The Record, Nov. 29, 2010, V19.11


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Zdravstvujtye from MTSU!

by Gina K. Logue

To get even 10 minutes of access to a major head of state is a gift that would make thousands of lobbyists giddy with anticipation.

Dr. Andrei Korobkov, MTSU professor of political science, spoke with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for two hours at a Nov. 4 state reception and dinner at the Kremlin.

Korobkov encountered Medvedev at the fourth annual Assembly of the Russian World Foundation, which took place Nov. 2-4 in Moscow.

"The organization is actively supportedbyPresident Medvedev, who is very interested in pushing it and considers it a way to reestablish links with the Russian diaspora abroad,"; says Korobkov. "Increasingly, he is getting interested in bringing back Russian intellectuals who left.";

Medvedev has poured a great deal of his political capital into the Skolkovo Project, an attempt at a Russian Silicon Valley north of Moscow. He has obtained monetary contributions from Microsoft, Cisco and several Japanese companies.

"Huge amounts of money are being invested there, but for now, their attempts to bring large numbers of Russian academics are in vain, basically,"; Korobkov says. "I have been studying this problem for a long time, so I gave the main presentation at the conference.";

Korobkov says he emphasized to Medvedev that Russian intellectuals who have achieved tenure at universities in the West will not be inclined to return to their home country, especially given the degree of interaction with the Russian government they would be expected to endure.

"To imagine that in Russia it would be possible to leave academics alone is very hard, because it's an extremely bureaucratized country, and it became more bureaucratized than it was under the Soviet regime, ironically,"; he says.

The MTSU professor says he suggested to Medvedev that incentives be provided to lure Russian academics back for short periods so they could give crash courses to top-flight graduate students and set them on the path toward becoming the country's new "brain gain.";

On a personal level, Korobkov says Medvedev operates as a person accustomed to having power and not shy to show it.

"He is not used to people disagreeing with him,"; Korobkov says. ";And a couple of times he was kind of sharply, angrily asking me, 'So, what, you disagree with me?'";

Korobkov also talked politics with Vyacheslav Nikonov, the Russian World Foundation executive director, who has been a Kremlin insider for some 20 years and an adviser to both Medvedev and the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin. Nikonov is the grandson of Vyacheslav Molotov, former Soviet prime minister and then foreign minister under Joseph Stalin after Stalin assumed the prime minister's title.

"He is a kind of shadow operator who has access to the highest echelons of power,"; says Korobkov. ";Nikonov is very smart, very well-educated, pretty calculating, a typical political consultant. If you look in the U.S., you can probably compare him to David Axelrod working for (President Barack) Obama or Karl Rove working for (President George W.) Bush.";

Before attending the Russian World Federation conference, Korobkov participated in an Oct. 27-30 gathering in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, sponsoredbythe George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

Members of parliaments, committee chairs, representatives of international organizations and the European Union, as well as academics, discussed security and stability in Central Asia and Mongolia. Korobkov says the countries of this region face great challenges due to water shortages and governments that are either openly authoritarian or lean in that direction.

However, some of these countries, which include the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, are rich in important substances, including plutonium, platinum, oil and natural gas.

"There is a huge flow of migrants from those countries to Russia and from Russia to other parts of the world,"; Korobkov says. "Second, this region is becoming increasingly the traffic route for drugs from Afghanistan.";

Korobkov says it would be unlikely, however, that these countries would be invited to join NATO or the European Union as a way of protecting them from totalitarian takeovers.

"After the Georgian-Russian War, it became very dangerous to expand NATO because, in NATO, an attack against any member is an attack against every member,"; he says.








MARKING HISTORY—MTSU professor Andrei Korobkov pauses for a photo in front of a monument in Germany signed by Soviet soldiers when they conquered the Nazis.

BEHIND THE SCENES—MTSU Professor Andrei Korobkov, right, greets Russian World Federation Executive Director Vyacheslav Nikonov, center, and an unidentified friend at the RWF Assembly.

photos submitted

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Aviation trends in China guide new conference

by Randy Weiler

MTSU's Aerospace Department will serve as host for the first National Conference on General Aviation Trends in China, set for Dec. 1-2 in the Donald McDonald Hangar inside the university's Flight Operations Center at Murfreesboro Airport.

"We are extremely excited about this conference, as it is one of the first in the United States that will have members of one of the largest universities in China here to learn about U.S. general aviation,"; said Aerospace Chair Wayne Dornan.

"We have a distinguished list of U.S. speakers that will lend their expertise to the Chinese officials. ... I am unaware of any such gathering that has taken place in the United States where high-ranking officials from both countries interact on aviation.";

The first day's activities will include:

  • welcoming remarks by Dr. Sidney A. McPhee;
  • a conference overview from Mike Vaughn, director of government services for Smyrna-based Corporate Flight Management;
  • a discussion of general aviation in the United States, provided by Craig Spence, vice president for operations and international affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association;
  • news about aviation in China from Dr. Sun Xinqiang, vice dean of the Beihang University Law School;
  • a panel discussion on general aviation in China and the United States; and
  • an update from Dean Fulmer, project manager for the Federal Aviation Administration's National Special Use Airspace project manager.

Following lunch, Mark Libby, head of collaborative decision-making at the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center, will lead a session on airspace management and air traffic control. The chief of China's air traffic control system will then speak on airspace management and traffic control in that nation, and a discussion of similarities and differences in air traffic control in the nations will close the session before the group tours the MTSU ATC labs.

Thursday's morning session will begin with a talk on regional airline operations in the United States from Charles "Chuck"; Howell, CEO of Great Lakes Aviation Ltd., and will be followed by:

  • a discussion of regional airline development in China, led by Geng Xue Song, vice president of operations and chief mechanic for China Flying Dragon Aviation Co. Ltd.;
  • a review of fixed-base operations and the role of charter airlines, led by Allen Howell of Corporate Flight Management;
  • a manufacturers' panel discussion on general aviation business trends; and
  • closing remarks from Beihang University's Sun.

After lunch, the group will tour Smyrna Airport's aviation facilities, followed by a Corporate Flight Management-sponsored reception.




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Brand-new college off to collaborative start

by Gina K. Logue

The educational disciplines that focus on service to society are now under one umbrella at MTSU. As part of Dr. Sidney A. McPhee's Repositioning the University for the Future Initiative, the new College of Behavioral and Health Sciences is taking its first steps toward the future.

With the departments of Criminal Justice, Health and Human Performance, Human Sciences and Psychology leaving the College of Education, the new college also welcomed the Department of Social Work from the College of Liberal Arts and the School of Nursing from the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. In addition, the Communication Disorders program moved from its affiliation with the Department of Speech and Theatre to the Department of Health and Human Performance.

Joining the academic departments are the Centers for Health and Human Services, Organizational and Human Resource Effectiveness, and Physical Activity and Health for Youth, as well as the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare, the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and the Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services.

"We really see ourselves as a research-powerful operation for getting grants and other opportunities because of cross-collaboration between disciplines,"; says Dr. Harold "Terry"; Whiteside, dean of the new college.

Whiteside views the TCCW, in particular, as a grant-management operation that will serve other departments, help with paperwork and identify additional grants.

Dr. Rick Short, associate dean, says the former College of Education and Behavioral Science understandably gravitated overwhelmingly toward teacher education. The reorganization not only provides education with its own point of focus, he says; it enables the other disciplines that share a common thread to become part of the same fabric.

Behavioral and Health Sciences' mission statement reads, in part, that it "coalesces around a student-centered approach to provide reality-based, direct learning experiences that serve their graduates as well as future professionals. These experiences also prepare students to enter competitive graduate programs in their respective areas of interest and disciplines.";

Whiteside says he takes an egalitarian approach to administration, and that means the process of fashioning this new college must be inclusive.

"I didn't come in here to dictate anything to anybody,"; he says, "so the mission statement is a collaboration of all of us. The strategic plan is a collaboration of all of us.";

"The next process for the strategic planning committee … will be setting up goals and identifying opportunities and then setting a timeline for that,"; Short adds.

"Typically. strategic planning is on a five-year horizon. So we'll at least have a sense of where we'll be in five years or where we'll want to be in five years.";

What does all this mean for students and alumni? As a practical matter, teaching and learning will continue as usual. Graduates who wish to make donations may do so for their particular departments or for the university as a whole. Whiteside says emails explaining the particulars will be sent in the near future.

Lucie Burchfield is the college's point person for development. To contact her, call 615-898-5032 or send an email to lpburch@mtsu.edu.


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In Brief: Class helps with HIV tests

Students in Dr. Catherine Crooks' Psychology 4600 course are teaming up with Nashville CARES to offer free HIV testing on Thursday, Dec. 2, in the Keathley University Center from noon to 5 p.m. Participants should meet on the second floor at an information table just outside the KUC Grill. For more information, visit http://mtsufreehivtesting.weebly.com .


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For the Record: 'Our happy, productive experience at MTSU'

by Jianhua Wang

I am an administrator in the Academic Office of China Agricultural University in Beijing. I and Ms. Zhanrong Zhong visited MTSU from March to August 2010 as shadowing researchers to learn how MTSU committed itself to serve students from Tennessee and beyond.

On Sept. 27, I shared my experience in a two-hour lecture with my CAU colleagues, chaired by Mr. Wenliang Wu, the provost of CAU.

CAU is a 211 university in China. "211"; is a Chinese National Educational Project, during which the government will support the top 100 universities of the 3,000 institutions of higher education nationwide to help them become the best Chinese universities in the 21st century.

With Dr. Sidney A. McPhee's initiatives and continuous efforts, CAU and MTSU have developed strong partnerships in the areas of student exchanges, visiting scholars and joint research since 2001. Ms. Zhong and I spent six months at MTSU as the first group of visiting administrators.

"I wrote a 50-page report on how the best university in Tennessee offers students a quality education,"; I explained to my colleagues. "My report covers the university profile, admission policies, freshman orientation, personalized academic advising, a robust computer system for teaching and learning, and universal access to technology.

"The (Student Health, Wellness and) Recreation Center is a very enjoyable place and a good facility for faculty and students as well. I enjoyed backward floating very much when I swam after working long hours in the office.

"My gratitude is great for the hospitality I received from MTSU, and the days I spent in Murfreesboro will become a valuable memory for this trip to the United States.";

My colleagues expressed strong interest in how the university faculty and staff serve students and create a student-centered learning community. MTSU's efficient practices, robust administration and a technological system serving more than 25,000 students stirred up the meeting participants' heated discussion.

MTSU graduate student Wencheng Hu received this article and photo from Ms. Wang and sent it to the Office of News & Media Relations for publication in The Record.


STATUS REPORT—Jianhua Wang, at far right, uses her laptop to present her report on her visit to MTSU earlier this year with colleague Zhanrong Zhong. Wang is an administrator in the Academic Office of China Agricultural University in Beijing, and she and Zhong shadowed researchers for six months to learn more about MTSU's "student-centered learning community.";

photo submitted


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MTSU supports officials' efforts to secure funding for new science building

MTSU officials officials support preliminary discussions by lawmakers to secure funding for the $126 million proposed science building by reducing the state's share of the project to less than $100 million.

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee said he was grateful for the work by legislators, state officials and others to advance the science building, which has been on the state's priority list for higher-education building projects since 1998 and designated as the No. 1 priority for the last three years. The university's current science buildings have been deemed outdated and inadequate to support demand created by MTSU's record-breaking enrollment.

State Sens. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, said at a Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce legislative luncheon on Nov. 17 that they thought the project would fare better before the Legislature if the state's cost could be reduced below the $100 million mark.

McPhee said he will work with the senators, as well as the entire local legislative delegation and other key lawmakers, on ways to reduce the state's portion of the cost and move the project forward. Under such a scenario, he said, the university would secure the balance needed to finish the building through other options apart from state funding.

The president also echoed the senators' urgency on moving quickly with the project to take advantage of lower construction and material costs. While the project has been scaled back considerably during the years-long planning process, McPhee said the university will look for additional ways to reduce costs while preserving the building's functionality and educational mission.


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A welcome guest

TEACHING MORE TEACHERS—Former Hangzhou Normal University President Lin Zhengfan discusses "The Development and Future Perspective of Primary-School Teachers in Rural Areas in China"; with students in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building Nov. 9. Dr. Lin and his delegation from MTSU's Confucius Institute partner school visited MTSU, three Murfreesboro schools and school systems in east Tennessee during their Nov. 7-14 visit to observe teaching methods in kindergarten through 12th grades in both city and rural settings. The delegation, which also included Genzhen Zhen, Jing Zhang and Jianmei Shen, visited the Discovery School at Reeves Rogers, Siegel Middle School and Siegel High School in Murfreesboro to observe local teachers in action. The group concluded their week in Tennessee with a visit to the Capitol to meet Gov. Phil Bredesen and tour the Tennessee State Museum and Frist Center, then attended MTSU's 29th annual Salute to Armed Services events on Nov. 13.

MTSU Photographic Services photo by Andy Heidt


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COHRE offers new training for private business

by Gina K. Logue

Sometimes a project works so well in the private sector that a governmental agency decides it's worth copying and broadening. The MTSU Center for Organizational and Human Resource Effectiveness is doing the same thing in reverse.

COHRE is taking the Foundational Leadership Academy it created three years ago to help Rutherford County government employees and offering it to private businesses and organizations.

The Foundational Leadership Academy conducts five half-day sessions once a month with county workers who have leadership potential. Up to 12 trainees and two primary trainers provide individual attention and cover the issues business leaders constantly encounter.

Dr. Patrick McCarthy, director of COHRE, says the academy was designed to be practical, rigorous, hands-on and affordable, is quite adaptable to private-sector circumstances and is applicable in both large and small businesses.

"It's still about running a business,"; notes McCarthy. "It's still about managing people. It's still about motivating. It's still about dealing with conflict effectively and constructively.";

Rutherford County Mayor Ernest G. Burgess is a believer. He writes, "We recognize the value of developing our people, and COHRE has done a wonderful job adapting the training to the needs of each individual group. COHRE is a competent, energetic, resourceful and trustworthy organization.";

"While, on the one hand, we're a stand-alone consulting firm of sorts, our affiliation with the university means a key part of our mission is to serve our community,"; McCarthy says.

After three years of proven performance, the time seemed right to take the Foundational Leadership Academy to the Rutherford County business community. Dr. Michael Hein, associate director of COHRE, says many firms are discovering that they need to bolster their bench strength.

"What's actually happening is the retirement of the Baby Boomers,"; says Hein, ";and a lot of companies are realizing they're going to have to move a lot of people up into positions to replace those people. And they don't have the skills to do that.";

In the Foundational Leadership Academy, participants tackle specific scenarios within groups with each individual playing the roles of observer, feedback provider and feedback receiver at different times during the exercises. Ultimately, the entire group will discuss their approaches to the scenarios together.

"We've had one person in the county with several years of business experience whose comment was that this was the best training she's ever received,"; Hein says.

COHRE's qualifications are found in its people—consultants with both peer-reviewed academic expertise and decades of real-world experience. Some of Hein's former clients include Toshiba, the Jack Daniel's Distillery, Ingram Books and the Murfreesboro Police Department. Among McCarthy's former clients are Proctor and Gamble, Union Carbide, State Farm, Pearl Drum Corporation and United Way.

To find out more about COHRE and the Foundational Leadership Academy, go to www.mtsu.edu/~cohre or call 615-217-2084.


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Department revives Cuba trip after 6-year hiatus

from Staff Reports

After a six-year hiatus due to stringent U.S. government controls on travel to Cuba by American citizens, MTSU's Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has revived its successful Cuba study-abroad program for summer 2011.

The new program, called "Project Cuba,"; has been retooled to fit new laws and is one of only a few such programs in existence nationwide.

"It's a shame to wait out political changes that might never come,"; said Dr. Ric Morris, professor of Spanish and linguistics at MTSU, who is serving as program director. "There has never been greater urgency for Americans to get behind the Iron Curtain and see for themselves what Cuba is all about.";

Because of the trade embargo, visiting Cuba without U.S. government permission can incur fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to 10 years in prison. As a result, very few Americans go there. The 2011 Cuba program is covered under an academic license, however, and is 100 percent legal for all qualifying participants.

The program will be open to three classifications of participants: undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty. All three groups will depart Nashville together on May 20, 2011, but will return at different times. Faculty and graduate students will stay two weeks and return on June 3. Undergraduates will stay 10 weeks and return on July 31.

"The undergraduate program is longer because U.S. law requires undergraduate study in Cuba to be at least 10 continuous weeks, no exceptions,"; Morris explains. "Graduate study falls under the category of research and is not durationally restricted.";

While in Cuba, undergraduates will earn nine hours of Spanish credit taking language classes at the University of Havana. They also will take a custom-designed course, "Anthropological History of the Cuban People,"; to be taught in English at the Montané Anthropological Museum in Havana. On return to MTSU, the course may be equated to three hours of credit either in ANTH 3710, Special Topics in Anthropology, or GS 3010, Global Studies: Study Abroad.

Graduate students and faculty will conduct independent-research projects. As much as possible, they will work in the field with research assistants, who will also help break down any cultural or language barriers encountered along the way.

For the duration of the visit, all three groups will reside in Havana in comfortable guest- house lodging. They will take meals together and enjoy cultural activities and excursions as a group.

"The only difference will be what each person does during working hours,"; Morris says "Undergraduates will be taking classes, while the faculty and grad students are working on their research.";

All three prongs of the program are open to participants in any academic field and with any level of Spanish ability.

So why visit Cuba? Morris explains that much of what we hear about Cuba in the United States today is highly politicized, leading to grossly inaccurate perceptions of what Cuba is really like.

"We have no excuse for being ignorant about Cuba,"; he says. "Cuba is closer to our borders than Chattanooga is to Murfreesboro, but what do we really know about Cuba besides the fact that it's Marxist and exports cigars? How many Americans know, for example, that Cuba has virtually eradicated several lethal diseases that still kill thousands of Americans each year?";

Morris points out that past trip participants typically come away deeply challenged by the experience of being in Cuba even for just a few weeks.

"A lot of what you've believed about Cuba turns out to be correct, but even more turns out to be wrong,"; he says.

"Cuba is the final frontier,"; Morris adds. "After graduating college, most Americans will never have the opportunity to visit Cuba again legally. If Cuba intrigues you, there won't be a better time to go than now.";

Morris has been to Cuba five times: four as an educational-program director and once on a humanitarian mission.

For more information about Project Cuba, interested students and faculty should contact Morris as soon as possible at 615-898-2284 or rmorris@mtsu.edu.

You also can listen to Morris discuss "Project Cuba"; in the Nov. 21, 2010, podcast of "MTSU On the Record,"; available anytime at www.mtsunews.com .


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National coaches bestow 9th award for soccer GPAs

MTSU's Sun Belt champion soccer team has been recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Associa-tion of America with a 2010 NSCAA Team Academic Award.

The group annually awards the honor to schools with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The award is for the 2009-10 academic year.

The women, who posted a 3.34 team GPA, have won the honor nine consecutive years, dating back to head coach Aston Rhoden's first season in 2002.


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Bleeding Blue, beating WKU

POINTS AND PINTS—American Red Cross Donor Recruitment Representative Brittany Durham, center, congratulates MTSU Athletics Director Chris Massaro, left, and Western Kentucky University AD Ross Bjork Nov. 20 after announcing MTSU's win in the inaugural weeklong blood-drive contest. MTSU students, faculty, staff and community supporters donated a total of 551 units of blood Nov. 15-18 during the "Bleed Blue to Beat WKU"; competition, Durham said, while Western's campus donated 508 units. "This is so awesome and I am so happy for you all,"; Durham said in a congratulatory campuswide email. "What a successful first year at doing this!"; The blood-drive results were announced during the first quarter of the MTSU-WKU football game in Bowling Green, which the Blue Raiders won 27-26. The competition will become an annual event before each MTSU and Western football game, organizers said.

photo courtesy of Aaron Thompson/Daily News Journal


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LT&ITC gives problem-based learning a fresh focus

by Leslie Lynn

The Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center at MTSU has just finished a fall 2010 First Tuesday Series that educated teachers on problem-based learning, an approach that encourages students to seek answers to real-world problems.

Problem-based learning aims to build a bridge between what happens on campus and what occurs in real life, according to Dr. Terry Goodin, an assistant professor in MTSU's Womack Family Educational Leadership Department and a First Tuesday Series presenter.

"Problem-based learning connects real life to learning in tangible situations,"; Goodin explained.

The new teaching approach is being used across the United States in similar teacher-education redesign plans. The PBL approach restructures the teaching process to make it a more meaningful, practical experience for students rather than simply learning and reciting facts. The process was first used in medical schools, where students worked to understand and solve real patient cases for class, and it continues to be a problem-based curriculum.

Problems are used to stimulate students' creativity and initiate real-life applications. Students end up with higher levels of comprehension, development of creativity and social skills, Goodin said, adding that the process seems to reflect the way the mind actually works.

In response to the growing interest in PBL, the Tennessee Board of Regents has implemented a Teacher Education Redesign program, which is being developed at East Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech, the University of Memphis, Tennessee State, Austin Peay and MTSU. As a result, MTSU is working with these institutions, along with Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, to discover the best PBL practices and applications.

MTSU is playing a leading role in the TBR's education-redesign program through its Ready2Teach program, formerly known as the Teaching Quality Initiative. The TQI pilot program, launched in fall 2008, focused on using PBL to help prepare future educators to meet the needs of 21st-century learners. Ready2Teach emphasizes real-world learning activities and offers an extended-residency program for prospective teachers at the undergraduate level.

The First Tuesday three-session series involved approximately 45 participants who learned about the new teaching style, including a practical application of PBL during the final session.

Goodin said the series received an enthusiastic response from the attendees, and organizers plan to bring a guest speaker to campus next spring to provide more information about PBL.

What changes can educators expect to see as a result of PBL training over the next five years?

"I think a lot of our professors use PBL kind of informally,"; Goodin said, "because what we try to do a lot of times is link learning to practice and give students an experience in doing something with the knowledge that they are given through their course, which is the underlying premise of PBL.

"I wish … to formalize what we are doing informally, so we can study it and find out what the best practices and best ways of using PBL are at the college level.";

To discuss real-life situations in the classroom that are encountered in the workplace is an incredible tool for both teachers and students, he said, adding that colleges will be sending candidates into the work force who will feel more prepared because of their education, so why not start now?

For more information about problem-based learning at MTSU, visit the LT&ITC website or contact Goodin at tgoodin@mtsu.edu.


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Women and Gender Studies offering graduate certificate

by Gina K. Logue

Professionals seeking to gain an advantage in a tight labor market can add another credential after their names with a new interdisciplinary graduate certificate offered by MTSU's Women's and Gender Studies Program.

"The 18-credit-hour program is an opportunity for professionals in areas such as health care, education, legal and social services and in the nonprofit sector to acquire expertise on women's and gender issues that can help them advance in their careers,"; says Dr. Newtona "Tina"; Johnson, Women's and Gender Studies director.

Starting in spring 2011, students can gain advanced training in the areas of feminist theory and methodologies and in-depth knowledge of gender inequality, along with the intersection of gender and other forms of social identity and positioning, such as race, age, ability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic class.

"The program will expose students to new ways of thinking about women and gender that interrogate and expand the processes by which knowledge about human beings is acquired, interpreted and transmitted,"; Johnson says. "Students will have the opportunity to research these new ways of thinking and to apply the knowledge to their personal and professional lives.";

The certificate can be a stand-alone credential for non-degree-seeking students or an additional credential for students who are enrolled in MTSU graduate-degree programs.

Core requirements constitute nine of the 18 credit hours to obtain the certificate. They are Feminist Theory (WGST 6000), Feminist Methods (WGST 6010) and either an internship (WGST 6020) or Directed Reading and Research (WGST 6021).

"People who are already working professionals not aiming for a graduate degree might prefer the internship, whereas students who are thinking of an academic career might want to do more research,"; says Johnson.

Nine hours of electives may be chosen from at least two different departments that offer approved electives, including English, history, psychology and sociology/anthropology. At least three credit hours of electives must be taken at the 6000 level.

Electives must be 5000-, 6000-or 7000-level courses that meet WGST criteria for course selection. They also must be approved by the WGST curriculum committee, taught by graduate faculty and approved by the graduate council.

For information, contact Johnson at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu or the College of Graduate Studies at 615-898-2840 or askgrad@mtsu.edu.


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Vietnam-era vets focus of memorial observance

by Gina K. Logue

The MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee planted a tree to honor all Vietnam-era veterans in a Nov. 13 ceremony near the memorial in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building.

A flag paying tribute to prisoners of war and personnel listed as missing in action was added to the new flagpole in an installation ceremony conducted by Rolling Thunder.

The memorial is a bipartite black granite wall engraved with the names of members of the MTSU community who have perished in the service of the nation. It is a living memorial constructed in the form of a plaza that can be used for classroom instruction, formal ceremonies or private contemplation.

Brick pavers, many featuring the names of family members and other loved ones who have served their country, are arrayed in rows between the wall and the Jackson Building. Proceeds from the ongoing sale of the pavers go into the memorial fund.

For more information about the Veterans Memorial or how to purchase personalized brick pavers, contact Robyn Kilpatrick at 615-390-5675 or rkilpatr@mtsu.edu.



HONORING THEIR SERVICE—Members of Rolling Thunder, above left, a nonprofit organization that honors prisoners of war and service members missing in action, install the POW/MIA flag at the MTSU Veterans Memorial at a special ceremony on Nov. 13. Above, MTSU Army ROTC cadets march in formation during the ceremony. They are, from left, Sonia Dixson, Tommie Lane, Jayson Cantrell, Melvin Taylor and Joshua Wilcox.

photos courtesy of Cadet Capt. Keith C. Stewart


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Blueraider #1 wins 1st computer-programming contest

by Randy Weiler

MTSU Blueraider #1 produced a feat no other MTSU computer-science competition teams have ever achieved: winning the 2010 Association for Computing Machinery Mid-Central USA Programming Contest.

MTSU Blueraider #1 solved seven of nine problems in capturing first place Nov. 6 in the competition at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.

Team members include Matt Bradley and Michael Chasteen of Smyrna and Nathan Reale of Franklin. All are computer-science majors.

The trio ranked eighth out of 142 teams in the entire mid-central region, which includes Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois (and the Greater Chicago metropolitan area), Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, said Dr. Zhijiang Dong, the team's co-coach along with Dr. Sung Yoo.

"I'm really excited about it,"; Chasteen wrote in an email about the team's accomplishment. "I believe this is the first time MTSU has taken first place. I'm glad I had the opportunity to represent the school and the computer science department at this event.

"All the professors in the computer-science department are wonderful instructors, and I owe my success to them. We have a great program here.";

Of the nine problems, Chasteen said, "the degree of difficulty ranged from trivial to advanced. The more challenging problems required a lot of critical thinking, problem-solving skills and advanced programming methods to solve.";

MTSU Blueraider #1 finished ahead of runner-up Tennessee Tech's Thrashing the Cache, which solved six problems, and third-place Belmont Brute Force, which solved five, as did fourth-place Tennessee Tech The Gutsmen.

MTSU Blueraider #2 solved three problems and placed 17th overall out of the 22-team field. Team members included computer-science majors Anthony Mills of Murfreesboro, Chris Brasington of Sevierville and Tom Richards of Germantown.

"We only have five hours to solve as many problems as we can, as fast as we can,"; Chasteen said of the ACM contest. "In school, we usually have a week or two to do one program. We were able to solve seven of nine problems. We almost got the eighth one solved, but we ran out of time.

"One of the reasons we won was because we split up the problems amongst ourselves and solved them on our own. This enabled us to rotate turns on the one computer we were allowed to use to type up our solutions and submit them. After we got the easy problems done, we started teaming up on the harder ones. And when one of us had a problem getting a solution to work right, the rest of the team would stop and help debug the code.";

"They all did a wonderful job,"; Dong said. "We are extremely proud of how they performed. Only three teams in the whole region solved more problems. We have never been so close to the ACM-Intercollegiate Programming Contest World Finals.";

The news quickly spread throughout the department.

"We're excited,"; said Dr. Chrisila Pettey, interim chairwoman for computer science. "This is the first time in 20-plus years that we've won. We're competing against Tennessee Tech, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Belmont, East Tennessee State and others. Those are impressive schools to be competing against.";


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People Around Campus: Students bring home honors in mock-trial tourney

An MTSU mock-trial team placed second in its division and MTSU students received the top number of individual awards at the Mid-South Invitational Mock Trial Tournament held at MTSU Nov. 12-13.

Sixty-four teams from colleges and universities as far away as California, Texas, Utah, Minnesota and Florida participated in the four-round tournament, which, after 20 years, is one of the longest continuously running invitational tournaments in the nation. In it, teams of six to eight students argue each trial over roughly three hours before two attorneys.

MTSU senior Rachel Harmon of Atlanta was named one of the tournament's top attorneys. Senior Karen Lenoir of Antioch, Tenn., freshman Megan McClarty of Smyrna, Nashville junior Constance Grieves and freshman Lisa Starke of Euless, Texas, were included in their division's top-10 witnesses.

Three MTSU mock-trial teams participated in the two-division event.

One MTSU team came in second overall with a record of 7-1 by capturing two ballots against Bellarmine University, splitting ballots with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, gaining two ballots against Southern Methodist University and winning both ballots against Rhodes College. The team included students Harmon, Nathan Brown and Zac Barker as attorneys and McClarty, Jordan Cassadine, Ashley Fuqua and Andrew Mitchell as witnesses. Only the eight ballots won by the University of South Carolina, which won both the division and the tournament, bested their efforts.

A second MTSU team brought home a 5.5-2.5 record and included David Haggard, Lee Whitwell and Samantha Farish as attorneys and Karen Lenoir, Kristin Johnson, Lexi Sengupta, Kayla Crabtree and Ryan Williams as witnesses. That group carried two ballots against Georgia Tech, had a win and a tie with Rhodes College, lost two ballots to North Alabama and won two ballots against a second team from Georgia Tech.

MTSU's third mock-trial team included Grieves, Kaitlin Beck and Heather Haggard serving as attorneys and Jessica Seitz, Mariane Schiff, Lisa Starke and Andrew Dellinger serving as witnesses. That team had a 5-3 record, winning both ballots against Fresno State University and Georgia Tech, losing two ballots to Bob Jones University and splitting ballots with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The tournament is directed by Dr. John R. Vile, dean of MTSU's University Honors College, in conjunction with fellow coaches Brandi Snow, Shiva Bozarth and Kevin Rayburn, who are local attorneys and MTSU mock-trial alumni, and Pam Davis, the administrative assistant in the Department of Political Science.

WELL DONE—Members of MTSU's Mock Trial Team celebrate their second-place finish at the Mid-South Invitational Tournament.

photo submitted


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Faculty/Staff Update

Conferences

Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross (chemistry, GRITS Collaborative Project) attended the first National Girls Collaborative Project Collaboration conference Oct. 20-22 in Washington, D. C. She facilitated a session on "Encouraging Parent Involvement in Girls' Science Learning"; presented by Dale McCreedy of The Franklin Institute. Iriarte-Gross also was an invited panelist for the plenary session "Sharing Strategies—Voices from the Collaboratives."; The GRITS Collaborative Project also was highlighted at the Collaboration Showcase during the conference.

Dr. Jason D. Johnson (mathematical sciences) hosted the fourth annual Middle Tennessee New Mathematics Teacher Conference at MTSU Oct. 9. The conference was designed to support local new math teachers in grades six through 12.

Donations

Dr. Robert B. Blair (business communication and entrepreneurship, Center for Economic Education) received a framed international currency collection from Janice Bosman, president of the International Society for Business Education, after her retirement from teaching this summer. The collection is on display in the Center for Economic Education library and includes currency from Argentina, Aruba, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Trinidad/Tobago and the United Kingdom.

Events

Dr. Carroll Van West (Center for Historic Preservation) served as co-chair of the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, which coordinated the Tennessee sesquicentennial Nov. 12-13 in Nashville. Events included a workshop on interpretation, special projects and exhibits sponsored by the Tennessee State Library and Archives and the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation.

Grants

Drs. Jette Halladay (theatre), Tony V. Johnston (agribusiness), Robert B. Blair (BCEN), Stephen D. Morris (political science) and Gerald Morton (concrete industry management) received a $6,350 International Education Fee Funding Opportunities/Faculty Development Through Education Abroad Opportunities grant to fund an interdisciplinary exploratory trip to Honduras to investigate international experiential/ service-learning program opportunities for MTSU students and faculty. The project will begin in early 2011.

Lectures

Dr. Vic Montemayor (physics and astronomy) delivered the closing plenary talk at a July 22-25 summer school, organized by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The event discussed methods of improving medical physics graduate programs and was attended by about 120 faculty or program directors from four continents.

Passages

Ms. Barbara Jean Albert (Facilities Services) passed away Nov. 9. She is survived by her son, Irvin Albert, Jr.; three daughters, Connie Anderson, Connie Landers and Tawana Albert; and many other relatives and friends. Ms. Albert was employed by MTSU from April 1996 until her retirement in March 2002.

Presentations

Drs. Hugh Berryman (anthropology, Forensic Institute for Research and Education) and John Haffner (horse science) presented "Aerobic Decomposition for Large Scale Animal Fatalities"; Oct. 6 at the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Southeast Regional Research Initiative Semi-Annual Projects Review Meeting in Washington, D.C. On Oct. 14, Berryman presented "Thermal Trauma to Bone"; at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, S.C., for the National District Attorneys Association.

Rachel Kirk and Jason Vance (Walker Library) and Dr. Justin Gardner (agribusiness) presented a paper, "Using Student Data to Assess Library Instruction's Role in Student Success and Retention,"; at the Library Assessment Conference in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 25. Fagdeba Bakoyema (Walker Library) presented a paper, "Engaging Library Websites Users Through Usability Testing and Inquiries Using Morae,"; at the same conference on Oct. 26.

Dr. Zachariah Sinkala (mathematical sciences) presented "Computing the stochastic dynamics of multiscale model of MAPK signaling cascade"; at the MEEG 2010 international Conference on Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics of Infectious Diseases in Amsterdam, Netherlands Nov. 3-5. He also chaired a symposium, "General mechanisms of evolution,"; at the conference.

Michael Wilson (assistant golf coach) spoke Nov. 12 on "Collegiate Golf Strength and Conditioning"; at the 2010 World Golf Fitness Summit in Orlando, Fla.

Drs. Jeremy Winters (elementary and special education) and Dovie Kimmins (mathematical sciences) presented "Teachers Now: Preparing More and Better Middle Grades Math and Science Teachers"; at the School Science and Mathematics Association annual conference Nov. 4 in Fort Myers, Fla.

Publications

Dr. William F. Ford (Weatherford Chair of Finance) published an article, "The World's Most Profitable Company,"; in the November 2010 American Institute for Economic Research Bulletin. Ford's article also was referenced in the Nov. 3 issue of The Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Jane Marcellus (journalism) has published Business Girls and Two-Job Wives: Emerging Media Stereotypes of Employed Women (Hampton Press).

Dr. Debra Rose Wilson (nursing) published a book review on The Culture of Teenage Mothers by J. Gregson in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 21(4), 1414-1415.

Workshops

Dr. Warren Anderson (agribusiness and agriscience) discussed soil-structure problems arising from soil compaction at the "Get Your Grass in Gear"; workshop presented by Knox County Stormwater Management. He also helped the Rutherford County Natural Resource Conservation Service host the countywide 4-H and Future Farmers of America land-judging contest.

Get noticed in The Record!

Submit Faculty/Staff Update items and other news to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, for the final fall 2010 edition of The Record, Dec. 13. (Include items occurring between Dec. 13 through Jan. 16, 2011.) Submit news for the first 2011 edition of The Record (Jan. 17) by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. Thanks for another great year!


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Campus Calendar Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 2010

Please note: Event dates, times and locations may change after press time. Please verify specifics when making plans.

TV Schedule: "MTSU Out of the Blue";
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m., 5 p.m.
NewsChannel 5+: Sundays, 1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable-outlet airtimes or www.youtube.com/mtsunews for a complete show archive.

Radio Schedule: "MTSU On the Record";
8 a.m. Sundays, WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcasts available anytime at www.mtsunews.com .

Sports @ Home
Dec. 9: Women's Basketball vs. Xavier, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11: Track and Cross Country Middle Tennessee Christmas Invitational
Dec. 12: Women's Basketball vs. James Madison, 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: Men's Basketball vs. Furman, 3 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com .

Nov. 29-Dec. 3
Bachelor of Fine Arts Candidates' Exhibition: Studio 3
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Todd Gallery (opening reception 6-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29)
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/art or contact: 615-898-2455.

Monday, Nov. 29
"Pistons and Pipes";: MTSU Faculty Brass, Symphonic Brass Ensemble, organist Sandy Arndt and the First United Methodist Church Choir
7:30 p.m., FUMC, West Thompson Lane
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com or contact: 615-898-2493.

Tuesday, Nov. 30
Deadline: Employee Charitable Giving Pledge Forms
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/givemtsu or contact: 615-898-2953.

Wednesday, Dec. 1
MTSU Music: "A Clarinet Christmas";
6 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

MTSU Music: "Twas the Brass Before Christmas";
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Dec. 2-4
MTSU Dance Theatre: Fall Dance Concert
7:30 nightly, Tucker Theatre
Admission: $10 adults, $5 MTSU faculty, staff and K-12 students; MTSU students admitted free with valid ID
For information,visit the Tucker Theatre website or contact: 615-494-8810.

Thursday, Dec. 2
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-2922.

Free HIV Testing
sponsored by Dr. Catherine Crooks' Psychology 4600 course and Nashville CARES
noon-5 p.m., second floor, Keathley University Center
For information, visit: http://mtsufreehivtesting.weebly.com .

MTSU Music: "Jazz Nutcracker";
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Friday, Dec. 3
MTSU Flute Choir
6 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

First Friday Star Party: Dr. Chuck Higgins, "Long Wavelength Astronomy";
6:30 p.m. lecture, Room 102, Wiser-Patten Science Building; followed by telescope viewing at the MTSU Observatory
For information, contact: 615-898-5946.

MTSU Guitar Ensembles
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Saturday, Dec. 4
"Operation Christmas Care"; Sorting and Packaging Project
8 a.m., MTSU Police Department training room
For information, email lnewton@mtsu.edu or contact: 615-904-8573.

Faculty Piano Studio Recital: Lynn Rice-See
7 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Dec 5-6
MTSU Music: Handel's "Messiah";
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
Admission: $10 at the door
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Sunday, Dec. 5
MTSU Symphony Orchestra
4 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Monday, Dec. 6
Faculty Senate Meeting
4:30 p.m., Room 100, James Union Building
For information, visit the Faculty Senate website or contact: 615-898-2582.

Tuesday, Dec. 7
MTSU Symphonic Band/Brass Ensemble/Chamber Winds
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Wednesday, Dec. 8
Last Day of Classes

MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Thursday, Dec. 9
Study Day
No classes; university offices open.

Department of Accounting Continuing Professional Education Day
7:30 a.m.-4:50 p.m., Room S102 (State Farm Lecture Hall), Business and Aerospace Building
Cost: $150 (includes lunch)
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/accounting or contact: 615-898-5306.

Faculty Piano Studio Recital: Arunesh Nadgir
2 p.m., Hinton Music Hall

String Studio Recital
7 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Dec. 10-16
Final Exams

Sunday, Dec. 12
"Operation Christmas Care"; Final Sorting and Packaging
MTSU Police Department training room (after the Rutherford County Christmas Parade)
For information, email lnewton@mtsu.edu or contact: 615-904-8573.

Get noticed in The Record!

Submit Campus Calendar items and other news to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. l, for the final fall 2010 edition of The Record, Dec. 13. (Include items occurring between Dec. 13 through Jan. 16, 2011.) Submit news for the first 2011 edition of The Record (Jan. 17) by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. Thanks for another great year!


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