MTSU

Table of Contents (Winter 2012)

Feature Stories

Cover Story: Shell Shocked 

A historic flood uncovers an active stratum of archeological looting (by Allison Gorman)

Methods… and Meth?

Traditional Approach 

MTSU takes the lead in Western drug development using traditional Chinese botanical extracts (by Drew Ruble)

Music to the Ear 
Dr. Reed Thomas and his students help strike up the bands in Panama

by Allison Gorman

Laying the Foundation
A crucial vehicle by which the University’s endowment is managed and grown celebrates the half-century mark
by Randy Weller

A Communications Convergence
MTSU’s new media center goes mainstream
by Mike Browning

Built by Association

9 for One

Departments

Five Minutes with the President
On the Ball

Discoveries
Stress Relief
by Gina K. Logue

Ask an Expert
A Titanic Legacy
by Candace Moonshower

The Middle of It All
By the Book
by Katie Porterfield

Teamwork
A Race Well Run
by Bill Lewis

“I’m One!”
War & Peace
by Drew Ruble

Class Notes

Letter from the Editor

The Getting-Us-Your-Information Age

by Ginger Freeman, Director of Alumni Relations

As director of Alumni Relations, I am committed to finding ways to keep alumni informed and updated on the ever-increasing programs and activities of our diverse campus. We want to be sure that you have all the information you need to stay informed and involved with your alma mater. It’s an important part of everything we do, and to do that effectively, we need your help.

Ginger Freeman, Director of Alumni Relations

Over the past 20 years, the tools we have to communicate with alumni have changed dramatically. Gone are the days of all paper mail—increased postage and printing costs have significantly affected our ability to send everything out by mail. Today, with nearly 100,000 alumni, we increasingly rely on electronic communication, web pages, and social media to provide you with the information you need. Not only is it cost-effective but also electronic communication allows us to reach you much faster. With the tools we have now, we can keep you informed of upcoming events, reserve your spot at an alumni activity, allow you to connect with classmates in your own MTSU community, and even provide you with campus news in real time.

But to do that, we need your help. Our success is heavily based on our ability to communicate directly with you, and to do so we need your email address! I’m not sure how many times I have been asked, “How do I find out about upcoming events?” It’s easy. Give the Alumni Office your email address, and we will send you a monthly email newsletter with a calendar of events. We also send messages specific to your major, where you live, or what you were involved in while at MTSU. This is your university, and we want to give you the opportunity to be involved and informed about what’s going on at the Alumni Office and MTSU.