MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University salutes the 82 retiring employees — including three posthumously — for their 2,021 combined years of service to the Blue Raider campus community as the 2023-24 academic year closes this summer.

“Our dedicated faculty and staff are the lifeblood of this institution’s ongoing mission to provide a top quality educational experience to our students,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “I salute this latest group of retirees who’ve given tirelessly of themselves to make our campus one of the best academic institutions in the world and wish them all the best in this next chapter of their lives.”

The latest group of retirees include four members with 40 years or more of service: 

• Catherine Burnette, administrative, Mathematical Sciences Department in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences (51 years).

• Debbie Givens, administrative, Human Resource Services (41 years).

• Dr. Ghassem Homaifar, faculty, Department of Economics and Finance, Jones College of Business (41 years).

• Violet Rigsby, administrative, Accounting Department, Jones College of Business (40 years).

The group also includes 20 retirees with 30- to 39-year-long careers of service. (Click the image to view a full-sized pdf of all retirees, their department and their years of service.)

Their fellow new retirees and their departments include (listed alphabetically):

• Leon Alligood, School of Journalism and Strategic Media.

• Jill Austin, Management Department.

• Brad Bartel (Posthumously), Sociology and Anthropology.

• Alan Boehm, James E. Walker Library.

• Tom Brinthaupt, Psychology Department.

• Brent Brock, MTSU Athletics.

• Rebecca Calahan, Mathematical Sciences Department.

• Eileen Chalmers, Behavioral and Health Sciences Advising.

• Don Chumney, Engineering Services.

• Trina Clinton, Human Resource Services.

• Jim Comas, English Department.

• Linda Copciac, Elementary and Special Education Department.

• Melvin Corbin, Parking Services.

• Cathy Crooks, Psychology Department.

• Christy Davis, Ann Campbell Early Learning Center.

• Stephen Decker, Communication Studies Department.

• John Dougan, Recording Industry Department.

• Tammie Dye, Business Office.

• Tony Eff, Economics and Finance Department.

• Rebecca Fischer, Health and Human Performance Department.

• Rebecca Foote, Accounting Department.

• Pam Footit, Campus Recreation.

• Linda Galbato, Psychology Department.

• Linda Hall, College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.

• Rick Henegar, Enrollment Technical Services.

• Milton Hill, Warehouse Services.

• Rufus Horton, Custodial Services.

• Ricky Irwin, Parking Services.

• Rebecca Johnson, Event Coordination.

• Tony Johnston, School of Agriculture.

• Dawn Jones, Business Office.

• Steven Jones, Psychology Department.

• Kathy Kano, Division of Student Affairs.

• Tim Koski, Accounting Department.

• Jid Lee, English Department.

• Jong-Sung Lee, Information Systems and Analytics Department.

• Demetra Majors, Procurement Services.

• Rick Mallory, MTSU Athletics.

• Les Mayberry, Energy Services.

• Dennis McBee, Post Office.

• Rick Moffett, Psychology Department.

• Jamie Morgan, College of Education.

• Steve Morris, Political Science and International Relations Department.

• Kathy Musselman, Human Resource Services.

• Don Nelson, Mathematical Sciences Department.

• Karen Nunley, Psychology Department.

• Carl Ostrowski, English Department.

• Angie Parsons, Provost’s Office.

• Kathy Pelham, Custodial Services.

• Dan Pfeifer, Recording Industry Department.

• Curtis Phillips, Custodial Services.

• Chris Piety, Information Technology Division.

• Billy Pittard, Media Arts Department.

• Chris Quarto, Womack Educational Leadership Department.

• Susan Quinn, Business Office.

• Buylender Richardson, Housing and Residential Life.

• William Robertson, Physics and Astronomy Department.

• Glenna Robinson, Governors School for the Arts.

• Deb Sells, Division of Student Affairs.

• Lynn Sewak, Provost’s Office.

• Eve Shockley, University College Administration.

• Diane Snodgrass, Audit and Consulting Services.

• Sid Sridhara (Posthumously), Engineering Technology Department.

• Rick Stockstill, MTSU Athletics.

• Sarah Sudak, Division of Student Affairs.

• Kathy Thurman, Business and Finance.

• Charlene True, Womack Educational Leadership Department.

• Cathy Vaughn, MTSU Athletics.

• Matthew Wade, Farm Laboratory.

• Pat Wall, Accounting Department.

• Betty Weigant, Construction/Renovation Services.

• Tommy West, MTSU Athletics.

• Richard Whaley, Facilities – Greenhouse.

• Gary D. White, Chemistry Department.

• Stephen White, Financial Aid.

• Tommy Wilson, Energy Services.

• Jan Worley, MTSU Athletics.

• Rebecca Young (Posthumously), Human Resource Services.

The university’s academic year concludes at the end of each summer session. MTSU’s spring 2024 commencement ceremonies are set for Friday and Saturday, May 3-5, and the summer 2023 session, which The summer semester begins May 20 and ends Aug. 9, with summer commencement set for Saturday, Aug. 10.

MTSU’s 2024-25 academic year will begin with fall 2023 classes on Monday, Aug. 26.

MTSU, which employs more than 2,200 faculty and staff members campuswide, honors its employees regularly with opportunities that include the MTSU Employee Recognition Program awards for administrators, classified and technical/service personnel and the MTSU Foundation Awards and Faculty Recognition presentations each fall.

For more information about MTSU employee recognition programs, visit the university’s Human Resource Services program site at www.mtsu.edu/hrs/relations/recog.php.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)

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