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MTSU Magazine’s new iPad-only edition features grads, gifts, alums

May 22, 2013 By

The newest, iPad-only mini-version of MTSU Magazine is sure to keep the university’s growing Web and app audiences “in the know” about all things MTSU.

From a photographic look back at the recent Alumni Weekend activities to expert commentary on Cuba, this edition covers a broad swath of topics and perspectives.

Click on the cover above to download the iPad-only version of MTSU Magazine.

Click on the cover above to download the iPad-only version of MTSU Magazine.

Available through the MTSU Magazine app on iTunes, the electronic-only version includes stories with multimedia content that aren’t available in print.

The latest edition includes a look at:

  • MTSU’s May commencement ceremonies, featuring the largest graduating class in school history, speeches by Gov. Bill Haslam and alumnus Pete Fisher (’87), general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, and the first two honorary degrees in MTSU’s 102-year history, given to former U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon and the late Nobel Prize winner James Buchanan.
  • Former Blue Raider baseball players plying their wares professionally this spring.
  • Three young scholars who respectively have studied parasites in horse manure, written a new language and soared to new heights in aerospace research — good examples of the varied student research efforts occurring daily at MTSU.
  • How a retired professor’s donation will give MTSU’s photography collection a new home.

Readers of MTSU Magazine may now download the free mini-version to their iPads or iPhones at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mtsu-mag/id531162285?mt=8.

The content in the mini-magazine also is available at www.mtsumagazine.com.

The next print edition of MTSU Magazine will reach alumni and friends by mail in July.

— Drew Ruble (drew.ruble@mtsu.edu)

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New roundabout closes some roads for summer on MTSU campus

May 15, 2013 By

A new roundabout project scheduled to begin this week on the north side of the MTSU campus will require partial closure of some campus roads.

The roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Champion Way and Lightning Way, said Ron Malone, assistant vice president for events and transportation.

In order for the project to be completed by fall, Champion Way will be closed at Faulkinberry Drive and at the entrance to the Holmes Building. Lightning Way will also be closed at Founders Lane, Malone said.

Access to the north side of campus will remain available via Blue Raider Drive from Greenland Drive.

A map of the road closings may be found at the MTSU Parking and Transportation Services website, www.mtsu.edu/parking under the “Summer 2013 Road Construction” tab, or visit http://bit.ly/mtsu-roundabout-2013. You also can see a close-up view of the affected area at left.

As construction progresses, the university will accommodate summer modifications to the “Green Route” shuttle bus for students. MTSU Parking and Transportation Services will notify the campus of these route changes when they become necessary.

The roundabout project is part of an overall campus improvement plan designed to improve shuttle bus efficiency and traffic flow, relieve traffic congestion, improve pedestrian walkways and lighting, and provide bike lanes into campus and around the perimeter of the academic core.

The four-phase, $30 million traffic plan has already created two roundabouts on campus: Blue Raider Drive at MTSU Boulevard, which was the first of its kind at a Tennessee public university when it opened in 2008, and Blue Raider Drive at Lightning Way at the northwest edge of Scarlett Commons.

Campus officials chose the roundabout route after studying a safety report indicating that roundabouts are safer than traditional traffic circles and intersections, showing about 40 percent fewer collisions and 80 percent fewer injuries to drivers and pedestrians. Other universities with traffic roundabouts include Stanford University, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland.

Click on the graphic above for a printable version of MTSU’s summer 2013 campus road closings map.

Work begins this week on a new roundabout at the intersection of Champion Way and Lightning Way. The project will require the partial closure of some campus roads this summer. (MTSU photo by News and Media Relations)

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MTSU on national Higher Ed Community Service Honor Roll

May 13, 2013 By

Middle Tennessee State University has again been recognized for its community service efforts with inclusion on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities throughout the nation play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

MTSU student volunteers work with Habitat for Humanity crews on the 2012 Habitat Blitz Build on Sevier Street in Murfreesboro. (MTSU file photo)

Dr. Rosemary Owens, strategic partnership coordinator in MTSU’s provost office, said the accolade is a reflection of campuswide support for public service.

This is the third time MTSU has made the national list.

“This is an additional representation of the kinds of things we do out in the community with our students, faculty and staff,” Owens said. “Every division participates in this.”

The 2013 recipients were announced earlier this spring at the American Council on Education’s 95th annual meeting,”Leading Change,” in Washington, D.C.

Owens said MTSU’s designation reflects the university’s work via partnerships within the local community and throughout the region as well as internationally.

Among the initiatives highlighted is MTSU’s Experiential Learning Scholars Program, which encourages students to participate in service-learning activities such as Habitat for Humanity Blitz Builds and after-school tutoring at area schools. During the 2011-12 academic year, students performed almost 198,000 hours of community service work.

MTSU faculty, staff and student volunteers broke ground on a Habitat for Humanity home, their third home for a Rutherford County resident, in January 2012. The project was unique in that the only onsite volunteers were members of the MTSU community.

Dr. Rosemary Owens

The home, which marked Rutherford County Habitat’s 109th, and was built in the neighborhood surrounding MTSU. Organizers said it honored MTSU’s commitment “to being a good neighbor and its recognition that it takes good neighbors to build a house.”

Pres Higher Ed LogoMTSU students, faculty and staff pitched in with labor and collecting donations. The house was completed and was dedicated to its new owner, Yvonne Summers, on April 26, 2012.

“The MTSU volunteers were ecstatic to be able to participate in an event so life-altering for Ms. Summers and her family,”  Dr. Danny Kelley, assistant vice president for student affairs at MTSU, said in the honor roll application.

“The partnership that MTSU has with Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity is recognized as one of the best the university has with any entity or organization.”

Find the entire 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll here.

The Corporation of National and Community Service oversees the honor roll designation process. It is supported by a collaborative of the U.S. Department of Education, American Council of Education, Campus Compact and the U.S. Department of Housing .

Established in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs — Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and the Social Innovation Fund — and leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)

 

New homeowner Yvonne Summers, center, is joined by MTSU volunteers at the April 26, 2012, dedication ceremony for her new home, which boasts a Raider blue mailbox. Leadership and Service Director Jackie Victory, standing next to Ms. Summers, and MTSU then-sophomore Randall Thomas, far right, spoke at the event. (FIle photo by MTSU Office of Leadership and Service)

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MTSU will offer Jewish culture courses for evening students

May 9, 2013 By

MTSU will offer a new opportunity for evening students beginning in fall 2013.

Jewish & Historical Studies minor graphic for webA new section of “Jewish Culture and Civilization,” Course No. 3010 in the Jewish and Holocaust Studies minor, will be made available from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The course charts the history and development of Jewish life and thought from the pre-biblical period to the present, including folkways, religious and philosophical traditions, and contributions to politics, science and the arts.

In addition, the course will explore the rich though sometimes complicated relationship between Jews and the emerging West.

The course has no prerequisites and meets requirements in upper-division hours and the Jewish and Holocaust Studies minor. It also provides elective credit in religious studies and global studies.

This is a seminar-style opportunity for undergraduates at all levels. However, it will cap at 20 students.

For more information, contact Dr. Elyce Helford, director of the Jewish and Holocaust Studies minor, at 615-898-5961 or elyce.helford@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)

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MTSU EXL Scholars program receives top regional award

May 6, 2013 By

The Experiential Learning Scholars program at Middle Tennessee State University was honored recently with a top award for higher education credit programs.

MTSU received the Outstanding Credit Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education South “in recognition of the excellent nature and results” of the Experiential Learning Scholars, or EXL, program.

MTSU launched the program in spring 2006 as a pilot project in conjunction with a universitywide improvement plan. EXL courses provide students with opportunities for hands-on experience in their fields of study, valuable networking with professionals and an opportunity to explore career paths through real-world activities.

Carol Swayze, center, Experiential Learning program director at Middle Tennessee State University, receives the Outstanding Credit Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education South at an April 22 award luncheon in Sandestin, Fla. Also in the photo are, at left, Amy Johnson, ACHE South Regional president, and David Grebel, ACHE president. (photo submitted)

The EXL Scholars program formalizes and organizes several existing experiential learning activities into a comprehensive program of study.

“We are fortunate to have such an exceptional team of faculty, staff and community partners who are providing a top quality educational experience for our students,” said EXL Director Carol Swayze, who accepted the award April 22 at a luncheon in Sandestin, Fla.

“This honor is truly a reflection on the quality of work performed by the founding committee and speaks to the dedication of MTSU to student success.”

Dr. Jill Austin, a professor of management and marketing at MTSU, chaired the committee that launched EXL and served as program director for five years.

“I am very pleased to learn that the EXL program is being recognized outside of the university for its contribution to student learning,” Austin said. “The program was developed by many faculty, staff, students and community members in hopes that students will be more engaged in the learning process and will have an enriched learning experience at MTSU.

Dr. Jill Austin

“This award is an indicator that EXL is making an impact beyond our campus and community.”

MTSU had 54 EXL faculty members at end of the program’s first year, and participation has grown considerably since. In the 2012-13 academic year, the EXL program includes 27 departments, 191 faculty members, 470 course sections and 7,263 participating students.

EXL color logo webTo date, almost 30,500 MTSU students have taken EXL courses, and almost 1,100 students have completed all the requirements to graduate with the distinction of EXL Scholar.

“This award is a direct result of the leadership of Dr. Jill Austin and the EXL QEP Committee made up of MTSU administrators and faculty and the current direction of Carol Swayze,” said Dr. Dianna Rust, associate dean of the University College at MTSU.

“The Experiential Learning Scholars program outcomes have been significant in student contribution to the community in terms of service, internships and practicums as well as in student satisfaction and learning outcomes.”

The EXL Scholar designation is awarded only to students who have completed a minimum of 16 credit hours of EXL coursework and other service-learning requirements. Students who complete the requirements are awarded EXL Scholar cords and are recognized at commencement. The EXL Scholar notation also appears on the students’ transcripts.

“The program continues to grow each semester as more students discover the value of experiential learning and the EXL Scholar designation,” Swayze said.

For more information about the program, visit www.mtsu.edu/exl/index.php.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)

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Furry friends can take part in ‘See Spot Run’ event at MTSU

May 3, 2013 By

Some four-legged walkers will put their best paws forward with their human friends for a worthy cause at MTSU on Saturday, May 18.

Human and canine entrants prepare to take part in the 2012 “See Spot Run” 5K Run/Walk at MTSU. This year’s event is Saturday, May 18. (file photo submitted)

The eighth annual See Spot Run 5K Run/Walk is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. May 18 at MTSU’s Peck Hall.

Participants will walk or run to benefit Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity and the MTSU Habitat Blitz Build.

So far, MTSU students have built three homes in Murfreesboro with the money they’ve raised. They want to raise $40,000 to build a fourth.

Early registration is available until Sunday, May 12, for $25. After May 12, the registration fee is $30. On-site registration on race day will start at 7:30 a.m.

Click on the poster above for more information.

Participants may register via a link at www.active.com.

Each preregistered participant will receive a shirt. Awards will be presented to the top finishers in various age groups.

The event is sponsored by the MTSU Office of Leadership and Service and Sigma Pi fraternity.

For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812 or go to www.mtsu.edu/leadandserve/seespotrun.php. For campus parking information, go to http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.

— Gina K. Logue (Gina.Logue@mtsu.edu)r4

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Sharpen your pencils for MTSU summer Youth Writers’ Camps

May 3, 2013 By

Young people across the Midstate with a flair for writing — and a love for reading — are invited to MTSU’s annual Youth Writers’ Camps June 10-20 on the university’s Murfreesboro campus.

Past participants at MTSU’s annual Youth Writers Camp work on their writing projects in a quiet stairwell on campus. (file photo submitted)

Students who’ve finished fourth through 11th grades can spend two weeks learning to “read like writers” and then use their pencils and keyboards to tell stories to others with the help of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project.

The camps — one for younger children and one for teenagers — will be held at MTSU Monday through Thursday, June 10-20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

Registration costs are $200 for new campers and $175 for returning participants, and the deadline to register is Wednesday, May 15.

The Youth Writers’ Camps are led by local teachers with the Writing Project who encourage students to explore different writing styles and topics and work with their peers and teachers to become more confident in their own writing, organizers said.

“Campers really enjoy the opportunity to have fun with their writing,” said Dr. Ellen Donovan, director of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project and a professor of English at MTSU.

“Budding poets, novelists, comic book makers and songwriters get a chance to work on projects, try new ideas and strategies and learn the same techniques used by professional writers.”

Candie Moonshower

Legend of Zoey coverThis year’s campers will enjoy an “Authors’ Celebration” and a special visit with Candie Moonshower, author of the award-winning novel “The Legend of Zoey.”  Each student also will receive a camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, a daily morning snack and a writing anthology.

Campers and parents can get more information and find a downloadable application form at www.middletnwritingproject.org/camp-info.

The Middle Tennessee Writing Project serves the greater Middle Tennessee region as one of more than 200 networked sites that form the National Writing Project, a professional development effort for teachers of kindergarten through college-aged students.

The MTWP focuses on improving writing instruction, helping teachers use writing as an effective teaching strategy in other areas, and developing teacher leadership to reform and improve education.

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MTSU welcomes TSU President Glover to Middle Tennessee

May 1, 2013 By

More than 200 community members welcomed new Tennessee State President Glenda Baskin Glover to Middle Tennessee during a reception Tuesday hosted by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee on the Murfreesboro campus.

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, second from right, with first lady Elizabeth McPhee, right, welcome TSU President Glenda Glover, second from left, and her husband, Charles, during a reception at the President's Residence on April 30. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, second from right, with first lady Elizabeth McPhee, right, welcome TSU President Glenda Glover, second from left, and her husband, Charles, during a reception at the President’s Residence on April 30. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

The event, organized by McPhee and his wife, Elizabeth, at the MTSU President’s Residence, also allowed the CEOs to confirm and praise the partnerships already in place between the two Tennessee Board of Regents institutions.

“As sister institutions, TSU and MTSU both are committed to serving the citizens of Tennessee,” McPhee said. “President Glover shares my devotion to student success and, together, we will work to support our state’s goal of producing more college graduates.”

TSU President Glenda Glover, right, meets Dr. Gloria Bonner, special assistant to the MTSU President's Office, during a reception for Glover and husband Charles at the President's Residence on April 30. Standing behind Bonner is Dr. Michael Allen, dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

TSU President Glenda Glover, right, meets Dr. Gloria Bonner, special assistant to the MTSU President’s Office, during a reception for Glover and husband Charles at the President’s Residence on April 30. Standing behind Bonner is Dr. Michael Allen, dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Glover, a 1974 TSU graduate, became the eighth president of the Nashville institution in January. She thanked McPhee for the welcome and also praised the collaborations in place between the two universities.

“I will be forever grateful to MTSU President Sidney McPhee and first lady Elizabeth McPhee for opening their home up — not only to me, but to the entire Tennessee State University family,” Glover said. ” It is always humbling to meet colleagues who are willing to extend a welcoming hand a lend support.

“Our professional friendship has truly blossomed and will serve as the catalyst as our two institutions partner to have greater successes in educating students and empowering our respective communities.”

Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg, who delivered brief remarks to attendees, said he was pleased to see that the presidents of the two nearby universities were committed to working together on behalf of students and taxpayers.

Other officials attending the reception included John Morgan, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents system; Murfreesboro Vice Mayor Ron Washington; and state Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, of the 49th District.

MTSU and TSU collaborate on several academic programs, including:

The Mid-Tennessee Collaborate Master of Social Work Program, which also includes Austin Peay State University, another TBR institution. The program, which offers an advanced degree focusing on improving public social service efforts, is the state’s only academic venture offered in three locations.

The joint Master of Criminal Justice degree, offered in cooperation between TSU and MTSU. A minor in Criminal Justice at the graduate level is also offered at MTSU as part of this effort.

— Andrew Oppmann (andrew.oppmann@mtsu.edu)

TSU President Glenda Glover, front right, chats with guests during a reception for her and her husband, Charles, at the MTSU President's House April 30 in Murfreesboro.

TSU President Glenda Glover, front right, chats with guests during a reception for her and her husband, Charles, at the MTSU President’s House April 30 in Murfreesboro.

TSU President Glenda Glover, second from right, chats with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, MTUS music faculty member Cedric Dent, and Glover's husband, Charles, right, during a reception for the Glovers at the President's Residence on April 30.

TSU President Glenda Glover, second from right, chats with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, left, MTUS music faculty member Cedric Dent, and Glover’s husband, Charles, right, during a reception for the Glovers at the President’s Residence on April 30.

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Models make it professional at Raiders’ Closet fashion show

May 1, 2013 By

Raiders’ Closet at MTSU is opening its doors and putting job interview fashions on the runway tonight.

Dr. K. Virginia Hemby-Grubb of MTSU’s Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship displays some of the professional garb available for students in Raiders’ Closet. (MTSU file photo)

Models will showcase professional wear and business-savvy confidence during a fashion show from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

Raiders’ Closet is the brainchild of Dr. K. Virginia Hemby-Grubb, a professor in the Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship in MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

Hemby-Grubb discovered that many students are ignorant of the type of clothing they need to make a good impression on a prospective employer. Others simply can’t afford clothing suitable for the workplace.

The gently used items donated to Raiders’ Closet, which is housed in Room 130A of the Business and Aerospace Building, include suits, ties, dresses, blouses, skirts and accessories in a variety of sizes for both male and female students.

Supporters of the Raiders’ Closet fashion show include Belk, Jos. A. Bank and the Men’s Wearhouse.

Donations may be made at Raiders’ Closet each Friday or in the BCE departmental office, located 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, executive aide for the Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, at 615-898-2902 or jaye.kiblinger@mtsu.edu.

For parking information for tonight’s fashion show, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)

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Grad student needs votes by May 10 to keep moving forward

April 30, 2013 By

UPDATE: Because she received enough votes to make it into the top five percent of contestants, MTSU student Jennifer Austin now is a semifinalist in the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association competition. The judges will select three winners of special vans fully equipped for disabled people to drive, which will enhance their independence and self-sufficiency.

Austin says, “I cannot begin to describe how incredibly grateful I am to all of you for helping make this dream a possibility!! … Please pray that my story can make an impact on the judges’ minds and hearts, as each of the semifinalists is deserving of this awesome prize!”

Winners will be announced at the end of May. Please read Jennifer’s story below.

Jennifer Austin’s life changed forever on Sept. 15, 2006.

She’s hoping her life will change forever again on May 10, 2013.

The 26-year-old graduate student in MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance is a contestant in the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association competition.

Austin, who is paralyzed from the chest down, needs votes to become one of three people in the United States to win a fully equipped van that will enable her to drive herself wherever she needs to go.

Jennifer Austin, a 26-year-old MTSU graduate student from Cowan, Tenn., hopes to win a specially equipped van in the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association competition. May is National Mobility Awareness Month. (photo submitted)

If she wins, it will be a giant move forward in her continuing quest to regain more control over her life after a 2006 hit-and-run accident on Interstate 24.

“The whole point of going to graduate school is for better career opportunities, to really take that last step in independence and be able to drive again,” Austin said. “That’s going to open so many other doors for me.”

At present, Austin’s caregivers from At Home Care of Murfreesboro provide her with transportation. When the weather is nice, she travels to class in her electronic wheelchair from her apartment at Campus Crossings.

Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation Services is helping her manage, but she aspires to a job in the health professions so that she can pay for her therapy and care herself. Being able to drive herself to her future workplace would help make that possible, she said.

“It would have an automatic ramp that comes down, which would allow me to drive my chair up into the van, right into the driver’s seat,” Austin said of the grand prize that would be so much help to her.

“There are special locks that would lock down my chair for safety when I’m driving.”

Austin was injured while driving home to Cowan, Tenn., on I-24 when an SUV swerved into her car and sent it into the median, flipping it several times.

Police told her they believe she would not have survived if she hadn’t been ejected through the windshield.

Austin was flown to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, where her spleen and part of her left lung were removed. She now has minimal use of her arms and hands, but everything else is paralyzed.

The perpetrators of the hit-and-run accident remain at large, but Austin said she has moved on.

She credits MTSU’s Disabled Student Services with helping her take notes for her classes.

“That’s what sets MTSU apart,” Austin said. “They’re so passionate about helping students.”

It also helps to have a supportive family. Austin still goes home to Cowan every weekend to see her parents and sister.

“They are the complete reason why I’m still here and able to do all this,” Austin said.

To vote for Austin, go to www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/jennifer-austin-cowan-tn, enter your information and agree to the terms. The final day to vote is Friday, May 10.

To get an extra vote each day for Austin, click on the “want an extra vote” icon and answer the question before you submit your vote.

Only one vote per IP address is allowed per day, but individuals may vote from their cell phones as many times per day as they wish until the end of the contest.

At the end of the competition, the judges will read the individual stories of entrants who made it into the top 5 percent of vote-getters.

— Gina K. Logue (Gina.Logue@mtsu.edu)

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