MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University recently celebrated 252 faculty and staff for their 4,980 combined years of service to the Blue Raider community at its annual Service Awards Luncheon last month.

MTSU University President Sidney A. McPhee was on hand at the James Union Building Ballroom to recognize honorees along with several vice presidents from across campus and host Lisa Batey, director of employee benefits. Attendees were recognized in five-year increments, beginning with those hitting their milestone 10th “True Blue” anniversaries.

Bichaka Fayissa, who retired last year from his tenure as an economics and finance professor, received a standing ovation as the year’s longest-tenured employee for his 45 years of dedicated service to the campus community.

Fayissa’s career highlights include a vast library of published research, much focused on his specialty of the economies of different regions across Africa; expanding the department’s course offerings and mentorship opportunities; serving in leadership roles not only internally but across several international economic associations, and awards such as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oromo Studies Association to several from MTSU for his research and service.

Additional 2025 recipients and their departments with 25 years of service or more include:

40 years of service

Vivian Alley, University Studies
Gayle Barker, Human Resource Services
Raphael Bundage, School of Music
Linda Jordan, Facilities Service Administration
Donnie Murray, Post Office
Carroll Van West, Center for Historic Preservation

35 years of service

Raj Aggarwal, Department of Information Systems and Analytics
Lisa Batey, Human Resource Services
Suzanne Beller, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Janet Colson, Department of Human Sciences
Carlos Coronel, Jones College of Business
Mamit Deme, Department of Economics and Finance
Susan England, Budget and Financial Planning Office
Ginger Freeman, Alumni Relations
Michael Hein, Department of Psychology
Annette Merriman, Enterprise Support Services
Sherry Mitchell, Walker Library
Jean Nagy, Department of Art and Design
Michael Neth, Department of English
Deborah Newman, Department of Criminal Justice Administration
Jack Purcell, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Bill Shulman, Department of Criminal Justice Administration
Moses Tesi, Department of Political and Global Affairs
Judy Van Hein, Department of Psychology

30 years of service

Yvette Batts, Fire and Life Safety Services
Michelle Boyer-Pennington, Department of Psychology
Wendy Brown, Human Resource Services
Cindy Cooper, Undergraduate Recruitment
Tony Farone, Department of Biology
Patrick Geho, Tennessee Small Business Development Lead Center
Carla Hatfield, University Studies
Beverly Keel, Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment
Rick Kurtz, Walker Library
Scott McDaniel, University Studies
Karen Milstead, Human Resource Services
Gina Poole, School of Nursing
Kim Sadler, Department of Biology
Bill Stewart, Department of Biology
Matt Taylor, Department of Aerospace
Mimi Thomas, College of Basic and Applied Sciences
Ray Wiley, Student Recreation Center
Karen Wolfe, Department of Geosciences
Brenda Wunder, Facilities Services Administration

25 years of service

Joseph Akins, Department of Recording Industry
Vickie Brown, Custodial Services
Layne Bryant, Provost’s Office
Amy Burks, Client Services and Desktop Support
Toni Butler-Click, Research and Sponsored Programs
Jennifer Caputo, Department of Health and Human Performance
Terri Carlton, Construction/Renovation Services
Richard Chapman, Student Health Services
Jun Da, Department of World Language, Literatures, and Cultures
Jacqueline Dowdy, Library User Services
Kevin Downs, School of Agriculture
Matt Elrod-Erickson, Department of Biology
Stuart Fowler, Department of Economics and Finance
Valerie Hackworth, Walker Library
Emily Harper, Information Technology Division
Carol Hayes, Distance Education Support Services
Steven James, Center for Educational Media
Maria King, Tennessee Council of Economic and Free Enterprise
Andrei Korobkov, Department of Political and Global Affairs
Jeff Leblond, Department of Biology
Lori Lee, Department of English
Deanna Hahn, School of Music
Amy Macy, Department of Recording Industry
Anne Maples-Vaught, Campus Planning
Kristine McCusker, Department of History
Franck Mukendi, Information Technology Academic
Willie Nance, Building Services
Melissa O’Grady, Walker Library
Christy Parton, Undergraduate Recruitment
Francisco Ramos Graza, Department of Health and Human Performance
Don Roy, Department of Marketing
Scott Seipel, Department of Information Systems and Analytics
Donald Snead, Womack Educational Leadership
Pudji Sutarso, Institutional Effect
Carey Tanner, School of Agriculture
Rick Taylor, Engineering Technology
Antoinette Van Zelm, Center for Historic Preservation
Randy Weiler, Office of News and Media Relations
Scott Whaley, Parking Services

MTSU employs more than 2,220 full-time employees across campus. The university honors these employees regularly with opportunities that include the MTSU Employee Recognition Program for administrators, classified and technical or service personnel along with the MTSU Foundation Awards and Faculty Recognition presentations for faculty.

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

— Stephanie Wagner (Stephanie.Wagner@mtsu.edu)