[255] MTSU's Alycia Gillaspie wins national outdoor clothing design contest

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 29, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gina.logue@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s Alycia Gillaspie wins national outdoor clothing design contest

MURFREESBORO — Alycia Gillaspie, an MTSU senior from Murfreesboro, has defeated four competitors from colleges across the country in a contest to design the best outdoor winter garment.

Gillaspie, an apparel design major who works part-time at Hancock Fabrics, won the “Project OR—Cycle 10” challenge at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, which took place Jan. 23-26 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I was shocked and almost cried,” recalled Gillaspie. “I felt overwhelmingly excited and very, very proud.”

The students were limited to 48 hours in which to create a garment suitable for outdoor activities using materials and products from businesses on the floor of the exhibition. The garments were judged by a panel of design, supplier and manufacturer industry professionals.

“During the 48 hours, I only slept a total of six hours,” said Gillaspie. “I stayed awake with coffee and determination.”

Gillaspie’s garment, a back country ski jacket, features fully separating side zipper vents, which are important for ventilation and allow the wearer to remove her pants without removing her boots.

Other features include a high-low hem, which is higher in the front than in the back for skiing comfort, and a pass-through pocket, which is open at both ends, for storing a safety beacon near the upper chest.

There are large zipper pockets behind pleat details at the abdomen. The raglan-style sleeves, which extend to the collar in one piece, provide the skier with room for extra movement.

The double-hood feature enables the skier to fit the larger outer shell hood over a helmet. A hidden fitted hood can be taken out of an inner back pocket and put over the head to go underneath the helmet. Gillaspie used technical fabric by ChiaHer for the outer shell and Polartec power stretch fleece for the fitted hood.

Gillaspie’s prize will be exposure in a national magazine. In addition, she will attend the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and mentor the next set of Project OR contestants. MTSU wins the right to have another student entered in the summer contest.

“Even though I won the competition, the other girls and I feel like we won together because we accomplished something we never thought we could have before,” said Gillaspie.

In spite of the intense deadline pressure in the contest and lack of sleep, Gillaspie says she did manage to do some networking.

“With the little time I had away from sewing, I did make some great job potential contacts,” she said.

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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[254] GRITS conference Feb. 6-8 at MTSU to spur girls in science

For release:  Jan. 25, 2013

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

Women in STEM Center contact: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, 615-904-8253 or Judith.Iriarte-Gross@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — The 2013 Girls Raised in Tennessee Science Collaborative Project Annual Conference will be held Wednesday through Friday, Feb. 6-8, in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building.

This year’s theme for the Girls Raised in Tennessee Science, or GRITS, conference is “Building STEM Capacity for Girls in the South.” STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

From across Tennessee and neighboring states, individuals and groups who want to see young girls and women become interested in STEM as a potential career path are welcome to register and attend. Visit http://tinyurl.com/MTGRITS2013 to register. There is a $25 registration fee.

“We will provide professional development workshops on tools and techniques needed to establish Expanding Your Horizons conferences to interested community groups, professional organizations, industrial and government agencies, higher education institutions and other interested groups and individuals,” said Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, director of MTSU’s Women in STEM Center and chemistry professor.

Expanding Your Horizons conferences encourage young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers. Through EYH Network programs, STEM role models and hands-on activities are provided for middle and high school girls. Conferences are held in 31 states and in Europe and Asia.

The professional development conference also will include:

• the sharing of best practices and lessons learned from Tennessee Expanding Your Horizons leaders and from the EYH Network;

• workshop presenters will discuss strategies to increase minority participation for both girls and workshop leaders; and

• identification of effective fundraising strategies and use of publicity, post-evaluation of attendees’ future EYH conferences and use of the online EYH conference registration and workshop leader content management systems.

To conclude the Wednesday, Feb. 6, opening day of business at 5:30 p.m., a panel of girls will share their EYH experiences. “EYH Nuts and Bolts” sessions will be held all three days.

Heather Gibbons, named CEO of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Expanding Your Horizons Network Dec. 1, 2012, will lead the “EYH Nuts and Bolts” workshops.

Gibbons has worked in informal science education for 18 years. Her national program experience includes management of a National Science Foundation-funded grant.

“MTSU has been an EYH site since 1996,” Iriarte-Gross said. “We’re excited Heather is coming. The ‘Nuts and Bolts’ are the A-to-Z of how you set up an EYH site and the steps one needs to take to do a conference.”

There also will be a special workshop by Techbridge called “Role Models Matter” for all participants from 8:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Feb. 7. An American Association of University Women presentation and lunch will follow the workshop. The AAUW Foundation is a primary sponsor of the conference.

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Photo captions

Judith Iriarte-Gross.jpg

Judith Iriarte-Gross (MTSU file photo)

Heather Gibbons1.jpg

Heather Gibbons (Submitted photo)

      MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news any time, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

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[253] Daily campus tours resume at MTSU

For release:  Jan. 24, 2013

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

MTSU admissions contact: Melinda Thomas, 615-898-5280 or Melinda.Thomas@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — MTSU Office of Admissions-sponsored daily campus tours have resumed for the spring semester. Tours starting at the New Student Union Building and lasting approximately 90 minutes will be available at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Campus tours program coordinator Betty Pedigo said no daily tours are available Thursday, Jan. 31, and Friday, April 12 (True Blue Experience Days); Monday, Feb. 18 (University Honors College Presidents Day Open House); Monday through Friday, March 11-15 (spring break) and Friday, March 22 (Spring Preview Day). The last daily tour of the semester will be Wednesday, May 1.

Led by student guides, campus tours include stops in the James E. Walker Library, the recording industry facilities in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building and end in Keathley University Center. An admission counselor provides a short presentation before the tour begins.

Housing tours are available separate from the campus tour at 12:15 and 3:15 p.m., respectively.

To register for the daily tours, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.php. For special events, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/admissn/_RSVP.php. Directions to the MTSU campus can be found at those sites. It is recommended attendees utilize the Rutherford Boulevard parking lot. A printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13. 

For more information, email tours@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5670.

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Photo caption

Campus tours200.jpg

The McGuire family, who drove from Columbia, Tenn., for the October 2012 True Blue Experience at MTSU, watch as Melinda Thomas, left, MTSU admissions director of recruitment, directs Columbia Central High senior Salama McGuire to special events in the new Student Union Building. (MTSU file photo by News and Media Relations)

       MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news any time, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

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[252] New MTSU Magazine features horse science program, Murphy Center, more

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 29, 2013
CONTACT: Drew Ruble, 615-494-7752 or drew.ruble@mtsu.edu


MURFREESBORO — The latest edition of the award-winning MTSU Magazine is stepping high with a profile on the university’s unique Horse Science Program and its outstanding results in placing graduates in jobs in the horse industry.

MTSU, which has the only horse science program in Tennessee and added one of the nation’s first master’s degree options in 2011, is well-regarded throughout the Southeast for both its equestrian teams and its equine education programs.

Other articles in the January edition show Murphy Center’s impact on the local community over its four decades in existence, as well as in-depth looks at MTSU’s programs in commercial songwriting and electronic media communication and their real-world learning that allows students to turn their professional dreams into reality, all the while helping to improve the Middle Tennessee workforce.

The magazine also includes features on:

MTSU’s resident butterfly expert;
the university’s bass fishing squad;
the already wildly successful $80 million fundraising campaign;
a renowned Google privacy expert; and
MTSU’s most active and successful graduates.

Readers may also download MTSU Magazine free for their iPads. The MTSU Mag app, available in the iTunes store, includes special iPad-only multimedia content built into every issue that’s not available in the print editions.

Printed copies of MTSU Magazine, which has been recognized for excellence by the Tennessee College Public Relations Association, the Nashville Public Relations Society of America and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, are distributed twice annually to more than 100,000 alumni readers. The publication also is distributed to interested community members, including state lawmakers and members of the Tennessee Board of Regents.

The magazine is also available online at www.mtsumagazine.com.

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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[251] Learning Arabic is fun in noncredit MTSU course

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FOR RELEASE: Jan. 28, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gina.logue@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — MTSU’s Center for Accelerated Language Acquisition is offering an interesting and dynamic way for adults to learn Arabic.

The noncredit beginners’ Arabic course will meet from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. beginning Thursday, Feb. 21, and run through Thursday, April 18, in Room 116 of the Paul H. Martin Honors Building.

This class is both for students who are starting from scratch and those who already have learned the Arabic alphabet. Content will be a mixture of high-frequency vocabulary that will enable students to start expressing themselves in Arabic.

All the vocabulary and stories will be given in both forms: transliterated into the English alphabet for beginners and in Arabic characters for those who have studied them.

Ahmad Jeddeeni, a native Syrian who has taught Arabic at Damascus University and for one year at MTSU on a Fulbright Scholarship, will be the instructor. After teaching at the American embassy in Syria for two years, he has returned to MTSU.

Jeddeeni will use two methods: Total Physical Response (TPR) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS).

In TPR, the instructor and students interact with the new vocabulary through hands-on activities. This vocabulary is then used in TPRS, where the students apply it to create stories with the teacher. The result is a less stressful internalization of the language and its grammar, much like the way our first language was learned.

Tuition is $300. MTSU students will receive a 75 percent discount. MTSU faculty and staff and their family members will receive a 50 percent discount.

For more information, contact Dr. Shelley Thomas of the MTSU Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at 615-898-5757 or shelley.thomas@mtsu.edu. To register or to view videos of the TPR and TPRS techniques in practice, go to www.acceleratedacquisition.com.

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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[250] MTSU Professor discusses crossing artistic frontiers of time, space

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 28, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gina.logue@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — An MTSU faculty member is preparing to burst through the time-space continuum artistically and she invites you to join her.

Assistant Professor Kathleen O’Connell will discuss her art exhibit, “Crossing Time and Space,” at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the James E. Walker Library.

O’Connell cites time, space and travel as major elements of her creative process. The exhibit highlights the book art she has produced over the last seven years. O’Connell also works in printmaking, drawing and sculpture and incorporates aspects of these media into her artists’ books.

Born and raised in Plattsburgh, N.Y., O’Connell earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the State University of New York in Plattsburgh and a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to moving to Murfreesboro, O’Connell lived for a time in Lima, Peru.

O’Connell’s exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be on display between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through Thursday, Jan. 31. For more information, contact Dr. Alan Boehm at 615-904-8501 or alan.boehm@mtsu.edu. To view photographs of the artist’s other works, visit www.kathleenoconnell.net.

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PHOTO ATTACHED:  ‘Huaca Huaca Batch’ is part of assistant professor Kathleen O’Connell’s book arts exhibit, ‘Crossing Time and Space,’ on display through Thursday, Jan. 31, at MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. The final card reads ‘Inspired by the occasions that I have come across a huaca in Lima (Peru).’ ‘Huaca’ is a term used by the Quechuas of South America to describe a revered object, sometimes a monument.

MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[249] Ensemble to perform 17th century music of a 'rebel queen' Feb. 3 at MTSU

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FOR RELEASE: Jan. 25, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493 or tim.musselman@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — Performing the music beloved by a gender-bending, 17th-century Swedish queen sounds like quite a challenge, but the acclaimed musical ensemble Armonia Celeste, performing Sunday, Feb. 3, in MTSU’s Hinton Music Hall, is ready to meet it.

The ensemble’s free public performance of “The Rebel Queen: Christina’s Swedish Court in Rome” at 7 p.m. inside the Wright Music Building will feature three singers and two musicians playing period plucked-string instruments.

They’ll reproduce the sacred and secular music created for Queen Christina, who shocked Europe in 1654 when she abdicated the Swedish throne, discarded her Lutheran faith to embrace Catholicism and headed to Rome, often dressing as a knight en route, and became a major musical patron.

Armonia Celeste’s MTSU concert will feature sacred music from Christina’s chapels as well as accessible secular pieces from her royal courts, including music written by such period luminaries as Giacomo Carissimi and Luigi Rossi.

“The plucked-string, improvised instrumental accompaniment supports the voices of three women entwining in close harmony — somewhat reminiscent of the Andrews Sisters, had they been performing 300 years earlier — in trios, duets and solos,” said Dr. George Riordan, director of the MTSU School of Music.

“Interspersed with instrumental selections, they will transport the listener back in time to an age of gilded splendor and political intrigue.”

Armonia Celeste specializes in a rarely heard repertoire from the Italian Renaissance and early Baroque period. The group is one of the hottest emerging ensembles in early music and was a finalist in last year’s Naxos/Early Music America contest, which promotes new groups in the field with a CD produced by Naxos and concerts at major performance venues. 

The Feb. 3 MTSU performance is the second stop in the ensemble’s February “Rebel Queen” series of concerts. They are scheduled for concerts in Georgia, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas next month.

Armonia Celeste’s members include sopranos Rebecca Choate Beasley and Sarah Grifiths, mezzo-soprano Dianna Grabowski, harpist Paula Fagerberg and lutenist and conductor Lyle Nordstrom. Beasley will be replaced at the MTSU concert by soprano Estelí Gomez, who is touring with the ensemble for the “Rebel Queen” series.

In addition to the lute, Nordstorm plays theorbo and Baroque guitar. Fagerberg will be playing a rare copy of the circa-1630 Barberini Baroque triple harp at this concert.

For more details about Armonia Celeste — and Queen Christina — visit www.armoniaceleste.wordpress.com. For more MTSU School of Music concert information, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the "Concert Calendar" link.

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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[248] Black History Month in spotlight on 'MTSU On the Record'

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FOR RELEASE: Jan. 25, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gina.logue@mtsu.edu

Black History Month in spotlight on ‘MTSU On the Record’

MURFREESBORO — The next edition of the ‘MTSU On the Record’ radio program will preview MTSU’s annual celebration of Black History Month.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Vincent Windrow, director of the MTSU Intercultural and Diversity Center and chair of the Black History Month Committee, will air at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28, and 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).

The theme of this year’s observance is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.”

This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln’s executive order proclaiming all blacks enslaved in the Confederate states to be free.

It also marks the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom spearheaded by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was at this march on the Washington, D.C., mall where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

To listen to previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to the “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

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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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[247] Raiders' Closet helps MTSU students dress for job-hunting success

FOR RELEASE: Jan. 24, 2013

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gina.logue@mtsu.edu

Raiders’ Closet helps MTSU students dress for job-hunting success

MURFREESBORO — MTSU students looking for appropriate clothing for job interviews need look no further than their own campus with the creation of Raiders’ Closet.

The Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship will debut the repository of professional attire from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, in Room 130A on the south side of the Business and Aerospace Building.

Raiders’ Closet will be open each Friday at that same time so that students from Phi Beta Lambda may collect donations of clean, gently-used men’s and women’s clothing in all sizes and help students find what they need.

Dr. K. Virginia Hemby-Grubb, an expert on business etiquette and comportment, came up with the idea. Some of the business suits and dresses currently on the racks were hers.

“In the process of losing 60 pounds, I lost a whole closet full of nice clothes,” said Hemby-Grubb. “I have a lot of women’s suits in various colors, and they’re in good shape.”

The closets in Room 130A run the width of the room. The closet on the left side will serve as a dressing room. Dr. Jim Burton, retiring dean of the College of Business, donated seed money for rollable clothing racks, and Hemby-Grubb purchased size dividers and vinyl coverings to protect the garments from dust.

“We’d really like to see this grow into a university community project and grow into a larger space in time if we need it,” Hemby-Grubb said.

Raiders’ Closet will accept donations of suits, ties, dresses, blouses, shoes, accessories — anything one might wear to a job interview.

“We’re not accepting things you would take to Goodwill just to clean out your closet,” said Hemby-Grubb. “We want our MTSU graduates to come out of here looking professional.”

Unfortunately, too many students either can’t afford business clothes or have mistaken ideas about what to wear, she said. The professor said some students go to career fairs looking as though they just rolled out of bed. Others think they can wear tight, low-cut dresses and high heels or display their piercings and tattoos in a business setting.

“You should spend the time and the effort to put on a suit and tie, or in a woman’s case, a suit with a nice blouse,” Hemby-Grubb said. “These people are taking time out from their busy day to interview you because they thought your resume was impressive enough to schedule an interview. So show them the respect they deserve.”

Students will be allowed to take their fashion selections and keep them in perpetuity for no charge.

Donations may be made at Raiders’ Closet each Friday or in the Business Communication and Entrepreneurship office in Room 429N of the Business and Aerospace Building between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information, contact Hemby-Grubb at 615-898-2369 or virginia.hemby-grubb@mtsu.edu, or Jaye Kiblinger at 615-898-2902 or jaye.kiblinger@mtsu.edu.

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MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[246] MTSU, China aviation group reach agreement for training pilots of new aircraft

For release:  Jan. 23, 2013

MTSU Marketing and Communication contact: Andrew Oppmann, 615-494-7800 (office), 615-339-8851 (cell) or Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu

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

MURFREESBORO — With MTSU’s nationally recognized aerospace program as a focal point, five groups announced the establishment of an agreement in principle Jan. 23 to work together to help train Chinese pilots on their new Beechcraft King Air 350 Extended Range airplane currently housed in Smyrna, Tenn.

Along with state Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, officials from MTSU, the Civil Aviation Authority in China, China-based Flying Dragon General Aviation Co. Ltd., Franklin, Tenn.-based PacUS LLC and Smyrna-based Corporate Flight Management announced the agreement during a morning meeting in the new Student Union Building.

Civil Aviation Authority in China officials discussed their interest in helping MTSU and Corporate Flight Management gain approval for training pilots on the new plane.

 “We’re now in a position to provide training expertise and the support they will need,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, making reference to the Chinese civil aviation authority. “… We are ready to go with this initiative. One of our goals is partnerships with business and industry. The aviation industry in China is about to explode. FedEx and UPS are just waiting for this.”

Mike Vaughn, president of PacUS LLC, orchestrated all parties coming together on the agreement.

“Today, the success is realized,” Vaughn said, sharing that it all began two years ago when MTSU held a general aviation conference with the China National Aerospace University (Beihang University) at the MTSU’s flight center at Murfreesboro Airport.

“Since then, our business has grown,” he added. “We are comfortable doing business with China as Tennesseans. Trade is part of our heritage and we are proud to represent our state through commerce. Today is a milestone for us and we look forward to more sales and visits from China in the future.”

The Beechcraft King Air will be based in Qinghai, in the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau. The airplane will fly with a rear-tail, boom-mounted magnetometer used for geophysical and geochemical exploration in the Tibetan Plateau. Valued at more than $10 million, the U.S. export deal was arranged by the Franklin, Tenn.-based international business management company, PacUS LLC, and its Hong Kong affiliate, CFM China Ltd.

Vaughn added that wheels will be turning in all the application processes “in the next 30 days or so.”

Speaking through interpreter Jenny Wei, an MTSU aerospace graduate student who interns for Corporate Flight Management and PacUS and who will graduate in May, Chinese team leader Renhao Zhang said he “is excited to be here for the acceptance of the aircraft (King Air),” and “glad to see the cooperation” between all parties.

Zhang represented the Civil Aviation Authority in China Northeast Division. He was joined by fellow CAAC Northeast Division associates Bo Liang and Bin Yang, and Guowei Wang of China Flying Dragon during both today’s announcement and their week-long visit to Middle Tennessee.

Ketron, representing Gov. Bill Haslam, spoke of how this alliance means “the opening of doors and creation of jobs, helping the economy.”

The Civil Aviation Authority in China is the equivalent to the U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration.

Dr. Ron Ferrara, interim chair of the MTSU aerospace department, said students would benefit from “more exposure to international students and it might open opportunities for them overseas.”

The airplane is housed at Corporate Flight Management’s hangar at the Smyrna Airport. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China also is interested in purchasing maintenance services here. 

Negotiations for selling the planes began in 2011 when Chinese Aero Geophysical Survey Remote officials visited Tennessee. The plane, which is the first of its type in China, will be delivered to Harbin, China, for their Aero Geophysical Survey Remote Sensing Center for Land and Resources, a division of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources. Company officials are in Rutherford County for the final on-site inspection before the plane is shipped to China.

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Photo captions

Discussing agreement.jpg

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, second from left, discusses the economic impact of the agreement in principle reached by five business partners. Listening to McPhee are, at left, state Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, Renhao Zhang of the Civil Aviation Authority in China Northeast Division and Mike Vaughn, president of Franklin-based PacUS LLC. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt/Creative and Visual Services)

King Air 350 Extended Range.jpg

The Beechcraft King Air 350 Extended Range will be used for geophysical and geochemical exploration in the Tibetan plateau. (File photo provided by Mike Vaughn)

       MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news any time, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

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[245] Middle Tennessee to begin Conference USA competition in 2013

For release:                          Jan. 22, 2013

Editorial contacts: Mark Owens (Athletics), 615-898-5057, or owens@goblueraiders.com

                                    Andrew Oppmann (University), 615-339-8851 or Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu

University negotiates earlier exit from Sun Belt Conference

MURFREESBORO —Middle Tennessee State University will become a full member of Conference USA on July 1, 2013, after agreeing Tuesday to separate early from the Sun Belt Conference.

MTSU announced Nov. 29, 2012, that it would join C-USA no later than July 1, 2014. However, the University decided recently to negotiate with C-USA and the Sun Belt to make the change effective with the 2013-14 academic year.

“While we have been proud members of the Sun Belt Conference, it was felt that it was in the best interest of the University, our student-athletes and supporters to accelerate our move to Conference USA,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.

“C-USA’s television partnerships, increased bowl tie-ins and larger national footprint will provide better and stronger platforms for our athletics program and our University,” McPhee said.

The University has spent the last 12-plus years in the Sun Belt, where it has won eight All-Sports trophies and 54 conference championships.

MTSU, which joined the Sun Belt on July 1, 2000, will leave the SBC with a league-best 50 conference football wins, while also ranking first in victories over automatic qualifying conferences. Other notable milestones in the MTSU-Sun Belt partnership:

• MTSU had four Sun Belt Athletes of the Year and 38 Coach of the Year winners.
• In men’s basketball, Head Coach Kermit Davis is just seven wins shy of becoming the SBC’s all-time winningest coach, while the women’s basketball program has won 80 percent of its conference games.
• The Blue Raiders also played on national television 43 times from 2004 until now.

“We have enjoyed a great partnership with the Sun Belt Conference, which has provided us many avenues to further improve our athletic program,” said Director of Athletics Chris Massaro.

“We look forward to our future in Conference USA and are excited about developing new relationships with its member schools,” Massaro said. “I am really eager to see how our 2013 home football schedule shapes up.”

The C-USA membership beginning July 1, 2013, will include Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, Alabama-Birmingham, Texas-El Paso and the Texas-San Antonio.

C-USA’s existing media contracts include television partnerships with Fox Sports Media Group, CBS Sports Network and ESPN.

“Middle Tennessee has been one of the amazing growth stories in higher education and intercollegiate athletics. We are delighted to have them with us next year. The university has great leadership and will definitely contribute to our plan for the conference,” added C-USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky.

The Blue Raiders will begin their quest for C-USA titles in August with eight being available for men and nine for women.

The men will compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The women will take part in basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, volleyball, soccer, and softball.

MTSU will not field teams in men's soccer, women's rowing, and women's swimming and diving.

About MTSU:

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is the oldest and largest institution in the Tennessee Board of Regents system. It is the No. 1 choice of Tennessee undergraduates and its main campus occupies 500 acres at the geographic center of the state, making it a convenient drive east to the Appalachians or west to the mighty Mississippi.

MTSU also features programs on a 500-acre agricultural campus in Rutherford County; an equine research and science facility in north Murfreesboro; an aerospace campus at the Murfreesboro airport; and a satellite education center in Shelbyville.

A comprehensive university, MTSU offers more than 140 undergraduate programs in eight colleges. The College of Graduate Studies oversees more than 55 programs, including doctoral study.

In its earliest days, MTSU was a teachers college and still educates many of our most dedicated teachers. It also has the largest recording industry program in the nation, strong reputations in business, aerospace, nursing, and mass communication, and a lasting commitment to the sciences and liberal arts. The University Honors College was the first in Tennessee.

I am True Blue:

MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there is a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[244] True Blue Experience Day set Jan. 31 for prospective students

For release: Jan. 23, 2013

Editorial contact: Rob Patterson, 615-898-2235 or Rob. Patterson@mtsu.edu

News and Media Relations contact: Jimmy Hart, 615-898-5131 or Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — Prospective MTSU students and their guests are invited for an in-depth look at the MTSU campus and to meet with someone from two academic colleges of their choice during the upcoming True Blue Experience Day.

Set for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, the student recruitment event allows prospective students and their parents or guardians to get information on general requirements, student involvement, and housing and campus tours.

The program will begin promptly at 10 a.m., so attendees are strongly encouraged to plan to arrive early for parking and checking in.

Following the Jan. 31 event, the next True Blue Experience Day is set for April 12.

To register for either event or for more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/rsvp.

About MTSU

Founded in 1911 as one of three state normal schools for teacher training, MTSU is now the oldest and largest public university in Middle Tennessee. With an enrollment of more than 25,000 students, MTSU is the largest undergraduate university in Tennessee.

MTSU remains committed to providing individualized service in an exciting and nurturing atmosphere where student success is the top priority. With a wide variety of nationally recognized academic degree programs at the baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels, MTSU takes pride in educating the best and the brightest students from Tennessee and around the world.

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Media welcomed

A printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.

            MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.

[243] MTSU ramps up for WKU rivalry with 'True Blue Week' Jan. 21-27

For release:  Jan. 20, 2013

News and Media Relations contact: Jimmy Hart, 615-898-5131 or Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu

MTSU Athletics contact: Marco Born, 615-898-5260 or Marco.Born@mtsu.edu

MURFREESBORO — MTSU is encouraging Blue Raider fans and supporters to observe Jan. 21-27 as “True Blue Week,” culminating with the men’s and women’s basketball teams taking on Sun Belt Conference archrival Western Kentucky at Murphy Center.

Spearheaded by the MTSU Athletics Department, the week aims to build fan support and turnout for the WKU games, which features a men’s contest scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. Jan. 26 and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The women’s contest will start at 2 p.m. Jan. 27.

MTSU representatives Diane Turnham, associate athletic director, and Coby Sherlock, president of the Student Government Association, accepted an official mayoral proclamation for “True Blue Week” last Thursday night at the Rutherford County Commission meeting. The city of Murfreesboro has also made a proclamation as well.

Blue Raider fans should wear blue throughout the week and fly their MTSU car flags. Businesses and restaurants around town are encouraged to have their staffs to wear blue, and those businesses with marquees outside are asked to promote the games.

“This is possibly the last time or one of the last times we’re going to play Western as a conference rival with our pending move to Conference USA,” said Marco Born, MTSU assistant athletic director for ticketing and marketing. Born pointed out the “Plus 1” promotional push for season ticket holders to bring one extra fan with them to the games.

As announced in late November, MTSU athletics will be leaving the Sun Belt Conference to join Conference USA no later than July 2014.

Tickets for the games are $10. For ticket information, call 1-888-YES-MTSU or 615-898-5261. You can also visit www.goblueraiders.com and click on the “Tickets” tab at the top of the page.

But “True Blue Week” isn’t just about hoops.

The week also highlights the university’s beliefs expressed in its True Blue Pledge, which spells out four core values: honesty and integrity; respect for diversity; engagement in the community; and a commitment to reason, not violence. (Learn more at http://www.mtsu.edu/trueblue/.)

All of those values will be in focus on Monday, Jan. 21, when MTSU’s Center for Student Involvement and Leadership and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs present the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Program from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Keathley University Center Theater.

Members of the MTSU community will gather to honor King’s life and legacy. The theme for this year’s celebration is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.”

The free public event will feature a keynote speaker and remarks from a diverse group of presenters.

Note to media: Photos attached

True Blue logo.jpg

True Blue Week photo.jpg

CAPTION: Rutherford County Commissioner Jeff Phillips, center, reads a proclamation at Thursday’s County Commission meeting denoting the week of Jan. 21-27 as “True Blue Week.” Accepting the proclamation inside the County Courthouse are, at far left, MTSU representatives Diane Turnham, associate athletic director, and Coby Sherlock, Student Government Association president. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

            MTSU is committed to developing a community devoted to learning, growth, and service. We hold these values dear, and there’s a simple phrase that conveys them:  “I am True Blue.” Learn more at www.mtsu.edu/trueblue. For MTSU news anytime, visit www.MTSUNews.com.