MTSU recently recognized 55 retiring employees as the 2020-21 academic year winds down, saluting their hundreds of combined years of service devoted to students and the campus community.

The university normally conducts a formal event each spring to honor its retiring employees.

The pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s gathering, however, and because MTSU has been limiting gatherings this spring and only recently brought faculty and staff back into offices to work, this year’s planned retirees celebration also was canceled.

The longest-tenured employee honored this year is Dr. Sandra Neal of Murfreesboro, a two-time MTSU alumna who marked her 44th year with the university.

A professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance specializing in women’s health, first aid, school health, and community and public health, Neal also was the MTSU women’s tennis coach from 1978 to 1990 and a five-time Ohio Valley Conference coach of the year.

Her fellow new retirees and their departments include:

• Elizabeth Abernathy of Murfreesboro, Department of Accounting.
• Ronald Aday of Nashville, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• Foster Amey of Murfreesboro, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• Kim Bailey of Readyville, Tennessee, Office of the Provost.
• Gwen Barrett of Shelbyville, Tennessee, Human Resource Services.
• Debbie Carroll of Murfreesboro, Student Athlete Enhancement Center.
• Elvira Casal of Murfreesboro, Department of English.
• Sylvia Collins of Murfreesboro, Office of Institutional Effectiveness of Planning and Research.
• Peter Cunningham of Murfreesboro, Office of the Provost.
• Kathleen Darby of Nashville, Department of Social Work.
• Jackie Eller of Murfreesboro, Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
• Gore Ervin of Murfreesboro, Department of Biology.
• Reggie Floyd of Smyrna, Tennessee, Facilities Services Administration.
• Marion Gwyn of Murfreesboro, Information Technology Division.
• Tina Hall of Murfreesboro, Department of Health and Human Performance.
• Alicia Haynes of Murfreesboro, Human Resource Services.
• Gerald Hill of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Department of Aerospace.
• John Hill of Smyrna, Department of Recording Industry.
• Denise Holt of Christiana, Tennessee, Housing Facilities Office.
• Cynthia Howell of Murfreesboro, Department of Psychology.
• Ray Howell of Murfreesboro, Veterans Affairs/Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center.
• Connie Huddleston of Murfreesboro, College of Liberal Arts.
• Dorothy Huddleston of Manchester, Tennessee, Creative Marketing Solutions.
• Kathy King of Murfreesboro, Department of Health and Human Performance.
• Darryl Leach of Murfreesboro, Department of Recording Industry.
• Carroll Lewis of McKenzie, Tennessee, Business Office.
• Terry Logan of McMinnville, Tennessee, Office of Environmental Health and Safety.
• James Lovvorn of Murfreesboro, Custodial Services.
• Yuri Melnikov of Murfreesboro, Department of Mathematical Sciences.
• Deborah Newman of Murfreesboro, Ann Campbell Early Learning Center.
• Debbie Nichols of Murfreesboro, Office of Construction Administration.
• John Patterson of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Information Technology Division.
• Buddy Peaster of Murfreesboro, University Police Department.
• Chrisila Pettey of Eagleville, Tennessee, Department of Computer Science.
• Sara Pollard of Murfreesboro, Campus Recreation.
• Debra Register of Murfreesboro, Housing Facilities Office.
• Karim Salman of Murfreesboro, Department of Engineering Technology.
• Connie Schmidt of Murfreesboro, Department of Psychology.
• Stephen Schmidt of Murfreesboro, Department of Psychology.
• Lana Seivers of Murfreesboro, College of Education.
• Lance Selva of Murfreesboro, Department of Criminal Justice Administration.
• Dawn Shelar of Readyville, Department of Health and Human Performance.
• Rebecca Shults of Murfreesboro, Early Intervention Program.
• Vince Smith of Murfreesboro, Department of Marketing.
• Horace Smotherman of Murfreesboro, Energy Services Department.
• Martin Stewart of Murfreesboro, Department of Chemistry.
• Debbie Strobel of Murfreesboro, School of Agriculture.
• Lisa Thayer of Lascassas, Tennessee, Office of the Provost.
• Shelley Thomas of Murfreesboro, Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
• Theresa Toy of Readyville, Parking Services Office.
• Joanne Venable of Murfreesboro, Undergraduate Recruitment Office.
• Heidi Zimmerman of Murfreesboro, University Counsel.
• Kathryn Zimmerman of Nashville, School of Nursing.

The university’s academic year concludes at the end of each summer session. MTSU will begin its summer 2021 semester on Monday, May 17, and the 2021-22 academic year will begin with fall 2021 classes on Monday, Aug. 23.

MTSU, which employs more than 2,500 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 faculty 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.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)