MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – On the April edition of “Out of the Blue,” the television magazine program of Middle Tennessee State University, viewers will get insights on undergraduate research with a student in the SOAR organization, get a closer look at the work of the Middle East Center and get some behind the scenes perspectives surrounding the university’s first Emmy win earlier this year.

You can watch the full episode below:

In this month’s episode with program host Andrew Oppmann, vice president for marketing and communications, viewers will hear from:

• Brooke Busbee, a recent psychology graduate and vice president and ambassador for the Student Organization for the Advancement of Research, better known as SOAR, discusses a project she coordinated to get local high school students in the Blackman Collegiate Academy more interested in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math, and promote undergraduate research in general across disciplines. SOAR is part of the university’s Undergraduate Research Center in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

• Dr. Mohammad Meerzaei, an assistant professor in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department and new director of the Middle East Center in the College of Liberal Arts, discusses the importance of studying the Middle East in today’s world and sheds light on the significance of cultural understanding and global awareness.

• Allie Sultan, an associate professor in the Video and Film Production Program, and Kelty Greye, a Commercial Songwriting Program major, discuss the making of the “We Do It All” promotional spot that captured the university’s first Emmy Award this year. Sultan, who directed the commercial, and Greye, who co-wrote and recorded the song that anchored the spot, share behind-the-scenes anecdotes of the Emmy-winning effort that spotlighted the faculty and students who brought the commercial to life for the College of Media and Entertainment.

“Out of the Blue” is available anytime on the university’s YouTube channel, the True Blue TV channel, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. It also airs on Murfreesboro cable Channel 9 daily at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; NewsChannel5+ at 3:30 p.m. Sundays; and streamed on the MTSU Jazz Network through WMOT.org at 7 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month; and on other cable outlets in Middle Tennessee, so check local listings. 

It is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Google Play and as individual interview segments on Spotify at https://spoti.fi/453hxg3. 

Watch previous episodes of “Out of the Blue” at https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue.

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)