MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University experienced another eventful year in 2025, most recently with a major groundbreaking for our Shelbyville Aerospace facility that was preceded by a plethora of events and activities throughout the year — grand openings, new centers, innovative programs, student achievements and more.
“Our consistent presence on top national rankings for higher educational institutions is one of the many signs that this university continues to excel thanks to the teamwork, vision, expertise and diligence of our dedicated faculty, staff and administrators,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “As we continue to upgrade our facilities throughout campus, we are attracting some of the top scholars in the nation and world who are excited to become a part of our True Blue family.”
And roughly 4,700 of those students were added to the roster of more than 150,000 alumni globally following our three commencement ceremonies this past year.
As we close out 2025, here’s a look back at the top MTSUNews.com stories of the year in a year chock full of great True Blue news that further positions the Blue Raider campus at the forefront of educational achievement, research, workforce development and community engagement.
Applied Engineering Building opens
Officially opening the new three-story, $74.8 million Applied Engineering Building on the east side of campus over the summer tops the list of 2025 stories, as the 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility marks a bold new chapter for the university’s Science Corridor of Innovation, anchored by the Science Building.
The space is now the new home of the renowned Mechatronics Engineering program and other Engineering Technology concentrations — replacing the aging and space-limited Voorhies building razed earlier in the year — while providing students with hands-on access to robotics and engineering equipment and education to prep them for ever-changing, high-demand careers in engineering, technology, design, automation and manufacturing.
Shovels down, outlook up in Shelbyville
As the Applied Engineering Building helps break new academic ground on campus, actual ground was broken in early December off-campus down U.S. 231 at the Shelbyville Airport to relocate the Aerospace Department’s highly popular flight training operations.
Expected to be completed in two years, the new $73 million-plus, state-of-the-art aerospace facility in Shelbyville will result in an aviation hub that addresses the critical need for expansion and growth while also meeting an important aviation industry need.
“This vision has been a collaborative effort of state and local government working with MTSU faculty, staff and students to ensure the future of the aviation workforce and economic development,” said Aerospace Chair Chaminda Prelis at the Dec. 3 groundbreaking ceremony. “The facilities we are building today will go a long way in supporting those efforts and our ability to expand for future needs.”
‘Lightning Zone’ concept emerges
The end of summer saw the Athletics side of the house celebrate the completion of a transformational project.
The $66 million Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center was officially unveiled on the north side of Floyd Stadium, providing an 85,000-square-foot, cutting-edge home for Blue Raider football while also offering a centralized hub for performance, preparation, and recovery across every aspect of the student-athlete journey for MTSU’s 17 teams.
Which brings us to the “Lightning Zone” concept. Just next door to Floyd Stadium, the historic 53-year-old Murphy Center is anticipated to undergo $119 million in renovations, with $78 million approved by Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly this year for the project.
Those renovations, as well as a previously announced public-private partnership to build an on-campus hotel at Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard, form the foundation for a “Lightning Zone” district proposed by McPhee during the Fall Faculty and Staff Meeting.
McPhee urged local leaders to view the drive to improve the university’s athletics and events complex as an economic development catalyst, with a revamped Murphy Center becoming a more attractive venue for music concerts and community events, which in turn could spur private investment into new food and entertainment options that make the areas around campus a more enticing, frequent destination for students and the wider community.
McPhee announced a proposed public-private partnership for a new student housing complex to be built on the southeast edge of campus to replace the nearly 50-year-old Womack Lane Apartments, which had a capacity of 250 residents and is already being razed to prepare for the new facility.
“We are preparing the site for new construction that will result in more than 550 modern, suite-style beds — delivered through private financing, but under the oversight and guidance of the university,” McPhee said. “This project gives us the flexibility to grow our enrollment, support student success, and offer affordable, high-quality housing options, all without adding new debt to our books.”
The MTSU Board of Trustees formed a committee this fall comprising trustees, local elected leaders and prominent alumni to guide the Murphy Center renovations and Lightning Zone effort.
Quantum research on the QRISE
Back on the academic side, MTSU extended its leadership in the emerging field of quantum research within the College of Basic and Applied Sciences with the announcement of a new quantum research center.
Called QRISE — Quantum Research Interdisciplinary Science and Education — the center is dedicated to driving breakthroughs that will shape the next generation of technology and transform how MTSU faculty and students understand and harness the quantum world.
Leading the effort is Hanna Terletska, center director and Department of Physics and Astronomy associate professor, whose collaborative efforts have helped the university secure more than $8 million in federal grants as well as form research partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Fisk University, Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical College, and industry partner Middle Tennessee Electric.
“QRISE means access to the front edge of a rapidly growing global sector,” Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten told a capacity crowd attending the late October announcement inside the Science Building. “Whether they become scientists or engineers, analysts or entrepreneurs, our graduates are going to be ready to contribute on day one, because they’ve not only learned the theory, but they’ve done the work, here, with us.”
Media college renamed
MTSU’s fall semester started with a major announcement when its world-renowned College of Media and Entertainment was renamed in honor of music industry trailblazer Scott Borchetta, founder, chairman and CEO of Big Machine Label Group.
Borchetta, his wife, Sandi, executives from Big Machine Label Group and the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, and members of Nashville’s music community joined hundreds of students, faculty, staff and supporters in the atrium of the John Bragg Building for the ceremony.
Applauded for his efforts to support ongoing efforts to provide state-of-the-art technology and hands-on training to its students, Borchetta said his goal was “to inspire others and give back, betting on the creativity of students who dedicate themselves to the entertainment field. The Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment represents the next generation of innovators and creators, whose bold ideas will transform the media landscape.”
First Tech Vision Conference tackles AI
MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business hosted an exciting scholarly event on campus in the spring, bringing the inaugural Tech Vision Conference to the Miller Education Center. The proliferation of artificial intelligence and its increasing importance, along with other technologies, in daily and professional life, were key topics of discussion.
“Tech Vision: People and Technology Shaping Tomorrow” brought together students and faculty from numerous disciplines, industry professionals, and community partners over two days to exchange insights about the evolving people-technology ecosystem and its impact on the workforce, organizations and society.
“We need a mindset shift. I want every student to graduate with AI skills,” said conference co-organizer Sam Zaza, associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Analytics. “The question isn’t if we embrace AI — it’s that we are embracing it. The real question is: what are we going to do with it?”
The university’s Data Science program recently launched an undergraduate certificate, “Using Artificial Intelligence,” designed for MTSU students and working professionals eager to explore AI. This 10-credit-hour program “provides hands-on experience and practical skills that will serve students across a wide range of disciplines and career paths.
Governor’s School celebrates 40th
MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts saw its role as primary host for the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts hit a 40thanniversary milestone over the summer, again providing a dynamic, creative environment for high schoolers throughout the state during a three-week residency experience on campus.
Almost 300 rising 11th and 12th graders showcased their artistic skills at this year’s event, with areas of focus encompassing dance, music, visual arts, filmmaking, and theatre, allowing highly talented, top-rated students to enhance their skills and abilities in their respective disciplines.
“The reason why I came here was to do something I had never really done before,” said Sarah Ji, a rising senior at Valor College Prep in Nashville. “I’ve been taking advantage of what’s provided for me, for example, 3D printing, which I’ve never had access to before.”
PBS commentator David Brooks visits
New York Times columnist and PBS contributor David Brooks drew several hundred attendees to this year’s annual Constitution Day keynote event inside Tucker Theatre, where he participated in a student-led panel discussion on the topic of “We the People: The Place of the U.S. Constitution in Students’ Everyday Spaces.”
Fielding questions from students from MTSU’s American Democracy Project, or ADP, as well as audience inquiries during a Q&A, Brooks told the audience that despite the recent political turmoil in the country, he was optimistic about the nation’s long-term trajectory. “After every period of disruption, Americans rebuild with new ideas and new ways of living,” Brooks said.
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