Thursday, July 29, 2010

[035] Take A Ride On The Nashville, Chattanooga And St. Louis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

TAKE A RIDE ON THE NASHVILLE,CHATTANOOGA AND ST. LOUIS
“MTSU on the Record” Revisits the Romance of the Railroad with Terry Coats

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU alumnus Terry Coats will discuss his new book, Next Stop on Grandpa’s Road—History and Architecture of NC&St. L. Railway Depots and Terminals, at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Aug. 1, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org.
The book chronicles the history of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. With more than 500 photographs, Coats shows how the architecture of the railroad’s buildings varied and how they were turned into restaurants, offices, homes, museums, restaurants and storage throughout the four-state area served by the railroad following its demise.
To listen to last week’s program about the Department of Political Science’s new Political and Civic Engagement minor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[034] MTSU Recording-Industry Students' Creativity Is Paying Off

MTSU RECORDING-INDUSTRY STUDENTS’ CREATIVITY IS PAYING OFF
3 Receive API Visionary Scholarships from Audio Products Manufacturer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

(MURFREESBORO)—Three MTSU recording-industry students are getting some financial support for their creative visions as the latest recipients of the prestigious API Visionary Scholarship.
Taylor Bray, a junior from Columbia, S.C., and senior Jay Yaskin of Las Vegas received $2,000 each, while Nashvillian Ben Poff, who’s working toward his Master of Fine Arts degree in recording arts and technology, received $1,000 from Jessup, Md.-based Automated Processes Inc.
API is a leading analog audio products manufacturer whose 48-channel API Vision stereo/surround sound console was installed in Studio A in the Bragg Communication Building in 2009. The studio is designed to accommodate the needs of audio recording for traditional music production, as well as video and film, and includes a studio, control room, isolation booth, mastering/observation lab and machine room. Some API equipment is in RIM’s Studio B, and students also are able to check out an API module for mobile use.
The Visionary Scholarship, open only to students at universities using API equipment, is “designed to foster creativity and excellence for the pro audio industry’s next generation of sound engineers,” the company said.
“My whole goal is to be making money at this before I get out of school, so this is one more opportunity to get my name out there,” Yaskin, who lives in Franklin, Tenn., and is preparing to graduate in 2011, said with a laugh.
“I had just finished an analog project with my roommates the previous semester that included horns, electric violins, two vocalists and an analog synthesizer to make bizarre sounds. The scholarship application said to show how to bridge the gap between analog and digital, so we grabbed it and overnighted it.”
The other three scholarships went to students at the University of Michigan, State University of New York at Purchase and New York University’s Clive Davis School of Recording at the Tisch School of the Arts. Each of the six winners submitted an essay and optional recorded material for review by API.
“The people at API said they could tell that our faculty were proactive in encouraging our students to apply,” said Professor Daniel Pfeifer, who teaches courses in audio engineering and technology, studio production and studio administration and coordinates the undergraduate and graduate audio internships for the RIM department.
“This was the first time we were eligible to apply. It’s really very unusual for a manufacturer to do something like this. The altruism on their part is awesome.”
Gordon Smart, managing director of API, told the student winners in a congratulatory e-mail that “while all of the entries reflected a high degree of talent, creativity and professionalism, your work (both essay and production materials) was recognized as superior and noteworthy.”
Pfeifer, who just returned from a seminar in Maine where he trained users on an API console, said he and fellow RIM professor Bill Crabtree have freelanced for API and written user manuals for the company, too.
“The university wants us to have partnerships, and this is the kind of thing that provides both a literal payoff for students, with scholarships, and a payoff with access to world-class equipment,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing for our students to get recognition from the industry like this.”
Yaskin and his peers won’t be waiting long for more industry acclaim. He’s been working with a songwriting team this summer, mixing and mastering tracks on demos, and recently learned that Disney bought one of the songs. The song that won him an API Visionary Scholarship, “City at Night,” will be available on iTunes soon, performed by “A Silent Circus.”
“I didn’t even know about MTSU before,” he said. “I was visiting some friends in Nashville and saw how hard-core the RIM program was, and that was it.”
For more information about MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, one of the largest and best equipped in the country, visit http://recordingindustry.mtsu.edu.

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IN BRIEF: Three MTSU recording-industry students are getting some financial support for their creative visions as the latest recipients of the prestigious API Visionary Scholarship.
Taylor Bray, a junior from Columbia, S.C., and senior Jay Yaskin of Las Vegas received $2,000 each, while Nashvillian Ben Poff, who’s working toward his Master of Fine Arts degree in recording arts and technology, received $1,000 from Jessup, Md.-based Automated Processes Inc. “The people at API said they could tell that our faculty were proactive in encouraging our students to apply,” said Professor Daniel Pfeifer, who teaches audio courses and coordinates the undergraduate and graduate audio internships for the RIM department. “This was the first time we were eligible to apply. It’s really very unusual for a manufacturer to do something like this. The altruism on their part is awesome.”

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

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[033] Fruit, Veggies Offered Friday at MTSU Student Farmers' Market

Release date: July 29, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
School of Agribusiness/Agriscience contact: Dr. Nate Phillips, 615-494-8985
or nphillip@mtsu.edu

Fruit, Veggies Offered Friday at MTSU Student Farmers’ Market

(MURFREESBORO) — The weekly student farmers’ market will be held again from 1 until 3 p.m. Friday at the MTSU Horticulture Center on Blue Raider Drive near Greenland Drive.
Items available include yellow squash, crookneck squash, onions, sweet corn, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno peppers, Hungarian hot wax peppers, purple hull peas, watermelons and snap beans.
Sale organizers suggest people arrive early to get the best selection.
Also, landscape plants will be available, including Knockout roses, boxwoods, forsythia, several different Spireas, Baptisia, Penstemons, Sedums, Sand Cherry, Blue Pacific junipers, hostas, daylilies, monkey grass and more. Gallon-size plants are on sale for only $3.
Proceeds from the sale are used to benefit students by helping maintain the MTSU Farm Laboratories and the Plant and Soil Science Club.

###
Media welcomed.


With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[032] Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame Will Induct Brooks, Rackley, McDonald in July 30 Ceremony

Release date: July 29, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Martin Chair of Insurance contact: Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
or khollman@mtsu.edu

Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame Will Induct
Brooks, Rackley, McDonald in July 30 Ceremony


(MURFREESBORO) — Dan Brooks of Rutledge, Joe Rackley of Pulaski and Tom McDonald of Franklin will be inducted into the Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame Friday, July 30, in Murfreesboro.
Induction ceremony festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 1200 Conference Center Dr., adjacent to Interstate 24 and Medical Center Parkway.
“Once again, we have three outstanding honorees who will be inducted into the hall of fame,” Dr. Ken Hollman, chairholder of the Martin Chair of Insurance at MTSU, said. “They not only have had outstanding careers in the insurance industry and other areas, but they also have been leaders involved in their individual communities. It’s with pride we recognize them.”
Brooks grew up in Jasper, Tenn., graduating from Marion County High School and later earning a B.S. from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. While successfully coaching the Whitwell High School football Tigers in the early to mid-1970s, he also was attending graduate school at MTSU.
In 1975, Brooks joined State Farm Insurance with the opening of an agency in Dunlap, Tenn., embarking on a 35-year career that saw him spend 27 of those years in east, middle and west Tennessee in various management capacities. He has earned awards and distinctions, overseen award-winning agents, and been on many committees and boards throughout his career before retiring in 2009.
Brooks and his wife, Freda, who have been married 44 years, have three children and four grandchildren.
Joseph M. “Joe” Rackley, a Giles County High School graduate, earned a bachelor of engineering degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University. He spent 12 years in the aerospace industry, and gained vast computer programming expertise while at NASA. He inherited his father’s insurance business in Pulaski.
Computers and how they could be utilized in the insurance industry caught his attention in 1979. This led to the founding of Rackley Systems Inc., serving as president and chairman of the board until the company was sold to AMS in 2003. His company provided software solutions to independent insurance agencies and insurance companies.
Rackley and his wife, Diane, have three sons and a daughter, all of whom worked with their father in the business.
Tom McDonald, a native of Jamestown, Tenn., graduated from the Alvin C. York Institute, and he played football and earned a B.S. in education from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. He has had an outstanding 36-year career in the industry, and retired as a Tennessee Farmers Insurance Company executive.
McDonald quickly moved up the ladder from top-producing agent to director and vice president of sales from 1975 until 1994 when he became chief marketing officer for two years. He then became a regional agency manager for 10 years. He has earned numerous industry and civic recognitions and been a part of many insurance organizations.
His wife, Susan, and other family and friends will join him at the induction.

###

Editor’s note: High-resolution, black-and-white photos of Tom McDonald, Dan Brooks and Joe Rackley are available. To request, please contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.


With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[030] Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame to Induct Rackley July 30

Release date: July 29, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu

Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame to Induct Rackley July 30


(MURFREESBORO) — Joseph M. “Joe” Rackley, a veteran member of the insurance industry and a pioneer in the computer era, will be inducted into the Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame Friday, July 30, in Murfreesboro.
The induction ceremony festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 1200 Conference Center Dr., adjacent to Interstate 24 and Medical Center Parkway.
Rackley will be inducted along with Dan Brooks of Rutledge and Tom McDonald of Franklin.
Rackley, who is from Pulaski and a Giles County High School graduate, holds a bachelor of engineering degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University.
“Joe can only be described as a giant in our industry, and when a history of the independent insurance agency system in Tennessee is written, Joe will have his own chapter,” said Dr. Ken Hollman, chairholder of the Martin Chair of Insurance at MTSU.
“To draw a football analogy,” Hollman added, “one might argue that every member of the Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame is an All-American. However, Joe Rackley stands out even from that distinguished group. He has such impressive credentials that he must be considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.”
Rackley worked in the aerospace industry for 12 years after graduating from Vanderbilt. It was at NASA where he gained the vast programming expertise that proved so valuable later. After that, he assumed his father’s insurance agency in Pulaski and managed it the next eight years.
“Joe Rackley revolutionized an industry,” Hollman said. “From his small family-owned insurance agency office in Pulaski, Joe developed and very successfully marketed a concept that has impacted independent insurance agencies, large and small, in the smallest hamlets and biggest cities in every state of our country.”
Rackley was attending the Insurors Convention in Memphis in 1979 and saw Radio Shack and Canon computers being demonstrated by exhibitors.
“I got excited, came home and couldn’t sleep,” he said, recalling that time. “I went out and bought a Radio Shack Model I and began working on it … nonstop.”
He became so dedicated to learning all about this “new” technology and spent so many hours working on it that employees at his agency nicknamed him “Captain Video.” This was the forerunner of what became the nationally known Rackley Systems Inc.
The ’79 convention allowed Rackley the opportunity to mesh the two interests and two careers together. He was aware of the ever-growing need of rating for independent agents and visionary about the development of the personal computer.
In late 1979, he founded Rackley Systems Inc. He served as president and chairman of the board until the company was sold to AMS in 2003. Rackley Systems provided software solutions to Independent Insurance Agencies and some insurance companies.
The company provided comparative insurance rating software that allowed agents to quickly rate several companies’ premiums for personal and commercial lines. Rackley Systems became the officially endorsed rating system for several Southeastern states, with Tennessee being the first.
The company moved into a 10,000-square foot building in 1994. It had about 130 employees when he sold it. It literally was a family business. Three sons (Matt, David and Bill Rackley), a daughter (Karla Gardner), a brother-in-law and several cousins worked for him. Diane Rackley, Joe’s wife, will attend the induction as well.
Joe Rackley found time to help his community. He was a member of the Pulaski Exchange Club, a member of the SunTrust Bank Board of Directors (since 1997) and a member and president of the St. Barth Condominium Association Board of Directors (starting in 2005). He has a lifelong interest in the Boy Scouts. He was an Eagle Scout (1952) and served as scoutmaster to a troop of 40 boys (six achieved Eagle Scout under his leadership).
He is a longtime member of First United Methodist Church in Pulaski, and served on its financial and long-range planning committees.
###

Editor’s note: A high-resolution, black-and-white photo of Joe Rackley is available. Please contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

[029] Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame to Induct Brooks July 30

Release date: July 27, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler,615-898-5616
or jweiler@mtsu.edu

Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame to Induct Brooks July 30


(MURFREESBORO) — Dan Brooks, a longtime member of the insurance profession, will be inducted into the Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame Friday, July 30, in Murfreesboro.
The induction ceremony festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 1200 Conference Center Dr., adjacent to Interstate 24 and Medical Center Parkway, in Murfreesboro.
Brooks, who graduated from Marion County High School in Jasper and now lives in Rutledge, spent his entire career – 35 years of dedicated and loyal service – with State Farm. He retired in 2009. Twenty-seven of those years were spent in Tennessee, and covered all regions of the state.
“There is no way for us to know all the times that Dan has gone out of his way to help and counsel agents in the beginning of their career,” said Dr. Ken Hollman, chairholder of the Martin Chair of Insurance at MTSU. “None of us know exactly how many people are in the business today as a result of his support and guidance. What we do know is that in the states where he worked there have been a large number of agents who survived the early years, or a crisis in the later years, as a result of his concern and involvement with them at critical times.
“Conversations with employees and agents at State Farm and friends and associates in his church and community about Dan resonate with the word honest. They describe him as a fair, hard-working, reasonable, straight-forward and gentle man, but one who can be firm as a rock when need be.”
Brooks earned his B.S. degree from Austin Peay State University, where he played football and was an education and health major. He took master’s-level classes at MTSU, and attended leadership classes at the Darden School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia from 1996 until ’98. He became a Life Insurance and Market Research Association Leadership Institute Fellow in 2002.
Brooks’ career with State Farm began on July 1, 1975, when he opened an agency in Dunlap, Tenn., as a scratch (no existing policies) agent. Because of his outstanding sales skills, hard work and diligence, he soon became a leading producer in his agency district.
In October 1979, he was promoted to agency manager in Knoxville. He is one of the rare State Farm agency managers who started with no agents under his leadership. He recruited and trained 18 agents, 14 of whom remain active today. Two of them, Phil and Doug Nichols, are award-winning agents who rank among the best in the state and nation.
Brooks was promoted to agency director in Memphis in June 1991, providing leadership to 10 West Tennessee agency managers, and then was promoted to executive assistant in State Farm’s corporate headquarters in Monroe, La., in March 1995. He was named agency vice president in ’96, overseeing more than 300 agents in northern Louisiana and Arkansas.
When State Farm reorganized from a region to a zone structure in 2002, Brooks returned to Tennessee, where he led more than 400 agents. He was the leading vice president of agency in the Mid-America Zone (Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee) in 2008 and was in the top-10 companywide in Life Production and Life Travelers.
Brooks was a longtime member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers and past board member of the Knoxville chapter. He has been a member of the General Agency Manager Association since the early 1980s, and served with distinction on the Martin Chair of Insurance Liaison Committee from 2002 until his retirement in 2009. He also served as a Tennessee Chamber of Commerce board member from 2006-09.
The Rutledge resident has an impressive array of civic, cultural and educational contributions and activities, including the Lions and Rotary clubs, and a strong supporter of APSU and MTSU. Before launching his insurance career, he was a highly successful football coach in Whitwell, Tenn.
Dan and Freda Brooks have been married 44 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.
Daughter Kristi Brooks-Erdman works as a claims automation and procedures specialist for State Farm. She and husband Lee are parents of Tyler, 10, and Ella, 6, Erdman. Son Daniel Brooks Jr. and wife Amber live in Knoxville and are parents of Trey, 14, and Lindsey, 12. Youngest daughter Ashley is a University of Tennessee senior.
The Brooks’ have been regular church members wherever they have lived. He has served in leadership positions, on boards, financial committees and been a choir member.
###
Editor’s note: A high-resolution, black-and-white photo of Dan Brooks is available. Please contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[028] Nearly 900 Will Graduate From MTSU During 99th Summer Commencement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Office of News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919

NEARLY 900 WILL GRADUATE FROM MTSU DURING 99th SUMMER COMMENCEMENT
Single-Ceremony Event Will be Webcast for Those Unable to Attend

(MURFREESBORO)—A projected 892 degree candidates will graduate during the 99th annual summer commencement ceremony, MTSU officials recently announced.
The single-ceremony graduation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, in Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU, with Deborah Belcher, professor for the Department of Human Sciences and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Faculty Subcouncil, delivering the commencement address.
Some 657 of this summer’s degree candidates will be undergraduates, said Ann S. Reaves, assistant director for graduation, Records Office, with 235 students slated to graduate from the College of Graduate Studies. This total includes 213 master's degrees, 17 education specialist degrees and five Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
A member of MTSU’s faculty since 1991, Belcher teaches in the university’s interior design program and is the 2010-11 interim chairwoman for MTSU’s human sciences department, as well as serving as the 2009-10 president of the MTSU Faculty Senate.
A registered interior designer in the State of Tennessee, Belcher, prior to joining MTSU, taught in the environmental design program at Syracuse University. She is also a design consultant who specializes in the re-use of existing structures, day-care facility design, elderly care facility design and health-care facility design.
Belcher earned her Associate of Science degree from Young Harris College and a Bachelor of Science degree in history, with an emphasis in historic preservation, from MTSU. She received a Master of Fine Arts in interior design at the University of Georgia at Athens and has completed additional post-graduate coursework in higher education.
A native of Murfreesboro, Belcher holds professional membership in the Interior Design Educators Council and is member of both the American Society of Interior Designers and the Institute of Classical Architecture. Additionally, she received the ASID 1995 Education Award from the Tennessee Chapter and a Tennessee Chapter Presidential Citation in 2003, 2008 and 2009. Earlier this year, she received a national IDEC Service Award and served as the 2008-2010 IDEC South Region’s chairwoman, among other honors.
Regarding this summer’s commencement, Dr. Brad Bartel, university provost, said he wanted to remind all degree candidates of the importance of appropriate dress, decorum and respect for the commencement ceremony.
“Commencement is an important and memorable day in the lives of many people,” Bartel said. “Everyone in attendance has a personal responsibility to ensure the atmosphere is dignified, and this includes not exiting before the ceremony has concluded or blowing air horns, both of which are inappropriate for a formal event such as this.”

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SUMMGRAD
Add 1

Additionally, Bartel noted that the graduation committee also emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for the entire ceremony. The ceremony should last about two hours. If candidates are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this commitment, he said.
At 8:30 a.m. Aug. 14, Murphy Center doors will open for the commencement
ceremony. Candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas, dressed in their caps and gowns, no later than 9 a.m. Officials report that students who are not in their assigned gym at the proper times will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Because commencement rehearsals are no longer conducted, timely attendance is mandatory for students to receive important instructions.
Graduation information—including how to access the graduation ceremony via streaming video the day of commencement, maps and driving directions to Murphy Center, cap-and-gown information and how to order a DVD of the summer ceremony— is available online by accessing www.mtsunews.com and clicking on the “Graduation Information” link.
For more information about receiving a degree in absentia, please visit the Records Office website at www.mtsu.edu/~records/ grad.htm. Any additional questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at 615-898-2600.

MTSU SUMMER 2010 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: 892 graduates* (657 undergraduates, 235 graduate students)
What: MTSU’s 99th annual summer commencement ceremony.
When: 10 a.m. Aug. 14; doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Murphy Center
Commencement speaker: Deborah Belcher, professor for the Department of Human Sciences and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil
* — Approximate number as of July 15, 2010.




—30—


•ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request jpeg of Deborah Belcher, please call the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919.





With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

Friday, July 23, 2010

[027] Student Farmers' Market Set for Today at MTSU

Release date: July 23, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
School of Agribusiness/Agriscience contact: Dr. Nate Phillips, 615-494-8985
or nphillip@mtsu.edu

Student Farmers’ Market Set for Today at MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — The weekly student farmers market will be held again from 1 until 3 p.m. today at the MTSU Horticulture Center.
Items available include yellow squash, crookneck squash, onions, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno peppers, Hungarian hot wax peppers, purple hull peas, cantaloupe, sweet corn and some snap beans.
Sale organizers suggest people arrive early to get the best selection.
Also, landscape plants will be available, including Knockout roses, boxwoods, forsythia, several different Spireas, Baptisia, Penstemons, Sedums, Sand Cherry, Blue Pacific junipers, hostas, daylilies, monkey grass and more. Gallon-size plants are on sale for only $3.
Proceeds from the sale are used to benefit students by helping maintain the MTSU Farm Laboratories and the Plant and Soil Science Club.

###

Media welcomed.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

Friday, July 16, 2010

[024] America's Next Top Fashion Writer On 'MTSU On The Record'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP FASHION WRITER ON ‘MTSU ON THE RECORD’
MTSU Fashion Merchandising Major Savors Chance of a Lifetime in New York

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU fashion merchandising major Shelby Crocker of Milan, Tenn., will describe her internship with Fashion News Live in the heart of the New York fashion industry at 8 a.m. this Sunday, July 18, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Crocker worked for the popular website (fashionnewslive.com) in February 2010 during Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek, the premier event of the year for designers, models and others concerned with the business of haute couture. Her duties included uploading videos to the site and sending newsletters to subscribers. Crocker says she aspires to be a fashion journalist.
To listen to prior programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

--30--



With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

[023] MTSU Students, CHP Staff Conduct Workday At Historic African-American Homestead of Former Slave Matt Gardner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2010
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, CHP at MTSU, 615-898-2947

MTSU STUDENTS, CHP STAFF CONDUCT WORKDAY AT HISTORIC
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HOMESTEAD OF FORMER SLAVE MATT GARDNER

(MURFREESBORO/ELKTON, Tenn.)—The frame house built in 1896 by a former slave, Matt Gardner, in southern middle Tennessee recently was the focus of a “hands-on history” workday by staff and students from the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The 10-person crew spent June 4 at the Matt Gardner Homestead Museum in Elkton, which is located in Giles County, moving the house a step closer to its original appearance, reported Caneta Hankins, assistant director of the CHP.
“Removing wallpaper and modern paneling to expose the original paneling, removing aluminum windows and general cleaning were among the jobs completed,” shared Hankins, who arranged the workday on behalf of the Murfreesboro-based center with help from Mike Gavin, preservation specialist.
The Matt Gardner Homestead comprises the frame house, a well house, two later barns, and a recently reconstructed outhouse. The rehabilitation of the property is an ongoing effort by the family, their friends and the Elkton Historical Society, which provided lunch for the workers.
“The Gardner house and farm are significant for African-American architecture, agriculture and commerce,” Hankins observed. “When restored, the house will be interpreted as a museum of African-American history for the county.”
Per Hankins, the center’s staff has worked with Carla Jones, president of the historical society, and the Gardner family since 1995 when the CHP prepared the successful nomination that listed the house on the National Register of Historic Places.
Since that time, she added, staff have provided professional services and matching partnership funds for a website and brochure, as well as building assessments and guidelines for restoration, through the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, which is administered by the CHP.
Dr. Antoinette van Zelm, historian with the TCWNHA, said, “The longstanding working relationship between the Matt Gardner Homestead, the Center for Historic Preservation and the Heritage Area allows both staff and students to learn about the lifestyle of rural black Americans during that transition period in the first decades after emancipation.”
Moreover, Hankins added, “The Gardner family has been very determined in their efforts to restore this farm and to tell the story of their family and of other African Americans who have contributed to every aspect of Giles County history.”
Regarding the home’s original owner, the Rev. Gardner and his wife, Henrietta, were leaders in the black community of Giles County following their emancipation. Gardner operated store and made loans to other blacks so they could purchase their own land. He also financed the first two-room school for blacks in 1920, and then led the effort to secure Rosenwald funds to build a four-room school in 1930.

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CHP staff attended the Gardner–Coleman family reunion June 19 in Franklin, Tenn., to update the gathering of more than 150 family members from across the country on the restoration and ongoing needs of the property. The event also featured the book signing of the recent Arcadia publication, African Americans of Giles County, authored by Jones.
For more information on the CHP or its recent workday in Giles County, please contact the center directly at 615-898-2947 or access its website at www.mtsuhistpres.org.


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•ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with CHP staff or a jpeg of MTSU students and staff working at the Matt Gardner Homestead, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.edu.


Photo cutline: Lending their hands to aid the historic Matt Gardner Homestead were (standing, from left) Ann Hendrix, Jennifer Butt, (seated, second row) Katie Randall, Katie Merzbacher, Kristen Deathridge, (front row, from left) Antoinette van Zelm, Kira Duke and Sara Rieger. Crew chief Mike Gavin is picture in the second-story window of the home. (Photo by Caneta Hankins/CHP.)




With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[022] Student Farmers' Market Set for Friday at MTSU

Release date: July 15, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
School of Agribusiness/Agriscience contact: Dr. Nate Phillips, 615-494-8985
or nphillip@mtsu.edu

Student Farmers’ Market Set for Friday at MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — The weekly student farmers’ market will be held again Friday, July 16, from 1 until 3 p.m. in the MTSU Horticulture Center.
Lots of sweet corn, priced at $2 for six ears or $3.50 per dozen, will be available, said Dr. Nate Phillips, associate professor in the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience.
Also, there will be yellow squash, crookneck squash, onions, cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno peppers, Hungarian hot wax peppers, purple hull peas and snap beans.
Landscape plants also will be for sale, including Knockout roses, boxwoods, forsythia, daylilies, monkey grass and much more. Gallon-size plants will be $3.
Proceeds from the sale are used to benefit student by helping maintain the MTSU Farm Laboratories and the students’ Plant and Soil Science Club. Daniel Messick, an agriscience major and environmental science minor from Shelbyville, serves as club president.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[021] MTSU Library Opens Students' Eyes To Dynamic Digital Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU LIBRARY OPENS STUDENTS’ EYES TO DYNAMIC DIGITAL MEDIA
New Studio Fosters Creativity with Hardware, Software, Multimedia Production

(MURFREESBORO) – The new Digital Media Studio on the second floor of the James E. Walker Library will provide MTSU students with access to cutting-edge technology for perfecting their class projects starting in the fall 2010 semester.
With Technology Access Fees paid by the students themselves, the library purchased types of computer hardware and software specifically requested by the students. The library provided funds for task lights and rewiring.
The hardware will include eight Dell PCs with 22” monitors and 12 iMacs with 27” monitors. Some PCs and iMacs will be equipped with flatbed scanners. In addition, pen tablets, headphones and multi-format card readers will be available for checkout.
All PCs will have Power DVD, Roxio Easy Media Creator, and Microsoft Office 2007. All iMacs will have iLife and Microsoft Office 2008. Both versions of Office include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher.
Some PCs and some iMacs will be equipped with Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Edition, including Photoshop, Fireworks, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Contribute and Flash. Open source multimedia production software, including GimpShop, Inkspace, Jahshaka, Avidemux, Virtual Dub, Audacity and Open Laszio, also will be available.
“Now, more than ever, in the workforce, they have to create multimedia presentations way beyond PowerPoint,” says Emerging Technologies Librarian Heather Lambert. “But if you’re a history major, an education major, you might not necessarily get training on how to use that software.”
Lambert says a librarian and two assistants will be on duty at the desk at all times. While the number of student workers has yet to be determined, she says they will be trained specifically to help their fellow students become more familiar with the available technology. Lambert says the student workers need not be computer science or mass communication majors.
“We want students from other majors,” she says. “English students would be great because they can relate with other English majors and help share that knowledge. We don’t necessarily want 100 percent tech-heads involved.”
Each student will be able to print up to 50 copies per day on the studio’s black-and-white printer, but color printing will be limited to 20 copies per day and only for academic use as a cost-effectiveness measure. To get an item printed in color, a student will have to take a thumbdrive to the desk, where an assistant will generate the printout.

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Another new feature of the studio is a legal sheet-size laminator to make it easier for students to create eye-catching research posters at a cost of $1 per laminated sheet. A preparation table with a overhead light will be equipped with tape, scissors, hole punch, paper cutter, mounting glue, staplers, rulers, T-squares and a grid board.
The studio offers rolling dry erase boards, a collaborative work area, one-on-one sessions with tech coaches, online tutorials through the Lynda.com database and how-to manuals with step-by-step instructions.
Microtext viewing, the main purpose of the room prior to its transition to the digital age, will continue to be available in the center, says Microtext Librarian Ken Middleton.
“That’s always been a hard sell with students,” Middleton says. “Many students are intimidated by the machines.
However, two new smaller ScanPro devices will be added to make the format easier to use. The library’s microtext collection includes census data, newspapers, specialized collections from other libraries, political history and women’s history.
“We want everyone to be able to access this,” says Lambert. The whole goal of this area is that it’s accessible to everyone—not just graduate students, not just film students, not just computer science students. This is for everyone.”
Anyone with a valid MTSU ID—student, faculty, staffer or administrator—may use the Digital Media Studio. The fall 2010 hours will be 8 a.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Sunday for technical and microtext help. For research help, the hours will be 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. A librarian will be on call at other hours.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a copy of the Digital Media Studio logo, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

[019] MTSU Tornado Siren Test Tomorrow

July 13, 2010


MEDIA ALERT: MTSU TORNADO SIREN TEST TOMORROW


MURFREESBORO—There will be a test of the tornado siren on the MTSU campus tomorrow, Wednesday, July 14, at 11:15 a.m. This will be only a test of the system, and no action will be required. MTSU is pleased to inform the surrounding neighborhood when this kind of test takes place to allay any concerns.

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[018] Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study: 2010

July 14, 2010

Middle Tennessee State University Plays Vital Role in Advancing Health-Care Industry in Southeast through Partnerships and Student Involvement

Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study: 2010

(MURFREESBORO, TENN) — Middle Tennessee State University’s Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services recently released the fourth edition of “Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study.”
The study, released in June, analyzes supply and demand for various allied health professions in Tennessee, said Cynthia Chafin, project director and consultant with the Adams Chair.
It was released through the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services, which has a grant with the Nashville Career Advancement Center and the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Center for Health Workforce Development in Tennessee to produce the fourth edition.
To view the study online, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/achcs/AlliedHealth.shtml.
The fourth edition includes national and local data as well, Chafin said, adding that it is called the source for allied health supply and demand information by academic institutions, employers and students. A reflection of this is demonstrated by inclusion of data in the 2009 edition of the Tennessee State Health Plan, which can be viewed at http://www.tn.gov/finance/healthplanning/Documents/2009TennesseeStateHealthPlan.pdf. (The 2010 Allied Health Study is referenced on page 46.)
“At the national level, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Employment Projections to 2016 (from November 2007) indicate that jobs in health care and social assistance are expected to have the fastest rate of growth over the next 10 years with the addition of a projected 4.0 million new wage and salary jobs, or 27 percent of all nonagricultural wage and salary jobs,” said Dr. Jo Edwards, Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services and director of MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services.
“Jobs in health care are not going away,” Edwards added. “These statistics should capture the attention of students making career decisions, academicians, and state and local governments. The publication addresses the many challenges associated with a changing health- care landscape, a concern for which Dr. and Mrs. Carl Adams had envisioned the Adams Chair focusing its efforts.”
For more information on MTSU’s Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services and the Center for Health and Human Services, please visit http://mtsu.edu/~achcs/.

Supply and Demand Study contacts: Cynthia Chafin, 615-847-3081 or cchafin@mtsu.edu or Dr. Jo Edwards, 615-898-2905 or mjedward@mtsu.edu


Healthy Health-Care Industry in Nashville Region: Economic Impact Study: 2010

The Middle Tennessee State University Business and Economic Research Center in the Jones College of Business once again wielded its clout and expertise when on July 7 it released a yearlong economic-impact study on the health-care industry in the Nashville MSA. Dr. Murat Arik, associate director of the BERC, was the lead researcher.
“It’s great to join with the Nashville Health Care Council, the Nashville Chamber and MTSU to announce the results of the study that emphasizes the strength of the health-care industry in Nashville,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean told the audience at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
“The findings underscore what we’ve always know to be true—that Nashville’s health-care industry is unique to other markets, especially in the creation of jobs, locally and globally,” Arik said.
The partnership and MTSU’s involvement, however, was even greater and more significant because students in the College of Mass Communication conducted the interviews of industry leaders who appeared on the impact-study DVD. Students also edited the final product. Add the fact that MTSU Audio-Visual Services shot most of the footage, and the College of Education becomes a third MTSU partner in this larger collaboration.
“The caliber of students who participated in this project was just through the roof,” said Marissa Murphy of Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc., a national health-care public affairs firm headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn. “It was a very positive experience for everyone involved.”
Drs. Clare Bratten and Bob Kalwinsky, associate professors in the Department of Electronic Media Communication, served as advisers to the students.
“The (student) interviewers were Amanda Farris and Audrey Weddington,” Kalwinsky noted, “who were thrilled to meet and discuss health-care issues with Health Care Council members such as Dr. William Frist and Dr. Thomas Frist Jr. The post-production was conducted by Clare Bratten’s editing students, Hattice McCord and Lauren Levins, who turned out a very compelling product. We are very pleased with the final result,” he added.
“It was fun—I enjoy editing,” McCord, a senior mass communication major from Shelbyville, said, noting that the project took about two months to complete.
“I was glad to get to work on it,” added Levins, a graduate student in mass communication from Memphis. “I was very proud to show some of my work to other people.”
The student-produced DVD was included in the packet that was distributed at the event, along with the entire economic-impact study.
“The health-care industry contributes more than $30 billion a year and more than 210,000 jobs to the Nashville economy,” Mayor Dean announced, referring to the study’s findings. “The health-care industry is Nashville’s largest and fastest-growing employer.”
Joey Jacobs, chairman of the Health Care Council, told the gathering that there are more than 180 member companies in the HCC, which will soon be celebrating its 15th anniversary.
“We appreciate the hard work done by the staff at MTSU,” he concluded.
The entire study, key bullet points and the student-produced DVD can be found at www.healthcarecouncil.com.
“I am extremely proud of our faculty and students,” noted Dr. Roy Moore, mass communication dean, who attended the Nashville event and greeted the participating students. “Partnerships are what it’s all about, and we intend to expand our reach into the greater community, which is right in step with MTSU’s mission. It’s really rewarding to see our students applying their knowledge and skills in such a significant way.”
Economic Impact Study contact: MTSU’s Dr. Murat Arik 615-898-5424 or marik@mtsu.edu.


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For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com. MTSU News and Public Affairs contacts are: Tom Tozer, ttozer@mtsu.edu and Randy Weiler, jweiler@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

[017] Perry County Farm Certified As Tennessee Century Farm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2010
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

PERRY COUNTY FARM CERTIFIED AS TENNESSEE CENTURY FARM
State Program Recognizes Contributions of 105-Year-Old May Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—May Farm, located in Perry County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Along Simmons Branch at the East Fork of the Buffalo River, William A. Bone and wife Mary Ellen established a farm of 295 acres in October 1905, where they raised peanuts, hay and had a large herd of cattle on their land.
Similar to other Perry County farmers of the day, they also cut timber from the hardwood forests, which are one of the county’s greatest resources, Hankins noted.
Per the family’s reports, barns were added and two family cemeteries are located on the property. In January 1905, the only child of William and Ellen, an infant daughter, died and was buried in Bone Springs Cemetery. Having no surviving children, the land the Bones lived on for nearly 50 years passed to their relatives, Ivory and Bonnie May in 1950.
The Mays, with their three children, Joe, Jim and Melanie, raised hay and cattle and also rented land for row crops. In 1997, Joe became the third owner of the farm. Today, Joe and his son, Britt, raise cattle, hay and corn on some of the acreage of the farm whose boundary, as the original deed indicates, “meanders” along the Buffalo River.

About the Century Farms Program

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.

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.


With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[016] Obion County Farm Certified As Tennessee Century Farm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2010
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

OBION COUNTY FARM CERTIFIED AS TENNESSEE CENTURY FARM
State Program Recognizes Contributions of 151-Year-Old Roach Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Roach Farm in Obion County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
James Oliver Roach established a farm of 152 acres in 1859 near a trace that was once used by Native Americans and later came to be known as The Turnpike Trail from Jackson to Trenton, Troy and Mills Point on the Mississippi River. Near what is known as the Turnpike Levee, Roach raised corn, hay, cattle and hogs.
According to the family’s reports, farm-founder James is buried in Roach Cemetery, which is located on the farm. Once a public burial ground associated with Salem (Methodist) Church, only a few grave markers remain, including that of Roach who died in 1884.
In 1903, James Rutherford Roach acquired his father’s land. His first wife was Ladoskie Wheeler and his second wife was Josie Rust. During his ownership, the farm was expanded to include 162 acres, where the Roach family, which included son Charles, raised livestock and row crops.
In 1911, Charles Henry Barton Roach became the owner of the acreage. With wife Emily Jane Hargett and their four children, LaDoskie, Jona, Alpha Emma and Henry Neal, Charles Roach raised wheat, cotton, corn, cattle and hogs.
Siblings Neal and Alpha Emma took ownership of the 162 acres in 1950. Henry Neal never married and Alpha married William Park Hudson. The couple had one daughter, Alpha Ruth, who lived on the Roach Farm with her parents from 1934 to 1952. She remembers moving by wagon 20 miles from the “Crystal community (Obion County) by way of Troy and the Turnpike Levee to the Roach Farm near mason Hall.”
Per the family’s reports, Alpha was an active 4-H member and her first project was raising 100 White Rock chickens when she was 9 years old. The profit from her 4-H poultry projects was use to start a bank account for “my college education,” she recalled. The family raised cotton, barley, soybeans, hay, corn, beef cattle and hogs.
Henry Neal and his niece, Alpha Ruth Hudson Worrell, became joint owners of the family farm in 1982. Following her uncle’s death in 1989, Alpha, married to Ray N. Worrell, became the sole owner of the property. The Worrells are the parents of sons Neal, Matt and Jon.
Today, Alpha is active in the management of her farm, where cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat are the primary commodities. Family photographs and the history of the farm, now more than 150 years old, are important to Alpha Ruth Hudson Worrell, who is the great-great-granddaughter of the farm’s originator, James Oliver Roach.

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About the Century Farms Program

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.


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



With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[015] Veteran Professor Takes Reins Of Recording-Industry Department

VETERAN PROFESSOR TAKES REINS OF RECORDING-INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT
Mulraine Says MTSU Can ‘Expand, Diversify’ to Meet Entertainment Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Loren Mulraine, 615-904-8364; Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Loren Mulraine is ready for a fresh polish on one of MTSU’s crown jewels—the Department of Recording Industry.
The longtime associate professor took on the chairman’s job this month, replacing the retiring Chris Haseleu and already anticipating a challenging new academic year for the 33-year-old department.
“Our consensus has been that we don’t want to solely be reactionary to the industry but to give thought to how we can lead the industry,” explains Mulraine, an entertainment law attorney who’s taught at MTSU since 1998 and served two stints as interim associate dean of the College of Mass Communication.
“It’s important that we find a way to steer the ship into uncharted territory, which is precisely where the industry is headed. We can expand and diversify our programs so we’re not just focusing on ‘recording industry’ but entertainment, and that means music for film, TV and gaming …
“We have to continue to create opportunities for our students to be well-rounded. If we don’t put a good product on the street, we lose our credibility. When we started more than 30 years ago, we were unique. Now we have all sorts of competition.”
The recording-industry department, which is the largest of its kind in the United States, boasts more than 1,200 majors and 28 full-time faculty members. It’s regularly expanded its course offerings and concentrations, creating partnerships within and outside MTSU to form programs like the Master of Fine Arts in Recording Arts and Technology and the commercial songwriting concentration, which has strategic alliances with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Faculty ties with industry professionals have led to classroom training by multiplatinum artists and producers, participation in international trade shows and even Grammy nominations for professors.
“The good news is that our students are well-prepared when they leave here. Wherever MTSU RIM students go, they shine,” notes Mulraine, a gospel artist and songwriter who also runs Ten 21 Entertainment, Inc., which includes recording, publishing, booking and artist-management divisions, and a consulting company, The Mulraine Firm, which handles legal issues.
Taking the next steps will include expanding the department’s presence on Music Row, developing a greater online presence with more distance-learning courses and creating more industry partnerships to help maintain program quality in the wake of ongoing funding cuts.
“Our greatest challenge is finding a way to maintain and increase the quality of our students’ education in a world of diminished resources,” the new chairman says. “It’s never enough to stay where we were. We must continuously strive to get better.”
For more information about MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, visit http://recordingindustry.mtsu.edu.


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IN BRIEF: Dr. Loren Mulraine is ready for a fresh polish on one of MTSU’s crown jewels—the Department of Recording Industry. The longtime associate professor took on the chairman’s job this month, replacing the retiring Chris Haseleu and already anticipating a challenging new academic year for the 33-year-old department. “Our consensus has been that we don’t want to solely be reactionary to the industry but to give thought to how we can lead the industry,” explains Mulraine, an entertainment law attorney who’s taught at MTSU since 1998 and served two stints as interim associate dean of the College of Mass Communication. “We have to continue to create opportunities for our students to be well-rounded. If we don’t put a good product on the street, we lose our credibility. When we started more than 30 years ago, we were unique. Now we have all sorts of competition.”

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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Mulraine, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385.

Monday, July 12, 2010

[013] The Heritage Center Serves As Host For Tennessee-Themed Photo Exhibit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2010
CONTACT: Jennifer Butt, The Heritage Center, 615-217-8013 or jbutt@mtsu.edu

THE HERITAGE CENTER SERVES AS HOST FOR TENNESSEE-THEMED PHOTO EXHIBIT

(MURFREESBORO)—The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is currently serving as host for an exhibit of 32 winning photos of the 2008-2009 Scenic Tennessee Photo Contest.
Co-sponsored by The Land Trust of Tennessee, the contest’s theme is "Lands Worth Preserving." According to organizers’ reports, the purpose of the contest is three-fold: to celebrate Tennessee's dwindling farmlands and other scenic landscapes; to highlight the role of land trusts in protecting such landscapes; and to showcase the photographers' art in framing these views and capturing their meaning.
Marge Davis, vice president of Scenic Tennessee, coordinated the contest.
Judges for the contest were Jeanie Nelson, executive director for The Land Trust of Tennessee; Joy McKenzie, chairwoman of the Department of Photography at Watkins College of Art and Design; and Nancy Rhoda, a retired photographer from The Tennessean.
"Scenic Tennessee has been promoting and advocating for protection of the scenic character of Tennessee both rural and urban for over 20 years," explained Leslee Dodd Karl, president of Scenic Tennessee.
Visitors to The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St., may view the exhibit now through the end of August. The Heritage Center is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed for major holidays) and features an Exhibit Gallery and guided walking tours of the courthouse square on the hour. Group tours are available Monday through Saturday by advance reservations. Admission is free.
Jennifer Butt, program assistant for The Heritage Center, said the bi-yearly photo contest is an opportunity for those who love Tennessee and the art of photography to highlight the irreplaceable uniqueness of Tennessee and its scenic beauty
The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Main Street Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Inc., the City of Murfreesboro and the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU. Additional support comes from Rutherford County government and State Farm Insurance.
For more information about the contest, please visit www.scenictennessee.org.
For more information about the Murfreesboro-based center, please call 615-217-8013 or e-mail heritage@mtsu.edu.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[010] Weeklong MTSU Institute Helps Qualify Teachers For Pre-K Licensure

July 9, 2010
Editorial Content: CONTACT Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

WEEKLONG MTSU INSTITUTE HELPS QUALIFY TEACHERS FOR PRE-K LICENSURE

MURFREESBORO—Approximately 35 K-8 teachers from across the state recently attended a weeklong intensive Pre-K Summer Institute at Middle Tennessee State University to obtain their endorsement to teach at the pre-K level.
MTSU was first approached by the Tennessee Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning to offer the pre-K endorsement. Coordinated through the College of Education and Behavioral Science, key sessions focused on child development, curriculum and instruction, diversity and exception needs, family relationships, and assessment.
““We consider it a privilege to offer training in early childhood education to a group of dedicated teachers,” said Dr. Lana Seivers, education dean. “The expertise and knowledge of the MTSU faculty further prepare these skilled professionals with developmentally appropriate curricula and information to use in their classrooms. Through endeavors such as the Pre-K Institute, Tennessee’s youngest learners will be given a foundation upon which to grow and develop.”
“This has been great, and in a one-week course we are getting all the information we need,” said Katie Dowis who teaches in Alcoa, Tenn. “This will help me get my endorsement to become a pre-K teacher next year.” Dowis will take the Praxis II Education of Young Children test in July, which all aspiring pre-K teachers must pass along with meeting other criteria before they earn licensure.
“I’ve always wanted my pre-K endorsement,” commented Ruby Hunt from Huntingdon, Tenn. “I’ve learned about the development of the child and the stages they go through—how their hearing progresses and their writing skills, what age they should be scribbling, what age they should be making shapes and designs and drawing pictures. This has been a very valuable experience.”
Candace Washington, from Memphis, has a pre-K class waiting for her this summer as soon as she is licensed to teach them.
“I come from middle school,” she said, “so I have problems getting children who are behind on their reading level. So I spend a lot of time with them. And I thought, well, if I’m doing this in middle school, I need to be in kindergarten where I can lay a foundation. If I can teach the 20 children I have in kindergarten to read, then I have a good running start in the other grades.” Washington wants to add her pre-K endorsement.
“Being a K-8 teacher, you only receive one special-education class through your entire undergraduate work,” noted Jessica Moore, elementary school teacher in Hamilton County. “So the special-education information is great for me. MTSU has shown a lot of hospitality to us and put forth a great effort to make us feel welcome here—and to prepare us for the Praxis Test,” she added.
Dr. Kathy Burriss, professor in the Department of Elementary and Special Education and one of the instructors for the institute, said teaching in an institute like this is the “greatest opportunity because these people want to be here. They want to know how to make things happen for children in the most appropriate way—and they are willing to meet state standards. They’re just very enthusiastic—you can see it!”
Debbie Simpson, director of the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance at MTSU, served as coordinator of the institute.
“I just believe that if something good is happening for teachers in the state of Tennessee, MTSU should be involved,” Simpson said. … “One participant said that we were the reason she would have a job this fall. The enthusiasm was contagious! They seemed to really form a bond over the 5-day intensive-training event.”

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

Friday, July 09, 2010

[009] MTSU Child Development Center Earns Prestigious NAEYC Accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER EARNS PRESTIGIOUS NAEYC ACCREDITATION

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Child Development Center, which is housed within the Department of Human Sciences, recently achieved accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation's leading organization of early childhood professionals.
Based in Washington, D.C., the NAEYC’s accreditation is a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education and represents the campus-based school’s commitment to the development and care of young children.
To earn NAEYC accreditation, the CDC’s staff completed an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program standards and related accreditation criteria. The center received NAEYC accreditation in June after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the 10 NAEYC program standards, such as teaching, leadership and management.
"Many MTSU students from a variety of departments complete practicum and
field experiences at the CDC,” observed Dr. Lana Seivers, dean of MTSU’s College of Education. “NAEYC accreditation further assures that these students are observing a program that meets specific standards and is developmentally appropriate for young children. This is especially important in our efforts to prepare future teachers of early childhood education. The entire staff of CDC has done an excellent job in preparation for the site visit and in program delivery throughout the year."
In a June 9 letter to Elaine Palmore, center director, NAEYC officials wrote, “The administration, teaching staff and families of (the) MTSU Child Development Center are all to be congratulated for earning the mark of quality represented by the NAEYC accreditation system.”
Located in MTSU’s Fairview Building, the CDC exists to serve children and their families, to educate MTSU students and as a lab for faculty teaching and research. Its programs—an infant-toddler program for ages 12-36 months and a preschool program serving ages 3-5—are based on the philosophy that children develop best when adults and caregivers emphasize the total development of the child.
As a training center for students in early childhood education and related disciplines, the center provides practical experiences in child growth and development, as well as in planning, implementing and evaluating activities and curricula.
“We are very proud of our recent accreditation and yes, we worked many extra hours to complete the necessary paperwork,” shared Palmore, who led the CDC’s accreditation effort. The program portfolios, compiled by me, seemed endless and impossible at times. There were weekends, holidays and evening sessions to prepare the 10 notebooks, which verified our compliance.
“Many people on campus supported us with letters about our cleaning regime, pest control, heating and A/C airflow, building construction, air quality, et cetera,” she continued. “Our two master-classroom teachers, Marzee Woodward and Jackie Hamilton, also contributed at great personal expense. We all made sacrifices for a common goal, which was accreditation and we succeeded.”
In the NAEYC’s accreditation decision report, the MTSU center was commended for its performance in seven of the 10 areas evaluated including knowledgeable and supportive teachers, overall leadership and management, meeting the needs of the program’s children and their families, ongoing assessment of children’s learning and more.

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First opened in 1955, the center’s newly acquired accreditation will be valid through July 1, 2015, provided the program’s quality is maintained and ongoing NAEYC compliance is upheld. Moreover, the CDC will be subject to unannounced visits during its multi-year accreditation period.
For more information about the CDC, including registration information for the fall and spring semesters, please visit http://www.mtsu.edu/humansciences/childdev_humansciences.shtml.


More about the NAEYC

Founded in 1926, the NAEYC accreditation system has set voluntary professional standards for programs for young children since 1985. The association's program standards and criteria have introduced a new level of quality, accountability and service for parents and children in child-care programs.
According to information from the NAEYC, its rigorous standards reflect the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development to ensure young children continue receiving the highest-quality care and education possible.
Criteria for high quality include all aspects of an early childhood program: interactions among staff and students, curriculum, staff and parent interactions, administration, staff qualifications and development, staffing patterns, physical environment, health and safety, nutrition and food service, and program evaluation.



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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the CDC’s director, Elaine Palmore, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

Thursday, July 08, 2010

[008] 6th District Congressional Candidates Will Appear July 13 at Tennessee Livestock Center

Release date: July 8, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Forum contact: Marvin Whitworth, 615-848-3866 or 615-274-6847

6th District Congressional Candidates
Will Appear July 13 at Tennessee Livestock Center


(MURFREESBORO) — The public is invited to attend the Tennessee 6th Congressional District Candidate Forum from 6 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, in the Tennessee Livestock Center on the MTSU campus, an event organizer said.
The MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience and the Rutherford County Farm Bureau are sponsoring the event.
Starting at 6 p.m., each of the candidates “will be allowed to talk about themselves and where they stand on the issues,” said Marvin Whitworth, president of the Rutherford County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. From 7 until 8 p.m., the candidates will field audience questions and questions prepared in advance, Whitworth added.
The candidates will include (in the order drawn by Whitworth and Dr. Warren Gill, ag chair, for the 6 p.m. individual talks): Jim Tracy (R), Lou Ann Zelenik (R), Ben Leming (D), Dave Evans (R), George Erdell (D), Gary Mann (R), Diane Black (R), Kerry Roberts (R), Brett Carter (D), and Stephen Sprague (I).
Whitworth said he had not received confirmation from Henry Barry and Devora Butler, both Democrats.
All of the candidates are vying for the seat vacated by the retirement of Bart Gordon (D-Murfreesboro) at the end of the current term.
Early voting will be July 16-31 for Rutherford County citizens. The primary will be held Thursday, Aug. 5. The state general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 2.
For more information about the forum, please contact Whitworth at 615-848-3866 or 615-274-6847.

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Media welcomed.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[007] Irish Eyes Are Smiling Through MTSU Professor's Folktale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

IRISH EYES ARE SMILING THROUGH MTSU PROFESSOR’S FOLKTALE
Dr. Jan Hayes Discusses Children’s Book ‘Wise Oonagh’ on ‘MTSU on the Record’

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Jan Hayes, MTSU professor emeritus of educational leadership, will chat about her second children’s book, Wise Oonagh, at 8 a.m. this Sunday, July 11, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Inspired by the William Butler Yeats version of a classic Irish folktale, Wise Oonagh is the story of a woman who uses her ingenuity to save her husband from a fight with Cuhullin, the largest and strongest giant in Ireland and Scotland. The book is filled with vivid illustrations by Bobby Dawson, who also illustrated Hayes’ first folklore book for children, a Japanese tale titled The Split Tongue Sparrow.
To listen to last week’s program about how the death of his father transformed the music of Dr. Joseph Akins, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml and click on “July 4, 2010.” For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[006] Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp Rolls Into Eighth Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

SOUTHERN GIRLS ROCK & ROLL CAMP ROLLS INTO EIGHTH YEAR
How Cozy!, Take the Power Back, The Worsties Scheduled to Guide Campers

(MURFREESBORO) – For the eighth consecutive summer, girls with a passion to rock the house will descend on MTSU for the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp (SGRRC), sponsored by Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities (YEAH!), Monday, July 26, through Saturday, July 31.
The day camp for girls ages 10-17 aims to create a positive atmosphere of collaboration and self-esteem. Campers will attend workshops and receive instruction in guitar, vocals, keyboards, bass, electronic music, songwriting, drums, recording, screenprinting, music herstory, photography, zine-making and do-it-yourself arts and crafts.
On Saturday, July 31, the bands the girls have formed during the week will put what they’ve learned on display in a showcase performance at 7 p.m. in the Siegel High School auditorium, 3300 Siegel Road in Murfreesboro. Doors open at 6 p.m. All tickets are $10 general admission. Children age nine and under will be admitted free of charge.
Throughout the showcase, audience members will be eligible for raffle prizes, including a vintage Gretsch guitar from the Gretsch Foundation, one night’s stay at Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, a Daisy Rock electric guitar, and VIP passes to the Next Big Nashville Music Festival.
Featured performers and panelists include:
• Monday: Kat Brock, former front woman for the regionally acclaimed band Dixie Dirt; This Nashville artist recently released a three-song solo EP on theory 8 records;
• Tuesday: How Cozy!, a Franklin-based group that cites riot grrrl, folk punk, and their cats as influences, with occasional implementation of xylophone and accordion into their songs;
Dr. Felicia Miyakawa, assistant professor of musicology at MTSU; She teaches courses in popular and art music traditions, including her popular Hip-Hop Music and Culture class;
• Wednesday: The Worsties, a quartet nominated for Best Indie/Pop Band and Best Video in the 2010 Nashville Independent Music Awards, which will be announced Aug. 29; The band will open for Bon Jovi and Kid Rock on July 31 at Soldier Field in Chicago;
Anna Guest-Jelley, associate director of the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center at Vanderbilt University; A former domestic violence

SGRCC
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shelter worker, she will discuss healthy dating relationships for middle- and high-school students;
• Thursday: Luisa Lopez, a Texas-based singer-songwriter whose latest EP, “Cigarettes and other dirges …,” has been described as “soul and country colliding into an honest collage of catharsis and denial;”
• Friday: Take the Power Back, the world’s first and only all-female Rage Against the Machine tribune band, formed in Nashville in October 2008;
Anna Fitzgerald, one of the Founding Mothers of the Murfreesboro SGRRC and an intern at United Record Pressing in Nashville; She is completing her master’s degree in Media Studies at the University of Texas in Austin with a concentration in the history of rock posters and music culture.
Major sponsors of the SGRRC include Textbook Brokers, SESAC, the Center for Popular Music at MTSU, the MTSU School of Journalism, Publix, Panera Bread, Grand Palace Silkscreen, Tugboat Productions, Singer Sewing Company, and Vitamin Water.
The Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp is a program of Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities, a Murfreesboro-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which “uses involvement and hands-on approaches to inspire young people to grow as individuals, artists and community leaders,” states its Web site. For more information, go to www.yeahintheboro.org or send an e-mail to info@yeahintheboro.org.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpegs of artists scheduled to appear at this year’s Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp and/or color jpegs from prior camps, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu or Nicole Tekulve, SGRRC Director, at 615-849-8140 or sgrrc@yeahintheboro.org.


With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

[005] Student Farmers' Market Set for Friday at MTSU

Release date: July 7, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
School of Agribusiness/agriscience contact: Dr. Nate Phillips, 615-494-8985
or nphillip@mtsu.edu

Student Farmers’ Market Set for Friday at MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — The weekly student farmers’ market will be held again Friday, July 9, from 1 until 3 p.m. in the MTSU Horticulture Center.
Sweet corn, priced at $2 for six ears or $3.50 per dozen, will be available.
Also, there will be yellow squash, crookneck squash, onions, cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno peppers, Hungarian hot wax peppers, purple hull peas and snap beans.
Some of the first cantaloupes of the season grown by the students will be available.
Landscape plants also will be for sale, including Knockout roses, boxwoods, forsythia, monkey grass and much more. Gallon-size plants will be $3.
Proceeds from the sale are used to benefit student by helping maintain the MTSU Farm Laboratories and the students’ Plant and Soil Science Club. Daniel Messick, an agriscience major and environmental science minor from Shelbyville, serves as club president.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[004] MTSU's Adams Chair Releases 'Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study' 2010

Release date: July 7, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Adams Chair contacts: Cynthia Chafin, 615-847-3081 or cchafin@mtsu.edu
or Dr. Jo Edwards, 615-898-2905 or mjedward@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s Adams Chair Releases ‘Allied Health
in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study’ 2010


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services recently released the fourth edition of “Allied Health in Tennessee: A Supply and Demand Study.”
The study, released in June, analyzes supply and demand for various allied health professions in Tennessee, said Cynthia Chafin, project director and consultant with the Adams Chair.
It was released through the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services, which has a grant with the Nashville Career Advancement Center and the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Center for Health Workforce Development in Tennessee to produce the fourth edition.
To view the study online, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/achcs/AlliedHealth.shtml.
The fourth edition includes national and local data as well, Chafin said, adding that it is called “the” source for allied health supply and demand information by academic institutions, employers and students. A reflection of this is demonstrated by inclusion of data in the 2009 edition of the Tennessee State Health Plan, which can be viewed at http://www.tn.gov/finance/healthplanning/Documents/2009TennesseeStateHealthPlan.pdf. The 2010 Allied Health Study is referenced on page 46).
“At the national level, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Employment Projections to 2016 (from November 2007) indicate that jobs in health care and social assistance are expected to have the fastest rate of growth over the next 10 years with the addition of a projected 4.0 million new wage and salary jobs, or 27 percent of all nonagricultural wage and salary jobs,” said Dr. Jo Edwards, Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services and director of MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services.
“Jobs in health care are not going away,” Edwards added. “These statistics should capture the attention of students making career decisions, academicians, and state and local governments. The publication addresses the many challenges associated with a changing health care landscape, a concern for which Dr. and Mrs. Carl Adams had envisioned the Adams Chair focusing its efforts.”
Limited copies of the publication are available to MTSU faculty and students by contacting the Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services at 615-898-2905 or 615-494-8919.
For more information on MTSU’s Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services and the Center for Health and Human Services, please visit http://mtsu.edu/~achcs/.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

Thursday, July 01, 2010

[003] MTSU Will Be Closed July 5 for University Holiday

Release date: July 1, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu

MTSU Will Be Closed July 5 for University Holiday


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU will be closed Monday, July 5, for a designated university holiday for students, staff and faculty, the Office of Human Resource Services said recently. All business offices will be closed and no classes will be held.
Students should note that all Saturday, July 3, classes will be held, an official in the Office of Academic Affairs said.
Business offices will resume their regular hours of operation (8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.) on Tuesday. All summer term classes resume at their scheduled times Tuesday.
The James E. Walker Library will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. July 2 and from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. July 3. It will be closed July 4-5.
Einstein’s in Keathley University Center will be open from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. July 2-5. All other dining venues will be closed.
The MTSU Health, Wellness and Recreation Center will be closed July 3-5 for the Independence Day holiday. It will reopen at 6 a.m. July 6.
KUC will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. July 2 and from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. July 3-5.
The James Union Building will be open from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. July 2. It will be closed July 3-5.
In case of emergency, people should contact the MTSU Police (Office of Public Safety) by calling 615-898-2424.

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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

[002] Joseph Akins Finds Additional Purpose In Musical Career

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

JOSEPH AKINS FINDS ADDITIONAL PURPOSE IN MUSICAL CAREER
Recording Industry Professor Discusses Teaching, Family on “MTSU on the Record”

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Joseph Akins, associate professor of recording industry, will discuss his career, his three albums, including his latest, “Spirit Touch,” and achieving a balance between the academic life and the life of a touring musician at 8 a.m. this Sunday, July 4, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
When he was a child, Akins was into rock and roll. As a college student, he studied electronic music composition and developed an appreciation for jazz. But when his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and passed away within two years of that diagnosis, Akins turned toward using music for “healing the human spirit,” as he puts it.
To listen to last week’s program about MTSU’s new Gen. Next Living Learning Community, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml and click on “June 27, 2010.” For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.