, 615-898-2880
MTSU NAMES JOHN VILE DEAN OF UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU has named Dr. John Vile dean of the University Honors College, Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost, announced this week. Vile has served as Department of Political Science chair for 19 years.
“He is an exemplary academic, an involved university and community citizen, and a man with a wonderful laugh,” Gebert said, in discussing Vile, who officially takes the Honors College reins July 1. “Dr. Vile will be an exceptional honors dean, and we
are delighted to welcome him to this new role.”
“John Vile is an internationally recognized Constitutional scholar who also
takes time to advise CUSTOMS students for freshman registration,” Gebert added. “Dr. Vile also chaired the recently revised University Academic Master Plan.”
Vile, who was raised near Luray, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley region, replaces Dr. Phil Mathis, who will retire June 30 as honors dean. Vile was selected after a national search. It also was announced that Dr. Clyde Willis would serve as political science interim chair.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of this job,” Vile said of becoming the third dean and fifth director in the program. “I directed an honors thesis this year and am looking forward to working with students on a one-to-one basis. I’ve always had an open door policy in political science that I plan to take with me to the Honors College. I believe that my experience as a department chair will help me in interacting with the departments that supply the faculty for the Honors College.”
“MTSU’s is the first public honors college in the state, and it attracts quality students like those I already am used to getting in my pre-law and mock trial classes,” Vile added. “I think I’ve known each of the previous chairs and deans, from Dr. June McCash to Dr. Ron Messier to Dr. John Paul Montgomery and Dr. Phil Mathis. Each has been the kind of scholar-teacher that I myself aspire to be.”
Vile’s new office will be in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, and the honors program receives significant financial support from the Martin family
“The Martin family epitomizes what can be done when private donors contribute to public institutions, and I plan to continue to seek outside support at a time when state budgets are tight,” Vile said. “Dr. Mathis has put together an extraordinary advisory board. I already know some of the members and am looking forward to meeting the others.”
Vile earned his B.A. degree in government from the College of William and Mary in 1973 and his Ph.D. in government from the University of Virginia in 1977.
“I was in the honors program when I was an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary,” he said. “My daughter (Virginia) participated in the program here (she was named Honors College Most Outstanding Senior). Both my daughters went to public universities (Virginia’s twin sister Rebekah attended the University of Tennessee), and I am looking forward to explaining to other students what a bargain an honors education can be.”
Vile also taught at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., from 1977-89.
Vile admits he has 19 years of emotional attachment to his political science chair’s job in Peck Hall.
“I told Dr. John McDaniel (College of Liberal Arts dean) that when I’m buried, I may be like (explorer) David Livingstone – my heart might have to be buried near the (political science) department. I’ve formed some extraordinary friendships with students, faculty and administrators, and look forward to forming many more in the Honors College.”
Vile has worked with Willis and Dr. Tom VanDervort in coaching MTSU mock trial teams. They have placed in the top 10 nationally for 11 years, and students have won numerous individual awards. He serves as a member of the American Mock Trial Association board member and is rules committee chair. In 2000, Vile received the Congressman Neal Smith Award for Outstanding and Exemplary Contributions to Law-Related Education. MTSU sponsors one of the largest invitational tournaments in the nation.
Vile and his wife Linda, who teaches kindergarten at Stewartsboro Elementary School in Smyrna, live in Murfreesboro. He describes her as a “people person” who has been of “immeasurable help in ministering to the Beechgrove Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where I preach on Sundays.”
The honors program began in 1975. It became a college in 1998.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: A high-resolution photo of new University Honors College Dean John Vile is available by calling Randy Weiler or the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919. To interview Vile, please call 615-898-2596.
News & Public Affairs contacts: Tom Tozer or Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Executive Vice President and Provost contact: Dr. Kaylene Gebert, 615-898-2880
MTSU NAMES JOHN VILE DEAN OF UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU has named Dr. John Vile dean of the University Honors College, Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost, announced this week. Vile has served as Department of Political Science chair for 19 years.
“He is an exemplary academic, an involved university and community citizen, and a man with a wonderful laugh,” Gebert said, in discussing Vile, who officially takes the Honors College reins July 1. “Dr. Vile will be an exceptional honors dean, and we
are delighted to welcome him to this new role.”
“John Vile is an internationally recognized Constitutional scholar who also
takes time to advise CUSTOMS students for freshman registration,” Gebert added. “Dr. Vile also chaired the recently revised University Academic Master Plan.”
Vile, who was raised near Luray, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley region, replaces Dr. Phil Mathis, who will retire June 30 as honors dean. Vile was selected after a national search. It also was announced that Dr. Clyde Willis would serve as political science interim chair.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of this job,” Vile said of becoming the third dean and fifth director in the program. “I directed an honors thesis this year and am looking forward to working with students on a one-to-one basis. I’ve always had an open door policy in political science that I plan to take with me to the Honors College. I believe that my experience as a department chair will help me in interacting with the departments that supply the faculty for the Honors College.”
“MTSU’s is the first public honors college in the state, and it attracts quality students like those I already am used to getting in my pre-law and mock trial classes,” Vile added. “I think I’ve known each of the previous chairs and deans, from Dr. June McCash to Dr. Ron Messier to Dr. John Paul Montgomery and Dr. Phil Mathis. Each has been the kind of scholar-teacher that I myself aspire to be.”
Vile’s new office will be in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, and the honors program receives significant financial support from the Martin family
“The Martin family epitomizes what can be done when private donors contribute to public institutions, and I plan to continue to seek outside support at a time when state budgets are tight,” Vile said. “Dr. Mathis has put together an extraordinary advisory board. I already know some of the members and am looking forward to meeting the others.”
Vile earned his B.A. degree in government from the College of William and Mary in 1973 and his Ph.D. in government from the University of Virginia in 1977.
“I was in the honors program when I was an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary,” he said. “My daughter (Virginia) participated in the program here (she was named Honors College Most Outstanding Senior). Both my daughters went to public universities (Virginia’s twin sister Rebekah attended the University of Tennessee), and I am looking forward to explaining to other students what a bargain an honors education can be.”
Vile also taught at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., from 1977-89.
Vile admits he has 19 years of emotional attachment to his political science chair’s job in Peck Hall.
“I told Dr. John McDaniel (College of Liberal Arts dean) that when I’m buried, I may be like (explorer) David Livingstone – my heart might have to be buried near the (political science) department. I’ve formed some extraordinary friendships with students, faculty and administrators, and look forward to forming many more in the Honors College.”
Vile has worked with Willis and Dr. Tom VanDervort in coaching MTSU mock trial teams. They have placed in the top 10 nationally for 11 years, and students have won numerous individual awards. He serves as a member of the American Mock Trial Association board member and is rules committee chair. In 2000, Vile received the Congressman Neal Smith Award for Outstanding and Exemplary Contributions to Law-Related Education. MTSU sponsors one of the largest invitational tournaments in the nation.
Vile and his wife Linda, who teaches kindergarten at Stewartsboro Elementary School in Smyrna, live in Murfreesboro. He describes her as a “people person” who has been of “immeasurable help in ministering to the Beechgrove Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where I preach on Sundays.”
The honors program began in 1975. It became a college in 1998.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: A high-resolution photo of new University Honors College Dean John Vile is available by calling Randy Weiler or the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919. To interview Vile, please call 615-898-2596.
[460]MTSU TN LEAP HELPS SHOWCASE HUD HEALTHY HOMES
Release date: May 29, 2008
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
TN LEAP contacts: Faye Ralston, 615-427-3644 (cell)
Dr. Kathy Mathis, 615-653-5423 (cell)
MTSU TN LEAP HELPS SHOWCASE HUD HEALTHY HOMES
EXHIBIT AT MEMPHIS IN MAY ITALIAN FESTIVAL TODAY-SATURDAY
WHO: HUD, MTSU TN LEAP officials
WHAT: Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids nationwide tour (only Tennessee stop)
WHEN: Tonight through Saturday at Memphis Italian Festival/Memphis in May
WHERE: Corner of Mt. Moriah Road and Park Avenue, Memphis
WHY: Show the public the hazards of lead paint poisoning in homes built before 1978
ETC.: MTSU Tennessee Lead Elimination Action Program reps will be there tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. HUD officials will be there tonight through Saturday.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: a high-resolution photo is attached for those receiving this by e-mail. If you receive this by fax and would like a high-res photo, please call Randy Weiler at 615-898-5616.
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
TN LEAP contacts: Faye Ralston, 615-427-3644 (cell)
Dr. Kathy Mathis, 615-653-5423 (cell)
MTSU TN LEAP HELPS SHOWCASE HUD HEALTHY HOMES
EXHIBIT AT MEMPHIS IN MAY ITALIAN FESTIVAL TODAY-SATURDAY
WHO: HUD, MTSU TN LEAP officials
WHAT: Healthy Homes for Healthy Kids nationwide tour (only Tennessee stop)
WHEN: Tonight through Saturday at Memphis Italian Festival/Memphis in May
WHERE: Corner of Mt. Moriah Road and Park Avenue, Memphis
WHY: Show the public the hazards of lead paint poisoning in homes built before 1978
ETC.: MTSU Tennessee Lead Elimination Action Program reps will be there tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. HUD officials will be there tonight through Saturday.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: a high-resolution photo is attached for those receiving this by e-mail. If you receive this by fax and would like a high-res photo, please call Randy Weiler at 615-898-5616.
[458]MTSU SEARCHES FOR NEW STUDY ABROAD DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
MTSU SEARCHES FOR NEW STUDY ABROAD DIRECTOR
MT Abroad’s Jennifer Campbell to Take Over Similar Job at Florida School
(MURFREESBORO) – Middle Tennessee State University will look to fill two positions in the MT Abroad office this summer as Jennifer Campbell, director of MT Abroad, prepares to depart May 30 and Brandon Fisher, coordinator, gets ready to leave in August. Campbell is slated to assume the job of Director of Study Abroad at her alma mater, Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla., starting June 2. Fisher, an MTSU graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership, will teach English in France after two-and-a-half years as the office coordinator. “We’re going to miss Jennifer tremendously because she’s been essential to developing a lot of the policies and procedures that give us an infrastructure for running what is becoming a pretty large program,” says Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Executive Vice President and Provost for International Education. During Campbell’s nearly six-year tenure, all of MTSU’s study abroad opportunities, including those available through consortiums, exchange and faculty-led programs, were centralized in the MT Abroad office so that students can access program can access all programs from a single source. Under Campbell’s guidance, MTSU has sent more college students abroad than any other Tennessee Board of Regents institution. Also, although she says she did not accomplish it alone, Campbell maintains she is most satisfied with the establishment of pool of funding for worthy students. “It has taken five years to get here, but we finally have a study abroad scholarship,” she says. “I think a university MTSU’s size could easily send 500 or 600 (students out of the country), and I would have liked to have seen us get to that point. … I think once the scholarship word gets out to the students, you’re going to see things open up here at MTSU. You’re going to see things just soar.” Sloan says the MT Abroad office is responsible for the education and safety of sometimes close to 300 students around the globe at any given time, including athletic teams and students who travel under the auspices of the recreation center. If anything, she says, its mission has become more and more important over time. “We need to have more students who have interacted with cultures other than their own to prepare them for the marketplace of the 21st century,” Sloan says. “It’s no longer some little extra educational enhancement. Nationally, it has become more and more part of the educational mainstream.”
Campbell says she remains confident that international education will remain a strong priority at MTSU. “There’s a campus here that really believes in study abroad, puts their money where their mouth is and really supports international growth on this campus,” she says. For more information about study abroad opportunities at MTSU, contact the MT Abroad office at 615-898-5179 or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~mtabroad.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of outgoing MT Abroad Director Jennifer Campbell, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
MTSU SEARCHES FOR NEW STUDY ABROAD DIRECTOR
MT Abroad’s Jennifer Campbell to Take Over Similar Job at Florida School
(MURFREESBORO) – Middle Tennessee State University will look to fill two positions in the MT Abroad office this summer as Jennifer Campbell, director of MT Abroad, prepares to depart May 30 and Brandon Fisher, coordinator, gets ready to leave in August. Campbell is slated to assume the job of Director of Study Abroad at her alma mater, Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla., starting June 2. Fisher, an MTSU graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership, will teach English in France after two-and-a-half years as the office coordinator. “We’re going to miss Jennifer tremendously because she’s been essential to developing a lot of the policies and procedures that give us an infrastructure for running what is becoming a pretty large program,” says Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Executive Vice President and Provost for International Education. During Campbell’s nearly six-year tenure, all of MTSU’s study abroad opportunities, including those available through consortiums, exchange and faculty-led programs, were centralized in the MT Abroad office so that students can access program can access all programs from a single source. Under Campbell’s guidance, MTSU has sent more college students abroad than any other Tennessee Board of Regents institution. Also, although she says she did not accomplish it alone, Campbell maintains she is most satisfied with the establishment of pool of funding for worthy students. “It has taken five years to get here, but we finally have a study abroad scholarship,” she says. “I think a university MTSU’s size could easily send 500 or 600 (students out of the country), and I would have liked to have seen us get to that point. … I think once the scholarship word gets out to the students, you’re going to see things open up here at MTSU. You’re going to see things just soar.” Sloan says the MT Abroad office is responsible for the education and safety of sometimes close to 300 students around the globe at any given time, including athletic teams and students who travel under the auspices of the recreation center. If anything, she says, its mission has become more and more important over time. “We need to have more students who have interacted with cultures other than their own to prepare them for the marketplace of the 21st century,” Sloan says. “It’s no longer some little extra educational enhancement. Nationally, it has become more and more part of the educational mainstream.”
Campbell says she remains confident that international education will remain a strong priority at MTSU. “There’s a campus here that really believes in study abroad, puts their money where their mouth is and really supports international growth on this campus,” she says. For more information about study abroad opportunities at MTSU, contact the MT Abroad office at 615-898-5179 or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~mtabroad.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of outgoing MT Abroad Director Jennifer Campbell, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
[457]CANNES FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOW MTSU FILM TO CINEMA ELITE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOW MTSU FILM TO CINEMA ELITE
College of Mass Communication Students’ Work Accepted for Second Year in a Row
(MURFREESBORO) – For the second consecutive year, the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, has accepted an independent film produced by MTSU students and faculty. The movie, which is titled “Wait…,” also has been accepted by Digifest in Florence, Italy, and is under consideration by nearly 40 other festivals around the globe. “I’m astonished and humbled at the same time,” Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication and the screenwriter and director of “Wait…,” says. “This validates the work of MTSU mass communication faculty and students.” Pondillo and his students first attracted attention at Cannes last year with “My Name is Wallace,” the touching tale of an emotionally challenged man who looks for love in a very unusual way. Both films star Los Angeles-based professional actor David Lawrence, who shares executive producer credit with Pondillo. “Wait …,” a short subject only nine minutes and 25 seconds in length, reveals the emotional agonies of a man upon learning that his son has been killed in Iraq. It was shot in one day on location in Murfreesboro. In addition to Pondillo, the other College of Mass Communication faculty members involved in production are journalism professor Ray Wong, who provided printing services, and Dr. Robert Wood of the Department of Recording Industry, who composed the score. The crew of MTSU students includes David Poag (Culleoka), Jacob Smithson (Woodbury), Daniel Rowland (Milledgeville, Ga.), Jonathan Parris (Murfreesboro), Jesse Davidson (Nashville), Carianne Lance (Chattanooga), Tyler Sheldon (Knoxville), Justin Stokes (Indianapolis, Ind.), Drew Weaver (Cordova, Ala.), Chrissy Coburn (Pigeon Forge) and Travis Holmes (Murfreesboro).
To view the film and for more information on “Wait…,” go to http://www.waitfilm.com. For interviews, contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpeg photos shot on location during the filming of “Wait…” and still photos from the movie, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL TO SHOW MTSU FILM TO CINEMA ELITE
College of Mass Communication Students’ Work Accepted for Second Year in a Row
(MURFREESBORO) – For the second consecutive year, the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, has accepted an independent film produced by MTSU students and faculty. The movie, which is titled “Wait…,” also has been accepted by Digifest in Florence, Italy, and is under consideration by nearly 40 other festivals around the globe. “I’m astonished and humbled at the same time,” Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication and the screenwriter and director of “Wait…,” says. “This validates the work of MTSU mass communication faculty and students.” Pondillo and his students first attracted attention at Cannes last year with “My Name is Wallace,” the touching tale of an emotionally challenged man who looks for love in a very unusual way. Both films star Los Angeles-based professional actor David Lawrence, who shares executive producer credit with Pondillo. “Wait …,” a short subject only nine minutes and 25 seconds in length, reveals the emotional agonies of a man upon learning that his son has been killed in Iraq. It was shot in one day on location in Murfreesboro. In addition to Pondillo, the other College of Mass Communication faculty members involved in production are journalism professor Ray Wong, who provided printing services, and Dr. Robert Wood of the Department of Recording Industry, who composed the score. The crew of MTSU students includes David Poag (Culleoka), Jacob Smithson (Woodbury), Daniel Rowland (Milledgeville, Ga.), Jonathan Parris (Murfreesboro), Jesse Davidson (Nashville), Carianne Lance (Chattanooga), Tyler Sheldon (Knoxville), Justin Stokes (Indianapolis, Ind.), Drew Weaver (Cordova, Ala.), Chrissy Coburn (Pigeon Forge) and Travis Holmes (Murfreesboro).
To view the film and for more information on “Wait…,” go to http://www.waitfilm.com. For interviews, contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpeg photos shot on location during the filming of “Wait…” and still photos from the movie, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
[456]MTSU ALUMNA RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR GRADUATE STUDY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
MTSU ALUMNA RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR GRADUATE STUDY
Pre-Law Major Only One of Many to be Honored by Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
(MURFREESBORO) – Gretchen Jenkins, a May 2008 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, received one of 40 Phi Kappa Phi Awards of Excellence to be used for graduate study. She was one of only 40 students from throughout the nation to be so honored with the $2,000 stipend. Another 60 students received Fellowships of $5,000 each. Jenkins, the daughter of Baxter and Sandra Jenkins of Lebanon, Tenn., plans to attend classes at New York Law School in Manhattan starting August 18. She successfully defended her honors thesis on the First Amendment rights of students on April 11 at MTSU.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has never heard a case about college students’ First Amendment rights,” Jenkins said in a recent telephone interview from Auburn, Ala., where she was one of only 25 students from across the nation chosen to attend a women’s leadership conference.
For her thesis, Jenkins used several appellate court decisions for creating criteria by which the high court could decide a First Amendment case involving college students.
Phi Kappa Phi is “the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines,” according to its Web site at www.phikappaphi.org. Jenkins credits Dr. John McDaniel, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, with being the major influences on her academic career at MTSU. Vile says MTSU has had an impressive number of Phi Kappa Phi award-winners in recent years. In 1999, Ryan Durham, a business major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $7,000); Durham went on to attend law school at the University of Tennessee. In 2001, Natalie Woodward, a pre-law major, received an Award of Excellence (then for $1,000); Woodward pursued graduate work in political science before going on to law school at the University of Minnesota. In 2002, Virginia Vile, a French and pre-law major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $8,000); Virginia earned J.D. and LL.M. at the College of William and Mary and Washington University.
In 2003, Eric Freundt, a biology major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $8,000); he became the first MTSU graduate to enroll at Oxford University under the National Institutes of Health Scholars in Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. In 2004, Andrea Walker, a RIM major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards for $5,000; she went to the Vanderbilt University School of Law. In 2006, Katie Crytzer, a pre-law major, received one of 50 Fellowship awards for $5,000; she is at the George Mason University School of Law, where she is on the law review staff. In 2007, Matthew Bullington, an economics major, received one of 60 Fellowship awards for $5000; he went to Vanderbilt for graduate study.
--30--
MTSU ALUMNA RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR GRADUATE STUDY
Pre-Law Major Only One of Many to be Honored by Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
(MURFREESBORO) – Gretchen Jenkins, a May 2008 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, received one of 40 Phi Kappa Phi Awards of Excellence to be used for graduate study. She was one of only 40 students from throughout the nation to be so honored with the $2,000 stipend. Another 60 students received Fellowships of $5,000 each. Jenkins, the daughter of Baxter and Sandra Jenkins of Lebanon, Tenn., plans to attend classes at New York Law School in Manhattan starting August 18. She successfully defended her honors thesis on the First Amendment rights of students on April 11 at MTSU.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has never heard a case about college students’ First Amendment rights,” Jenkins said in a recent telephone interview from Auburn, Ala., where she was one of only 25 students from across the nation chosen to attend a women’s leadership conference.
For her thesis, Jenkins used several appellate court decisions for creating criteria by which the high court could decide a First Amendment case involving college students.
Phi Kappa Phi is “the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines,” according to its Web site at www.phikappaphi.org. Jenkins credits Dr. John McDaniel, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, with being the major influences on her academic career at MTSU. Vile says MTSU has had an impressive number of Phi Kappa Phi award-winners in recent years. In 1999, Ryan Durham, a business major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $7,000); Durham went on to attend law school at the University of Tennessee. In 2001, Natalie Woodward, a pre-law major, received an Award of Excellence (then for $1,000); Woodward pursued graduate work in political science before going on to law school at the University of Minnesota. In 2002, Virginia Vile, a French and pre-law major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $8,000); Virginia earned J.D. and LL.M. at the College of William and Mary and Washington University.
In 2003, Eric Freundt, a biology major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards (then for $8,000); he became the first MTSU graduate to enroll at Oxford University under the National Institutes of Health Scholars in Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. In 2004, Andrea Walker, a RIM major, received one of 50 Fellowship Awards for $5,000; she went to the Vanderbilt University School of Law. In 2006, Katie Crytzer, a pre-law major, received one of 50 Fellowship awards for $5,000; she is at the George Mason University School of Law, where she is on the law review staff. In 2007, Matthew Bullington, an economics major, received one of 60 Fellowship awards for $5000; he went to Vanderbilt for graduate study.
--30--
[455]JUNE-JULY CUSTOMS TO TOUCH ON STUDENT SAFETY
Release date: May 21, 2008
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
CUSTOMS contact: Gina Poff (ghpoff@mtsu.edu) / 615-898-5533
JUNE-JULY CUSTOMS TO TOUCH ON STUDENT SAFETY
(MURFREESBORO) — New student summer orientation, or CUSTOMS, gets under way soon, and campus safety during the 2008-09 academic year will be a major point of emphasis for the students and their families attending.
A safety table manned by members of the Environmental Health and Safety Committee will provide potentially life-saving information that students will want to use and access when they return to campus in late August. The safety table will be part of the 6 p.m. dinner and ports of interest session on the first day of each CUSTOMS.
“We want to provide a safe campus environment for our students and visitors,” said Tom Tozer, director of the Office of News and Public Affairs and a member of the safety committee.
“We want them to know what's available in the event of a fire or tornado, and we're encouraging new students to register for MTSU’s emergency text-messaging system. We're hoping to have 10,000 students registered (for text-messaging) by Sept. 1.”
Tozer said that both he and campus Police Chief Buddy Peaster have spoken with Middle Tennessee TV (Channel 10), Sidelines (the student newspaper) and other media outlets to publicize campus safety opportunities.
Students also can go to the Alert4U location on the MTSU Web site “that takes them to everything,” Tozer said, including information on all types of emergencies, situations and safety plans.
Parents at CUSTOMS will view an informational video about the university that includes a section on safety. Bookmarks, key chains and magnets will be among the giveaway items with a safety theme.
College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Mass Communication majors and undeclared students will attend CUSTOMS June 3-4, June 13-14, June 24-25, July 9-10 and July 22-23.
Jennings A. Jones College of Business, College of Education and Behavioral Science and College of Liberal Arts majors and undeclared students will attend June 10-11, June 18-19, July 17-18 and July 25-26.
For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~customs, e-mail customs@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5533. For questions about admission status, call 615-898-2111.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
CUSTOMS contact: Gina Poff (ghpoff@mtsu.edu) / 615-898-5533
JUNE-JULY CUSTOMS TO TOUCH ON STUDENT SAFETY
(MURFREESBORO) — New student summer orientation, or CUSTOMS, gets under way soon, and campus safety during the 2008-09 academic year will be a major point of emphasis for the students and their families attending.
A safety table manned by members of the Environmental Health and Safety Committee will provide potentially life-saving information that students will want to use and access when they return to campus in late August. The safety table will be part of the 6 p.m. dinner and ports of interest session on the first day of each CUSTOMS.
“We want to provide a safe campus environment for our students and visitors,” said Tom Tozer, director of the Office of News and Public Affairs and a member of the safety committee.
“We want them to know what's available in the event of a fire or tornado, and we're encouraging new students to register for MTSU’s emergency text-messaging system. We're hoping to have 10,000 students registered (for text-messaging) by Sept. 1.”
Tozer said that both he and campus Police Chief Buddy Peaster have spoken with Middle Tennessee TV (Channel 10), Sidelines (the student newspaper) and other media outlets to publicize campus safety opportunities.
Students also can go to the Alert4U location on the MTSU Web site “that takes them to everything,” Tozer said, including information on all types of emergencies, situations and safety plans.
Parents at CUSTOMS will view an informational video about the university that includes a section on safety. Bookmarks, key chains and magnets will be among the giveaway items with a safety theme.
College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Mass Communication majors and undeclared students will attend CUSTOMS June 3-4, June 13-14, June 24-25, July 9-10 and July 22-23.
Jennings A. Jones College of Business, College of Education and Behavioral Science and College of Liberal Arts majors and undeclared students will attend June 10-11, June 18-19, July 17-18 and July 25-26.
For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~customs, e-mail customs@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5533. For questions about admission status, call 615-898-2111.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
[454]COLUMBIA NATIVE WINS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AT MTSU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
COLUMBIA NATIVE WINS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AT MTSU
Political Science Major Captures Award Named for Washington Insider
(MURFREESBORO) – Cory Brunson, a 2008 graduate of Central High School in Columbia, Tenn., and 19-year-old political science major at Middle Tennessee State University, is the recipient of MTSU’s James C. Free Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship is named for James C. Free, president of the Smith-Free Group, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. Free served as Special Assistant to the President for Congressional Affairs under President Jimmy Carter, and he managed Al Gore’s presidential bid in 1988. In 1993, he was presented with an MTSU Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Woodrow Wilson House and the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association. Brunson is the son of Ken Brunson and Elaine Russell, both of Columbia. A triplet, Brunson’s sister, Cayla, is enrolled at Austin Peay State University and his brother, Collin, is a student at Columbia State Community College.
--30--
COLUMBIA NATIVE WINS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP AT MTSU
Political Science Major Captures Award Named for Washington Insider
(MURFREESBORO) – Cory Brunson, a 2008 graduate of Central High School in Columbia, Tenn., and 19-year-old political science major at Middle Tennessee State University, is the recipient of MTSU’s James C. Free Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship is named for James C. Free, president of the Smith-Free Group, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm. Free served as Special Assistant to the President for Congressional Affairs under President Jimmy Carter, and he managed Al Gore’s presidential bid in 1988. In 1993, he was presented with an MTSU Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Woodrow Wilson House and the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association. Brunson is the son of Ken Brunson and Elaine Russell, both of Columbia. A triplet, Brunson’s sister, Cayla, is enrolled at Austin Peay State University and his brother, Collin, is a student at Columbia State Community College.
--30--
[453]MTSU’s GLENN TO BECOME PRESIDENT AT ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Dr. Robert Glenn, 615-898-2440
MTSU’s GLENN TO BECOME PRESIDENT AT ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—Bradley R. Byrne, chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system, will recommend Dr. Robert Glenn, as the next president of Athens State University to the Alabama State Board of Education at its May 22 board meeting.
Glenn has served Middle Tennessee State University for eight years, initially as vice president for student affairs. Two year later, he assumed the additional role of vice provost for enrollment management.
“On behalf of the MTSU community, I would like to congratulate Bob Glenn on his new position as president of Athens State University,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said. “Dr. Glenn is returning to a state that is close to his heart and to a school that has great historical significance for his family. His contributions to MTSU run long and deep. First and foremost, he not only talked about being involved in student life, he was and is an avid supporter and participant in those activities.”
Regarding his new role as president of Athens State University, which has an enrollment of about 3,000, Glenn said, “I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at MTSU. I would not be able to assume this opportunity for service if it had not been for the influence and help of Dr. McPhee, my fellow vice presidents, the great deans of the colleges and all of the other exceptional people who serve the students here. It has been an honor to work with these great professionals and I can only hope that I can pay forward all they have done for me.”
Glenn explained that his great-grandfather, Edgar Massilon Glenn, served two years, 1902 –1904, as Athens’ president when the institution was known as Athens Female College. He later served on the Board of Trustees at Athens State, as well as the Board of Trustees for Birmingham-Southern College and Huntingdon College.
“As an administrator, Dr. Glenn led MTSU through a period of tremendous growth,” McPhee noted. “Through his able leadership and management of that growth, the needs of the students remained priority number one, and the quality of our programs and integrity of the university’s mission were never compromised. Dr. Glenn helped develop a culture of involvement at MTSU that has enabled students to excel in the classroom and become engaged in the community, resulting in a well-rounded educational experience. Many fine achievements lie ahead for Dr. Glenn, and on behalf of the university community, I wish him even greater success.”
“When enrollment services became a part of student affairs, Dr. Glenn provided exemplary leadership in the transition,” added colleague Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice president for enrollment services. “His experience in student development, his careful thought in decision-making and his dedication to serving all students characterize Dr. Glenn.”
Glenn received his Ph.D., with an emphasis in counselor education, and his Master of Science, with an emphasis in student personnel work, from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree, with an emphasis in chemistry from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Ala.
Athens State University is located in Athens and is part of the Alabama Community College System.
# # #
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919 or Dr. Robert Glenn, 615-898-2440
MTSU’s GLENN TO BECOME PRESIDENT AT ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—Bradley R. Byrne, chancellor of Alabama’s two-year college system, will recommend Dr. Robert Glenn, as the next president of Athens State University to the Alabama State Board of Education at its May 22 board meeting.
Glenn has served Middle Tennessee State University for eight years, initially as vice president for student affairs. Two year later, he assumed the additional role of vice provost for enrollment management.
“On behalf of the MTSU community, I would like to congratulate Bob Glenn on his new position as president of Athens State University,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said. “Dr. Glenn is returning to a state that is close to his heart and to a school that has great historical significance for his family. His contributions to MTSU run long and deep. First and foremost, he not only talked about being involved in student life, he was and is an avid supporter and participant in those activities.”
Regarding his new role as president of Athens State University, which has an enrollment of about 3,000, Glenn said, “I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at MTSU. I would not be able to assume this opportunity for service if it had not been for the influence and help of Dr. McPhee, my fellow vice presidents, the great deans of the colleges and all of the other exceptional people who serve the students here. It has been an honor to work with these great professionals and I can only hope that I can pay forward all they have done for me.”
Glenn explained that his great-grandfather, Edgar Massilon Glenn, served two years, 1902 –1904, as Athens’ president when the institution was known as Athens Female College. He later served on the Board of Trustees at Athens State, as well as the Board of Trustees for Birmingham-Southern College and Huntingdon College.
“As an administrator, Dr. Glenn led MTSU through a period of tremendous growth,” McPhee noted. “Through his able leadership and management of that growth, the needs of the students remained priority number one, and the quality of our programs and integrity of the university’s mission were never compromised. Dr. Glenn helped develop a culture of involvement at MTSU that has enabled students to excel in the classroom and become engaged in the community, resulting in a well-rounded educational experience. Many fine achievements lie ahead for Dr. Glenn, and on behalf of the university community, I wish him even greater success.”
“When enrollment services became a part of student affairs, Dr. Glenn provided exemplary leadership in the transition,” added colleague Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice president for enrollment services. “His experience in student development, his careful thought in decision-making and his dedication to serving all students characterize Dr. Glenn.”
Glenn received his Ph.D., with an emphasis in counselor education, and his Master of Science, with an emphasis in student personnel work, from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree, with an emphasis in chemistry from Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Ala.
Athens State University is located in Athens and is part of the Alabama Community College System.
# # #
[452]MTSU’s LAURA RAINES EARNS JOURNALISM SCHOLARHIP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2008
CONTACT: Office of News and Public Affairs, 615-494-8857
MTSU’s LAURA RAINES EARNS JOURNALISM SCHOLARHIP
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—MTSU senior Laura Raines of Murfreesboro recently was chosen as the 2008 recipient of the Lisa L. Rollins Journalism Scholarship, which is presented annually to a nontraditional student majoring in mass communication, with an emphasis in news-editorial, magazine, electronic media, public relations or media design/graphics.
Raines, 22, was selected to receive the $500 award by the School of Journalism’s scholarship committee. The scholarship was presented during the College of Mass Communication’s 15th Annual Student Awards ceremony April 23.
A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Raines received her GED before enrolling in MTSU’s mass communication program. During the fall and spring semesters, she is employed full time by ARAMARK Food Services.
Regarding her receipt of the award, Raines said, “(The) Lisa L. Rollins Journalism Scholarship … allows students like me, with a family, financial assistance for college. (With this scholarship), I will be able to do an internship this summer!”
Rollins, who serves as part-time journalism professor at MTSU and as director of special media projects for the Office of News and Public Affairs, established the scholarship in 2004 to assist journalism majors, especially nontraditional learners, who excelled academically but demonstrated financial need.
“I understand what it’s like to juggle many roles in life at one time, including being a parent and a college student at the same time, as well as one who must work full time,” Rollins said. “I am thrilled that Laura, who is the mom of a 4-year-old, will benefit from this year’s scholarship.”
A past recipient of the Tennessee Lottery HOPE Scholarship, Raines will complete her PR internship this summer at Awesome Entertainment in Nashville. She plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, with an emphasis in public relations, in spring 2009 and pursue a career in corporate communications.
—30—
CONTACT: Office of News and Public Affairs, 615-494-8857
MTSU’s LAURA RAINES EARNS JOURNALISM SCHOLARHIP
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—MTSU senior Laura Raines of Murfreesboro recently was chosen as the 2008 recipient of the Lisa L. Rollins Journalism Scholarship, which is presented annually to a nontraditional student majoring in mass communication, with an emphasis in news-editorial, magazine, electronic media, public relations or media design/graphics.
Raines, 22, was selected to receive the $500 award by the School of Journalism’s scholarship committee. The scholarship was presented during the College of Mass Communication’s 15th Annual Student Awards ceremony April 23.
A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Raines received her GED before enrolling in MTSU’s mass communication program. During the fall and spring semesters, she is employed full time by ARAMARK Food Services.
Regarding her receipt of the award, Raines said, “(The) Lisa L. Rollins Journalism Scholarship … allows students like me, with a family, financial assistance for college. (With this scholarship), I will be able to do an internship this summer!”
Rollins, who serves as part-time journalism professor at MTSU and as director of special media projects for the Office of News and Public Affairs, established the scholarship in 2004 to assist journalism majors, especially nontraditional learners, who excelled academically but demonstrated financial need.
“I understand what it’s like to juggle many roles in life at one time, including being a parent and a college student at the same time, as well as one who must work full time,” Rollins said. “I am thrilled that Laura, who is the mom of a 4-year-old, will benefit from this year’s scholarship.”
A past recipient of the Tennessee Lottery HOPE Scholarship, Raines will complete her PR internship this summer at Awesome Entertainment in Nashville. She plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, with an emphasis in public relations, in spring 2009 and pursue a career in corporate communications.
—30—
[450]MTSU PROFESSOR LEADS THE WAY IN IMPLEMENTING MONITORING SYSTEM FOR HEALTH-RISK BEHAVIORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-494-8857, or lrollins@mtsu.edu
MTSU PROFESSOR LEADS THE WAY IN IMPLEMENTING MONITORING SYSTEM FOR HEALTH-RISK BEHAVIORS OF GHANAIAN ADOLESCENTS Ghana Native/Olympic Athlete Hopes to Improve Ghana’s Health Education
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—Dr. Andrew Owusu, assistant professor of health and human performance at MTSU, recently released the initial findings from a 2007 study that was the first of its kind to be conducted nationwide in Ghana, West Africa, on the health habits and health-risk behaviors of adolescents.
By documenting the behaviors and factors that contribute to the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, the researcher said his goal is to help create a comprehensive system for monitoring the health-risk behaviors among Ghana’s youth.
Beginning in summer 2006, Owusu and his colleagues, working on behalf of MTSU's Department of Health and Human Performance, partnered with the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help build capacity for monitoring health behavior among youth in Ghana.
This initiative—which was undertaken in conjunction with the School Health Education Program unit, also known as SHEP— involved introducing and implementing the Global School-Based Student Health Survey in Ghana. The GSHS is part of the WHO’s STEPSwise approach to monitoring health behaviors in member countries, including Ghana. For his unprecedented research endeavor Owusu administered a GSHS instrument that utilized a two-stage cluster sample designed to produce a representative sample of students, ages 13-15, from 75 schools in all 10 regions of Ghana.
As the primary investigator and country coordinator for the GSHS partnership project, Owusu oversaw the surveying of 6,236 school-aged youth ranging in age from 12 to 16 from the aforementioned regions in Ghana. The just-completed findings surround the survey’s nine categories of health risk, including dietary behaviors, hygiene, sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, unintended pregnancy, nutrition, and violence and unintentional injury.
A native of Ghana, Owusu is a four-time African Champion, an eight-time All-American and a three-time Olympic athlete in the triple jump, with a lifelong personal and professional interest in health and fitness behaviors. Owusu said he sincerely believes that to enact positive change in health behaviors, it is important to monitor the health of secondary-school students through the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system. Such a system, he noted,
will enhance the promotion of school-health programs in Ghana through education, teacher training and program evaluation.
“Currently, 85 percent of the world’s adolescent populations live in developing countries,” he observed, “yet because of lack of adequate research, there is a gap in data on the health-risk behaviors of this important population segment.”
Owusu said the GSHS was first developed in 2001 through a collaborative effort of the WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with technical assistance from the CDC.
Regarding Owusu’s recent GSHS study of Ghanaian adolescents nationwide, the following are among his initial findings related to the youths’ (ages 12-16) overall basic hygiene:
• 13.7 percent of the students surveyed “usually” had not cleaned/brushed their teeth in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
• 9.1 percent of the students surveyed reported that they had “never or rarely” washed their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
• 12.4 percent of the students surveyed had “never or rarely” washed their hands after using the toilet in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
•14.7 percent of the students surveyed reported that they “never or rarely” used soap when washing their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
Among the more than 3,588 students ages 13-15 who were surveyed, Owusu said 1,466, or 40.8 percent, reported that they had never talked to a parent about HIV/AIDS. Fewer of these students—1,283, or 34 percent—reported that they were not aware of the possibility of HIV/AIDS transmission from a pregnant mother to child.
“The GSHS baseline data show that information about HIV infection is lacking in a number of areas for Ghana’s youth, ages 13-15,” Owusu noted. “Many of those who are sexually active are engaging in behaviors that expose them to risk of infection.”
Of the 3,070 students ages 13-15 who responded to the survey’s questions about sexual activity, 374 , or 12 percent, reported that they had engaged in sex. Further, of those who were sexually active, 213, or 57 percent, reported that they had done so with “two or more partners.” Additionally, of this sample group, 192 reported that they had engaged in sexual intercourse in the past 12 months. Of this number, 110 respondents, or 57 percent, indicated that they did not use a condom.In spite of the fact that comprehensive research surrounding Ghanaian youths’ health behaviors had never been conducted nationally before Owusu, he said he was more excited about helping compile the existence of such data versus being surprised by any of the study’s initial findings.
“Although a few of the findings standout, nothing specifically surprised me, because everything we found out, everything we learned from this, was new,” he explained. “Nobody’s ever seen these numbers before—they’ve never been complied—so this research is really the starting point on which future information about these behaviors will be compared to and added to.”
One finding, however, that did cause Owusu to pause, he said, was related to the youngsters’ dietary behaviors.
“One question (on the GSHS) had to do with how many of the students ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ felt hungry in the 30 days prior to the study, and the response did cause me to blink,” he shared. “On a day-to-day basis, somewhere in the area of slightly under 20 percent said they felt they were hungry, and to me, that was quite large. I didn’t think that question would have that high a number.
“Another thing, too, that I found very interesting had to do with the hygiene information, given that we had a national campaign on (improving basic) hygiene, among the school children,” he added. “And even though that campaign was instituted in only four of the 10 regions (in Ghana) as for the time of the survey, it was striking to see how effective this government-backed program was in those four regions. …”
Owusu said he hopes that the data collected will serve as the basis for meaningful interventions and help guide policies in areas such as malaria and AIDS prevention for school-age youth throughout Ghana.
“This is really huge … in terms of the significance of what we are doing,” he said, “and already different organizations are turning to us for national-level, baseline data. There is interest in eye screening data as well as baseline measures for malaria prevalence among secondary-school students in Ghana. The main thing for us is the issue of surveillance, or monitoring (the students’ health behaviors), because without it, you really are shooting in the dark.
“With the data that we’ve compiled,” Owusu continued, “you also have the necessary information to serve as an evaluation for ongoing programs. What we are doing here, then, is providing that starting point.
Owusu said the newly culled national-level data about the health status for this particular youth group now makes it possible for Ghana to identify potential geographic “hotspots” and prioritize resources for intervention programs. For example, he explained, “The data show that students in the south of Ghana are at a much greater risk for becoming overweight compared to students in the north. Thus, if Ghana had an ongoing national campaign to address obesity among this population, resources could be shifted from north to south.”
In short, a monitoring system such as the GSHS allows Ghana to refine interventions and policies, he observed. And overall, the study’s new findings not only provide a baseline of information to help Ghana determine how to prioritize its current health-related programs and where resources are best allocated, but also aids planners in evaluating the programs that are in place and weigh their effectiveness, Owusu said.
With continuing support from MTSU, SHEP, WHO and CDC, Owusu said he and his colleagues will return to Ghana in September 2008 to expand the surveillance system to cover health-risk behaviors of youth who are ages 16-19. The researcher said he expects to oversee the survey of about 5,000 high-schoolers regarding their health habits and related risk behaviors; thus, making Ghana the first country in Africa to have a comprehensive health-risk behavior monitoring system for school youth ages 13-19.
—30—
*ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Owusu regarding his recent study and subsequent findings, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-494-8857 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu. Photo requests regarding this project, including a jpeg of Owusu, also may directed to Rollins.
Photo Cutlines for available jpegs:
WASH FOR HEALTH—Elementary school children in Ghana wash their hands as part of their hygiene education that is part of the national school hygiene campaign. Dr. Andrew Owusu of MTSU is conducting unprecedented research at the national level on the health behaviors among school youth in Ghana.
PROTECTING DREAMS—Here, a banner and message designed by Dr. Andrew Owusu, assistant professor of health and human performance at MTSU, urges Ghanaian youth to realize that “HIV/AIDS is real.” The Ghana native-turned-MTSU health educator has conducted an unprecedented survey on the health-risk behaviors of his home country’s young people, with more research set for fall 2008.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-494-8857, or lrollins@mtsu.edu
MTSU PROFESSOR LEADS THE WAY IN IMPLEMENTING MONITORING SYSTEM FOR HEALTH-RISK BEHAVIORS OF GHANAIAN ADOLESCENTS Ghana Native/Olympic Athlete Hopes to Improve Ghana’s Health Education
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—Dr. Andrew Owusu, assistant professor of health and human performance at MTSU, recently released the initial findings from a 2007 study that was the first of its kind to be conducted nationwide in Ghana, West Africa, on the health habits and health-risk behaviors of adolescents.
By documenting the behaviors and factors that contribute to the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, the researcher said his goal is to help create a comprehensive system for monitoring the health-risk behaviors among Ghana’s youth.
Beginning in summer 2006, Owusu and his colleagues, working on behalf of MTSU's Department of Health and Human Performance, partnered with the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help build capacity for monitoring health behavior among youth in Ghana.
This initiative—which was undertaken in conjunction with the School Health Education Program unit, also known as SHEP— involved introducing and implementing the Global School-Based Student Health Survey in Ghana. The GSHS is part of the WHO’s STEPSwise approach to monitoring health behaviors in member countries, including Ghana. For his unprecedented research endeavor Owusu administered a GSHS instrument that utilized a two-stage cluster sample designed to produce a representative sample of students, ages 13-15, from 75 schools in all 10 regions of Ghana.
As the primary investigator and country coordinator for the GSHS partnership project, Owusu oversaw the surveying of 6,236 school-aged youth ranging in age from 12 to 16 from the aforementioned regions in Ghana. The just-completed findings surround the survey’s nine categories of health risk, including dietary behaviors, hygiene, sexual behaviors that contribute to HIV infection, unintended pregnancy, nutrition, and violence and unintentional injury.
A native of Ghana, Owusu is a four-time African Champion, an eight-time All-American and a three-time Olympic athlete in the triple jump, with a lifelong personal and professional interest in health and fitness behaviors. Owusu said he sincerely believes that to enact positive change in health behaviors, it is important to monitor the health of secondary-school students through the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring system. Such a system, he noted,
will enhance the promotion of school-health programs in Ghana through education, teacher training and program evaluation.
“Currently, 85 percent of the world’s adolescent populations live in developing countries,” he observed, “yet because of lack of adequate research, there is a gap in data on the health-risk behaviors of this important population segment.”
Owusu said the GSHS was first developed in 2001 through a collaborative effort of the WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, with technical assistance from the CDC.
Regarding Owusu’s recent GSHS study of Ghanaian adolescents nationwide, the following are among his initial findings related to the youths’ (ages 12-16) overall basic hygiene:
• 13.7 percent of the students surveyed “usually” had not cleaned/brushed their teeth in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
• 9.1 percent of the students surveyed reported that they had “never or rarely” washed their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
• 12.4 percent of the students surveyed had “never or rarely” washed their hands after using the toilet in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
•14.7 percent of the students surveyed reported that they “never or rarely” used soap when washing their hands in the past 30 days at the time of the survey.
Among the more than 3,588 students ages 13-15 who were surveyed, Owusu said 1,466, or 40.8 percent, reported that they had never talked to a parent about HIV/AIDS. Fewer of these students—1,283, or 34 percent—reported that they were not aware of the possibility of HIV/AIDS transmission from a pregnant mother to child.
“The GSHS baseline data show that information about HIV infection is lacking in a number of areas for Ghana’s youth, ages 13-15,” Owusu noted. “Many of those who are sexually active are engaging in behaviors that expose them to risk of infection.”
Of the 3,070 students ages 13-15 who responded to the survey’s questions about sexual activity, 374 , or 12 percent, reported that they had engaged in sex. Further, of those who were sexually active, 213, or 57 percent, reported that they had done so with “two or more partners.” Additionally, of this sample group, 192 reported that they had engaged in sexual intercourse in the past 12 months. Of this number, 110 respondents, or 57 percent, indicated that they did not use a condom.In spite of the fact that comprehensive research surrounding Ghanaian youths’ health behaviors had never been conducted nationally before Owusu, he said he was more excited about helping compile the existence of such data versus being surprised by any of the study’s initial findings.
“Although a few of the findings standout, nothing specifically surprised me, because everything we found out, everything we learned from this, was new,” he explained. “Nobody’s ever seen these numbers before—they’ve never been complied—so this research is really the starting point on which future information about these behaviors will be compared to and added to.”
One finding, however, that did cause Owusu to pause, he said, was related to the youngsters’ dietary behaviors.
“One question (on the GSHS) had to do with how many of the students ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ felt hungry in the 30 days prior to the study, and the response did cause me to blink,” he shared. “On a day-to-day basis, somewhere in the area of slightly under 20 percent said they felt they were hungry, and to me, that was quite large. I didn’t think that question would have that high a number.
“Another thing, too, that I found very interesting had to do with the hygiene information, given that we had a national campaign on (improving basic) hygiene, among the school children,” he added. “And even though that campaign was instituted in only four of the 10 regions (in Ghana) as for the time of the survey, it was striking to see how effective this government-backed program was in those four regions. …”
Owusu said he hopes that the data collected will serve as the basis for meaningful interventions and help guide policies in areas such as malaria and AIDS prevention for school-age youth throughout Ghana.
“This is really huge … in terms of the significance of what we are doing,” he said, “and already different organizations are turning to us for national-level, baseline data. There is interest in eye screening data as well as baseline measures for malaria prevalence among secondary-school students in Ghana. The main thing for us is the issue of surveillance, or monitoring (the students’ health behaviors), because without it, you really are shooting in the dark.
“With the data that we’ve compiled,” Owusu continued, “you also have the necessary information to serve as an evaluation for ongoing programs. What we are doing here, then, is providing that starting point.
Owusu said the newly culled national-level data about the health status for this particular youth group now makes it possible for Ghana to identify potential geographic “hotspots” and prioritize resources for intervention programs. For example, he explained, “The data show that students in the south of Ghana are at a much greater risk for becoming overweight compared to students in the north. Thus, if Ghana had an ongoing national campaign to address obesity among this population, resources could be shifted from north to south.”
In short, a monitoring system such as the GSHS allows Ghana to refine interventions and policies, he observed. And overall, the study’s new findings not only provide a baseline of information to help Ghana determine how to prioritize its current health-related programs and where resources are best allocated, but also aids planners in evaluating the programs that are in place and weigh their effectiveness, Owusu said.
With continuing support from MTSU, SHEP, WHO and CDC, Owusu said he and his colleagues will return to Ghana in September 2008 to expand the surveillance system to cover health-risk behaviors of youth who are ages 16-19. The researcher said he expects to oversee the survey of about 5,000 high-schoolers regarding their health habits and related risk behaviors; thus, making Ghana the first country in Africa to have a comprehensive health-risk behavior monitoring system for school youth ages 13-19.
—30—
*ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Owusu regarding his recent study and subsequent findings, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-494-8857 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu. Photo requests regarding this project, including a jpeg of Owusu, also may directed to Rollins.
Photo Cutlines for available jpegs:
WASH FOR HEALTH—Elementary school children in Ghana wash their hands as part of their hygiene education that is part of the national school hygiene campaign. Dr. Andrew Owusu of MTSU is conducting unprecedented research at the national level on the health behaviors among school youth in Ghana.
PROTECTING DREAMS—Here, a banner and message designed by Dr. Andrew Owusu, assistant professor of health and human performance at MTSU, urges Ghanaian youth to realize that “HIV/AIDS is real.” The Ghana native-turned-MTSU health educator has conducted an unprecedented survey on the health-risk behaviors of his home country’s young people, with more research set for fall 2008.
[449]STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JACKSON COUNTY FARM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JACKSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Cedar Stone Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 7th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Cedar Stone Farm in Jackson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Cedar Stone Farm was founded by John Pharris, who purchased 84 acres in 1824 from Sampson Williams, one of the early settlers and county leaders in Jackson County. John and wife Susan Williamson Pharris had nine children. The family raised a variety of crops and livestock on the farm, which is located southwest of Gainesboro in the Liberty community. Over the years, John added more acres to his farm, including a land grant of 45 acres in 1825.
Members of the second generation to own the farm were John and Susan’s daughters, Elizabeth Pharris Cantrell, Polly Pharris and Susan Pharris. Elizabeth had one son, John Newton Cantrell, while Susan had one son, George Washington “Wash” Pharris. Eventually, George and John inherited the farm and they split their ownership of the acreage. Later on, John sold his acreage to John Clemons; however, Wash continued to live on his part of the land all of his life. Wash passed away in 1945, leaving his widow and six young children.
According to the family’s history, one of the most dramatic events that happened during this time was the flood of 1948. It was the only time in 184 years that the original farmhouse flooded. The flood was so strong that it swept away a house about a mile west of the Pharris place. After the rain stopped and the flood subsided, neighbors rallied and helped clean the house.
The Pharris family was active in the Liberty Community Club and in the 4-H club in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, George’s youngest son, Donald V. Pharris, owns the farm. Over the years, Donald has purchased adjoining land, much of which his great grandfather had previously owned. Currently, Donald works the land and raises beef cattle and goats. The old homestead where G. W. Pharris was born still stands on the property and the Pharris family cemetery is also on the land.
Hankins said the Cedar Stone Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Jackson County.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at
least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JACKSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Cedar Stone Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 7th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Cedar Stone Farm in Jackson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Cedar Stone Farm was founded by John Pharris, who purchased 84 acres in 1824 from Sampson Williams, one of the early settlers and county leaders in Jackson County. John and wife Susan Williamson Pharris had nine children. The family raised a variety of crops and livestock on the farm, which is located southwest of Gainesboro in the Liberty community. Over the years, John added more acres to his farm, including a land grant of 45 acres in 1825.
Members of the second generation to own the farm were John and Susan’s daughters, Elizabeth Pharris Cantrell, Polly Pharris and Susan Pharris. Elizabeth had one son, John Newton Cantrell, while Susan had one son, George Washington “Wash” Pharris. Eventually, George and John inherited the farm and they split their ownership of the acreage. Later on, John sold his acreage to John Clemons; however, Wash continued to live on his part of the land all of his life. Wash passed away in 1945, leaving his widow and six young children.
According to the family’s history, one of the most dramatic events that happened during this time was the flood of 1948. It was the only time in 184 years that the original farmhouse flooded. The flood was so strong that it swept away a house about a mile west of the Pharris place. After the rain stopped and the flood subsided, neighbors rallied and helped clean the house.
The Pharris family was active in the Liberty Community Club and in the 4-H club in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, George’s youngest son, Donald V. Pharris, owns the farm. Over the years, Donald has purchased adjoining land, much of which his great grandfather had previously owned. Currently, Donald works the land and raises beef cattle and goats. The old homestead where G. W. Pharris was born still stands on the property and the Pharris family cemetery is also on the land.
Hankins said the Cedar Stone Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Jackson County.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at
least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
[448]STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PUTNAM COUNTY FARM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PUTNAM COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Quarles-Phillips Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 7th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Quarles-Phillips Farm in Putnam County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
The Quarles family traces its settlement in the area to William Pennington Quarles, a Revolutionary War veteran who founded the community of White Plains in 1809. A Cookeville chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution is named for this early settler. In 1892, descendent William Braxton Quarles founded a farm of nearly 70 acres in the Algood community. Married to Selia Ann White, the couple was the parents of seven children: Columbus, Hickman, Belle, Dollie, John, William and James. The family raised corn, hay, vegetables gardens and dairy cattle. In 1916, the children inherited the farm and continued the same type of agricultural operation
The third generation to own the farm was the founder’s grandson, Roy C. Phillips. Roy was the son of Dollie Quarles and Henry Phillips, and he bought out the remaining heirs in 1974. While the farm acreage remained the same, he expanded the variety of crops by adding tobacco and sorghum cane. In addition, he raised goats, hogs and beef cattle.
When Roy passed away in 2004, his three children, Roy Harrell Phillips, Frieda Nelle Phillips Denny and Rodger David Phillips inherited the property. Today, Rodger and his wife and son live on the farm. Currently, Rodger works the land and raises hay, corn, and beef cattle. The house built by the founder in 1892 still stands as a reminder of the more than 100 years of ownership and farm production on this family farm.
“The Quarles-Phillips Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Putnam County,” Hankins said.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian
vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PUTNAM COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Quarles-Phillips Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 7th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Quarles-Phillips Farm in Putnam County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
The Quarles family traces its settlement in the area to William Pennington Quarles, a Revolutionary War veteran who founded the community of White Plains in 1809. A Cookeville chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution is named for this early settler. In 1892, descendent William Braxton Quarles founded a farm of nearly 70 acres in the Algood community. Married to Selia Ann White, the couple was the parents of seven children: Columbus, Hickman, Belle, Dollie, John, William and James. The family raised corn, hay, vegetables gardens and dairy cattle. In 1916, the children inherited the farm and continued the same type of agricultural operation
The third generation to own the farm was the founder’s grandson, Roy C. Phillips. Roy was the son of Dollie Quarles and Henry Phillips, and he bought out the remaining heirs in 1974. While the farm acreage remained the same, he expanded the variety of crops by adding tobacco and sorghum cane. In addition, he raised goats, hogs and beef cattle.
When Roy passed away in 2004, his three children, Roy Harrell Phillips, Frieda Nelle Phillips Denny and Rodger David Phillips inherited the property. Today, Rodger and his wife and son live on the farm. Currently, Rodger works the land and raises hay, corn, and beef cattle. The house built by the founder in 1892 still stands as a reminder of the more than 100 years of ownership and farm production on this family farm.
“The Quarles-Phillips Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Putnam County,” Hankins said.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian
vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
[447]STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Morris Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 16th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Morris Farm in Haywood County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1905, Harry Hill Stanley and Kathleen Lyle Stanley founded a farm just east of Stanton. The couple had two children, Mattie Bert and Ruth Lyle. On 123 acres, the family raised cotton, corn, mules and hay.
The granddaughter of the founders, Sara Lyle Harris Morris, and her husband, Billy Frank Morris, acquired the property in 1960. Their three children were named Karen Lynn, Lee Ann and William Harris. This generation of the family raised cotton, corn, soybeans and cattle.
Since 1971 when Billy passed away, Sara has been the sole owner. A smokehouse, tenant house, and two barns still stand on the property.
“The Morris Farm is the 16th farm to be certified in Haywood County,” Hankins noted.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of the metal sign given to Century Farm owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Morris Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 16th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Morris Farm in Haywood County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1905, Harry Hill Stanley and Kathleen Lyle Stanley founded a farm just east of Stanton. The couple had two children, Mattie Bert and Ruth Lyle. On 123 acres, the family raised cotton, corn, mules and hay.
The granddaughter of the founders, Sara Lyle Harris Morris, and her husband, Billy Frank Morris, acquired the property in 1960. Their three children were named Karen Lynn, Lee Ann and William Harris. This generation of the family raised cotton, corn, soybeans and cattle.
Since 1971 when Billy passed away, Sara has been the sole owner. A smokehouse, tenant house, and two barns still stand on the property.
“The Morris Farm is the 16th farm to be certified in Haywood County,” Hankins noted.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of the metal sign given to Century Farm owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
[446]STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES McMINN COUNTY FARM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES McMINN COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Shultz Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 39th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Shultz Farm in McMinn County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1902, William Harris Shults and Susan R. Shults founded a farm near Athens. They were the parents of Daniel Wesley, Norah E., Berite L. and Fred H. On 234.5 acres, the family raised cattle, sheep, corn, watermelons and hay. After only a few years of owning the farm, William Harris passed away in November 1910.
From November 1910 to 1928, William and Susan’s oldest son, Daniel Wesley, worked the farm by cutting crossties, selling watermelons, raising sheep and logging wood to support his mother, brother, two sisters, wife, Katie and their four children, William Hubert, Dorothy Sue, Zenna Lee and James Wesley. Under Daniel’s ownership, the family added a Grade-A dairy, hogs, tobacco and cotton. In 1924, he tore down an older dwelling and built a two-story, nine-room house with two porches and a small basement.
Daniel Wesley was also very active in the community. In 1928, he was elected trustee of McMinn County. When he ran for trustee, he changed the spelling of Shults to Shultz. In addition to serving as county trustee, Daniel Wesley served for several years on the board of directors for Volunteer Electric and it was during his ownership that electric power came to the farm in 1939.
The third generation to own the farm was James Wesley and Sarah Lou Shultz. During their ownership, they purchased 80 additional acres on the north side of the original 234.5 acres. Although they had built a five-room frame house with a small basement when they married in 1939, the couple decided to build another house in 1964. In addition to the new house, the couple added a silo, modern dairy equipment, tractors, a combine, a hay baler, a bush hog and raised 100 white Leghorn chickens and sold eggs in the community. Not only did they improve the farm, but they also helped build a new brick church in the community. James and Sarah had two children, Wanda June and Wade M. Shultz. During high school, Wade was in the FFA and in 1965 he received the American Farmer recognition.
In 1969, the great-grandson of the founder, Wade M. Shultz, and his wife, Cecilia, acquired the farm. They are the parents of Patrick Wade, Joshua Wesley Cecil and Russell Matthew. Over the years, Wade and Cecilia have purchased 180 additional acres on the south side of the original land, built a two-story house and constructed a farm market on the original property.
Today, Wade and his son Russell work the land and raise beef cattle, hay, apple orchards, sweet corn, pumpkins, beans, watermelons, blueberries, blackberries and cantaloupes. The farm has many historic buildings on the land, including a rental house, WPA outhouse, a rock spring house, an original horse barn, a dairy barn, a cattle and hay barn, a tobacco barn, a silo, a smokehouse, tool sheds and a woodshed.
The Shultz Farm is the 39th Century Farm to be certified in McMinn County, Hankins said.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES McMINN COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Shultz Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 39th Designated Century Farm
(MURFREESBORO)—The Shultz Farm in McMinn County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1902, William Harris Shults and Susan R. Shults founded a farm near Athens. They were the parents of Daniel Wesley, Norah E., Berite L. and Fred H. On 234.5 acres, the family raised cattle, sheep, corn, watermelons and hay. After only a few years of owning the farm, William Harris passed away in November 1910.
From November 1910 to 1928, William and Susan’s oldest son, Daniel Wesley, worked the farm by cutting crossties, selling watermelons, raising sheep and logging wood to support his mother, brother, two sisters, wife, Katie and their four children, William Hubert, Dorothy Sue, Zenna Lee and James Wesley. Under Daniel’s ownership, the family added a Grade-A dairy, hogs, tobacco and cotton. In 1924, he tore down an older dwelling and built a two-story, nine-room house with two porches and a small basement.
Daniel Wesley was also very active in the community. In 1928, he was elected trustee of McMinn County. When he ran for trustee, he changed the spelling of Shults to Shultz. In addition to serving as county trustee, Daniel Wesley served for several years on the board of directors for Volunteer Electric and it was during his ownership that electric power came to the farm in 1939.
The third generation to own the farm was James Wesley and Sarah Lou Shultz. During their ownership, they purchased 80 additional acres on the north side of the original 234.5 acres. Although they had built a five-room frame house with a small basement when they married in 1939, the couple decided to build another house in 1964. In addition to the new house, the couple added a silo, modern dairy equipment, tractors, a combine, a hay baler, a bush hog and raised 100 white Leghorn chickens and sold eggs in the community. Not only did they improve the farm, but they also helped build a new brick church in the community. James and Sarah had two children, Wanda June and Wade M. Shultz. During high school, Wade was in the FFA and in 1965 he received the American Farmer recognition.
In 1969, the great-grandson of the founder, Wade M. Shultz, and his wife, Cecilia, acquired the farm. They are the parents of Patrick Wade, Joshua Wesley Cecil and Russell Matthew. Over the years, Wade and Cecilia have purchased 180 additional acres on the south side of the original land, built a two-story house and constructed a farm market on the original property.
Today, Wade and his son Russell work the land and raise beef cattle, hay, apple orchards, sweet corn, pumpkins, beans, watermelons, blueberries, blackberries and cantaloupes. The farm has many historic buildings on the land, including a rental house, WPA outhouse, a rock spring house, an original horse barn, a dairy barn, a cattle and hay barn, a tobacco barn, a silo, a smokehouse, tool sheds and a woodshed.
The Shultz Farm is the 39th Century Farm to be certified in McMinn County, Hankins said.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial.
Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
[445]SHELBYVILLE’S BOWMAN EARNS CHANDLER OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN BIOLOGY AWARD
Release date: May 15, 2008
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Department of Biology contact: Virginia McKnight, 615-898-2847
SHELBYVILLE’S BOWMAN EARNS CHANDLER OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN BIOLOGY AWARD, SCHOLARSHIP AT MTSU
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU freshman Tiffany Bowman of Shelbyville was one of two students receiving the Clay M. Chandler Outstanding Freshman Biology Award and Scholarship, the Department of Biology announced recently.
The award was presented April 17 during the College of Basic and Applied Sciences’ annual awards ceremony in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room.
Zachariah Williams of Murfreesboro was bestowed the same honor by the biology department.
Bowman, whose major is chemistry, is taking pre-med courses. According to a family member, she graduated eighth in her class at Shelbyville Central High School in May 2007.
Bowman is the daughter of Janet and Jerry Bowman of Shelbyville.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: A member of the Bowman family will be bringing a photograph of Tiffany Bowman to the Times-Gazette offices. In case you need to call them, the phone number is 931-580-1968.
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Department of Biology contact: Virginia McKnight, 615-898-2847
SHELBYVILLE’S BOWMAN EARNS CHANDLER OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN BIOLOGY AWARD, SCHOLARSHIP AT MTSU
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU freshman Tiffany Bowman of Shelbyville was one of two students receiving the Clay M. Chandler Outstanding Freshman Biology Award and Scholarship, the Department of Biology announced recently.
The award was presented April 17 during the College of Basic and Applied Sciences’ annual awards ceremony in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room.
Zachariah Williams of Murfreesboro was bestowed the same honor by the biology department.
Bowman, whose major is chemistry, is taking pre-med courses. According to a family member, she graduated eighth in her class at Shelbyville Central High School in May 2007.
Bowman is the daughter of Janet and Jerry Bowman of Shelbyville.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
###
Note: A member of the Bowman family will be bringing a photograph of Tiffany Bowman to the Times-Gazette offices. In case you need to call them, the phone number is 931-580-1968.
[444]KEENE NATIVE GENERATES PROCLAMATION BY TENNESSEE GOVERNOR
KEENE NATIVE GENERATES PROCLAMATION BY TENNESSEE GOVERNOR TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
May 15, 2008
CONTACT: Elizabeth Ackley Holbrook at eia2a@mtsu.edu or 615-969-9552
Tom Tozer, News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MURFREESBORO, TENN—Thanks to the efforts of a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University—and a native of Keene—the month of May has been officially declared “National Exercise is Medicine Month” in Tennessee. Tennessee joins several other states and cities in the nation that have pledged to encourage citizens to lead a healthier , more active lifestyle and to create a more open dialogue with their health-care providers.
Elizabeth Ackley Holbrook, daughter of Neil and Robin Ackley, also of Keene, a graduate teaching assistant and doctoral candidate in the Department of Health and Human Performance, sent a proclamation request to Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, requesting that the month of May in Tennessee be so designated. Holbrook is Tennessee’s representative to the American College of Sports Medicine, a co-sponsor of the initiative along with the American Medical Association. Holbrook received a signed proclamation with the official seal of Tennessee dated April 25, 2008.
MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance offers the Ph.D. in Human Performance with specializations in four areas: exercise science, health, leisure studies, and physical education.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., the ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, with more than 20,000 international, national and regional chapter members. Members are dedicated to promoting the integration of research and education in the field of sports medicine.
The Web site of Exercise is Medicine is www.exerciseismedicine.org.
####
May 15, 2008
CONTACT: Elizabeth Ackley Holbrook at eia2a@mtsu.edu or 615-969-9552
Tom Tozer, News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MURFREESBORO, TENN—Thanks to the efforts of a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University—and a native of Keene—the month of May has been officially declared “National Exercise is Medicine Month” in Tennessee. Tennessee joins several other states and cities in the nation that have pledged to encourage citizens to lead a healthier , more active lifestyle and to create a more open dialogue with their health-care providers.
Elizabeth Ackley Holbrook, daughter of Neil and Robin Ackley, also of Keene, a graduate teaching assistant and doctoral candidate in the Department of Health and Human Performance, sent a proclamation request to Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, requesting that the month of May in Tennessee be so designated. Holbrook is Tennessee’s representative to the American College of Sports Medicine, a co-sponsor of the initiative along with the American Medical Association. Holbrook received a signed proclamation with the official seal of Tennessee dated April 25, 2008.
MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance offers the Ph.D. in Human Performance with specializations in four areas: exercise science, health, leisure studies, and physical education.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., the ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, with more than 20,000 international, national and regional chapter members. Members are dedicated to promoting the integration of research and education in the field of sports medicine.
The Web site of Exercise is Medicine is www.exerciseismedicine.org.
####
[442]INDIE FILM BY MTSU CREW TACKLES TRAGEDY OF IRAQ WAR
OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
INDIE FILM BY MTSU CREW TACKLES TRAGEDY OF IRAQ WAR
Third Locally-Produced Movie by Bob Pondillo and Friends Makes Festival Circuit
(MURFREESBORO) – With antiwar sentiment stronger than ever in this presidential election year, MTSU’s independent filmmakers await word from some 40 film festivals on how critics and viewers of YouTube will receive their latest effort. In fact, the movie is titled “Wait…,” an emotionally powerful examination of an American’s reaction to the news that his son has died in Iraq. Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication and the screenwriter and director of “Wait…,” says he suspects the anti-war sentiment expressed in the film might have had a role in its rejection by at least one film festival. The Cinema Society of San Diego, a city with an economy heavily dependent upon seven military bases in the area, turned down “Wait…” without giving Pondillo a reason. “I would be saddened if our movie was banned for some overt political reason,” Pondillo says. “San Diegans should have the right to see the film and make up their own minds.” The 9:25 short subject was shot in one dreary, rainy day in November 2007 at a college student’s rented Murfreesboro house, which had been revamped to look like a disheveled Chicagoan’s lower-middle class home. Pondillo tapped his friend David Lawrence to play the lone role in the film. Lawrence, a Los Angeles-based actor, portrays John H. Kavazanjian, Sr., a father who is informed that his son has died in the war in Iraq. He says he gained a great appreciation for the character once he arrived on the set. “The oddest things will set things off in my memory, and it doesn’t happen until I’m on the set,” Lawrence says. Among the props that put Lawrence in the mood were dated, well-worn furniture, various tidbits of Chicago Cubs paraphernalia, pictures of Jesus and a video of the son as a playful young boy running on the VCR, eerily reminiscent of the final scene of Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia.” Chattanoogan Carianne Lance, a May 2007 MTSU graduate who has worked in commercials, music videos, theater and television, was the set designer. “We were on a very low budget, so we had to just go with what we could find,” Lance says. In addition to $1,200 of his own money, Pondillo obtained $500 from the Department of Electronic Media Communication, which has been supportive of all of Pondillo’s screenwriting, directing and producing endeavors. Students and alumni were the backbones of his prior two films, “Would You Cry If I Died?” and “My Name is Wallace,” and Pondillo clearly loves sharing the creative process with them. “They do a great job and they’re right on top of things,” Pondillo says. “They do a great job and they’re right on top of things. They ask the right questions. So I’m very impressed by our group. They’re terrific. I like the fact that I work with all these young people who want to make something amazing.” Justin Stokes, a production assistant from Indianapolis and president of the newly formed MTSU Film Guild, was responsible for making sure the rain on that gloomy shooting day in November 2007 didn’t get into the lights. He wants to work primarily on feature films after he graduates. “My theory on it is that everyone’s interested in film,” Stokes says. “I mean, that’s like, everyone’s fantasy, that they’d like to do something with film. It’s just one of those mediums that everyone appreciates. I’ve known people who’ve not always liked music or not always liked to read, but films are just something everyone can enjoy.” At the start of the film, the camera transports us past a pickup truck through a cluttered front yard into a lower-middle class home. A heating and air conditioning repairman in his 50s reads an official-looking letter while sitting at the kitchen table. Sobbing bitterly, he pours himself a drink. For the next nine minutes or so, the viewer will gain insights into his thoughts until the climactic moment—which is punctuated by a shocking twist. “Wait…” takes a far more serious tone than Pondillo’s last effort, “My Name is Wallace,” a quirky comedy about an emotionally challenged man who went looking for love in a very strange way. “Wallace,” another collaboration with students and alumni, captured 14 awards and honors at film festivals nationwide last year and was promoted at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. In addition to the joy of working with talented, engaging students, Pondillo says knowing that maybe 200 people will ever read his academic papers pales by comparison with the professional satisfaction he gets from stretching his imagination on film. “At least ‘Wait…’ is something that will be seen and will be judged just on its aesthetic nature, as well as the story and the acting,” he says. To view the film and for more information on “Wait…,” go to http://www.waitfilm.com. For interviews, contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpeg photos shot on location during the filming of “Wait…” and still photos from the movie, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
INDIE FILM BY MTSU CREW TACKLES TRAGEDY OF IRAQ WAR
Third Locally-Produced Movie by Bob Pondillo and Friends Makes Festival Circuit
(MURFREESBORO) – With antiwar sentiment stronger than ever in this presidential election year, MTSU’s independent filmmakers await word from some 40 film festivals on how critics and viewers of YouTube will receive their latest effort. In fact, the movie is titled “Wait…,” an emotionally powerful examination of an American’s reaction to the news that his son has died in Iraq. Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication and the screenwriter and director of “Wait…,” says he suspects the anti-war sentiment expressed in the film might have had a role in its rejection by at least one film festival. The Cinema Society of San Diego, a city with an economy heavily dependent upon seven military bases in the area, turned down “Wait…” without giving Pondillo a reason. “I would be saddened if our movie was banned for some overt political reason,” Pondillo says. “San Diegans should have the right to see the film and make up their own minds.” The 9:25 short subject was shot in one dreary, rainy day in November 2007 at a college student’s rented Murfreesboro house, which had been revamped to look like a disheveled Chicagoan’s lower-middle class home. Pondillo tapped his friend David Lawrence to play the lone role in the film. Lawrence, a Los Angeles-based actor, portrays John H. Kavazanjian, Sr., a father who is informed that his son has died in the war in Iraq. He says he gained a great appreciation for the character once he arrived on the set. “The oddest things will set things off in my memory, and it doesn’t happen until I’m on the set,” Lawrence says. Among the props that put Lawrence in the mood were dated, well-worn furniture, various tidbits of Chicago Cubs paraphernalia, pictures of Jesus and a video of the son as a playful young boy running on the VCR, eerily reminiscent of the final scene of Jonathan Demme’s “Philadelphia.” Chattanoogan Carianne Lance, a May 2007 MTSU graduate who has worked in commercials, music videos, theater and television, was the set designer. “We were on a very low budget, so we had to just go with what we could find,” Lance says. In addition to $1,200 of his own money, Pondillo obtained $500 from the Department of Electronic Media Communication, which has been supportive of all of Pondillo’s screenwriting, directing and producing endeavors. Students and alumni were the backbones of his prior two films, “Would You Cry If I Died?” and “My Name is Wallace,” and Pondillo clearly loves sharing the creative process with them. “They do a great job and they’re right on top of things,” Pondillo says. “They do a great job and they’re right on top of things. They ask the right questions. So I’m very impressed by our group. They’re terrific. I like the fact that I work with all these young people who want to make something amazing.” Justin Stokes, a production assistant from Indianapolis and president of the newly formed MTSU Film Guild, was responsible for making sure the rain on that gloomy shooting day in November 2007 didn’t get into the lights. He wants to work primarily on feature films after he graduates. “My theory on it is that everyone’s interested in film,” Stokes says. “I mean, that’s like, everyone’s fantasy, that they’d like to do something with film. It’s just one of those mediums that everyone appreciates. I’ve known people who’ve not always liked music or not always liked to read, but films are just something everyone can enjoy.” At the start of the film, the camera transports us past a pickup truck through a cluttered front yard into a lower-middle class home. A heating and air conditioning repairman in his 50s reads an official-looking letter while sitting at the kitchen table. Sobbing bitterly, he pours himself a drink. For the next nine minutes or so, the viewer will gain insights into his thoughts until the climactic moment—which is punctuated by a shocking twist. “Wait…” takes a far more serious tone than Pondillo’s last effort, “My Name is Wallace,” a quirky comedy about an emotionally challenged man who went looking for love in a very strange way. “Wallace,” another collaboration with students and alumni, captured 14 awards and honors at film festivals nationwide last year and was promoted at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. In addition to the joy of working with talented, engaging students, Pondillo says knowing that maybe 200 people will ever read his academic papers pales by comparison with the professional satisfaction he gets from stretching his imagination on film. “At least ‘Wait…’ is something that will be seen and will be judged just on its aesthetic nature, as well as the story and the acting,” he says. To view the film and for more information on “Wait…,” go to http://www.waitfilm.com. For interviews, contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpeg photos shot on location during the filming of “Wait…” and still photos from the movie, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
[441]MTSU DESIGN STUDENTS EARN HIGH MARKS, HONORS AT FASHION EVENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu
MTSU DESIGN STUDENTS EARN HIGH MARKS, HONORS AT FASHION EVENT
(MURFREESBORO)—Three MTSU students were formally recognized for their creativity in design April 11 during the 2008 Fashion Group International in Dallas, a one-day educational event created to mentor and develop tomorrow's leaders and entrepreneurs in the fashion, beauty and home-environments industries. Dr. Gina R. Pisut, assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences at MTSU, said FGI of Dallas Career Day, with a 40-year-tradition, is the longest-running and largest fashion career event of its kind in the U.S. Held in April each year, the educational outreach is presented by the Fashion Group Foundation of Dallas Inc., with support from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
In this year’s contest, 12 students majoring in MTSU’s textiles, merchandising and design program submitted entries in the Texas-based contest, which is the largest FGI regional event of its kind worldwide. “Out of the 12 MTSU students who entered, three placed,” Pisuit noted. “With over 1,000 entries, we feel like the students did well this year.” The MTSU students who placed or were formally recognized at the recent event were Angela Kenny, daughter of Marylinn and Paul Kenny of Mt. Juliet, who placed first in the “Cotton” category and was a finalist in the “Best of Show” category; Catherine Baker, daughter of Mary R. and James H. Baker of Franklin, who was a finalist in the “Cotton” and “Sportswear/Activewear” categories; and Anna Brackin, daughter of Henry Brackin of Chattanooga and Sanom Brackin of Brentwood, who who won third place in the Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids “Denim Jacket” competition.
“It has been about four years or more since our students received any (FGI) awards,” remarked Pisut, who added that both Kenny and Baker’s garments are now on display in the Ellington Human Sciences Building at MTSU.
The textile, merchandising and design program, or TXMD, at MTSU is designed to give students in-depth knowledge and skills necessary for a variety of professional careers in the fashion industry that may lead to employment in areas of retailing, visual merchandising, promotion, wholesaling or consulting, fashion design or as patternmakers with apparel manufacturers. Currently, MTSU has more than 200 TXMD majors.
For more information about the MTSU student-created designs, please contact Pisut in the human sciences department by calling 615-898-5689 or via e-mail at gpisut@mtsu.edu.
For more information about the FGI Career Day in Dallas, which attracted more than 1,200 participants from 42 schools in 10 states, please access www.dallascareerday.org.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a jpeg of the students’ with their garments for editorial use, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu
MTSU DESIGN STUDENTS EARN HIGH MARKS, HONORS AT FASHION EVENT
(MURFREESBORO)—Three MTSU students were formally recognized for their creativity in design April 11 during the 2008 Fashion Group International in Dallas, a one-day educational event created to mentor and develop tomorrow's leaders and entrepreneurs in the fashion, beauty and home-environments industries. Dr. Gina R. Pisut, assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences at MTSU, said FGI of Dallas Career Day, with a 40-year-tradition, is the longest-running and largest fashion career event of its kind in the U.S. Held in April each year, the educational outreach is presented by the Fashion Group Foundation of Dallas Inc., with support from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
In this year’s contest, 12 students majoring in MTSU’s textiles, merchandising and design program submitted entries in the Texas-based contest, which is the largest FGI regional event of its kind worldwide. “Out of the 12 MTSU students who entered, three placed,” Pisuit noted. “With over 1,000 entries, we feel like the students did well this year.” The MTSU students who placed or were formally recognized at the recent event were Angela Kenny, daughter of Marylinn and Paul Kenny of Mt. Juliet, who placed first in the “Cotton” category and was a finalist in the “Best of Show” category; Catherine Baker, daughter of Mary R. and James H. Baker of Franklin, who was a finalist in the “Cotton” and “Sportswear/Activewear” categories; and Anna Brackin, daughter of Henry Brackin of Chattanooga and Sanom Brackin of Brentwood, who who won third place in the Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids “Denim Jacket” competition.
“It has been about four years or more since our students received any (FGI) awards,” remarked Pisut, who added that both Kenny and Baker’s garments are now on display in the Ellington Human Sciences Building at MTSU.
The textile, merchandising and design program, or TXMD, at MTSU is designed to give students in-depth knowledge and skills necessary for a variety of professional careers in the fashion industry that may lead to employment in areas of retailing, visual merchandising, promotion, wholesaling or consulting, fashion design or as patternmakers with apparel manufacturers. Currently, MTSU has more than 200 TXMD majors.
For more information about the MTSU student-created designs, please contact Pisut in the human sciences department by calling 615-898-5689 or via e-mail at gpisut@mtsu.edu.
For more information about the FGI Career Day in Dallas, which attracted more than 1,200 participants from 42 schools in 10 states, please access www.dallascareerday.org.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a jpeg of the students’ with their garments for editorial use, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu.
[440]MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
Rollins Teams with DNJ to Win 2008 Creative Partnership Award
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Lisa L. Rollins recently was awarded one of four Grand Award prizes in the 2008 communications contest sponsored by District III of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education at its annual conference held in Atlanta, Ga.
Rollins, who serves as director of special media projects for News and Public Affairs and as an adjunct professor, accepted the award during the recent district conference on behalf of her 2007 journalism students, the School of Journalism at MTSU and the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro.
The Grand Award is the highest honor bestowed by District III, which is an eight-state area, and Rollins’ entry, “Promoting Student Learning in Print,” earned the contest’s Creative Partnership honor. Rollins received the award for a partnership she initiated on behalf of students enrolled in her writing courses with editors at The Daily News Journal.
During the course of the project, about 19 of Rollins’ journalism students had more than 30 stories published by the DNJ, garnering the junior- and senior-level student journalists real-world, hands-on learning.
“The Lifestyles department has been especially lucky to benefit from the feature writing classes of Lisa Rollins, who helps the students develop story ideas and work those concepts into publishable stories,” said Sandee Suitt, section editor. “The students also contact the newspaper with photo ideas to accompany their work. They get the complete picture of what makes a good story, gain an understanding of requirements for publication in a daily newspaper and learn about the details they not have realized go along with being a journalist.”
Related to this, DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart, said, “The Daily News Journal management is dedicated to the education of our future workforce. The partnership with MTSU ensures journalism students stay up-to-date with changing styles and needs, and it provides the newspaper with some pretty darn good stories to share with our readers.”
The 2008 CASE District III contest received more than 1,300 entries, making it one of the most competitive such contests in the nation, observed CASE representative Jon Jones.
In presenting the Creative Partnership honor, Jones said, “’Promoting Student Learning in Print’ is an exciting and well-balanced, cooperative venture, which benefits both parties. MTSU benefits by providing students with real-world, hands-on learning, writing and editing experience; by enhancing the
journalism school’s presence in the community; and by meeting several goals and objectives of the News and Public Affairs office.
“The Daily News Journal benefits by receiving a regular influx of quality stories … and a ready supple of interns and potential future staff members.”
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
Rollins Teams with DNJ to Win 2008 Creative Partnership Award
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Lisa L. Rollins recently was awarded one of four Grand Award prizes in the 2008 communications contest sponsored by District III of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education at its annual conference held in Atlanta, Ga.
Rollins, who serves as director of special media projects for News and Public Affairs and as an adjunct professor, accepted the award during the recent district conference on behalf of her 2007 journalism students, the School of Journalism at MTSU and the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro.
The Grand Award is the highest honor bestowed by District III, which is an eight-state area, and Rollins’ entry, “Promoting Student Learning in Print,” earned the contest’s Creative Partnership honor. Rollins received the award for a partnership she initiated on behalf of students enrolled in her writing courses with editors at The Daily News Journal.
During the course of the project, about 19 of Rollins’ journalism students had more than 30 stories published by the DNJ, garnering the junior- and senior-level student journalists real-world, hands-on learning.
“The Lifestyles department has been especially lucky to benefit from the feature writing classes of Lisa Rollins, who helps the students develop story ideas and work those concepts into publishable stories,” said Sandee Suitt, section editor. “The students also contact the newspaper with photo ideas to accompany their work. They get the complete picture of what makes a good story, gain an understanding of requirements for publication in a daily newspaper and learn about the details they not have realized go along with being a journalist.”
Related to this, DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart, said, “The Daily News Journal management is dedicated to the education of our future workforce. The partnership with MTSU ensures journalism students stay up-to-date with changing styles and needs, and it provides the newspaper with some pretty darn good stories to share with our readers.”
The 2008 CASE District III contest received more than 1,300 entries, making it one of the most competitive such contests in the nation, observed CASE representative Jon Jones.
In presenting the Creative Partnership honor, Jones said, “’Promoting Student Learning in Print’ is an exciting and well-balanced, cooperative venture, which benefits both parties. MTSU benefits by providing students with real-world, hands-on learning, writing and editing experience; by enhancing the
journalism school’s presence in the community; and by meeting several goals and objectives of the News and Public Affairs office.
“The Daily News Journal benefits by receiving a regular influx of quality stories … and a ready supple of interns and potential future staff members.”
[439]MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2493
MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
County-by-County Listing of Spring2008 Graduates Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, Middle Tennessee State University will release the names and hometowns of those students who graduated during the spring 2008 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 3, in Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Of the 2,046 set to graduate during the 96th spring commencement, 1,760 were undergraduates and 286 were graduate students, including 234 master’s candidates, 45 Education Specialists candidates, one graduate certificate recipient, one Doctor of Arts candidate and five Ph.D. candidates.
The dual-commencement event featured Pete Fisher, vice president/general manager for the Grand Ole Opry, as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from MTSU, with a concentration in recording industry management, and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus in 2004. He also currently serves as president of the Nashville chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and hold membership on the board of directors for the Nashville Songwriters Foundation and the Academy of Country Music.
Ernest G. Burgess, Rutherford County mayor, was the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony. A cattle farmer and businessman, he is a lifelong resident of Rutherford County and was elected to serve as mayor in 2006. Burgess e earned a Bachelor of Science degree from MTSU and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He retired as senior vice president of operations for the National Healthcare Corporation, or NHC, and is a past chairman of the Republican Party of Rutherford County.
Following the ceremonies’ respective guest speakers, degree candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and College of Education and Behavioral Science were conferred with their degrees in the morning ceremony, while degree candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Mass Communication, and the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, were conferred during the afternoon event.
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who graduated during MTSU’s spring 2008 commencement, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Graduation Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring 2008” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who graduated May 3.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2493
MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
County-by-County Listing of Spring2008 Graduates Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, Middle Tennessee State University will release the names and hometowns of those students who graduated during the spring 2008 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 3, in Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Of the 2,046 set to graduate during the 96th spring commencement, 1,760 were undergraduates and 286 were graduate students, including 234 master’s candidates, 45 Education Specialists candidates, one graduate certificate recipient, one Doctor of Arts candidate and five Ph.D. candidates.
The dual-commencement event featured Pete Fisher, vice president/general manager for the Grand Ole Opry, as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from MTSU, with a concentration in recording industry management, and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus in 2004. He also currently serves as president of the Nashville chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and hold membership on the board of directors for the Nashville Songwriters Foundation and the Academy of Country Music.
Ernest G. Burgess, Rutherford County mayor, was the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony. A cattle farmer and businessman, he is a lifelong resident of Rutherford County and was elected to serve as mayor in 2006. Burgess e earned a Bachelor of Science degree from MTSU and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He retired as senior vice president of operations for the National Healthcare Corporation, or NHC, and is a past chairman of the Republican Party of Rutherford County.
Following the ceremonies’ respective guest speakers, degree candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and College of Education and Behavioral Science were conferred with their degrees in the morning ceremony, while degree candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Mass Communication, and the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, were conferred during the afternoon event.
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who graduated during MTSU’s spring 2008 commencement, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Graduation Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring 2008” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who graduated May 3.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
[438]MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
By-County Listing of Latest Dean’s List Students Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will release the names and hometowns of those students who appear on the Dean’s List for the spring 2008 semester on Thursday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m..
To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours (not including developmental hours).
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who are on the current Dean’s List, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Dean’s List” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who are on the 2008 spring semester Dean’s List. ***Please note that this page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
By-County Listing of Latest Dean’s List Students Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will release the names and hometowns of those students who appear on the Dean’s List for the spring 2008 semester on Thursday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m..
To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours (not including developmental hours).
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who are on the current Dean’s List, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Dean’s List” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who are on the 2008 spring semester Dean’s List. ***Please note that this page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
Monday, May 12, 2008
[437] EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES - BEST USES
TO TEXT OR NOT TO TEXT? A NAGGING QUESTION WITH NO EASY ANSWERS
One of the major sticking points in the ongoing discussion about text messaging at MTSU—and undoubtedly on other campuses across the nation—is when to and when not to send an emergency text message. Because there is no easy or right answer, university officials are left to make extremely difficult decisions based on their experience and knowledge—but even as likely on their instincts and best judgment.
The basic criteria for sending a text message across campus—as opposed to issuing a crime-alert email message and posting bulletins that might include a composite drawing—is that a specific incident must (1) pose an imminent threat to the campus at large; and (2) direct the campus population to take some specific action. Short of meeting those two stipulations, MTSU police will not issue an emergency text message.
Yet, there’s the rub. There is much disagreement about what constitutes an “imminent threat” on campus, and this is a subject of ongoing discussion among students, faculty and administrators.
It must be emphasized at the outset of any discussion that a text-messaging system is not a news service. Its purpose is not merely to alert everyone on campus and beyond that something has happened. It is not a device to simply inform and make people feel included. If it were simply a source for news, over time text messaging would lose its impact and importance. Soon people would begin to ignore text messages and dismiss them as “just more spam.”
A text message is an emergency notification—not an e-mail newswire service.
Following an incident of limited impact on campus that may warrant a crime-alert e-mail rather than a text message, some individuals want to know, “Why didn’t I know about it?” The answer is—because it did not reasonably appear to pose a threat to you. The incident was isolated to one part of campus, and officials determined that there was obvious closure or containment to that event.
Several months ago, a man approached a female student outside the Fairview Building, took hold of her arm and suggested that she go with him. At that moment, several people were coming out of the Fairview Building. The man immediately let go of the student, turned and walked west toward the surrounding neighborhood. University Police made the decision to issue a crime-alert bulletin with a composite drawing rather than send an emergency text message. While there was some disagreement about whether or not a text message should have been sent in this case, officials believed, after patrolling the area for a time, that the man had left the campus area and there was no additional threat. (After several days, the man was apprehended off campus and positively identified by the young woman.)
A more recent “attempted abduction” case closer to the campus inner core involved a man in a vehicle who asked a female student for directions, then demanded she get into his SUV. After she refused, he drove off. However, it was not known if he was still on campus. Thus, a text message was sent. While there is not a substantial difference between these two incidents, they also are not identical. Whether there is a continuing imminent threat or closure to an incident remains a difficult judgment call.
Several months ago, a man in a car exposed himself to females in the area of Cummings Hall. In this case, a crime-alert message was e-mailed across campus informing people of the incident and urging everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or activity to University Police. Did this incident warrant an emergency text message? What decision would you have made?
Regarding the recent unfortunate incidents on campus—the phoned-in bomb threat, a suspicious e-mail that spoke of someone coming to campus with a gun, and the attempted armed robbery in a residence-hall parking lot—officials determined that the threat of danger to the campus population was such to warrant an emergency text message, followed by several “alert updates” on the university home page. Two of these incidents involved firearms—one implicit, one very real—and the other, a bomb, a device capable of widespread destruction. In each case, a more imminent threat seemed apparent, and the text message directed recipients to take some kind of action, whether it was to evacuate a building or to remain extremely cautious and vigilant.
There are no easy or absolute right answers. We live, work and go to school in a different world than just a decade ago. Campus police and university officials are faced with challenges and decisions that are new and complex. For every action, there is indeed an opposite and equal reaction. Thus, every call made by officials must be measured carefully to create an appropriate response but to avoid panic.
Responding to a crisis—the unknown, the unexpected or the unthinkable—is a fluid process that involves all of us—students, faculty, and university officials. We must keep the lines of communication open and encourage discussion.
Tom Tozer, Director, MTSU News and Public Affairs
Buddy Peaster, MTSU Chief of Police
One of the major sticking points in the ongoing discussion about text messaging at MTSU—and undoubtedly on other campuses across the nation—is when to and when not to send an emergency text message. Because there is no easy or right answer, university officials are left to make extremely difficult decisions based on their experience and knowledge—but even as likely on their instincts and best judgment.
The basic criteria for sending a text message across campus—as opposed to issuing a crime-alert email message and posting bulletins that might include a composite drawing—is that a specific incident must (1) pose an imminent threat to the campus at large; and (2) direct the campus population to take some specific action. Short of meeting those two stipulations, MTSU police will not issue an emergency text message.
Yet, there’s the rub. There is much disagreement about what constitutes an “imminent threat” on campus, and this is a subject of ongoing discussion among students, faculty and administrators.
It must be emphasized at the outset of any discussion that a text-messaging system is not a news service. Its purpose is not merely to alert everyone on campus and beyond that something has happened. It is not a device to simply inform and make people feel included. If it were simply a source for news, over time text messaging would lose its impact and importance. Soon people would begin to ignore text messages and dismiss them as “just more spam.”
A text message is an emergency notification—not an e-mail newswire service.
Following an incident of limited impact on campus that may warrant a crime-alert e-mail rather than a text message, some individuals want to know, “Why didn’t I know about it?” The answer is—because it did not reasonably appear to pose a threat to you. The incident was isolated to one part of campus, and officials determined that there was obvious closure or containment to that event.
Several months ago, a man approached a female student outside the Fairview Building, took hold of her arm and suggested that she go with him. At that moment, several people were coming out of the Fairview Building. The man immediately let go of the student, turned and walked west toward the surrounding neighborhood. University Police made the decision to issue a crime-alert bulletin with a composite drawing rather than send an emergency text message. While there was some disagreement about whether or not a text message should have been sent in this case, officials believed, after patrolling the area for a time, that the man had left the campus area and there was no additional threat. (After several days, the man was apprehended off campus and positively identified by the young woman.)
A more recent “attempted abduction” case closer to the campus inner core involved a man in a vehicle who asked a female student for directions, then demanded she get into his SUV. After she refused, he drove off. However, it was not known if he was still on campus. Thus, a text message was sent. While there is not a substantial difference between these two incidents, they also are not identical. Whether there is a continuing imminent threat or closure to an incident remains a difficult judgment call.
Several months ago, a man in a car exposed himself to females in the area of Cummings Hall. In this case, a crime-alert message was e-mailed across campus informing people of the incident and urging everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior or activity to University Police. Did this incident warrant an emergency text message? What decision would you have made?
Regarding the recent unfortunate incidents on campus—the phoned-in bomb threat, a suspicious e-mail that spoke of someone coming to campus with a gun, and the attempted armed robbery in a residence-hall parking lot—officials determined that the threat of danger to the campus population was such to warrant an emergency text message, followed by several “alert updates” on the university home page. Two of these incidents involved firearms—one implicit, one very real—and the other, a bomb, a device capable of widespread destruction. In each case, a more imminent threat seemed apparent, and the text message directed recipients to take some kind of action, whether it was to evacuate a building or to remain extremely cautious and vigilant.
There are no easy or absolute right answers. We live, work and go to school in a different world than just a decade ago. Campus police and university officials are faced with challenges and decisions that are new and complex. For every action, there is indeed an opposite and equal reaction. Thus, every call made by officials must be measured carefully to create an appropriate response but to avoid panic.
Responding to a crisis—the unknown, the unexpected or the unthinkable—is a fluid process that involves all of us—students, faculty, and university officials. We must keep the lines of communication open and encourage discussion.
Tom Tozer, Director, MTSU News and Public Affairs
Buddy Peaster, MTSU Chief of Police
Thursday, May 08, 2008
[440]MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
Rollins Teams with DNJ to Win 2008 Creative Partnership Award
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Lisa L. Rollins recently was awarded one of four Grand Award prizes in the 2008 communications contest sponsored by District III of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education at its annual conference held in Atlanta, Ga.
Rollins, who serves as director of special media projects for News and Public Affairs and as an adjunct professor, accepted the award during the recent district conference on behalf of her 2007 journalism students, the School of Journalism at MTSU and the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro.
The Grand Award is the highest honor bestowed by District III, which is an eight-state area, and Rollins’ entry, “Promoting Student Learning in Print,” earned the contest’s Creative Partnership honor. Rollins received the award for a partnership she initiated on behalf of students enrolled in her writing courses with editors at The Daily News Journal.
During the course of the project, about 19 of Rollins’ journalism students had more than 30 stories published by the DNJ, garnering the junior- and senior-level student journalists real-world, hands-on learning.
“The Lifestyles department has been especially lucky to benefit from the feature writing classes of Lisa Rollins, who helps the students develop story ideas and work those concepts into publishable stories,” said Sandee Suitt, section editor. “The students also contact the newspaper with photo ideas to accompany their work. They get the complete picture of what makes a good story, gain an understanding of requirements for publication in a daily newspaper and learn about the details they not have realized go along with being a journalist.”
Related to this, DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart, said, “The Daily News Journal management is dedicated to the education of our future workforce. The partnership with MTSU ensures journalism students stay up-to-date with changing styles and needs, and it provides the newspaper with some pretty darn good stories to share with our readers.”
The 2008 CASE District III contest received more than 1,300 entries, making it one of the most competitive such contests in the nation, observed CASE representative Jon Jones.
In presenting the Creative Partnership honor, Jones said, “’Promoting Student Learning in Print’ is an exciting and well-balanced, cooperative venture, which benefits both parties. MTSU benefits by providing students with real-world, hands-on learning, writing and editing experience; by enhancing the
journalism school’s presence in the community; and by meeting several goals and objectives of the News and Public Affairs office.
“The Daily News Journal benefits by receiving a regular influx of quality stories … and a ready supple of interns and potential future staff members.”
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU STAFF MEMBER LANDS TOP CASE DISTRICT III PRIZE
Rollins Teams with DNJ to Win 2008 Creative Partnership Award
(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Lisa L. Rollins recently was awarded one of four Grand Award prizes in the 2008 communications contest sponsored by District III of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education at its annual conference held in Atlanta, Ga.
Rollins, who serves as director of special media projects for News and Public Affairs and as an adjunct professor, accepted the award during the recent district conference on behalf of her 2007 journalism students, the School of Journalism at MTSU and the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro.
The Grand Award is the highest honor bestowed by District III, which is an eight-state area, and Rollins’ entry, “Promoting Student Learning in Print,” earned the contest’s Creative Partnership honor. Rollins received the award for a partnership she initiated on behalf of students enrolled in her writing courses with editors at The Daily News Journal.
During the course of the project, about 19 of Rollins’ journalism students had more than 30 stories published by the DNJ, garnering the junior- and senior-level student journalists real-world, hands-on learning.
“The Lifestyles department has been especially lucky to benefit from the feature writing classes of Lisa Rollins, who helps the students develop story ideas and work those concepts into publishable stories,” said Sandee Suitt, section editor. “The students also contact the newspaper with photo ideas to accompany their work. They get the complete picture of what makes a good story, gain an understanding of requirements for publication in a daily newspaper and learn about the details they not have realized go along with being a journalist.”
Related to this, DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart, said, “The Daily News Journal management is dedicated to the education of our future workforce. The partnership with MTSU ensures journalism students stay up-to-date with changing styles and needs, and it provides the newspaper with some pretty darn good stories to share with our readers.”
The 2008 CASE District III contest received more than 1,300 entries, making it one of the most competitive such contests in the nation, observed CASE representative Jon Jones.
In presenting the Creative Partnership honor, Jones said, “’Promoting Student Learning in Print’ is an exciting and well-balanced, cooperative venture, which benefits both parties. MTSU benefits by providing students with real-world, hands-on learning, writing and editing experience; by enhancing the
journalism school’s presence in the community; and by meeting several goals and objectives of the News and Public Affairs office.
“The Daily News Journal benefits by receiving a regular influx of quality stories … and a ready supple of interns and potential future staff members.”
[439]MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2493
MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
County-by-County Listing of Spring2008 Graduates Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, Middle Tennessee State University will release the names and hometowns of those students who graduated during the spring 2008 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 3, in Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Of the 2,046 set to graduate during the 96th spring commencement, 1,760 were undergraduates and 286 were graduate students, including 234 master’s candidates, 45 Education Specialists candidates, one graduate certificate recipient, one Doctor of Arts candidate and five Ph.D. candidates.
The dual-commencement event featured Pete Fisher, vice president/general manager for the Grand Ole Opry, as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from MTSU, with a concentration in recording industry management, and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus in 2004. He also currently serves as president of the Nashville chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and hold membership on the board of directors for the Nashville Songwriters Foundation and the Academy of Country Music.
Ernest G. Burgess, Rutherford County mayor, was the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony. A cattle farmer and businessman, he is a lifelong resident of Rutherford County and was elected to serve as mayor in 2006. Burgess e earned a Bachelor of Science degree from MTSU and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He retired as senior vice president of operations for the National Healthcare Corporation, or NHC, and is a past chairman of the Republican Party of Rutherford County.
Following the ceremonies’ respective guest speakers, degree candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and College of Education and Behavioral Science were conferred with their degrees in the morning ceremony, while degree candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Mass Communication, and the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, were conferred during the afternoon event.
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who graduated during MTSU’s spring 2008 commencement, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Graduation Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring 2008” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who graduated May 3.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2493
MTSU ANNOUNCES GRADUATES FOR SPRING 2008
County-by-County Listing of Spring2008 Graduates Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, Middle Tennessee State University will release the names and hometowns of those students who graduated during the spring 2008 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 3, in Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Of the 2,046 set to graduate during the 96th spring commencement, 1,760 were undergraduates and 286 were graduate students, including 234 master’s candidates, 45 Education Specialists candidates, one graduate certificate recipient, one Doctor of Arts candidate and five Ph.D. candidates.
The dual-commencement event featured Pete Fisher, vice president/general manager for the Grand Ole Opry, as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. He earned a bachelor's degree in mass communication from MTSU, with a concentration in recording industry management, and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus in 2004. He also currently serves as president of the Nashville chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and hold membership on the board of directors for the Nashville Songwriters Foundation and the Academy of Country Music.
Ernest G. Burgess, Rutherford County mayor, was the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony. A cattle farmer and businessman, he is a lifelong resident of Rutherford County and was elected to serve as mayor in 2006. Burgess e earned a Bachelor of Science degree from MTSU and a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He retired as senior vice president of operations for the National Healthcare Corporation, or NHC, and is a past chairman of the Republican Party of Rutherford County.
Following the ceremonies’ respective guest speakers, degree candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business, and College of Education and Behavioral Science were conferred with their degrees in the morning ceremony, while degree candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Mass Communication, and the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, were conferred during the afternoon event.
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who graduated during MTSU’s spring 2008 commencement, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Graduation Lists” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring 2008” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who graduated May 3.
***Please note that this Web page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
[438]MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 6, 2008
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
By-County Listing of Latest Dean’s List Students Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will release the names and hometowns of those students who appear on the Dean’s List for the spring 2008 semester on Thursday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m..
To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours (not including developmental hours).
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who are on the current Dean’s List, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Dean’s List” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who are on the 2008 spring semester Dean’s List. ***Please note that this page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MTSU ANNOUNCES DEAN’s LIST FOR SPRING 2008
By-County Listing of Latest Dean’s List Students Available Online May 8
(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will release the names and hometowns of those students who appear on the Dean’s List for the spring 2008 semester on Thursday, May 8, at 4:30 p.m..
To qualify for this distinction, an undergraduate student must maintain a current semester grade-point average of 3.5 or above and earn at least 12 semester hours (not including developmental hours).
HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR COUNTY’S STUDENT LIST: To obtain a list for editorial use of those students from your county who are on the current Dean’s List, please access this information on the News and Public Affairs (NPA) Web site at www.mtsunews.com and click on the “MTSU Dean’s List” link on the upper, left-hand side of the page.
Next, click on the “Spring” link, which will include an alphabetical, county-by-county listing of those MTSU students who are on the 2008 spring semester Dean’s List. ***Please note that this page also contains directions on how to download and save your county’s list for editorial use in your publication.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you encounter any problems downloading and saving your county’s dean’s list, please contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 for assistance.
[436]NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY PH.D. IN LITERACY STUDIES
NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY PH.D. IN LITERACY STUDIES WILL EQUIP PROFESSIONALS TO RETHINK, RELEARN TEACHING OF READING
April 30, 2008
CONTACT: Dr. Diane J. Sawyer, 615-898-5642
Dr. Stuart Bernstein, 615-494-8882
Tom Tozer, News & Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MURFREESBORO, TENN—Experienced and successful educators with graduate degrees and a minimum of three years of field experience will be returning to Middle Tennessee State University in the fall because they realize that what they already know about helping a child become a skilled reader isn’t enough anymore. In fact, it falls far short.
School psychologists, speech-language pathologists, reading teachers, classroom teachers and school administrators at all levels will be among those enrolling in MTSU’s new Ph.D. in Literacy Studies degree. This program will come face to face with why the National Assessment of Education Progress consistently shows that an average of four out of 10 children fail to read at grade level by fourth grade.
The interdisciplinary doctorate is based on the idea that narrow expertise in a single area does not equip graduates to understand the many factors that support successful literacy.
The new doctoral is a first-of-its-kind partnership that has emerged from the Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU, a hands-on learning lab that may be the only one of its kind in the nation. The Dyslexia Center is a unit within the College of Education and Behavioral Science where professionals with different backgrounds work together to improve educational outcomes for children with dyslexia. The doctorate has been shaped and will be governed by faculty representing several academic departments: educational leadership, elementary & special education, dyslexic studies, psychology, sociology, English (linguistics) and communication disorders. Program faculty are listed at http://mtsu.edu/~literacy/faculty.html.
“This degree is important because it reflects the direction of the institution as manifested in the academic master plan, which identifies areas that are strategic, for the discipline and for the region,” commented Dr. Kaylene Gebert, MTSU executive vice president and provost. “This program will be a fulcrum for additional research projects … and for bringing students to MTSU who will learn from the very best faculty.”
Dr. Diane J. Sawyer, holder of the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at MTSU, explained that in formulating the course of study for the Ph.D. in literacy, program faculty from many areas looked at what the research in each of their disciplines reveals about how people learn to read and how teachers need to understand the teaching of reading.
“We looked at a curriculum, stemming from both research and practice, that typical preparation programs do not provide,” Sawyer said. “We’re bringing together neurobiology and neuropsychology to help people understand that the learning of reading really does involve the brain. It also involves the culture and environment in which one learns—and so we included the socio-cultural aspect as well.”
A practicum will require students to go out into the field and test what they’re learning and then bring back the reality of the field to their classrooms, Sawyer said.
“We’re looking across disciplines to bring people into the study of literacy in an interdisciplinary way—and to take their learning back into their respective fields to enhance the educational process,” she noted.
“Because of the unique, interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach that characterizes this degree, it really fills a void in the learning environment,” stated Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean of MTSU’s College of Education and Behavioral Science. “Given the crisis in the schools, and in particular ‘No Child Left Behind’ and the achievement gap that is really expanding, this ought to have tremendous appeal.”
A key question that reflects the bottom-line meaning of this new degree is … How will the pedagogical issues and academic jargon trickle down and really affect the child in elementary school who is struggling with reading?
“If we don’t catch [this struggle] before grade four, it has implications for the rest of their academic career,” Bonner observed.
One goal of the program is to train professionals who can support changes in how and when schools identify and help struggling readers.
“The models by which schools identify and support at-risk and low-performing students are changing,” explained Dr. Stuart Bernstein, director of the MTSU Dyslexia Center. “The current model is nicknamed ‘wait to fail’ because schools are forced to wait until children have fallen many years behind the other children in their grade before certain resources can be brought to bear.
“A new model called ‘Response to Intervention’ represents a departure in which frequent focused assessments are closely tied to instructional decisions so that children can get help at the point when they do not learn something rather than years later,” Bernstein continued. “However, this shift requires that the classroom teacher, reading specialists, curriculum supervisors, even principals understand the nuances of literacy assessment and how to shape instruction based on those more focused assessments. The Ph.D. in Literacy Studies will address this. … We can no longer train reading professionals in just one narrow domain,” Bernstein added. “They need training that is broad and the opportunity to integrate this spectrum of knowledge.”
Sawyer says that schools need to “get beneath the scores” to reach a better understanding of where learning has broken down. “Traditionally, what those who teach reading have learned about measurement is that tests give you scores and that children are scaled on those scores—and if you have a particular kind of score, you’re in trouble,” she pointed out. “But there’s no instruction that helps them to understand where and how learning has broken down. So we use the shotgun approach, thinking that more of the same must be appropriate because they didn’t get it the first time. But we don’t know why or where specifically that breakdown was.”
It is Sawyer’s vision that the new doctoral degree will produce a greater understanding of learning and of both the strengths and weaknesses of current reading assessment tools and instructional practices.
“It’s looking underneath the scores to the humanity,” she summarized.
Sawyer and Bernstein point out an interesting paradox. On one hand, four out of 10 children cannot read and comprehend at grade level. Similarly, four in 10 adults can’t read an average newspaper. Yet, reading is “one of the most over-studied things on the planet,” Bernstein notes. “It’s like talking about the weather—everybody does it. The over-studying of reading results in too much information of varying quality, and it’s hard for anyone at any point in the process to understand what has a good chance of working and what doesn’t.”
Once the new degree is launched in the fall, Sawyer and her team plan to hold a series of roundtable sessions composed of classroom teachers, principals, parents, professionals and doctoral students to discuss the learning process and reading instruction.
“We hope to attract people who are good at what they do and want to become even better,” Sawyer said. “It takes very bright and dedicated educators to rethink what they know to be right and good, to analyze their successes and failures and to reach out for new learning experiences that will enable them to arrive at new concepts.”
To learn more about the new Ph.D. in Literacy Studies degree, including course requirements, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~literacy/info.html or call Dyslexic Studies at 615-898-5642.
####
April 30, 2008
CONTACT: Dr. Diane J. Sawyer, 615-898-5642
Dr. Stuart Bernstein, 615-494-8882
Tom Tozer, News & Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
MURFREESBORO, TENN—Experienced and successful educators with graduate degrees and a minimum of three years of field experience will be returning to Middle Tennessee State University in the fall because they realize that what they already know about helping a child become a skilled reader isn’t enough anymore. In fact, it falls far short.
School psychologists, speech-language pathologists, reading teachers, classroom teachers and school administrators at all levels will be among those enrolling in MTSU’s new Ph.D. in Literacy Studies degree. This program will come face to face with why the National Assessment of Education Progress consistently shows that an average of four out of 10 children fail to read at grade level by fourth grade.
The interdisciplinary doctorate is based on the idea that narrow expertise in a single area does not equip graduates to understand the many factors that support successful literacy.
The new doctoral is a first-of-its-kind partnership that has emerged from the Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU, a hands-on learning lab that may be the only one of its kind in the nation. The Dyslexia Center is a unit within the College of Education and Behavioral Science where professionals with different backgrounds work together to improve educational outcomes for children with dyslexia. The doctorate has been shaped and will be governed by faculty representing several academic departments: educational leadership, elementary & special education, dyslexic studies, psychology, sociology, English (linguistics) and communication disorders. Program faculty are listed at http://mtsu.edu/~literacy/faculty.html.
“This degree is important because it reflects the direction of the institution as manifested in the academic master plan, which identifies areas that are strategic, for the discipline and for the region,” commented Dr. Kaylene Gebert, MTSU executive vice president and provost. “This program will be a fulcrum for additional research projects … and for bringing students to MTSU who will learn from the very best faculty.”
Dr. Diane J. Sawyer, holder of the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at MTSU, explained that in formulating the course of study for the Ph.D. in literacy, program faculty from many areas looked at what the research in each of their disciplines reveals about how people learn to read and how teachers need to understand the teaching of reading.
“We looked at a curriculum, stemming from both research and practice, that typical preparation programs do not provide,” Sawyer said. “We’re bringing together neurobiology and neuropsychology to help people understand that the learning of reading really does involve the brain. It also involves the culture and environment in which one learns—and so we included the socio-cultural aspect as well.”
A practicum will require students to go out into the field and test what they’re learning and then bring back the reality of the field to their classrooms, Sawyer said.
“We’re looking across disciplines to bring people into the study of literacy in an interdisciplinary way—and to take their learning back into their respective fields to enhance the educational process,” she noted.
“Because of the unique, interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach that characterizes this degree, it really fills a void in the learning environment,” stated Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean of MTSU’s College of Education and Behavioral Science. “Given the crisis in the schools, and in particular ‘No Child Left Behind’ and the achievement gap that is really expanding, this ought to have tremendous appeal.”
A key question that reflects the bottom-line meaning of this new degree is … How will the pedagogical issues and academic jargon trickle down and really affect the child in elementary school who is struggling with reading?
“If we don’t catch [this struggle] before grade four, it has implications for the rest of their academic career,” Bonner observed.
One goal of the program is to train professionals who can support changes in how and when schools identify and help struggling readers.
“The models by which schools identify and support at-risk and low-performing students are changing,” explained Dr. Stuart Bernstein, director of the MTSU Dyslexia Center. “The current model is nicknamed ‘wait to fail’ because schools are forced to wait until children have fallen many years behind the other children in their grade before certain resources can be brought to bear.
“A new model called ‘Response to Intervention’ represents a departure in which frequent focused assessments are closely tied to instructional decisions so that children can get help at the point when they do not learn something rather than years later,” Bernstein continued. “However, this shift requires that the classroom teacher, reading specialists, curriculum supervisors, even principals understand the nuances of literacy assessment and how to shape instruction based on those more focused assessments. The Ph.D. in Literacy Studies will address this. … We can no longer train reading professionals in just one narrow domain,” Bernstein added. “They need training that is broad and the opportunity to integrate this spectrum of knowledge.”
Sawyer says that schools need to “get beneath the scores” to reach a better understanding of where learning has broken down. “Traditionally, what those who teach reading have learned about measurement is that tests give you scores and that children are scaled on those scores—and if you have a particular kind of score, you’re in trouble,” she pointed out. “But there’s no instruction that helps them to understand where and how learning has broken down. So we use the shotgun approach, thinking that more of the same must be appropriate because they didn’t get it the first time. But we don’t know why or where specifically that breakdown was.”
It is Sawyer’s vision that the new doctoral degree will produce a greater understanding of learning and of both the strengths and weaknesses of current reading assessment tools and instructional practices.
“It’s looking underneath the scores to the humanity,” she summarized.
Sawyer and Bernstein point out an interesting paradox. On one hand, four out of 10 children cannot read and comprehend at grade level. Similarly, four in 10 adults can’t read an average newspaper. Yet, reading is “one of the most over-studied things on the planet,” Bernstein notes. “It’s like talking about the weather—everybody does it. The over-studying of reading results in too much information of varying quality, and it’s hard for anyone at any point in the process to understand what has a good chance of working and what doesn’t.”
Once the new degree is launched in the fall, Sawyer and her team plan to hold a series of roundtable sessions composed of classroom teachers, principals, parents, professionals and doctoral students to discuss the learning process and reading instruction.
“We hope to attract people who are good at what they do and want to become even better,” Sawyer said. “It takes very bright and dedicated educators to rethink what they know to be right and good, to analyze their successes and failures and to reach out for new learning experiences that will enable them to arrive at new concepts.”
To learn more about the new Ph.D. in Literacy Studies degree, including course requirements, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~literacy/info.html or call Dyslexic Studies at 615-898-5642.
####
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)