MTSU’s Experiential
Learning Program has recognized the hard work of three individuals by
presenting them with the 2016 Outstanding EXL Faculty Award.
Since its
establishment in 2006, MTSU’s EXL Program has provided students with hands-on
learning in a specific work or service. It presents these annual awards to
faculty members who go above and beyond in providing their students with
experiential learning opportunities.
The 2016
winners are Odie Blackmon, Dr. Tricia Farwell and Dr. Lauren Rudd.
• Odie
Blackmon, assistant
professor of Recording Industry and Commercial Songwriting Concentration
coordinator, was honored due to his commitment in providing educational and
professional experiences for his students.
Since
joining the Department of Recording Industry in 2014, Blackmon has
continuously provided experiential learning to his students by the creation of
new courses, establishment of the MTSU Student Songwriter Showcase, and a
fundraiser that brought $10,000 to the university’s Songwriting program.
Additionally, Blackmon connects his students with professionals in the music
industry through a number of partnerships. These partners include ASCAP, Grammy
Award-winning artists and songwriters such as Alison Krauss and R.L. Castleman,
artist manager Mike Doyle, industry publishers such as BMG Music Publishing,
and many more. Blackmon even helped students secure summer jobs at the George
Jones Museum after working with Jones’s widow, Nancy.
Advanced
songwriting students praised Blackmon’s commitment to the class, saying, “Odie
has such a strong desire for his students to succeed, so he works hard to give
us opportunities that set us up for success. Writing songs with the Australian
students and recording them in RCA Studio A was just one of the many incredible
experiences we got through Odie during our Advanced Songwriting class. This
class is so valuable and I can’t believe how lucky we are to have been a part
of it.”
“It has been
my goal, since becoming a faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University,
to craft experiences for my students that will not only offer them the
opportunity to learn practical skills in the recording industry field but to
take them to settings where they will attain first-hand knowledge of the music
business by talking to and working with industry professionals,” Blackmon said.
• Associate professor of advertising Dr.
Tricia Farwell was also honored because of the success in her Advertising
Campaigns and Internship/Practicum courses in the School of
Journalism.
In Farwell’s
Advertising Campaigns course, students have the opportunity to research,
design, and implement advertising campaigns for community partners. In some
instances, students have even received awards for their hard work and
dedication. In spring 2013, a group of Farwell’s students won first place in
the America’s Natural Gas Alliance Collegiate Energy Challenge, receiving a
$5,000 reward and trip to present their campaign in Washington, D.C.
In
discussing Farwell’s campaigns class, assistant journalism professor Katie Foss
said, “Her consistent regard for students being able to connect to the material
beyond the textbook has been instrumental in preparing her students for a life
in advertising and public relations.”
Farwell
noted that advertising students have more opportunities through the EXL
Program: “Having the connection to EXL encouraged us to incorporate a stronger
reflective element through weekly journaling. The impact on the course was
huge. The students were making connections beyond the classroom in areas of
teamwork, professional development, community, and advertising in general.”
• Dr.
Lauren Rudd,
assistant professor in the Department of Human Sciences, was honored for
her work in service learning by offering diverse learning opportunities for her
students and spearheading faculty involvement in the EXL Program.
Rudd has
greatly contributed to student success through a variety of class projects. In
Social Aspects of Clothing, Rudd gave students the chance to gain perspective
by trying on the headdress of diverse cultures. In Computer-Aided Apparel
Design, students were also given the opportunity to create window displays for
Garden Patch (a local Greenhouse Ministries thrift store) and develop marketing
strategies to increase donations. In the future, Rudd plans to include
Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School students in purchasing, reconstructing and
styling clothes from the store.
“Working
with elementary school students will help encourage awareness of the community
services that Greenhouse provides, and expose the youngsters to career
opportunities and information regarding their interests and abilities,” she
said. “Positive relationships are formed between the university and elementary
students through demonstrating to the kids that everyone, even at a young age,
can have a positive impact within the community.”
Rudd has
also collaborated with the Organizational Communication Department to train
student assistants in a quilt workshop for young people with disabilities.
Additionally, she has submitted 27 courses to potentially join the Experiential
Learning Program, helping more students graduate as Experiential Learning
Scholars.
