MTSU faculty and staff took to the airwaves recently to discuss an upcoming festival that celebrates nature, a new aerospace degree program that’s creating lots of buzz and a grant to help improve health literacy in the community.

Listeners of WGNS radio heard details on these efforts during the April 20 “Action Line” program with veteran host Bart Walker.

The live program was broadcast on FM 100.5, 101.9 and AM 1450 from the WGNS studio in downtown Murfreesboro. If you missed it, you can listen to a podcast of the show here.

The program featured the following MTSU guests:

Guests pose for photos at the MTSU-focused April 20 edition of WGNS Radio’s “Action Line” program. Featured on the program were, clockwise from top left, Dr. Kim Sadler, associate professor of biology; Doug Campbell, UAS operations manager in the MTSU Department of Aerospace; and Drs. Catherine Crooks and Stuart Bernstein, professors of psychology. (MTSU photo illustration by Jimmy Hart)

• Dr. Kim Sadler, associate professor of biology at Middle Tennessee State University and co-director of the MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies, who discussed the 38th annual Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Wildflower Festival. The festival, which is co-sponsored by the Center for Cedar Glad Studies, will be held May 1-2 at Cedars of Lebanon State Park and is free to the public. Some of the finest botanists, ecologists and naturalists will discuss the beauty and uniqueness of the Cedar Glades through lectures, workshops, hikes, fieldvtrips and exhibits. Learn more here.

• Doug Campbell, UAS operations manager in the MTSU Department of Aerospace, who discussed the new bachelor’s degree in unmanned aircraft operations. Unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, are creating thousands of new jobs in many industries and proving to be a major fixture in the future of aviation worldwide. The new UAS operations concentration will be a part of a rising business sector expected to bring 70,000 new jobs, starting salaries of $50,000 or higher and contribute $13.6 billion to the U.S. economy in the next three to five years. Read more here.

• Drs. Stuart Bernstein and Catherine Crooks of the MTSU Department of Psychology, who discussed the $43,000 grant they received to promote healthy behaviors through literacy. The two researchers will use funding from the Baptist Healing Trust to continue the Healthy Raiders Reading Program, a service-learning endeavor that helps members of underserved populations learn more about health care. In staffing the program, MTSU undergraduate students in the psychology, allied health and pre-medical disciplines learn how to explain to clients the importance of becoming active participants in maintaining their own health. Read more here.

Students, faculty and staff who are interested in guesting on WGNS to promote their MTSU-related activities should contact Jimmy Hart, director of news and media relations, at 615-898-5131 or via email at jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu.