Friday, April 29, 2011

[445] Cedar Glades Wildflower Festival Runs today, Saturday

Release date: April 29, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Cedar Glade contact: Dr. Kim C. Sadler, 615-904-8283 or ksadler@mtsu.edu

Cedar Glades Wildflower Festival Runs Today, Saturday

(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU faculty and alumni will play vital roles in the 34th annual Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival today and Saturday at Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
Dr. Jeff Walck, professor in biology, is overseeing today’s Cedar Glad Studies fifth Research Roundtable, which is being held in the park’s Assembly Hall.
Tonight’s activities in the Huddleston Cedar Forest Lodge will include a program hosted by alumnus, park ranger and naturalist Wayne “Buddy” Ingram (’89) and Dr. Kim Cleary Sadler from MTSU’s Center for Environmental Education and MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies.
Also, longtime faculty member Dr. Tom Hemmerly will be speaking about “The Tennessee Coneflower: Its Ecology and Conservation.” Quarterman, Vanderbilt professor emerita, was Hemmerly’s research adviser for his dissertation and early work on the Tennessee coneflower.
Saturday events will include various walks and talks, exhibitions and displays in the Huddleston Cedar Forest Lodge.
Quarterman, who turns 100 this year, studied and directed scholarly work about the glades for more than 60 years. Her work brought worldwide attention to the glades and kept the public informed about the need for protection of cedar glade areas, Sadler said.
All programs are free and will be held rain or shine, Sadler said.
For more information about Middle Tennessee Cedar Glades, visit the Center for Cedar Glades Web site at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~mtsucee/Cedar_Glades.htm.
For park information, contact Ingram (wayne.ingram@tn.gov), 328 Cedar Forest Rd., Lebanon, TN 37090, or call 615-444-4565 or 443-2769. The state park is about 18 miles north of Murfreesboro and six miles south of Lebanon, just off U.S. Hwy. 231.

In Brief

The 34th annual Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival will be held today and Saturday at Cedars of Lebanon State Park, about six miles south of Lebanon and 18 miles north of Murfreesboro on U.S. Hwy. 231. The event is free. Today’s events go from 1 through 9 p.m. Saturday’s events go from 7 a.m. to past 9 p.m.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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

Thursday, April 28, 2011

[443] Campus Rec Aquatics Hosts Special Olympics Swim Meet Saturday

Release date: April 28, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
MTSU Campus Rec contact: Jenny Crouch, 615-898-2104 or jcrouch@mtsu.edu

Campus Rec Aquatics Hosts Special Olympics Swim Meet Saturday

(MURFREESBORO) — Campus Recreation Aquatics will be hosting a Special Olympics Swim Meet this Saturday, April 30, starting at 9 a.m. in the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center indoor pool.
“This is the first time we have hosted this event, and we are looking forward to working with these athletes,” said Jenny Crouch, marketing and accessibilities coordinator for the rec center.
Volunteers, however, are needed “to help with the logistics that morning,” said Crouch, who added that anyone interested in volunteering can call her at 615-785-1305.
The pool will be closed to the campus and community during the hours the event will be taking place, said Crouch, who added that recreational swimmers’ use will resume when the pool opens at 1 p.m.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may create in your swimming routine, but hope you understand and will be excited that we are able to host these special athletes,” Crouch said.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

Campus Recreation Aquatics will be hosting a Special Olympics Swim Meet this Saturday, April 30, starting at 9 a.m. in the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center indoor pool. Volunteers are needed. To volunteer, call Jenny Crouch at 615-785-1305.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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

[442] Student Behavior in Classroom Focus of Conference At MTSU

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

STUDENT BEHAVIOR IN CLASSROOM FOCUS OF CONFERENCE AT MTSU
Teachers ‘Accentuate the Positive’ in Assisting Students with Behavioral Challenges

(MURFREESBORO) – Educators who seek to help students with severe behavioral issues are slated to attend the fifth annual Positive Behavior Support (PBS) & Inclusion Conference Thursday, May 12 at Middle Tennessee State University.
“The primary goal of this conference will be to promote positive inclusive teaching and the quality of education services for students identified as having behavioral challenges in accordance with the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act,” says Dr. Zafrullah Khan, assistant professor of elementary and special education at MTSU and conference organizer.
Khan says PBS encourages social competence and academic achievement through strategies, practices and interventions that have proven to be effective.
The featured speaker for the conference will be Dr. Rick Lavoie, who will address the gathering from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the James Union Building.
Lavoie is the author of The Motivation Breakthrough: Six Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-out Child (2007) and It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success (2005). He has served as an administrator of residential programs for children with special needs since 1972. Lavoie also has served as a consultant for the National Center for Learning Disabilities, USAToday, the Girl Scouts of America and National Public Radio, among other agencies and organizations.
Educators who have experience with PBS are scheduled to participate in breakout sessions in the afternoon. Teachers from Bradley Academy in Murfreesboro, Elzie D. Patton Elementary School in Mt. Juliet and Decherd Elementary School in Decherd will discuss how they have implemented PBS principles and supports in their classrooms. These and other sessions will take place in various classrooms in Peck Hall across the street from the James Union Building.
Seating for the conference is limited. To register, go to www.mtsu.eu/pbsi. For more information, contact Khan at 615-904-8429 or zkhan@mtsu.edu.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpeg photos of Dr. Rick Lavoie and Dr. Zafrullah Khan, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

[440] April 29-30 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School at MTSU Features Rathke

Release date: April 25, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Agribusiness and Agriscience/sheep shearing school contact:
Dr. Warren Gill, 615-898-2404 or wgill@mtsu.edu

April 29-30 Tennessee Sheep Shearing
School at MTSU Features Rathke

(MURFREESBORO) — The 2011 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School will be held Friday and Saturday, April 29-30, at MTSU’s Tennessee Livestock Center.
The school, which begins at 10 a.m. April 29 and 8 a.m. April 30, is sponsored by the Tennessee Sheep Producers Association, Tennessee Farmer’s Cooperative, the University of Tennessee Extension Service and MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience.
Doug Rathke of Hutchinson, Minn., a seasoned shearer, knows what it takes to learn the art of shearing and he knows what it takes to teach it on a level so it can be understood and retained. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced shearer, there is something for everyone to learn.
Rathke has been honing his shearing skills for more than 20 years. Most of his shearing has been with farm flocks in the Midwest. He has experience in other regions of the United States and abroad.
His techniques have been shown at New York’s Cornell University, Minnesota Technical Colleges, the University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University and in Canada. He has educated more than 1,500 students from Arkansas to Montana to Connecticut.
Assisting him will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmer’s Co-Op, Jim Neel of the UT Extension and Dr. Warren Gill, director of the MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience.
The school is for adults and young people at the senior (high school) 4-H level (the first six 4-H’ers who register will have their fee paid by the Tennessee Sheep Producers Association). The fee to participate is $75.
For more information, call 615-898-2404.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

Veteran sheep shearer Doug Rathke of Hutchinson, Minn., will head of team of shearing experts teaching others the art at the 2011 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School Friday and Saturday, April 29-30, at MTSU’s Tennessee Livestock Center. Beginners and advanced sheep shearer will learn something. The participation fee is $75. For information, call 615-898-2404.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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

Friday, April 22, 2011

[436] MTSU Female Cadets Prove Fastest In Tough 'Best Ranger' Competition

For Release: April 22, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU FEMALE CADETS PROVE FASTEST IN TOUGH ‘BEST RANGER’ COMPETITION

MURFREESBORO—A female ROTC cadet team from Middle Tennessee State University proved to be the fastest in the “Best Ranger” competition among teams from 11 universities. The event took place last weekend at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Junior Kimberly Isham, from Evansville, Ind., and Senior Kelsey Kirby, from Goodlettsville, Tenn., endured the rigors of a physical fitness test, a rope bridge, hand-grenade assault course, land navigation/orienteering, rifle marksmanship and patrolling, all culminating in a 10K march through Mt. Airy Forest. The day began at 5:30 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m.
The event is organized and run entirely by the Xavier ROTC Cadets with oversight from the Military Science Cadre. The competition serves as a training ground for aspiring Army officers. The “Best Ranger” competition is in its 12 year.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

[435] April 21 Ceremonial Planting in KUC Knoll Commemorates Purchase of 640 Trees At MTSU

Release date: April 20, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Concrete Industry contact: Dr. Heather Brown, 615-904-8060 or
hjbrown@mtsu.edu

April 21 Ceremonial Planting in KUC Knoll
Commemorates Purchase of 640 Trees at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) — Along with other Earth Day activities on campus on Thursday, April 21, one ceremonial tree will be planted at 11 a.m. in the Keathley University Center knoll area to commemorate the purchase of 640 trees for MTSU’s
Facilities Services and the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience, Department of Concrete Industry Management Director Heather Brown said.
The public and MTSU campus community are welcome to attend. Earth Day is normally observed April 22, but MTSU organizers moved up their event date to accommodate the Good Friday holiday and ensure more people can participate.
“This donation is in support of the Tennessee Environmental Council’s effort in planting 1 million native trees by 2020,” Brown said. “The concrete industry in Tennessee has committed to finding a place for 100,000 trees statewide.”
Tree sponsors include C&C Concrete Products, Irving Materials, Memphis Ready Mix, Sicalco and the MTSU CIM Patrons, Brown said, adding that the organizing committee has been the Tennessee Environmental Council and Tennessee Concrete Association.
Students for Environmental Action and the American Democracy Project Student Organization have been collaborating to sponsor other Earth Day activities, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more details, visit the SEA website at www.sea-mtsu.org or email amerdem@mtsu.edu.


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Media welcomed.

In Brief

One ceremonial tree will be planted at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 21, in the Keathley University Center knoll area to commemorate the purchase of 640 trees for MTSU’s Facility Services and the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience. Five concrete industry companies sponsored the purchase of the trees. Other Earth Day-related activities will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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

[434] Cocke County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

Release Date: April 20, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


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

Dwight L. Bundy Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Dwight L. Bundy Farm, located in Cocke County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1904, William Cornelius “W. C.” Wood and his wife, Jenny Teague, moved to the Denton community in Cocke County. They purchased a water-powered mill on the Pigeon River that ground wheat and corn, and they also operated a sawmill and a handle factory. The Woods had seven children. In 1907, W. C. and his son-in-law, Isaac Green, purchased the 150 acres that would become the Dwight L. Bundy Farm. W. C. also was a music teacher who traveled to mountain communities to teach shape-note singing. He also is credited with starting the first Sunday school in Denton.
In 1919, W. C. and Jenny’s daughter, Zora Wood, inherited 16 acres and the home place. In 1939, she and her son, Dwight Bundy, born in 1922, purchased 15 acres from her brother, Oscar. In the 1950s, Zora built a chicken house and raised 5,000 chickens at a time, selling them to Burnett’s, a poultry processor in Morristown, Tenn.
Dwight started helping his mother on the farm as a teenager and continued to work the land until his late 70s. He raised tobacco, corn, cabbage and tomatoes, using mules to do the heavier work and plowing until he finally purchased a tractor in the 1970s. He was married to Ella Mae Norwood Bundy, and they had three children: Michael, Margaret and William Keith. His children have fond memories of working with him in the fields. They recall “walking behind him and trying to step in his footprints as he plowed the fields and hearing him call out commands of ‘Gee,’ Haw’ and ‘Whoa’ to the mules.” With the plowing done for the day, the children said, they could ride the mules back to the barn.
The remodeled farmhouse dates to a period before the Woods purchased the land, and a 1940s-era tobacco barn and the chicken house remain part of the complex. A new springhouse was built in the 1990s to house the pump that brings spring mountain water to the house for drinking and cooking.
Today, the great-grandchildren of the founders own the family acreage. Michael Bundy, Margaret Bundy Busler and William Keith Bundy operate family gardens and occasionally have horses on the farm. There also is a beef cattle operation under the ownership of the fifth generation, Whitney Bundy and her husband, Kenny Strange. She is daughter of William Keith Bundy and his wife, Donna.
The Dwight L. Bundy Farm is the 11th Century Farm to be certified in Cocke County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

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



Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

[433] MTSU's Yarborough Earns Fulbright to Teach in Spain for Year

Release date: April 20, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contacts: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu
Laura Clippard, 615-898-5464 or lclippar@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s Yarborough Earns Fulbright to Teach in Spain for Year

(MURFREESBORO) — In being offered a prestigious Fulbright Program for U.S. Students award to spend a year in Spain, Murfreesboro resident and MTSU senior Kim Yarborough hopes “she can make a difference in peoples’ lives over there.”
Yarborough, 21, formerly from Nashville and a May 7 degree candidate, learned recently she received the Fulbright, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She was awarded an English teaching assistantship for the 2011-12 academic year.
“The point of the Fulbright is to foster cross-cultural understanding,” she said, speaking just before attending the College of Liberal Arts Awards Day April 18. “The main goal is not just teach English, but build relationships and present a positive image of the U.S.”
“I feel really honored,” added Yarborough, who has been a University Honors College program participant with a double major in international relations and Spanish and a minor in economics. “I was really nervous about it (waiting to receive word of acceptance). I feel fortunate to get the opportunity to go to Spain.”
Yarborough said she will be in Spain’s Cantabria region in a yet-to-be-named city and high school.
“I do Model UN at MTSU and I go to conferences,” she said. “I just found out students over there participate in Model UN, so I’m excited to know that.”
“The international relations program attracts exceptional students,” said Dr. Karen K. Peterson, associate professor in political science. “Kim is a perfect example. She is a hard-working intelligent student with a welcoming personality. We have traveled to Model UN tournaments and she never fails to make friends. Her experiences abroad are indicative of her energy and enthusiasm for all things international.”
In addition to the Fulbright, Yarborough received the Outstanding Student in Spanish award from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures during Liberal Arts Awards Day.
In spring 2010, Yarborough spent a semester interning at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., where she worked on the White House initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, and in fall 2008 she spent an additional semester in Argentina, where she further developed her love for the Spanish language, Honors College Dean John Vile said.
“I have had a lot of great opportunities,” said Yarborough, who is the daughter of LaDonna and Rayburn Yarborough of Nashville.
Yarborough added that she plans to pursue her master’s in foreign service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Her next career goal is to work in a U.S. embassy abroad, possibly in the field of economics or work with an NGO (non-governmental organization), nonprofit or any other international organization..
MTSU Fulbright applicants work through the Undergraduate Fellowships Office in the Honors College. They work under the direction of Laura Clippard, who notes that two MTSU students, Kaitlin Howell and Eric Little, currently are serving as Fulbright Scholars in Germany and Portugal, respectively, and two other MTSU students, Christopher Watkins and Patrick Pratt, are awaiting word about their Fulbright awards from possible host countries.
Fulbright Scholars serve in 155 different countries.
“One of the greatest goals of the Honors College is to see that MTSU students compete for national scholarships,” Vile said. “MTSU’s increased emphasis on foreign languages, multiculturalism and study abroad programs all have made students more competitive for national and international awards.”

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In Brief

MTSU senior and May 7 degree candidate Kim Yarborough of Murfreesboro and formerly from Nashville has received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program award, and has been selected by Spain to teach English during the 2011-12 academic year. Yarborough has been a University Honors College program participant with a double major in international relations and Spanish and a minor in economics.

Photo available

A high-resolution jpeg photo of Kim Yarborough is available. To obtain or to request an interview with her, please contact Randy Weiler in News and Media Relations at 615-898-5616/898-2919 or email jweiler@mtsu.edu.

About Fulbright

The Fulbright Program, the U.S. Government’s flagship international exchange program, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries. The program provides participants – chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential – with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Approximately 1,500 U.S. students and 3,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year. About 1,100 U.S. scholars and 850 visiting scholars receive Fulbright awards annually. Fulbright alumni serve in leadership positions in government, academia, business, the arts, science, media and other professional fields. Alumni are recipients of 39 Nobel Prizes, 65 Pulitzer Prizes, 24 MacArthur Foundation Awards and 15 U.S. Presidential Medals of Freedom. The program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress under legislation introduced by the late Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September of 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

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

[431] Crockett County Farm joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

Release Date: April 20, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


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

Tritt Place Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Tritt Place Farm, located in Crockett County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
W.E. Tritt established his farm in the 14th Civil District of Crockett County in December 1910. Like many other farmers in Crockett County, he raised cotton as well as corn and cattle on the 90 acres that he purchased for $1,836. He and his wife, Mamie, were the parents of nine children, and their son, W. K., became the next owner.
W.K. and his wife, Flora Geraldine, purchased the 90-acre family farm in November 1941. The second generation continued to raise the same crops, which were very marketable commodities in World War II. W.K. and Geraldine were the parents of 12 children.
In 1994, Edwin M. Tritt inherited the 90 acres first worked by his grandfather. He and his wife, Jewel, are the parents of Darren, who, with his wife Amber, is the fourth generation to live on the farm. Edwin manages the farm and continues to raise the family’s traditional crops and livestock.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

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




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

[430] MTSU Faculty, Students Pitch In To Help Earthquake Victims

April 19, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU FACULTY, STUDENTS PITCH IN TO HELP EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

MURFREESBORO—A group of MTSU faculty launched “Genki for Japan,” a four-day outreach campaign that garnered $4005.36 to help the victims whose lives were ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami. A check in that amount was presented to the American Red Cross.
“We are very grateful to the MTSU community for coming forward with a big helping hand for this important cause,” said Dr. Priya Ananth, assistant professor of Japanese in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, who organized the fundraiser. “Also my deep gratitude goes to my colleagues Yumiko Hirao and Chiaki Shima.” Yumiko Hirao is an adjunct instructor of Japanese, and Chiaki Shima is a graduate teaching assistant in Japanese, Priya said.
“I also would like to thank all the student volunteers who tirelessly worked hard during the entire campaign,” she added.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year—kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

[428] 2,420-Plus Graduates Set To Participate In MTSU's 100th Spring Commencement

FOR RELEASE: April 19, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Office of News and Media Relations, 615-898-2919

2,420-PLUS GRADUATES SET TO PARTICIPATE IN MTSU’s 100TH SPRING COMMENCEMENT
Director of Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Special Assistant to the UT President to Speak at May 7 Ceremonies

(MURFREESBORO)—More than 2,420 degree candidates are expected to graduate during MTSU’s 100th spring commencement ceremonies, according to a report from Cathy Kirchner of the University’s Registrar’s Office.
MTSU will again feature dual ceremonies and dual speakers beginning at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in Murphy Center. Of the 2,420 set to graduate during the event, 1,974 are undergraduates and 446 are graduate students, including 365 master’s candidates, 70 education- specialist recipients and 9 doctoral candidates. Two graduate students also will be receiving graduate certificates.
Candidates from the College of Graduate Studies, Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the College of Education and College of Mass Communication will receive their degrees in the morning ceremony. That afternoon, degrees will be conferred on candidates in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and the University College.
• Director Mark Gwyn of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, an MTSU alumnus, will serve as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony.
Gwyn is serving his second term as director; he was appointed to his first six-year term in 2004 and is the first African American to serve in this capacity.
Gwyn has completed some of the most prestigious law-enforcement and leadership- training programs in the industry, including the 33rd session of the FBI’s National Executive Institute, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the FBI’s Leadership in Counterterrorism Program.
A 1985 graduate of MTSU, he began as a patrolman with the McMinnville Police Department then joined the TBI as a special agent in 1988. Since becoming director, Gwyn has expanded the TBI into a far-reaching law-enforcement agency overseeing the creation of the Technical Services Unit and Cyber Crimes Unit. Under his watch, the state’s Fusion Center was constructed within TBI headquarters, housing liaisons from the state Department of Homeland Security along with programs such as the AMBER Alert and statewide Sex Offender Registry.
In 2006, Middle Tennessee State University recognized Gwyn as the Distinguished African-American Alumnus of the Year, and in 2010, he was the recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award for professional achievement.



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• Dr. Hershel “Pat” Wall, special assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee since October 2009, will speak to the graduates at the 1 p.m. ceremony. While he was chancellor of the UT Health Science Center, Wall, also an MTSU alumnus (BS ‘57), was responsible for planning and executing the strategic direction of the statewide academic health care system with campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis. He now devotes his efforts full-time to the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
Prior to his appointment as interim chancellor in April 2007, Wall had been the interim dean of the UT College of Medicine in Memphis since November 2005. The UT Board of Trustees in March 2008 appointed him permanent chancellor and vice president for health affairs. In the College of Medicine, he served as associate dean for admissions and student affairs since 1982. Wall also had served as vice provost for students on the Health Science Center campus.
Before entering the UT College of Medicine in 1957, Wall received his Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University. Following his graduation in 1960 from the College of Medicine, Wall completed his residency in pediatrics at the Memphis campus, serving as chief resident. He returned to the UT College of Medicine as a faculty member in 1965 after military duty in France. He was promoted to professor of pediatrics in 1979 and has served as division chief of general pediatrics. Wall is now in his 46th year as an active teacher in the Department of Pediatrics.
Wall retired from the military as a colonel in 1995 after 35 years of service, including the command of the 330th General Hospital, a 1,000-bed hospital, and a stint in Germany as a member of the 300th MASH unit in the Tennessee National Guard for Desert Storm.
During his 51-plus year career as a physician, Wall has been recognized for his contributions to medical education, his clinical skills and many contributions to the community. In September 2008, UT President John D. Petersen led the inaugural dinner of the Hershel P. Wall, MD, Legacy Society at UTHSC. The society was established to honor distinguished alumni and special friends who have made a commitment to the UT Health Science Center through planned gifting. The organization was named for Wall in light of his rich history of contributions and service to the UTHSC community. In 2010, the Tennessee Medical Association named Dr. Wall Outstanding Physician of The Year.
Graduation committee members emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for their entire scheduled ceremony. The ceremonies should last about two hours each, so graduation candidates planning celebration activities should be aware of this time commitment.
For more information about commencement, please visit the Records Office website at www.mtsu.edu/~records/grad.htm. Questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at 615-898-2600.

MTSU SPRING 2011 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: Approximately 2,420 graduates* (1,974 undergraduates, 446 graduate students)
What: 2011 MTSU spring commencement
When: 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7
Where: Murphy Center on the MTSU campus.
Commencement speakers:
• Mark Gwyn, Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 9 a.m. ceremony.
• Dr. Hershel P. Wall, special assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee, 1 p.m. ceremony.

*— Approximate number as of April 21, 2011.

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

[427] Bright Future In Sight For Blind MTSU Graduate-To-Be

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 19, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

BRIGHT FUTURE IN SIGHT FOR BLIND MTSU GRADUATE-TO-BE
‘MTSU on the Record’ Shines Spotlight on Communication-minded Meaghan Bynum

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU senior Meaghan Bynum, whose lifelong struggle with vision impairment has not stymied her educational career, and her guide dog, Whitney, will be the guests on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 24, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Bynum, an English major from Wartrace, is slated to graduate next month. She intends to pursue a master’s degree in communication. She is almost totally blind due to retinopathy of prematurity, a condition resulting from oxygen deprivation in premature babies. Nonetheless, she graduated from the Tennessee School for the Blind as the valedictorian of her class.
Bynum will discuss how new technology has enabled her to pursue her goals faster than she could reading in Braille and the pros and cons of using a guide dog to maneuver around campus.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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

[425] University Writing Center Plans April 27 Rock Benefit

UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER PLANS APRIL 27 ROCK BENEFIT
$5 Donation Will Help Fund MTSU Outreach Program

FOR RELEASE: April 18, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Emily James, 615-904-8237 or ehj2b@mtmail.mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—Join MTSU’s University Writing Center on Wednesday, April 27, for the 2011 UWC Benefit Rock Show!
The event is scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m. at Good Time Charlie’s, located inside Lanes, Trains and Automobiles at 450 Butler Drive in Murfreesboro. A $5-per-person donation will benefit the Writing Center’s outreach program, which conducts writing workshops for local schools, book drives and career workshops.
Featured bands for the benefit include Tetsuo, The Dead Dead, Kat Smo, Paper Not Plastic, and Mom & Dad.
For more information, contact Emily James at ehj2b@mtmail.mtsu.edu or call the University Writing Center at 615-904-8237. To learn more about the UWC, visit its website at www.mtsu.edu/uwc.

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


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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of the UWC’s benefit flier, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Media Relations via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!

[424] Earth Day Lecture To Focus On Earthquake Preparedness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

EARTH DAY LECTURE TO FOCUS ON EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
Tennessee State Geologist Slated to Assess New Madrid Seismic Zone

(MURFREESBORO) – State Geologist Ron Zurawski, director of the Tennessee Division of Geology, will deliver an Earth Day address at 3 p.m. Friday, April 22, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which is sponsored by the MTSU Department of Geosciences and Sigma Gamma Epsilon, is free and open to the public.

Zurawski will speak about the 1811-1812 earthquakes that occurred in the New Madrid seismic zone, an area made up of several faults stretching from Marked Tree, Ark., to Cairo, Ill. The faults in this zone, which encompasses part of northwestern Tennessee, still constitute a potential earthquake threat.

In addition, Zurawski will talk about the Great Central U.S. Shakeout, a nationwide drill in which Americans are encouraged to “drop, cover and hold on” for at least 60 seconds, as though a major earthquake is occurring, at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 28.

“In light of recent great earthquakes in Japan, Haiti, Chili, Sumatra, etc., we think that the lecture should be of interest to people both on and off-campus,” says Dr. Warner Cribb, professor of geology.

Zurawski was appointed state geologist and director of the Tennessee Division of Geology in 1996. Since 2007, he has served as a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency alternate emergency services coordinator and was appointed to the Geology Advisory Committee in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance in 2008.

For more information, contact Cribb at 615-898-2379 or cribb@mtsu.edu. To hear Gina Logue’s interview with Zurawski on WMOT’s “MTSU on the Record,” go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2011.shtml and click on “April 17, 2011.”

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

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

[423] Local Channel 9 To Broadcast Award-Winning Energy-Savings Documentary

April 18, 2011
Contact: Gail Fedak, 615-898-2740

LOCAL CHANNEL 9 TO BROADCAST AWARD-WINNING ENERGY-SAVINGS DOCUMENTARY

MURFREESBORO—The Education Resource Channel @ Middle Tennessee (Comcast Channel 9) in Rutherford County will show "Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-Energize America" on Earth Day, Friday, April 22, from 10 to 11 a.m. and again from 7 to 8 p.m.
“Kilowatt Ours” is an award-winning documentary by Jeff Barrie that has spawned a national movement to promote energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy.
Also a nonprofit organization advocating for conservation power plants in every community in America, Kilowatt Ours provides resources for homes, businesses, schools and communities to begin their journey to energy savings.
The Education Resource Channel@ Middle Tennessee is administered and operated by the Instructional Technology Support Center at MTSU. ERCMT provides educational programs to K-12 schools and cable subscribers that are not available through commercial television. The service is available to Comcast subscribers in Rutherford County and DTC-TV subscribers in Cannon, DeKalb, Smith and parts of Rutherford and Wilson counties. The channel also provides a community bulletin board that shares information about MTSU and community events and activities.
A link to a description of “Kilowatt Ours” can be found at is http://www.kilowattours.org.

####



April 13, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU JUNIOR PLAYS PROMINENT ROLE AT CAMPUS-CAPITOL CONNECTION
Political Science Major Is Looking Forward to Speaker Role on Capitol Hill in November

MURFREESBORO—MTSU Junior Katie Bogle, from Wilson County, got in a little practice recently in preparation for her role as Speaker of the House when the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature convenes in November.
Bogle, a political science major, participated in the Campus-Capitol Connection on Capitol Hill in Nashville, an event where university students observe and learn about the various elements of state government.
“After the opening session, we heard from legislative alumni who talked about their experiences,” she said. “That was followed by a lobbyist panel discussion.” The discussion was titled “Lobbyists Tell their Secrets.” Bogle served as panel facilitator.
“After lunch there was a mock legislative session, and I was able to present some legislation. Governor (Bill) Haslam spoke, and he was followed by Supreme Court Justice (Hon. William C.)Koch (Jr.). And then I introduced Speaker (Beth) Harwell.”
Bogle said she’s not sure she wants to be a politician, but she does want to work in government on public-policy issues.
“In November we’ll have a legislative session where every school in Tennessee will have a delegation,” she noted. “I was fortunate enough to be voted to serve as Speaker of House by the House of Representatives.”
The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature will be held Nov. 17-21.

####


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

[422] MTSU Junior Plays Prominent Role At Campus-Capitol Connection

April 13, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MTSU JUNIOR PLAYS PROMINENT ROLE AT CAMPUS-CAPITOL CONNECTION
Political Science Major Is Looking Forward to Speaker Role on Capitol Hill in November

MURFREESBORO—MTSU Junior Katie Bogle, from Wilson County, got in a little practice recently in preparation for her role as Speaker of the House when the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature convenes in November.
Bogle, a political science major, participated in the Campus-Capitol Connection on Capitol Hill in Nashville, an event where university students observe and learn about the various elements of state government.
“After the opening session, we heard from legislative alumni who talked about their experiences,” she said. “That was followed by a lobbyist panel discussion.” The discussion was titled “Lobbyists Tell their Secrets.” Bogle served as panel facilitator.
“After lunch there was a mock legislative session, and I was able to present some legislation. Governor (Bill) Haslam spoke, and he was followed by Supreme Court Justice (Hon. William C.)Koch (Jr.). And then I introduced Speaker (Beth) Harwell.”
Bogle said she’s not sure she wants to be a politician, but she does want to work in government on public-policy issues.
“In November we’ll have a legislative session where every school in Tennessee will have a delegation,” she noted. “I was fortunate enough to be voted to serve as Speaker of House by the House of Representatives.”
The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature will be held Nov. 17-21.

####


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

[419] State Geologist Sizes Up Seismology On 'MTSU on the Record'

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

STATE GEOLOGIST SIZES UP SEISMOLOGY ON ‘MTSU ON THE RECORD’
Ron Zurawski Assesses New Madrid Fault and Past, Future Impact on Tennessee

(MURFREESBORO) – Ron Zurawski, State Geologist and Director of the Tennessee Division of Geology, will be this week’s guest on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 17, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Zurawski is slated to deliver an Earth Day address on the New Madrid seismic zone and the great 1811-1812 earthquakes that occurred there at 3 p.m. Friday, April 22, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which will be presented by the MTSU Department of Geosciences, is free and open to the public.
On the radio program, Zurawski also will discuss the March 11 earthquake that registered 9.0 on the Richter scale in northeast Japan, the resulting tsunami and nuclear plant crisis and the state of earthquake preparedness in both Japan and the United States.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

--30--


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

Friday, April 15, 2011

[418] Byrnes Is MTSU's New Liberal-Arts Dean

BYRNES IS MTSU’S NEW LIBERAL-ARTS DEAN
Murfreesboro Native Named to Post After National Search

FOR RELEASE: April 15, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—MTSU has chosen longtime professor and community leader Dr. Mark Byrnes as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts after a national search, officials announced today.
Byrnes, a Murfreesboro native who is also a product of the Murfreesboro and Rutherford County school systems, has served as acting and interim dean following the illness and May 2010 death of Dr. John N. McDaniel, who served as MTSU’s dean of liberal arts for 26 years.
“Dr. Byrnes has served with distinction at MTSU as a faculty member, associate dean and interim dean,” said University Provost Dr. Brad Bartel. “The entire University community respects him and looks forward to his upcoming leadership of the College of Liberal Arts.”
Byrnes, a nationally recognized expert on the American presidency and Tennessee politics, has taught political science at MTSU since 1991 and was associate dean of liberal arts from 2006 to 2009.
A graduate of MTSU who earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at Vanderbilt University, Byrnes also was the recipient of one of the MTSU Foundation’s 2010 Public Service Awards, which were presented at the Fall Faculty Meeting last August.
He has coordinated MTSU’s Legislative Internship Program since 1993, selecting and supervising 12 to 16 students to work with the Tennessee General Assembly each spring.
"Liberal Arts is a large and diverse college, serving 3,600 majors and, through the General Education program, virtually every MTSU student,” said Byrnes.
“I'm excited about the opportunity to lead the college and plan to continue its tradition of focusing on students and supporting our faculty and staff. I graduated from a MTSU liberal-arts department, Political Science, and have worked as a professor and administrator here for 20 years. I'm sure I'll enjoy this role in the college as I have the others."
As dean, Byrnes will direct 10 academic departments offering 20 bachelor’s degrees, five master’s degrees and two doctorates, as well as nearly 20 interdisciplinary majors and minors, and 10 different centers and programs; a dean’s office staff of 10; and 315 full-time faculty members and 165 adjunct instructors. The College of Liberal Arts currently grants about 700 degrees annually.
The new dean also is chairman of the Rutherford County School Board, elected by his fellow school-board members and currently serving his second two-year term. He was first elected to the school board, which oversees more than 38,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades, in 2004.


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


-------

IN BRIEF: MTSU has chosen longtime professor and community leader Dr. Mark Byrnes as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts after a national search, officials announced today. Byrnes, a Murfreesboro native who is also a product of the Murfreesboro and Rutherford County school systems, has served as acting and interim dean following the illness and May 2010 death of Dr. John N. McDaniel, who served as MTSU’s dean of liberal arts for 26 years. Byrnes, a nationally recognized expert on the American presidency and Tennessee politics, has taught political science at MTSU since 1991 and was associate dean of liberal arts from 2006 to 2009. The new dean also is chairman of the Rutherford County School Board, elected by his fellow school-board members and currently serving his second two-year term. He was first elected to the school board, which oversees more than 38,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades, in 2004.

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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Dr. Byrnes, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Media Relations via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!

[417] MTSU and Chattanooga State Community College Reach Dual--Admission Agreement

For Immediate Release: April 14, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-494-7696

MTSU AND CHATTANOOGA STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
REACH DUAL-ADMISSION AGREEMENT

MURFREESBORO — Chattanooga State Community College students will find it easier to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro under an agreement reached this week by the leaders of both institutions.
The presidents of MTSU and Chattanooga State, in signing a Memorandum of Understanding, committed to a shared curriculum plan for students seeking an associate degree in Chattanooga who also wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Murfreesboro.
Under the agreement, Chattanooga students who meet specific eligibility requirements will qualify for dual admission at the community college and MTSU.
Students in the program will be guaranteed for acceptance into MTSU. They will get access to MTSU faculty and staff while attending the community college and can take advantage of enhanced advising and transition services offered on the Murfreesboro campus.
“Chattanooga State is an innovator and has pushed the envelope in many ways to make it one of the leaders among community colleges,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “This is just the beginning of many great things that will occur between our institutions.”
“I look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Chattanooga State Community College,” McPhee added.
James Catanzaro, president of Chattanooga State, called the agreement “great for Tennessee and certainly great for our students.
“Our students will be able to come to MTSU with the confidence that they won’t have to figure out how their credits will transfer and how they can navigate this university,” Catanzaro said. “This is a very important day for us.”
To qualify for dual admission, prospective students must plan to pursue both associate and bachelor’s degrees; meet admission criteria for Chattanooga State; have earned 29 or fewer college-level semester hours and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (2.75 for the Associate of Science Transfer Degree).

####

PHOTO: From left: MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Chattanooga State Community College President James L. Catanzaro sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a dual-admission program between the two institutions that will create a seamless transition for students with an associate degree to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. Recently, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

[416] New MTSU Program Will Earn Master's Degree and 4-8 Teaching License

April 13, 2011
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

NEW MTSU PROGRAM WILL EARN MASTER’S DEGREE AND 4-8 TEACHING LICENSE

MURFREESBORO—A new program in MTSU’s College of Education will offer individuals with a bachelor’s degree the opportunity to obtain a license to teach mathematics in grades 4-8 and earn a master’s degree at the same time.
University officials are working to recruit a cohort of 20 individuals who will move together through five semesters of study and earn a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. The program is slated to begin in the fall of 2011.
“This is ideal for anyone who wants to change career directions or who loves working with children and would like to become a licensed teacher,” said Dr. Dovie Kimmins, professor of mathematical sciences at MTSU. “What a fine opportunity for a housewife or youth counselor—someone who enjoys working with that age group but doesn’t possess the credentials to be in the classroom. This is a path to gaining licensure and a graduate degree.”
“Individuals who have a love for children and an inclination toward mathematics should consider this degree,” added Dr. Jeremy Winters, assistant professor in the MTSU’s Department of Elementary and Special Education. “Several people in the current K-6 program have had previous experience working with children such as coaching or working in after-school programs and have decided that a teaching career is for them. I believe the new 4-8 program will interest individuals of a similar disposition.”
Winters is referring to the current Initial Licensure Program (ILP) Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in grades K-6, which is already successful.
“The mathematics courses have been designed with consideration of what someone needs to know and how they need to know it to effectively teach middle-school mathematics,” Kimmins noted.
Classes will be offered in the evenings, on weekends and online in order to accommodate working adults—about one-third of the classes through each venue, Kimmins and Winters affirmed.
A candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in any field and a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. Some graduate assistantships may be available.
Partial financial support for this program was made possible by a Teachers Now Phase II grant through the U.S. Department of Education.
Interested individuals will need to apply for graduate school and should contact Winters immediately for more information at 615-494-7729.

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[415] Guest Speaker At MTSU Tells How To Stop Sitting, Start Moving

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GUEST SPEAKER AT MTSU TELLS HOW TO STOP SITTING, START MOVING
Expert on Impact of Physical Activity on Health, Wellness Slated to Lecture

(MURFREESBORO) – The MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will sponsor “Exercise is Medicine—and a Whole Lot More: Physical Activity Promotion Strategies for a Sedentary Society,” a lecture by Dr. Gregory Welk, at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event is free and open to the public.
Welk is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Director of Clinical Research and Community Outreach with the Nutrition and Wellness Research Center at Iowa State University. His research and clinical interests have focused on the role of physical activity in obesity prevention and the assessment and promotion of physical activity and fitness in youth.
Currently, Welk is involved in funded projects aimed at analyzing measurement error in self-report measures of physical activity and evaluating a new activity monitor that integrates heart rate and other data to provide better estimates of the amount of energy expended during physical activity.
Welk also serves as scientific director of the FITNESSGRAM program at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research and coordinates research and outreach activities with the Campus Community Partnership for Health, an interdisciplinary research collaborative that works with schools, communities and worksites to promote healthy lifestyles across Iowa.
For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a jpeg photo of Dr. Gregory Welk, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Media Relations at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



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

[414] MTSU Activists "Speak Out' Against Sexual Assault, Violence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU ACTIVISTS ‘SPEAK OUT’ AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT, VIOLENCE
June Anderson Center, Students Hang Society’s Dirty Laundry on the Clothesline

(MURFREESBORO) – As part of MTSU’s observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students and Women in Action, a student organization, will sponsor the Clothesline Project Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 19, and Take Back the Night Tuesday, April 19 on the Keathley University Center (KUC) knoll.
The Clothesline Project is an annual display of T-shirts featuring true stories of sexual assault and domestic violence. In preparation, Women in Action will sponsor a “Make Your Own T-Shirt/Sign” event at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in the June Anderson Center, which is on the third floor of the KUC. The shirts will be displayed Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 19 on the knoll.
Take Back the Night, a gathering at which participants are encouraged to express themselves on domestic violence and sexual assault, will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the KUC Theatre with monologues by members and supporters of Women in Action.
At 6 p.m., the “speakout” will begin on the KUC knoll. Vincent Windrow, director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, will deliver the keynote address.
“After hearing stories and realizing that these stories come from everyday people, it’s sets the ground for change,” says JAC student assistant Chanera Pierce, a political science major from Memphis.
Officials from the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), a collaborative effort by concerned citizens in law enforcement, the judicial system, social services and the health care professions, will be on hand.
“Sometimes this is the only time people will come to get resources because it’s an open and public event and they feel safe coming to it,” says Terri Johnson, director of the June Anderson Center and a member of SART.
Following the “speakout,” participants will march around campus along a route that will encompass more territory than in previous years. Women’s footwear will be available for men who choose to take part in “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” during the march.


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TAKE BACK
Add 1

“It’s something very good to bring men into advocacy about domestic violence because they are just as much a part of (the solution) as we are,” says Ashley Cox, a political science major from Chattanooga, a member of Women in Action and volunteer coordinator at the JAC.
The event will conclude with sexual assault counselor Shelley Wright leading a candlelight vigil on the KUC knoll. Volunteer Jay Chalmers, an accountant in the MTSU Business Office, will provide music.
For more information, contact the June Anderson Center at 615-898-5989 or jawc@mtsu.edu.


--30--




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

[413] MTSU History Prof Contributes Interview, Expertise In New Civil War Series

April 13, 2011
CONTACT: Dr. Derek Frisby, 615-904-8097

MTSU HISTORY PROF CONTRIBUTES INTERVIEW, EXPERTISE IN NEW CIVIL WAR SERIES
The program will be rebroadcast Monday, April 18

Dr. Derek Frisby, assistant professor in the Department of History, played a key role in the series “Civil Warriors,” which aired earlier this week on the National Geographic Channel.
Frisby provided an on-camera interview in Episode 3 of the series with Christian Latham, a descendant of William Fletcher. Fletcher was a Confederate soldier-prisoner who jumped from a moving train and escaped into the Rutherford County countryside.
“Episode 3 includes a segment filmed in Christiana, Tennessee, at Miller’s Grocery, which is near where Fletcher made his escape,” Frisby said. Frisby’s interview with Christian Latham deals with life in the occupied territory of middle Tennessee.
“Civil Warriors” is a new Civil War documentary that follows descendants of Civil War participants as they trace their ancestors’ footsteps, Frisby noted.
Frisby added that the series will be re-broadcast next Monday afternoon, April 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel.
“I think it will be aired many times after that because it contains compelling personal stories and groundbreaking animation sequences and visual elements,” Frisby said.
The series website is at:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/civil-warriors/5714/Overview.

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[412] Sign Up For Final 'Yes I Can' Diabetes Management Workshops

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Cindy Rhea, 615-904-8342

SIGN UP FOR FINAL ‘YES I CAN’ DIABETES MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS
Venues are MTSU Recreation Center and Adams Place Residential Facility

(MURFREESBORO) – The final gatherings in a series of “Yes I Can” Diabetes Self-Management Workshops are slated for Tuesdays from 4:45-7:15 p.m. May 3-June 7 at the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center on Blue Raider Dr. on the MTSU campus and Fridays from 1-3:30 p.m. May 6-June 10 at Adams Place, 1925 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro.
“Yes I Can!” is a free six-session workshop series to help Type Two diabetics and people with pre-diabetes symptoms in Rutherford County improve their quality of life with techniques and strategies to help them manage their disease. Focal points include healthy eating, exercise, medications, preventing complications, medications, communication skills and more.
The Center for Health and Human Services at MTSU is supervising the workshops, which are funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.
The sessions are limited to 20 people each. Participants must be 18 years of age or over. A doctor’s referral is not required to attend.
For more information or to register, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/achcs/YesICan.shtml or contact Cindy Rhea at 615-904-8342 or crhea@mtsu.edu.

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

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

[411] Student Design Fashion Show Puts Creativity on Display April 15

Release date: April 12, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Human Sciences contact: Dr. Jasmin Kwon, 615-904-8340 or kwon@mtsu.edu

Student Design Fashion Show Puts Creativity on Display April 15

(MURFREESBORO) — Hundreds of garment submissions by MTSU students will be on display during the Spring 2011 Student Design Fashion Show, “Into the Wild: Discover the Undiscovered,” on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room.
Dr. Jasmin Kwon, director of the fashion show, created the theme, which has three sub-categories: “tribal style,” “wild wild nature” and “adventures in fantasy wilderness.”
Kwon’s class of 35 students, divided into six committees, has been planning the show for weeks.
“It gives MTSU textile-program students a chance to showcase their skills and creativity,” said Melanie McClure, a senior textile-merchandising and design major from Chattanooga.
“We gather a lot of resources from our department and utilize two departments (merchandising and design),” added Ashley Adkins, a senior from Nashville, who also is a textile-merchandising and design major. “This is our chance to show our skills that we have been learning for the last two years.”
One of the garment submissions is from Taylore Massa, a junior apparel-design major from Smyrna, whose silver garment was made from aluminum foil and paper.
Massa said her “inspiration was the book ‘Rainbow Fish’ for the ‘wild, wild nature’ category. I took a black cocktail dress and attached ‘scales’ made out of magazines and aluminum foil to the dress in an overlapping pattern using hot glue. The finished garment resembles a beautiful, shining fish from the ocean.”
A second submission is from Leslie Stephens, a senior textile-merchandising major from Nashville, who also said her garment is “inspired by ‘wild, wild nature.’ To quote Diane Von Furstenberg on leopard print, “If it looks good on animals, it looks good on us.”
Stephens’ brown- and cream-colored jacket-and-skirt ensemble is made from 100 percent polyester.
The MTSU community and general public are invited. Ticket prices are $7 in advance, $10 at the door and $15 for VIP tickets. For information, contact Kwon at 615-904-8340.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

Hundreds of MTSU student garment submissions will be on display during the Spring 2011 Student Design Fashion Show, “Into the Wild: Discover the Undiscovered,” on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. Admission is $7 in advance, $10 at the door and $15 for VIP. For information, call Dr. Jasmin Kwon at 615-904-8340.

Editor’s note: A high-resolution jpeg photo is available. To request, contact Randy Weiler at 615-898-5616 or 898-2919, or email jweiler@mtsu.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Seniors Melanie McClure, left, and Ashley Adkins put two featured pieces for the upcoming student fashion show onto mannequins in the Ellington Human Sciences Building.

MTSU Photographic Services photo by: Andy Heidt



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

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

[410] MTSU Accounting Alumni Event Set for April 28 in BAS

Release date: April 12, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Department of Accounting contact:
Dr. G. Robert “Smitty” Smith, 615-898-2558 or smitty@mtsu.edu

MTSU Accounting Alumni Event Set for April 28 in BAS

(MURFREESBORO) — The 20th annual Accounting Alumni Appreciation Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, April 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building.
The event targets those interested in accounting, taxation and computer training. The fee is $100 for MTSU alumni and $150 for all other attendees. Net proceeds will be earmarked for accounting scholarships, and lunch will be provided.
Participants will earn eight hours of Continuing Professional Education credit and have the opportunity to visit with alumni and former professors and see how the campus configuration is changing.
Aaron Beam, co-founder and first chief financial officer of HealthSouth, will open the conference with a session on Wagon to Disaster.
Dr. Joe Huddleston, executive director of the Multistate Tax Commission, will discuss national developments in state business taxation and the Multistate Tax Commission.
Breakout sessions and leaders will include the following MTSU professors:
• Bill Mooningham, who will provide an American Institute of CPAs update;
• Drs. Mary Phillips and Tammy Bahmanziari, who will discuss XBRL, or EXtensible Business Reporting Language;
• Dr. Pat Wall, who’ll present an employment-law update;
• Dr. Jeannie Harrington, who plans to discuss contemporary cost-managerial practices;
• Dr. Lara Daniel, who’ll tackle “The Constitutionality of Health Care Law”;
• Dr. Denise Leggett, who will discuss issues in taxation;
• Dr. Paula Thomas, who’ll provide a Financial Accounting Standards Board update; and
• Dr. Robert “Smitty” Smith, who will bring a Governmental Accounting Standards Board update.
Rick Murray, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Commerce Union Bank, also will discuss information technology during a breakout session. Seating is limited, so participants should register early at www.mtsu.edu/accounting. For more information, call the MTSU Department of Accounting at 615-898-5306.

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Media welcomed.

In Brief

The 20th annual Accounting Alumni Appreciation Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, April 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. The event targets those interested in accounting, taxation and computer training. The fee is $100 for MTSU alumni and $150 for all other attendees. Net proceeds will be earmarked for accounting scholarships, and lunch will be provided. For information, call the MTSU Department of Accounting at 615-898-5306.


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

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

[409] Earth Day 2011: MTSU Student Groups Team Up To Raise Awareness

EARTH DAY 2011: MTSU STUDENT GROUPS TEAM UP TO RAISE AWARENESS
April 21 Events Free, Open to Public, Including Free Document Shredding

FOR RELEASE: April 12, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Mary A. Evins, amerdem@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—Want to show you’re green while being true to the blue? Join MTSU’s Students for Environmental Action and the American Democracy Project Student Organization, who are sponsoring an Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 21.
Students are circulating posters with the day’s itinerary, which includes a free document-shredding service, recycling information, music, special guests and vendors, all on the Keathley University Center Knoll.
All events are free and open to the public.
Earth Day is usually observed on April 22, but MTSU organizers moved up their event date to accommodate the Good Friday holiday and ensure that more people can participate.
“Raiders Recycle” T-shirts and tote bags, in bright spring colors and in tie-dye, will be for sale on the Knoll on April 21. The celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and events include:
• free shredding and recycling of documents by MaxShred of Murfreesboro, 10 a.m.-noon;
• acoustic music and a poetry slam, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.;
• entertainment by DJ B. Roll, 2-4 p.m.; and
• a yard sale by Young Americans for Liberty.
Special guests include representatives from Rover, Murfreesboro’s public transportation system; The Nature Conservancy; Procycling Bicycle Repair; the Center for Environmental Education; the Murfreesboro Electric Department; Origins beauty products; Scott Atkins for Kangen; and Drs. Cliff Ricketts, Charles Perry and Ngee Sing Chong , who will bring the latest green inventions.
For drive-through and drop-off of materials for shredding at MTSU’s Earth Day event, recyclers should enter campus from East Main Street onto North Baird Lane, turn right onto Alumni Drive and then left on Friendship Street to circle through the Davis Science Building parking lot. Students will unload papers there for shredding by MaxShred.
For more details, visit the SEA website at www.sea-mtsu.org or email amerdem@mtsu.edu.

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IN BRIEF: Want to show you’re green while being true to the blue? Join MTSU's Students for Environmental Action and the American Democracy Project Student Organization, who are sponsoring an Earth Day celebration on Thursday, April 21. Students are circulating posters campuswide with the day’s itinerary, which includes a free document-shredding service, recycling information, music, special guests and vendors, all on the Keathley University Center Knoll on campus. All events are free and open to the public. For speedy drive-through and drop-off of materials for shredding at MTSU’s Earth Day event, recyclers should enter campus from East Main Street onto North Baird Lane, turn right onto Alumni Drive and left on Friendship Street to circle through the Davis Science Building parking lot. Students will unload papers for shredding by MaxShred, so recyclers won’t even have to get out of their cars! For more details, visit the SEA website at www.sea-mtsu.org or email amerdem@mtsu.edu.


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

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Monday, April 11, 2011

[408] BCBST Martin Chair Golf Tourney Set April 19 at Champions Run

Release date: April 11, 2011

News and Media Relations 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

BCBST Martin Chair Golf Tourney Set April 19 at Champions Run

(MURFREESBORO) — Insurance Liaison Committee members are hoping to see another large field for the 27th annual BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance Golf Tournament, which will be held Tuesday, April 19.
“It’s easily the main fundraiser for our program,” Dr. Ken Hollman, Martin Chair of Insurance chair, said of the tournament at Champions Run Golf Course, 14262 Mount Pleasant Rd, in Rockvale.
Chattanooga-based BCBST again is the main corporate sponsor with a $7,500 contribution. Hollman added that Special Touch of Murfreesboro is making a $2,500 contribution, while Jack Morris Glass is providing lunch.
Golfers can begin registering at 10:30 a.m. on April 19. The tournament will begin with a noon shotgun start. It will be a best-ball, scramble format for six-player teams. Special awards will be given for longest drive (from the regular tee) and closest to the pin on all par-3s. A meal and awards presentation will begin around 4:30 p.m. A silent auction will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Entry fees are $150 per person, $900 per team or $1,050 for a sixsome plus a hole sponsorship. To enter, call Randy Harris at 931-454-1307 or 615-898-2673.
The sole purpose of the annual tournament is to raise money to fund scholarships for students enrolled in the MTSU insurance program.
For more information, contact Hollman at 615-898-2673 or khollman@mtsu.edu.

###
Media welcomed.

In Brief

The 27th annual BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance Gold Tournament will be held Tuesday, April 19, with a noon shotgun start at Champions Run Golf Course in Rockvale. Entry fees are $150 per player, $900 per team or $1,050 for a team plus a hole sponsor. For more information, call 615-898-2673.


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

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

[407] MTSU Celebrates Re-Launch of Magazine with April 13 Party

MTSU CELEBRATES RE-LAUNCH OF MAGAZINE WITH APRIL 13 PARTY
Free Public Event Celebrates 1st Part of University’s New Communications Plan

FOR RELEASE: April 11, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Andrew Oppmann, 615-898-7800 or aoppmann@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO—MTSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications will celebrate the re-launch of the MTSU Magazine on Wednesday, April 13, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Alumni Relations House on Middle Tennessee Boulevard.
The glossy magazine, which has not been published since fall/winter 2009, is returning with a 48-page issue mailed to alumni this month. It will go to alumni at least twice a year with additional special issues as needed.
Wednesday’s launch party is free and open to the public, and officials said MTSU alumni are especially encouraged to attend.
The magazine is part of MTSU’s new communications plan to deliver key messages and information to its alumni and friends. In June, MTSU plans to redesign and upgrade its digital news site, www.mtsunews.com, into a real-time source for news and information. The new site will feature breaking news about MTSU, including video and audio reports.
“We intend for our magazine to be a deeper, more premium print medium for our alumni and friends and for our revamped news site to be a way to be much faster and relevant in delivery of need-to-know information,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
The changes require a reallocation of resources, so MTSU will end two of its long-standing print products, The Alumni Record and The Record, in late June, said Andrew Oppmann, associate vice president for marketing and communications.
“MTSU needs its news delivered much faster than every two weeks or every quarter, so our digital approach will allow us greater speed and flexibility,” Oppmann noted. “Our magazine, however, will use the printed medium in its best form with stunning graphics and compelling long-form stories.”
The Alumni Record newspaper has been published quarterly and mailed to alumni since 2003. The Record newspaper, printed twice monthly since January 1993, was circulated to MTSU faculty, staff and friends, along with local media outlets.
MTSU also is urging alumni to register on the official alumni site, www.mtalumni.com, to stay informed. “Our alumni website is among the best in the nation,” Oppmann said. “It’s so very important for all of our alums to register their e-mail with us and bookmark the alumni site as a resource.”
The MTSU Magazine’s new edition features Dr. Hugh Berryman, professor of sociology and anthropology and director of MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, on the cover. Other articles include a look at five stellar members of the graduating class of 2011 and a preview of the University’s pending Centennial anniversary.
Serving as editor is Drew Ruble, the new senior editor of university publications at MTSU. Before his appointment, Ruble was editor of Nashville Post, BusinessTN and The City Paper.
“This re-launched MTSU magazine will be compelling in its content and striking in its visual impression,” Ruble said. “Whether reporting on alumni of unusual accomplishment, on student achievers or on the frontiers of faculty-led research, the magazine will present the campus not as an isolated entity but as a place engaged with the weighty issues of the day.”

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

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications will celebrate the re-launch of the MTSU Magazine on Wednesday, April 13, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Alumni Relations House on Middle Tennessee Boulevard. The glossy magazine, which has not been published since fall/winter 2009, is returning with a 48-page issue mailed to alumni this month. It will go to alumni at least twice a year with additional special issues as needed. Wednesday’s launch party is free and open to the public, and officials said MTSU alumni are especially encouraged to attend. The magazine is part of MTSU’s new communications plan to deliver key messages and information to its alumni and friends. In June, MTSU plans to redesign and upgrade its digital news site, www.mtsunews.com, into a real-time source for news and information. The new site will feature breaking news about MTSU, including video and audio reports.

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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: You’re welcome to attend this launch-party event, too! For a color JPEG of the new MTSU Magazine cover or JPEGs of those quoted in this release, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Media Relations via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!

[406] National Academy of Sciences' Labov Brings Science-Education Effort to Campus Wednesday

Release date: April 11, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu

National Academy of Sciences’ Labov Brings
Science-Education Effort to Campus Wednesday

(MURFREESBORO) — The National Academy of Sciences’ Jay Labov will speak Wednesday, April 13, on “Teaching Controversial Topics in Undergraduate Science: The Critical Need for Science as a Liberal Art in the 21st Century.”
The lecture is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall. A reception will start at 6:30.
Labov is the senior adviser for education and communications for NAS and the National Research Council. His appearance, which is free and open to the public, is part of the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Series.
Labov has directed production of 11 National Academies’ reports focusing on teacher education, advanced study for high-school students, kindergarten through eighth-grade education and undergraduate education.
He oversees the NAS’s efforts to confront challenges to teaching evolution in the nation’s public schools as well as the academy’s work with professional societies and state academies of science on education issues.
An organismal biologist by training, Labov spent 20 years on the Colby College biology department faculty before joining the NAS in 1997. He has received Kellogg, American Association for the Advancement of Science and Woodrow Wilson fellowship appointments.
His MTSU appearance is sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Fund as well as the Colleges of Graduate Studies, Liberal Arts, Basic and Applied Sciences, and Education; Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Sociology and Anthropology, and History; the American Democracy Project; the Learning Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center; the MTSU SENCER Team; the MTSU WISTEM Center; and the Nashville Local Section of the American Chemical Society.

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Media welcomed.


Media note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of Jay Labov is available. To obtain, contact MTSU News and Media Relations’ Randy Weiler by calling 615-898-5616 or 898-2919.

In Brief

The National Academy of Sciences’ Jay Labov will speak Wednesday, April 13, on “Teaching Controversial Topics in Undergraduate Science: The Critical Need for Science as a Liberal Art in the 21st Century.”
The lecture is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall. A reception will start at 6:30.



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

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

Friday, April 08, 2011

[404] Outstanding Student Reveals Heartbreak, Hope on WMOT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

OUTSTANDING STUDENT REVEALS HEARTBREAK, HOPE ON WMOT
Laurence Tumpag Sought Refuge from Abusers in Scholarship, Social Work

(MURFREESBORO) – A senior social-work major at MTSU who spent his spring break presenting research in India is this week’s guest on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 10, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Laurence Tumpag will talk about his trip to Chennai, India. He also will discuss how he overcame a traumatic childhood in which he suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his working mother’s male companions.
Tumpag is a McNair Scholar and recently was elected second vice president of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. His collection of Filipino dolls depicting various native tribes is on display outside the Global Studies office in Peck Hall.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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



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

[403] MTSU Goes 'In The Red' To Show Gender-Based Wage Disparities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU GOES ‘IN THE RED’ TO SHOW GENDER-BASED WAGE DISPARITIES
Equal Pay Day to Draw Attention to Male Earnings Advantage in Working World

(MURFREESBORO) –MTSU will observe Equal Pay Day with an information booth from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, on the Keathley University Center (KUC) knoll at MTSU. This event is free and open to the public.
The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau revealed in September 2010 that women who work full-time year-round make 77 cents on average for every dollar a male earns. Equal Pay Day is held in April each year because April symbolizes the month when women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the previous year.
According to the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, the average woman loses $431,000 in pay over the course of a 40-year career. Highly educated women lose more than undereducated women. Over a 40-year period, women with a college degree or more higher education lose $713,000 compared to a $270,000 loss for women who fail to finish high school.
Participants are encouraged to wear red on Equal Pay Day to symbolize the fact that women are still “in the red” compared to men. Payday candy bars will be distributed. In case of inclement weather, the information booth will be moved inside to the first floor of the KUC.
This event is sponsored by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, the American Association of University Women and the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students. For more information, contact Terri Johnson at 615-898-5989 or trjohnso@mtsu.edu.


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

[402] MTSU's Craig, Ehemann Earn Goldwater Scholarships; Rigsby Named Honorable Mention

Release date: April 8, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contacts: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu
Laura Clippard, 615-898-5464 or lclippar@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s Craig, Ehemann Earn Goldwater Scholarships;
Rigsby Named Honorable Mention

(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU students Evan Craig and Chris Ehemann have earned prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards, officials with the Hanover, N.H.-based program announced recently.
Lauren Rigsby, a third MTSU student, received honorable mention.
The Goldwater Scholarship program is designed to promote graduate study in the sciences.
Craig, a sophomore University Honors College Buchanan Fellow from Arlington, Tenn., and biology major, received a two-year Goldwater Scholarship that will pay him $7,500 per year for tuition, fees and room and board. He is the son of Elizabeth and Douglas Craig of Memphis.
“I see the scholarship as an opportunity to further my goals with research and continue on to graduate school,” said Craig, whose research is in the area of molecular biology working with dinoflagellates. He is working with Dr. Jeffrey Leblond on this project.
Ehemann, a senior from Tullahoma, is majoring in physics and mathematics. His Goldwater award is for $7,500 for one year. He is the son of Mark and Kristi Ehemann of Tullahoma.
“It’s nice to have the recognition. When you work so hard, often the only thing you get back is grades. I feel like I’ve chosen the right thing as a confirmation,” said Ehemann, whose research is being performed with Predrag Krstic at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Ehemann plans to get a Ph.D. in theoretical astrophysics and research exotic objects like new stars and black holes.
Rigsby, a junior Honors College Buchanan Fellow from Rockvale, plans to get a degree in medical physics and perform research in radiation oncology. She is the daughter of Alan and Delora Rigsby of Rockvale.
“I wasn’t expecting to get it. I had switched from premed to medical physics. This is showing me it’s the right way to go. I continue with the research I’m doing,” said Rigsby, whose research with Dr. Bill Robertson is in metamaterials – materials that can manipulate the properties of ultramagnetic waves.
All three are from the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
“This definitely is a door of opportunity,” Honors College Dean John Vile said.
“There will be other opportunities they should look into,” said Laura Clippard, Honors College adviser. “Lauren has two years left. She can reapply for it.
“This is a tribute to our strong science commitment and our faculty.”
Vile said MTSU, Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville are the state’s only colleges or universities to capture more than one Goldwater Scholarship this year.
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency established Nov. 14, 1986. The program honoring former U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue career in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. It is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields.
The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,095 math, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide, Vile said.
Goldwater Scholars have very impressive academic qualifications that have garnered attention of prestigious postgraduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 77 Rhodes Scholarships (including four in 2011), 108 Marshall Awards, 98 Churchill Scholarships and numerous other distinguished fellowships.
MTSU’s scholarships were coordinated through the Honors College’s Undergraduate Fellowship Office, which is headed by Clippard.
The University’s first known recipient, Taylor Barnes (’09), who is in graduate school at California Institute of Technology, earned a full Goldwater Scholarship in 2007. Alumna Shannon Murphy (’10), who now is in medical school at East Tennessee State University, received honorable mention in 2009.
The deadline to apply for next year’s Goldwater is Dec. 15 MTSU sophomores and juniors majoring in the fields of math, natural sciences and engineering should contact Clippard by email at fellows@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5464 for eligibility requirements, or visit www.mtsu.edu/honors/ufo.

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In Brief

MTSU students Evan Craig and Chris Ehemann have earned prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program awards, officials with the Hanover, N.H.-based program announced recently.
Lauren Rigsby, a third MTSU student, received honorable mention.
The Goldwater Scholarship program is designed to promote graduate study in the sciences.


Photo available

A high-resolution photo of the Goldwater Scholars honorees is available. To request, contact Randy Weiler in News and Media Relations by calling 615-898-5616 or 615-898-2919.



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

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